Lin Jinlou was about to speak when he noticed Liu Xiaochuan glancing toward the embroidery tower, his eyes widening as he nudged Xie Yu with his elbow and pointed upward. This drew the entire table’s attention, and they all turned to look. Seeing Xianglan still standing beside him, Lin Jinlou’s face darkened instantly. With a loud "bang," he shut the window.
Liu Xiaochuan smacked his lips and exclaimed, "Good heavens, did you see that? That must be the one in Lin Bawang’s chambers, right?" He turned to Lin Jinting for confirmation.
Lin Jinting lazily picked up a bite of food with his chopsticks and nodded. "That’s her."
Xie Yu chuckled. "I thought so too. Pity she was a bit too far away to see clearly."
Liu Xiaochuan perked up. "Then let’s go take a look! We can say we’re paying our respects to the little sister-in-law."
Chu Dapeng raised his wine cup and interjected, "Enough of that. Lin Bawang keeps her under tight wraps—you think he’d let you see her? Don’t go stirring up trouble and end up with nothing but regret. Didn’t you see the window slam shut just now? Why go looking for trouble?" He glanced at Yuan Shaoren and added, "Brother Yuan, don’t you agree?"
Yuan Shaoren smiled without replying. He had been reluctantly invited by Lin Jinting as the host today. Though he initially wanted to decline, he reconsidered, thinking of their future familial ties—after all, he had nearly married Lin Jinting’s full sister. The gathering, though accompanied by courtesans playing music, was relatively refined, and with Chu Dapeng and the others making efforts to be congenial, the atmosphere remained pleasant. He had been quietly observing their banter.
Xie Yu giggled and ordered the courtesan beside him, "Go pour your Lord Liu a drink to settle him down."
Liu Xiaochuan squirmed and grumbled, "I don’t believe the rest of you aren’t curious." Impatient by nature, he couldn’t bear to wait once an idea struck him. He leaped up from his seat. "No, no, I have to go see for myself—what kind of great beauty could make Lin Bawang treasure her so much?" Rolling up his sleeves, he marched off.
Once Liu Xiaochuan set his mind to something, no one could stop him. The others, somewhat intoxicated, gave up trying to dissuade him and instead followed behind, laughing and eager to see the commotion.
Meanwhile, Lin Jinlou was chatting idly with Xianglan when Ling Su reported from the foot of the stairs, "Master, several gentlemen have arrived, saying they wish to see you and..." She trailed off, catching Ling Qing’s warning look, and swallowed the words "little sister-in-law."
Before she could finish, Liu Xiaochuan’s voice boomed, "Brother, you’re being downright unfair! We stayed up half the night helping you search for someone, and now that you’ve found her, you’re tossing us aside? At least let the little sister-in-law come toast us, won’t you?"
Hearing Liu Xiaochuan blurt out Xianglan’s nighttime disappearance in public, Xie Yu frowned and immediately kicked him. Liu Xiaochuan yelped, "Ouch! What’d you do that for?"
Xie Yu shot him a fierce glare, shook his head, and sighed.
Moments later, footsteps echoed as Lin Jinlou descended the stairs. Seeing the group gathered below, he remarked, "Well, well, what a lively crowd. Weren’t you all enjoying your drinks just now? What brings you here?"
Liu Xiaochuan grinned cheekily. "Brother, don’t play dumb. We’re here to see the little sister-in-law."Lin Jinlou seemed not to have heard, only smiling at Yuan Shaoren and saying, "Those fellows are just fooling around with full bellies every day, but why have you come too? Just this morning, I heard General Wu say you handled your duties excellently and received top marks. Once you enter the capital, His Majesty is sure to reward you. Don’t forget your brothers when you benefit."
