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墨書 Inktalez
"Sure, that's a great poem, so catchy! No wonder you're the teacher I once admired!" Lin Yuan exaggerated.
"Once admired? Heh," Shen Sujun said, reaching out and playfully tapping Lin Yuan's forehead. She shot him a glance and added, "So now you look down on your teacher?"
Her delicate hand was soft and fair, and the tap on his forehead was neither too hard nor too soft, making Lin Yuan quite enjoy it. He took her slender hand in his own and pretended to frown in distress, saying, "Teacher Shen? After all my hard work on this journey, you don't even ask how I'm doing..."
"Are you offending your teacher?" Shen Sujun laughed lightly, withdrawing her hand and deliberately avoiding the intensity in Lin Yuan's gaze. She said casually, "What great audacity! When is it ever the teacher's duty to inquire about the student?"
The soft sensation of her hand was fleeting, leaving Lin Yuan feeling somewhat defeated. He understood that Shen Sujun's words were already hinting at something.
So he couldn't push his luck any further.
However, their playful banter had momentarily transported Lin Yuan back to those brief moments they had shared in the past.
Back then, the Shen Sujun before him was a scholarly young man dressed as a woman, while he was just a wealthy young master lost in heartbreak...
Now, Shen Sujun wore a blue dress, her hair tied loosely with a bamboo hairpin at the back of her head, completely devoid of makeup. Compared to those women who adorned themselves heavily with cosmetics, she exuded an unpretentious elegance that was simply beautiful—a natural charm reminiscent of a lotus blooming from clear water, radiating an aura of spirituality.
Lin Yuan could only sigh inwardly; if only life could always be like the first meeting.
He took a deep breath and dared not overstep again. After all, times had changed. While he could have freely "bullied" the former bookish companion back then, he now felt extremely cautious in front of Shen Sujun.
It wasn't that he feared her former status that nearly elevated her above others; rather, the more he interacted with this woman, the more he found her unpredictable. He worried that one misstep might cause her to abandon him.
It is often said that women who have experienced much are inevitably complex. This phrase applied to Shen Sujun as well—not as a derogatory term but rather as an acknowledgment of how she had faced countless challenges after leaving the palace and had come to see everything with clarity.
As the saying goes, in the face of life and death, everything else is trivial.
Of course, those who have never faced such trials cannot grasp the meaning and weight of this statement. Just think about it: a woman who regards a position that all other women admire and yearn for as worthless—discarding it without a second thought and going to great lengths to escape it—would certainly value nothing else outside of herself.
Even romantic relationships had once disappointed her; thus, they were not necessarily something she valued highly.
People are like this: to conquer someone, you must start from their weaknesses or offer what they lack; this signifies victory.
But now, the former bookish companion seemed to have little desire for anything. Moreover, after experiencing life-and-death situations, people generally achieve profound enlightenment and become more detached from worldly desires.
Lin Yuan thought for a moment and then took out a silver note from his pocket, handing it over while casually saying, "Here, your money..."
"My money?"
Shen Sujun took it with confusion. It was a universally accepted Dragon Head Silver Note, with a long string of zeros following the number, an amount so large that it made her dizzy.
After thinking for a while, she seemed to understand something and returned the silver note to Lin Yuan, saying lightly, "Everyone knows I am no longer in this world. Your sister's establishment has nothing to do with me, and why would I need this money?"
Lin Yuan quickly explained, "I know you don't need this now, but Lin Tian'er doesn't think so. Ever since you fell into the water, Lin Tian'er has been crying every day, feeling guilty for taking you to the riverbank. Although the emperor did not punish her, she feels so guilty that she wishes she could die... During that time, she was almost on the brink of collapse. Thankfully, she shifted her focus to the establishment and managed to pull through. Even though she knows you are gone, she still remembers the vows made with you very clearly. The half that belongs to you is all saved by her. A special room has been set up in the establishment filled with your belongings. Lin Tian'er often sits there in a daze for half a day. Every quarter when they distribute profits, she puts your share in that room for you to see..."
Hearing Lin Yuan talk about Lin Tian'er's sorrow made her feel a pang of sadness as well. She knew that Lin Tian'er was a person who valued emotions deeply, so this gesture was not surprising.
However, Shen Sujun kept looking at the silver note and felt something was off.
After pondering for a moment and frowning slightly, she said softly, "What happened that day really cannot be told to her. She is too naive; if it gets out, it would be a disaster for your family... To put it selfishly, I would rather she be sad for a moment than have another person know and bring your family endless trouble..."
That day, Mei Shuang had just recovered from a severe illness and asked Lin Tian'er to take her to the riverside for some fresh air.
Coincidentally, the waves were high that day and there weren't many people around. Mei Shuang seized the opportunity to feign illness and then fell into the water by the riverbank. The wind and waves were fierce that day, and soon Mei Shuang disappeared from sight.
