Against the Current - Chapter 193

Chapter 193 - Astonishment 

Once everything was tidied up, Lin Jinlou also returned, ordering the maids to bring in water for him to wash up and change his clothes before calling for breakfast. Within moments, the kang table was laden with various pastries and dishes. Xianglan ate a few dim sum items and drank a bowl of congee, whereas Lin Jinlou swept through the food on the table like a whirlwind, finishing off the meal by ordering a bowl of soup which he leisurely gulped down.

During the meal, both of them remained entirely silent, each absorbed in their own thoughts. Lifting his gaze, Lin Jinlou caught sight of Xianglan's attire and could not help frowning. His mother was shrewd and formidable; even his father, who had attained the rank of a high-ranking regional official, harbored a faint dread of his wife, let alone someone as timid as Xianglan. One could tell just by looking at this outfit—she didn't even dare wear anything vivid. Fortunately, she was naturally beautiful; otherwise, wearing an outfit that made her look like an old matriarch would age her by at least ten years, which was truly an eyesore.

Lin Jinlou put down his bowl, beckoned Chunling over, and, pointing at Xianglan's clothes, commanded, "Go find another outfit for her; this one is far too plain."

Chunling glanced at Lin Jinlou's expression, quickly gave her assent, and departed.

A moment later, she brought back several sets of clothing for Lin Jinlou to review. Among them were a blue-green jacket embroidered with welcoming spring blossoms, a bright red gown covered in gold leaf, and a pomegranate-pink satin robe embroidered with gold thread, along with various other garments. Lin Jinlou reached out to flip through them, then asked Xianglan, "Which one do you want to wear?"

Holding her teacup, Xianglan lowered her gaze slightly and answered, "Any of them is fine."

Thereupon, Lin Jinlou picked up a short jacket of autumn-fragrance yellow woven with gold thread. After changing into it, Xianglan indeed looked much brighter. Lin Jinlou then ordered someone to bring a pure gold filigree necklace adorned with pearl and jade pendants. Xianglan hurriedly protested, "Only madams and young misses wear things like that. If I wear it, it will end up displeasing Madame. Why bother with all this?"

Lin Jinlou pinched Xianglan's cheek and said with a grin, "You silly girl, Madame doesn't care about such things. She has more treasures than she knows what to do with, so a single gold necklace wouldn't even catch her eye. This is meant to be shown to that pack of hound-like servants. As the old saying goes, 'First respect the clothes, then respect the person.' That whole crowd in Madame's courtyard are absolute foxes; if you dress too shabbily, you'll end up being bullied later on."

Xianglan was unaccustomed to such playful banter, and having Lin Jinlou pinch her cheek right in front of the maids caused her face to flush red. Chunling and the others, knowing how to read the room, promptly picked up the gold necklace and light-footedly retreated.

With his own hands, Lin Jinlou fastened the necklace around Xianglan's neck, toying with the tassel hanging from the green jade pendant as he remarked, "This piece of jade isn't oily and lustrous enough. I hear the shop recently acquired a piece of mutton-fat white jade, milk-white to the extreme. Later on, I'll have them carve an item out of it for you. What kind of style do you like? Tell the maids later and have them inform Shuangxi out by the veranda corridor."

Seeing that Xianglan still kept her head lowered with a downcast expression, he asked, "What is the matter now? Is there something else bothering you?"

Xianglan lifted her eyelids to glance at him. Seeing that Lin Jinlou's stern and handsome face actually wore a smile, she quickly lowered her head again and murmured in a soft voice, "Over at Madame's place... I really don't want to go..."

"Why?" Watching her timid demeanor, Lin Jinlou unconsciously softened his voice. He reached out to pull her soft, white little hand into his palm, gripping it as he said gently, "Madame wanting you to see her is a sign of favor. Before Qinglan entered the household, she spent a period of time following Madame. It's because you've caught Madame's eye that she wants to instruct you personally."

"I don't want to go over there. I feel ill at ease in Madame's presence, and I know she doesn't like me... I—I also don't want to be an eyesore in front of her."

