Against the Current

Upon hearing this, Xianglan couldn't help but laugh.

Seeing her gentle smile—like rain-kissed peonies, crimson lotus blossoms blooming on her cheeks—Lin Jinlou felt a surge of delight in his heart. He lowered his head and asked softly, "What are you laughing at?"

Xianglan looked up at him and saw Lin Jinlou gazing at her with a smile. She still wanted to laugh, but seeing his face, her laughter died in her throat. The two stared at each other for a long moment, and she suddenly wanted to ask Lin Jinlou why he had sent the Crown Prince away back then—a crime that, if thoroughly investigated, would lead to execution and the confiscation of family property. It brought him a hundred harms without a single benefit. His official career was flourishing, his family prosperous—was it worth taking such a tremendous risk for this?

But in the end, she didn't ask.

Every person has something in their heart that weighs heavier than all else—be it righteousness, loyalty, conscience, or fame and status. They struggle and waver for it their entire lives, willing to sacrifice everything without regret. Others may deem it unworthy, but without it, nothing else holds value.

She understood him.

Seeing Xianglan staring at him without speaking, Lin Jinlou couldn't resist touching his chin. With a roguish grin, he asked, "What are you looking at? Can't get enough of me, is that it?"

Xianglan smiled and said, "It's nothing. I was just thinking that Eldest Master no longer refers to himself as 'this lord' when speaking to me now, but as 'I'." Having said that, she lifted her skirt and turned to walk down.

Lin Jinlou felt somewhat awkward and followed behind, asking, "Hmm, so what of it?"

Xianglan shook her head and said, "Nothing, really. I was just reflecting that Eldest Master has begun to respect me now..." Lin Jinlou froze, gradually halting his steps.

Xianglan continued walking forward without looking back, saying, "There must first be respect between two people before anything else can be mentioned." She took a few steps and, noticing Lin Jinlou hadn't followed, turned to look. He was still standing there, dazed. After a moment, he walked over, his expression unreadable, but suddenly reached out and flicked Xianglan's forehead with his finger, saying, "Silly girl."

By then, the ancestral worship had concluded, and everyone packed up before returning to the city. Lin Jinlou said, "If you'd still like to stroll outside for a while, we can find a famous restaurant later to have some tea and food."

Xianglan replied, "We've already been out hiding for half a day; it's time to go back." As they chatted idly, they arrived at the Lin residence. Alighting from the carriage and entering the second gate, they hurried to the Hall of Flourishing Spring to change clothes before heading to the flower hall. There, the opera had ended, and a female storyteller was standing there telling tales. Lin Zhaoxiang had returned to the Hall of Veracity to rest. The room held only Wan, Qi, Xiu, and seven or eight female relatives. Old Madam Lin was reclining on the Arhat Bed, with Qin Shi personally serving fruits by her side.

Seeing other female relatives in the room and feeling impatient to socialize, Lin Jinlou first went to the Hall of Veracity to pay his respects to Lin Zhaoxiang. Just as Xianglan was about to enter the flower hall, she encountered Lin Dongqi emerging from the banquet. The two met under the corridor, and Lin Dongqi said, "Where have you been just now? Old Madam even sent someone to look for you." Without waiting for Xianglan's reply, she added, "The Jiang family has already taken their leave. Old Madam said there were too few people and it wasn't lively enough, so she invited a few relatives who often visit. There will be acrobatic performances later."

Xianglan asked, "Where are you off to?"

Lin Dongqi said, "Second Aunt is ill, and Miao has gone to attend to her. My mother asked me to go check on her instead."

Remembering her earlier conversation with Lin Jinlou on the road about Wang Shi's illness—and that he had told her to take two ingots of medicinal herbs bestowed by the palace from the cabinet and send them to Wang Shi—Xianglan said, "I'll go with you." She then instructed Xiao Juan to fetch the medicine and went with Lin Dongqi to visit Wang Shi.While one branch of the story unfolds, another awaits its turn. Let us now speak of Wang Shi, who returned to her own courtyard and lay upon her bed, feeling as though a mass of stagnant energy was lodged in her chest. She wished to vomit but could not, and the pain in her chest grew so severe that she clenched her fists and pounded them several times against herself, tears streaming down her face once more. Tossing and turning, she found no peace. When the physician came to examine her, he diagnosed her condition as one of pent-up frustration and obstructed thoughts, prescribing a medicinal formula before taking his leave.

