Chapter 189: Following

Chapter 189

Following

Song Qilin had to attend a morning court meeting like other high-ranking officials in the royal court. He had petitioned to be allowed to return to his post at the northern border, secretly hoping the Emperor might assign him a permanent position in the capital instead. However, he knew that the situation at the border was still unstable. Although they had achieved a decisive victory, scattered remnants of the enemy forces remained. He had left his duties in the hands of the deputy General for half a year, and now it was time to return and assess the situation.

The Emperor granted Song Qilin permission to skip future morning meetings to prepare for his departure. Once the meeting was over, Song Qilin rushed home, his mind filled with thoughts of his wife and children. He wondered what they were doing at that moment. Were the children being difficult and distracting Shuang Shuang from her work? Lately, his wife had been inviting Princess An Le, her sister-in-law, over frequently to teach her accounting and trade principles. Sometimes, Song Qilin felt an urge to whisk his wife away to some far-off place, leaving behind all the responsibilities of being an official and a businesswoman. What a life it would be—just the two of them and their six little ones.

Wearing his red official robes, General Song rode his horse back home, unlike most officials who preferred riding in sedan chairs or carriages. On the way back, he noticed a carriage procession heading toward the city gates. At first, he paid it no mind, but upon seeing the familiar faces of the servants seated beside the carriage driver, he recognized them as close attendants of Master Chen.

Song Qilin pulled his horse to the side to let the carriage pass. As the procession drew near, one of the front servants, recognizing General Song, got down to bow in thanks for making way. Song Qilin, from atop his horse, asked the servant,

“Where are you heading?”

The servant lowered his voice and replied,

"General, Chen Furen and Young Miss Chen are returning to their hometown.” He hesitated briefly before continuing, “They likely won’t be coming back to the capital..."

Song Qilin raised his eyebrows in surprise. After the incident, Chen Yuelan had been severely injured by him. Yet what she had done to Nie Shuang was far too serious to be forgiven, and not a single person from the Yong An Hou Manor had gone to visit her. It seemed her condition had improved enough for her to travel. Thinking it over, Song Qilin waved the servant away, guiding his horse toward the main carriage. Since they were still within the city, the procession moved slowly. The servant climbed back into his seat, while Song Qilin leaned closer to the carriage window.

"Auntie, Qilin will bid you farewell here. Should you ever face trouble, the gates of the Yong An Hou Manor will always remain open for Uncle Chen and you."

Of course, that invitation did not extend to Chen Yuelan...

A sorrowful voice responded from inside the carriage,

"Thank you, Qilin. I’m sorry for how things turned out. Please forgive us for the past. We likely won’t meet again."

As Chen Furen spoke, faint sobbing could be heard from within the carriage.

"Please take care of yourself, Auntie,"

He replied evenly before turning his horse to leave. Just as he did, the carriage curtain shifted, and the pale face of Chen Yuelan appeared. She watched as the back of the man she loved grew smaller in the distance, tears streaming down her face. She had to cover her mouth with a handkerchief to stifle her sobs. Even knowing she was leaving, never to meet again, he still couldn’t forgive her. He didn’t even offer a final farewell...

A warm hand from her mother rested gently on her back, offering comfort. At that moment, the only person who stood by her side was her mother.

"Don’t be sad, A’Lan. Forget everything that happened here. Let’s start anew, my dear."

The events that had transpired not only ruined her reputation throughout the capital, but they had also made the Chen family the subject of ridicule. To this day, the infamous incident was still reenacted in operas, constantly singing in festivities. The disgrace even tarnished her father’s name. If it weren’t for her near-death injury, her father would have sent her to live in a nunnery by now.

She didn’t know what her mother had said to her father, but as soon as she recovered, her mother packed their belongings and left the manor, taking her to her mother’s ancestral home, leaving behind a letter of divorce and the youngest son. Throughout her life, her parents had been a loving and harmonious couple, but now, her mother’s once perfect life had crumbled because of her.

"Mother...I’m so sorry."

For the first time in her life, Chen Yuelan sincerely apologized. To protect a daughter as incapable as her, her mother had lost so much. If Chen Yuelan stayed in the capital, it would only make things harder for her father and brother in their political paths.

When Song Qilin returned home, he didn’t mention Chen Yuelan’s departure to his wife. He saw his wife busily instructing the servants to pack up, and when she noticed him, she smiled.

"Qilin, you’re back. Change your clothes first."

With that, she moved to help him remove his cloak. The servants saw this and excused themselves from the room. Once they were alone, Song Qilin spoke up.

“You don’t have to trouble yourself with all this packing. I won’t be taking much with me. Everything I need is already at the northern border.”

“It’s not for you—it’s for me and the children.”

Nie Shuang replied while draping his cloak over a nearby rack. Song Qilin stood watching his wife fetching a blue robe from a chest, and as she returned to him, he asked, his voice tinged with sadness,

"Are you going back to Huangjing?"

Nie Shuang smiled.

“Yingying is already handling things there. Why would I need to go?”

Hearing this, his eyes sparkled with joy, a smile creeping onto his lips, though he still hesitated to speak, fearing disappointment. He pulled her into his arms, despite only wearing an inner robe.

“Shuang Shuang! Don’t tease your husband with false hope!”

She laughed, playfully pushing his chest with the robe she held.

"What hope? I haven’t said anything yet."

Song Qilin kissed her all over her beautiful face and held her tight.

“Shuang Shuang, you’re coming with me to the northern border, aren’t you?”

His voice trembled with emotion.

“Weren’t you the one who said I couldn’t manage the children on my own? There are six of them—I can’t carry them all by myself,”

Nie Shuang teased, looking up at him with a playful smile. He kissed her again and acted as if he wouldn’t let go of her. She had to pretend to hit his chest hard before he finally released her. His eyes, gazing at her, were filled with deep affection.

“Shuang Shuang, you’re so wonderful. At last, you’re willing to follow me to the border. Honestly, this time, if the children had cried when I left, I don’t know if I would have had the heart to leave them.”

Nie Shuang lifted a hand to gently caress her husband’s face.

"Qilin...I miss you too. While I’m here, I have the children and the business to look after. But you, over there alone, must feel even lonelier. We should be together as a family. The children are so attached to you. If you were gone, they’d be heartbroken."

"I’ve had a home prepared for you and the children at the border for the past three years. I never thought that one day you’d actually come to live there," he said, his voice filled with joy. After a brief pause, he hesitantly asked, "What about the tea house business in the capital? Aren’t you worried about it?"

“We have Princess An Le here. She’s an important partner too. Letting her learn to manage things on her own would be a good opportunity. As for me, I might scout out the trade at the border. If the commerce there is bustling, opening another branch of the tea house might be a great idea.”The two exchanged a contented glance, then after a long moment, they held hands and happily made their way to see the children.