Against the Current

Lin Jinlou tightened his embrace, kissing Xianglan's face as he removed her garments, teasing that delicate bud.

Xianglan's entire body tensed violently as she desperately pushed and struck Lin Jinlou, pleading, "Let me go, release me..."

Lin Jinlou effortlessly seized both her wrists, breathing heavily as he kissed her ear and murmured, "Don't move, don't move, my little Xianglan... You'll discover the pleasure soon enough."

Xianglan trembled uncontrollably. After teasing for a while without finding her moist, Lin Jinlou, already at his limit, could endure no longer and forced his way into her. His powerful arms constricted her until she nearly suffocated, while his thick shaft thrusting beneath caused her agony. She clutched the bedsheet, burying half her face in the jade-gauze pillow. The sweet fragrance of jasmine from the pillow now tasted entirely bitter. She felt like worthless mud being trampled upon, the pain leaving her dazed. Resentfully, she thought: Lin Jinlou sought amusement from her body. She had intended to endure it, but now found it unbearable—she would make sure he derived no satisfaction from this.

Lin Jinlou lost himself in the act. This girl was like an exquisite flower—fragrant, soft, and delicate—bringing him indescribable contentment. After indulging vigorously for some time, he finally gasped and spent himself, then pulled Xianglan into his arms. Looking down, he saw her forehead drenched in sweat, her dark hair clinging to her face, teeth clenched on her lips, eyes half-closed. Though disheveled, she appeared enchantingly frail and alluring.

Caressing her soft breasts reignited his lust. Just as he turned to mount her again, Xianglan spoke calmly, "Will Eldest Master not call for water?"

Lin Jinlou thrust deep inside, groaning through gritted teeth as he gazed at her flower-like beauty, "Later...after this round is finished..."

Xianglan replied flatly, "Then please hurry, Eldest Master. When you're done, don't forget to have the maids prepare contraceptive soup for me."

Sweat dripped down Lin Jinlou's face. "No need. You won't be taking that wretched stuff," he said, moving to kiss her mouth.

Xianglan turned her face away. "I agreed to serve you to save my father, but I never agreed to bear your children."

Lin Jinlou froze. It felt as if icy water had been poured over his head, extinguishing his arousal, followed by a surge of fury. He grabbed Xianglan's hair, forcing her to meet his gaze, and sneered coldly, "If not me, who do you want to bear children for? Song Ke? He's already married the daughter of Duke Xian. Newly wedded, they've probably conceived by now. Tsk. Pitiful that you still pine for him here."

Xianglan arched her neck in pain. Lin Jinlou's gaze felt like countless sharp blades, terrifying to behold. She lowered her eyelids and after a long pause said, "I don't pine for him. I only wish for peace alone..." Then, fluttering her lashes, she gave Lin Jinlou a helpless, miserable smile. "Eldest Master, when will you grow tired of me?"

Lin Jinlou's veins bulged with hatred, yet he scoffed, "Whether I tire of you is my decision. Remember—even if I discard you, you'll remain obediently here. Do you think you can escape my grasp?" With that, he fiercely captured her lips, sucking and biting desperately. One hand groped between her legs as he drove into her violently, each thrust threatening to shatter Xianglan's body.Lin Jinlou gritted his teeth in fury. That damned little wretch always managed to upset him. He was determined to make her yield—she was already his, yet her mind was still filled with frivolous thoughts, putting on this act of "being in Cao's camp but serving Han." She wanted him to hurry, wanted to drink the contraceptive brew—her eyes were clearly filled with loathing. Fine, fine, fine! How could Lin Jinlou allow himself to be looked down upon and trifled with? He would torment her all night, making sure she remembered this lesson thoroughly!

Xianglan had no idea how much time had passed. When Lin Jinlou finished and went out to call for hot water, she tilted her head and fell into a heavy, exhausted sleep. The next day, when she woke, Lin Jinlou had already left. Her entire body ached dully, and her lower abdomen burned as if on fire. Struggling to rise, she swallowed her shame and asked Chunling for hot water and medicinal ointment. She gently washed herself, applied a layer of the ointment, forced herself into her undergarments, and then curled up beneath the blankets, wrapping herself into a tight ball. Every part of her body hurt, and her heart ached just as much. She tried to console herself—endure it, and it would pass. What else could she do if she didn’t endure? But what if she really became pregnant? Lin Jinlou had said last night that he wouldn’t let her go. Wouldn’t she be trapped forever in this icy cage?

Xiao Juan called to her from outside the bed curtains, urging her to eat breakfast. Xianglan felt too listless to move. Seeing that no one else was in the room, Xiao Juan quietly lifted the bed curtains and peeked inside, grinning as she said, "Xianglan, get up and eat something. At least have some porridge before going back to sleep."

Xianglan shook her head. "I can’t eat."

Xiao Juan frowned. "Ah? What should we do then? The Eldest Master instructed me to make sure you eat."

Xianglan asked softly, "Has anyone brought me the contraceptive brew?"

Xiao Juan was startled. "Of course not!"

Xianglan forced herself to sit up and reached for Xiao Juan’s hand. "Good sister, tell me, where can I get something like that?"

Xiao Juan stared at her uncertainly. Xianglan’s face was deathly pale, her eyes swollen, and she looked utterly exhausted. Xiao Juan whispered, "You... why would you want that? So many people dream of bearing the Eldest Master’s child."

Xianglan replied softly, "I don’t want to... I want to leave this place one day and return to my own home." As she spoke, tears welled up and trickled down her cheeks.

