Qin Shi was utterly stunned. With tears in her eyes, she stepped forward and clung to Lin Changzheng’s arm, saying, “Master, please take care of yourself. We are all family here, with no outsiders. Let’s talk this out calmly—don’t let anger harm your health.” Lin Changzheng was panting heavily, his chest heaving violently. He had always respected Qin Shi and even harbored a slight fear of her, but now he could no longer hold back. Pushing her aside, he snapped, “Have you gone mad too? Are you indulging him as well?”
Lin Jinlou’s eyes were bloodshot, and he unconsciously took half a step back. Every word struck his heart like a hammer, fueling his rage and torment. Yet, this was his father—there was nothing he could do. It felt like facing imminent defeat on the battlefield, commanding an army he could no longer control. He stepped forward to stand before Lin Changzheng, gritting his teeth and saying, “She never insisted on staying in our household—it was I who stubbornly insisted on keeping her!”
Lin Changzheng slapped Lin Jinlou across the face with a sharp crack, trembling with fury. “Rebellion! This is rebellion! Kneel down!” Staggering backward, he collapsed onto the heated brick bed. Qin Shi hurried over to soothe him, while Lin Jinlou had no choice but to reluctantly kneel.
Lin Changzheng pointed a trembling finger and said, “Have you lost your mind? Are you turning your back on your own family? Enough, enough! That maid was once left behind in Yangzhou under dubious circumstances. Even if she weren’t a servant, even if she came from a respectable family, such impurity makes her unworthy!”
Lin Jinlou’s underclothes were soaked with cold sweat. He felt as if he could barely breathe, his heart pierced by a thousand needles. Closing his eyes, he sensed the veins on his forehead throbbing painfully, his throat dry and tight. “How is she unworthy?” he retorted. “Why was she left in Yangzhou? Was it not to save Mother and Sister? Later, she even saved your son! For that alone, she is more than worthy!”
Lin Changzheng fumed, “Gratitude should be repaid, but it cannot be conflated with this disgrace that shames the ancestors of the Lin Family! I’ve heard she once went to the Song family and had some past entanglement with young master Song—scheming and maneuvering, desperate to climb the social ladder. Such profound cunning and tactics! A lowly creature like her dares to harbor such delusions!”
Lin Jinlou could no longer suppress the fire in his heart. Gasping for breath, he ground his teeth and said, “So the ancestors of the Lin Family do not understand repaying kindness—they are inferior even to a woman. Let me say it again: she is not lowly. Even if she were truly a servant, she would not be lowly!”
Lin Changzheng sprang to his feet in a rage, grabbing Lin Jinlou by the collar with both hands and snarling, “You wretched ingrate! Unrepentant! Do you intend to drive me to my death today? If you persist in your stubbornness, do not blame me for showing no mercy and cutting off future troubles!”
Lin Jinlou jolted in shock, his gaze fixed intently on Lin Changzheng’s eyes, growing increasingly fierce. He whispered, “What will Father do?”
Lin Changzheng sneered, “I raised this unfilial scourge who cares nothing for the Lin Family’s honor and future, but I cannot indulge your recklessness! That girl has shown kindness to the Lin Family—it could have been a beautiful tale of repaying her with a lifetime of prosperity. But if she oversteps her bounds, do not force me to darken that tale.”
Lin Jinlou stared straight at Lin Changzheng, his face frosty. He nodded slightly and said, “Good, good, good. If you lay a single finger on her—”
Lin Changzheng replied coldly, “What if I do? Will you kill your own father and mother? Then I shall act as if I never had a son like you!”Qin Shi stepped forward and grabbed both their arms, tears streaming as she said, "A perfectly good father and son, how did it come to this? Whatever family matters arise, can't we discuss them properly? If you two sever all affection, it will be the death of me." With that, she couldn't hold back her sobs.
Lin Jinlou, his face pale, stared at Lin Changzheng and slowly declared, "I wouldn't dare oppose you, Father. But I'll say this today: unless I die, I will marry her! Even if she dies and turns to ashes, I'll wed her memorial tablet and live with it."
Qin Shi was shocked and cried out, "Lou Ge'er! What are you saying?"
Lin Changzheng trembled with rage, nodding repeatedly as he said, "Fine, fine. I'll remember these words of yours. Let's see how you fare. You unfilial beast, daring to challenge me? If you have the guts to act, I'll disown you! Get out! Get out!"
Lin Jinlou stood up and staggered back a few steps, his face ashen and drenched in sweat, as if drunk. In a daze, he stumbled out of the room. Qin Shi called his name softly several times, her voice choked with tears, but he didn't hear a thing, his ears ringing fiercely.
In the room, Lin Changzheng sat down stiffly, then slumped against the head of the heated brick bed, feeling as if his body had fallen apart. Lin Jinlou had been an Overlord since childhood—his father could never fully control him and even took pleasure in opposing him. Yet he had always known his limits and strived to improve, often retorting cheekily with a grin. This was the first time Lin Changzheng had seen his eldest son like this: standing before him, taller and broader, his face cold and imposing, exuding authority. It dawned on him then that this son had truly become a decisive general, bold enough to confront him, and he could no longer restrain him.
Lin Jinlou returned to Chun Tang Hall, where Xiao Juan, Hua Shan, Ling Qing, and Ling Su were kicking a shuttlecock in the courtyard. When they saw him enter, disheveled and wretched, they exchanged glances, biting their fingers and whispering, then hastily slipped away in silence. Lin Jinlou paid no heed, staring blankly as he went straight to his room. Hongjian and Lu Lan were still there, having stayed by Xianglan's side on his orders to keep her company, while Xue Ning busied herself serving tea and arranging fruits. As Lin Jinlou entered, the four stood up. Seeing the red slap mark swollen on his face, they were all startled but dared not say more, quickly taking their leave. Xue Ning, thoughtful, glanced at Lin Jinlou and then at Xianglan before closing the door behind her.
