Chapter 19: Worry Breeds Chaos?

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Although the person in black tried her best to disguise her voice as a man’s, Song Tang could still tell that her captor was a woman—and a woman with an exceptionally fine figure at that.

The soldiers soon surrounded them.

“Little thief, surrender at once!” the officer in charge shouted at the woman in black.

The woman answered coldly, “Stay back! Otherwise, I’ll kill her immediately!”

Worried for Song Tang’s safety, Cai Die hurriedly shouted to the officer, “The hostage is Miss Song, the eldest daughter of the Earl’s household! Order your men to withdraw!”

The officer froze for a moment, then waved for the other soldiers to take a step back. They still kept the pair surrounded, however.

Song Tang caught a faint scent of blood. The woman in black appeared to be wounded—and seriously so. Nearly half her weight was pressing against Song Tang.

“Are you all right?” Song Tang asked in a low voice.

The woman did not answer. Her voice was slightly hoarse as she said, “Don’t speak. Come with me.”

Keeping her blade raised, she cautiously led Song Tang away step by step. Song Tang could feel how difficult each movement was for her.

The woman’s entire attention was fixed on the soldiers. She failed to notice that someone had climbed onto the roof and was waiting for an opportunity to seize her.

Suddenly, a streak of cold light flashed.

The woman in black jerked her head upward, only to see a figure descending from above.

She hastily shoved Song Tang aside and swung her blade toward the figure.

Song Tang seized the chance to retreat to one side, while the soldiers rushed forward and positioned themselves between her and the woman.

“Miss!” Cai Die hurried to Song Tang’s side, still shaken.

Song Tang gestured that she was unharmed, but her gaze remained fixed on the figure fighting the woman in black.

Only then did she see clearly that it was Mu Changxiao.

Mu Changxiao had never expected to encounter Song Tang here in the middle of the night, much less discover that she had been taken hostage by a black-clad assailant.

After only two exchanges, the blade in the woman’s hand was knocked to the ground.

The soldiers hurried forward and bound her.

“Thank you for apprehending the criminal, Marquis,” the officer in charge said, dropping to one knee before Mu Changxiao.

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Mu Changxiao returned his sword to its sheath and turned toward Song Tang. “Were you injured?”

Song Tang gave a slight shake of her head. “Thank you for saving me, Marquis Mu. I’m unharmed.”

Mu Changxiao nodded, then turned his gaze toward the bound woman in black, his brows drawing together.

The officer stepped forward and respectfully asked once more, “Marquis, how should we deal with this thief?”

Mu Changxiao said in a deep voice, “Where did you find her?”

The officer hurriedly replied, “Not far ahead. We saw her sneaking around in night clothes and gave chase.”

“Take her back for questioning first. Find out who she is and what she intended. If she’s merely an ordinary thief, beat her to death and be done with it. To take a noble young lady hostage in the middle of the street—she clearly has no regard for her own life!” Mu Changxiao’s face was dark, his voice icy.

The soldiers answered in unison and escorted the woman away.

“Marquis, when that woman in black took me hostage just now, I realized she was a woman, and she seemed to be seriously wounded.” Song Tang watched the woman’s retreating back as she spoke to Mu Changxiao.

Mu Changxiao raised his brows slightly and said slowly, “Do not go out alone at night again. If you must leave, bring several attendants who know martial arts with you. Understood?”

“I understand.” Song Tang nodded, then asked, “Why were you out alone tonight, Marquis?”

Mu Changxiao naturally had no intention of telling Song Tang that he had just returned from the palace. By chance, he had seen her parting from Wang Mengqi at the teahouse. Noticing that she had neither attendants nor a carriage, and seeing how dark the night was, he had grown concerned and followed behind her all along.

“I had just returned from the palace and happened to pass by.” Mu Changxiao paused, then continued, “I’ll escort you home first. As for what happened tonight, I’ll give them instructions later. Not a word of it will be leaked, so set your mind at ease.”

“Mm.”

Song Tang and Cai Die walked ahead, while Mu Changxiao followed far behind them in silence.

At last, they reached the entrance to the Song residence. Song Tang turned around, but Mu Changxiao was nowhere to be seen.

“Miss, you’ve finally returned. Master and Madam are waiting for you in the main hall.” Steward Lu stood at the gate of the Song residence, apparently having been waiting for her.

“Why are they waiting for me?” Song Tang asked knowingly. “Are they worried about my safety?”

“Master and Madam are certainly worried about your safety, Miss. But Lady Song Wei cried herself unconscious this afternoon, so...” Steward Lu did not dare elaborate. Yet with the expressions on Song Congzhi and Madam He’s faces, he felt obliged to offer her a slight warning.

Song Tang nodded faintly. “I understand. I’ll go see them now.”

The atmosphere in the main hall was stifling. Song Congzhi and Madam He sat upright in the seats of honor, while Song An and Song Chao sat below them. All four wore grave expressions.

Song Tang did not see Song Wei anywhere. Presumably, she was still “recovering” in her room.

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“Tang’er, you’re back.” Madam He spoke first, a trace of weariness in her voice.

Song Tang formally bowed to Song Congzhi and Madam He. Her tone was gentle. “Father, Mother, I have returned.”

“Why have you only come back now?” Song Congzhi’s face was livid, his anger barely restrained.

Song Tang answered frankly, “I ran into Mengqi, the younger daughter of the Wang family, tonight. She invited me to dinner, and I couldn’t very well refuse her, so I stayed and chatted with her for a while.”

It was the truth. Wang Mengqi had indeed paid for their dinner that evening.

Song Congzhi’s expression softened slightly, but he remained stern. “Why did she invite you to dinner?”

He still remembered how Wang Mengqi had humiliated Song Tang at Song Wei’s coming-of-age ceremony, so he could not help but feel suspicious.

Song Tang lowered her eyes slightly. “Perhaps Mengqi feels guilty toward me. Tonight’s dinner may have been her way of apologizing.”

“If you hadn’t gotten out of the carriage, would you ever have encountered the legitimate daughter of the Wang family?” Song Chao was blunt by nature and immediately launched into an attack.

Song Tang put on an aggrieved expression. “Second Brother, what do you mean? Why shouldn’t I get out of the carriage? Even if I hadn’t, Miss Wang would still have asked to see me.”

“You shouldn’t have gotten out at all! Little Sister Wei was crying so helplessly. If you had stayed beside her and comforted her with a few words, she wouldn’t have cried herself unconscious in the carriage!” Disgust showed in Song Chao’s eyes as he looked at Song Tang.

Song Tang could not help but laugh coldly inside. Her second brother had always favored Song Wei. Now he had begun condemning her without even distinguishing right from wrong.

“Song Tang, I’m telling you now—if anything happens to Little Sister Wei, I will make you...”

“Make me what?” Song Tang interrupted before Song Chao could finish, staring straight at him. “Second Brother, that is going too far. I’m your sister too. How can you bully your own sister for the sake of a cousin?”

Song Chao was silenced by her retort and found himself momentarily speechless.

“Song Tang, your second brother didn’t mean it that way. He’s simply too worried about Wei’er. Concern has clouded his judgment. You should understand him.” Song An spoke up to defend Song Chao.

“Concern has clouded his judgment?” Song Tang gave a soft laugh. “Eldest Brother, are those Second Brother’s true feelings—or yours?”