Song Yuzhang: Chapter 192 - Leaving
“Who did this?”
Meng Tingjing pointed at the potted plants and flowers by the entrance, now in complete disarray. He was a man who loved order and cleanliness; every blade of grass inside and outside his home was subject to his standards. Early that morning, when he went out and saw that the carefully trimmed plants by the door had been chewed into a ragged mess, he immediately flew into a rage and was ready to take it out on the gatekeeper.
The gatekeeper felt wronged. He said they had been perfectly fine during the day; after just one night they had become like this. He had no idea which stray cat or dog had caused the damage.
Meng Tingjing pondered briefly, then recalled what had happened the night before. His anger gradually subsided, and with a stern face he said to forget it.
Flowers and plants—if they were eaten, then so be it. The person was still here; that was enough.
Meng Tingjing’s gaze lowered slightly. Truly, things resembled their owners—an idiot horse paired with a fool. A rough brute like Nie Yinbing was hardly worthy to be called a rival in matters of the heart.
Just as Meng Tingjing was savoring his triumph, Song Yuzhang came out. The weather was cold, and he was wearing a hat. He said to Meng Tingjing, “I’m going to the Nie residence.”
Meng Tingjing’s expression shifted slightly. He answered with a calm “Oh.” Only when Song Yuzhang passed by him did he add casually, “What are we having for lunch?”
Climbing into the car, Song Yuzhang replied, “Anything—”
Once seated, he rested his arm on the car window and made a phone gesture to Meng Tingjing. Meng Tingjing understood at once and nodded. Song Yuzhang lowered his hand, a faint smile on his face. “Don’t worry. I won’t run off on my own.”
Meng Tingjing thought to himself that he wasn’t afraid of Song Yuzhang running away alone—he was afraid of Song Yuzhang running off with a long string of people trailing behind him.
After thinking it over for a night, Song Yuzhang still couldn’t put his mind at ease about Nie Yinbing. When he arrived at the Nie residence, it was heavily guarded. The sight of soldiers still displeased him somewhat. He first had someone go announce him. Nie Mao came out and, upon seeing Song Yuzhang’s car, hurried forward. “Fifth Master, you still need to be announced? Please, come in.”
Song Yuzhang stepped into the Nie residence. Nie Mao walked beside him with a slight bow and quietly said a few words. Song Yuzhang listened and smiled faintly. “I won’t bring up those matters to him.”
Nie Mao let out a small breath of relief. “I’m afraid Second Master might act impulsively.”
“I understand.”
Nie Yinbing was sitting in the courtyard, still dressed as he had been the night before. Not a single wrinkle marred his uniform. His gaze was unfocused as he looked at the tall trees in the yard. It seemed he hadn’t even changed his clothes, having sat there all night.
Song Yuzhang paused at the doorway and called out brightly, “Yinbing, I’m here.”
Nie Yinbing’s eyes sharpened as he looked at Song Yuzhang. Song Yuzhang was smiling, radiant and refreshed, clearly having sorted through the sorrow and reluctance of the previous night. Nie Yinbing slowly stood up. Song Yuzhang walked over with a smile and patted his arm. Dew clung to Nie Yinbing’s clothes. Song Yuzhang rubbed his fingers together lightly and said with a faint smile, “How long will you be staying this time?”
“Three days.”
“Oh,” Song Yuzhang said. “So tense.”
In truth, even these three days had been extra time Nie Yinbing had managed to secure. The situation in the country was now largely favorable, with only a few battlefields remaining. The higher-ups wanted a swift resolution.
Song Yuzhang hesitated for a moment. His leather shoe scraped lightly against the ground, nudging a small pebble. He glanced at Nie Yinbing, his eyes flickering with unspoken meaning. Watching him, Nie Yinbing felt a faint surge of hope rising in his heart.
“You…” Before that hope could fully take shape, Song Yuzhang spoke. “Take care of yourself. Not just on the battlefield. Officialdom is even harder than war…” He could only go so far. “Sometimes, preserving oneself wisely isn’t necessarily a bad path.”
Nie Yinbing showed little change in expression. “I understand.”
Song Yuzhang smiled. “Good.”
After a moment of silence, Nie Yinbing said, “Stay for a meal.”
Song Yuzhang smiled. “Tingjing is waiting for me to go back and eat.”
Nie Yinbing fell silent.
Song Yuzhang lifted a hand slightly and tipped his hat. “I’m off.”
“When?” Nie Yinbing asked.
Song Yuzhang tilted his face slightly upward and smiled at him. “Afraid word might leak. Consider this our farewell.”
Another silence followed. Song Yuzhang turned to leave. Nie Yinbing spoke again, “If the war ends.”
Song Yuzhang turned sideways to look at him. His gaze softened as it flickered. In a low voice, he said, “…Then live your own life well.”
“I’m going—” Song Yuzhang waved and strode into the flowering trees. He walked quickly, disappearing from Nie Yinbing’s sight in just a few steps.
The Nie residence was much the same as before, except that soldiers with guns were stationed everywhere, adding a sense of grim severity. As soon as Song Yuzhang stepped down the stairs and out of the residence, he broke into a smile again.
