Xianglan turned her head to look at the sparse rocks and planted red plum blossoms in the courtyard. She exhaled a puff of white breath and asked softly, "Why is the Marquis telling me this?"
Yuan Shaoren said, "It's just that this is the first time I've seen Yingyang like this. He's actually quite sentimental... Actually, I understand there are other circumstances between you two, and as an outsider I shouldn't interfere. It's just... just..." He hesitated for a long moment before sighing, "I just think you're wonderful and hope you'll have a good life in the future." He lowered his head and saw Xianglan's snow-white face slightly flushed from the cold, her clear eyes meeting his gaze. Yuan Shaoren's heart trembled slightly, and he turned away, saying, "As long as you know your own mind. Everyone in the Lin family is shrewd. Seeing how much Yingyang cares for you and how highly your mother-in-law regards you, you should plan well for the future—at least consider how things will be when he marries a wife and what your life will be like then... If it becomes truly difficult, you could have Yingyang set up another residence for you to live separately."
Xianglan was taken aback but grateful for Yuan Shaoren's concern. She curtsied and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Marquis." Rising, she smiled and said, "Over these years, my heart has grown much broader. No matter how difficult life gets, I've learned not to trouble myself over it. What once seemed like insurmountable obstacles, I've gradually let go of now. When the heart is broad, the world becomes broad. As for what the future holds, I'd rather not think too much about it now. No matter how much I used to plan and worry, it could never withstand the unpredictability of fate." After a pause, she asked, "How is De Ge'er?"
Yuan Shaoren hadn't expected Xianglan to ask this. Remembering his young son, he smiled and said, "Him? That carefree little fellow eats well, sleeps well, and is growing taller—he's doing just fine."
Xianglan nodded with a smile, watching the sparrows in the courtyard, and sighed, "I often wish I could remain forever at De Ge'er's age, carefree and without worries... But we all must grow up. Throughout life, we face winds and rains, ups and downs. Whether as servants or officials, as married women or those achieving great deeds—however one lives, there are endless troubles and incidents. The trials meant for you cannot be avoided; life's lessons must be completed. There's truly no need for the Marquis to worry about me."
Yuan Shaoren was startled, waves of emotion stirring in his heart. He cupped his hands in salute and said, "I was wrong to forget you possess such breadth of mind. As I said before, I respect your character. If you ever face difficulties in the future, I will certainly help."
Xianglan curtsied again and said, "Marquis, it's cold and windy—I must take my leave now. Please take care as well." Yuan Shaoren saluted with clasped hands, and they parted.
Xianglan stood in the courtyard for a while, lifting her face to see the clear sky with faint clouds. Only when a maid came to call her did she slowly return to her room. Without further digression, Tao Hongxun arrived shortly after and spoke with Lin Jinlou in the room for about half an hour before taking his leave.
Soon after, Wu Mama entered with several maids and older servants carrying identical gold-inlaid colorful large boxes. Wu Mama said to Xianglan, "The Old Master is hosting a family banquet. The Old Madam originally wanted you to attend, but the Madam, concerned that the Eldest Master might lack attentive care, reported that you haven't been feeling well these past couple days. She secretly had these dishes sent over—two of them are specially bestowed by the Old Madam for you."Xianglan expressed her thanks and instructed Xiao Juan to fetch the reward money, while Hua Shan lifted the lid of the gift box, revealing two bowls of dishes inside. Ling Qing and Ling Su carefully brought them out and placed them on the kang table. As usual, Xianglan attended to Lin Jinlou first, having him rinse his mouth with tea before adjusting the pillow behind him to a higher position. Although Lin Jinlou was recovering, his complexion remained pale and sallow, the flesh on his cheeks having withered away, leaving him looking particularly haggard. Xianglan sighed silently to herself. She felt that the tangled web of gratitude and grievances between her and Lin Jinlou was like a messy ledger. She had always wished to settle it quickly and free herself, yet time and again, it seemed that no matter how much she repaid, new debts arose, and old debts lingered. By now, the lines between what was owed and what was repaid had blurred so much that she could no longer calculate it clearly. She no longer wished to dwell on it. All the past resentments, grievances, gratitude, and warmth had melded into an indistinguishable haze. She decided to let it be, and now her only wish was for him to recover swiftly.
