Song Yuzhang: Chapter 9 - Brother
Chapter 9: Brother
The welcoming crowd on the shore was overwhelming, their voices surging like waves toward the deck. From a distance, the cheers and cries of joy and sorrow echoed like a roaring sea.
As soon as the ship docked, people on the shore rushed forward, while those on the ship swarmed down. The pier turned into utter chaos. Knowing that no one was waiting to receive him, Song Yuzhang planned to slip away quietly. Unfortunately, there were no hats on the ship, and his face alone was enough to attract attention. He had to wait for the most chaotic moment to sneak away unnoticed—especially avoiding that old lover who had been eyeing his waist so intently.
That pretty boy—he was really tall.
Like a bamboo pole.
Song Yuzhang chuckled, feeling as if he had an inexplicable fate with bamboo poles.
He waited patiently for a while, feeling that the time was about right. He straightened his clothes, clasped his hands behind his back, turned a corner with a smooth and fluid step, and lowered his head as he walked forward.
This was his specialty—walking without looking, relying solely on instinct to forge a path of escape.
But this time, before he could take more than a few steps, a hand landed on his shoulder.
The grip was strong, pressing down on him like iron, halting his movement. Song Yuzhang turned his face slightly—his old lover was smiling at him. “Brother Yuzhang, let’s go together.”
Song Yuzhang’s expression remained unchanged. His dark, elegant eyebrows relaxed slightly as he returned a gentle smile, tinged with helpless indulgence. “Alright.”
Meng Tingjing wasn’t sure if he was overthinking things, but he always felt that every one of Song Yuzhang’s smiles carried a hidden agenda—something sneaky and indecent. It made him uncomfortable. He had half a mind to beat him up, but knowing he had already missed the best opportunity, he figured that if he couldn't kill him, then there was no point in hitting him anymore.
From beginning to end, Meng Tingjing had never revealed his identity to Song Yuzhang. At first, he thought it was unnecessary—why introduce himself to a dead man? And now, he still thought it was unnecessary. Just because Song Yuzhang had slipped away from his grasp didn’t mean he had escaped misfortune. A death sentence could be avoided, but punishment was inevitable. The four Song brothers were all forces to be reckoned with, and Song Yuzhang would not have an easy time ahead.
Song Yuzhang figured that since he had been caught, there was no avoiding a confrontation about past grievances and old entanglements. He didn’t particularly enjoy such matters but could handle them well enough—a few sweet words, a little effort, and it wouldn’t be a big deal.
But that pretty boy's strength was truly surprising. His arm, slender and long, rested on Song Yuzhang’s shoulder yet carried considerable weight. How could someone like this be entirely absent from his memory? Song Yuzhang racked his brain, finding it utterly baffling. He wasn’t the type to be completely heartless—if they had once been close, how could he have forgotten? He couldn’t even recall the man’s name.
By now, the crowd at the pier had started to disperse in waves. Families reunited, embracing in the sea of people like waves breaking against the shore. The man who had hooked his arm around Song Yuzhang’s shoulder walked a few steps, then let go, waving at a Cadillac parked nearby. “Mingzhao.”
Song Yuzhang had kept his head down to avoid attention. Hearing the unfamiliar name didn’t prompt him to look up; he was still itching for a chance to escape.
Then, suddenly, a hand clapped his shoulder again. He turned to see Meng Tingjing smiling at him—this time, with an almost friendly warmth. His tone was gentle as he said, “Mingzhao is here to pick you up.”
Song Yuzhang raised his eyes. A man was stepping out of the Cadillac, dressed in a navy blue suit. He was tall, his hair neatly combed, and his face bore a bright, cheerful smile, revealing a neat row of white teeth. A sunny, upright young man. His gaze locked onto Song Yuzhang’s for a brief moment, then his smile grew even wider as he dashed toward them with open arms.
Song Yuzhang instinctively wanted to step back—the man’s momentum suggested he might pounce on him.
“Ha, Brother Tingjing!”
