Their eyes met, and Zhao Yue Chan was dumbfounded.

She thought her eyes must be playing tricks on her, or she had mistaken someone else. How could this nobly-dressed woman with such an imposing presence, looking like a celestial consort, be… be Chen Xiang Lan, that timid little maid who used to cower under her beatings and scolding?

But that face was unmistakable. Such beauty was rare to find even among thousands, unforgettable to all who saw it. Now her features had matured, becoming even more stunning.

Xiang Lan’s heart pounded wildly. Cao Li Huan and Zhao Yue Chan had nightmares from their early days in the Lin family. While the former had already perished and the latter had vanished from her life, today’s encounter made Xiang Lan realize that Zhao Yue Chan had left a dark shadow in her heart, making her tremble with fear and want to avoid her at all costs.

Xiao Juan was also startled and grabbed Xiang Lan’s sleeve tightly.

Xiang Lan came to her senses, and seeing Xiao Juan’s panicked expression, she became calmer. That’s right – Zhao Yue Chan was already divorced from Lin Jin Lou and was no longer the First Madam of the Lin family. She no longer needed to bow to her whims, so why should she be afraid? With this realization, Xiang Lan smiled, straightened her back and neck, and gave Zhao Yue Chan a slightly reserved nod before turning her face away.

Madam Jiao whispered, “Who is that? I don’t recognize her.”

A Lu family servant woman said, “I don’t know, she came with the Lin family from Jin Ling. Perhaps she’s Master Lin’s consort?”

Zhao Yue Chan’s expression changed slightly.

Suddenly, there was another commotion at the flower gate, and a clear female voice called out, “You’re all so clumsy, let my husband come help me.”

Then another voice laughed, “Oh, cousin, you’re already a mother but still so temperamental. Only someone as gentlemanly as Yi Fei would put up with your young mistress attitude.”

Xiang Lan thought she heard the name “Yi Fei” and quickly turned toward the flower gate. A carriage had stopped there, and a tall figure stood with his back to the gate – it was Song Ke, whom she could never mistake. Another man, more robust and taller than Song Ke, wore elegant silver-gray and peacock-blue attire. While talking, he glanced into the inner courtyard, his gaze meeting hers with meaningful depth before suddenly breaking into a smile. It was Lin Jin Lou.

Lin Jin Lou’s gaze passed over Xiang Lan and caught sight of Zhao Yue Chan. He paused briefly, and Zhao Yue Chan suddenly gripped her fan handle tightly. However, Lin Jin Lou carelessly moved his gaze away, as if he hadn’t seen her at all.

Zhao Yue Chan’s face turned pale.

A hand wearing a pure gold double-happiness ring emerged from the carriage curtain, slightly lifting it. Zheng Jing Xian saw Lin Jin Lou and burst out laughing, saying affectionately, “I wondered who was claiming to be my cousin, and it is you, cousin. Elder Cousin, I hear you’ve recently been promoted and grown wealthy. Don’t forget to think of my dear Song when good opportunities arise.”

Lin Jin Lou laughed heartily. Song Ke maintained his gentle smile and cupped his hands to Lin Jin Lou, saying, “My wife is just teasing me. Brother Ying Yang, please don’t take it seriously.”

Lin Jin Lou patted Song Ke’s shoulder, smiling, “We’re all family. When good things come along, family naturally comes first. Whether Sister-in-law mentions it or not, that’s how it should be. Yi Fei, there’s no need to be so formal.”

Song Ke just smiled without speaking. Zheng Jing Xian had already extended her hand from the carriage, so Song Ke had to help her down.

Zheng Jing Xian wore a simple married woman’s hairstyle adorned with emerald ornaments, pearl flowers, and a gold “Fu” character hairpin, without elaborate dangling ornaments. She wore a new three-panel sleeved jacket in olive green with gold and five-colored floral embroidery, a water-red brocade skirt below, tightly bound at the waist with a long-tasseled palace cord, and surprisingly, a pair of satin boots. Already naturally bold and tall, this fashionable and novel outfit added to her spirited appearance, making her outshine even more beautiful ladies and madams.

Lin Jin Lou caught sight of Xiang Lan turning to leave from the corner of his eye and said to Zheng Jing Xian, “Perfect timing, Brother has brought your little sister-in-law today. Let me introduce you.” He turned and beckoned to Xiang Lan, “Come here.”

Xiang Lan’s face instantly turned pale. She wanted to pretend she hadn’t heard, but Lin Jin Lou called out behind her, “I’m talking to you. Master orders you to come here!” His tone brooked no refusal.

Xiao Juan turned back, saw Lin Jin Lou’s cold expression, and frightened, tugged at Xiang Lan’s sleeve, whispering, “Madam, Master is calling you… it’s better to… to avoid conflict for now…”

Xiang Lan reluctantly turned around, head lowered, and slowly shuffled over. She lifted her eyes to see Song Ke standing beside Lin Jin Lou, wearing a dark green silk robe with a new eight-treasures belt inlaid with mother-of-pearl jewels. His head was wrapped in a cloth rather than wearing an official’s cap, and his handsome, scholarly face wore a faint smile – a familiar yet somehow strange sight to Xiang Lan. Beside him stood Zheng Jing Xian, imposing and as bright and eye-catching as a rose.

As Xiang Lan approached, the smile on Song Ke’s face faded. Gradually, his lips seemed to freeze, his entire face becoming solemn as he stared at Xiang Lan without blinking.