The Meng family’s car was parked right behind his.
Song Yuzhang walked over and opened the car door. Meng Tingjing was seated inside, having left the outer seat for him. “Finished talking?”
“Enough said,” Song Yuzhang replied as he ducked into the car. Warmth filled the interior. He gathered his coat and gave Meng Tingjing’s leg a light pat. “Following me so closely—really afraid I’d run off with him?”
Meng Tingjing grabbed his hand. “The head chef made a whole table of dishes. I can’t finish them alone.”
Song Yuzhang looked at him with a faint smile. Meng Tingjing’s expression was calm. Still smiling, Song Yuzhang took off his hat and put it on Meng Tingjing’s head. Meng Tingjing turned his face away, but Song Yuzhang leaned in and kissed his cheek. “Let’s go home and eat!”
The head chef’s skill was beyond question. Song Yuzhang didn’t leave Meng Tingjing to battle alone; he ate heartily, talking with him as he did. Meng Tingjing said he had already contacted Li Zifeng. The other party was extremely interested in the neatly packaged “gift” of the bank, railway, and arms factory.
Haizhou’s waterways were well developed. Once the railway was completed, land routes would also become convenient. In the future, transportation would extend in all directions. It was bound to become a highly important region. Who wouldn’t want a bite of such rich meat?
Song Yuzhang nodded in satisfaction. “So what exactly is his attitude?”
“The money will arrive shortly,” Meng Tingjing said concisely.
Song Yuzhang looked slightly astonished. “That easy?”
Meng Tingjing sat upright, his handsome face composed and upright, almost radiating integrity. He said lightly, “He trusts my character.”
Song Yuzhang let out a soft laugh, then suppressed it and said “Oh,” his eyes glinting mischievously. A faint smile also appeared on Meng Tingjing’s face. “What are you laughing at? I didn’t trick him.”
“That’s hard to say. A powerful dragon can’t suppress a local snake. Li Zifeng might not get much advantage out of Liao Tiandong.”
Meng Tingjing accepted a towel from a servant, murmured his thanks, and wiped his hands. “That’s no concern of mine.”
Meng Tingjing usually acted with straightforward, thunderous decisiveness. Seeing him occasionally scheme and set someone up like this struck Song Yuzhang as especially amusing. He wiped his mouth, set down his napkin, and stood, bracing himself on the table. “Wait.”
Meng Tingjing stood by the telephone.
In a tone heavy with sorrow, Song Yuzhang recounted to Liao Tiandong the bank’s miserable state and how utterly disheartened he felt about Haizhou. Meng Tingjing leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. Song Yuzhang’s expression shifted rapidly—carefree delight flickering in his eyes. Anyone who saw him at that moment would know he was plotting something mischievous—yet everyone would gladly let him have his way.
After hanging up, Song Yuzhang was still smiling when Meng Tingjing cupped his face and sucked hard on his lips. Song Yuzhang’s eyes widened slightly. Meng Tingjing was smiling at him, too. Song Yuzhang’s smile deepened from faint to radiant as he lifted his head and kissed Meng Tingjing on the lips in return.
The two of them tumbled onto the bed, embracing and kissing. Meng Tingjing held Song Yuzhang in his arms and, amid thick laughter, murmured in a low voice, “Turns out deceiving people is actually quite amusing.”
Song Yuzhang rested his cheek on his arm and quietly snickered.
Liao Tiandong had always benefited from Song Yuzhang and had never suffered a loss at his hands. Just like Li Zifeng, he agreed immediately.
What Liao Tiandong held was ready cash. Afraid that Song Yuzhang might change his mind, he wasted no time and sent over two large trunks. They were heavy—filled entirely with gold. The U.S. dollars were deposited into Citibank and directly converted into checks. That very day, Song Yuzhang withdrew the money and transferred it into his own account.
Knowing Song Yuzhang was leaving, Liao Tiandong even enthusiastically offered to arrange a plane for him. Song Yuzhang accepted.
When he returned to the Meng residence, Song Yuzhang placed the two trunks of gold in Meng Tingjing’s bedroom. Meng Tingjing glanced sideways at them, thinking that Song Yuzhang truly did trust him.
“Liao Tiandong arranged the plane. It’s tomorrow.”
Song Yuzhang sat cross-legged on the bed. Meng Tingjing stood with his hands behind his back. “He really is in a hurry.”
“Once we’re gone, Haizhou will be his world. How could he not be?”
Meng Tingjing lifted his robe and sat down at the bedside, taking Song Yuzhang’s hand with one hand. After a long silence, Song Yuzhang clasped his hand in return. “For you to leave your homeland and follow me…”
Meng Tingjing’s heart softened. He was about to say that it didn’t matter where he was, when Song Yuzhang leisurely added, “…it’s truly your good fortune over three lifetimes.”
Glancing sideways, he saw Song Yuzhang smiling at him—beautiful and moving. Suddenly, Meng Tingjing felt a deep sense of peace. He grabbed Song Yuzhang’s hand and gave it a bite. “Sleep early. We leave tomorrow.”