Li Miaozhi saw the physician out and then busied herself with preparing the medicine, afterward attending to Wang Shi as she drank it. Just then, Xuezhan arrived with a summons, explaining that several relatives who often visited had come and requested Li Miaozhi’s presence to greet them and keep them company for a short while before returning. Li Miaozhi had no choice but to comply.

Left alone, Wang Shi lay in solitude when suddenly the door curtain stirred, and a woman dressed as a Taoist nun entered, her face veiled in light gauze. Seeing no one else in the room, she removed the veil and hurried to the bedside, addressing Wang Shi as "Mother." It was none other than Lin Dongling. Wang Shi had secretly brought Lin Dongling from Jinling, first hiding her in a carriage. Upon reaching the capital, she had settled her in a temple built by the Lin family, disguising her as a nun and instructing her to live in seclusion, venturing out only rarely. Wang Shi intended to wait until she had selected a suitable family for Lin Dongling to marry into, allowing her to shed her disguise and start anew.

Today, as the Lin household hosted a grand banquet, Lin Dongling faintly heard the strains of music and felt a pang of envy. She reflected that she, too, ought to be seated in a place of honor, basking in such splendor. Prideful by nature, she had never imagined she would fall into such dire straits. In a fit of anger, she sought solace in wine, downing a pot of it, and inevitably succumbed to another bout of weeping. It was then that Wang Shi’s maid, Hupo, arrived with her meal. Finding Lin Dongling sprawled on the bed, wailing loudly, Hupo approached to console her, saying, "Madam is clinging to life now solely for your sake and the Third Master’s. Even if you won’t take care of yourself for your own sake, you should do it for Madam’s. If she knew you were crying like this, it would only add to her ailments."

Lin Dongling detected an underlying meaning in these words and pressed for details. At first, Hupo refused to speak, but as Lin Dongling grew more insistent, she reluctantly recounted everything that had transpired in the side chamber.

Lin Dongling immediately gritted her teeth and declared, "That vile woman! She’s always flaunting her power, and I’ve long despised her. Now she dares to bully my mother like this? Let me just get my hands on her!" She then slipped out secretly to visit Wang Shi.

Now, seeing Wang Shi’s face as pale as gold leaf, her spirit broken, tears streaking her cheeks, and her appearance aged by five or six years, Lin Dongling let out a sob and burst into tears. Stroking her daughter’s cheek, Wang Shi wept, "My child, if it weren’t for you and your brother, I would close my eyes and let go of this life."

Upon hearing this, Lin Dongling widened her eyes and retorted, "What foolish talk is this, Mother! If anyone should die, it’s that vile woman!"

Wang Shi hurriedly covered her daughter’s mouth. She knew that Lin Dongling, having been spoiled since childhood, had a fiery temper and acted without considering consequences or distinguishing trivial matters from serious ones. Fearing she might stir up trouble, Wang Shi quickly said, "My fault, my fault. I shouldn’t have said that to you. Now, Concubine Su is with child. If anything were to happen and it were blamed on us, it would be disastrous. I will handle this matter myself. You must stay quietly in the temple." She then softened her tone and added, "I have already discussed several potential matches with your aunt. Once we’ve made a decision, you will be married off, and only then will my heart be at ease. You must not cause any trouble."

Lin Dongling pushed Wang Shi’s hand away and sneered, "Are we to let them walk all over us without even a whimper of protest? So what if she’s pregnant? At worst, I’ll give her a kick. If she loses the child, let’s see how she flaunts herself then!"

As she spoke, a young maid entered and announced, "The Second Young Mistress and Miss Xianglan have come to see how Madam is faring."Wang Shi hastily sent Lin Dongling to hide behind the screen before inviting the two visitors in. Xianglan and Qi exchanged pleasantries, inquired about her condition, offered a few comforting words, and left the refreshments, porridge, and medicine they had brought before preparing to take their leave. Just then, a maid entered again, announcing that Concubine Su had come to apologize. As there were guests present, Wang Shi found it difficult to refuse, and however unwilling she was, she had no choice but to invite Su Meiru in.

Xianglan and Lin Dongqi exchanged a glance, swallowed their farewells, and sat back down.