Xiao Juan sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. "The Eldest Master’s temper is terrifying. If it were me, I wouldn’t want to stay either." She gave Xianglan a sympathetic look, squeezed her damp little hand, and thought for a moment. "I remember someone in the Third Master’s household used to take that stuff... Once, when I went to the Woyun Courtyard to borrow something, I overheard two old maids gossiping. They said Yanxia, the Third Master’s new concubine, was being dishonest—she secretly poured out the contraceptive brew every time. Suju happened to catch her and scolded her a few times. Yanxia refused to back down, saying Suju was just jealous, and the two of them had quite the argument."

Xianglan lowered her head in thought. "The recipe for the contraceptive brew shouldn’t be hard to obtain, but I have no place to brew it. I’ll need to figure out a way."

She thought it over for a while, but her body was too uncomfortable. She lay back on the pillow and fell asleep again. When she opened her eyes, dusk was already falling. She forced herself to get up and wash. Lin Jinlou did not return that night and was absent for the next three days as well. Shuangxi came back to fetch some of Lin Jinlou’s regular clothes, saying he had official business and would be staying at the military camp for a few days. Xianglan breathed a huge sigh of relief, feeling as though a massive stone had finally been lifted from her chest.The entire Lin household had been exceptionally busy these days. Firstly, Lin Changzheng was preparing to depart for Shanxi to assume the post of Governor, requiring extensive preparations for the journey. Secondly, Lin Dongqi’s wedding needed to be held before Lin Changzheng’s departure. Qin Shi devoted herself wholeheartedly to the tasks, bustling about all day long as if she wished she had three heads and six arms. One moment she sent people to oversee Lin Changzheng’s luggage, the next she was supervising Lin Dongqi’s dowry and wedding arrangements, handling matters involving treasury silks, colored satins, gold, and silver. There were few capable senior women in the Lin family. While Wang Shi excelled at bookkeeping, accounting, and verifying items, she couldn’t be relied upon for other matters. They had no choice but to invite women from the same clan to assist.

Qin Shi had initially intended to enlist Lin Dongling and Lin Dongxiu to help manage affairs, both to give the two girls some experience and to offer them guidance. Lin Dongxiu was a concubine-born daughter of the main branch, and Qin Shi felt a responsibility to mentor her. Although she found Lin Dongxiu cunning and not particularly honest, which displeased her, the girl still addressed her as "Mother," and both she and her birth mother, Bao Yiniang, had remained well-behaved over the years. Thus, Qin Shi did not hesitate to offer support where needed. As for Lin Dongling, it was Wang Shi who had personally approached Qin Shi, pleading for her guidance. Qin Shi had been reluctant to take on additional responsibilities, but she got along well with Wang Shi as sisters-in-law and admired her kindness and generosity. She also pitied Wang Shi for lacking her husband’s respect, so she agreed.

Unexpectedly, Lin Dongling had always been lazy by nature. At first, she went to Qin Shi’s side at Chen hour (7-9 a.m.) daily to receive assignments, but within two or three days, she grew tired and annoyed. She would complain of headaches or fevers, initially skipping half a day to sleep in at home, and eventually stopped going altogether. Qin Shi sent Hongjian to relay a message to Wang Shi: "It’s not that our Madam is unwilling to guide her, but Third Miss has been unwell lately. Young ladies of noble families are delicate, and we fear she might develop a serious illness. Our Madam is so busy all day that she may overlook things and wouldn’t want to neglect Third Miss. Second Madam, please check on her. If Third Miss doesn’t improve, she should rest properly. If she’s better tomorrow, she’s welcome to come at Chen hour as scheduled."

Upon hearing this, Wang Shi went to question Lin Dongling. Lin Dongling, wearing a water-green gauze dress and wide-legged soft silk trousers, was lounging on a cool bed eating cherries. She said to Wang Shi, "It’s so hot, Mother, please let me rest. Going today and tomorrow, under the blazing sun, will truly scorch my skin. Besides, Aunt didn’t teach much—checking accounts and ledgers are things you’ve already taught me, and I know all about household management. Why must I go there unnecessarily?" Seeing Wang Shi frown, she clung to her arm, acting coquettishly and foolishly, saying, "My dear Madam, have pity on me. I really haven’t been well lately. If you don’t believe me, ask Nange and Hanfang—I’ve been coughing recently, waking up every night from it, and I’m already taking medicine."

Wang Shi was startled and said, "My child, could it be whooping cough? Quickly send for Dr. Luo from Ji’an Hall to examine you."

Lin Dongling replied, "It’s just a minor cough, but I have to take pills all day without respite. Mother, please have mercy on me!"

Wang Shi, heart aching for her daughter, hastily sent someone to prepare lung-moistening tonics for Lin Dongling and had Shanhu convey a message to Qin Shi: "Our Madam says that Third Miss is indeed unwell and fears causing trouble for First Madam. She will return once she’s better in a couple of days."Qin Shi sneered inwardly but maintained a pleasant expression as she said, "If she's unwell, she should rest properly. Later, fetch some good medicine from the public herb repository and send it over to Third Miss."

Once Shanhu had left, Qin Shi remarked to Hongjian, "Second Madam spoiling her child like this is hardly a good thing. I've noticed Ling Jie'er isn't quite right lately—she used to just have a tendency toward arrogance, but now it's grown even worse."

Hongjian replied, "Third Master was raised by Old Madam since childhood, and Second Madam only has this one daughter by her side now, so it's natural she dotes on her excessively. Besides, Second Miss is about to be married off, and after her, there's only Fourth Miss left—at most, she'll just need a dowry. Why should Madam trouble herself over someone else's daughter? Let each mother raise her own child. Even if we wanted to intervene, we'd likely only cause displeasure."

Qin Shi smiled and said, "You're absolutely right, that's precisely the reasoning." With that, she dropped the matter and inquired no further.