The child was about five or six years old, with a round, chubby little dark face, thick bushy eyebrows, and a pair of phoenix eyes. He looked extremely sturdy, dressed in a bright robe embroidered with auspicious clouds and ruyi patterns, wearing a longevity lock and a protective talisman around his neck, and tiger-head shoes on his feet. His head was completely shaved except for a single tuft of hair in the center, shaped like a peach. Bursting in excitedly, he paused abruptly upon seeing Xianglan, his face instantly flushing red before he turned around shyly and tried to run away.
Shu Ran laughed, catching the child by the arm and bending down to ask, "Where are you off to, De Ge'er?"
The child struggled and said, "Let go, let go! I didn’t know there was someone else in the room."
Just then, the nursemaid entered. Seeing Xianglan, she could tell she was a woman of some standing and quickly apologized, "Our young master was too forward. Please forgive him, madam."
Xianglan quickly replied, "It’s no trouble at all," and glanced at Shu Ran.
Shu Ran smiled and explained, "This is Marquis Yongchang’s youngest son, everyone calls him De Ge'er." Then, turning to the nursemaid, she added, "This is the Eldest Master’s concubine."
The nursemaid had long heard that Lin Jinlou had a beloved concubine who was quite different from the others, so she knew this must be her. She quickly paid her respects again and pulled De Ge'er over to make him bow.
Xianglan stepped forward, patted his little head, and had him sit on the edge of the bed. She then instructed Shu Ran to prepare a cup of fruit syrup and fetch some pastries and cakes. At first, De Ge'er was a bit reserved, but after eating two pine nut candies Xianglan gave him, he became more lively and reached for the cakes on the table. Xianglan quickly stopped him, wiped his hands with a towel, and playfully asked him his name and age.
De Ge'er said, "My name is Yuan Chengde, and I’m six years old." He stole a glance at Xianglan and added, "My father says my name comes from the Book of Han’s 'Rites and Music': 'To command and pacify the troops, the military officials receive virtue.' My father was fighting beyond the frontier the year I was born. My mother said 'the military officials receive virtue' means that if a general is blessed with virtue, he can avoid further battles. So they gave me this name, and sure enough, my father returned safely." He then offered the cake in front of him to Xianglan, saying, "Sister, you have some too," and also offered some to Shu Ran. Noticing that Xianglan’s cup was empty, he straightened up and reached his chubby little arm out to pour her more tea.
Xianglan couldn’t help but smile. Seeing De Ge'er’s innocent and earnest nature, she grew fond of him, and the grievances she had been holding in her heart earlier melted away. She took out a handkerchief to wipe the crumbs from the corner of his mouth and said with a smile, "You eat up, we have plenty more."
De Ge'er squirmed a little but ultimately let Xianglan wipe his mouth, mumbling as he turned his head, "I’m a man now, I can wipe my own mouth." He stole another glance at Xianglan and said, "I’m going to find my father now, I’ll come back later." Stuffing two pieces of cake into his mouth, he hopped off the bed and bounded away.
Xianglan laughed and said, "What an honest and sincere child." Remembering what De Ge'er had said about the origin of his name, she sighed, "Master Yuan and his late wife must have truly loved each other."Shu Ran was clearing melon seeds and pastries from the kang table with a tray when she smiled and said, "The one De Ge'er calls 'mother' isn't Eldest Master Yuan's wife, but his kept mistress. I heard she originally came from an official family—quite prominent—but later the whole family fell from grace. Her parents, brothers, and sisters all perished. Because she was beautiful, she was given to the Yuan family and served Eldest Master Yuan's aunt. Though registered as a servant, she lived in luxury and didn't suffer much. She was lovely and gentle, skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Later, Eldest Master Yuan took a fancy to her and repeatedly sought to marry her as a second wife. His first wife grew jealous and blocked the marriage. Eventually, Eldest Master Yuan somehow managed to take De Ge'er's birth mother as a concubine but kept her outside the main household. For years she had no children, then a year after giving birth to De Ge'er, she passed away—ah, such misfortune."
Xianglan sighed sadly, "It's just pitiable for the child."
Shu Ran replied, "Eldest Master Yuan dotes on the boy dearly. Perhaps because he lost his mother so young, he's even more cherished. The master personally teaches him reading, writing, and archery, often taking him along to social gatherings."
Xianglan said, "De Ge'er is indeed endearing—so sensible at such a young age." Unconsciously, she recalled his phoenix eyes on that small, round, dark face, so like her younger sister Shen Jialian's. In their previous life, she and Jialian looked very similar, with comparable temperaments, but their eyes differed: she had almond-shaped eyes like their mother, while Jialian had phoenix eyes like their father. Now this child had the same eyes, making him feel familiar.
Xianglan gazed out the window. When the Shen family fell into hardship, Jialian was only ten. She and their mother were sent to the Bureau of Music and Entertainment, where they took their own lives that very night. Xianglan received the news just as her exile began, unable to even mourn them properly. Seeing De Ge'er's eyes now felt like Jialian had come back to life—her sister had been just as well-behaved and clever, following her everywhere, imitating her hairstyles, hair ornaments, and mannerisms, even taking her calligraphy practice sheets to copy, like a little shadow. Looking back, those days seemed hazy as a dream, all rushing back with the wind and rain.
