Mrs. Lin wiped away her tears as she accused, "Every ti Xiao'er makes a mistake, you either beat or scold him, never once speaking to him properly. This ti he almost lost his life. Not only did you refuse to call for a doctor, but you confined him. If anything happens to him, I won't live either."
"The confinent was to prevent him from causing more trouble. Who would've expected him to protest by starving himself?" Minister Lin hadn't anticipated that Lin Xiao would refuse food and dicine, almost losing his life in the process.
"Causing trouble? Since when is saving soone's life a mistake? He acted out of righteousness, rescuing soone in danger. If he got hurt, it's because his skills weren't refined enough, and he overestimated his abilities. But he wasn't wrong." Mrs. Lin defended him with conviction, tears streaming.
Minister Lin found himself at a loss for words, his face darkened. Lin Yu Yan stepped forward with a handkerchief to wipe her mother's tears, "Mother, please don't be sad. Second Brother is not in mortal danger; he will recover."
"In any case, he needs to rest at ho and fully recover before stepping one foot outside the door!" Minister Lin, unwilling to argue further with his wife, stord off in frustration.
Lin Cheng visited Lin Xiao, who remained unconscious. After calming Mrs. Lin for a while, he sought out Minister Lin, while Mrs. Lin stayed by Lin Xiao's side, personally attending to him with great care.
Lin Yu Yan said, "Mother, Second Brother's courtyard already has attendants to look after him. You shouldn't overexert yourself; go rest. If he wakes up, I'll imdiately send soone to inform you."
"I want to stay with him and wait for him to wake up." Mrs. Lin stroked Lin Xiao's pale face and lanted, "The wounds are so deep. He's truly suffered."
"It's all Fengyu's fault. Last ti, she kicked Second Brother into the lake, causing him to burn with fever. Now, she nearly cost him his life. Whenever Second Brother encounters her, there's never anything good." Lin Yu Yan twisted a handkerchief with hatred, "If she hadn't kept him overnight at the manor, none of this would've happened. She's a curse."
Though Mrs. Lin believed saving lives wasn't wrong, she still harbored a deep disdain for Fengyu. "A woman of scandalous reputation allowing an unrelated man to stay overnight at her manor—if any rumors spread, she wouldn't care, as she has no sense of sha or dignity. But Xiao'er still has to maintain his respectability. The Feng Family's daughters clearly lack proper upbringing to act so indecently."
"Mother, she's foolish and ignorant, shaless to the extre. In the Capital City, it's unlikely she'll marry into a decent family. Could it be that she's set her sights on Second Brother, deliberately keeping him overnight in hopes of using this to entangle him? That would be her ploy." Lin Yu Yan speculated viciously.
"She can dream on!" Mrs. Lin's chest heaved with anger, her vision turning dark. "A woman with such a reputation isn't even worthy of being a concubine for my son!"
Seeing her mother's loathing for Fengyu, Lin Yu Yan smirked with satisfaction. Fengyu, after being jilted, now wanted to climb higher—what a fantasy! Lin Yu Yan and Fengyu were the sa age, yet Lin Yu Yan excelled in every area. At the Imperial College for Girls, she was revered by many students, with few daring to oppose her. When Fengyu first arrived at the Imperial College, Lin Yu Yan beca enraged over a jeweled pogranate hairpin. It was a unique piece she had taken a fancy to at Linlang Pavilion, but the shopkeeper refused to sell it to her, claiming it had already been reserved.
Lin Yu Yan caused a scene at Linlang Pavilion, sparking gossip, and after being reprimanded by Mrs. Lin, refrained from further trouble. She assud the hairpin had been reserved by soone of high standing, but it turned out to be Fengyu.
Resentful and seeing Fengyu's mother as a re rchant's daughter, Lin Yu Yan provocatively isolated Fengyu with a group of girls. Fengyu, apathetic and unwilling to engage, remained indifferent even when Lin Yu Yan intentionally broke her hairpin. Watching silently as Lin Yu Yan shattered the piece against the ground, Fengyu rely smiled. Lin Yu Yan, arrogant and disdainful, regarded the daughter of a fifth-ranked martial official as timid and easily bullied, basking in her triumph.
