Against the Current

Lin Zhaoxiang coughed lightly and handed the birdcage to Ruizhu, saying, "So impatient! The older you get, the more you regress!"

"It's not that. My father, for some reason, has started meddling in women's affairs, thinking about arranging a marriage for me—" Seeing Lin Zhaoxiang's gaze, he immediately added, "I've long made up my mind—I only want Xianglan. No matter who I marry in the future, I can't guarantee she won't be wronged. If she suffers again, it might as well be the death of me." After speaking, he knelt down and said, "You've seen her, and you've bestowed gifts. Whether it's acceptable or not rests on your word, Old Master."

Lin Zhaoxiang narrowed his eyes slightly, gazing at the trees in the courtyard. After a long pause, he said, "You're grown up; I can't control you. As for your father, I don't want to interfere either. In any case, I won't get involved in this matter. If you have the ability, go argue with your father." With that, he picked up his tea bowl, clearly signaling it was time for the guest to leave.

Lin Jinlou wanted to plead further, but Lin Zhaoxiang had already stood up, ignoring his calls, and leaning on his cane, went inside.

Lin Jinlou was dumbfounded. Since childhood, he had never gotten along with Lin Changzheng. The old man found nothing about him agreeable and placed great importance on social status, even going so far as to bring his colleague's daughter home. The chances of him agreeing to this were slim to none, and now the Old Master was washing his hands of the matter. Lin Jinlou heaved a long sigh—if the Old Master didn't oppose or scold him, that was already good. But thinking of his father, he couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.

Meanwhile, Lin Jinting returned to his own courtyard and collapsed onto the bed as soon as he entered his bedroom. A moment later, Li Miaozhi came in. Seeing Lin Jinting lying there disheveled, she sat on the edge of the bed and asked, "Any news about Third Sister?"

Lin Jinting wiped his face and said, "No, it doesn't look promising."

Li Miaozhi sighed and rubbed her eyes. She had spent the night at Wang Shi's place. Although Hupo, Ying Luo, and others were there to help, she slept in the Green Gauze Cabinet and still had to get up twice during the night to check on things, so she hadn't slept well.

Lin Jinting asked, "How is Mother?"

Li Miaozhi replied, "When she heard Third Sister was missing, she cried heavily again and is even more delirious from her illness. She just took medicine but vomited half of it. She managed to eat two spoonfuls of porridge, warmed some yellow wine, and took a Nourishing Vitality Pill. She's just closed her eyes now."

Lin Jinting sat up and pounded the bed in frustration, saying, "It's all because of that wretched woman! I wish I could grind her bones to dust!"

Li Miaozhi quickly said, "Keep your voice down, be careful someone hears." She added, "Eldest Uncle has arranged for Concubine Su to be moved to a small temple in the north to recuperate. Father-in-law didn't say anything either. Let's just stay out of sight and out of mind. She's already lost the child in her womb—what trouble could she possibly stir up now?"

Lin Jinting sneered, "Don't underestimate her. Who knows what mischief she might cause next? I've seen plenty of people like her. It's only because Father favors her that I haven't dealt with her already."Though newly married, Li Miaozhi already knew her husband was all talk and no substance. Being an extremely ambitious woman who had always dreamed of future glory and prestige, the recent series of misfortunes piling up had already soured her mood. Compounded by the fact that no one in the second branch of the family could take charge—everything had to be handled by Lin Changzheng and Lin Jinlou—Li Miaozhi felt a surge of resentment. "Forget about 'dealing with it sooner or later,'" she said. "Now that Third Master is managing affairs, he ought to stand firm on his own. If he had even half of Eldest Brother's capability, things wouldn't have come to this. Never mind the rest—I'm the Third Mistress, respected by everyone in the household, yet I feel inferior even in front of Xianglan, forced to watch her moods. What kind of logic is that?"

Lin Jinting sprawled out on the bed and said, "What logic? That's just the way things are in our family. Not only do you feel inferior—even your brilliant and dashing husband has to lower his head in front of her. Say one wrong word, and Eldest Brother glares at me. If I'm playing the meek one, what more can you expect?"

Hearing his flippant tone, Li Miaozhi was so furious she jabbed him hard.

Lin Jinting yelped and sprang up, rubbing his chest. "Why did you jab me?"

Li Miaozhi then swatted his face with her handkerchief and said through gritted teeth, "No reason. You! Focus on studying and making something of yourself!" With that, she stood up, flung her sleeve, and stormed out.

Lin Jinting lay back down in a huff, hugging his head and turning over, muttering, "So annoying. This isn't a wife—it's a mother."

But enough of this.

Lin Jinlou had been avoiding the house for half a day and sent Ji Xiang back to check on the situation. Upon hearing that the Wei family had left, he finally returned. Back in his room, he ignored official documents, letters, and refused to see any subordinates or retainers. He simply reclined on the large Heated Brick Bed, frowning slightly, lost in thought. Xianglan sorted the incoming letters and documents on the large desk and helped him write a few correspondence notes. The maids, noticing Lin Jinlou's foul mood, held their breath and tiptoed around. Ling Su came in to replace Lin Jinlou's tea, then scurried out with quick, light steps, not daring to linger for a moment.

Xianglan set down her brush, glanced at Lin Jinlou, blew on the ink of the freshly written notes to dry them, and brought them over. "They're done, Master. Please take a look." Noticing his absent-mindedness, she asked, "Is something troubling you?"

Lin Jinlou hummed in response, took Xianglan's hand, set the papers aside without looking, and smiled. "Are you concerned about me?"

