Against the Current - Chapter 79

Chapter 79 - A Secret Meeting 

Upon hearing that Huamei had left the manor with Xique, Zhao Yuechan flew into such a rage that she splashed a cup of tea all over Bailu's skirt, berating her: "Useless thing, you couldn't even keep an eye on a single person!"

Bailu dropped to her knees and wept, "Madam, please calm your anger. Huamei was led out by Mulberry from Lady Qin's quarters; there was nothing I could do to stop her."

Zhao Yuechan was momentarily startled. Drawing a deep, heavy breath, she ground out through clenched teeth, "It seems she's courting death of her own accord. I'll make sure she gets a taste of my methods."

By now the night was deep. Zhao Yuechan ordered a young maid to fetch hot water so she could refresh her face, then meticulously applied her cosmetics, painted her brows, and shaped her temples. She gathered her cascading dark hair into a lazy, alluring knot, pinned a red-jade droplet-pearl phoenix hairpin diagonally into it, and clipped a fresh, blooming orchid from the basin to tuck among the strands.

She instructed Yingsheng to unlock the chest and changed into a brand-new, light-gold and peach-red flowered silk bodice. Once fully dressed and groomed, she carefully inspected her reflection from head to toe in the mirror once more before telling Yingsheng, "Fetch a cloak. I'm going out quietly now. Stand guard here yourself, and if anyone asks, just tell them I've gone to sleep."

Yingsheng repeatedly acknowledged the order.

Zhao Yuechan slipped out through the back door, stepping quickly through the darkness to duck into the transitional hallway and steal into an empty room nearby. While the exterior of the room looked dilapidated, pushing open the interior door revealed a large bed. Though the bed curtains were plain, they were spread with a thick mattress of green-and-gold brocade. Because it was summer, a cool, shimmering phoenix-tail bamboo mat lay over it, accompanied by a bright-red flowered gold-python-brocade quilt and five-colored sunflower-and-banana-leaf pillows, creating an air of extreme luxury and comfort.

A solitary, dim remnant of a lamp flickered on the small begonia-wood bedside table. Qian Wenze was lounging there, clutching a pair of dice and idly tossing them into a bowl to roll the numbers out of sheer boredom. His handsome, fair-complexioned face was naturally striking, and tonight he wore a soft silk robe that made his posture appear all the more straight and tall. Zhao Yuechan had been starved of affection for far too long; the mere sight of him sent a pleasant thrill straight to her heart.

Qian Wenze was the ultimate pioneer among dissolute flirts. Seeing Zhao Yuechan dressed in such bright and dazzling attire, which added even more allure to her appearance under the candlelight, his throat went dry. He lunged forward to wrap his arms around her, crying out, "My good sister, why did you take so long to come? I've missed you to death!" With that, he swooped in to kiss her lips. The moment they met, they lost all sense of reason; stripping off their clothes in a flurry, they tumbled onto the bed locked in a passionate embrace and began their intimacy.

The two of them acted with extreme secrecy and caution, meeting at most once or twice a month. Yet every time they came together, they clung to each other like glue, reluctant to part even for a moment, and only after a long session of intense passion did the storm subside.

Qian Wenze continued to hold Zhao Yuechan close as he chuckled, "Your delicate skin and flesh, my sweet, are truly peerless. If it were up to me, I'd never bear to let a gorgeous creature like you sleep in an empty bed. Lin Jinlou is truly clueless—anyway, a green hat on one's head can't kill a man, yet he doesn't even know how to cherish jade and pity flowers, completely wasting his reputation as a romantic and affectionate man." As he spoke, he reached out to fondle Zhao Yuechan's breasts.

Zhao Yuechan slapped his hand away with a sharp smack and sneered, " You're full of cheap talk. If you have the guts, go say that to his face—that would at least show you have some backbone as a man." With that, she rose and picked up her hairpins, preparing to twist her hair back up.

Qian Wenze grabbed Zhao Yuechan from behind, laughing ingratiatingly, "I don't have that kind of backbone. If I had the Lin family's fortune, I'd dare to stand up to him... Besides, that fellow is vicious and merciless; if anything were to happen to me, wouldn't my sweet sister's heart ache?"

Zhao Yuechan shot him a sideways glance. "Bah! What a shameless little beast—saying such spineless things without even fearing people will laugh their teeth off!"

