Lin Jinlou was startled. As a martial artist, his reflexes were swift as lightning. He seized Xianglan's wrist and squeezed hard. The pain forced her to release her grip, and the hairpin clattered to the ground. From the force of her strike, Lin Jinlou knew she had meant it. Pale-faced, he roared, "Have you gone mad?"
His shout made Ji Xiang and Shuangxi turn their heads in alarm. Afraid of catching Lin Jinlou's eye, they quickly averted their faces but kept their ears pricked.
Xianglan's expression remained wooden and impassive as she said, "I'm not mad. I just think death would end everything."
Lin Jinlou, enraged to the point of laughter, retorted, "Well, well, well! You've got nerve, playing the life-and-death card with me, haven't you?"
Xianglan replied coldly, "I have nothing but this worthless life. If you insist on making me your concubine, you'll have to take my corpse back."
Lin Jinlou's face darkened, his thoughts unreadable. Suddenly, he crouched down, staring straight into Xianglan's eyes, and sneered, "Fine. You've got guts, risking your life to defy me." He picked up the sandalwood hairpin from the ground, tucked it into her bun, and gently smoothed her hair with unexpected tenderness. Speaking slowly, he advised, "Let me give you a word of caution: don't be so absolute. Don't think throwing your life away will settle this. I make my living by dancing on the edge of a blade—I've seen plenty of people gamble with their lives. Your little act doesn't impress me. It's only out of pity for your delicate nature that I tolerate you. Don't mistake kindness for weakness. If you push me too far, you may die, but remember your parents—don't drag them down with you. And don't pin your hopes on Song Ke. He's nothing. Even if he tops the imperial exams and spends ten years climbing the ranks, I still wouldn't give him a second glance. Do you understand?"
Xianglan pressed her lips together, two clear trails of tears suddenly streaming down her cheeks. Her body trembled in the biting cold wind, a pitiful sight.
Lin Jinlou wiped her tears away. Xianglan didn't resist, standing as still as a clay statue. Worried that pushing her too hard might lead to further trouble, he thought to himself, "Now that Song Ke has gone to the capital for the exams, there's no need to force her hand yet." Aloud, he said, "Think it over carefully. Don't be ungrateful. I'll send someone for you in a few days." With that, he stood up and called out, "Bring my horse!"
Shuangxi hurriedly turned around to fetch the horse, while Ji Xiang stepped forward. Seeing Xianglan still kneeling on the ground, she wanted to help her up but feared displeasing Lin Jinlou. In a rush, she whispered, "Don't be so stubborn, miss. Just say a few pleasant words." She glanced back once more, but Xianglan remained dazed, leaving it unclear whether she had even heard.
After riding for some distance, Lin Jinlou seethed with pent-up fury. He couldn't understand how the girl who had once been as timid as a frightened rabbit in the Lin Family had suddenly become so stubborn. She'd rather cling to Song Ke, whose family had fallen into ruin, than show him the slightest regard—as if he were dirt. His heart felt clogged with resentment. "Ungrateful wretch!" he muttered under his breath, his face grim and his lips pressed tightly together.Shuangxi glanced at Lin Jinlou's expression and thought to himself, "Xianglan has upset the Master. Why not steer him toward Concubine Su for some amusement?" He then pulled out a handkerchief-wrapped bundle from his robe and held it out to Lin Jinlou, saying, "Master, this was given to me by Lady Su to pass on to you."
Lin Jinlou took it, unfolded the handkerchief, and found a small sachet tied with a love knot inside. He undid the knot and tipped the sachet, causing a fingernail about an inch long to fall into his palm. It was slender as a scallion stalk and dyed a vivid rouge color. Su Meiru grew two long nails on her left hand, and this was one she had cut off herself with scissors.
Lin Jinlou stared at the nail without speaking.
Shuangxi piled on a flattering smile and said, "Old Man Xu came begging yesterday at the side gate and gave this to me, insisting I deliver it safely to you. He said Lady Su misses you terribly—crying morning and night—and was even willing to sacrifice such a well-kept nail, hoping it would remind you of her affection. He also mentioned she's been practicing a new song lately, waiting for you to visit..."
Before he could finish, Lin Jinlou flung the items right into Shuangxi’s face and roared, "You’ve got some nerve! Since when do you meddle in my private affairs? Acting like a brothel runner or a pimp now?"
Shuangxi immediately hunched his shoulders, too terrified to move a muscle.
Ji Xiang shot Shuangxi a fierce glare. His younger brother really had no sense of judgment. The Master hadn’t visited Su Meiru in quite some time. Her attendant, Old Man Xu, had approached Ji Xiang before, even offering five taels of silver to sway the Master—perhaps by passing along an embroidered handkerchief from Su Meiru—hoping to remind Lin Jinlou of her and draw him back to her residence outside. Ji Xiang hadn’t dared accept. Instead, he cautiously probed Lin Jinlou’s feelings. At the time, Lin Jinlou was cleaning his weapon with a cloth and remarked indifferently, "She’s just a minor concubine kept outside. Why is she seeking me out here?"
That one sentence made everything clear to Ji Xiang. Still, Su Meiru was a stunning beauty with her own tricks. Even if the Master seemed uninterested now, who was to say he wouldn’t rekindle their former closeness, like back in Zhejiang? So Ji Xiang avoided offending her. Whenever Old Man Xu returned, he dodged and evaded, handling the matter several times. He had even specifically warned Shuangxi about it. Yet Shuangxi hadn’t listened, choosing instead to bring it up today of all days—when Lin Jinlou was already irritated—and had now stumbled into misfortune.
