Cheng Yaojia suddenly knelt before Cheng Ying. “Cousin, I have a favor to ask of you.”
Song Qingshu frowned at the sight, but fortunately Cheng Ying was quicker, helping her up before she could complete the bow. “Cousin, don’t do this.”
“If you don’t agree, I won’t get up.” Cheng Yaojia glanced at Song Qingshu, then continued, “Young Master Song refused us again and again at first because he knew that if this ever came to light, it would be a huge blow to his reputation. But we begged him so much that he finally agreed. Now that things have come to this, how can I let Young Master Song take the blame?”
Song Qingshu found the situation both exasperating and amusing, yet he was also deeply moved. He helped Cheng Yaojia up and said calmly, “You don’t need to beg her. I can handle this myself.”
“Now I do admire your willingness to take responsibility. However…” Cheng Ying’s tone turned cold. “May I ask how Young Master Song plans to ‘handle’ this?”
Song Qingshu smiled faintly. “The simplest way is to kill you. In this world, only the dead keep secrets best.”
Cheng Ying fell silent, knowing he spoke the truth. With her acupoints sealed, she was at his mercy. Even if they weren’t sealed, given the gap in their martial abilities, she would be completely defenseless.
Cheng Yaojia gasped and quickly spread her arms to shield Cheng Ying. “Young master, Cheng Ying is my most beloved cousin. Please don’t hurt her!”
Seeing her cousin’s gesture, Cheng Ying felt a warmth in her heart. She said softly, “Cousin, don’t worry. He won’t kill me.”
Song Qingshu was surprised. “How can you be so sure I won’t kill you?”
Cheng Ying said calmly, “If you truly intended to silence me by killing me, why would you waste so many words with me?”
Song Qingshu laughed. “Miss, you are truly intelligent.”
“But I still can’t figure out how you plan to ensure I won’t speak,” Cheng Ying said, frowning slightly as if troubled by the thought.
“Very simple. You owe me a promise from earlier today. At the time, I said I hadn’t thought of what to ask for yet, but now I have.” Song Qingshu paused, then looked into her eyes with a smile. “Someone as clever as you, Miss Cheng, should know what it is.”
Cheng Ying pressed her lips together, a hint of anger on her face. “Our agreement was that the request couldn’t violate the code of chivalry or be something despicable.”
Song Qingshu shrugged. “What part of this violates the code of chivalry? Your cousin and I are both willing participants. That’s hardly a despicable request, is it?”
Seeing her uncertain expression, he continued, “To be honest with you, with my current reputation, martial arts, and my well-known reputation as a playboy, even if this came to light, it wouldn’t affect me much—people would just gossip about it. The ones who would truly suffer would be your cousin—she would be ostracized by society, reviled by her husband’s family, rejected by her own family. And then your brother-in-law—he would be the subject of whispers and stares wherever he went…”
“Enough. I agree to your terms.” Cheng Ying hastily cut him off, her face somewhat pale.
“It’s a deal.” Song Qingshu smiled and casually unsealed her acupoints.
Cheng Ying hadn’t expected him to let her off so easily. She looked at him in surprise. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll go back on my word?”
Song Qingshu shook his head. “Though I’ve never met you before, Miss, I’ve long admired you from afar. I know you are a true lady among women. Since you’ve given your word, you won’t break it.”
“‘Long admired from afar’…” Cheng Ying murmured to herself. This was the second time she had heard him say this. She had a feeling that he seemed to know her like an old friend, yet she knew nothing about him. That feeling of being completely seen through, inside and out, made her deeply uncomfortable.
“Cousin, thank you.” Cheng Yaojia took Cheng Ying’s hand, her voice choked with emotion. She knew her cousin had always been upright and honest, and the only reason she had agreed to keep quiet was surely for her sake.
Cheng Ying too was moved by her cousin’s fate, caught in the cruel twists of circumstance. The two women embraced and whispered to each other. Before long, they were both weeping softly.
Song Qingshu, watching from the side, was thoroughly exasperated. He rapped on the bed frame and cleared his throat. “Miss Cheng, it’s getting late. You should go back to sleep.”
Cheng Ying’s mouth fell open in surprise. She stared at him for a long moment, then finally sniffed, “Why don’t *you* go back to sleep?”
Song Qingshu laughed. “You know, this is all your fault. If you hadn’t teased me so much this afternoon, getting my blood boiling and stirring up a fire in my heart, I wouldn’t have come running to your cousin in the first place.”
Cheng Ying had come in ready to demand an accounting, but at his words, her face instantly flushed crimson. She felt so hot she thought steam might come out of her ears.
Especially remembering that he had heard every word she had said to her cousin, she wished she could just die on the spot.
Cheng Yaojia’s heart ached for her younger cousin. She tried to smooth things over. “Young master, my cousin is so pure and innocent. She truly didn’t mean anything by it.”
Song Qingshu smiled faintly. “Of course I know Miss Cheng didn’t mean it. If she had, I wouldn’t be in your bed right now—I’d be in hers.”
Cheng Ying finally couldn’t bear his teasing any longer. She sprang out of bed, clutching her chest as she frantically put on her clothes. “I’m going back. I won’t disturb you any longer.”
Song Qingshu laughed despite himself. “Why are you clutching your chest? I can’t see anything. Don’t make it look like I’ve taken advantage of you.”
Cheng Ying couldn’t hold back any longer. She turned and cast him a resentful glare. “Haven’t you taken enough advantage of me today?” Moonlight streamed through the window, falling upon her like a layer of silver gauze. Her figure was graceful and captivating.
The look in her eyes stirred a heat in Song Qingshu’s heart. “I’ve changed my mind,” he said.
Cheng Ying was utterly confused when suddenly she felt a powerful force. Before she knew it, she was flying uncontrollably toward the bed.
Song Qingshu stretched out his arm and caught her, pulling her into his embrace. Cheng Ying struggled to get up, but her acupoints were sealed again. She was both alarmed and furious. “What are you doing?”
“Nothing much. Just adding an extra layer of insurance.” He placed her at the edge of the bed and smiled. “The most fickle thing in this world is the human heart. Though you’re a woman of your word now, it’s hard to guarantee you won’t change your mind later. Only by tying you to the same boat as Yaojia can I be certain.”
“Young master, what are you going to do?” Cheng Yaojia asked, clutching his arm with a worried expression, as if afraid he might harm her cousin.
“Nothing much.” The first sentence made both women breathe a sigh of relief. The next sentence made their beautiful faces turn deathly pale. “Just letting her $pend the night with us, that’s all.”