That single glance was saturated with endless charm. Stirring Qian Wenze's lust all over again, the arousal surged in his lower body. He pulled Zhao Yuechan back into his arms and pleaded, "My heart, what are you rushing for? The night is still young."

Zhao Yuechan gave Qian Wenze a slight push and said, "I have serious matters to discuss."

Consumed entirely by desire, Qian Wenze had no mind to listen to talk of business. Seeing her tighten her face, however, he locked his hands behind his head, half-leaning against the headboard, and muttered, "What could possibly be so earth-shattering that it has to be discussed right this second?"

Zhao Yuechan wore a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "It is an earth-shattering matter. That account book of mine has gone missing, and even Yingsheng—that seasoned, reliable wretch—panicked and let it slip in the garden. It was picked up by a concubine-in-training named Huamei. That little wretch is cunning; she tucked the book away and fled home to hide. I suspect she's planning to hand it over to the eldest master. Once that thing sees the light of day, neither of us will come out of this unscathed."

These words struck like a basin of freezing water. The lust instantly drained out of Qian Wenze, leaving him bathed in cold sweat as he blurted out in panic, "This... this is no joking matter!"

Zhao Yuechan sneered, "Who is joking with you? It will take another ten days to half a month before Lin Jinlou returns. We need to put our heads together and come up with a foolproof plan to patch this up."

Qian Wenze turned deathly pale, thinking frantically, "My good aunt, your signature and seal are right there on that ledger—there's no patching that up! Lin Jinlou is no pushover; running private usurious loans is one thing, but if our illicit affair gets dragged into the light, living will be worse than death! As the saying goes, 'As long as the green hills remain, there's no need to worry about firewood.' Before Lin Jinlou comes back, I'd better pack up my property, sell the land, and set up a new life in some other province." Even as this thought crossed his mind, his gaze drifted back to Zhao Yuechan's peach-blossom-bright face and water-chestnut-like figure, and a pang of reluctance tugged at his heart. But he gritted his teeth, thinking, "As gorgeous as she is, risking my life for a beauty is hardly worth it. I've already scraped plenty of silver off her over these past few months—buying a few beauties elsewhere won't be a problem at all."

Just as he was plotting this escape, Zhao Yuechan reached out with a slender finger to pinch his cheek, giving it a light tap. Her smile bloomed with mesmerizing allure as she asked, "My dear cousin, what are you daydreaming about? Are you planning to grease the soles of your feet and slip away to wash your hands of this?"

Qian Wenze gave a start, forcing an ingratiating laugh. "How could that be? What nonsense is my sweet sister talking about?"

Zhao Yuechan's expression hardened. "Put away those little schemes of yours. If you dare to run, I'll drag you down with me in a mutual destruction—we'll all die together in the end, nice and clean."

Knowing full well that Zhao Yuechan always followed through on her threats, Qian Wenze hurriedly coaxed her, "I am utterly devoted to you; even if beaten to death, I would never dare do anything to wrong you. Right now we need to figure out how to track down that booklet. How can we start fighting and screaming and lose our footing before we've even begun?"

Zhao Yuechan let out a cold hum. "At least you managed to say something sensible for once." Pausing briefly, she continued, "I've thought of a plan. Let me lay it out for you." She leaned in and whispered the details in his ear.

Qian Wenze furrowed his brows. "Will... will this actually work?"

Zhao Yuechan replied, "Of course it will work. Huamei is a shrewd person; she'll naturally know what she has to do."

Qian Wenze pressed, "What if she gets desperate and hands the ledger over to the First Madam..."

Zhao Yuechan raised an eyebrow. "I'm only hoping she does hand it over. Lady Qin is constrained by my family's influence and can't do much to me anyway; as for the master, to put it nicely, he's an upright scholar obsessed with propriety, and to put it bluntly, he's a head full of pedantic mush—he would never allow Lin Jinlou to divorce me. My only fear was that she'd give the item directly to the eldest master; he's completely lawless and capable of anything..." As she spoke, she gently nestled into Qian Wenze's embrace, stroking him as she murmured, "If this plan succeeds, there'll be no shortage of benefits for you. I actually came here with silver in my pouch today..."

Qian Wenze's eyes lit up. He grabbed Zhao Yuechan's hand and smiled slyly, "Then tell me, my sweet sister, aside from silver, what other benefits can you promise me?" Seeing her starry eyes half-closed and her cheeks flushed with the warmth of passion, his heart surged violently. He thought to himself, "I'll just play along with her plan for now. If things fall through, I can always grab my bundle and run. But with a beauty right here in front of me, I might as well enjoy her while I can." Rolling over, he pinned Zhao Yuechan beneath him, and the two plunged into another round of passion.