Pacing the room like a trapped animal, Lin Jinlou was consumed by frustration. He grabbed the leather sandbag used for boxing practice and pounded it relentlessly, blow after blow, until his hands were red and his knuckles swollen, sweat pouring down. Each breath burned his lungs with a sharp, dry pain. He fought until he was on the verge of collapse, with no strength left, swayed twice, and then lay down on the floor. After a while, he struggled up and sat against the wall, his eyes fixed on the blue sky outside the window, lost in a daze like a stone statue.
Xianglan had been watching him silently. She had never seen Lin Jinlou like this, and her heart ached with an indescribable sorrow. She couldn't help but rise and take a couple of steps, hesitating, when Lin Jinlou suddenly turned his head. Backlit, his expression was unreadable as he said in a low voice, "I thought you'd come over to check on me." He gazed at Xianglan for a long moment before turning away again.Xianglan choked up, her heart heavy as she approached quietly and crouched down. Unable to resist, she reached out to touch Lin Jinlou’s face and whispered, "There’s medicated cream in the drawer. Let me apply some for you." Only when her fingers made contact did she snap back to reality, but as she tried to withdraw her hand, Lin Jinlou seized it, his eyes fixed intently on her.
For a moment, they locked gazes. Xianglan peered deep into his eyes, then suddenly grew flustered and lowered her head. There, she noticed Lin Jinlou’s hands—red, swollen, and bruised at the knuckles. Her voice dropped to a near-whisper, "Why did you have to do this? You—I’ll go get the medicated cream." With that, she pulled her hand back, stood up, and wiped the corner of her eye with a handkerchief as she turned away.
Soon after, Xianglan returned with the cream, gently applying it first to Lin Jinlou’s face, then to his hands. Lin Jinlou allowed her to tend to him without a word, his gaze vacant and fixed out the window. Xianglan then brought over a bowl of tea and offered it, saying, "Take a sip."
Suddenly, Lin Jinlou grabbed Xianglan’s wrist and pulled her into his embrace. She gasped in surprise, and the bowl of tea crashed to the floor. Holding her tightly, he buried his nose in her neck and took a deep breath. Xianglan lifted her arms to encircle him, and he shuddered, the tension in his body slowly easing.
Xianglan asked softly, "What’s wrong with you?"
Lin Jinlou remained silent for a long while before murmuring, "Xianglan, do you hate me?"
Xianglan froze. Did she hate him? In her eyes, Lin Jinlou had always been an Overlord, a demon—powerful, domineering, sharp-witted, and full of pride and arrogance. He had repeatedly pressed her down into the mud with one hand, yet with the other, he had saved her time and again. But now, she could no longer clearly recall it all. She wasn’t old, yet the past had blurred like distant smoke. Perhaps she was just someone destined to suffer, heartless and undeserving. The harm he had done to her had gradually faded to ash, but the kindness he had shown her remained etched in her heart—especially that snowy Night, when, gravely wounded and clinging to his last breath, he had entrusted Yuan Shaoren to look after her in the future.
Before she could answer, Lin Jinlou let out a derisive snort and said, "You do hate and despise me, don’t you?" Xianglan struggled upright, cupped his face in her hands, and looked him straight in the eyes, shaking her head with utmost seriousness. "I don’t hate you. I stopped hating you long ago."
"Right, you’ve always been soft-hearted. You’ve never hated anyone."
"——"
"Then—do you love me?"
"——" Xianglan’s deep, pool-like eyes fixed on Lin Jinlou, her heart pounding wildly. Suddenly, her throat felt dry, and she whispered, "Why does Master ask this?"
"I just wanted to know. I, I—never mind." He avoided her gaze but held her even tighter, mumbling after a long pause, "It’s nothing—I love you, that’s all."
Xianglan’s heart clenched, overwhelmed by a tumult of emotions that threatened to tear it apart. Trembling lightly, her eyes glistened with tears. She rested her face on Lin Jinlou’s shoulder, hiding her tear-streaked cheeks from his view.After a while, Lin Jinlou said softly, "Did my father give you a hard time today? Don't take it to heart. He's the type who always finds fault with everything. Just show him respect and treat whatever he says like a folk song performance. He'll likely stay in the capital this time—with the Second Prince's rebellion, many court officials have been implicated, leaving the court severely weakened. Given his excellent political achievements, the old man will probably join the Grand Secretariat. It's actually better for him to remain in the capital. I've been wanting to give you a grand gift, to ensure you'll never be wronged again, but it's been delayed. Once it's settled, we'll return to Jinling and live our carefree lives, without having to mind anyone's displeasure."
Xianglan quietly wiped her face with a handkerchief and looked at him, asking, "What grand gift?"
Lin Jinlou patted her shoulder and after a long pause said, "Let's talk about it when it's settled. I don't even know if you'll value it... Never mind that. After we return to Jinling, I'll go with you to visit your family. It's been a while since you've seen your parents—you must miss them terribly, right?"
Xianglan remained silent. As she listened to Lin Jinlou's rambling, her thoughts still lingered on the "grand gift." She was an intelligent woman. Recently, Lin Jinlou had been busy—first arranging for The Legend of Lanxiang Jushi to be performed, then having her paint for Lin Zhaoxiang, taking her to meet his parents, and now this demeanor. She had already guessed eighty to ninety percent of what it was about. Suddenly, she cupped Lin Jinlou's face and gently kissed his cheek. Lin Jinlou felt as if heaven and earth had crumbled, his vision spinning. Hoarsely, he called out, "Xianglan—" and then kissed her lips.
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