Against the Current - Chapter 258

Chapter 258 - Waves of Flirtation (Part 4)

Tan Luohua immediately thought of the handsome young gentleman she had seen at the wedding banquet, who was as dashing as the wind and possessed a gaze as captivating as if it could speak. Her heart skipped a beat, and she stood up, saying, "Hurry and invite him in." As soon as the words left her mouth, she felt it was improper, and quickly ordered, "Wait." Turning twice around the room, she beckoned Caifeng over and whispered, "Go into the inner room and see if the Second Master is fast asleep." After a short while, Caifeng returned and reported, "The Second Master is already fast asleep. Does the Young Mistress wish to wake him?"

Tan Luohua said, "Last night the Second Master got up in the night, and upon returning he coughed for quite a while before falling asleep. Now that he has finally managed to grow weary and wants to lie down, how could we bear to wake him and tax his mind? Go and invite the guest in. Third Young Master Dai is a literary companion of the Second Master, so there is no harm in seeing him."

Dai Rong stood outside the door with his hands tucked into his sleeves, feeling a surge of joy when he saw a maid come out and gesture for him to enter. He hurried into the room and caught sight of Tan Luohua. Her hair was coiled into a sleek bun, held loosely by a single bright red peony hairpin. She wore a peach-red short jacket embroidered with mandarin ducks, paired with a faded red skirt embroidered with the Eight Auspicious Treasures, which faintly revealed lake-blue embroidered shoes. With a light touch of powder and rouge, her face resembled a peach blossom. Dai Rong wore a full smile and made a deep, sweeping bow, offering greetings repeatedly.

Tan Luohua also smiled as brightly as the spring breeze. She saw that Dai Rong was dressed in a dark gray lustrous satin straight robe, bound with a gold-threaded belt, which only served to set off his fair skin, red lips, dashing demeanor, and elegance. Her heart leaped a few more times. She led Dai Rong to a seat and instructed the maid to serve tea. As the two took their seats and their eyes met, Dai Rong stared straight at her. A thrill went through Tan Luohua's heart, and a tingling sensation washed over her. She gave a light cough and asked, "Why has the Young Master come?"

Dai Rong smiled and said, "The last time I had the accidental encounter with the Second Young Mistress at the manor, the Young Mistress generously invited me to visit your home. Furthermore, I have long admired the Second Master's literary fame, so I have come to make your acquaintance." With that, he placed a stack of items he had been holding onto the table, pushed them forward, and said, "These are a few books along with writing brushes, ink, paper, an inkstone, and other items, meant simply to convey my humble regards."

Tan Luohua smiled and said, "Why must the Young Master be so courteous? My husband is not feeling quite well and is indisposed to receive guests, so I must ask for your understanding."

Dai Rong slanted the corners of his eyes and thought to himself, "What a woman. Saying such words means she is interested." Overcome by a thrilling wave of emotion, he smiled and said, "I had long heard that Second Master Xuan's health was not robust, but it is a pity for someone as perfectly capable and delightful as the Young Mistress."

Tan Luohua sighed and said, "What of it? As women, we are entirely at the mercy of others, whereas men are free to love someone new with every person they see."

Dai Rong lowered his voice and smiled, "That is precisely why I feel such injustice for the Second Young Mistress. With your appearance and disposition, to have ended up married to a sickly weakling... It just shows that nothing in this world is ever complete; a clever wife is invariably forced to sleep beside a clumsy husband. Most men are fickle and romantic, yet I happen to be a deeply devoted person, yet I too have never found a worthy match."

Tan Luohua let out a sudden chuckle, cast a sidelong glance at him, and said, "You? Devoted?" She shook the silk fan in her hand and added, "I certainly haven't seen it."

Dai Rong sighed, "My reputation outside is entirely the result of idle gossips wagging their tongues; what do they know of the true situation? If the termagant sitting at my bedside possessed even half of the Young Mistress's beauty and charm, I would worship her like a living Buddha—how could I ever let my gaze wander outside?" As he spoke, his eyes fixed intently upon her.

Tan Luohua had never encountered such a bold display. She saw that Dai Rong's eyes were glistening with unshed emotion and brimming with amorous charm. They say that "women love a bad boy," and nine out of ten young maidens in this world adore handsome, heartless gallants. Dai Rong was the absolute pinnacle of this type. His mischievous, wicked smile was all the more heart-stirring. Tan Luohua's face flushed instantly, leaving her momentarily dazed, her heart fluttering chaotically like a startled bird. Daringly bold, Dai Rong saw that the maids were standing far away, so he stretched out his arm, grabbed Tan Luohua's hand beneath the table, and whispered, "Someone like the Young Mistress comes along once in a hundred miles. You truly make me think of you day and night." As he spoke, he gently stroked and rubbed the palm of her hand.