When it was time to leave, Zhao Yuechan gave him a final instruction: "Make sure this matter is handled properly for me. Three days from now, when Mistress Lan's funeral procession goes out, you quietly bring a human trafficker along. I have a maid here whom I want you to sell far away to a brothel, so I don't have to look at her ugly mug and feel sick."

Qian Wenze stroked his chin with a chuckle. "What on earth did she do to provoke such a fierce temper from my sweet sister, landing herself in such a miserable fate?" Inwardly, he mused, "This maid is likely someone Lin Jinlou took a fancy to, which means she's undoubtedly a beauty. I can definitely enjoy her myself before selling her off."

Sensing Qian Wenze's thoughts, Zhao Yuechan let out a scornful laugh. "Her looks are nothing to write home about—she's plain. She stole things from my quarters, and because I didn't want to make a public scandal out of it, I'm selling her quietly. You just make sure you keep your mouth firmly shut."

Qian Wenze nodded repeatedly before slipping out of the Lin residence. Zhao Yuechan made her way back to her own quarters as well, but we will leave them be for now.

Meanwhile, Xianglan had been dragged away by several sturdy matrons and locked up in the small utility room, the heavy iron lock snapping shut behind them before the women departed. The room was pitch black, save for a thin sliver of moonlight piercing through the door crack. Whimpering softly, Xianglan felt as though a knife had carved across her face; the burning pain left her soaked in cold sweat, her inner garments thoroughly damp. Struggling to lean against the wall, she reached into her mouth to pull out the cloth gag, spitting out a mouthful of blood and phlegm, and feeling that several of her teeth had been loosened by the blows. The thought of Zhao Yuechan threatening to sell her to a brothel filled her with terror, and a grim resolve hardened within her: "If it truly comes to that, I'll smash my head against the wall right here and die with my dignity intact!" But a second thought immediately checked her: "No, I still have my aging parents whose kindness I haven't repaid. How can I just throw my life away like it's worth nothing? Everyone here treats me like a worthless little maid, but I must never cheapen myself. This isn't the end of the road yet—I need to figure out another way out."

She had not rested properly all night. Curled up at the base of the wall until the sky began to grow pale, she surveyed her surroundings. The room was stacked with various odds and ends, and a water vat sat near the door. Crawling over to peer inside, she saw that about half a cistern of water remained, reflecting a deformed face. Both of her cheeks were bruised purple and swollen high.

Xianglan stared blankly at her reflection for a moment. Though she consoled herself that appearance was merely an outward shell and one shouldn't obsess over vanity, hot tears still spilled from her eyes. Drawing a handkerchief from her tunic, she soaked it in the water to cool her stinging face, then scooped up half a ladle of water to carefully rinse her mouth, spitting the blood-stained water into a corner. After rinsing several times until she was clean, she twisted her scattered hair back into a neat knot. Then, crouching back against the base of the wall, she used the damp handkerchief to ice her face while closing her eyes to rest her mind.

By early morning, the courtyard of Zhisuntang began to fill with the sounds of people stirring, though few ever approached this isolated utility room. Xianglan desperately wanted to call out for help, but she feared making things worse through rashness. Pacing the small room a few times, she suddenly noticed that it possessed a window, though it was completely blocked off by a large wooden cabinet. She tried pushing it and found it remarkably heavy. Opening the cabinet doors, she discovered they were packed with winter items such as charcoal braziers and door curtains. Moving with light, cautious steps, she began transferring the contents out of the cabinet and hiding them in the corner. She had barely moved two items when she heard footsteps outside. Hastily slamming the cabinet shut, she curled herself into a tight ball and lay flat on the floor.

The door creaked open. An old matron poked her head in, and seeing Xianglan lying quietly, she locked the door back up and left.

Xianglan let out a long breath. Pressing herself against the door crack, she waited until the matron's footsteps faded away before returning to her task, hauling the items from the cabinet into the corner through repeated trips. Before long, the cabinet was half empty. She reached out and gave it a shove, finding that it could now be shifted slightly. Working quietly, she managed to edge the cabinet sideways, exposing the window behind it. Pushing against the sash, she discovered the window itself was locked, but the paper pasted over the lattice had already peeled away, allowing her a clear view of the courtyard outside.