Chapter Nineteen

Li Lanxin looked at Su Xianwen, who was currently blushing and keeping his head lowered after having finished introducing his name and background, and felt a splitting headache.

She opened her mouth, but ultimately said nothing. With a sigh, she shot a look at Old Man Cheng nearby, turned around, and walked quickly behind the curtain.

Before long, the anxious, pleading voice of the young scholar from the Hanlin Academy reached her from behind, only to be promptly silenced by a stern rebuke from Old Man Cheng.

Li Lanxin chose to ignore it. She entered the inner room of the shop and beckoned to Li Mian and Xing'er to leave immediately through the back door.

Walking all the way until they reached the area near Ink Street, Li Lanxin finally stopped with her two maids. They entered the Xingsheng Teahouse, the premier establishment on the street, to sit down, have some tea, and rest their feet.

Though this teahouse was usually bustling with crowds, it was surprisingly empty today. Upon entering, they easily found a good seat in the main hall. A server who was standing idle hurried over to attend to them with enthusiasm, and soon, tea and refreshments were served with practiced efficiency.

"Mistress," Li Mian said, wiping the sweat from the panting Xing'er’s forehead before turning to her mistress. "Was that a troublesome guest earlier?"

Otherwise, why would she have returned from the counter and, without a word, led them away from the shop as if they were fleeing a famine?

Li Lanxin took a sip of clear tea, paused, and nodded: "...Indeed, a troublesome one. From now on, when we inspect the shop, let's come early and leave early. No—it would be best to have Old Man Cheng bring the account books to the gate of the manor. I will review them there, and then have him take them back."

Li Mian’s eyes widened: "Who is it? Are they that difficult to deal with?"

The embroidery shop had been open for many years; naturally, they had encountered many unreasonable customers, and from time to time, local ruffians would come to stir up trouble, but there were always ways to handle them.

What was different this time? Was it some man-eating demon come to life that they had to avoid him like this?

Li Lanxin raised a hand to support her forehead and sighed deeply: "Very difficult."

In this world, the hardest things to resolve are these debts of the heart. She had been a widow for many years; if she were to become entangled in such a scandal, she feared it would lead to a great calamity.

Moreover, having observed the scholar surnamed Su, he did not seem like the type to easily give up. He had a stubborn streak, and judging by Old Man Cheng's performance, that fellow must have come many times already.

Xu Yu had once told her that when it came to sheer stubbornness, all the warriors who had bled on the battlefield combined could not rival those scholars who would weep blood at the palace, strike their heads against pillars to offer remonstrance, and blindly charge into dead ends once they had set their minds on something.

She had run the embroidery shop for eight years. Although the people in the town did not know her true origins, they knew that the owner of Lanxun Embroidery Shop was a widow; one only had to ask to find out.

However, she lived a reclusive life, and the one or two times that ignorant rogues had tried to take advantage of her, she had always had Old Man Cheng find other veterans who had served under Xu Yu to resolve the matter smoothly.

But this scholar was not one of those rabble that could be pushed away or driven off. He was a proper official of the capital; for commoners to even bump into him could become a crime if taken to court.

And the most fatal part was—

Li Lanxin closed her eyes.

The way he looked, as if he were experiencing first love, made it impossible for her to pretend she didn't see it. It was no different from those naive village boys back in her uncle and aunt's hometown who, having just come of age, would constantly bring her flowers and gifts before she had married Xu Yu.

Young hearts in the throes of first love are the most obsessive, and obsession brings greed and anger, leading to endless entanglement.

It was nothing but trouble.

Yet, she hated such trouble. One misstep, and it would destroy the peaceful and stable life she had built for herself, Li Mian, and Xing'er.

"In any case, if we can't afford to provoke him, we shall hide," Li Lanxin tightened her grip on the tea cup, her brow slightly furrowed. "It was my own carelessness. Let this be a lesson; we must be doubly cautious from now on."

Li Mian could not bear to see her looking so troubled and hurried to comfort her: "Mistress, heaven has unpredictable winds and clouds. If some unreasonable wretch insists on causing trouble, how can that be your fault? If there is any fault, it lies with that troublesome pest!"