Tan Luohua was terribly startled and nearly let out a shriek. She struggled in a panic, and Dai Rong seized the moment to release his grip. Tan Luohua quickly pulled her hand back, her skin still tingling with residual warmth. Overcome with shame and panic, her body felt weak on one side. Utterly at a loss, she stood up and said, "Since my husband is indisposed, Young Master Dai, please take your leave."

Dai Rong, however, acted as if nothing at all had happened. With a smile on his face, he said, "The Young Mistress shouldn't be driving people away; it was no easy task for me to make this visit." Reaching into his sleeve, he produced a brocade box, pushed it toward Tan Luohua, and said, "It is a humble gift, but please accept it as a token of my sincerity. See if it is at all pleasing to your eyes."

Tan Luohua steadied her nerves. Her initial panic had made her just wanted to chase Dai Rong away, but upon seeing the exceptionally exquisite brocade box here, her curiosity about its contents got the better of her. She sat back down and opened the box to take a look. Inside lay a pure gold hair-pin clustered with pearls, its design novel and delicate. The tiny pearls were round, soft, and lustrous, exquisitely crafted. The moment Tan Luohua set eyes on it, she could not tear her gaze away. Although she did own a few hair ornaments of even greater value, looking at this pin still stirred a deep fondness within her.

Watching the expression on Tan Luohua's face, Dai Rong felt a surge of secret delight and eagerly buttered up to her, saying, "This hairpin is an inner-palace creation, bestowed by the nobility. If the Young Mistress looks at the four pearls on top, though they are a bit small, what is truly rare is that they are utterly flawless and perfectly uniform in size—something extremely difficult to come by. Only such an item is worthy of a personage as magnificent as the Young Mistress."

If Tan Luohua had previously merely thought that Dai Rong possessed good looks and a flattering tongue, wanting only to engage in ambiguous flirtation with him to dispel her boredom, his gift of this hairpin now demonstrated his wealth and extravagance. Looking at Dai Rong's expression once more, her perspective shifted entirely: he was both dashing and handsome, and extraordinarily wealthy—truly the best of both worlds. Her heart pounded like thunder, and she glanced around. Seeing that her trusted maid Caifeng was still standing far away by the doorway, she signaled with her eyes and called out, "Go to the back and fetch a plate of pastries for Young Master Dai."

Caifeng understood her intent, withdrew, and kept watch by the outer door.

Tan Luohua snapped the lid of the brocade box shut, pushed it back toward Dai Rong, and feigned a smile, saying, "This item is far too precious, and unearned rewards should not be accepted. I cannot possibly take this."

The word "take" was still lingering on her lips when Dai Rong reached out and firmly pressed his hand over the one Tan Luohua had left on the brocade box. With eyes full of unspoken emotion and a meaningful smile, he said, "Nonsense. If the Young Mistress refuses to accept it, who else in this world is even worthy of wearing it?" Flaunting his wealth further, he continued, "Though such ornaments are hard to find, I still possess a modest fortune. Whenever the Young Mistress fancies any jewelry or adornments in the future, just tell me. These are hardly matters of any consequence; as long as the Young Mistress knows how to care for my heart, I shall be completely content." Seeing that Tan Luohua was not offering fierce resistance, he slid his hand over to hold hers, rubbing it gently as he lowered his gaze to inspect her fingers. "Let me see—what ring is the Young Mistress wearing? What bracelet is that? If they are old, I shall bring you a brand-new set next time."

With her hand held captive by Dai Rong, Tan Luohua felt her entire body turn weak. Terrified yet exhilarated, she pushed him away, saying, "Do show some respect. The maids will be wandering back and forth any moment now, and our Second Master is still sleeping right inside the room."

Dai Rong smiled and said, "Why worry about such things?" Seeing that Tan Luohua's cheeks were flushed with a spring-like glow, rendering her even more striking than usual, he was profoundly moved. Realizing this was not the place for intimate talk, he lowered his voice and said, "The Young Mistress stays cooped up in this manor all day long—aren't you bored to death? I recently acquired a batch of rare overseas goods that are truly extraordinary. I would like to invite the Young Mistress to come take a look."

Hesitating, Tan Luohua said, "How could I possibly manage to leave the estate?"

