Xianglan’s face was completely flushed as she struggled desperately. Lin Jinlou impatiently held her in his embrace and glared at Nueyue, shouting, “Fool! You can’t even hold a plate steady. Get out now!”

Nueyue’s face immediately reddened, tears welling in her eyes as she shakily cleaned up the scattered desserts and plate before withdrawing.

After this disruption, Lin Jinlou lost interest. He kissed Xianglan’s face once and said, “We’ll continue when night comes.”

Xianglan quickly broke free and sat back down, head lowered, reaching up to fix her loosened hair before dropping her hand, somewhat at a loss. Though intimate relations with Lin Jinlou were no longer as uncomfortable as initially, she still feared them. Lin Jinlou was too robust and always insisted on complete satisfaction. Xianglan’s delicate nature made it difficult to accommodate him, and given her internal resistance to him, she always hoped for quick conclusions. Though Lin Jinlou occasionally visited Huamei and Yinge’s chambers, he mostly spent nights with her. She found it tiresome but dared not show it. As Xianglan stared absent-mindedly at the silver chopsticks on the table, she suddenly realized that since Luan’er’s last performance for some young noblemen, Lin Jinlou hadn’t visited her chambers.

After finishing his meal, Lin Jinlou ordered the table cleared and returned to his desk to handle official business, but we’ll set that aside for now.

As for Nueyue, after being scolded by Lin Jinlou, she returned to her room crying. The room was quiet, as her roommates Tinglan and Rushuang were absent. There was an open mirror case on the table. Nueyue walked over, and the mirror reflected an oval face with fine curved eyebrows and almond eyes, a fair complexion, and a full figure – she was as lovely as fresh flowers and tender willows, with her kind of charm. Nueyue stared at the mirror for a long while as tears rolled down more profusely.

After some time, the door creaked open as Rushuang entered. Since Nueyue had her back turned, she didn’t see the tears on her face and casually said, “Buddha be praised, Master finally had a hint of a smile today. These past few days his face was so dark, like the soul-collecting judge from the King of Hell’s court, making everyone nervous… Why are you sitting here like this? Lianxin was just asking about you, saying it was your turn to bring water in during cleanup.”

She removed her outer clothes and changed into a cyan satin vest, chattering on, “Master will probably sleep in the main chamber tonight. Tinglan has the late night shift, so we need to decide which of us takes the early shift.”

After speaking for a while and seeing Nueyue still silent, Rushuang walked over and nudged her, saying, “I’m talking to you, can you hear me?”

Suddenly, Nueyue collapsed onto the table crying. Startled, Rushuang quickly sat beside her and asked, “What’s wrong? Why are you crying out of nowhere?”

Nueyue, who shared a sisterly bond with Rushuang, sat up and wiped her eyes with a handkerchief, saying, “Master is so heartless. He must have forgotten about that day… Just now he scolded me for dropping a plate, but when Luan’er broke a jade bracelet worth dozens of taels, he said it was good that she broke it. I have no face left in Zhichun Hall…” She collapsed back onto the table, sobbing.

Rushuang sighed.

It turned out that before Lin Jinlou went to Beijing, one time when he was drunk at a feast, servants carried him back, and Nueyue happened to be on duty. As they say, “Chang’e has always loved young men,” and Nueyue had feelings for Lin Jinlou, so she served him with sweet words and great attention. Lin Jinlou, already somewhat aroused, became intimate with Nueyue. Believing she had succeeded and would have a promising future, Nueyue was overjoyed. However, the next day, Lin Jinlou acted as if nothing had happened and continued treating her like an ordinary maid. When Nueyue tried some coy behavior and intimate gestures, Lin Jinlou merely joked a few times before dismissing her.

Though half-discouraged, Nueyue still held onto hope. But when Lin Jinlou returned from Beijing, he elevated Luan’er to be his concubine, and then brought Xianglan into the household, causing all other women to fall back. Nueyue became increasingly desperate, crying secretly every day. Recently, she had observed that Xianglan was honest and uninterested in competing for favor, actually avoiding Lin Jinlou, so she thought she might have a chance. But now she had been scolded by Lin Jinlou again. Seeing herself growing older, she felt increasingly desolate.

Rushuang consoled her, “You know Master’s temperament. Look at Luan’er – once the novelty wore off, wasn’t she also cast aside? Just be patient. When Master tires of Xianglan, your time will come.” As she spoke, she realized how unlikely this sounded and fell silent, thinking to herself: “Master has all sorts of beauties around him. Those he elevates are not only beautiful but also accomplished in music, with Xianglan being the only exception. But looking at her appearance, it’s clear why Master is infatuated. Though Nueyue is also beautiful, she’s only average, possessing all qualities but excelling in none. If it weren’t for that drunken night when she happened to be on duty, nothing would have happened.” She felt somewhat sour but secretly pleased that Lin Jinlou hadn’t elevated Nueyue. Since she and Nueyue were similar in looks and figure, she privately compared herself to Nueyue, fearing to be considered inferior. Now, seeing Nueyue’s situation, though she sighed in sympathy, she felt a hint of schadenfreude and satisfaction.

