"Someone open this door!" Song Ze's thunderous voice cracked through the corridor. "What's going on? Is there a lynching happening in my house?"
At once, the entire atmosphere froze.
He Fen's expression paled, tightening around the edges. Song Ze was head of the Song family—when he spoke, the walls themselves seemed to listen. She was terrified that Weisha's impulsiveness would drag them all into trouble. Especially her darling granddaughter.
A servant scrambled with trembling hands, pulled out the spare key, and unlocked the door.
Song Yue banged on it dramatically. "Thank you, Grandfather, for saving me! If not, I might've starved to death!"
Song Ze's face darkened like a storm cloud. "Where is Weisha? Bring her out immediately!"
"Master, please don't listen to Song Yue's nonsense," He Fen hurried to say, stepping forward as a shield. "You know how poor her schoolwork is! I asked Weisha to watch her. She locked the door because she was afraid Sheng would run off and neglect her homework again. Her grades are terrible—she needs discipline."
Song Ze's cold gaze fell on Song Yue as she stepped out with crumbs hiding in her pockets. His eyes narrowed. "Go to my study."
Song Yue exhaled sharply. Great. She complained first, but Grandma had counterattacked faster. There was nothing she could do now except obey.
She followed Song Ze down the hall like a cat dragged by its tail.
*
Meanwhile, He Fen immediately grabbed her phone and dialed her granddaughter.
"Song Weisha! Come back now! Your grandfather knows you locked Song Yue up!"
Weisha's annoyed voice crackled through. "So what if he knows? He doesn't like her. Why would he take her side?"
"You don't understand!" He Fen snapped. "What if this time he does take her side? Song Yue said you locked her up for being mean to her. You must come back and defend yourself! Quickly!"
This—this was what terrified her most: Beneath Song Ze's cold exterior, he sometimes showed a faint softness toward Song Yue. A softness that made He Fen uneasy.
"I'll come back!" Song Weisha muttered and quickly ended her date with her boyfriend.
*
Inside the study, Song Yue stood stubborn and silent as Song Ze flipped through her exam paper. His brows furrowed deeper with every page.
She braced herself. He finally tossed the paper onto the desk with a dull slap.
Song Yue felt the weight of his stare. She lifted her chin, unwilling to show fear.
"I didn't write the basic questions…" she admitted quietly. "But I got the additional questions right."
Her voice shrank at the end. She hadn't expected him to actually look. She liked the difficult questions—they were exciting, challenging. But the simple ones? Those she'd ignored.
Song Ze said nothing. He simply stood, walked toward the door, and, without turning back, ordered: "Stand here until you understand obedience. That is your punishment."
The study door shut behind him.
Song Yue stood frozen.
*
Time dragged. The clock ticked so loudly it felt like each second punched her in the ribs. Her legs cramped. Her back ached. Nie Rougang hadn't returned yet—she was completely abandoned to suffer.
She shifted her weight and muttered through clenched teeth, "This is torture…"
"Song Yue!"
The shrill voice behind her belonged to none other than Song Weisha.
Song Yue didn't turn around. "Cousin, back so soon? Why are you so angry? Ah, right—unsatisfied women always have bad tempers."
Song Weisha went red from neck to ears. "Who's unsatisfied! Only dirty people like you think like that!"
Song Yue tilted her head. "You call me dirty, but I wonder how many times you've done dirty things?"
Song Weisha choked on air. She pointed a trembling finger. "You—you ate all my snacks! I'll get revenge!"
"Oh?" Song Yue blinked innocently. "So you do hide snacks? Should I tell Second Aunt? Your whole thin-figure routine would collapse instantly."
Song Weisha's hands curled into fists. She couldn't even argue. She spun around and stormed away. "Just wait, Song Yue! I'll pay you back!"
Song Yue sighed. Between messy homework, stolen snacks, and Song Weisha's tantrums, she had collected her revenge quota for the day.
The large clock struck six.
The study door opened, and Song Ze entered with rigid posture.
"Have you learned your lesson?" His tone held no warmth.
Song Yue hesitated… then nodded slowly. "Yes… I've learned."
But in her heart, she whispered: The only lesson I'm learning is how to get what I want. And what I want is Uncle.
Song Ze lifted his hand. "If you've learned your lesson, then do what you intend to do. I won't interfere. But remember—you are grown now. Whatever you decide, you will face the consequences."
Song Yue froze.
Did he… know?
Did her grandfather know she wanted Nie Rougang?
