Lin Jinlou was already furious at Xianglan for not knowing what was good for her when Zhao Yuechan barged in unexpectedly, causing his expression to darken further. Still holding Xianglan without letting go, he glared coldly at Zhao Yuechan.
Zhao Yuechan trembled with rage as she rushed forward to grab Xianglan's hair and face, cursing, "You shameless harlot! How dare you seduce my husband!"
Xianglan had known trouble was coming the moment Zhao Yuechan entered. Seeing her attack, she quickly tried to dodge backward. Lin Jinlou had already extended an arm to shove Zhao Yuechan away, sending her stumbling.
Zhao Yuechan's eyes reddened with fury. Not daring to confront Lin Jinlou directly, she directed all her hatred toward Xianglan, pointing and screaming, "You damned whore! Flirting with your master's husband—if I don't kill you today, I won't live another day!" Without another word, she lunged at Xianglan, grabbing her hair.
Xianglan cried out in pain as her hairpins scattered, her hair now loose. Filled with unjust grievances, she thought bitterly that this was truly an undeserved disaster—first harassed by a scoundrel, now hated by a jealous shrew. If she weren't a servant of the Lin family, she would have fought back against such insults. Instead, she could only shield her face with her arms, weeping in frustration.
Zhao Yuechan yanked Xianglan's hair viciously, snarling, "How dare you cry!" and slapped her several times.
Lin Jinlou seized Zhao Yuechan's wrist and roared, "Enough!"
Zhao Yuechan trembled, her voice shaking. "Fine... fine! You're actually taking her side... What kind of bewitching potion has this little slut fed you, making you even scold your own wife...?" Her hatred flared hotter, and she continued clawing at Xianglan. Xianglan wailed loudly, and the room descended into chaos.
Ji Xiang stood by the door, too afraid to intervene. Fortunately, Shuran arrived upon hearing the commotion and asked, "What's going on?"
Ji Xiang shot a glance inside and whispered, "What else? The Master's little affair was interrupted by Taitai, and now they're making a scene. Quick, go mediate—if this escalates and the master and mistress find out, we'll all suffer for it."
Shuran hurried inside and grasped Zhao Yuechan's hand, forcing a smile. "Madam, what's the matter? Let's talk this through calmly—don't harm your own health."
Zhao Yuechan's brows shot up, and she spat in Shuran's face. "Who do you think you are? Get out of my way! You're no saint either! Don't think I don't know you're all in this together, poisoning my husband against me!"
Lin Jinlou hadn't initially planned anything when bringing Xianglan to the study—he'd only intended to gift her a few things, stir some affection, and then make his intentions clear, planning to elevate her status after Old Madam Zeng's mourning period. He hadn't even bothered to be discreet. But seeing Xianglan's delicate beauty had stirred his desires, and after long abstinence due to mourning, he couldn't resist. Now, with Zhao Yuechan's intrusion, his shame had turned to rage, and her tantrum only fueled it further. Gripping both her wrists, he snapped, "You dare act wild in front of me? You've grown bold!" His grip tightened, and Zhao Yuechan gasped in pain, finally releasing Xianglan.Xianglan was filled with both hatred and fury, thinking to herself, "Since things have come to this, the more chaotic the better. Let Qin Shi know, and perhaps in her anger, she'll sell me off. Then I can beg Song Ke to take me in." So she wailed and sobbed dramatically, "What a great injustice! If the Master summons me, how dare I not come? What can I do if my mistress wishes to act this way? If this makes me a harlot, then... I might as well die!" She then ran out, pretending to dash her head against the wall in a bid to kill herself.
Shuran panicked and hurried forward to pull Xianglan back. Zhao Yuechan shrieked, "Outrageous! Absolutely outrageous! She dares to claim injustice and act righteous? Let her die!" She rushed forward to strike Xianglan, provoking Lin Jinlou's temper. He kicked Zhao Yuechan and roared, "Shut up!"
Though he had held back his strength, Zhao Yuechan, delicate as a flower and willow, couldn't withstand the blow. She crumpled to the ground, wailing at the top of her lungs, "Heaven wants to destroy me! Every last one of these bitches wants to kill me, and now my foolish husband wants to murder me too! I have no face left to live..."
Lin Jinlou crouched beside Zhao Yuechan and whispered, "If you want to escalate this, I'm not afraid. Keep crying, and tomorrow I'll take her as my concubine and divorce you for jealousy. Let's see how your parents and uncles can plead for you then."
Zhao Yuechan's eyes flew open, tears streaming down her face, but her gaze was icy. She ground her teeth and hissed, "You wouldn't dare..."
Lin Jinlou smiled faintly. "There's nothing I wouldn't dare."
Zhao Yuechan spat bitterly, "If not for our Zhao family, do you think the Emperor would have spared the Lins? You ungrateful, heartless—"
"Do you think the Zhao family only has one daughter?" Lin Jinlou sneered. "If you weren't so pretty, do you think I'd have married you? Rest assured, without you, your grandfather has plenty of granddaughters eager to become the Lin family's mistress. Divorce you, and another can be sent over immediately—believe it or not?" He gave her a sidelong glance, half-smiling, and added softly, "If you don't resign voluntarily, then behave. That maid was nothing—just a bit of fun. But you've grown bold, daring to show me attitude? Listen well: I've taken a liking to that little maid. If anything happens to her, I won't let you off! If you don't stir trouble, life can still be peaceful. Think carefully." With that, he turned and walked away without another glance.
Zhao Yuechan trembled all over, her teeth chattering. She lay on the ground, eyes tightly shut, large teardrops rolling down her cheeks.
Lin Jinlou walked outside and saw Shuran comforting Xianglan, settling her in a side room. He beckoned Shuran over and said after a moment's thought, "Madam Zhao won't cause any more trouble. Have her wash her face and send her back later. As for that little maid... comfort her properly. I'll go see her shortly."
Shuran nodded and turned to leave, but Lin Jinlou called out, "Wait."
Shuran hurried back. Lin Jinlou pondered and said, "Later, send someone quietly to the east wing. Tell Wu Mama that Xianglan has been wronged and to console her tonight. Have the kitchen prepare a calming soup for her."Shuran was sharp-eyed and quick-witted—how could she not understand the situation? She thought to herself that the maid named Xianglan was likely about to rise in status. The Master had dismissed Taitai with just a few words but was clearly concerned about Xianglan. Even Qing Lan, the most favored concubine, had never received such attention from Lin Jinlou. Shuran couldn't help but weigh Xianglan's importance more heavily in her mind and resolved to be extra attentive and ingratiating.
After finally settling Xianglan in the inner room, Shuran came out and saw Zhao Yuechan still lying on the floor. She felt a headache coming on and hurried over to help her up, saying, "Oh, my dear Taitai, why are you lying on the ground? Even in summer, the chill can harm your health. Come, get up quickly."
Zhao Yuechan was no fool and knew when to take the opportunity presented. She allowed Shuran to help her up, covering her face with a handkerchief as she sobbed. Shuran seated her in a chair and quietly instructed a young servant boy waiting in the corridor to fetch hot water for Zhao Yuechan to wash her face. Once she had cleaned up and calmed down somewhat, Shuran tentatively advised, "Why must Taitai provoke the Master like this? If this escalates and Taitai finds out, not only will it anger her, but it will also worry her. Besides, today Concubine Lan just gained significant favor... You know the Master's temperament. No matter what he does outside, isn't the inner household still under your control?"
Zhao Yuechan, tears in her eyes, replied, "I understand, but why must we women suffer so..."
Shuran thought to herself, You brought this suffering upon yourself. If I were you, I’d let the Master indulge in his pleasures without a care. As the Taitai of the Lin family, with property and servants at your disposal, why bother with such trivial worries? Outwardly, however, she wore a sympathetic expression and sighed, "Isn’t that the truth? But Taitai, don’t dwell on it too much. Life is just about enduring day by day."
After exchanging a few more comforting words, Shuran finally saw Zhao Yuechan off. As she was leaving, Zhao Yuechan took Shuran’s hand and said, "Dear sister, I was blinded by anger earlier and said many unpleasant things. Please don’t hold it against me. I apologize."
Shuran quickly stepped aside and said, "You flatter me, I wouldn’t dare."
Zhao Yuechan chided, "Why wouldn’t you dare?" Then, frowning slightly, she sighed, "When you have the chance, do try to advise the Master to take better care of himself..." But inwardly, she thought, This slippery little wretch Shuran—Ying Shuang tried bribing her several times, and she took the gifts but never lifted a finger. Just wait until I get the chance to deal with her!
Shuran nodded repeatedly and smiled. "I’ll definitely relay your concerns to the Master. Truthfully, from what I’ve observed, the Master still cares deeply for you..." But in her heart, she sneered, A childless wife like you might be cast aside any day. What airs are you putting on? You might end up worse off than a servant like me!
Each harboring their own schemes and disdain for the other, they parted with smiles so genuine it seemed as if they were dear sisters.
After seeing off the formidable Zhao Yuechan, Shuran sighed and lifted the curtain to enter the inner room. There, she found Xianglan sitting on the bed, crying so hard she could barely catch her breath. Shuran approached and patted her back gently, saying, "Dear sister, don’t cry anymore. Dry your tears—let me see. You’ve turned into such a little tear-streaked kitten."Xianglan recalled Zhao Yuechan's ferocity and Lin Jinlou's influence, her heart filled with genuine fear. How could she possibly hold back? She simply shook her head, still weeping uncontrollably, and said, "Who have I offended? I've been dutifully serving as the concubine's attendant—how did I provoke that ancestor to suffer such unwarranted abuse?"
Shuran smiled and said, "As the saying goes, 'No cross, no crown.' The hardships you endure today will turn into nectar and ambrosia tomorrow. You're a sensible girl—you mustn't think our Master treats you poorly just because the Taitai threw a tantrum. Didn't you see how he shielded you earlier? Any other maid would've had her face scratched raw by the Taitai by now."
Xianglan understood clearly that Shuran was here to speak favorably of Lin Jinlou. She lowered her face in silence, secretly resolved to leave this den of trouble before Old Madam Zeng's mourning period ended.
Shuran continued, "You saw today's events—the Master was willing to defy the Taitai rather than let you suffer injustice. You should remember this kindness in your heart. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
Xianglan thought to herself, "Lin Jinlou and Zhao Yuechan's marital discord isn't new—their constant fighting has made me the punching bag. Now I'm supposed to feel grateful for being caught in their crossfire? Truly the worst of bad luck." Aloud, she could only say, "I understand."
Lin Jinlou, eavesdropping outside the door, nodded imperceptibly when he heard Xianglan say she "understood."
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Apologies—yesterday while writing, my computer suddenly shut down. When I rebooted, it shut off again within minutes. After repeated attempts of turning it on only for it to crash again, I nearly gave up... This morning I tried once more before taking it for repairs, and surprisingly it worked normally again! So frustrating! To make up for it, today's chapter comes with extra content~
Thanks to rk_owl for the peach blossom fan, thank you to Shepherd GG for the sachet, gratitude to Junxi812 for two Peace Talismans, appreciation to Taotao from Xie Village for the review votes, and thanks to yu21yu21 and kumiko7163 for the Peace Talismans. If I missed acknowledging anyone, please leave a message to let me know
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