When Xiang Lan returned to Di Cui Hall and sat on the bed, she realized her entire body was drenched in cold sweat. The wine she had consumed at the banquet had a lingering effect, now hitting her harder, and combined with the wind in the garden, her head felt heavy. This was her first time getting drunk, and she couldn’t help but lie down on the bed.
Xiao Juan brought hangover soup and managed to feed her two spoonfuls, then took out a thin apricot blossom quilt from the cabinet to cover Xiang Lan. She ordered a young maid to take the medicine off the small stove, planning to reheat it when Xiang Lan woke up.
Lying on the bed, Xiang Lan felt the alcohol’s weight, her heart pounding, her consciousness gradually dispersing. Her mind wandered chaotically, scenes from past and present lives flooding in, leaving her thoughts in disarray. As she was feeling thoroughly uncomfortable, Lin Jin Lou entered. Seeing Xiang Lan, he was filled with anger. Sitting on the bed’s edge, he pulled her up and said resentfully, “So you’re sleeping now? Where’s that spirit from earlier when you were crying and laughing?”
Xiang Lan opened her half-drunk eyes and stared at Lin Jin Lou for a while as if she didn’t recognize him. Suddenly she giggled, leaned close to Lin Jin Lou, patted his face, and shook her head saying, “This isn’t a good dream, dreaming of this bastard…”
Xiao Juan was just coming in with tea and was startled by these words, nearly dropping the teacup.
Lin Jin Lou became instantly enraged, reaching out to slap Xiang Lan’s face, gripping her arms saying, “Who the fuck are you talking about!”
Xiao Juan heard the slapping sound and felt terrified. She carefully placed the tea on the small table and gathered her courage to plead for Xiang Lan: “Master, Madam is speaking nonsense because she’s drunk, she…”
Lin Jin Lou glared at Xiao Juan and asked, “Did you give her hangover soup?”
Xiao Juan timidly nodded, then shook her head saying, “We worried the herbs in the hangover soup might conflict with the medicine Madam needs to take later, so we didn’t dare give her much.”
Lin Jin Lou irritably scratched his head and shouted, “Get out! Wait outside!”
Xiao Juan hastily retreated, casting a final glance at Xiang Lan who was still drunkenly leaning against the wall. She was very worried but could do nothing.
Lin Jin Lou grabbed Xiang Lan and forced the tea into her mouth, cursing, “Well done! You’ve grown bold, getting drunk like this, meeting old lovers, and even cursing now. You’ve developed skills, haven’t you? Just keep pushing me!”
Xiang Lan struggled desperately, tea spilling all over her body and the bed, choking her into violent coughing until she could barely breathe. She looked at Lin Jin Lou’s face through her haze, the grievance and hatred in her heart nearly bursting through her chest. Pointing at Lin Jin Lou, she shouted, “What kind of person am I? I, Chen Xiang Lan, have lived uprightly and properly, pure and clean through two lifetimes, holding my head high. It was you! You forced me to bend, pressed my head down, making me live as a slave from now on, unable to cry or laugh.”
Lin Jin Lou stood up abruptly, the teacup shattering on the floor. His anger made his hands shake as he struck Xiang Lan across the face.
Xiang Lan fell onto the bed, then straightened up, covering her face. She looked at Lin Jin Lou and laughed, tears falling like broken strings of pearls. She had lived too cautiously around Lin Jin Lou for so long that she’d forgotten she had a temper too. Now, with alcohol coursing through her, she truly didn’t care anymore. She slowly straightened up and said through tears: “Back then, I was almost sold to a brothel by Zhao Yue Chan. It was Song Ke who reached out to save me and ransomed my parents, yet he never used that kindness to demand anything from me. Though Song Ke’s family status and power can’t compare to yours, the respect he showed me… hmph, even though we have no destiny in this life, I’ll remember his kindness forever. Today you deliberately arranged for me to meet Song Ke – I know exactly what calculations are in your mind. If you had even the slightest genuine feeling for me, you wouldn’t have put me in such an awkward position.” She stared at Lin Jin Lou, slowly shaking her head: “But of course, when have you ever had genuine feelings for any woman? We’re all just pets to you, like cats and dogs. Let me tell you, even if every woman in the world wanted to be your concubine, I wouldn’t care for it!”
Lin Jin Lou stared intently at Xiang Lan, his fists clenching so tight they creaked. He wanted to kill her with one blow and was so angry he felt like vomiting blood. He wanted to hit her, raised his hand but lowered it again, finally grabbing her collar and gritting through his teeth: “Don’t care for it? I’ll specifically keep you by my side as a concubine and watch you suffer and cry every day!”
Xiang Lan was dizzy and felt terrible. When Lin Jin Lou grabbed her, it made everything worse, and she suddenly vomited, which triggered more nausea. She threw up violently, right onto Lin Jin Lou.
Lin Jin Lou trembled with rage, pushing Xiang Lan away and shouting: “Where is everyone? Are you all dead?”
Xiao Juan had been anxiously eavesdropping at the door, thinking she might need to rescue Xiang Lan if Lin Jin Lou became too angry. Hearing Lin Jin Lou’s shout, she scrambled in to find Xiang Lan hunched over the bed, having vomited everywhere and still retching. Lin Jin Lou was so angry he seemed about to steam, pointing at Xiang Lan with a shaking finger, cursing hatefully: “Drunk words are true words, very good, very good, you live up to my expectations!”