Her stomach flipped.
*
At dinner, everyone took their seats. The atmosphere was stiff, formal, and quite suffocating, especially for Song Yue.
Song Yue sat beside Nie Rougang. Across the table, Song Yuxuan leaned close to him, whispering something into his ear, batting her lashes, smiling delicately. She served him food like she'd rehearsed the motion.
Song Yue's heart twisted sharply.
One day. She'd only been his secretary for one day.
And she already looked like she belonged beside him.
Song Yue's toes curled with irritation. Quietly, under the table, she slipped off her shoe… and kicked his leg hard.
Nie Rougang stiffened, turning to glare at her. She looked back with wide, innocent eyes, a tiny smile curling her lips.
"Song Yue," he growled under his breath.
"Yes, Uncle?" she replied sweetly, eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings.
"Didn't I teach you how to sit properly? Sit up straight."
"Oh? Uncle, why is your face red?" she asked, mischievous grin widening
Nie Rougang's eyes locked onto the little vixen beside him—the same girl who looked up at him with pure, innocent concern while stabbing him beneath the table with her toes.
Song Yuxuan also caught the shift in his expression. Her painted lips curved politely. "Third brother, why is your face so red? And… you seem to be sweating."
"The room is a little stuffy," Nie Rougang said stiffly. He stood, removed his blazer, and kicked Song Yue's foot away under the table.
Song Yuxuan immediately took his blazer and passed it to the servant, her brows lightly furrowed. Stuffiness? But the air-conditioning was cool…
Still, she smiled and served him a bowl of soup. "Third brother, eat this. I had them make it specially for you."
Across the table, Song Weisha shoved food toward Song Yue. Not soup.
It was a large, green, glistening mountain of bitter melon.
Song Yue stared.
This fuc*ing b*tch.
"My Song Weisha is so sensible. She knows how to take care of her cousin," He Fen said proudly.
Song Yue held back a groan. Of all foods on Earth, bitter melon was the only one she truly hated.
Song Weisha put on her pitiful smile. "Cousin, why aren't you eating? Are you still angry about the study? I only locked you in there for your own good, you know. Grandma, look! She's holding a grudge against me!"
Song Yue's eyelid twitched. She hadn't even spoken. And here was Song Weisha, acting out a whole tragic opera.
With a sigh, Song Yue poked a slice with her chopstick. "I should hate you for locking me in the study… but I don't. Still, if you lock me in next time, I'm never coming out again."
She pushed her bowl aside. "I'm full."
Song Weisha nearly choked.
Of course, she was full—she'd eaten all those snacks earlier.
Song Weisha's snacks.
Song Yuxuan chose that moment to lift a piece of bitter melon to her lips, her voice light but pointed. "Our Song family never leaves leftovers. We are civilized."
Song Yue lowered her gaze.
Ah. There it was.
The polite, elegant reminder that she—Song Yue—didn't deserve to be in this family.
She smiled sweetly, picked up the bitter melon from her own bowl, and placed it gently into Nie Rougang's bowl.
"Uncle, I'll give you your favorite bitter melon."
Nie Rougang's brow twitched.
Favorite?
She knew damn well he hated them.
And she had kicked him again under the table.
Still, he lifted the piece and ate it.
Song Yuxuan froze, startled by her act.
Xu Feng had told her earlier that the only food Nie Rougang couldn't stand was bitter melon.
Yet he just ate Song Yue's half-eaten one?
"Song Yue!" Song Yuxuan snapped. "Why did you give Third Brother your leftovers? That's highly disrespectful."
Song Yue smiled angelically. "Auntie, our family is so well-bred. I just wanted to show respect to my elder. Cousin gave me nearly all the bitter melon—how could I finish them alone? Uncle, don't you agree?"
Nie Rougang's face turned a shade of stormy green.
This little demon.
But he forced himself to nod. "Well… my niece is very thoughtful."
Song Yue brightened. "Uncle, eat more then..."
She piled more bitter melon into his bowl.
Nie Rougang's jaw ticked. He lifted a final slice—and placed it in front of Song Yue.
"Dear niece," he said smoothly, "your uncle left one for you. Your heart must ache seeing me eat them all, right? Go ahead."
He fed it directly to her.
Song Yuxuan's grip on her chopsticks nearly snapped, not liking that rapport between those two.
Song Yue placed the slice in her mouth and nearly died from bitterness on the spot.
Tears pricked her eyes.
Never again.
Never again would she provoke him at the dinner table.