She spoke through gritted teeth. Although she did not know exactly what had happened, she looked ready to chop the unknown troublemaker into eight pieces. Beside her, Xing'er also showed her white teeth, grinding them in a menacing display.

Li Lanxin burst into laughter, her furrowed brow relaxing, and she pinched the cheeks of the two maids in turn.

"Yes, it is their fault. Let’s not talk about this anymore. Let’s hurry to the bookstore. We won't eat at the Xiuwei Pavilion today; let’s go try the new menu that the Baizhen Hall released last month."

No matter how many worries one has, one must fill their stomach to find a solution. No matter how many vexing matters arise, as long as one eats well, sleeps well, and takes care of their health, there is always a way to get through it.

"Very well!"

***

The three of them left the teahouse and walked into Ink Street, only to be surprised to find that the many small stalls along the usual path—those that offered letter-writing services or sold calligraphy and paintings—which were usually bustling with people, were now largely deserted. Even the stalls with poorer craftsmanship would usually have passersby stopping to ask for prices, but today, the number of people on Ink Street had dropped by more than half.

Li Mian went to the Ruyu Studio as usual, but she could not find the new volume of the storyteller Chang Hensheng.

"How can there not be any? The first volume of the new book came out last month. According to his past habits, the middle volume should have been released this month."

The shopkeeper of Ruyu Studio also looked grim and sighed heavily: "It should have been out by now, but Chang Hensheng is not from the capital. His scripts are printed outside the capital and shipped here. For the past half-month, for some reason, the entry and exit of the capital have been much more strictly guarded. Never mind merchant caravans transporting books; even a single person entering or exiting the city gate with a residence permit is not guaranteed to be let through by the city guards."

Li Lanxin heard the shopkeeper’s words as she entered.

She asked with suspicion: "Shopkeeper, has something happened recently? We came from the east side of the city earlier, and there were far fewer people on the road."

Only then did she realize that it wasn't just business at her embroidery shop that was slower than usual; the entire city seemed much more desolate than it had been.

"This... as common folk, how could we know what great events are happening at the top? In any case, the imperial court has issued decrees, and we only have to follow them," the shopkeeper of Ruyu Studio said with a bitter smile. "Business has indeed been hard to do lately. Goods from outside are hard to bring in, and many things in the city have started to become expensive, so naturally, there are fewer buyers."

Li Lanxin lowered her eyes and pondered for a moment. Without asking further, she took Li Mian and Xing'er and left Ruyu Studio.

They visited several other large bookstores, and all the shopkeepers gave similar accounts.

Li Lanxin suppressed the vague sense of unease rising in her heart, telling herself not to overthink it for now. She took the books she had bought and turned with her maids toward the Baizhen Hall.

The reputation of the Baizhen Hall was even greater than that of the Xiuwei Pavilion. It was said that the head chef’s ancestors were imperial cooks. The street where it was located was gathered mostly with such high-priced eateries. Those who could afford to dine here were either wealthy officials and nobles or people who had saved for a long time just to afford a single meal.

The entire street was quieter than usual, built around a small lake with beautiful scenery.

Li Lanxin led Li Mian and Xing'er along a small path, intending to pass by the lake to reach the Baizhen Hall. The lakeside was planted with green trees, cool and pleasant.

Under their feet was a path paved with white pebbles. The three walked slowly, and as they turned a corner, Li Mian’s ears twitched. She turned around abruptly, her gaze sweeping across the area and finally locking onto a spot behind a tree about ten paces away.

"Who is there?! Come out!" she scolded.

Li Lanxin and Xing'er were both startled and hurriedly looked back, but there was nothing to see except the breeze rustling the leaves.

Li Mian’s gaze grew sharper, and she raised her voice: "I tell you, in broad daylight, no one is afraid of anyone! If you don't come out, don't blame me for calling the city guards to arrest you and taking you to court to charge you with attempted misconduct!"

As her voice fell, there was finally movement behind the tree.

