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 could tell she had meant it. His face pale with fury, he roared, “Have you lost your mind?”
His shout made Jixiang and Shuangxi turn their heads in alarm. Afraid of catching Lin Jinlou’s attention, they quickly averted their gazes but strained to listen.
Xianglan’s expression remained wooden and emotionless. “I haven’t lost my mind. I just think death would be a clean end to everything.”
Lin Jinlou laughed in extreme anger. “Fine, fine! You’re something else, aren’t you? Playing the life-and-death card with me, is that it?”
Xianglan said coldly, “I have nothing but this worthless life. If the Eldest Master insists on making me a concubine, you’ll have to carry my corpse back.”
Lin Jinlou’s face darkened, lost in thought. Suddenly, he crouched down, staring straight into Xianglan’s eyes, and sneered, “Alright, you’ve got guts, daring to stake your life against me.” He picked up the sandalwood hairpin from the ground, tucked it back into her bun, and gently smoothed her hair with unexpected tenderness. Speaking slowly, he said, “Let me give you a piece of advice: don’t speak in absolutes. Don’t think throwing your life at me will settle this. I make my living walking the edge of a blade—I’ve seen plenty of people who gamble with their lives. Your little act doesn’t impress me. It’s only out of pity that I’ve been lenient with you. Don’t mistake kindness for weakness. If you push me too far, you might die, but remember—you still have parents. Don’t drag them down with you. And don’t expect that Song Ke to save you. 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, 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 pressure her immediately.” 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 and led the horse over. Jixiang stepped forward as well. Seeing Xianglan still kneeling on the ground, she wanted to help her up but feared displeasing Lin Jinlou. In a rush, she whispered, “Miss, don’t be so stubborn. Just say a few pleasant words.” She glanced back once more, but Xianglan remained dazed, as if she hadn’t heard a word.
After riding for a stretch, Lin Jinlou was seething with anger. He couldn’t understand how the girl who had once been as timid as a frightened rabbit in the Lin household could suddenly become so fiercely stubborn. She’d rather follow that down-and-out Song Ke than show him the slightest regard—it made him feel as though his heart were stuffed with rags. “Ungrateful wretch!” he muttered under his breath, his face dark and his lips pressed into a tight line.Shuangxi glanced at Lin Jinlou's expression and thought to himself, "Xianglan has upset the Eldest Master. Why not steer him toward Concubine Su for some amusement?" He then pulled out a handkerchief-wrapped bundle from his sleeve and held it up to Lin Jinlou, saying, "Eldest Master, this is something Madam Su asked me to pass on to you."
Lin Jinlou took it, unwrapped the handkerchief, and found a small pouch tied with a love knot inside. He undid the knot and tipped the pouch, causing a fingernail about an inch long to fall into his palm. It was slender as a scallion stalk, dyed a vivid Rouge color. Su Meiru had grown two long nails on her left hand, and this was one she had cut off with scissors.
Lin Jinlou stared at the nail without a word.
Shuangxi grinned obsequiously 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 Madam Su misses you terribly, crying morning and night, and was even willing to sacrifice such a well-kept nail so you'd remember 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 in his hand directly into Shuangxi's face and roared, "You've got some nerve! Since when do you meddle in my private affairs, acting like a pimp or a procurer?"
Shuangxi immediately shrank back, too terrified to move.
Jixiang shot his younger brother a fierce glare. His sibling always had a knack for misjudging situations. The Eldest Master hadn't visited Su Meiru in quite some time. Her servant, Old Man Xu, had approached Jixiang before, even offering five taels of silver to put in a good word and pass along an embroidered handkerchief from Su Meiru, hoping to remind Lin Jinlou of her and lure him to her residence outside. Jixiang hadn't dared accept. He had cautiously sounded out Lin Jinlou's feelings, and while polishing his weapon, Lin Jinlou had remarked offhandedly, "She's just a minor concubine kept outside. Why is she seeking me out?"