Song Mingzhao greeted Meng Tingjing first, then turned to Song Yuzhang with uncontained excitement. “You must be Yuzhang! You look amazing! Third Brother is going to be so mad when he sees you—you’ve completely outshined him!” His voice was bright and lively, words tumbling out rapidly without giving anyone a chance to interrupt. As soon as one topic ended, another began. He immediately turned back to Meng Tingjing. “Brother Tingjing, we’re so grateful to you this time. When the family received your telegram, they were overjoyed! Thank goodness Fifth Brother is alright—if something had happened to him, our whole family would have been devastated. We’ve been waiting so long for this reunion! Damn this awful weather. What a blessing! What a relief!” Then, just as swiftly, he turned back to Song Yuzhang. “Yuzhang, I’m your fourth brother, Song Mingzhao! Dad said he sent you photos—do I look like the one in the picture?”
From the moment Song Mingzhao had started talking, Song Yuzhang had fallen completely silent. He stood there motionless, his ears ringing slightly.
Wrong.
This was all wrong.
A mistake.
A massive misunderstanding.
Shock, doubt, a thunderclap of realization—all these emotions surged through him, only to settle into an overwhelming sense of relief. This pretty boy wasn’t his old lover. No one had actually uncovered his real identity!
Song Yuzhang nearly sighed in relief. The words tumbling from the young man’s lips no longer registered in his ears—he just felt an urge to laugh.
What an utterly ridiculous mix-up.
They had mistaken him for someone else just because they shared the same name. But how? Did they only know the name but had no idea what the person actually looked like? Then again, he had been too wary to engage in deep conversation with that pretty boy… And a fourth brother? Could his own family members mistake him for someone else? This was beyond absurd. All this stress he had put himself through had been for nothing.
The pier was still alive with noise—laughter and tears mingling in the air. Before him, the refined young noble still looked bright-eyed and clueless, radiating joy. Song Yuzhang opened his mouth to explain, but when he spoke, the words that came out weren’t quite what he intended. Instead, he naturally went along with it. “You do look alike… but not exactly.”
“Haha!” Song Mingzhao laughed heartily. “That photo was taken two years ago—of course, people change! Wait until you see Third Brother—you won’t recognize him either! He went to get a perm with our sister-in-law the other day, and now his hair is all curly, just like the professors at my school!”
Meng Tingjing chuckled. “Why would our sister-in-law take him to get a perm?”
Song Mingzhao replied, “It wasn’t her idea—he wanted to go! He saw how good she looked with curls and decided he wanted to look handsome too!” He turned back to Song Yuzhang, beaming. “You look different from your photo, too! You’ve grown up—you're even more handsome now!” Then, he enthusiastically grabbed Song Yuzhang’s arm. “Come on, let’s get in the car! The whole family is waiting to welcome you home!”
Song Yuzhang subtly moved his hands behind his back, keeping his usual smile on his face. He hadn’t even had the chance to process everything fully yet, but his body was already one step ahead of his mind. Without much resistance, he let Song Mingzhao pull him toward the car. The driver respectfully opened the door for him.
The Cadillac was brand new, gleaming under the sunlight, its metallic sheen flashing in front of Song Yuzhang’s eyes. The glare made him squint slightly, and in that brief moment, he suddenly realized that an incredible opportunity was right before him!
Somewhere in this world, there was another ‘Song Yuzhang’ who had boarded the Peony. That person was the younger brother of this Song Mingzhao. Strangely, these brothers had only ever seen each other in photographs. The other ‘Song Yuzhang’ had at least seen photos taken of his four elder brothers two years ago, but the brothers had only seen pictures of ‘Song Yuzhang’ from his childhood.
He must bear some resemblance to that young master of the Song family… And the real one might already have perished at sea. Song Yuzhang felt not the slightest bit of guilt as he thought about it—he hadn’t stirred the wind, nor commanded the rain, nor capsized the ship.
It was all the will of fate.
The Cadillac's exterior was warm from the sun, and when Song Yuzhang placed his hand on it, he felt the heat seep into his palm.
