Chapter 134: Yet She Ended Up Living Like a Child Loved by Neither Parent

A manservant hurried into the manor, and upon seeing Master Song, he announced, "Master, Mistress, Young Master, the eldest son has returned and is currently at the gate."

Upon hearing this, Mistress Song stood up, her expression filled with agitation. "Qianhe is back?"

Song Rong’s face also lit up with joy. His older brother was home!

Master Song muttered to himself, "It is good that he is back."

Mistress Song walked toward the entrance, with Song Rong trotting eagerly behind her. They had not gone far when they encountered Song Sheng.

"Mother," Song Sheng said. Then, looking at Song Rong, he added, "Brother."

Song Rong was pleasantly surprised; his brother had actually greeted him? Excitedly, he called out, "Brother!"

Mistress Song scrutinized Song Sheng’s expression. Overall, he seemed to be in much better spirits than during his previous returns.

"Qianhe, it is good to be back. Come inside with Mother; your father, your brother, and I have missed you very much." Mistress Song’s face was filled with smiles, though her eyes held a trace of caution.

Returning with the resolve to clear the air, Song Sheng nodded. "Actually, there are some things I would like to discuss with you all."

As soon as she heard this, Mistress Song’s heart sank. The last time Qianhe had said he wanted to talk to them, it had led to his self-imposed departure for Wenzhou, and he had worn that very same expression. Song Rong’s smile also faded, replaced by apprehension.

Song Sheng took in their changing expressions. Just as his mind began to spin with assumptions, he consciously dismissed them. Brother Li had told him that the first step in such situations was to stop letting one's own wild conjectures take root.

Mistress Song and Song Rong led him into the main hall with heavy hearts. Master Song tried to maintain his composure. "You could have at least sent a letter ahead to let the family know you were coming back."

Master Song expected no reply, as was Song Sheng’s usual temperament. However, the current Song Sheng was a bit more communicative than before. "I took leave as soon as the academy exams were finished, so there was no time to write."

The three members of the Song family were stunned, their mouths slightly agape. It had been a long time since Qianhe had spoken so much to them at once.

Master Song’s intended reprimands died on his lips. "You must be exhausted from your journey from Wenzhou. Go and rest first."

Song Sheng shook his head. "Father, Mother, Brother, please sit down first."

Mistress Song asked tentatively, "Qianhe, must we talk about this now?" Was there no room for delay?

"Yes."

Master Song was confused. What was so urgent? Mistress Song sighed softly and sat down. Song Sheng took a seat as well. He had imagined this scene countless times on his journey, but now that the moment had arrived, he felt surprisingly less nervous.

"Father, Mother, did you give birth to my brother because you had given up on me?" Song Sheng asked, cutting straight to the point. Brother Li had told him to be direct and resolve the mess with a clean stroke.

The three family members were struck dumb. They had no idea this was what Song Sheng had been thinking.

"What nonsense are you spouting?" Master Song said quickly. "Your mother and I never gave up on finding you! When your brother was conceived, we didn't even know it at the time. By the time we found out, it was quite late, and the doctor warned that your mother’s health was frail, making it dangerous to terminate the pregnancy."

Song Rong knew this, but he had always known his parents loved him, and he had felt a bit of guilt for arriving at an inconvenient time.

Song Sheng’s body tensed. "Then, when I returned, why did you push me aside? You whispered about things I couldn't hear and acted so cautiously, as if you were terrified I would find out." And whenever he accidentally witnessed them, they would abruptly change the subject.

Master Song and Mistress Song were even more bewildered. They had always thought they were being discreet and that Qianhe was unaware of these things.

"Qianhe, you’ve misunderstood!" Mistress Song said urgently. "When you first returned, you were so withdrawn and silent. Your father, your brother, and I were only discussing how to make you happy."

Song Sheng’s eyes widened. Was… was that it?

"That’s right, Brother!" Song Rong looked at him pitifully. "Mother and Father said you liked orchids, so I bought them to try to cheer you up. But you didn't like them anymore, and it backfired, only making you unhappy."

Song Sheng asked, "Did you break the orchid on purpose?"

Song Rong shook his head frantically. "I didn't! My hand really slipped! I didn't mean to break it! Brother, I didn't."

Song Rong felt as though the sky were falling. So that was the reason his brother had grown cold toward him!

"Alright, I believe you," Song Sheng said after observing his brother’s expression.

Song Rong’s puppy-like eyes lit up. "Brother, you distanced yourself from me because you thought I broke the orchid on purpose to gain sympathy from Father and Mother and make them misunderstand you?"

Song Sheng nodded.

Song Rong: "!!!" He had finally found the reason! That pot of orchids had framed him!

Mistress Song spoke with difficulty. "Qianhe, you thought we had given up on you, so we had your brother? And when you returned, you thought we were excluding you and speaking behind your back, not treating you like family?" Perhaps he even thought they were speaking ill of him, and his brother was intentionally framing him?

And so, believing there was no place for him at home, he had chosen to go to Wenzhou? Mistress Song felt a lump in her throat. If that were true, how much pain, suffering, and helplessness must Qianhe have felt to choose to leave alone?

They had been so foolish, assuming he just needed time to adjust to family life, and had not taken the initiative to reach out to him. Hadn't that just confirmed his fears? Thinking this, her heart ached so much that tears streamed down her face. Master Song, not having realized the misunderstanding behind Qianhe’s departure, also felt his eyes redden and hurriedly comforted his wife.

"Mistress, don't cry. It is a good thing that Qianhe is willing to speak about it now," Master Song said, patting her shoulder.

Song Sheng felt a sense of relief. So, it was all a misunderstanding. Brother Li was right; one should avoid wild speculation and talk openly instead.

"Father, Mother, Brother, I apologize. I was the one who misunderstood," Song Sheng said, feeling a weight lift from his heart. The shackles that had bound his emotions began to dissolve. As for what would happen next, he would let things take their natural course. He felt much more at ease now.

Mistress Song could still sense a distance between them. They were family, yet Qianhe felt the need to apologize. The rift between them had lasted too long; it would be hard to return to how things were immediately.

"Qianhe, you are not wrong, do not apologize," she said quickly. "Mother is not sad; I am just heartbroken for you—heartbroken that you carried all these emotions alone and traveled to Wenzhou by yourself."

Her Qianhe clearly had parents who loved him, yet he had lived like a child who had no one. In the end, it was their failure as parents for not handling these matters well.