That evening, as Minister Lin returned ho, Zhang Da arrived at Minister Lin's Mansion with the broken hairpin and a receipt from Linlang Pavilion, demanding paynt of 500 taels of silver to compensate Fengyu. The hairpin, encrusted with rare rubies and turquoise, was highly valuable.
Lin Yu Yan was left stunned. Zhang Da also presented testimony confirming that Lin Yu Yan, out of spite, had broken the hairpin. Minister Lin begrudgingly paid the 500 taels of silver, an exorbitant sum, and punished Lin Yu Yan by having her transcribe scriptures and kneel in the ancestral hall for two days. Lin Yu Yan grew to loathe Fengyu.
In her eyes, Fengyu was like a vicious dog—a silent one that bites.
Mrs. Lin's temper gradually subsided as she remarked coldly, "For a young lady of her house to stir up so many scandals, she's clearly not the sort to behave discreetly. That Feng Ling, who loves spreading rumors, isn't respectable either. You should stop associating with her."
Having t Feng Shu and Feng Wan, Mrs. Lin had nothing but praise for them. But thinking of Fengyu, she sneered, saying, "Raised under the sa roof, so shine like pearls, while others are re dust."
As night fell, Lin Yu Yan struggled to stay awake. Mrs. Lin noticed her fatigue and urged her to rest. Lin Yu Yan's close maid Lan Xin draped a cloak over her as four other maids carried lanterns ahead to light the path.
Back in her courtyard, Lan Xin helped Lin Yu Yan prepare for bed. Lan Xin said, "Miss, the top scorer has written another letter. The language is provocative, truly disgraceful. He's arranged to et you at Xiangguo Temple three days from now."
"Ignore him. A toad lusting after a swan—does he truly think I'd be interested in him?" Lin Yu Yan replied dismissively. "It's just a few performances of feigned emotions with him. Does he really think he's Xie Xun?"
"But that top scorer sticks to you like glue and even asked for over 10,000 silver. If he spreads rumors, wouldn't your reputation be ruined?"
"What's there to fear? All correspondence has been between you and him; what leverage could he possibly have? Your reputation doesn't matter anyway. If your mistress thrives, so will you."
Lan Xin lowered her head, visibly distressed. "Should this servant write back to discourage him?"
"Make it lodramatic. Say he's struggling at the Imperial College, without prospects, and that my family opposes our dealings. Bla Fengyu for it all. If he doesn't back off, I'll make sure he regrets it." Lin Yu Yan waved her hand dismissively. "Go and write. I'm going to sleep now."
"Understood."
Having harbored hatred for Fengyu, Lin Yu Yan repeatedly sought trouble with her. Yet, Fengyu's retaliatory nature ant Lin Yu Yan rarely gained the upper hand. Once Lin Yu Yan learned that Fengyu was engaged to Jiang Yang, the newly crowned top scorer, jealousy consud her. At the parade honoring Jiang Yang's academic achievent, Lin Yu Yan caught sight of his striking appearance and felt enraged. Why should Fengyu, a rchant's daughter—dim-witted and uncouth—end up marrying a brilliant and handso top scorer?
She devised a plan to intentionally cross paths with Jiang Yang, enchanting him to the point of infatuation. She lured him into longing so obsessively that he abandoned Fengyu for the sake of his future.
Thinking of Fengyu as universally despised, Lin Yu Yan couldn't suppress her satisfaction.
Early in the morning, Nuanyang appeared at the side gate of the Feng Mansion, where Zhang Da and a group of guards prepared to head to Yiling Village to collect grain. Fengyu seed fond of the clever and cheerful Nuanyang. "If there's anything you need along the way, just let Zhang Da know," she said.
Nuanyang, quick-witted, understood Fengyu's underlying suggestion and recognized that she had sent people familiar with life-and-death battles. "Rest assured, Miss. If there's any unrest at Yiling Village again, I'll ensure everyone is brought back safely," he replied with a grin.
"I leave it to you, then." Fengyu handed him a small parcel of pastries. "These snacks are from the small kitchen—take them along for the road."
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