Lin Jinlou frowned and said, "Ji Xiang, later on, take a message to Lady Su. If she insists on staying with me, she should remain quietly in her residence and not keep trying to approach the Lin Family’s door. If she comes again, she can leave outright. I’m not lacking someone like her to serve me!"
Ji Xiang repeatedly assented. Then he spat at Shuangxi and scolded, "Has your mind been clouded by greed? Since when is it your place to manage the Master’s affairs? Women outside are just for novelty—how could you deliver their items here? Haven’t you noticed that even the proper wives and concubines in this household never send things to the Master through others? You worthless fool, slap yourself at once!"
Without another word, Shuangxi raised his hands and slapped his own face repeatedly, left and right, while cursing, "Take that for your blindness! Take that for your lack of discipline! Take that for angering the Master! If I ever deliver anything for anyone again, may these dog’s paws be chopped off!"After a few more lashes, Lin Jinlou waved his hand impatiently and said, "Enough, enough, enough, stop hitting. It's giving me a headache."
Shuangxi immediately stopped, his face already flushed crimson.
Lin Jinlou urged his horse forward. Since arriving in Jinling, Su Meiru had become increasingly clingy, wishing Lin Jinlou would stay with her every night as he had in Zhejiang, like a proper married couple. Once his initial novelty wore off, Lin Jinlou grew annoyed by her lack of propriety and constant pestering. What little affection remained had now completely faded, and he didn't even want to see her anymore. As Shuangxi held the fingernail, he felt utterly vexed.
Ji Xiang quietly fell behind and tugged at Shuangxi's sleeve, saying, "Have you lost your mind? I warned you before, why did you bring up Madame Su to the Master again?"
Shuangxi mumbled incoherently, inwardly regretting his greed for those five taels of silver that led him to deliver the sachet to Lin Jinlou. Seeing that Lin Jinlou had already ridden far ahead on his horse, Ji Xiang said no more and hurried after him with Shuangxi.
Meanwhile, Xianglan waited until Lin Jinlou on horseback had gradually ridden into the distance before she stood up from the ground. Feeling utterly weak, she leaned against the wall to rest for a while, then took out a handkerchief to wipe the tears from her face before slowly walking home.
As she entered the courtyard, Xue Shi was carrying a basin of noodles toward the main room. Seeing Xianglan, she asked, "Where have you been all this time? Why are you only coming back now?"
Xianglan lowered her head and forced out, "I just went to see Master Lin off." After saying this, she turned and entered her own side room, burying her head in the quilt and sobbing. Earlier, when she stabbed her throat with the sandalwood hairpin, she had only used seventy percent of her strength and deliberately moved slowly to give Lin Jinlou a chance to stop her, thinking it would at least serve as some kind of warning. She never expected Lin Jinlou would remain completely unmoved.
What should she do now? She could disregard herself, but she couldn't ignore her parents. Although the Chens had been freed from servitude and no longer had to worry about being sold off by the Lin Family, Lin Jinlou was still powerful and influential. The Lin Family was a prominent clan in Jinling with far-reaching connections, while her own family was just a humble household, insignificant as ants in their eyes. Moreover, she was still eagerly waiting for Song Ke to return from the capital...
Xianglan wiped her eyes and sat up, thinking to herself, "Things have already come to this. Crying only serves to vent my sorrow—it won't solve anything. I need to plan carefully now. Discussing this with my parents is absolutely out of the question. They wouldn't be able to resolve it and would only worry needlessly. Perhaps my father would even think it's a great blessing for me to become Lin Jinlou's concubine and would eagerly send me back to the Lin Family."
As she pondered this, she quietly went to the kitchen to fetch half a pot of hot water, poured it into the copper basin in her room, removed her hair ornaments, and washed her face. She applied scented cream to moisturize her skin and, afraid others would notice she had been crying, lightly applied some Rouge to add color to her cheeks. She re-styled her hair and forced herself to appear cheerful as she went to chat and laugh with her parents.
Chen Wanquan was enthusiastically praising Lin Jinlou's benevolence, boasting triumphantly, "When that woman Madam Zhao injured Xianglan before, I was furious. I never thought the Master would personally come to apologize today. Oh my, what an immense honor!"
Xue Shi added, "Indeed, and he brought so many gifts too."Chen Wanquan said, "There's a whole bag of New Year's goods, plus two fine bolts of cloth and two roe deer skins. Put them away properly to make clothes later." He then called out to Xianglan, "There's also a pair of gold bracelets and a gold hairpin, which should be for you."
Xianglan sneered inwardly but didn't respond. She pushed the door open and went out to arrange fruits and pastries on the incense altar to worship the Chen family ancestors, all while slowly turning over plans in her mind. By nightfall, Xianglan helped Xue Shi prepare the New Year's Eve dinner. As the Chen family's circumstances had gradually improved, the evening meal included chicken, duck, fish, and meat. Chen Wanquan specially opened a jar of fine wine, making it quite a lavish spread. Yet Xianglan found little flavor in the food, and the wine only deepened her melancholy as she listened to the booming firecrackers outside, adding to her despondency.
The Chen couple, however, were in high spirits. They set off a string of firecrackers at the doorway and then prepared more pastries for a late-night snack. After seeing in the New Year, Xianglan ate a little and returned to her room. She tossed and turned in bed until midnight before finally drifting into a fitful sleep.
For a while, all was quiet.
Thank you to Hua Shan for the Peach Blossom Fan, to Jin Chan Dao for the brocade pouch, to rk_owl for the Peace Talisman, and to Ma Xi Ban Xiao for the little yellow chick
Still seeking votes.
I've been working overtime these past couple of days—too busy, my apologies.
I'll post extra chapters once I get through this busy period!!
OpenNovel