Chapter 61 Enduring Three Days

Chapter 61: Surviving Three Days

Chen Yanqing forbade Yin Rou from entering the room, leaving her to wait outside, listening to Song Zean's agonized screams, curses, and pleas, on and on.

Tears streaked her face as she repeatedly told herself it was all for her brother’s illness.

"Xiao Rou! Aren’t you going to help me either?" Song Zean, bound and struggling, shrieked, "I’m your brother!"

Yin Rou covered her ears tightly, sobbing uncontrollably.

"It feels like bugs are crawling under my skin, Xiao Rou—how could you abandon me?"

Each scream pierced her skull until she could bear it no longer. She rushed into the room and saw Song Zean held down by servants, tied to a chair, his clothes disheveled, his eyes frenzied and bloodshot.

Unable to endure seeing him suffer like this, she darted forward to free him.

Chen Yanqing reacted swiftly, seizing her arm and pulling her tightly into his embrace. "Stay back!"

Song Zean locked eyes with her. "Xiao Rou, I’m your brother. Untie me!"

Yin Rou struggled desperately in Chen Yanqing’s arms. "Let me go! Let my brother go!"

The more she fought, the firmer Chen Yanqing held her. "Song Yinrou, freeing him now won’t save him—it’ll only drag him deeper into this."

"That’s not true!"

She beat against his chest—her brother was the one suffering now. "Why are you doing this to him? You have medicine!"

Qing Feng couldn’t hold back. "Miss, that ‘medicine’ you speak of is addictive! It won’t cure Fourth Young Master!"

Chen Yanqing shot him a cold glare, forcing Qing Feng to fall silent.

Chen Yanqing turned Yin Rou’s shoulders toward him, his eyes filled with pain. "You know the truth in your heart, don’t you? Would you rather see him spend the rest of his days in a daze, controlled by drugs?"

Logically, Fourth Young Master’s addiction shouldn’t have reached this level. The pills he’d taken before had been mixed with other substances—the opium content wasn’t that high.

But the powder Chen Yanlin had given him was pure opium powder. A cold fury flashed in Chen Yanqing’s eyes.

Tears streamed down Yin Rou’s face as she shook her head. Her brother should be proud and vibrant—not like this. Her voice broke into sobs. "I want my brother back."

Chen Yanqing nodded. "Then help me save him."

He wiped her tears away. "Go rest. Sleep. I’ll handle things here."

"Xiao Rou! Xiao Rou!" Song Zean strained against his bonds, struggling upright. "Don’t listen to him! He’s trying to kill me! Since when can you trust the Chens? Have you forgotten what they did to you?"

"They want me dead now!"

The doctor interjected, "Addicts will say anything to get their fix. You mustn’t listen to him."

Trembling, Yin Rou lowered her head, forcing herself not to hear or see, and backed out of the room.

Song Zean screamed in betrayal. "Xiao Rou! How can you be so heartless? I’m your brother!"

Covering her ears, Yin Rou fled the room. Chen Yanqing shut the door behind her and strode back to Song Zean, seizing his throat.

His movement was so fast it left the room frozen.

Chen Yanqing looked at Song Zean with anguish, but his fingers tightened relentlessly, his knuckles white with strain.

The chokehold momentarily suppressed the agony of withdrawal, but Song Zean’s breathing grew weaker.

"Young Master!" Qing Feng cried out urgently.

At last, Chen Yanqing released him, his hand falling to his side, fingers twitching.

Song Zean collapsed, hacking for air.

"I can give you the drug. I can keep you supplied forever. But think carefully—do you want to live like this? You survived being lost as a child. You survived the destruction of the Song family. Now you’ll let yourself be ruined by this poison?"

"Do you hear Song Yinrou crying? What kind of brother are you in this state? A shell of a man—how can you protect her?"

Song Zean gasped for breath, sweat dripping from his brow, his hands still straining. With the last shred of his will, he met Chen Yanqing’s gaze.

"Tie me tighter."

Chen Yanqing’s eyes reddened. "We’ll endure this with you."

...

Seventy-two hours passed without sleep.

Chen Yanqing stepped out of the room and saw Yin Rou crouched in the courtyard, arms wrapped around her knees. Frowning, he approached. "I told you to rest."

"I did rest," she murmured.

His heart ached too much to scold her. He gently touched her face. "That’s my girl."

"How is my brother? It’s quiet inside now." Her fingers clutched his robe anxiously as she peered past him toward the room.

Chen Yanqing said, "The first three days are the worst—the cravings peak. Now that they’ve passed, as long as his will holds, he can heal."

"Can I see him now?"

Chen Yanqing nodded. "Go. He’s asleep."

Yin Rou immediately hurried over, slowing her steps at the door. She pushed it open quietly, holding her breath as she entered.

The overturned furniture had been righted. Song Zean lay in bed, deceptively calm, but Yin Rou knew the torment he’d endured these past three days.

Her chest tightened as she approached, smoothing his covers and checking his forehead. Then she pulled a stool to the bedside and sat watching him.

"Brother, you have to hold on," she murmured, tears falling.

"I endured so much in the Chen family—don’t you dare lose to me." She clasped his cold hand. "Do you know how I kept going? I had a dream—that if I held on, you’d find me and weep like a child. So when I woke up, I thought, no matter what, I had to wait for you."