“What’s wrong?” Song Mingzhao crouched slightly to ask. “Are you feeling unwell? Do you need to see a doctor first?”
Song Yuzhang smiled faintly, his chest gradually filling with a sense of lightness. Where there is a will, there is a way; beyond the dark willows, a bright village lies ahead. He recited the verse to himself in a jumble of thoughts, then turned to Song Mingzhao with a smile. “I’m fine.”
Resting his hand on the car, he looked back at Meng Tingjing, who stood still. Stripping away all the ambiguous undertones, he gave him a dignified and sincerely grateful smile. “Thank you, Brother Tingjing.”
Among the brothers, none were willing to go pick him up.
Eldest brother, Song Jincheng, said, “I have matters to handle at the bank. I can’t leave.”
Second brother, Song Yekang, said, “Bonian is sick. I already promised Qingyun I’d visit him—I can’t go back on my word.”
Third brother, Song Qiyuan, said, “My perm got ruined. I can’t face anyone looking like this.”
In the end, the task fell to Song Mingzhao. He sat in his chair, toying with a newly purchased folding fan, and shook his head at his three brothers in disdain. “It’s just some bastard child—what’s there to be afraid of? I’ll go.”
“Mingzhao,” Song Jincheng’s expression darkened noticeably, for some unknown reason. “Watch your words.”
Song Yekang added, “He’s our own brother. If Father hears you saying things like this, how do you think he’ll feel?”
Only Song Qiyuan remained silent, his expression unreadable, as if he found something amusing. With a loud snap, Song Mingzhao shut the fan. “I’m just speaking the truth. The four of us are real brothers—what is he? He’s not even in the family registry. Fine, I’ll go pick him up, and you just watch. I’ll make sure this bastard gets sent right back to where he came from. How the hell did he survive instead of drowning at sea? Lucky bastard.”
Despite having taken on the task, Song Mingzhao was exceedingly friendly toward Song Yuzhang in the car, eagerly introducing the family. Meanwhile, Song Yuzhang appeared composed and reserved, always responding with a gentle smile. He seemed either completely naïve or deeply calculating.
A bastard born out of wedlock is bound to be difficult to deal with. Song Mingzhao braced himself, maintaining his act of cheerful generosity, unwilling to back down.
The Cadillac stopped in front of an ornate wrought-iron gate. Hearing the car, the servants hurried over and swung the gates open. Song Yuzhang sat in the car, gazing out at the scenery.
The road they traveled on was paved down the center, flanked by expanses of meticulously manicured lawns, lush with trees and flowers, and alive with chirping birds. At the far end, a lake shimmered. Song Yuzhang caught sight of a pure white waterbird soaring into the sky, while a servant, carrying a bag, ran after it, trying to feed it.
“We’re here,” Song Mingzhao said with a smile. “So? Pretty different from where you lived in England, huh?”
He watched Song Yuzhang carefully as he spoke, trying to gauge his reaction—was this bastard used to a life of luxury abroad? How much money had Father been funneling to his mother all these years? But Song Yuzhang’s expression remained indifferent, as if completely unmoved by the grandeur of the Song estate. “It is quite different.”
Song Mingzhao’s enthusiasm quickly deflated. So, this bastard isn’t easy to figure out after all.
The car rolled to a stop, and the servants were already waiting to open the doors for them. “You’re back, Fourth Young Master,” one of the servants greeted Song Mingzhao.
Song Mingzhao gave a slight nod, then casually gestured behind him. “This is Fifth Young Master.”
Immediately, the servants turned to Song Yuzhang and greeted him, “Welcome home, Fifth Young Master.”
Standing quietly, Song Yuzhang found himself being addressed as ‘Master’ for the first time in his life. His mood was neither particularly good nor particularly bad, but in his mind, countless mischievous ideas were already taking shape. On his face, however, was nothing but a dazzling, almost blinding smile. The servants were startled. Wow! This Fifth Young Master is too beautiful—it’s terrifying!
----------
If you like my translation, please support me by buying me a coffee:
Previous Chapter | Table of Content | Next Chapter
0 comments: