Against the Current - Chapter 165

Chapter 165 - Late-Night Talk

Xianglan's face flushed bright red as she struggled desperately. Lin Jinlou, growing rather impatient, pressed her firmly against his chest, glared at Nuanyue, and roared, "Useless creature! You can't even hold a plate steady—get out of here at once!"

Nuanyue's face instantly flushed crimson. With tears welling in her eyes and trembling hands, she collected the tray and the pastries scattered across the floor and retreated.

Following this commotion, Lin Jinlou lost all mood for romance. He planted a kiss on Xianglan's cheek and said, "We'll talk more when night falls."

Xianglan hastily broke free, sat back down, lowered her head, and reached up to tidy her loosened temples before placing her hands back down, looking completely at a loss. Sharing intimate quarters with Lin Jinlou was no longer as agonizing as it had been at the beginning, but it still filled her with dread. Lin Jinlou was exceedingly robust and demanded full satisfaction every single time. Because Xianglan was delicate and frail, she inevitably found it difficult to endure. Coupled with her innate resistance toward Lin Jinlou, she always hoped for things to come to a swift end. Lin Jinlou occasionally visited Huamei and Yingge's rooms as well, but he mostly spent his nights sleeping with her. Though she felt thoroughly disgusted inside, she dared not show it. As she stared blankly at the silver chopsticks on the table, she suddenly realized that ever since Luan'er had gone out to play and sing for several young aristocratic gentlemen, Lin Jinlou had never stepped foot in Luan'er's room again.

After finishing his meal, Lin Jinlou ordered the remnants of the banquet to be cleared away and returned to his study to handle official business, which need not be detailed for now.

Meanwhile, stung by Lin Jinlou's sharp rebuke, Nuanyue had returned to her room in tears. The room was deathly quiet; she shared it with Tinglan and Rushuang, but at the moment, neither of them was present. An open makeup case sat atop the table, and as Nuanyue walked over, the mirror reflected an oval face, delicately curved brows, a pair of apricot-shaped eyes, clear white skin, and a full, voluptuous figure—resembling fresh blossoms and tender willows, carrying a unique allure of her own. Nuanyue stared into the mirror for a long while, her tears streaming down even faster.

After an unknown length of time, the door creaked open and Rushuang pushed her way in. Because Nuanyue had her back turned, Rushuang did not notice the tears on her face and chattered on to herself, "Amitabha, the master actually had a smiling expression on his face today. For the past two days he's been wearing a gloomy look like a soul-captivating judge from the halls of the underworld, scaring people half to death... Why are you just sitting here dullly? Lianxin was just asking after you, saying it was your turn to bring water in during the tidying up earlier." Stripping off her outer garments, she changed into a dark green satin vest and went on rambling, "The master is likely going to sleep in the main chambers tonight. Tinglan is on duty for the second half of the night, so she asked which of us wants the first half."

After rattling on for a moment and noticing that Nuanyue still said nothing, Rushuang walked up, gave her a gentle nudge, and said, "I'm talking to you, did you hear me?"

Nuanyue suddenly slumped across the table and burst into tears. Startled, Rushuang hurried to sit beside her and asked, "What is the matter? Why are you crying all of a sudden when everything was fine?"

Nuanyue had always been as close as a sister to Rushuang. Hearing the question, she sat up, wiped her tears with a handkerchief, and choked out, "The master is too heartless. He's probably forgotten all about what happened that day... He just yelled at me simply because I dropped a plate. When Luan'er smashed a jade bracelet worth dozens of taels of silver, he even told her she broke it well. It's clear that I have no face left whatsoever in the Zhiqun Lodge..." With that, she buried her face in her arms again and sobbed softly.

Rushuang let out a sigh.

As it turned out, before Lin Jinlou had returned to the capital, he had once drunk too much wine at a banquet. When his page boys carried him back, Nuanyue happened to be the one on duty to attend to him. They say that "since ancient times, Chang'e has loved young men," and since Nuanyue had already harbored feelings for Lin Jinlou, she turned sweet-tongued and exceedingly attentive. Lin Jinlou was already somewhat fired up by the alcohol, and so things happened between him and Nuanyue. Believing she had successfully secured her position and that a grand future awaited her thereafter, Nuanyue was overjoyed. Who would have expected that by the very next day, Lin Jinlou would act as if nothing had ever happened, continuing to treat Nuanyue like any ordinary maidservant? When Nuanyue tried to act a little coquettish and intimate with him, Lin Jinlou merely exchanged a few bantering remarks before casually brushing her aside.