Lin Jinlou, however, seemed preoccupied. Ever since Tao Hongxun had left, he had been absent-minded. After the meal, he obediently took his medicine and remained quiet and still. Once Xianglan had finished her own meal, she instructed the maids to clear away the remnants and went to the desk to help Lin Jinlou manage his official duties. Lin Jinlou only asked her to write a few invitation cards, summoning his close acquaintances to the residence, and to reply to the most urgent letters. He then instructed Xianglan to hand them over to Shu Ran before lying back on the bed, staring blankly at the canopy. Xianglan did not disturb him. She sat by the bed, reading for a while, quietly tending to minor tasks in the room, and urged Lin Jinlou to take his medicine once more. She helped him with his ablutions and hastily completed her own. Finally, she changed the dressing on his wound and felt somewhat relieved to see it had improved compared to the previous day. As she finished tidying up and was about to draw the bed curtains and extinguish the lamp, Lin Jinlou grasped her wrist and said, "Stay here tonight."
Xianglan glanced toward the inner side of the bed. "How can that be? It would be inconvenient for me to sleep on the inside. I'll sleep on the couch outside. If you call, I'll hear you right away."
Lin Jinlou insisted, "Sleep here. I heard you had a nightmare last night—you cried out, and I heard it. Tonight, you’ll sleep here. I’ll chase away any demons or evil spirits for you." Seeing Xianglan hesitate, he couldn’t help adding impatiently, "Hurry up, don’t dawdle." Then, realizing his tone was too harsh, he softened his voice and said, "Come up and sleep now."
Xianglan had no choice but to extinguish the outer lamp, draw the bed curtains, and carefully step over Lin Jinlou to the inner side of the bed. She pulled up the covers and lay down. For the first half of the night, she slept restlessly. Lin Jinlou occasionally turned in his sleep, each movement tugging at his wound and waking him in pain, though he tried his best to suppress any sound. Only then did Xianglan realize why, during the morning wash, she had often found his inner garments damp—it was from the cold sweat caused by his pain. Silently, she got up, draped a robe over herself, fetched a towel, and wiped his sweat. She then placed a calming piece of sinking star incense in the lotus-shaped bronze censer and set it by the bedside. Lin Jinlou said hoarsely, "Go back to sleep. Don’t worry about me. It doesn’t hurt that much anymore."Xianglan paid no heed, retrieved the ointment, applied a fresh layer to the wound, and only then lay down. She dared not fall asleep, keeping her ears pricked for any movement from Lin Jinlou. Hearing that he had quietly drifted off, she stealthily rose, parted the curtain a crack, and peered through the dim light. Lin Jinlou was already fast asleep, his face appearing softer and more youthful and innocent than when awake. Xianglan gazed at him for a long while, an inexplicable pang of sorrow stirring in her heart. She lay back down quietly, thinking she was being overly sentimental—otherwise, why would the sight of Lin Jinlou lying in bed, tormented by pain, make her feel so distressed?
Clutching the quilt, her thoughts wandered, and in her drowsiness, she seemed to wander back into the dense forest, raising a large blade to swing at Lu Shaotang’s head. The man fell forward without a sound, a feathered arrow piercing straight through his chest, blood gushing out in a torrent. Xianglan jolted awake, unable to suppress a scream, repeatedly crying out, "I didn’t mean to kill you!" In her terror, an arm wrapped around her, and a voice whispered in her ear, "It wasn’t you who wanted to kill him. He was a criminal who deserved to die." After repeating this several times, Xianglan finally came to her senses. Then she heard Lin Jinlou’s voice say, "You’ve never done anything wrong in your life. You killed to save me—this blood debt falls on me, it has nothing to do with you..." He struggled to suppress the pain from his wound, his body trembling slightly, then suddenly lowered his head and kissed Xianglan’s temple. Nestled against his side, Xianglan remained motionless, closed her eyes, and a single tear rolled down unbidden.
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