Dai Rong replied, "Though I am unworthy, I happen to own a fabric shop on East Riverbank Avenue called 'Liduan Studio.' Those overseas goods are stored right there. If the Young Mistress is interested, come to the shop the day after tomorrow, and I will be there to welcome you with open arms." With that, he gave her hand a light squeeze, shot her a profoundly dashing look, and stood up to take his leave.

Now, when Dai Rong returned home from the Lin residence that day, in order to coax silver out of Zhao Yuechan for his expenses, he recounted this bizarre adventure to her. Zhao Yuechan was more than happy to watch the Lin family fall into chaos, so she urged him to seduce Tan Luohua, telling him, "If there are gains to be had without taking them, are you even a man? That Tan woman was quite notorious back in her maiden days, whispered about behind closed doors by countless young scions of noble families. If you have a brief dew-like romance with her, it won't have been in vain."

Dai Rong laughed, "Charming as she may be, she is now a wife of the Lin family. I'm only afraid of bringing disaster upon myself."

Zhao Yuechan sneered, "What is there to fear? Just handle the matter discreetly so that no one ever finds out. Once you grow tired of her later on, you can simply pack up some silver and go traveling for your studies. Stay away for three to five years without returning, and what could that Tan woman possibly do—proclaim the affair to the entire world?" She then heaped lavish praises upon Tan Luohua's beauty and talent.

Dai Rong's heart was stirred. Remembering how receptive Tan Luohua had appeared that day, his heart began to itch with anticipation. Thus, he devised a scheme and paid another visit to the Lin residence. Once he had departed, Tan Luohua sat in her room, finding no peace whether sitting or standing. One moment she opened the brocade box to gaze at the hairpin within, the next moment she snapped it shut. One moment she tried wearing the hairpin in her hair, and the next, feeling suddenly annoyed, she pulled it out and locked it away in a drawer. Yet shortly afterward, she could not resist pulling the drawer open again to take the hairpin out and play with it, completely out of her mind.

Before long, Lin Jinxuan woke from his nap, and Caiming called for Tan Luohua to go inside and attend to him. Lin Jinxuan drank half a cup of tea and began to cough uncontrollably. Tan Luohua hurriedly smoothed his back and brought him the spittoon. Gazing at Lin Jinxuan's pale, delicate face, a sudden surge of disgust rose within her heart. She felt that if her newlywed life was destined to be like this, she had no idea how she would ever endure the long, drawn-out years ahead. Pulling away, she retreated to the side alcove and shed a round of tears. After wiping her face haphazardly with a handkerchief, she walked over to the washbasin. Reflected in the water was a delicate and attractive face, right in the prime of her youth, and nestled within her dark hair was precisely that pure gold cloud-patterned hairpin.

Tan Luohua slowly clenched the handkerchief in her hand, beckoned Caifeng inside, and whispered, "Tomorrow I am going out to make some visits and stop by my sister's place. Have them prepare a sedan chair outside."

By the following day, after Tan Luohua had waited upon Lin Jinxuan through his breakfast, she announced that she was going out to visit her elder sister. Fearing that she was feeling cooped up at home, Lin Jinxuan readily agreed and even ordered several varieties of gifts to be prepared for her to take along. Tan Luohua took only her personal maid Caifeng, leaving everyone else behind. She first paid a visit to her elder sister, and upon leaving, instructed the bearers to head toward East Riverbank Avenue. Sure enough, she spotted the fabric shop, ordered them to stop the sedan chair, and went inside.

Seeing Tan Luohua arrive, Dai Rong was overjoyed and instructed the shopkeeper to guide her to the back rooms. Stepping inside, Tan Luohua saw that the room was filled with fragrant smoke rising from a precious incense burner, flowers arranged in a gold vase, embroidered curtains and tapestries draping the walls, and fine bedding spread across the eastern heated brick bed—altogether entirely different from the outside world. Right in the center stood a table laden with delicacies: dragon liver and roasted phoenix organs filled the banquet table, accompanied by jade cups brimming with sweet, mellow wine.

Dai Rong was dressed in gorgeous, immaculate silk robes, looking even more dashing and refined than usual. Seeing Tan Luohua enter, he eagerly offered her a seat and smiled, saying, "The Young Mistress kept me waiting so bitterly; you must be penalized with three cups first." He poured a cup of wine with his own hands and handed it to her.

Tan Luohua said, "If you expect me to drink, I'm leaving right now." Yet her body remained firmly seated.

Dai Rong smiled, "My crime, I was too presumptuous. I shall penalize myself with a cup." Tipping back his head, he downed the wine in one gulp and praised, "Fine wine!"