Half of Nuanyue's hopes turned to ashes, yet she still clung to foolish expectations. Who could have imagined that upon returning from the capital, Lin Jinlou would elevate Luan'er to the status of a bedchamber concubine, and later bring Xianglan into the manor as well, causing all the other women in the inner courtyard to be pushed miles away. Nuanyue grew utterly despairing, weeping quietly to herself every single day. However, observing closely over these past few days, she noticed that Xianglan was an honest soul who cared nothing for fighting over favor, and instead went out of her way to avoid Lin Jinlou. Feeling that she might be able to make one last desperate gamble, she had gone forward only to be rebuked by Lin Jinlou once again. Seeing herself grow older by the day, her heart filled with an ever-deepening sense of desolation.

Rushuang consoled her, "You know the master's temperament. What about Luan'er? Once the novelty wears off, won't she too be tossed aside? Just endure it for now. Once the master grows tired of looking at Xianglan, your time to shine will come." As she spoke, she realized even she didn't sound convincing, so she clamped her mouth shut and thought to herself, What kind of beauties aren't found around the master? The ones he chooses to elevate are not only gorgeous, but they can all play instruments and sing—Xianglan is the sole exception. Yet just looking at that face of hers is enough to understand why the master is so captivated. Though Nuanyue is also a beauty, she is merely middling; she possesses all the traits, yet none of them stand out. If the master hadn't gotten drunk that one night when it happened to be her turn for night duty, how could any of this ever have happened? Feeling a touch of sour envy in her heart, she was secretly thrilled that Lin Jinlou had never elevated Nuanyue. Because she and Nuanyue matched closely in appearance and stature, she harbored a quiet competition in her heart, terrified of falling behind Nuanyue. Seeing Nuanyue's misery, while she sighed along with her, a shred of schadenfreude and smug satisfaction lingered at the bottom of her heart.

Nuanyue wept to herself again. After offering a few more words of comfort, Rushuang couldn't help saying, "Why don't you—why don't you just give up your hopes!" Hearing those words made Nuanyue cry even harder. Realizing she was beyond comforting, Rushuang gave up and returned to the front rooms to tend to her duties.

After a spell of crying, Nuanyue felt limp and listless. Not daring to let the little maidservants catch sight of her tear-stained face, she wiped her cheeks with a handkerchief and went out to fetch some hot water.

Upon stepping out and entering the tea room, she found Xiquek already inside. Catching sight of her, Xique beamed and said, "Our Yi Niang was just speaking of Sister Nuanyue a moment ago, and how fortunate that we happened to run into you here."

Nuanyue forced a smile and asked, "What does Yi Niang want with me?"

Xique replied, "It's nothing much. Hearing that you are skilled with your hands and actually know Xiang embroidery, our Yi Niang would like to invite you over later to teach her a thing or two."

Nuanyue originally had no desire to go, but Xique showered her with such fulsome flattery and auspicious words that she was lifted to the skies. Furthermore, Huamei had always been on good terms with her in the past, so she had no choice but to agree. After returning to wash her face, she made her way over to the east wing. As soon as she stepped inside, she was greeted by a sweet, sugary fragrance emanating from a lotus-shaped bronze tripod incense burner on the table. The room was tranquil, draped all around with pomegranate-red window curtains and chair covers, while a caged bird chirped merrily, fluttering its wings incessantly.

Huamei had not yet removed her makeup, though half of her hair was undone. She wore an everyday ink-blue peony-embroidered jacket with jujube-red silk trousers, leaning sideways against a Xiangfei bamboo couch while stroking a white cat in her lap. Her starry eyes were half-closed, and her rosy, plump lips on a powdered-white face looked utterly captivating.

Hearing footsteps, Huamei opened her eyes slightly. Seeing Nuanyue enter, she quickly sat up, gathered her hair, and smiled as she said, "Look at me, I said I was going to rest my eyes for a moment and almost drifted off to sleep without even hearing you come in." She called out repeatedly, "Xique, hurry and brew some tea!" Personally taking Nuanyue's hand, she made her sit beside her on the Xiangfei couch.

