Against the Current - Chapter 62

Chapter 62 - Dallying

When they returned to Zhichun Lodge, the East Wing was quiet and still. Because everyone had been busy for the entire day, they were exhausted and had all retired to rest. Only Chunling, who was diligent, was still serving by Qinglan's side, forcing herself to stay awake.

Xianglan had lain on her bed to sleep for a while and was only awakened by Xiaojuan when the time for lighting the lamps arrived, after which they ate dinner together.

Because Qinglan's poetry gathering had gone so well, Madam Qin specifically ordered Lülan to send over two extra dishes. Qinglan instantly beamed with radiance, and with Chunling joking around nearby, the atmosphere for a time was quite harmonious.

Xiaojuan secretly whispered to Xianglan, "Have you seen Yindie? I don't know where she ran into bad luck, but her face was slapped and swollen high up! She's covering it with her sleeve and not daring to face anyone; as soon as she got back, she hid on her bed and didn't even eat dinner."

Xianglan said in a low voice, "It sounds like she was beaten by the Eldest Young Master."

Xiaojuan opened her eyes wide in surprise. "The Eldest Young Master?" She covered her mouth and giggled, "Served her right, she should have been beaten long ago. You have no idea what kind of nonsense she's been making up about you behind your back!"

Before she could finish her sentence, they saw Tinglan walk in with a smile, saying, "You two are here. The masters had their fun this morning, and tonight it's our turn. They've set up a game in the small room behind the house and are going to throw dice and play go. If you don't have any chores tonight, why not come along and play?"

Xiaojuan clapped her hands and said, "Splendid! I've been cooped up so much these days that I've been wanting to play for ages." She fished out a handful of copper coins to tuck into her pocket, and dragged Xianglan along with her.

When Xianglan arrived and took a look, she saw several maids gathered together playing merrily. After watching for a bit, she found it uninteresting and came back out from the rear courtyard.

By now the sky had darkened, and a single moon hung in the sky. Hearing the sounds of laughter and merriment drifting from inside the room, a faint sense of envy stirred deep within her heart for Xiaojuan and the others' carefree lives.

Just at that moment, someone said, "They're all playing inside the room, why aren't you going?"

Xianglan was startled. Turning her head, she saw a tall figure standing right before her; because he was standing against the light, he looked somewhat dark and shadowy. Xianglan hurriedly bowed and said, "Eldest Young Master." She then wanted to lower her head and slip away along the wall.

Lin Jinlou crossed his arms, squinted slightly, a trace of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth, and asked again, "Why aren't you going?"

Xianglan had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "I'm not good at playing; I'm afraid of spoiling everyone else's fun."

Seeing her standing so prettily before him with her head lowered in an obedient posture, Lin Jinlou smiled and said, "This master happens to know what you like to play..." He took two steps, then turned back, frowning as he asked, "Why aren't you coming over?"

Xianglan had no choice but to follow him, and Lin Jinlou led her toward the front study.

Seeing Lin Jinlou walk in, Shuran hurriedly stepped forward to greet him. Lin Jinlou made a gesture with his hand and said, "There's nothing for you here, step down." Shuran retreated, but as she left, she gave Xianglan a thorough inspection. Seeing Xianglan raise her head to look at her, she smiled, turned, and pulled the door shut behind her as she left.

Only the two of them remained in the room. Seeing that Xianglan looked timid, Lin Jinlou lowered his voice and spoke in gentle, soothing tones, "What are you standing there blankly for? Come here."

Xianglan lowered her head and edged forward a couple of steps, feeling quite alarmed. Being alone in a room with Lin Jinlou was certainly no auspicious sign, yet she had no way to escape at the moment. She made up her mind that if Lin Jinlou harbored improper intentions, she would struggle to the death. Raising her gaze slightly, she saw Lin Jinlou looking at her with a beaming smile. His brows and eyes were naturally bold and striking; when he wasn't smiling, he looked severe, but when he smiled, he carried a lazy, teasing air. Xianglan grew even more alarmed, took a swift glance, and lowered her head once more.

Lin Jinlou said, "Come here, this master has something exceptionally good for you."

Xianglan kept her head down and said nothing.

Thinking she was just frightened, Lin Jinlou figured that while this little maid was exceptionally pretty, always acting like a startled little rabbit made her rather lacking in amusement. He had always been somewhat skilled in romantic pursuits and refused to believe he couldn't conquer Xianglan. He retrieved the Skyscraping Dark Clouds Calligraphy from the drawer, handed it out toward Xianglan, and said, "Take a look at this. Do you like it?"

Xianglan merely glanced at it, kept her head bowed, and replied, "Since it's the Eldest Young Master's possession, it must be something fine."

