Chapter 1585: Brought Upon Oneself

When Song Zhiqing woke from his coma, it was the end of the hour of chen on the second day of the new year, a day when women returned to visit their maternal homes. Upon hearing Song Zhiqing’s situation, his aunts hurried over either to visit or console Lu.

And Lu?

Her face remained cold, especially towards Song Zi, to whom she had no warmth at all, paying no heed to her consolation.

Song Zi found it odd; her brother ended up in this state, yet it wasn’t her doing, so why did her sister-in-law look at her with such bitterness and hatred?

Jiang accompanied Song Zi, and considering Lu’s presence, with the younger generation all there, it wasn’t appropriate to say much.

Just then, Song Lingzhou noticed Song Zhiqing’s finger move, and his eyes began to move beneath his eyelids.

"Father is waking up. Mother, father is waking up."

Lu glanced over indifferently, unmoved.

Seeing this, Song Zi’s heart sank. Could there be more to this affair involving her brother?

Song Zhiqing felt his body heavy, amidst the clamoring around him, his mind buzzing, feeling blank, unable to distinguish between reality and illusion.

"Father, father, you’re awake, wu wu." Song Lingzhou cried uncontrollably.

Song Zhiqing laboriously turned his head, seeing Song Lingzhou sporting dark circles under his eyes, wanting to scold him for acting as though his father were dead, mourning unnecessarily.

Attempting to speak, he found his throat bound, unable to produce sound, and trying to move, he realized he couldn’t, unresponsive.

Song Zhiqing’s complexion changed; what was happening to him?

"Where’s the Imperial Physician? Hurry, summon Physician Cheng here." Jiang sent someone out.

Upon hearing the word Imperial Physician, Song Zhiqing’s consciousness gradually returned, memories flashing past like an actor performing on stage.

New Year, Lian Yue, the estate, conversations, the carriage overturning...

The carriage he was riding in overturned, bringing him to this state.

Song Zhiqing’s face paled, wanting to move his body, but the reality was that his upper body hurt, and his lower body was numb.

"I, I..." panicked, looking towards the crowd, his gaze landing on Lu standing at the back, pupils narrowing.

In her eyes, there was only chilling coldness, devoid of warmth, even when he brought Bai Shuilian home, she wasn’t as cold and resentful as now.

She had learned of the secrets he had long hidden!

...

Outside the Dongnuan Pavilion, Song Zhiyuan and others awaited the diagnosis from inside.

Soon, cries erupted from within, Song Zhiqing roaring like a mad beast: "Impossible, it’s impossible, how can I be paralyzed, impossible!"

Song Zhiyuan closed his eyes briefly before opening them again.

Song Zhicheng glanced at his elder brother, his heart trembling, realizing their third brother was indeed paralyzed.

Having learned the background from Jiang, Song Zi’s body weakened, slumping into a chair, her face pale.

No matter how disappointed she was with him, despite his unrealistically far-fetched ideas, they were twins, blood-bound; she never thought he would become paralyzed, yet now he was.

This paralysis meant he’d be confined to a bed or wheelchair, never again to be ambitious, his career entirely dissipated.

But that wasn’t the issue; with Song Zhiqing henceforth restricted in movement, how would he confront this blow?

How could he face it?

He couldn’t face it!

Song Zhiqing went mad, determined to prove he wasn’t paralyzed, stubbornly struggling to rise from the bed and stand. But ultimately, he only rolled off the bed, his legs devoid of pain, much less the ability to move.

"Aahh," Song Zhiqing cried out in madness, pounding his legs.