Nuanyue hastily said, "Yi Niang needn't trouble yourself. I wonder what pattern Yi Niang wishes to embroider?"

Huamei smiled and replied, "What trouble is it? You rarely ever come over, so we should chat first before discussing needlework."

Xique served tea, placed it on the small side table, and quietly withdrew.

After Huamei chatted with Nuanyue for a while about gossip around the manor, tailoring her words entirely to Nuanyue's inclinations and subtly tossing in a couple of compliments, she remarked, "I've been watching you—among all the maids in the main chambers right now, you stand out at the very top. Lianxin is like a block of wood, Tinglan is a bit too honest, and while Rushuang has a certain cleverness about her, you can tell by her eyes that she isn't a settled person. Looking around, it's really only you: not only do you have the looks and temperament, but you also possess a fine hand at needlework. I wonder who will be the lucky one to enjoy such a beauty in the future."

These words struck straight at Nuanyue's innermost desires, stirring up her grief once more. She let out a sigh and said, "What use is cleverness? It only serves to make people loathe me."

Huamei said, "My good sister, why say such things? You are in the very prime of your youth and romantic grace..." Her eyes rolled slightly as she leaned her body closer to Nuanyue. "I naturally know what is in my sister's heart. A woman's life revolves around just that one matter—how could it possibly escape my eyes? I've invited my sister here today precisely for this business."

Startled, Nuanyue raised her head to look at Huamei and said, "For Yi Niang to say such things—I don't quite understand."

Huamei chuckled derisively and said, "What is there not to understand? Just watching the way you look at the master makes it all clear to me. I heard you even had an intimacy with the master before—is that true or not? I might... actually be able to help you."

Nuanyue's face instantly flooded with crimson. After a long pause, she murmured, "Yi Niang's eyes are truly sharp, but the master is utterly fickle. The moment he turned around and found someone new, he threw me completely out of his mind."

Huamei let out a cold laugh. "Men—they're all cut from the exact same cloth. As long as you possess a few key things, there's not a single one of them who won't bow down beneath your skirt: first, you must have the looks of a celestial immortal; second, you must have absolute charm and conversational flair; third, you must know how to read expressions and tend to people's needs; fourth, you must know how to restrain your temperament and endure loneliness; and fifth, you must know how to play hard to get—never giving him all at once, always keeping him hooked so he can't bear to let go."

Nuanyue lowered her head and said, "Yi Niang speaks with high wisdom, but while I have a face, I'm certainly no celestial immortal, and those latter traits are beyond me... I wonder how Yi Niang plans to help me?"

Huamei said, "If you want the master to change his mind, it's not actually that difficult—it's just a matter of employing a little trickery." She beckoned Nuanyue to lean closer, whispered a string of instructions into her ear, and then grasped Nuanyue's hand, speaking softly, "It really is as simple as that. If it succeeds, I guarantee your wish will come true... I'm driven to this myself; seeing the master day in and day out spending all his time with that little slut Xianglan, my heart is burning with anxiety too. Now that you and I join forces, we safeguard both you and me."

Nuanyue moved her lips and whispered, "Can this really succeed? This..."

Huamei smiled with a knowing glint. "Of course it can succeed. It's not like I'm asking you to commit murder or arson—it's just a neat little task, and it doesn't harm anyone. Besides, aren't you trusted maids the only ones allowed inside the main chambers?" She patted the back of Nuanyue's hand and added, "My good sister, just think about your future."

When Nuanyue stepped out of the east wing, her mind was heavy with chaotic thoughts. Watching her retreating figure from behind, Xique asked Huamei, "Yi Niang, will this actually work? Won't she blab about it?"

Huamei closed her eyes and replied, "Rest assured, she won't. She has reached the end of her rope; I'm merely coaxing her into handling a small task, and she will agree to it sooner or later."

That night, as Nuanyue stood night watch outside the main chambers and faintly heard the movements stirring within the room, she tossed and turned, unable to find sleep. Lin Jinlou called for water twice during the night. When Nuanyue stepped inside to deliver it, catching fleeting glimpses of the romantic scenes veiled behind the gauze curtains, she felt all the more wretched, staring wide-eyed straight until dawn. The very next morning, she went over and knocked on the door of the east wing.