As Nueyue continued crying, Rushuang offered a few more words of comfort before finally saying, “Why don’t you… why don’t you just give up?” Hearing this, Nueyue cried even harder. Seeing no improvement in her mood, Rushuang grew tired of consoling her and returned to her duties.

After crying for a while, Nueyue felt listless. Not wanting the young maids to see her tear-stained face, she wiped it with a handkerchief and went to fetch hot water herself.

Leaving the room and entering the tea room, she saw Xique inside, who immediately smiled upon seeing her and said, “Our Madam was just talking about Sister Nueyue, and how fortunate to run into you here.”

Nueyue forced a smile and asked, “What did Madam want with me?”

Xique said, “Nothing much. She heard you’re skilled and can do Xiang embroidery. Madam would like you to come teach her later.”

Nueyue didn’t want to go, but Xique’s flattering words elevated her considerably, and since Huamei was usually friendly with her, she had to agree. She fetched water, returned to wash her face, and then went to the east wing. Upon entering the room, she smelled a sweet fruity fragrance coming from a lotus-shaped incense burner on the table. The room was quiet, with pomegranate red curtains and chair covers everywhere. A bird in a cage chirped constantly, fluttering its wings.

Huamei hadn’t removed her makeup, but her hair was half-loose. She wore a casual ink-blue jacket embroidered with peonies and date-red silk pants, lounging on an Xiang fei couch while stroking a white cat. Her eyes were half-closed, and her powder-white face was graced with full, crimson lips – truly alluring.

Hearing footsteps, Huamei slightly opened her eyes. Seeing Nueyue enter, she quickly sat up, gathering her hair while smiling, “Look at me, I said I’d rest a moment but nearly fell asleep. I didn’t even hear you come in.” She repeatedly ordered, “Xique, brew tea quickly.” She took Nueyue’s hand and sat with her on the Xiang Fei couch.

Nueyue hurriedly said, “Madam, please don’t trouble yourself. What pattern would you like to embroider?”

Huamei smiled, “What’s the hurry? You rarely visit, let’s chat first, then discuss needlework.”

Xique served tea, placing it on a small table nearby, then quietly withdrew.

Huamei chatted with Nueyue about household gossip, always agreeing with her views, and subtly praised her, saying, “From what I’ve seen, among the current maids in the main chamber, you’re outstanding. Lianxin is like a wooden block, Tinglan is overly honest, and though Rushuang is quite clever, you can tell from her eyes she’s not one to stay in her place. Looking at everyone, only you have both looks and temperament, plus excellent needlework skills. I wonder who will be fortunate enough to have such a beauty in the future.”

These words touched Nueyue’s heart but also stirred her sorrows. She sighed, “What use is being clever when one has already been discarded?”

Huamei said, “Dear sister, how can you say such things? You’re in your prime…” She rolled her eyes and leaned slightly toward Nueyue: “I naturally know your feelings. Women’s matters – how could they escape my notice? I invited you here precisely for this reason.”

Nueyue was startled and looked up at Huamei, saying, “I don’t understand what Madam means.”

Huamei sneered, “What’s not to understand? Just by seeing how you look at Master, I understood everything. I heard you were once close to him, weren’t you? I… I could help you.”

Nueyue’s face immediately reddened. After a long while, she said, “Madam has keen eyes, but Master is fickle. Once he has someone new, he forgets about me.”

Huamei laughed coldly, “Men are all the same. As long as you possess certain qualities, none can resist falling at your feet. First, you need heavenly beauty; second, charm and wit in conversation; third, understanding of proper conduct and how to serve; fourth, patience and the ability to endure loneliness; fifth, knowing how to handle yourself – never giving everything at once, always keeping him wanting more, so he can’t let go.”

Nueyue lowered her head, “Madam’s insights are profound, but though I have some beauty, I’m no celestial maiden, and I’m lacking in the other aspects… How can Madam help me?”

Huamei said, “Making Master change his heart isn’t difficult, it just requires some tactics.” She beckoned Nueyue closer and whispered something in her ear, then held her hand and said softly, “It’s that simple. If it succeeds, I guarantee your wishes will come true… I have no choice either. Seeing Master spend every day with that little hussy Xianglan, how can I not be anxious? If we work together now, we can protect both you and me.”

Nueyue’s lips trembled as she said, “Can this succeed? This…”

Huamei smiled, “Of course, it can succeed. I’m not asking you to commit murder or arson, just a simple little matter that won’t harm anyone. Only the presentable maids like you can enter the main chamber, right?” She patted Nueyue’s hand, “Dear sister, think about your future.”

When Nueyue left the east wing, she was lost in thought. Xique, watching her leave, asked Huamei, “Madam, will this work? Won’t she tell others?”

Huamei closed her eyes and said, “Don’t worry, she won’t. She’s at the end of her rope now. We’re just tricking her into doing a small task – she’ll agree sooner or later.”

That night, Nueyue was on duty outside the main chamber. Hearing faint sounds from inside, she tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Late at night, Lin Jinlou called for water twice. When Nueyue brought it in, she caught glimpses of intimate scenes through the gauze curtains, making her feel increasingly bitter. She lay awake until dawn. The next day, she went to knock on the east wing’s door.