Song Yuzhang: Chapter 38 - Pigeon Blood Stone
Chapter 38: Pigeon Blood Ruby
Song Yuzhang had gone back.
Even though he was limping, he still went back.
Meng Tingjing couldn’t make him stay.
Of course, Meng Tingjing could have forced him to stay. Just last night, when Song Yuzhang was perfectly fine in bed, he’d been pinned down and unable to move. In his current half-dead state, Meng Tingjing could subdue him with one hand.
But somehow, Meng Tingjing just couldn’t bring himself to lay a hand on Song Yuzhang anymore.
When Song Yuzhang lifted his foot to put on his socks, his face twisted for a second in pain. Meng Tingjing walked over silently and helped him put on the silk socks.
Once his socks were on, Song Yuzhang slipped into his leather shoes and left without saying a word.
Meng Tingjing stayed where he was. The bed was a complete mess, the air still thick with the lingering scent of what had just happened. His unfocused gaze swept around the room. He touched the cheek that had been slapped and sniffed his own fingers, then slowly asked himself in his heart, “Have I fallen?”
If this was falling—
Then… falling was far too pleasurable.
Meng Tingjing took a deep breath and fell back onto the bed again, dizzy and dazed as he replayed every moment from the night before.
Song Yuzhang’s movements, expressions, and sounds were etched into his memory, frame by frame.
Meng Tingjing turned his face to the side, extending his arm to touch the crumpled sheets.
The sheets carried not only his scent, but Song Yuzhang’s as well.
Meng Tingjing closed his eyes, still floating in the lingering aftertaste of it all.
This was clearly another kind of fall—he could feel the danger of it. Yet he had no desire to change or resist.
Because it was simply too delightful—joy he had never experienced before, not just physically, but emotionally, too. His heart had been stirred, even if just a little.
Meng Tingjing thought to himself, “This doesn’t feel like just falling…”
Song Yuzhang, on the other hand, didn’t want to think about what had happened last night at all.
But just because he didn’t want to think about it didn’t mean he could ignore the strange sensations in his body.
His ass hurt, damn it!
Driving was nearly impossible. What used to be a soft leather seat now felt like a torture device. He couldn’t help but squirm, but the more he squirmed, the more he felt like a giant rabbit.
Everything had happened too fast, too abruptly the night before. He hadn’t had time to process it. But now that it was over, his aching body served as a vivid reminder, and the memories clawed their way back into his brain—bit by bit, tormenting his nerves. His face turned an ugly mix of red and pale.
Thankfully, the Song estate was quiet and empty at the moment. He didn’t have to worry about anyone seeing him limp. He made his way back to his room and went straight to bathe.
Lying in the tub, hot water soaking into his skin, he shivered involuntarily at the strange sensations. He told himself in silence, Definitely pulled a muscle. Expressionless, he sat there for a moment longer, then thought, That son of a bitch.
Meng Tingjing had been absolutely terrible in bed.
From beginning to end, there hadn’t been anything worth praising.
Compared to him—Song Yuzhang—it was like heaven and earth.
He couldn’t speak for other things, but when it came to the bedroom, no one had ever been disappointed in him.
His skills—according to Chen Hanmin—were even better than the foreigners’!
But Meng Tingjing? Besides making people hurt, he didn’t have any other talent.
Firmly deleting certain memories from his mind, Song Yuzhang reassured himself: There’s nothing else.
Staring blankly at a spot in the air, he muttered again in his heart with a blank face: That damn bastard.
It took every ounce of strength for Song Yuzhang to get himself cleaned up. Once he was done, he was so exhausted he couldn’t even move. He slipped into smooth, cool silk pajamas and collapsed onto the bed.
He hadn’t slept a wink the night before. Body and soul both worn out, he instantly fell into a deep sleep—like a corpse.
Meanwhile, Song Mingzhao had just returned home. On the way, he’d stopped by a jewelry store—originally intending to buy a diamond necklace for a female classmate he’d gotten close to lately. But while there, he saw an Indian merchant acquiring a pigeon’s blood ruby. The moment he saw the stone, Song Mingzhao was captivated by its dazzling red glow.
The Indian merchant spoke awkward English: “This stone is from Burma. I paid a high price to get it. It can be made into a beautiful ring or necklace. Women will love it.”
Song Mingzhao picked up the ruby and toyed with it between his fingers. The color was pure, like blood and flame, about the size of a pea—indeed, very magical and beautiful.
“How much?” he asked.
The Indian gave a shockingly high price.