Noticing Xianglan lost in thought, Shu Ran didn't disturb her. She quietly replaced the tea and withdrew, leaving the room silent.
Soon, faint voices sounded outside. The door creaked open, and Shu Ran returned with a bowl of medicine, placing it beside Xianglan. "Madam, it's time for your medicine."
Xianglan frowned at the herbal scent, not moving.
Shu Ran knew at once she was being stubborn again and inwardly clicked her tongue. Today, the master had carried her directly back to his study—his face scratched and hers swollen—so they must have clashed again. Shu Ran genuinely admired Xianglan: she appeared delicate, yet had such resilience and spirit. The master, tyrant that he was, only obeyed the Old Master; even the Madam dared not cross him. Yet Xianglan repeatedly challenged him. Given today's events, she was surely resentful and would refuse the medicine. Smiling, Shu Ran coaxed, "It's freshly brewed—drink it while it's hot. It's just a small bowl, gone in one gulp. It'll taste bitterer once it cools."Xianglan said indifferently, "You may go. I'll drink it later." Previously, she had to take the medicine out of fear of Lin Jinlou's authority. But now that she had already quarreled with him, and he might torment her in unpredictable ways, there was no need to drink it anymore.
Just as Shu Ran was feeling awkward, someone suddenly said, "You may go."
Hearing the voice, both of them were startled. Turning their heads, they saw Lin Jinlou had entered unnoticed. Shu Ran breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to herself that it was best not to linger in a place of trouble. Without even serving tea, she slipped away as if her feet were greased.
Xianglan ignored him and continued to gaze out the window. She felt Lin Jinlou sit down beside her, leaning his head closer to follow her line of sight. He said, "Oh, let me see what you're staring at so intently. Is there some Western spectacle outside?"
Xianglan shifted inward, but Lin Jinlou leaned in again and chuckled, "Tsk, hurry up and take the medicine. If you don't, and I have to force you, I'll pour it down your throat."
Xianglan glanced at Lin Jinlou in disbelief. The man was grinning at her, revealing a row of gleaming white teeth. Unwilling to endure his nagging, she picked up the bowl and gulped down the medicine in one go. Unexpectedly, the concoction was extremely bitter. Combined with her lingering headache from the hangover, it churned her stomach. Her face paled as she forced herself to swallow the medicine, her insides roiling. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she coughed repeatedly.
Lin Jinlou hurriedly patted her back, clicking his tongue. "I say, aren't you foolish? If it makes you uncomfortable, why drink it? Don't you know you could just spit it out? How does that make you feel better?"
Xianglan brushed his hand away, caught her breath, and poured herself half a cup of warm water to drink. Lin Jinlou said, "Did you see De Ge'er earlier? That little rascal said there was a fairy-like sister in the room who fed him snacks..."
After taking a few sips of water, Xianglan couldn't help but retort, "What's this? At noon today at the Lu residence, you seemed intent on killing me, and now you're acting as if nothing happened."
"Hey, hey, that's enough now. The matter's already settled. Are you trying to pick a fight again?"
Xianglan couldn't be bothered to engage with him. She shifted further into the bed, lying with her back to Lin Jinlou, and reached to pull up the covers. Lin Jinlou grabbed the quilt, preventing her from covering herself. After tugging at it a few times without success, Xianglan gave up entirely, curling into a ball and closing her eyes.
Lin Jinlou let out a snort of laughter, poked her shoulder, and said, "Alright, that's enough. How old are you, throwing a tantrum like a child?" He then tugged at her arm. "Let me see if your hand is any better. It's time to change the dressing."
Xianglan truly couldn't comprehend how this man could be so thick-skinned. She opened her eyes and looked at Lin Jinlou with a half-smile. "What is Eldest Master doing here? Aren't you busy with all the matters outside? Even if you want to see me suffer and cry every day, I'm tired for now and afraid I won't be able to shed any tears."
Lin Jinlou tapped the tip of her nose and said, "You ungrateful little wretch. I'm trying to be good to you, and you twist it into something malicious. You remember every angry word I said earlier, don't you? Tsk, I've misjudged you."
Though Xianglan felt a reckless urge to defy him, she didn't dare provoke the tyrant further. She pressed her lips tightly together, turned her face away, and closed her eyes again.Lin Jinlou stood with his arms crossed, silently appraising Xianglan from head to toe while stroking his chin. He mused to himself that little Xianglan was indeed a beauty—every feature perfectly proportioned, no wonder even a child like De Ge'er could recognize her loveliness and praise her as a "fairy-like sister." Though she was as stubborn as a mule, her character was truly commendable. He knew that the women in his inner quarters and those he associated with outside were all shrewder than monkeys, each scheming to gain something from him—be it status or silver—and willing to resort to the cruelest tactics against one another. Only Xianglan, as he observed coldly, understood everything clearly yet remarkably refrained from scheming. Even when wronged, she would at most retort openly and sharply, never resorting to underhanded tricks. Her foolishly steadfast sense of gratitude and repayment of kindness somehow evoked a pang of tenderness in him. He was no fool either; though she never gave him a pleasant look and he had to cling to her shamelessly, being with Xianglan brought him a rare sense of peace.
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