Yuan Shaoren also noticed that Lin Jinlou was evading the topic, unwilling to let the woman appear, and couldn’t help feeling inwardly surprised. He thought to himself that Lin Jinlou truly treated this woman differently from the others. Back when Lin Jinlou was away at war, he had a Concubine named Hua Mei in his household who specifically went to see him. Lin Jinlou never avoided her presence in front of others, having her serve tea and water casually, much like a dignified maid. But this one, he had firmly shut away, hiding her away like a treasured beauty, as if letting others catch a glimpse would mean suffering a great loss.
Yuan Shaoren then smiled faintly and said, "I’ve just been luckier, stumbling upon some advantages. It’s nothing compared to you—not only skilled in warfare but also excelling in business."
Liu Xiaochuan interrupted, "I say, brothers, this mutual flattery is pointless. Enough of the useless talk—please invite the young mistress down!"
Lin Jinlou shot Liu Xiaochuan a glare, thinking this clueless fool would be dealt with later. But since the matter had been brought up, and he saw Yuan Shaoren nodding at him with a meaningful smile, he felt somewhat awkward. He coughed lightly and ordered Ling Qing, "Go invite your mistress down."
Xianglan had already heard the conversation downstairs and knew this encounter was unavoidable. She sighed, stood up, straightened her clothes, lifted her skirt, and descended the stairs. Everyone saw a girl of about sixteen or seventeen slowly coming down from upstairs, her skin radiant like snow, her features picturesque, exuding an exceptional grace. She stood still, calmly gathered her skirt, and performed a curtsy as fluidly as flowing clouds and water.
The guests were instantly captivated and hurriedly returned her greeting.
Xianglan turned slightly, gracefully accepted the courtesy with a curtsy, her head slightly bowed, her movements elegant.
Chu Dapeng couldn’t resist whispering to Xie Yu, "See? Truly extraordinary. Every gesture seems as if taught by a grandmother from the imperial palace. My sisters once had a nanny from the palace teach them for a while, yet none could carry themselves like her... Tsk, what’s her background? Was she really a servant of the Lin Family before?"
Xie Yu stroked his chin and said, "Xiao San'er said she was their family’s servant, later released from bondage."
Chu Dapeng remarked, "For the Lin Family to raise a maid with such refinement—hey, that’s really something else."
As Xianglan performed her curtsy, she felt someone’s gaze upon her was rather peculiar. She glanced subtly out of the corner of her eye and saw that the person staring at her was the same outsider who had looked at her from the front courtyard that day. Yuan Shaoren also noticed Xianglan glancing at him and was momentarily taken aback, then smiled back at her. Xianglan quickly averted her gaze, lowered her head, and went to stand by Lin Jinlou’s side.
Lin Jinlou felt satisfied. Unlike before, when Xianglan would always hide in her room and appear reluctant to meet others, this time she had given him face, making him feel honored. A slight smile touched his lips. Seeing the admiration on everyone’s faces, he grew even more pleased with himself. Once Xianglan had finished her greetings, Lin Jinlou hastily sent her back upstairs and then issued a dismissal to the others.Yuan Shaoren walked out of the embroidery tower with his arms crossed, gazing at the peach blossoms on the mountainside as he took a deep breath. Ever since Xianglan had emerged earlier, he felt as though his heart had been struck heavily, leaving him breathless. He had seen Xianglan from afar before and knew her aura resembled that of his late beloved concubine Shen Jialian—similar in height and build, so much so that from a distance he had almost mistaken her. But today, up close, the similarities became even more apparent, yet she felt utterly unfamiliar. Yuan Shaoren felt his long-dormant heart thumping wildly again. He turned back and saw through the open vermilion window on the second floor that Lin Jinlou was holding Xianglan from behind, one hand guiding the brush in her hand as they wrote something on the table. He averted his gaze, closed his eyes, and let out a deep sigh.
Thanks to Muminkonghua for the Peach Blossom Fan, Tuoba Waner and zhaoye1978 for the sachets, Damima for two Peace Talismans, and Yuanguang Lanlan, Keai Youzi, Ling Ling Qingqing, and Sudaez for the Peace Talismans. Also, thank you all for the pink votes^_^
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