As soon as he left, the watchful eyes surrounding them vanished. Though Wu Caiwei had seemed to sleep soundly these past few days, she had actually heard unusual sounds in the middle of the night. However, those lurking in the shadows had always resolved them, so she quietly put her sword down.
Now free, Wu Caiwei couldn't help but feel a pang of anxiety. It had been so long, and she still hadn't found any trace of him, which filled her heart with unease.
She then remembered Song Ziyao, who was hiding in the courtyard, and quickly asked her personal maid.
"A while back, the young master particularly enjoyed strolling through the streets. A few days ago, he seemed to have been frightened and hasn't even left his room recently." Upon hearing Madam's question, the maid felt remorseful. So many things had happened lately that she had forgotten about this. She quickly stole a glance at Wu Caiwei's expression, fearing Madam would be angry. Su Dan Novel Network
"Oh? Why was he frightened? Did he see something on the street?" Wu Caiwei's interest was piqued, and she continued to ask.
"This servant doesn't know. Xiao Wu was with him that day. If Madam wishes to know, I can have him summoned to answer." Seeing that Madam Jiang did not blame her, she breathed a sigh of relief and wished to make amends.
Wu Caiwei nodded. As soon as Xiao Wu entered, he knelt before Wu Caiwei and quickly described the scene. In reality, after returning that day, he had replayed the events countless times, knowing Madam would inquire and fearing he might miss something.
"You mean that day he saw a madam alighting from a sedan chair, he immediately stopped, turned around, and ran, as if he had been scared stiff?" Wu Caiwei pondered it over and over, unable to fathom such a reason.
This suggested he recognized the woman. Perhaps their initial direction was wrong. She had people inquire about who in the city had lost a child, but there had been no news. Perhaps he wasn't a child from this city at all.
"Yes, this servant, fearing Madam's reprisal, even secretly inquired about the madam's identity. I heard she was from Yuchéng."
Hearing Yuchéng again, Wu Caiwei felt a moment of daze. In just a few short days, she had heard of Yuchéng twice. It seemed she had to make a trip there herself. Perhaps she had a connection with that place, and the person she was looking for lived there.
After some thought, she went to Song Ziyao's courtyard. This child was usually a bit pampered, but upon seeing her, Wu Caiwei could sense trust and closeness from him.
"Don't you have anything you want to tell me?" Wu Caiwei looked into his eyes and asked sincerely.
"If I tell you, will you send me away?" The day they returned to the room, he knew this day would come. He regretted his overreaction that day, which had aroused Xiao Wu's suspicion.
"That depends on what it is. If you ran away from home over trivial matters, I will naturally send you back. Of course, if it concerns your life, I will not only not send you back, but I will also conceal it for you and, within my capabilities, help you seek justice." Wu Caiwei looked at him steadily, speaking her heart.
"What if their status is higher than yours?" Song Ziyao probed again, prepared for the possibility that they might turn him away to avoid trouble, though he wouldn't resent them, as they had harbored him for so long. Besides, self-preservation was human nature.
"I will definitely always stand by your side. We are so fated, and outsiders already consider you my son. Since I have been your mother for so long, I must be responsible for you."
Wu Caiwei once again reassured him. From their interactions, she saw he was a kind child who must have encountered some great difficulty to be hiding here.
This time, Song Ziyao broke into a wide smile and said with emotion, "If only you were truly my mother!"
"Now can you tell me what happened to you?"
"I am from Yuchéng. Our Song family is a prominent household there. My father is the head of the Song family, and my mother was from the Bai family, also a renowned merchant family in the area. Sadly, my mother died in childbirth when I was born. A few years later, my father remarried.
The woman I saw on the street last time was her. Initially, she treated me quite well. I thought she treated me as her own son and opened up to her. I never expected her to be so deceitful. Her kindness was merely to make the Song family completely at ease.
Two years later, she gave birth to her own child, and I, the eldest son, naturally became a thorn in her side. Over the years, I suffered countless persecutions from her. It was my wet nurse who found ways to mediate. Last year, my wet nurse also drowned after diving into the lake to shield me.
Some time ago, on my way to private tutoring, I watched helplessly as the coachman drove me to the outskirts. Unable to resist, I pretended to be obedient all the way. Seizing an opportunity, I slipped into the woods. By chance, I ended up here. After wandering the streets for more than ten days, I met you."
Although his voice was calm, Wu Caiwei could sense the sorrow within him. Those few simple sentences concealed so much intrigue. It was fortunate he had survived to this age. No wonder he was so guarded at such a young age.
"Although I am willing to keep you here, constantly hiding from them is not a solution. You are young and have a great future ahead of you; it cannot be delayed because of her. How about this? I will take you to Yuchéng, and we will secretly devise a plan for revenge, and then you can return to the Song family openly."
Wu Caiwei was determined to go to Yuchéng. She believed that with her guidance, he would absolutely not be harmed.
Song Ziyao hesitated for a moment before nodding. A blazing fire ignited in his eyes. He was, after all, the legitimate eldest son of the Song family, destined to be the next patriarch. Did that woman not try every means to deal with him just to pave the way for her own son? He would certainly not let her succeed.
As Madam Wu said, he still had a future. In a few years, he would take the imperial examinations for the *xiucai* degree. When he first started studying, he had thought of changing his destiny through the imperial examinations, for he could feel that although his status in the Song family was still high, it was due to his grandmother's favor for him as the legitimate eldest son. Over the years, she must have whispered countless words in his father's ear, to the point where his father was no longer as enthusiastic when seeing him and even regarded him with scrutiny, giving him a profound sense of crisis.
Especially in the last few years, his grandmother's health had been deteriorating. He dared not imagine how dire his situation would be if his grandmother were to pass away. The reason he so quickly agreed to Wu Caiwei's proposal was also because he had inadvertently discovered Wu Caiwei's secret and knew she was no ordinary person.