Without batting an eye, Song Mingzhao wrote a check.
The merchant asked eagerly whether he wanted a ring or necklace, and if it was a ring, they’d need to measure the size in advance.
“No need,” Song Mingzhao said. “Just wrap it up.”
He felt the stone, uncut and unadorned, was already beautiful enough as it was—just like Song Yuzhang. A perfect match.
Holding the raw, radiant gem in his pocket, Song Mingzhao went upstairs. A servant told him the Fifth Young Master had already returned and was in his room.
Song Mingzhao knew Song Yuzhang hadn’t come home last night, but he didn’t think much of it. Song Yuzhang wasn’t a child—what was the big deal about staying out once or twice? Just a while ago, the two of them had even slept out together without telling anyone.
In a warm, affectionate mood, Song Mingzhao approached Song Yuzhang’s room.
Based on his own experience, Song Yuzhang was probably catching up on sleep.
Feeling playful, he decided to sneak in and give his beloved little brother a scare. He didn’t knock. Moving quietly, he turned the doorknob, his leather shoes clicking softly on the floor. Step by step, he crept through the outer sitting room, the study, and finally reached the bedroom.
Sure enough, Song Yuzhang was asleep—curled on his side, the blanket only covering him to the waist.
Song Mingzhao had wanted to startle him—but once he got close and saw his sleeping face, he lost all desire to play a prank.
He didn’t understand why his elder brothers were always so cold. Having a younger brother was such a joy—being admired and loved by him, and having someone cute to look after and order around. No matter how you looked at it, it was a good deal.
Song Mingzhao didn’t get it. How could his elder brothers not appreciate someone like Song Yuzhang?
He stared at Song Yuzhang for a while, then smiled foolishly to himself.
He thought: Probably because I’m not as pretty as Xiao Yu.
Song Mingzhao took out a velvet box containing the pigeon blood ruby from his inner pocket. He opened the box, picked up the stone between two fingers, and, after admiring it with narrowed eyes for a while, brought it closer to his eye and looked at Song Yuzhang through it.
Song Yuzhang was undoubtedly beautiful—there was no question about it. The entire household knew it. Song Mingzhao had noticed it the very first time he saw him. But that beauty had always felt like a fleeting illusion to him, and in his heart, it was nothing more than a casual thought: Oh, this little bastard is actually quite good-looking. That was it.
But now, the way he looked at Song Yuzhang had changed.
That beauty was no longer like this gemstone—cold and solitary—but held a certain warmth, an intimate heat.
His younger brother. His younger brother.
Xiao Yu. His Xiao Yu.
Without realizing it, Song Mingzhao had already leaned in very close to Song Yuzhang. He blinked forcefully a couple of times and noticed that the left eye, partially obscured by the ruby, saw everything tinted red. But even with his unobstructed right eye, there was still a faint trace of red.
He moved the gemstone away and stared intently at Song Yuzhang’s neck with both eyes.
Song Yuzhang was sleeping on his side, half his face buried in the pillow, the other half exposed. The hair on the back of his head was messily caught between his neck and the pillow. Song Mingzhao knelt on the bed, his face nearly wedged into that small gap. But he was so close, it actually made things harder to see. He pulled back a little, frowned thoughtfully, and then reached out.
Song Yuzhang was still deep asleep. It seemed like he was utterly exhausted from the night before. Song Mingzhao glanced at his face, then carefully pushed aside the locks of hair that were blocking his view.
Beneath the fair skin, there was a faint reddish bruise.
Song Mingzhao froze in place, kneeling on the bed, his fingers starting to tremble.
Heat and cold surged through his body in waves. His forehead throbbed painfully. He slowly drew his hand back, fingers curling as if burned. After a moment, he reached out again and gently tugged at the collar of Song Yuzhang’s sleepwear.
The silk pajamas had a loose, slanted neckline. With just a slight pull, the inside became perfectly visible.
If the red mark on his neck still left room for speculation, then the marks on his body were clear as day.
Song Mingzhao's mind rang with a sharp “buzz,” followed by a wave of near-madness.
He no longer cared whether Song Yuzhang was awake or not. Hands trembling, he fumbled with the buttons of his pajamas. The mother-of-pearl buttons were small, smooth, and thinly embedded between the fabric—like they had come to life and were deliberately avoiding his fingers. They were a pain to handle. Frustrated and flushed, Song Mingzhao was about to rip the pajamas apart.
He lifted his head in anger—only to find that Song Yuzhang was already awake, staring silently at him. His expression was completely blank.
