Lin Jinlou's eyelid twitched as he offered an ingratiating smile. "Speaking of the Recluse of Orchid Fragrance..." He personally refilled Lin Zhaoxiang's tea, continuing with a chuckle, "Xianglan often tells me how much she admires you, venerable grandfather. She says your calligraphy and painting are truly exceptional among connoisseurs. She eagerly painted two pieces specifically for your appraisal and begged me to bring them, saying that receiving even a word of guidance from you would be the fortune of three lifetimes." As he spoke, he drew the scrolls from their container and presented them.
Lin Zhaoxiang squinted at Lin Jinlou and snorted. "Don't try to flatter me with sweet talk. I'm not blind—do you really think she'd say such things?" He raised his hand and smacked the back of Lin Jinlou's head, gritting his teeth. "You lose your head over women! Your whole life you've suffered because of this lust—repeatedly taught but never reformed. How many times have you stumbled because of women, you useless wretch!" Growing angrier as he spoke, he struck Lin Jinlou's leg with his cane.
Lin Jinlou felt a stinging pain in his leg. Rubbing the back of his head, he felt humiliated and bitter. Usually, he was the one ordering others around and doling out blows—this time, he was being scolded like a grandson. Then it occurred to him that he actually was the old man's grandson, so there was no real shame in it. Treating it as a filial performance to entertain his elder, he smiled and said, "Grandfather, please don't be angry, don't harm your health..." He set the paintings on a nearby side table and moved to massage Lin Zhaoxiang's shoulders.
Lin Zhaoxiang, his face dark, snorted and pushed Lin Jinlou's hand away. He picked up the paintings, unrolling the "Guanyin Illustration" first. After examining it, he set it aside and turned to the "Snowy Night by the River." Lin Jinlou stole a glance and saw his grandfather's initially stern expression grow solemn, then shift to surprise and emotion when he read the poem inscribed on the upper right corner. After a moment of deep thought, Lin Zhaoxiang closed the painting and set it aside, then picked up his tea bowl and drank in silence.
Lin Jinlou's heart raced wildly. He held his breath, not daring to make a sound.
After a long pause, Lin Zhaoxiang set the tea bowl down with a cough. With a wave of his hand, he tossed a stack of playbooks in front of Lin Jinlou. "That 'Story of Hermit Lanxiang' has spread everywhere, from taverns to tea stations. Explain yourself—what's this all about?"
"What could your grandson be up to... It's just some idle scholars who heard that the Recluse of Orchid Fragrance is my concubine, turning it into gossip and fabricating stories over tea and wine..."
"Still trying to outsmart your ancestor?" Lin Zhaoxiang picked up the top volume, flipped to a random page, and pointed at a few lines. "'Though splendid years fade, dreams remain undimmed; pure melodies cannot suppress the lingering sorrow,' 'Do not waste spring's boundless delights—the moon, as then, quietly shines upon the Xie family courtyard,' 'On the mandarin duck pillow, we speak of longing; you should pity me as I pity myself.' Though the phrases are richly ornate, their tone is elegant and their conception clever. These aren't the ramblings of some common idle scholar or impoverished literati."Lin Jinlou glanced at his grandfather. Their eyes met, and Lin Jinlou quickly put on a smile, pretending not to understand. Lin Zhaoxiang couldn't help but recall how, as a child, Lin Jinlou would adopt this same feigned ignorance whenever he neglected his studies and couldn't answer questions. Feeling both exasperated and amused, he tossed the play script into Lin Jinlou's lap and said with a stern face, "Enough, enough. Stop pretending. Hongxun has already confessed—you paid him a hefty sum to commission several talented scholars from the Hanlin Academy to write this play. Hmph! You're quite the exemplary one, aren't you? Making your brother-in-law do such a thing."
Lin Jinlou had long suspected the truth couldn't be hidden. Hearing this, he quickly shifted his stance and said, "I was just thinking... after the recent deaths in the family, and with Second Uncle and I... well, the Lin family is under scrutiny now. People smile and flatter us to our faces, but who knows what vile things they say behind our backs. Xianglan here is perfect in every way—she even saved my life. If this spreads, it'll bring honor to the Lin family and help cover up those unsavory matters, won't it?"
Lin Zhaoxiang lifted his eyelids. "Is that why? Still playing clever? Whatever scheme you're brewing, you'd better speak plainly and honestly right now."
Hearing this, Lin Jinlou studied his grandfather's expression and began calculating in his mind. He and Lin Zhaoxiang shared the most similar temperaments. As his grandfather aged and navigated the treacherous waters of officialdom, he had learned to sheath his sharpness within, though the blade remained undulled. Lin Jinlou was somewhat wary of him. Putting himself in his grandfather's shoes, he felt honesty was the best policy—but how to phrase it required careful thought. After a long silence, he looked up to see Lin Zhaoxiang's piercing gaze. The words rolled in his throat twice before his expression softened abruptly, and he said in a low voice, "Grandfather, I've lived to this age and seen more Rouge than there are fish in the river... but she alone is different from all the others. I truly cherish her—she has entered my heart."
Lin Zhaoxiang stared at Lin Jinlou for a moment, then scoffed. "How old are you?"
"...Twenty-nine."
"Hmph, so you do remember you're approaching thirty and not some green youth. What do you mean, 'entered your heart'? I thought you were just overly competitive and occasionally hot-tempered—flaws that could be polished. But I never expected you to sink into this childish sentimentality. I'm embarrassed for you!"
Lin Jinlou hung his head in silence.
"Cat got your tongue?"