Lin Jin Lou glanced at Song Ke, seemingly ignoring his expression, and pulled Xiang Lan closer. With a proud smile, he said to Zheng Jing Xian, “This is your little sister-in-law. She’s timid and hasn’t been out much, so please look after her later, don’t let others bully her.”

Zheng Jing Xian looked at Xiang Lan and started, clearly recognizing her. She quickly glanced at Song Ke, saw his somewhat dazed expression, and frowned. Still maintaining a smile, she said pointedly to Lin Jin Lou, “Listen to cousin speak – if you treasure her so much, why bring her out? Shouldn’t you keep her hidden away at home, away from others’ eyes? Why ask me to protect her?”

Lin Jin Lou laughed, “Everyone knows that Miss Zheng from the Duke Xian family is a hero among the powder and rouge set, rivaling the legendary Mu Gui Ying, a woman who can match any man. Who better to watch over her than you?”

Zheng Jing Xian rolled her eyes at Lin Jin Lou, saying, “Elder Cousin, are you praising me or mocking me? You make me sound like a tigress.”

As these two bantered back and forth, Song Ke remained silent. Xiang Lan kept her head down, staring at the silk cord at her waist, feeling extremely awkward and uncomfortable. Looking up slightly, she saw Song Ke’s hand at his side clenched into a white-knuckled fist. Gathering her courage to raise her head, she found Song Ke staring intently at her, his long eyes flickering with indecipherable emotions.

Lin Jin Lou smiled, “You’ve been a wild girl since childhood. Whether you’re a tigress now is for Yi Fei to say, but our little Xiang Lan is extremely timid, so don’t frighten her.” He paused, then added, “Didn’t you bring your eldest son? I haven’t seen the child yet. I hear he’s a handsome boy.”

Song Ke finally spoke, “The child is still young and shouldn’t be exposed to the wind, so we left him at home. Brother Ying Yang is thoughtful; we received your gift. And thank you for the special gift you prepared when my sister married last year.” He bowed in thanks again, no longer looking at Xiang Lan.

Zheng Jing Xian said with a proud smile, “Song Lang is always so polite. He’s doing well in the Hanlin Academy now, many imperial edicts pass through his hands, and his superiors have praised him more than once or twice, intending to promote him.” Her pride was evident in her words.

Song Ke’s face reddened with embarrassment, and he softly said, “Wife…” meaning for her to say less. Though he had some prestige in the Hanlin Academy, it was nothing compared to Lin Jin Lou’s real power, and mentioning it now only made him feel awkward.

Zheng Jing Xian laughed, “Why are you embarrassed? Excellence should be acknowledged – even Father has praised you several times.”

Lin Jin Lou smiled, “Being a civil official is better than us martial folk who just play with weapons. The Emperor has always favored civil officials over military ones. Yi Fei shows great promise at a young age. Shou Er, you’ve found yourself a good husband.” “Shou Er” was Zheng Jing Xian’s childhood name. She had been sickly as a child, and Wei Shi, fearing she wouldn’t live long, had given her this name meaning “longevity.” When Lin Jin Lou used this nickname now, it showed considerable familiarity.

These words struck exactly the right chord with Zheng Jing Xian, who couldn’t help but cover her mouth with her sleeve and laugh, her eyes darting to look at Xiang Lan once or twice, feeling somewhat unsettled. She knew better than anyone about the history between Chen Xiang Lan and Song Ke, but across such distance and time, Chen Xiang Lan had long been pushed to the back of her mind, leaving only a vague impression.

But suddenly encountering her today, that vague impression became vivid again. Chen Xiang Lan was truly exceptional, not just her face, but the dignity she exuded from head to toe was captivating – cool, aloof, and serene. Like her name, she was like an ethereal orchid, untouched by worldly dust. This unconsciously aroused a hint of jealousy in Zheng Jing Xian.

Zheng Jing Xian said to Lin Jin Lou with a meaningful smile, “This little sister-in-law is more beautiful than your previous Concubine Lan, and a hundred times better than that coquettish former sister-in-law. Elder Cousin still has good taste.”

Lin Jin Lou just smiled and said to Song Ke, “See that sweet mouth of hers? I just praised her for finding a good husband, and now she’s praising me in return.”

Hearing Lin Jin Lou’s words, Song Ke suddenly smiled and stared at his face, saying coolly, “She speaks the truth – Brother Ying Yang indeed has good taste.”

Lin Jin Lou patted Song Ke’s shoulder, smiling, “In my opinion, you have better taste. Getting a wife like Shou Er – you must have burned a lot of incense to be so blessed.”

Hearing these words, Zheng Jing Xian’s face reddened slightly, and she gave Song Ke an affectionate look, covering her mouth with her sleeve as she laughed softly.

Xiang Lan stood to the side with a lowered head and eyes, listening to these three exchange pointed compliments as if she didn’t exist.

New guests arrived, and as the Song family’s carriage couldn’t keep blocking the gate, Lin Jin Lou and Song Ke went to the front. Xiang Lan and Zheng Jing Xian returned to the courtyard. Their maids, Yue Er and Xiao Juan hurried forward to support their respective mistresses.

Qiu Ye, Lin Dong Wan’s head maid, approached with a bright smile to support Xiang Lan’s arm, saying, “First Young Mistress is busy with guests and cannot get away, but when she heard Concubine had arrived, she specifically sent me to receive you.” She led them toward the garden.

After walking for a while, Xiao Juan suddenly heard Xiang Lan sigh very softly, “This is good… now he wears a brand new eight-treasures belt, no longer like before when his belt was washed white, and he couldn’t afford to replace a lost agate, having to substitute it with a worthless red-patterned stone…”