"I’m sorry, brother. I lied—I didn’t know it was you at first. I thought..." She bit her lip. "But think about it—if I don’t get to see you recover, I’ll be devastated. Would you want that?"

"Of course not. So fight harder."

"Otherwise, next time we visit Father and Mother’s graves, I’ll tell them. You wouldn’t want them to know, would you? You’d hate to break their hearts. If you recover and become yourself again, I’ll never breathe a word."

Exhausted, Yin Rou rested her head on her arms by the bed, she drifted off.

When Song Zean opened his eyes, he saw her tiny form curled into herself. Every cruel word he’d spat, every act of madness—he remembered it all. Shame crushed him.

As her elder brother, he had failed her. Instead, he had left her trembling.

Song Ze'an raised his hand and gently stroked her hair. "I'm sorry, Xiao Rou."

Yin Rou's eyelids fluttered slightly as she drowsily opened her eyes. After a dazed moment, she grabbed the hand on her head and sat up abruptly. "You're awake! Thank heavens!"

"You were about to tell Father and Mother everything—how could I stay asleep?" Song Ze'an teased, though his eyes were filled with heartache and remorse.

Yin Rou nearly jumped up, did a little spin, then threw herself onto Song Ze'an.

He struggled to breathe under her tight embrace and frowned. "Sit properly."

Too excited to pay attention, Yin Rou ignored him. Song Ze'an coughed twice. "Song Yinrou, are you deaf? Sit properly."

Hearing his stern tone, she pouted and let go. "Barely awake and already lecturing me."

Though she complained, she was still worried. She touched his forehead and checked the wounds on his hands. Song Ze'an's frown deepened as he yanked his half-rolled sleeve back down. "You're not a child anymore—don’t act as carelessly as when you were little."

Yin Rou widened her eyes at his evasion. "I was just worried about you."

"I know."

She huffed and sat back. Song Ze'an's lips thinned. "These past few days... I must have frightened you."

Yin Rou nodded, sniffling. "As long as you're alright now."

"Are you really better?" she asked anxiously, her eyes searching him.

Song Ze'an gave a slight nod. The excruciating pain had faded, and the haze clouding his mind had cleared. Though some discomfort lingered, he was much improved.

The door swung open, and Song Ze'an looked up as Chen Yanqing stepped inside. His gaze swept over the siblings before settling on Song Ze'an. "You're awake. How do you feel?"

After a long silence, Song Ze'an turned to Yin Rou. "I'm hungry. Could you fetch me something to eat?"

Her mind sharp now, Yin Rou recalled her brother's fury when they left the Chen residence. With nervous eyes, she looked at Chen Yanqing and murmured a quiet "Okay" before rising to leave.

As she passed Chen Yanqing, she whispered, "Brother is angry."

Afraid of being overheard, she hurried out.

Chen Yanqing lowered his gaze, a slight smile playing on his lips. As long as the girl was on his side, he had nothing to fear.

Song Ze'an, of course, noticed her subtle gesture. His brow furrowed deeply, and after a long silence, he spoke. "I owe you... for this."

Chen Yanqing approached. "We're family. Don't mention it."

Song Ze'an didn’t argue. "I know what happened to Xiao Rou in the Chen family. I won't forgive it—I can't forget it."

"She won’t return to the Chen family. Neither will I. I’m taking her back to Jiangning."

Chen Yanqing frowned. "You and I share the same mother and father. You are a Chen."

"Precisely why I can’t accept having a father worse than an animal! If I acknowledge the Chen family, how can I face Yin Rou’s parents?"

His words were sharp and impassioned, his chest heaving.

Chen Yanqing exhaled slowly. "I deeply regret what happened to Yin Rou. If possible, I wish time could reverse to before the Song family’s tragedy, to spare her all this pain. But what’s done is done. What matters now is that Yin Rou loves me as I love her."

"She doesn’t understand what 'caring' means—she was fighting for her life!" Song Ze'an pointed at Chen Yanqing furiously. "And you? You're the adult here. You knew how hard her life was in the Chen family. You should never have allowed this disgrace!"

"There were countless ways to protect her—not by letting her bear the title of that beast’s concubine while carrying on with you in secret!"

"I lost control, and that's on me. Not seeing how wrong it was sooner was also my fault."

Chen Yanqing’s blunt admission struck Song Ze'an dumb.

As a brother, Song Ze'an couldn't fault him. But as Yin Rou’s brother, his words only fueled his rage.

"Regardless, I’m taking Yin Rou away. If you truly see me as your brother, if you truly care for her, don’t make things worse. Don’t force her to face more shame in the Chen family."

The tense standoff between the brothers was interrupted by a knock.

Qing Feng’s voice came from outside. "Young Master."

"Enter."

Qing Feng stepped in and announced formally, "The Madam demands your immediate return."

Song Ze'an scoffed. "You know as well as I do—no one in the Chen family likes Yin Rou. Madam Chen can't wait to be rid of her. I won’t let Xiao Rou suffer that kind of treatment again."

Chen Yanqing’s brow creased deeply. His anger, which had boiled beneath the surface since arriving at Xiyu Pass, simmered. "I’ll handle the Chen family’s affairs."