Song Mingzhao had never seen him look so distant. That gaze made their relationship suddenly feel far, far away. Whatever shame he might’ve felt about being caught in the act was instantly drowned out by a surge of frustration.
How can he look at me like that? We’re the closest people in this house. I only have him, and he only has me. How can he look at me like that?
Fueled by anger and hurt, Song Mingzhao stormed off the bed, stomping so loudly it was like setting off landmines. But once he left the room, he suddenly paused—Wait, what am I running for? I didn’t do anything wrong!
With a loud stomp, he ran right back.
Song Yuzhang was now sitting up. After being pulled around earlier, his silk pajamas hung loosely on him. One hand was propped behind him, and the other held the pigeon blood ruby that Song Mingzhao had dropped. Like earlier, he held it up in front of him, studying it. When he heard the approaching footsteps, he turned his head and gave Song Mingzhao a slight smile. “Fourth Brother, did you leave this behind?”
Seeing him act like nothing had happened, Song Mingzhao didn't even know if he should still be angry. He kept a stern face and said, “It’s for you.”
“For me?”
Song Yuzhang looked slightly surprised, eyes widening a bit with a youthful innocence. Song Mingzhao, still wearing a stern expression, walked over step by step, standing by the bed and looking down at him. Then, in a tone full of frustration, he said, “You—”
He sat down on the bed and gave Song Yuzhang a firm slap on the back. “Don’t learn from Third Brother!”
The silk pajamas rippled with the slap, sending out the faint scent of soap from Song Yuzhang’s body. Song Mingzhao wrapped his arms around his shoulders, resting his head against his left shoulder. “You’re driving me crazy!”
The edge of the ruby scratched lightly against Song Yuzhang’s fingers, leaving a slight tingling pain. He turned his face slightly and asked softly, “Why are you giving this to me?”
“No reason. Just to play with.”
Song Yuzhang turned and looked at the back of Song Mingzhao’s head.
He suddenly felt a tiny bit moved.
This young man—stupid, arrogant, self-willed, shallow, and overbearing… Apart from that handsome face, there was almost nothing likeable about him.
But his feelings were genuine.
Maybe it was because of his emotional vulnerability after what had happened, but Song Yuzhang seemed especially soft-hearted today. He lowered his head and gently brushed the tip of his nose against the soft hair at the back of Song Mingzhao’s head.
Song Mingzhao trembled slightly. He turned his face and looked into Song Yuzhang’s eyes.
Those eyes were once again full of tenderness and affection.
His chest warmed, and he pressed his forehead to Song Yuzhang’s. The warm touch of his skin and the breath between them made him feel deeply happy. He murmured, “Xiao Yu…”
Song Yuzhang responded softly, “Mm. Fourth Brother.”
For some reason, Song Mingzhao suddenly felt like crying. His heart was still aching and sour, so he asked, “Where did you go last night?”
“......”
“Who did you spend the night with?”
Song Yuzhang patted his shoulder lightly. “Someone unimportant.”
“I told you not to hang around those kinds of people!”
“I know. I’ll change from now on.”
“You’ll change?” Song Mingzhao looked up into Song Yuzhang’s dark eyes and shivered slightly. “Don’t lie to me again.”
Song Yuzhang smiled. “I mean it this time.”
Song Mingzhao could get extremely angry, but he could also be coaxed just as easily. In no time at all, he had kicked off his shoes and climbed onto the bed, snuggling next to Song Yuzhang as they admired the pigeon blood ruby together.
The ruby shone brilliantly in Song Yuzhang’s open palm. Song Mingzhao whispered, “The moment I saw it, I thought it suited you perfectly.”
Song Yuzhang shifted his hand slightly, causing the light to ripple across its surface. “I’m not a girl, though.”
“What’s that got to do with anything?”
As he spoke, Song Mingzhao reached out and nudged the ruby in his palm. “I just think it belongs to you.”
“Thank you, Fourth Brother.”
Song Mingzhao placed his hand over Song Yuzhang’s, pressing down gently over the ruby. “Saying thank you like that makes us feel distant.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Then why did you glare at me just now?”
“I glared at you?”
“You did!”
“When?”
“When I was tak—” Song Mingzhao straightened up, staring back at the teasing look in Song Yuzhang’s eyes, and said righteously, “What’s wrong with me taking your clothes off for a look? We’re brothers—can’t even look now?” Just remembering that cold expression on Song Yuzhang’s face made him furious again. He immediately declared, “I’m sleeping with you tonight!”
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