A tall, thin figure stepped out slowly, his face full of dejection.

Li Lanxin widened her eyes in disbelief, her heart pounding.

Who else could this be but that scholar surnamed Su?!

"You—!" She was rarely angry, but at this moment, she was both furious and anxious. "What do you want?!"

She had shaken him off at the embroidery shop, yet he had actually followed her?! Was this how an official of the Hanlin Academy should behave?

How was he any different from a local ruffian?!

Li Mian and Xing'er turned to look at her: "Mistress, do you know him?"

Su Xianwen raised his head, looking somewhat at a loss.

Li Lanxin’s chest heaved with anger. She shielded the two maids behind her, speaking in a sharp, stern tone:

"Master Su, you followed us all the way here. What is your intention?"

"I... I am not..." Seeing her anger, Su Xianwen was so flustered that he struggled to speak.

Li Lanxin pursed her lips and glared at him: "I thought that back at the embroidery shop, even if I hadn't said it, you should have understood my intent. As a dignified official of the Hanlin Academy, are you really so obtuse? If so, then let me say it clearly: I am a widow, and I intend to remain chaste for my late husband for the rest of my life. To avoid staining my reputation, I never engage in any private dealings or interactions with other men. I have already accepted your gratitude for pointing out the way to mend the skirt, but beyond that, I will accept nothing."

"Please leave quickly."

Su Xianwen’s face turned red again. He froze for a moment before waving his hands frantically:

"Mistress, Mistress, you misunderstand! I was not following you from the embroidery shop. It was earlier—I came out of the shop to buy some brushes and ink on Ink Street, and only saw you when I came out!"

"I followed you here because I wanted to... apologize to you."

Li Lanxin was startled, but her expression did not relax as she stared at him.

Su Xianwen wiped his face, looking dejected: "Earlier, at the embroidery shop, Manager Cheng had already scolded me severely. I know it was my sudden, presumptuous thoughts—greed born of ignorance—that disturbed your peace."

"I came here truly wanting to apologize. From now on, I will never harass you again or cause you any displeasure. However, what I said before still stands. A gentleman’s word is his bond; if there is ever anything you need my help with, just ask, and I will do my utmost."

He held up three fingers and said solemnly: "I swear upon the spirit of my late mother: if I break this promise, may my parents find no peace in the afterlife, and may I be struck by lightning, never to—"

"Enough, enough!" Li Lanxin cut him off. "You... you don't have to do this."

She looked at him with an expression of even greater astonishment.

This... this scholar from the Hanlin Academy...

Could he be suffering from some mental ailment?

It was truly terrifying.

After Su Xianwen finished speaking, he dejectedly lowered his hand. He looked at her deeply once more, his eyes slightly red, then bowed solemnly and turned to leave.

Li Lanxin and her two equally shaken maids looked at each other and let out a collective sigh of relief.

Xing'er hugged Li Lanxin’s waist tightly and couldn't help but mutter: "What kind of person is this?"

...

The soft, warm lake breeze blew toward the crimson building. From the high vantage point, one could see the scene of a cold-hearted widow angrily rebuffing a dejected scholar behind the hidden trees.

Zong Lin stared coldly at the figure, which was clearer than it had been in his dreams, a mocking smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

From this pavilion, one could take in the entire view of the Emerald Lake, yet he did not know why his gaze had locked onto her immediately, as if everything else had become blurred.

The dress she wore was much more plain and humble than the one she had worn at the Imperial Palace, yet he could find her instantly; he knew at a glance that it was her.

She was even more... than she had been in his dreams.

He had been like a man possessed here, yet she—in just a single month, she had already brought misery to another.

She caught the eyes of others, yet gave them no chance of salvation.

She only allowed people to sink deeper and deeper into an endless abyss of suffering, while she remained aloof.

Such a cold-hearted, fickle woman—he imagined her husband in her home must not have been able to control her either.

If that was the case, then let someone else take over the control.

"He Cheng," Zong Lin laughed. "Go, find out exactly who she is."

Behind him, He Cheng felt cold sweat trickling down, and he bowed his head in compliance.