Seeing his bold and heroic manner, Tan Luohua could not help a smile breaking across her face. Dai Rong urged her to eat some food, saying, "This was prepared by the chefs of Longxiangchang, known as the finest of the capital's 'Eight Auspicious Delicacies.' It is terribly famous; even the imperial princes and royal scions order banquets from them when they go out to play. This is their signature dish. Please do me the honor of tasting a bit, Young Mistress." With a pair of chopsticks, he picked up a morsel of food and placed it onto the small gold-inlaid mud dish before Tan Luohua.

When had Tan Luohua ever seen a man humble himself like this? Although Lin Jinxuan possessed a gentle disposition, he was perpetually sickly, leaving her scrambling to wait upon him hand and foot instead. Her heart felt immensely pampered and gratified, so she picked up her chopsticks and ate a couple of bites.

Dai Rong pressed her to drink again, saying, "I am no stranger; I am purely devoted to the Young Mistress from the bottom of my heart. If you refuse to share a cup of wine with me, it can only mean your heart is truly ruthless!"

With one remark after another, he first praised Tan Luohua's fair skin, then commended her peachy complexion, and then lauded her slender figure, her apparel, and her jewelry. He praised her from head to toe, effectively exalting her into a celestial fairy. Tan Luohua loved flattery above all else. Finding it deeply satisfying, she went along with Dai Rong's conversation, boasting about how clever and well-liked she had been since childhood, and how proficient she was in the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Dai Rong piled on the praise even more smoothly, and before she knew it, he had coaxed her into downing several cups of wine.

The wine was potent by nature. Once the alcohol began to take effect, Tan Luohua's face flushed a deep crimson, and she grew increasingly uninhibited. Gazing at Dai Rong, her eyes seemed as though they were about to melt into water. Dai Rong slid his chair closer to Tan Luohua and smiled, "Let me show you those rare overseas goods." He pulled a box from his sleeve and opened it to reveal a neat silk handkerchief resting inside, embroidered with various erotic scenes in diverse postures. Though not meticulously detailed, they were vividly lifelike.

Glancing at it, Tan Luohua was struck dumb with astonishment, feeling her entire body grow increasingly feverish. Realizing the moment had arrived, Dai Rong reached out, gathered Tan Luohua into his arms, and kissed her lips, murmuring, "My sweet wife, I truly love you to death."

Tan Luohua struggled at first, but as Dai Rong persistently held her in his arms and kissed her, she gradually grew half-willing. After a brief moment, she stopped resisting altogether. Her face growing even redder, she tugged at Dai Rong's sleeve and asked, "Is the Young Master truly sincere toward me?"

Dai Rong swore a solemn oath, "If there is even a shred of falsehood in what I say, let me be struck by lightning!" Without further ado, he pressed Tan Luohua onto the bed and engaged in the pleasures of the bedchamber. Once their passionate union was over, they clung to one another, swearing eternal vows. Having just discovered the true delights of the boudoir, Tan Luohua became increasingly dependent on Dai Rong. Since Dai Rong was still in the honeymoon phase of their affair, he too showered her with sweet words, whispering countless romantic promises and making a flurry of reckless vows. Being an old hand in the world of romance, he had Tan Luohua completely wrapped around his little finger. The two arranged their next meeting, and Tan Luohua left behind one of her own bracelets as a token of remembrance for Dai Rong. Taking two bolts of silk fabric to use as a cover story, she finally departed with lingering reluctance.

From that day onward, the two of them carried on an illicit affair. To make their meetings convenient, Tan Luohua specially rented a set of rooms located beside the right corner gate of Kangshou Residence. Taking advantage of the times when Lin Jinxuan was fast asleep, she would rendezvous with Dai Rong. Because she handled her actions with the utmost secrecy, that particular dwelling had no old matrons stationed to keep watch; she kept the strict control of the keys in her own hands, and aside from her personal maid Caifeng, no one else had the slightest inkling. Because she was sneaking around committing adultery outside, Tan Luohua felt a deep sense of internal guilt, which caused her to treat Lin Jinxuan with even greater tenderness. She attended to his food, clothing, housing, and travel with absolute meticulousness, making their relationship appear more harmonious and sweet than ever. Everyone around them praised Tan Luohua for her virtue, a detail that goes without saying.

Meanwhile, ever since she finished managing Lin Jingting's wedding, Xianglan had found some leisure time and spent it painting at home. After seven or eight days had passed, she received a letter from none other than Madam Qin. As it turned out, the marriage between Yuan Shaoren and Lin Dongxiu was drawing ever closer, and Madam Qin intended to personally escort Lin Dongxiu to the capital to prepare for the wedding.