The next morning, they set out separately, agreeing on a time and place to meet.
Before Song Yuzhang left, Meng Tingjing caught his hand and said firmly, “Eight o’clock.”
Song Yuzhang nodded slightly. “Eight o’clock.”
Meng Tingjing released his hand, feeling an uneasy turmoil in his heart. After Song Yuzhang left, he paced anxiously in place twice before Meng Sushan came to speak with him, which finally steadied him somewhat.
Song Yuzhang returned to the Song residence. The servants had already received word and finished packing all the luggage; the cars were started and waiting.
The servants moved back and forth, loading luggage into the vehicles. Song Yuzhang stood on the lawn and turned to look at the towering Song residence in the morning mist.
Memories faded like photographs—good and bad, beginnings and endings—all drifting away with the morning breeze. Song Yuzhang turned his head and saw the white bird by the lake preening its feathers.
The white bird had never been friendly. It watched Song Yuzhang from afar, and he watched it in return. As if sensing something, the bird slowly stood up. Song Yuzhang removed his hat and waved it at the bird. The large white bird lifted its head slightly. Indifferent as ever, it turned away and continued grooming.
The convoy started toward the airport.
At the same time, the Meng family’s side also set out.
“Both sides have departed.”
“Good—” The Minister of the New Law Department slammed his palm on the table, a vicious gleam shooting from his eyes. “This time, I’ll strip a layer of skin off them if it’s the last thing I do!”
The entire New Law Department mobilized, armed and ready. Under the minister’s command, they swarmed toward Haizhou’s only airport.
As soon as the Song and Meng convoys arrived, they were surrounded.
“Out of the car! All of you!” The minister strode over and pounded on the door. “I suspect you’re smuggling gold out of the country. Get out and submit to inspection!”
The New Law Department now wielded enormous authority in Haizhou. After a brief hesitation, everyone in the convoy stepped out one by one.
Not a single one of them was Song Yuzhang or Meng Tingjing. From their appearance, they were all servants. The minister’s head buzzed—had Liao Tiandong deceived him?
Ignoring everything else, they first seized and inspected the suitcases in the cars—only to find them filled with old clothes. At once, the New Law Department realized they had been duped.
Haizhou’s morning was bustling and vibrant. A man in a light-colored coat, wearing a black hat and a scarf covering the lower half of his face, walked alone along the street. He stopped at the dock and bought several sugar flatbreads from a vendor. Holding the warm pastries in his hands, he lowered his head and lightly boarded the ship.
Just as his foot stepped onto the final stair, Song Yuzhang was pulled around a corner by a sudden force and collided into Meng Tingjing’s embrace. Looking up, he smiled. “I’m not late.”
Whenever it came to officials, Song Yuzhang always kept a cautious mind. Liao Tiandong had paid so readily and even arranged a private plane—Song Yuzhang knew there must be a trap. So he simply played along, letting them fight among themselves while he and Meng Tingjing slipped away by water.
Meng Tingjing had arrived earlier. After guarding this dock for so many years, it would be false to say he felt nothing for it. But this was Song Yuzhang.
During the wait, Meng Tingjing’s heart had been restless. There was no helping it—he loved Song Yuzhang. From the very first glance, he had known it would entangle him for a lifetime.
There seemed to be faint commotion on shore, but the ship had already set sail. Song Yuzhang lifted the sugar flatbread and nudged it against Meng Tingjing’s lips. “Here—I brought you some.”
The sea breeze blew gently. Meng Tingjing held Song Yuzhang close and lowered his head to take a bite.
“Sweet?” Song Yuzhang asked.
Meng Tingjing bit into sesame seeds and scalding syrup, so hot it nearly blistered his mouth—but it was indeed sweet. He pressed his forehead against Song Yuzhang’s and said softly, “Sweet.”
A strong gust of wind blew Song Yuzhang’s hat off his head. Turning, he watched it sway in the wind before slowly falling onto the sea. The waves rose and fell, and the hat drifted farther away with the tide, becoming a small black dot in his sight. In the distance, Haizhou gradually blurred.
He remembered his first day setting foot in Haizhou.
Song Mingzhao had come to receive him, speaking to him along the way with hidden schemes in mind. When he stepped into the Song residence, Song Jincheng and Song Yekang were already waiting in the hall, prepared to deal with him, along with the belated Song Qiyuan… All that followed—people and events, love and hate—had been beyond his expectations.
Facing the wind, the sea breeze stung his eyes. Song Yuzhang narrowed them slightly and smiled gently. He thought that he did not regret it. He did not regret—becoming Song Yuzhang.
[End of Main Story] —
Author’s Note:
It was with great reluctance that I wrote this ending.
There will be many extras to come—perhaps the most I’ve ever written (or maybe not). They’ll cover Xiao Song and Xiao Meng’s life abroad, the fates of some supporting characters, and even Xiao Yingtao’s child-rearing story. As for other highly requested extras, I’ll consider writing them, though there’s no guarantee (it depends on my mood).
Ah, I still feel very reluctant to say goodbye. Farewell, Xiao Song (see you in the extras OvO).
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