Chapter 129 Getting Rained Together

Song Shen feigned shock:

"Who dares to commit such a despicable act in broad daylight, in this sacred Buddhist sanctuary?"

The figures were startled apart by the sudden question. After a brief silence, a man with a crooked hair ornament and disheveled clothes staggered out from behind the curtain. It was Fu Langxing.

His face was still flushed, but when he saw Song Yiqiu standing coldly at the door, he was struck dumb, instantly sobering up considerably.

"Yiqiu? You... how did you get here? Shouldn't you be..."

His words trailed off, his face filled with confusion.

The moment Song Yiqiu saw Fu Langxing walk out of that room, she understood everything.

What Song Shen was really up to was a scheme to force Fu Langxing into marriage.

She lured herself here to completely extinguish Fu Langxing's feelings for her.

Sure enough, a short while later, Song Sangyu also walked out from behind Fu Langxing with her head down, clothes disheveled, and hair loose.

Her eyes were red and teary, and the rouge on her lips was smudged, making her look like she had suffered all kinds of bullying.

She quickly glanced at everyone, and when she saw Song Yiqiu, a smug look flashed in her eyes, which immediately turned into utter shame and indignation. She then violently rammed her head against a nearby pillar, crying and shouting:

"Just let me die! I'm too ashamed to face anyone!"

“Sang Yu!”

Fu Langxing subconsciously reached out and grabbed her. Looking at her like this, he guiltily punched the surrounding beams and pillars.

Seeing this, Madam Song immediately cooperated with her daughter, slapping her thigh and acting out a tearful scene:

"My poor Yu'er, how could you be so foolish! A girl's most important thing is her reputation, and now... what are we going to do now?"

"How am I supposed to live like this? It would be better... better to end it all now, at least that way you can save face in the end."

As she spoke, she gestured with her eyes for Song Sangyu to continue.

Song Sangyu understood, and cried even more miserably and desperately, pretending to bang her head against the wall again.

Fu Langxing quickly pulled Song Sangyu behind him, shielding her, and after a moment of contemplation, said:

“Auntie! This matter is entirely Langxing’s fault. Perhaps he caught a cold from being caught in the rain, and he was dizzy and confused. He actually… he actually offended Sangyu.”

"Don't worry, Fu Langxing is not an irresponsible person. I will go back to the manor to inform my mother and immediately ask a matchmaker to come and propose marriage. I will definitely marry Sang Yu in a grand and glorious manner and will never let her suffer the slightest grievance."

After he finished speaking, his gaze involuntarily drifted to Song Yiqiu, who had been observing coldly, only to find that her face remained completely expressionless.

He felt neither anger nor sadness, which left him with a strange sense of loss.

He turned around, placed his hands on Song Sangyu's shoulders, and comforted her as he looked at her tearful face:

“Sang Yu, you must not do anything foolish again. Now that I have done this, I will definitely take full responsibility. You… wait for my news.”

After saying that, he didn't linger and hurriedly left.

Once she was sure Fu Langxing was out of sight, Song Sangyu wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and exchanged a knowing glance with Song Shenshi.

The joy in their eyes was almost overflowing.

Song Yiqiu took it all in and gave a cold, mocking snort:

“Since you are determined to marry into the Prince’s household, you can plan it openly and honestly. Why resort to such despicable means that will ruin your reputation? It’s just too undignified.”

Song Sangyu's expression changed, and she spoke innocently:

"What are you saying, sister? I don't understand. What happened just now was an accident. Why do you have to say hurtful things, sister?"

Song Shenshi immediately chimed in:

"Yiqiu, are you perhaps jealous that your sister got such a good marriage? Well, with the character and family background of Prince Fu, not just anyone can be a match for him."

Watching their ridiculous antics, Song Yiqiu found it both laughable and pathetic.

Too lazy to waste any more words, she simply shook her head silently, turned around, and walked out.

So this was the solution that Madam Song had come up with last night: to use the marriage between Song Sangyu and the Fu family to divert attention, suppress the huge scandals caused by her sons, and thereby save some face for the Song family.

Tragically, Song Sangyu thought she had succeeded, unaware that in her mother's eyes, what essential difference was there between her and Song Ruoling, who was almost pushed into the fire?

They were all just pawns that could be sacrificed at any time to fill the family's financial hole.

The prayer ceremony at Haishan Temple was conducted hastily.

Standing behind Song Sangyu and Song Shenshi, Song Yiqiu watched them kneeling and worshipping devoutly before the Guanyin statue, and felt a strong sense of nausea.

Using the excuse of feeling tightness in her chest, she left the main hall alone and went to the back of the temple for some fresh air.

The continuous rain finally stopped, and the bamboo forest behind the mountain was washed clean by the rain, making it lush and green. The bamboo leaves rustled in the breeze, and occasionally some accumulated raindrops slid off.

Bai Mei quietly stepped forward to report:

"Miss, just as you predicted, the Fourth Young Master is still putting on a brave face. He's been clamoring to donate a golden Buddha statue to Haishan Temple, hoping to change his luck."

"But according to our investigation, his luck at the casino has already plummeted. He has borrowed from almost all the well-known money lenders in the capital. The pretense of prosperity he maintains now is nothing more than robbing Peter to pay Paul and putting on a brave face."

"Miss, when shall we close the net?"

Song Yiqiu stared at the swaying bamboo leaves:

"No rush, let him get a little more cocky. What about the other good older brothers?"

Qingzhu replied:

"The eldest young master's injury has healed, and he went to court today to report for duty. But he has obviously forgotten the pain once the wound has healed. I heard that he has been organizing cockfighting in private again. The scandals of the second and third young masters have spread too widely and had a bad influence. I'm afraid they will have a hard time marrying a wife of equal social standing in the future."

“My elder brother is really enjoying his leisure time. Do as I instructed beforehand, and make sure that on the day of the succession ceremony, they… will never be able to turn the tables.”

"yes."

White plum blossoms and green bamboo responded in unison.

"You all go down first, I want to be alone for a while."

Song Yiqiu waved her hand.

After the two maids left, she stood alone in the bamboo forest. A drop of rain slid down from the tip of a bamboo leaf and landed on her shoulder, spreading a small dark patch.

Suddenly, the raindrops overhead stopped.

A shadow fell, blocking out the scattered raindrops.

She looked up and saw an oil-paper umbrella with a bamboo frame and a dark green color, held above her.

He turned around and met a pair of mocking eyes.

"What's wrong? Are you here all alone, heartbroken over your old flame?"

Xiao Yongjing arrived unnoticed, naturally tilting the umbrella towards her, while one of his shoulders was exposed to the damp rain.

Song Yiqiu noticed his shoulder, damp with raindrops. After a moment of silence, she stepped aside and said softly:

Let's go together.