Xianglan finished saying it all in one breath. Lin Jinlou remained silent for a long while. Lowering her head, she thought to herself that Lin Jinlou would surely fly into a rage again; his fickle and unpredictable temperament was truly impossible to fathom, and he would likely berate her once more for being "unappreciative of favors."

To her surprise, Lin Jinlou let out a laugh, his fingers pinching her small chin as he looked into her onyx-like eyes and said with a smile, "Don't be afraid. I sent Lianxin over there bright and early this morning. The prominent senior matrons and the prominent maids in her quarters have all been given silver. With them looking out for you, no matter how formidable Madame is, you won't suffer any losses. If worst comes to worst, you still have your master here to back you up."

Xianglan opened her eyes wide in disbelief. Lin Jinlou seemed thoroughly delighted by her astonished expression; tilting his head, he said, "Since I've put so much thought into your affairs, you ungrateful little thing ought to remember this lesson, shouldn't you? Hurry up and say a few sweet things to me."

Xianglan stood there in a daze, unable to figure out why Lin Jinlou was suddenly doing all this for her. Through her time spent with him, Xianglan had come to understand Lin Jinlou's nature to a certain extent. When he was in a cheerful mood, he would coax someone with soft and sweet words; yet to him, women were merely a pastime for after-tea relaxation, and he had never been one to fret too much over them. Whichever favorite he favored exceptionally was simply treated as a pleasing plaything. Because he was generous with money and adept at reading human nature, his attempts to please always scratched people right where it itched. If one failed to recognize one's own status and mistakenly believed that this Master Lin held them in high regard, it would only be courting humiliation. With Qinglan having fallen beforehand, followed by the downfall of Luan'er and Huamei, Xianglan had become exceptionally vigilant. Handling Lin Jinlou was already a strenuous task for her, and now she had to tread even more carefully. Yet, when Lin Jinlou had protected her last night and purposely sent people over early this morning, her heart had fluttered, stirring up an indescribable sensation. This tyrant-like man had forcibly kept her trapped in the manor, and their several clashes made her avoid him like a venomous snake, yet this very same man was also her sole refuge within this golden cage.

Noticing Xianglan's dazed expression, Lin Jinlou let out a chuckle tinged with a three-part frivolity. He poked her in the chest, leaned close to her ear, and whispered, "Moved, aren't you? Tonight, think of a way to thank me properly." Tightening his arms around her, he swooped in to kiss her.

Lin Jinlou's chest was hard and searingly hot. When she was corralled by those iron arms, Xianglan felt a primal ripple of panic. Pressing both hands into fists against his chest, before she could dodge away, his lips had already captured hers.

A few days prior, Lin Jinlou had wanted to be intimate with her, but Xianglan's monthly time had arrived, and yesterday's distressing events had thoroughly ruined the mood. Today's kiss instantly ignited the fire within Lin Jinlou. As he sucked and nipped at her lips, his lower body hardened and his hand began to grope inside her clothes.

Taken aback, Xianglan began to struggle with all her might.

Just as the two of them were tussling, someone lightly tapped on the outer door frame. Mother Wu stood in the doorway, hesitating slightly as she said, "Eldest Young Master, Madame... is asking why Girl Xianglan hasn't come over yet."

Xianglan nearly jumped out of her skin. Taking advantage of the moment Lin Jinlou paused in surprise, she wrenched herself free with a forceful struggle. Her face flooded with crimson, she retreated several steps and leaned against the vanity to catch her breath.

Drawing a deep breath and straightening his clothes, Lin Jinlou walked to the doorway, lifted the curtain, and said, "I had some matters to give instructions on, which delayed things a bit. Sorry to trouble you with coming to fetch her."

A smile bloomed instantly across Mother Wu's face as she eagerly replied, "Using the word 'trouble' makes us sound like strangers; I was more than eager to come fetch her."

Lin Jinlou gave a slight nod and smiled, saying, "I almost forgot—you get along exceptionally well with her and were always praising her before."

Mother Wu squinted her eyes with a smile and said, "She is an endearing child."

Before her words had even faded, Xianglan walked out from the room. Her clothes and hair were properly arranged, but her face was flushed bright red and her lips were slightly swollen. Lowering her head, she said, "Let's go."

With a single glance, Mother Wu took in the situation, though she tactfully pretended not to notice.

