Chapter 122 Now that you can’t even protect yourself, how dare you provoke Ying’er again?
The little girl who brought tea to Yuan Song was the same one who had run errands for him before.
But today he lacked his usual composure and looked uneasy. He asked anxiously, "How is your cousin these days?"
The little girl timidly shook her head: "I am working in the outer courtyard and cannot get close to my cousin."
Yuan Song sighed, blaming himself for his impatience. He then gave her another piece of silver, intending to have her report it again, but before he could finish his words, Su Ying arrived.
He didn't care to be surprised why the doorman directly reported Su Ying this time. Instead, he quickly stepped forward and looked her up and down before he felt relieved: "It's good that you're okay, it's good that you're okay!"
He pulled Su Ying to sit down and said, "I was locked up in the mansion by my uncle and aunt a while ago and was not allowed to go out. After leaving the house, I found out that many things were happening outside. There are so many rumors, and I'm afraid that a girl like you can't stand it!"
Su Ying naturally knew what he was referring to. She could be angry at Yuan Song's impudent words and his self-willed behavior, but she couldn't be angry at the heart that had never changed since childhood and had always protected her.
She only whispered in comfort: "The rumor didn't mention anyone by name, so how would others know it was me?"
Then he glared at him again, half in anger, "It's you! If you hadn't mentioned me in front of your uncle, how could he have caught the conversation?"
After the speculation with Du Heng, Su Ying had already guessed that Yuan Zhixu originally intended to cut ties with Yuan Song, but Yuan Song was completely unaware of it. He just acted on impulse and made a joking statement about proposing a marriage to her, personally giving his uncle an excuse for the discord between uncle and nephew.
Seeing Yuan Song's regretful expression, Su Ying couldn't hold back her heart and whispered, "Officialdom is treacherous, but thankfully your uncle has always been considerate of you. From now on, don't play around like this again."
There were some things Su Ying couldn't bring herself to say, and she could only sigh silently in her heart. Yuan Song's unbridled freedom was due to someone protecting him from the wind and rain. Others, however, never had such confidence.
Yuan Song saw her expression slightly startled, her eyes wandering, and knew her thoughts were elsewhere. A surge of anger welled up in his heart, and he said in a deep voice, "What? Do you also think that all the fame I've had over the years was earned by relying on my uncle?"
He stared at Su Ying, his voice becoming increasingly urgent. "Ever since I entered the academy, you and I have been playing together. It's fine if others don't know, but why do you think so? You always say I'm playing around, but what exactly am I playing around with? What am I playing around with? What am I playing around with? I've never tried to trick you, and every word I said was true. Do you really think I like taking the imperial examinations? Do you really think I want to pursue a career in politics?"
He stood up suddenly due to his excitement, clasped Su Ying's shoulders with both hands and pulled her up. His eyes were fixed on Su Ying, who was stunned by his sudden action, and he wanted to open his heart and let her see his true intentions.
"Su Ying, let me tell you! If I hadn't promised to pass the imperial examination and give it to you, I, Yuan Song, would never have passed the imperial examination, nor would I have embarked on the path of official career!"
At this moment, a pair of arms reached out from the side, grabbed him, and tried to move him away from Su Ying's shoulders.
Yuan Song was already seething with rage, and seeing someone suddenly intervene only infuriated him. Without even bothering to see who was coming, he simply swung his hand, attempting to throw the man's arm away. However, the man's strength was immense, and instead of knocking him down, he lost his balance and stumbled backwards a few steps.
"It's you!"
After Yuan Song stood firm, he looked across.
Du Heng put his hands on Su Ying's shoulders, looking concerned, afraid that she might get hurt. But Su Ying didn't refuse, but just shook her head to indicate that she was fine.
When Yuan Song saw this scene, it was as if someone had grabbed his chest tightly, making it hard for him to breathe.
He tried his best but still couldn't touch her heart. However, Du Heng easily accomplished what he had been longing for for many years in just a few months.
The anger that had been pent up in his chest burst out completely. He stared at Du Heng and said in a cold voice, "Du Heng, you can barely protect yourself now, and your career is hopeless. How dare you provoke Ying'er again?"
Before he finished speaking, he took a few steps forward and forcibly grabbed Su Ying's hand, trying to lead her away from Du Heng. But Du Heng didn't let go. He said coldly, "Mr. Yuan, you have come to the Du Mansion so many times and are disrespectful to my cousin. Please leave immediately and don't let me alert the authorities. From now on, you are not welcome at the Du Mansion!"
Seeing Du Heng's righteous words, Yuan Song couldn't help but laugh out loud. He said, "Du Heng, do you think you'll have another chance in this life? Do you really think you were given a delayed exam because of Xu Chongnian? Xu Chongnian is just the one who caused the trouble, and you are just the fuse that started the fire."
"For someone like you who has no power, no influence, and no one to rely on, what great things can you achieve just by relying on the empty reputation of your ancestors? You can't even protect yourself, how can you even dream of protecting Ying'er?"
After saying that, he turned to look at Su Ying, took a deep breath, and suppressed his anger. His voice softened a lot, and his eyes were even more earnest: "Ying'er, the capital is a place of trouble. It's not a place we can stay. You listen to me, after the Spring Examination, you will come back with me."
"Don't worry about my uncle doing anything bad to you. As long as I don't want to do it, he can't force me even if he has a thousand tricks."
"If you want to go back to Yandang, I'll take you back. If you want to travel all over Jiangnan, I'll accompany you. I'll walk through all the mountains and rivers of the Great Zhou with you as long as you're willing."
After hearing Yuan Song's heartfelt words, it would be unreasonable for Su Ying to continue to claim that she didn't understand the true meaning of his words.
After a long while, she finally spoke: "I promised my cousin that after the Spring Examination is over and everything is settled, I will go with him to the northern border to take a look."
As she spoke, she pushed away Yuan Song's tightly grasped hand. Her heart ached and her eyes were wet. How could she not know how good Yuan Song was to her? But her heart was still elsewhere.
She didn't want to hide anything from him, nor did she want to deceive him. Only by telling him the truth could she be worthy of his sincerity.
Yuan Song looked at Ying'er in disbelief, looking at the girl he had held in his hands since the first time they met, watching her lower her head and whisper, watching something dripping from her face.
One drop, two drops, three drops...
Every drop pierced his heart, and every drop was so painful that he dared not breathe.
"What's so fun about the North? The Pei and Lu families are being manipulated by the Emperor, using his power to control them. Even my uncle, who's in the middle of the situation, might not be able to see clearly. Are you going there to die?"
He smiled mid-sentence, but that smile was filled with heartbreaking sadness. He continued, "Du Heng took you with him because he was just hoping that one day the emperor would recognize his talent and he would make a comeback!"
"You've been bewitched by him now. It's useless for me to say anything. I won't let you follow him blindly. Wait for me, wait for me."
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