Against the Current

The season had turned to April, with spring's radiance shining everywhere.

Xianglan had been feeling restless since morning, clutching a pouch in her hand while silently cursing Song Ke. Peering cautiously into the room and seeing Cao Lihuan whispering something to Hui'er, she seized the excuse of boiling water to slip out of Gauze Snow Dock and head up the hillside in search of Song Ke. Before she could reach the spot, she spotted a tall, graceful young man standing beneath the peach tree—none other than Song Ke himself.

Xianglan immediately lifted her skirt and ran forward, thrusting the pouch into Song Ke's hands. "Take it back," she said, turning to leave. Song Ke quickly grabbed her arm. "Hey, hey, what's the rush?"

Xianglan turned her head angrily, trying to shake off his grip, but failed. Fuming, she said, "How can I not be in a hurry? I sneaked out with a lie. If Cousin finds out, I'll be in deep trouble!"

Song Ke froze, his hand loosening as an apologetic look crossed his face. "Sorry, I didn't think it through properly..."

Seeing his expression, Xianglan's anger subsided slightly. She stood still and said, "The pouch is already mended. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave, Master Song."

Song Ke examined the pouch closely and saw that the torn area had been meticulously repaired with matching threads, the pattern restored so seamlessly that the original damage was undetectable. Delighted, he exclaimed, "It's mended so well!" He looked at Xianglan with a sincere smile. "You must have put a lot of effort into this. I should properly thank you."

Xianglan had intended to leave immediately, but at his words, she thought, "If you want to thank me, just give me some silver." Pressing her lips together, she stared at Song Ke without speaking.

Song Ke smiled and said, "Giving you silver might seem too vulgar. Here, take this instead." He pulled out a small pouch made of Kesi Satin from his sleeve and handed it to Xianglan.

Xianglan had planned to feign reluctance, but then she remembered the anxiety she'd felt while repairing the pouch over the past few days. When Song Ke had first asked her to mend it, she had agreed without thinking. Only halfway through did it occur to her—what could Song Ke have done if she had refused? Yet, seeing the half-finished pouch, she gritted her teeth and completed the task, burning the midnight oil while fearing discovery. Given all that effort, accepting a token of gratitude from Song Ke didn't seem excessive. With this in mind, she took the small pouch and said, "In that case, I won't stand on ceremony. Thank you for your generosity, Master Song." She curtsied and turned to leave again.

Song Ke stepped forward to block her path. "Don't you want to see what's inside?"

Xianglan was annoyed, but when she looked up, she saw Song Ke's smiling face—a face so handsome it seemed otherworldly, made even more captivating by his grin. Xianglan couldn't help but stare, thinking, "Master Song is truly good-looking, with such charm. No wonder the young ladies of the Lin family are so infatuated." In her daze, her anger completely dissipated.

Song Ke urged her again, "Go on, open it. See if you like it."

Reluctantly, Xianglan obeyed and opened the small pouch. Inside was a tiny jade-carved frog, translucent and glossy, made from high-quality material. Though the craftsmanship was unremarkable, its simple, endearing charm was utterly delightful. Xianglan gasped in delight, turning it over in her hands. "Jade trinkets are common enough, but one this amusing is rare," she murmured.Seeing Xianglan's delight, Song Ke's lips curled upward. "This little thing was just something I carved for fun in my spare time. I'm glad you like it."

Xianglan found his words ambiguous and suddenly realized she was standing too close to him. She hastily took two steps back, steadied herself, and said, "This servant thanks Young Master Song for the gift. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."

Song Ke frowned deeply. Just moments ago, their conversation had carried a sense of familiarity and closeness, but now she was calling herself "this servant" and addressing him as "Young Master Song," deliberately creating distance. Anxious, he stepped forward again to block her path. "Wait—your handkerchief is still with me."

Xianglan then remembered the handkerchief she had lent him to wipe the stains from his clothes last time, which he had never returned. She reached out her hand. "In that case, please return it to me now."

Song Ke wore an innocent expression and spread his hands. "I forgot to bring it." Xianglan grew annoyed again, but he quickly added, "How about you come back tomorrow at exactly mid-morning? I'll return it to you then."

Xianglan withdrew her hand and said coolly, "Never mind. It's just a handkerchief—you may keep it. Young Master Song can burn it if you like." She turned to leave again.

Song Ke extended his arm to stop her, still smiling. "How about this? Consider the handkerchief a gift to me, and I'll exchange it for something else." He reached into his sleeve and pulled out a white silk flower.

Xianglan froze. Song Ke, looking pleased with himself, held the flower out to her. "Take this silk flower instead. It's much prettier than the paper one in your hair."

Xianglan took the flower and examined it, noticing a faint ink stain on the back. The one she had lost had a small brushstroke mark she had made as an identifier—this was the very flower she had dropped, now picked up by Song Ke.

Song Ke watched her, captivated by her lowered gaze and the thick lashes veiling her beautiful eyes. Even the quiet elegance of an orchid paled in comparison to her grace. Dazed, he murmured, "I happened to see you drop this flower. Does that count as fate?"

Xianglan found his words increasingly improper and forced a distant smile. "Young Master Song has returned what was lost. This servant thanks you." She curtsied and turned to leave once more.

This time, Song Ke didn’t stop her but called after her, "I still don’t know your name." Xianglan pretended not to hear, but he raised his voice. "If you don’t tell me, I’ll go ask at Gauze Snow Dock."

Xianglan cursed him silently under her breath, then turned and glared at him. Reluctantly, she said, "My name is Xianglan." With that, she lifted her skirts and hurried away.

