Against the Current

Luan'er held back her tears and said, "Has Master grown tired of me? Won't you even look at me?"

Lin Jinlou replied, "What nonsense are you talking? It's time for the meal, why are you still standing here?" He then stood up, glanced at Luan'er, and said, "Your attire today is good, very festive. You may go now, I'll listen to you play the qin another day." With that, he went inside to change his clothes.

Luan'er felt an emptiness in her heart, unsure of what she was feeling, and wandered out in a daze. Recalling how Lin Jinlou had just been joking and intimate with Xianglan while treating her so indifferently, a wave of grievance surged within her, coupled with a stifled anger. She buried her face in her handkerchief and began to sob. Rushuang, hearing the sound, hurried over, grabbed Luan'er, and pushed her outside, whispering urgently, "My dear girl, if you must cry, do it outside. What's the point of making a scene here? Be careful not to upset Master and risk his anger again. Hurry, go out!" She half-pushed, half-dragged Luan'er out the door.

Rushuang, who was usually on good terms with Shuran, wanted to offer Luan'er some advice. When they reached the doorway and saw no one around, she whispered, "Why are you crying? Think about how many days it's been since Master last saw you. Last time he was angry with you, but this time he gave you a pleasant look. Everything takes time—you can't become fat with one bite, can you? Go back now and come again tomorrow." She then brought out a bowl of tea from the room for Luan'er to drink.

After taking a few sips of tea, Luan'er finally sobered up. She wiped her tears and silently pondered Rushuang's words. Remembering that Lin Jinlou had praised her attire and said he would listen to her sing again, her heart warmed. Though she resented Xianglan, she resolved to come to the Main House every day from then on, but for now, she said nothing more.

Meanwhile, Lin Jinlou changed his clothes, washed up, and sat on the Luohan bed. Lianxin brought over a large, plain silver platter holding a stack of name cards and said to Lin Jinlou, "These are the cards received by the gatekeeper today. Mr. Qi has selected these for your decision."She placed them on the heated brick bed table."

Lin Jinlou opened them one by one, sorting them into several piles. Lifting his eyes, he noticed Xianglan sitting far away, lost in thought, and beckoned to her, saying, "Come here, write a few characters for me."

Xianglan had no choice but to go over. Tinglan fetched the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. Xianglan held the brush and listened as Lin Jinlou dictated, "Two hundred hard bows, three hundred goose-feather sabers, one hundred long spears, fifty warhorses..." He then stroked his chin and fell into deep thought.

Xianglan paused and waited. After a long while, Lin Jinlou continued, "Fifty sets of superior armor, eighty pairs of copper hammers, nine hundred rope ladders."

Xianglan wrote each item down. Lin Jinlou took the paper, looked it over, nodded, and smiled, "Your delicate handwriting doesn't quite match these items; it's more suited to romantic and poetic words." He then stroked his chin again, contemplating the paper thoughtfully.Tinglan entered and, seeing Lin Jinlou in such a state, dared not disturb him. She cast a meaningful glance at Xianglan, who gently shook her head. When Lin Jinlou was deep in thought, no one dared interrupt. Last time, while he was reading letters with similar concentration, Nuanyue had tried to curry favor by bringing over soup and repeatedly urging, "Master, please eat quickly. The chicken soup will turn greasy and unappetizing once it cools." This irritated Lin Jinlou so much that he waved his hand, knocking over the bowl and splashing soup all over Nuanyue's skirt. He pointed at her and scolded, "Damn fool! Don't hover around me anymore! Get out!" Nuanyue trembled with fear, nearly stumbling as she fled, and didn't dare show her face around Lin Jinlou for two full days.