Xiao Juan dared not look at Lin Jin Lou’s face and hurriedly brought a spittoon for Xiang Lan. She rushed out and fortunately found half a pot of water warming on the stove in the tea room. She mixed in some cold water and brought it in. Lin Jin Lou grabbed the basin and poured it over Xiang Lan’s head, saying through gritted teeth: “I’ll help you sober up properly, you ungrateful woman!”
Xiang Lan was soaked through and felt even worse. Xiao Juan was terrified, kneeling on the ground and crying as she begged Lin Jin Lou: “Master, please calm down. Madam only spoke nonsense because she’s drunk, she…” She was too scared to continue, kowtowing repeatedly: “Master, please calm down, Master, please calm down!”
Lin Jin Lou had no outlet for his fury and kicked Xiao Juan, shouting: “Get out! Get out!”
The kick was not light, and Xiao Juan, terrified, crouched outside the door, not daring to enter again.
Lin Jin Lou forcibly pulled Xiang Lan up, cursing: “Embarrassing yourself in public, get up! We’re going home to settle accounts!”
Xiang Lan had nothing left to vomit and felt unbearably ill. Unable to endure anymore, with alcohol clouding her mind, she bit Lin Jin Lou’s arm and scratched at his face, feeling both a desperate satisfaction and despair at throwing caution to the winds. It would be fine if she truly angered this tyrant – let him beat her to death, better than suffering in this world.
Lin Jin Lou just laughed coldly, easily subduing Xiang Lan, his fury and violence surging. He knew Xiang Lan didn’t want to be with him, that she stayed only because she felt compelled to repay his kindness for saving her several times. Today she had said of Song Ke, “never used kindness to demand anything” – oh yes, he was the one who used kindness as leverage, while Song Ke was her beloved, an upright gentleman. In her heart, he was just a bastard who used kindness to coerce her. When had he, Lin Jin Lou, ever been so pathetic and weak? Outside he was a powerful figure who could command wind and rain, yet no matter how well he treated this woman, even seeking doctors and medicine hoping she would bear children, she still despised him. He wanted to strangle her and be done with it, but he just couldn’t bring himself to do it. He pushed Xiang Lan aside.
Xiang Lan felt another wave of nausea and slipped, falling to the ground with her hand landing right on the scattered teacup shards. Blood immediately welled up, and Xiang Lan let out a pained moan. Seeing the blood, Lin Jin Lou immediately grabbed Xiang Lan up, cursing “Damn it!” He raised her injured hand and shouted outside: “Where is everyone? Bring clean water!”
Xiao Juan had been waiting at the door and quickly brought fresh water. She carefully removed all the fragments from Xiang Lan’s palm using a hairpin and rinsed it with clean water. Being a military man, Lin Jin Lou always kept medicines for injuries on hand, far superior to common remedies. He immediately applied medicine to Xiang Lan’s wound and asked the Lu family for clean cotton strips to bandage it.
Xiang Lan’s face was pale with pain, but she bit her lip without making a sound. The alcohol had mostly worn off, and she just sat on the bed with tears in her eyes.
Lin Jin Lou looked at Xiang Lan and snorted, saying sternly: “Now you’re behaving after seeing blood? Sobered up now? Still want to court death?”
Xiang Lan closed her eyes, pretending to sleep.
Lin Jin Lou laughed coldly several times and stood up saying: “Fine, you’ve grown capable, daring to show attitude to me.” He went to remove his soiled clothes.
A moment later, Gui Yuan brought two sets of clean clothes. Lin Jin Lou changed into one set and threw the other at Xiang Lan’s face, saying: “Hurry up and change!” Then he told Xiao Juan: “Quick, help her change clothes, did you hear me?” Then he walked out.
Xiao Juan helped Xiang Lan change into clean clothes. Her hair was still wet, so she simply redid it in a simple bun with a braid underneath, putting away all the other ornaments.
Xiang Lan was deathly pale, her head aching terribly, but after vomiting and the hysterical outburst, she felt somewhat better. Di Cui Hall’s young maid had already reported to Lin Dong Wan about Lin Jin Lou and Xiang Lan’s altercation. Lin Dong Wan had quietly looked in once, then deliberately played deaf and blind until things calmed down. Only then did she come with her maid, pretending not to notice Xiang Lan’s swollen face, smiling as she said: “So Sister Xiang Lan got drunk, it was my oversight. Here’s some sobering tea, not like those medicinal hangover soups. It has ginger to warm your stomach. The kitchen has some rice porridge and small dishes – sister should eat something to settle your stomach.” After some more concerned words, she left.
Xiang Lan drank the tea and ate half a bowl of porridge, but her head was still heavy. As Xiao Juan applied a cool cloth to her face, Xiang Lan grabbed her hand and asked: “You were kicked earlier – where did it hit? Was it bad?”
Hearing these words, Xiao Juan’s eyes filled with tears as she choked: “I’m fine, I can eat and sleep. A kick will just bruise for a couple of days, and besides, I dodged quickly so it wasn’t direct… Madam, you must take care of yourself. Look at your condition… your face, and your hand… you still need that hand to hold brushes and paint.”
These words made Xiang Lan tear up as well. Just then, footsteps sounded, and Xiao Juan quickly wiped the tears from her face. Lin Jin Lou walked in as if nothing had happened, went straight to Xiang Lan, and wrapped her up blanket and all, merely telling Xiao Juan: “Pack up the things, we’re going home.”