Lin Jinlou said, "It can't strictly be called fine, but since it was written by Shen Zhou, it at least has the virtue of being rare and hard to come by. Today, when I heard Mother Wu praising you without end, I looked over the poetry and calligraphy you wrote, and knowing that you also appreciate elegance, I thought I'd give this calligraphy scroll to you. How about that?"

Hearing this, Xianglan's heart sank. She hurriedly held out both hands to present the scroll back, shook her head, and said, "An item like this—the Eldest Young Master ought to keep it for yourself. Giving it to me would only be a waste... I don't know how to write poetry; I merely recognize a few characters, and if word got out, it would only invite a joke."

Lin Jinlou laughed in a low voice and said, "What are you rushing for? Only the few of us know about this... Where did you learn to read and write?"

Xianglan respectfully replied, "When I was young, I was a lay disciple at the Jingyue Nunnery, and the mistresses there taught me."

Lin Jinlou smiled and said, "So you were even a little nun once." With that, he reached out; though his intent seemed to be taking back the calligraphy scroll, he instead grabbed Xianglan's wrist, exerted a bit of force, and pulled her right into his embrace.

Xianglan was utterly astonished. Her hands relaxed, and the calligraphy scroll dropped with a clack onto the floor. Head-on, she crashed right into Lin Jinlou's chest. She was instantly greeted by a wave of wine, scented clothing, and masculine aura. Seized by panic, she reached out to push him away.

With a single hand, Lin Jinlou clamped both of her wrists together, while his other arm wrapped around her waist. Feeling the creature in his arms struggling frantically like a little bird beating its wings, he burst into hearty laughter. Brushing his lips against Xianglan's temples, he breathed his hot breath straight into her ear, "Don't be afraid. This master is just showing you affection..."

This single sentence made the blood run cold throughout Xianglan's entire body. She pleaded, "Eldest Young Master, please let go! Someone of my station is unworthy of the Eldest Young Master's affection..."

With such soft, warm jade cradled in his arms, Lin Jinlou's heartstrings fluttered wildly. Inhaling the faint fragrance drifting from Xianglan's hair, he flirtatiously said, "If you aren't worthy, then who is? If you don't like the calligraphy scroll, this master will give you something else."

Saying this, he reached out to open a wooden casket placed on the desk. Inside, neatly arranged, were eight pure-gold hairpins inlaid with red rubies and treasures. Casually, he picked up one of them and thrust it straight into Xianglan's hair. Squinting as he appraised her left and right under the candlelight, he lazily remarked, "This was just collected by the shop yesterday. At first glance, this master took a fancy to it, feeling that this set of hairpins would best set off your complexion, making you look all the more striking..." He pinched Xianglan's delicate little chin, preparing to kiss her.

Xianglan tilted her head to dodge away, so anxious that tears had already welled up in her eyes as she cried out, "I am inherently a coarse and lowly person—why must the Eldest Young Master keep me on your mind? Old Madam Zeng is still within the mourning period, and I would rather bash my brains out and die cleanly than this!"

Lin Jinlou's expression immediately darkened.

At that moment, Jixiang was frantically busy outside the study, saying, "First Young Madam, the Eldest Young Master said he is seeing no one tonight..."

Zhao Yuechan was carrying a large food box in her hands and said, "I know. I've just come to bring him something to eat. The Eldest Young Master has only just returned from the provinces, and I won't have peace of mind unless I check on him. I'll just take a look, set the food down, and leave."

Both sides were figures not to be crossed, so Jixiang put on a smiling face and said, "The Eldest Young Master is busy with official duties and truly cannot spare a moment right now. Why don't I pass the food along on the First Young Madam's behalf?"

Zhao Yuechan said coldly, "I'm not here to disturb his official business, I'm simply putting down the food and leaving. Could it be that even this is not allowed?" As she spoke, she lifted her skirt and strode toward the steps.

She had just heard the old matrons guarding the courtyard come running to report that Lin Jinlou had walked away with a maid. Back then, Huiming had been brought into the study by Lin Jinlou and subsequently taken as a concubine, so Zhao Yuechan dared not take this lightly. She had hurried over in a rush, and seeing Jixiang acting in this manner made her all the more suspicious. Her mind was made up to see what was truly going on.

Jixiang panicked, threw out his arms to block her, and pleaded with a smile, "My good mistress, you know our master's temper..."

Zhao Yuechan's willow-leaf eyebrows stood erect in anger. She raised her hand and delivered a sharp slap across his face, spitting out, "Useless wretch, you dare try to block me!" Taking advantage of Jixiang's momentary daze, she raised her leg and kicked the door open. Inside, she saw Lin Jinlou holding a maid in his embrace. One glance made it entirely clear what kind of business they had been up to. The maid's face was deathly pale, yet her features were exceptionally striking, and tear tracks still lingered on her cheeks.

Zhao Yuechan was instantly filled with a fury so intense it chilled her to the bone.