Xianglan was taken aback, her lips parting but no words coming out.

Lin Jinlou looked her over from head to toe and said, "The weather's warming up. It's time you had some new clothes made. I'll summon the tailor today—I wonder if they can finish a set in two or three days."

Xianglan said, "Why make new clothes for no reason? I have more than I can wear." Most of Xianglan's spring outfits were in Jinling, but she had brought some to the capital, had two new sets made, and also received gifts from Qin Shi, totaling a whole trunk.

"Those won't do. You don't know this, but the old man can't stand brightly dressed beauties. He wishes all young girls in their late teens would dress like crows, in sack-like robes, thinking that's plain and dignified. Tsk, what a strange quirk."

Xianglan couldn't help asking, "The old man?"

Lin Jinlou said, "Hmm, my father."Xianglan pursed her lips and smiled. Many scholarly families took pride in wearing plain, understated clothing. The young ladies had numerous garments made of fine silks and satins but never wore them, keeping them all stored away. What they presented to others daily were indigo-blue dresses, to demonstrate the family's tradition of simplicity and adherence to the teachings of Confucius and Mencius. Lin Jinlou, however, had always preferred women to dress beautifully—in shades of rouge and apricot yellow, leek green and peach pink, with close-fitting jackets and delicate gauze skirts, creating a scene full of vibrant charm.

Lin Jinlou pulled Xianglan to sit beside him, his eyes fixed on her face as he said with a half-smile, "But you're naturally pretty; you look lovely in anything. The first time I saw you, you were singing a little tune by the lake, wearing old clothes, yet your face still looked rosy and fresh. You were the prettiest girl I'd ever seen. I wondered then, which household's maid was she? How come I hadn't noticed her before?" As he spoke, he lowered his head and kissed her cheek. "Right then, I decided, no matter where you were from, I had to bring you to my side."

Xianglan lifted her head. Lin Jinlou's arm encircled her, his jet-black hair tied up with a gold-inlaid emerald cloud hairpin. His eyes, usually sharp as lightning, were now exceptionally gentle, and his face wore a lazy smile, embodying the dashing and unrestrained demeanor of a young nobleman. Xianglan felt somewhat dazed. She had never imagined, through all the ups and downs over the years, that she would end up here—never thought she would be with Lin Jinlou, held in his embrace, exchanging intimate words. "Actually, I saw you, Master, on my very first day in the Lin residence. At that time, you were renaming all the maids, but when it came to me, you had to leave for some matter." Little did she know that Lin Jinlou's departure that day, casually circling her name, had provoked Zhao Yuechan's jealousy and placed her in a difficult situation.

"Oh? There was such a thing? Fate plays tricks, doesn't it? If I had seen you earlier that day, I would have brought you to my side long ago, without all these twists and turns and troublesome affairs." He smiled slightly as he looked at Xianglan. Her eyes were like Azure Jade, or perhaps two deep pools; once he gazed into them, he couldn't pull away, as if he might drown in them. His smile faded, and he simply lowered his head to gently kiss Xianglan's lips, then again after a moment, murmuring, "From now on, we'll be together for a long, long time—we must be together for a long, long time." His voice was very soft, but his tone carried a plea and a desire to please. He was genuinely somewhat afraid. Though Xianglan appeared delicate, her inner strength was immense, like a willow branch that bends and bends under pressure but never breaks. Unlike other women who relied entirely on him to survive, even in the most unbearable circumstances, this woman would rather straighten her back and endure on her own without asking him for anything. He feared that one day she might truly leave without a word. From childhood, he had been accustomed to giving orders, commanding others, and having his way. He had encountered all sorts of women, most of whom involved fleeting affections and superficial tenderness. The heartfelt sweet words he spoke were all for the woman in his arms, yet he didn't know if she believed them or valued them.

Xianglan was first stunned, then her heart softened and ached with a mix of indescribable emotions and feelings. She neither wished nor dared to delve too deeply into them, yet her heart felt as though it were floating and sinking in a vast ocean.She stared wide-eyed at Lin Jinlou, who pressed his forehead against hers, his brow furrowed as if caught between profound sorrow and utter contentment. A shimmer of tears seemed to well up in her eyes. Xianglan shifted slightly, then wordlessly rested quietly against Lin Jinlou’s chest. After hesitating for a long while, she raised her arm only to lower it again. Another long moment passed before she finally lifted it once more and wrapped it around his waist.

Lin Jinlou trembled all over, then softened. A long, long time later, he kissed Xianglan’s hair and said, “Come with me to see my father in the next couple of days. He hasn’t met you yet—someone like you is sure to please him.”

However, Xianglan did not let Lin Jinlou summon the tailor, insisting that a fine outfit could not be made in just two or three days. So Lin Jinlou ordered the maid to open the chest and lay out Xianglan’s clothes one by one. He personally selected an olive-green jacket and a dark green skirt. In the afternoon, he went out, first spending some time at Lin Old Madam’s residence, then sitting for half a day at Qin Shi’s place before returning. That night, he tossed and turned, unable to sleep soundly. Early the next morning, he urged Xianglan to wash up and change her clothes.

Xiao Juan styled Xianglan’s hair and was about to choose a magnolia from a tray of freshly cut flowers sent by a servant woman to pin in her hair, but Lin Jinlou stopped her, saying, “No, she needs to look like an Old Madam. That’s what my father prefers—he can’t stand anything too glamorous.” He only allowed two simple hair ornaments to be worn and forbade any other jewelry or makeup, then took her to see Lin Changzheng.