Lin Jinlou looked up, his eyes actually somewhat red. Lin Zhaoxiang was taken aback as he heard his grandson say softly, "Grandfather, I mean every word. You say I fight for our family's survival outside—when I return home, I just want someone like her to warm my heart. Being with her makes me feel calm and content, truly at peace. I even feel... I don't need to achieve great deeds, bring glory to our clan, reach the highest ranks, or amass immense wealth. I feel satisfied as I am—I've somehow lost some of my ambition and think this is just fine."
Lin Zhaoxiang never expected his usually cheeky, domineering and ruthless eldest grandson to speak such words to him. This grandson was the one he cherished and valued most, the one he had raised with his own hands. Seeing his eldest grandson now with slumped shoulders and a pitiful appearance, he knew full well the boy was putting on a tragic act—yet his heart softened nonetheless. He cleared his throat lightly and said, "She's already part of your household. The entire family respects her. No one is asking you to send her away."Lin Jinlou said, "Alas, Grandfather, you can see from her ability to write and paint, and all those magnanimous, generous deeds she has done, that she is no ordinary woman. How could her thoughts be the same as common women? I... to put it this way, I fear I might wrong her..."
Upon hearing this, Lin Zhaoxiang narrowed his eyes and scrutinized Lin Jinlou's face carefully twice before slowly saying, "What exactly is on your mind?"
Lin Jinlou clenched his fist and was about to speak when Geng Tonggui announced from the doorway, "Reporting to Old Master, Second Master has arrived."
Lin Zhaoxiang immediately darkened his expression and said, "Let him in." Then he turned to Lin Jinlou and said, "I have matters to discuss with your second uncle. You may leave for now and return later."
Lin Jinlou had no choice but to agree. As he exited, he encountered Lin Changmin, who wore his hair tied up with a longevity-character gold hairpin and was dressed in a deep blue robe with silver patterns throughout, cinched at the waist by an indigo gold-woven belt. The outfit made his slightly dark, round face appear more spirited than usual. Lin Jinlou promptly bowed slightly and said, "Greetings, Second Uncle."
Lin Changmin was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "You're here? Paying respects to the Old Master?"
Lin Jinlou smiled and nodded.
Lin Changmin waved his hand. "Go on, go on. Attend to your duties."
"Your nephew takes his leave."
Lin Changmin clicked his tongue, watching Lin Jinlou's retreating figure with a mix of envy and admiration. This nephew he had watched grow up now inspired a certain awe in him, even a desire to curry favor, which left him feeling genuinely uncomfortable.
Now, to turn to the other side of the story. Meanwhile, at Xianglan's place, Gui Yuan had brought over a set of playbooks titled "The Story of Hermit Lanxiang." Xianglan sat by the window and flipped through them one by one. She found the language ornate and the themes elegant, detailing her life from childhood servitude and encounters with cruel masters to saving her father by becoming a concubine, protecting her master at a temple, and finally the snowy night by the river—all written into twelve acts. The story blended truth and fiction, concealing many facts while embellishing others with added drama. Notably, Lin Jinlou was transformed from a tyrannical master into a devoted lover in the play, and the two of them were portrayed as deeply affectionate lovebirds like mandarin ducks. In the past, Xianglan would have found such distorted playbooks both laughable and frustrating, but now she silently closed the book, held it to her chest, pushed open the window, and propped it open with a stone lion. The wind whistled into the room, still carrying a crisp chill. Xianglan gazed at the newly blooming peach blossoms in the courtyard, took a deep breath, and felt a myriad of emotions surge in her heart.
Just then, Lin Jinlou returned. Hearing the noise, Xianglan quickly covered the playbooks with a pea-green half-sleeved garment. However, Lin Jinlou seemed somewhat listless and didn't notice her subtle movement. He came in and sat blankly on the reclining couch.
He understood that all matters, big and small, in the household were ultimately decided by the Old Master. Although his current status and position allowed him to act without regard for his grandfather's opinions, and he had even considered taking matters into his own hands, he thought again: after all, his elders were above him, and Xianglan would still be part of the Lin family in the future. If he didn't show respect to that venerable figure, Xianglan might find it difficult to navigate and live unhappily in the household. Nowadays, Xianglan treated him with more warmth than before, but there still seemed to be some awkwardness between them, making him constantly anxious about gains and losses. Reflecting on his former self as a leader in romantic escapades among flowers and willows, he never imagined he would fall into such lovesick folly over a woman.He had once believed that his future wife would be a noble lady from a prestigious family, possessing a stronger appearance than ordinary women, deferring to him as her superior, virtuous and kind, capable of managing the household affairs, filial to his parents, raising their children, respecting Xianglan without jealousy or pettiness, and that they would spend their lives in mutual respect, merely going through the motions. But now, after experiencing this life-and-death ordeal, he had long understood that he would rather endure hardship himself than let Xianglan suffer any longer. As long as the two of them could be together in the future, long-lasting and peaceful, that was all that mattered. The thought of this invigorated him, as if he were about to charge into battle, unafraid even of mountains of blades and seas of fire ahead.
Xianglan stepped forward and handed Lin Jinlou a cup of tea, unable to resist asking, "What's wrong with you?" Lin Jinlou snapped out of his thoughts, turned to look at her, and suddenly smiled. Today, he was dressed in a russet-colored python-patterned satin robe with blue inlaid patterns, fastened with a gold-woven belt and a jade-green pendant, his hair tied up with a jade hairpin. He looked dashing and spirited, yet carried the languid air typical of a young master from a wealthy family. He reached out, pulled her closer, and gazed at her with a smile for a long moment before saying, "Don't worry, I'm perfectly fine. With me here, we'll both be just fine."
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