In a panic, Lin Tian'er and several maids who were accompanying them were at a loss as they watched Mei Shuang being swept away by a wave. Lin Tian'er turned pale and sat down on the ground unable to get up... Who could have predicted that Mei Shuang would use her swimming skills to float downstream for a while before reaching the shore? The rescuers quickly helped her disguise herself before blending in with a ship heading south...
Everything was orchestrated by Lin Yuan, with Mei Shuang cooperating flawlessly.
Although the plan succeeded and nearly everyone present knew about Mei Shuang's accidental fall into the water with little chance of survival, the entire riverside was searched immediately afterward without any results. Thus, Mei Shuang's death became common knowledge.
But if anyone else found out that she was still alive—let alone Lin Yuan—the entire Lin family would face dire consequences.
Thinking of this, Mei Shuang sighed, furrowing her brows as her tone grew somber. "Lin Yuan, you shouldn't come here anymore. I'm really worried that one day if Lin Tian'er discovers something is off with you; she's quite curious..."
Upon hearing that he shouldn't come anymore, Lin Yuan felt his heart sink.
He understood Mei Shuang's concerns but knew he couldn't bear not seeing her again. He patted his chest and promised,
"Don't worry, I always act cautiously. Lin Tian'er won't notice."
Mei Shuang looked at the banknote in her hand, then at Lin Yuan, speechless. "You took out this banknote, and you think Lin Tian'er won't find out? Or did Lin Tian'er ask you to bring it?"
Lin Yuan was momentarily at a loss for words. He quickly avoided Mei Shuang's scrutinizing gaze and pretended to drink from his teacup. "Actually, it's not like that... Every time Lin Tian'er puts these banknotes there, I feel it's a pity... This should have been yours; instead of leaving it there, I thought it would be better to bring it to you. Maybe you could use it for something..."
Mei Shuang stared at him, her clear eyes clearly saying, "Keep making excuses."
Lin Yuan felt a rush of panic inside; when those clear eyes fixed on you, the scrutiny made him feel like there was nowhere to hide.
He maintained a facade of calmness and forced a laugh. "I took it without permission; Lin Tian'er doesn't know."
Mei Shuang shoved the banknote back into Lin Yuan's hands. "She might not know today, but she could find out tomorrow. If she learns that you took it without asking, what do you think she will think? Besides, in less than a year since you've come to Jiangnan, you've been slacking off and ignoring your studies. Don't you think Lin Tian'er would find that strange?"
Lin Yuan couldn't hold back any longer and had no choice but to surrender. "Lin Tian'er said you're incredibly clever; I admit it today..."
As Mei Shuang had suspected, Lin Yuan suddenly dropped everything he was doing and disregarded his family's objections to help Lin Tian'er manage the establishment. He even made a point to visit Jiangnan every month. These unusual actions left Lin Tian'er utterly confused.
Lin Yuan explained that managing the establishment was the dying wish of Lin Shoutong; if he didn't do it well, she wouldn't rest in peace.
Half-convinced, Lin Tian'er accepted Lin Yuan's explanation.
However, every time Lin Tian'er received her share of profits from the establishment, she would cry and insist on burning Mei Shuang's portion as an offering to her spirit in heaven. This made Lin Yuan feel incredibly regretful; he thought, why burn it when she's still alive?
So he advised Lin Tian'er to keep the banknotes and choose an auspicious day for burning them—like the anniversary of Lin Shoutong's death—otherwise, if burned on a regular day, she wouldn't receive them anyway.
Lin Tian'er listened to Lin Yuan's advice and kept the banknotes, planning to burn them on Mei Shuang's anniversary. However, just before leaving, when Lin Yuan secretly took out the banknotes again, he was caught by Lin Tian'er.
Seeing Lin Yuan stealing from Lin Shoutong's stash made Lin Tian'er furious; she thought he must have done something outside that required money and insisted on taking him to confront his father.
Lin Yuan had no choice but to tell the truth.
Upon hearing that Mei Shuang was alive, Lin Tian'er was filled with mixed emotions—both joy and tears.
As a result, he immediately took out all the silver notes and handed them to Lin Yuan, asking him to deliver them to Mei Shuang.
......
After Lin Yuan finished speaking, Mei Shuang remained silent for a long time.
"You should accept this now, right? Besides, every month when I come over, you suggest new ideas and proposals. If you don't accept it, I would feel guilty."
Mei Shuang sighed lightly and said, "You might not know this, but I have an agreement with Lin Tian'er. As long as she can find a way for me not to be the Empress, I will give those silver coins to her without asking for anything in return. So you can take it back."
Lin Yuan was anxious upon hearing this. "How could she possibly have the ability to make you not be the Empress?"
Mei Shuang replied calmly, "You did it, so it's fine if you don't give it to her; you can keep it for yourself."
Seeing Mei Shuang like this, Lin Yuan understood what she truly thought and felt a bit regretful for inadvertently letting Lin Tian'er know that Lin Shoutong was still alive.
In fact, what Lin Shoutong cared about was not that Lin Tian'er knew, but rather that if she knew, how far was it from the Emperor finding out?
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