As she neared Gauze Snow Dock, Xianglan paused to straighten her clothes and hair. She picked up a half-filled kettle from the small tea room and walked back slowly. The moment she stepped inside, she saw Hui'er leaning against the doorway, cracking walnuts. Hui'er glanced at her and sneered, "Disappearing first thing in the morning—where have you been running off to?"

Xianglan replied softly, "I went to fetch water," then slipped past to refill the tea.

Hui’er snorted at her retreating figure and spat a walnut shell onto the floor. Raising her chin, she said to Cao Lihuan, who had just emerged from the bedroom, "You should discipline her. All she does is run around outside all day."

Cao Lihuan replied, "For now, we still need to coax her into doing more work. I’ve noticed that little wench isn’t as diligent as before. If we scold her too much, she might grow resentful, and her embroidery won’t be as fine—that would be worse."Hui'er said disdainfully, "What's there to fear? If she dares to slack off, just have Eldest Madam Lou kick her out!"

"Now that First Madam has returned, her words don’t carry as much weight as before," Cao Lihuan said shrewdly. "After all, Xianglan is still a servant of the Lin family. If she were ours, beating or scolding her would be as simple as a word. You should stop wasting your anger on that little girl. Tell me, how’s the task I assigned you going? Only by succeeding can we secure our future."

Hui'er lowered her voice and said, "I’ve done exactly as you instructed, not a single word off." Then, with a hint of fear, she added, "Miss, what if this is discovered…"

"Don’t worry, it won’t be!" Cao Lihuan declared firmly. "And even if it is, what can they do? Swallow us whole? If it really comes to that, we’ll just pack up and leave. We’ve come this far—there’s no turning back now. Might as well take the gamble." Seeing Hui'er’s timid expression, she patted her hand reassuringly. "Just relax. If anything happens, I’ll take the blame."

Hui'er sighed hesitantly. "Miss… you’re already engaged to Young Master Ren. Once you marry into the Ren family, even if their fortunes are modest, Young Master Ren is gentle and caring. With their land, you’d live in peace. Why must you…"

Cao Lihuan fell silent, staring absently at the Blue and White Underglaze Red Cup on the table. Suddenly, she picked it up and handed it to Hui'er. "Tell me, even if my parents were still alive, could our family back in Yuzhou afford a cup like this?"

Hui'er was taken aback and shook her head.

Cao Lihuan pointed around the room. "What about this engraved gold-inlaid bed, the mother-of-pearl screen inlaid with jewels, or that Chengyao Kiln vase on the table? I may have a few decent outfits, but I can count them on one hand. Lin Dongqi’s casual attire is made of the finest kesi brocade, costing at least forty taels of silver!" The more she spoke, the redder her face grew, her eyes gleaming with intensity. "I used to think our three-courtyard mansion back home was grand, but after coming to the Lin family, I realized our place in Yuzhou was like a pigsty. Their garden is like a fairyland—I never knew people could live in such luxury… Hui'er, I swore to myself then that unless I found a marriage better than the Lins’, I’d never leave this house! Otherwise, how could I let that wretch Zhao Yuechan get her hands on my mother’s ruby gold hairpins?"

Hui'er hesitated. "But… even if this succeeds, at best you’d become Third Master Ting’s concubine. People would gossip, and you might never hold your head high again. At the Ren family, you’d be the rightful wife. Isn’t that…"

"That’s a problem for later! We’ll cross that bridge when we get there. Haven’t I weathered storms worse than this before? Hui'er, you’ve seen Third Master Ting—not only is he handsome, but his every gesture exudes the grace of a nobleman. Compared to him, Ren Yu isn’t even worth a fart." Cao Lihuan fiddled with the bracelet on her wrist. "Even if the Ren family treated me like a goddess, could they afford kesi, singed wool, or brocade robes all year round? Could they serve Imperial Wine gifted from the palace?"Hui'er stammered, unable to speak, her expression somewhat dazed. Cao Lihuan's smile was faintly elusive: "Not to mention Ren Yu is a bit slow-witted—no good at studies or business. After over a decade of schooling, he's still just a Tongsheng... I've spun grand tales to outsiders, saying the Ren family is simple, easy to serve, an honest household with property and land, well-off. I've claimed Ren Yu is dutiful and honest, with a good temper. But in truth... it was all just to save face. Deep down, I know exactly how things stand. Though after repeating it so often, I almost fooled myself into believing I was truly pleased with this match..."

Seeing Cao Lihuan's despondent look, Hui'er couldn't help but speak up: "Miss..."

Cao Lihuan shook her head: "No matter how capable or strong-willed I am, in the end, I still need to rely on a man's strength. Ren Yu is weak. Forget earning honors to glorify his wife—I doubt he could even manage the family estate properly."

Her voice trailed off, and the two fell into silence. Suddenly, Cao Lihuan straightened her back and declared loudly: "I was born a lady of a prominent family! Why should Lin Dongwan, a mere concubine-born daughter of the Lin family, marry into an official's household while I, a legitimate daughter, settle for a poor family? Even if I must become a concubine of the Lin family, I'll live a life of luxury... Hmph, once I'm a Lin concubine, who would dare treat me as one? The position of the rightful mistress will be mine sooner or later!"

Her gaze turned sharp, revealing a ruthless determination. Hui'er, realizing the benefits of Cao Lihuan staying with the Lin family for her own future, eagerly poured her a cup of tea and racked her brains to help her mistress plot.

I'll post a character list for the Lin family to clarify relationships for everyone.

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