Chapter 155: All Together

Chapter 155

All Together

“Kneel!”

Song Qilin growled through clenched teeth, his face murderous. For a moment, Chen Yuelan thought she had misheard him. Brother Qilin had always been kind to her. How could he speak to her in such a way? She stood there, frozen in disbelief.

Song Qilin moved so swiftly that no one could follow. Chen Yuelan felt a sharp pain behind her knees, and she collapsed onto the ground, her knees hitting the floor with a thud.

“Ow!”

“What filth did you just spew? Apologize to my wife, now!”

General Song’s cold, menacing voice sent chills through everyone present. They had always thought the Hou was intimidating, but his son, General Song, was far more terrifying. When Song Qilin’s sharp gaze fell on Chen Yuelan, the temperature in the room seemed to drop, and everyone shivered. Truly, he deserved the title of the Jade-Faced Reaper.

Nie Shuang sat on a chair, with Chen Yuelan kneeling before her. No one had ever been able to force Chen Yuelan to kneel before her—not until Song Qilin, the man she loved, made it happen. Overcome with shame and humiliation, tears streamed down Chen Yuelan’s face. But in Song Qilin’s eyes, there was no sympathy. She had insulted his beloved wife. The fact that he hadn’t cut out her tongue was mercy enough.

“Apologize to her! If Nie Shuang doesn’t forgive you, you’ll stay kneeling!”

Nie Shuang, caught in this unexpected situation, felt a little out of place. She wasn’t accustomed to anyone kneeling before her. If Chen Yuelan truly felt remorseful, a sincere apology would have sufficed. Seeing her tear-streaked face softened her heart. Despite being twenty years old, Chen Yuelan had been coddled by her parents all her life, never facing real challenges, and even now, she was still not ready to leave her parents’ arms. She was, in the end, just a naive and thoughtless girl.

Song Qilin, however, was unsympathetic to anyone’s feelings. He didn’t even acknowledge Master Chen, who was standing nearby. Chen Furen, seeing her daughter in this state, was heartbroken. Chen Yuelan had been raised in luxury, never denied anything, never needing to adapt or struggle. She had sheltered her daughter too much, and now she feared her daughter couldn’t endure such harsh treatment. If something happened to her daughter, she would not be able to bear it.

“I admit my fault in raising her poorly. Please, the Hou and General Song, forgive us,”

Chen Furen pleaded, kneeling beside her daughter. Startled, Nie Shuang quickly stood and moved to help her up.

“Chen Furen, please rise.”

In that moment, Chen Yuelan did the unthinkable. She lunged at Nie Shuang, sending her heavily pregnant body stumbling backward. Song Qilin’s heart nearly stopped. He rushed forward to catch his wife, and in the same motion, instinctively struck out. Chen Yuelan took the full force of the blow and flew across the floor, coughing up blood. The entire scene unfolded so quickly that no one had time to react.

“A’Lan! My daughter!”

Chen Furen rushed to her daughter’s side. Chen Yuelan’s face was as pale as paper, her expression contorted in pain, unable to even whimper. For a moment, even the host was at a loss. It was Song Qilin who calmly gave orders to the Wen family servants.

“Quick, summon a doctor!”

Master Chen rushed to check on his daughter, deeply worried. His heart ached, but he knew he had no right to accuse Song Qilin of excessive force. His daughter had attempted to harm the General’s heavily pregnant wife. If Song Qilin hadn’t intervened, the person in need of a doctor would have been the other man’s wife. His daughter had gone too far. Nie Shuang was still unsteady on her feet, though fortunately, Song Qilin held her firmly. Her heart had nearly stopped when she thought she would fall. Even now, her hands and legs trembled from the shock.

Song Qilin knew all too well how powerful his strike had been. Chen Yuelan, a frail young woman, must have suffered severe internal injuries. If not for the unexpected situation, he would never have wanted to harm her. Seeing her in such a state, he decided not to pursue the matter further. Instead, he clasped his hands together and bowed his head apologetically to the host.

"My interruption has ruined your joyous occasion. Please forgive me, Elder Wen Furen."

Elder Wen Furen held no grudge. If anyone else had been insulted as much as Chen Yuelan had done today, they would have never let it go so easily. Moreover, throughout the entire ordeal, no one had seen Nie Shuang retaliate even once. It was Chen Yuelan who had tried to harm a pregnant woman, so Song Qilin’s actions were justified.

“General, please don’t trouble yourself. It’s an honor that you even took the time to come wish an old lady like me well, especially after leading troops in battle. Your wife must be shaken. You should take her home to rest.”

The Hou glanced at Master Chen, who was kneeling beside his injured daughter. While anger still simmered within him over what Chen Yuelan had done, the pitiful sight of the other party made it impossible for him to be harsh. After bidding farewell to the host, he instructed his men to fetch Xu Shi and the children to prepare for their departure.

Chen Furen was in tears, unable to bear seeing her daughter lying there as everyone watched. She requested to borrow a guest room from Wen Furen, and the host, feeling pity, ordered her servants to bring a stretcher to carry Young Miss Chen to the guest quarters while they waited for the doctor.

On the way back, Song Qilin did not ride his horse as he had earlier. Instead, he squeezed into the small carriage with his wife. When Xiao Tong and the wet nurses brought the children to the carriage, their parents were already seated inside. As soon as Xiao Tong set him on the carriage floor, Da Ge almost jumped into his mother’s lap out of longing. During the event, he had acted as the representative for his siblings, and now, exhausted, he craved his mother’s affection. But when he saw a tall figure sitting beside her, he looked up in surprise, then the little dumpling instantly froze in place.

His father’s smiling face looked down at him lovingly. Da Ge couldn’t believe that his father had suddenly appeared before him. He stood silently, wide-eyed, his small mouth moving as though he was whispering to himself. Seeing their son’s comical expression, both parents chuckled. Bei Bei and Xiao Hua Hua, who followed closely behind, were also stunned at the sight of their father. He had been gone for so long. Bei Bei moved toward his mother while sneaking glances at his father shyly. Xiao Hua Hua, however, was all smiles as she walked past Da Ge and plopped herself onto her father’s wide lap, lying there contentedly without the slightest hint of awkwardness. Song Qilin kissed his daughter on the forehead and patted her head affectionately before turning to Bao Bao, who still stood frozen.

“Bao Bao, come here. Don’t you remember your father?”

Song Qilin reached out his hand to his son, calling him in a deep voice. Bao Bao looked at his father, his small lips pressing together. His father had been gone for so long, and every time he returned, he would be affectionate for a while before leaving again, making Bao Bao sad. The little boy suddenly burst into tears, crying loudly inside the carriage. Startled, Song Qilin hurried to pull his son into a hug but couldn’t embrace him too tightly as he was still wearing his hard, heavy armor.

"Bao Bao, my good boy,"

Song Qilin held his son in his arms, gently rocking him. Seeing her older brother cry, Xiao Hua Hua sat up and reached out to pat his leg, trying to help their father comfort him.

"Bao...Bao..."

Hearing his daughter speak for the first time made Song Qilin’s heart melt.

"Xiao Hua Hua, you can talk now?"

"Say Father...Father,"

Nie Shuang coached her, hoping to bring some joy to the General.

"Pa!" "Pa!" "Father!"The three children spoke in unison, causing Song Qilin’s heart to swell with joy, his eyes almost tearing up. The children had grown so much since he last saw them. They could now walk and talk. He felt incredibly grateful to be back with them once again.