That one sentence made everything clear to Jixiang. Still, Su Meiru was a stunning beauty with considerable charms. Though the Eldest Master seemed indifferent now, who knew if he might not dote on her again as he had back in Zhejiang? So Jixiang avoided offending her. When Old Man Xu came again, he evaded and procrastinated, putting him off several times. He had even specifically warned Shuangxi about this. Yet Shuangxi hadn't listened, choosing to bring it up today of all days when Lin Jinlou was already irritated—truly stepping on a landmine.
Lin Jinlou frowned and said, "Jixiang, go deliver a message later. Tell Madam Su that if she insists on following me, she should stay quietly in her residence and not keep pestering the Lin family. If she comes again, she can get lost. I don't lack for someone like her to serve me!"
Jixiang assented repeatedly. Then he spat at Shuangxi and scolded, "Has your brain been addled? Since when is it your place to manage the Eldest Master's affairs? Women outside are just for novelty—how could you deliver their things here? Haven't you noticed that even the proper wives and concubines in the household never send items to the Eldest Master? You worthless fool, slap yourself this instant!"
Without another word, Shuangxi began slapping his own face left and right, cursing as he struck, "That'll teach you to be blind! That'll teach you to forget your place! That'll teach you to anger the Master! If I ever deliver anything for anyone again, may these dog's paws be chopped off!"After several 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 alone. Since arriving in Jinling, Su Meiru had become increasingly clingy, wishing Lin Jinlou would stay with her every night as he had in Zhejiang, just like a proper married couple. Once Lin Jinlou's initial novelty wore off, he 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. Holding the fingernail, Shuangxi felt nothing but frustration.
Jixiang quietly fell behind and tugged at Shuangxi's sleeve, saying, "Are you out of your mind? I warned you before, why did you bring up Madam Su to the Eldest Master again?"
Shuangxi grumbled to himself, secretly regretting his greed for those five taels of silver that led him to deliver the pouch to Lin Jinlou. Seeing that Lin Jinlou had already ridden far ahead on his horse, Jixiang said no more and hurried after him with Shuangxi.
Meanwhile, Xianglan waited until Lin Jinlou had mounted his horse and 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 making her way home.
As she entered the courtyard, Xue Shi was carrying a basin of flour toward the main room. Spotting 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 off Eldest Master Lin." With that, she turned and entered her own side room, buried her face in the quilt, and sobbed. 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 deterrent. She never expected Lin Jinlou to 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, after all, a man of power and influence. The Lin family was a prominent, well-connected clan in Jinling, while her own family was nothing more than an insignificant household in their eyes—like ants beneath their feet. Moreover, she was still anxiously 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 offers a momentary release for my heart, but weeping and wailing won't solve anything. Right now, I need to plan carefully. Discussing this with my parents is absolutely out of the question—they wouldn't be able to resolve it and would only end up worrying needlessly. Perhaps my father would even think that becoming Lin Jinlou's concubine is a tremendous blessing for me and would eagerly urge me to return to the Lin family."
As she pondered, 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 hairpins and washed her face, then applied a moisturizing scented cream. Afraid that others might notice she had been crying, she lightly applied some rouge to brighten her complexion, re-did her hair, and forced herself to appear cheerful as she went to chat and laugh with her parents.
Chen Wanquan was full of praise for Lin Jinlou's benevolence, boasting triumphantly, "When that Zhao Shi woman injured Xianglan before, I was furious beyond words. I never thought the Eldest Master would personally come to our door to apologize today. Oh my, what an immense honor!"
Xue Shi chimed in, "Indeed, and he even brought so many gifts."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 gave a faint, cold smile inwardly and didn't respond. She pushed the door open and went out to arrange fruits and pastries on the incense altar to pay respects to the Chen family's ancestors, all while slowly turning over plans in her mind. By evening, 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 as wine entered her sorrowful heart while listening to the booming firecrackers outside the window, she only felt more desolate.
The Chen couple, however, were in high spirits. They set off a string of firecrackers at the doorway and then prepared more pastries and midnight snacks. Seeing that the New Year's Eve vigil had passed, Xianglan ate a little something and returned to her room. She tossed and turned in bed until midnight before finally drifting into a fitful sleep.
For a while, nothing happened.
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