With a firm tug, Lin Jinlou pulled Xianglan toward him and instructed, "If anything comes up, send someone to find Shuangxi in the front quarters. He's staying in the manor today and knows my usual whereabouts."

Xianglan responded with a soft "Mhm."

Mother Wu's smile widened further. Taking Xianglan by the hand, she said to Lin Jinlou, "Eldest Young Master can rest assured; with me here, she won't be wronged." After exchanging a couple more remarks, she led Xianglan away.

As the two of them reached the courtyard, they saw four matrons carrying Luan'er out of a room on a bed board. Luan'er was still in a semi-conscious state, wrapped in a quilt with cloth strips bound around her head, her dark hair splaying loose to make her complexion appear even more deathly pale, her lips almost entirely drained of color. Shuran stood off to the side with a stiff, expressionless face. Catching sight of Xianglan and Mother Wu, Shuran offered a slight, perfunctory bow before averting her gaze and turning her body away.

The group of matrons carried Luan'er straight out through the ceremonial hanging-flower gate, and Shuran followed along with them.

Mother Wu let out a cold sneer and remarked, "That foolish girl Luan'er not only ruined herself, but she also dragged Shuran down with her. What a pity that Shuran's good reputation has all been buried at her hands. Shuran spared no effort looking out for this cousin of hers—tsk tsk, what a shame, she's simply mud that can't be plastered onto a wall. It's thanks to the eldest young master's leniency; if it were any other master, a treacherous, harboring-malice maid like that would have been dragged straight out and sold off."

Looking at Shuran's retreating back, Xianglan sighed and said, "Luan'er has a difficult temperament, but her flaws were all written right across her face; she couldn't be counted as truly vicious and wicked, so she is rather pitiable. Good and evil stem from a single thought, and sometimes a momentary lapse in judgment makes it impossible to turn back."

Mother Wu's original intention had been to praise Lin Jinlou's "leniency," but since Xianglan didn't take the conversation in that direction, she changed the subject. "When we get to Madame's place later, just quietly listen and obey whatever comes up. Madame has a sharp tongue but a soft heart, and she's broad-minded; unless someone is deliberately courting death, Madame has always been generous and charitable to those beneath her. Her having you sent over is also a sign of favor—Lan Concubine back then also spent time learning the rules by Madame's side, which elevated her status significantly... I've said all along that you are someone destined for good fortune, and sure enough, it's true."

Xianglan smiled faintly, a trace of helplessness and bitterness lacing her expression as she replied, "What good or bad fortune? Nothing is ever up to one's own will—one just muddles through living somehow."

Mother Wu was momentarily taken aback, then lowered her voice to say, "You mustn't let Madame hear you talk like that. Madame is fiercely protective of her own; in her eyes, there isn't a single thing from head to toe that the eldest young master does wrong. To tell you the truth, Master also can't stand the eldest young master's dissolute ways. When he first heard that the eldest young master had a favorite in the pleasure quarters, he was so furious he wanted to invoke family discipline on the spot. Madame immediately stepped in to block it, glaring as she said, 'Our son is out there risking life and limb, so what's wrong with him having a hobby? At least he isn't bringing her home!' Master was so angry he jumped up and down, but in the end, behind Madame's back, he still gave the eldest young master a beating."

Xianglan was left completely dumbfounded. Lin Zhangzheng was rigid and orthodox, the very epitome of a scholar-official, and Madame Qin was extremely dignified. Xianglan could not help letting out a sigh: "I truly wonder who he takes after with this temperament."

Slapping her hands together in amusement, Mother Wu laughed and said, "Everyone says he's just like the old master—they're cut from the exact same cloth." She continued chattering away, "The eldest young master just has too fiery a temper; when you have nothing to do, just humor him a bit more."

Chattering all the while, the two of them arrived at the courtyard where Madame Qin resided. Mother Wu led Xianglan inside, approaching the main rooms. Mother Wu lifted the curtain and went in first; Madame Qin was currently in the Buddha shrine striking the wooden fish percussion instrument while chanting scriptures. Glancing up to see Mother Wu standing at the doorway, she asked, "Has she been brought over?"

Mother Wu replied respectfully, "She has arrived and is waiting outside."