Naturally, Xianglan had no desire to court misfortune. She sat quietly in a daze, unconsciously staring at the purple sandalwood screen inlaid with mother-of-pearl and eight treasures featuring peacocks. The first time she saw this screen, she had just returned home and was thunderstruck, staring dumbfounded as if in a dream. Reaching out to touch it, her fingers brushed the ruby in the peacock's eye, feeling icy cold. This screen had been part of her dowry in her previous life. Her mother had smiled and told her, "This peacock screen is an antique originally enjoyed by the old madam. She dotes on you most, saying the peacock symbolizes wealth, grandeur, and auspicious blessings. She wants to give you this screen for your trousseau. Don't forget to kowtow to your grandmother later."

Later, the screen accompanied her to the Xiao family, placed in the bedroom. In the evenings when Xiao Hang returned, he would read and write outside the screen while she did needlework on the heated brick bed inside, surrounded by tranquility and peace. Then, after the Eighth Prince usurped the throne and the Xiao family was confiscated, she and Xiao Hang fell ill and died during exile. The screen's whereabouts became unknown. Never did she imagine that, after all these twists and turns, she would see this old object again in the Lin family. Now, she didn't even dare set up name tablets for her grandparents, parents, or relatives, nor offer sacrifices to them. Instead, she had quietly placed a small tablet inscribed "Ancestors of the Shen Family Through Generations" at the Still Moon Temple, where she secretly burned incense, knelt in worship, and chanted sutras for their salvation. Seeing this screen again filled her heart with endless sighs, yet she couldn't help but keep looking.

Lin Jinlou emerged from his contemplation and looked up, noticing Xianglan motionless, gazing intently at the peacock screen. The candlelight cast shadows over her, making her appear especially frail and delicate. Her brows furrowed like spring mountains, her eyes sparkling like autumn waters, yet she possessed a unique charm and grace. Lin Jinlou watched her for a long while before clearing his throat softly and asking, "What are you looking at?"

Xianglan snapped out of her reverie, glanced at Lin Jinlou, then lowered her head without speaking. After a long pause, she said softly, "Master, it's time to eat."

Lin Jinlou frowned briefly, then relaxed and said, "Indeed, it's time to eat. Clear things away and set the meal."

Lianxin, Tinglan, and the others had been waiting for this instruction. They hurried in to light the gilded lamps, tidy the heated brick bed table, bring copper basins for the two to wash their hands, and serve the dishes. The chef in the small kitchen knew Lin Jinlou's tastes well. Seeing that he had specifically ordered dragon whisker noodles and osmanthus cakes today, the chef deduced that he had been socializing outside recently, likely drinking too much and eating greasy food, and now wanted something light. So, the chef stir-fried two vegetable dishes, prepared a cold dish with marinated meat and chicken, and specially made steamed cornmeal cakes with rose fruit filling, along with osmanthus cakes, poria cakes, and lotus root fragrant cakes.Xianglan ate a bowl of noodles with some side dishes, then wiped her mouth with a napkin. Since Lin Jinlou hadn't finished eating yet, she didn't dare ask for tea to rinse her mouth. Lin Jinlou indeed had a hearty appetite, eating with great relish and speed. After rinsing his mouth and the maid clearing away the remnants of the meal, he took Xianglan's hand and pulled her in front of the screen, pointing and asking, "Do you like this?"

Xianglan's eyes flickered as she said, "It's quite beautiful. I just took a few extra glances."

Lin Jinlou laughed and said, "I'm asking you, do you like this?"

Xianglan replied, "...It's quite beautiful..."

Lin Jinlou snorted through his nose and scoffed, "Tch, if you like something, you should say it out loud and snatch it into your hands. If you stay silent, how will others know you like it?"

"...Sometimes it's enough just to look at what you like. You don't necessarily have to possess it, right?"

"Silly girl, if you like something but don't grab it, someone else might take it first, and then you'll just be left staring enviously. When that happens, you'll be tormented with regret. Quick, tell me, do you like this or not?"

Xianglan didn't quite agree, but seeing Lin Jinlou's intense gaze, she nodded slightly and whispered, "I like it."