Su Meiru entered with a sallow complexion. Having cried and made a scene repeatedly that day, her makeup had long been ruined, so she had washed it off with plain water and applied no more. As soon as she saw Wang Shi, tears fell, and she wept, "It's my fault for causing Madam to fall ill. Please punish me." As she spoke, she made to kneel.

Wang Shi said, "Enough. You are with child—there is no need to kneel."

Su Meiru replied, "Madam is truly benevolent. In the future, my child will also be Madam's child. A fortune-teller once said that I am carrying the Wenchu Star in my womb, and the master was so overjoyed that he rewarded me with a thick red envelope. Alas, I am not fated for such fortune. If this child achieves even half the success of the third master, I will be content; if it is a girl... I heard Madam also had a daughter who passed away at a young age. The master forbids mentioning it, fearing it would stir up heartache. If I have a girl, she could fill the void for the master and Madam and ease the pain in your hearts."

Xianglan's heart skipped a beat, thinking to herself, "This Su Meiru is truly a master of killing with soft words. Every sentence seems considerate, yet each one strikes straight at the heart, leaving the listener unable to voice their suffering. Is she trying to anger Wang Shi to death so that Lin Changmin will make her the official wife?"

Sure enough, Wang Shi's face flushed red, and she began coughing violently, tears streaming down as she coughed.

Behind the screen, Lin Dongling trembled with rage. A surge of fury, fueled by the alcohol she had consumed, rose within her. The grievances she had endured daily and the humiliation of her current downfall seemed to have found an outlet. Glancing over, she saw Lin Dongqi stepping forward to rub Wang Shi's chest while Su Meiru put on a show of great alarm, about to rise and approach. Xianglan stopped her. Seizing the moment, Lin Dongling rushed out without a word and kicked Su Meiru in the stomach, shouting, "You damned adulteress! Today, you will learn your lesson!"

Caught off guard, Su Meiru cried out, "Aiyo!" and stumbled backward. Lin Dongling grabbed her by the hair and kicked her stomach twice more, cursing, "You lowly wretch with no respect for your mistress, you turtle-egg bastard! Today, your elder sister will teach you a proper lesson!"

Xianglan was initially stunned but, coming to her senses, hurried to pull Lin Dongling away, saying, "Stop this at once! Taking care of Madam is what matters!" Lin Dongling refused to relent. Nanny Qian, Hu Po, and Yingluo, hearing the commotion, rushed in to intervene.

At that moment, the door was kicked open with a bang, and Lin Changmin entered. Taking in the scene, his eyes turned red with rage. He seized Lin Dongling and began beating her, cursing, "You disloyal, unfilial, unkind, and unjust creature, a whorish piece of goods! How dare you hit someone!"

At the sight of Lin Changmin, Lin Dongling's courage fled, and she involuntarily stopped her assault. Weeping, she cried, "Father, your heart is so biased! Without asking how that adulteress provoked my mother, you strike me first!"Su Meiru cried out "Aiyo!" as she collapsed to the ground, clutching her stomach while moaning incessantly. Her face turned deathly pale, with cold sweat dripping profusely from her forehead. Xianglan looked down and was horrified to see a pool of blood already forming beneath Su Meiru. She immediately ordered servants to carry Su Meiru to bed and urgently summoned a physician.

Lin Changmin grew even more enraged at the sight. Drawing a dagger from his boot, he declared: "Fine, fine! Today you harm your stepmother, tomorrow you'll be murdering your own parents! I might as well end you cleanly today!" He lunged forward to stab. Wang Shi hurriedly rose in panic, stumbling off the bed and scrambling on unsteady legs to Lin Changmin's side. Clutching his arm, she wept: "Master! Master, open your eyes and see - she's still your own flesh and blood! You can't just cherish the unborn child while killing the one you've raised for over a decade!" Lin Changmin shook her off with a roar: "Get away!" Shoving Wang Shi against the wall, he left Nanny Qian and others to wail as they rushed to support her. The room instantly descended into chaos.

Seeing the situation turning dangerous, Lin Dongling quickly seized the confusion to flee outside, with Lin Changmin hot in pursuit.

In her panic, Lin Dongling raced recklessly down the corridor until she spotted the side gate leading to the street standing open. She dashed through it without hesitation. Lin Changmin followed out, only to see Lin Dongling stumbling into the alleyway before disappearing around a corner. Cursing under his breath, he finally turned back.