"See, that's all it took." Lin Jinlou laughed, pulled Xianglan into his embrace despite her struggles, and breathed hot air into her ear, saying, "If you call me 'dear brother' and 'good husband' a couple of times, I'll give it to you. How about that?"

Xianglan's ears turned bright red as she hit him, exclaiming, "What are you saying!"

Lin Jinlou chuckled and said, "I'm in a good mood today. If you miss this chance, there won't be another... Today, that old fool Lu Changyu suffered a big loss at my hands. Last time, he snatched my credit, but this time I've taken back the principal with interest."

Xianglan thought for a moment and asked, "Lu Changyu is the Marquis Yongxin, right?"

Lin Jinlou was surprised. "You actually know him?"

Xianglan quickly covered up, "A while ago, Master was angry with him and kept cursing him at home..."

Lin Jinlou looked at her for a moment, making Xianglan somewhat uneasy. She lowered her head, only to hear Lin Jinlou say, "That fool is so desperate for money he's lost his mind. He secretly sold military supplies and provisions, and it just so happened that my people caught him red-handed. We leaked the information to Duke Zhenguo and Marquis Yongchang, and the three of us teamed up to deal with him. He's a clever one, though—he used a tactic of sacrificing pawns to save the king, slipped away quietly, and took his wife and children to lie low in the capital. But all his lackeys have been stripped away, and now the vacant key positions are all filled with my people. Things will be much more comfortable from now on."

Xianglan thought to herself, "Back when the late emperor was around, the Marquis Yongxin's family relied on their ancestral privileges to get by, and they still had some influence. Lin Jinlou actually dared to confront a noble." Then it occurred to her that with his Overlord temperament, if his temper flared up, he might even dare to poke a hole in the sky. She felt somewhat resigned to it.

Lin Jinlou fiddled with the bright red agate earrings on Xianglan's ears and said casually, "No wonder he's so desperate for silver. His family was already impoverished to the point of selling gold necklaces and antiques and paintings to make ends meet. But he has a beautiful daughter who became the third prince's concubine, and by clinging to that powerful connection, he managed to catch a break. The third prince secured him a promotion, and he raised some lackeys who ran around biting people like mad dogs. If the old man hadn't warned him a few times, I would have dealt with him long ago." He then pinched Xianglan's small chin, stared into her eyes, and asked, "Enough about that annoying topic. Quick, call me 'good husband.' Will you say it? Will you?" As he spoke, he reached out to tickle her.Xianglan couldn't bear it any longer, giggling as she twisted and dodged. Unable to endure the tickling, she finally cried out, "Good husband."

Seeing her flower-like smile, rosy cheeks, and slightly disheveled hair, Lin Jinlou felt an itch in his heart. Remembering how Xianglan had angered him days before, resentment surged within him. He held her tightly, kneading her for a long while until Xianglan nearly felt suffocated. Then, from above her head, she heard Lin Jinlou grit his teeth and say, "If you dare again in the future..."

Hearing the ominous tone in his words, Xianglan immediately froze in fear, thinking to herself, "Oh no, this Living Yama is so unpredictable. He was fine just now, and now he's about to turn on me!" Her heart pounding with anxiety, Lin Jinlou released her. Xianglan timidly looked up, only to see his face once again brimming with warmth as he said to her, "That was well said just now. Say it again, quickly."

His expression changed in the blink of an eye, leaving Xianglan somewhat bewildered. After hesitating for a long while, she finally called out again, "Good brother," and tightly pressed her lips together.

Lin Jinlou, however, was extremely pleased. He kissed her cheek, then called for Chun Ling to come in and ordered someone to bring more tea.

Thank you to fatwanghua001 for the Peach Blossom Fan, bubu8915 for two Peace Talismans, Mingzixi, qian20051978, and Feiniyikesi for the Peace Talismans. Thank you to Linglingqingqing, Jian, and Meigui for the long reviews—you are all so talented! Hehe. Also, thank you to everyone for the pink votes!