Remembrance (Revision)

Dou Yanxun remained calm and said in a low voice:

“I had given Lao Zheng some silver notes, enough for him to buy a few acres of land or open a teahouse in the countryside to make a living. But it was because he thought of the old friends from Muchunlou that he chose a secluded place to gather everyone together.”

Lin Xu nodded. She lowered her eyes, picked up the teacup in front of her, and saw the amber-colored tea soup rising into the air with rising steam.

As the patter of rain fell outside the window and the aroma of tea grew warmer, she slowly took a sip. The ginger flavor was strong, and in an instant, she felt the chill in her body dissipate.

It's just a simple, coarse tea, yet it has a unique flavor.

The charcoal fire inside was burning brightly, and a few guests were sitting in the distance, taking shelter from the rain. Accompanied by the crackling sound of the stove, a warm feeling spread throughout the small room, which felt quite comforting, and my whole body quickly warmed up.

She glanced around, feeling utterly content, and then gently dried her hair with a handkerchief. After a moment's thought, she spoke softly:

"To be honest with my husband, it's my fault today. I was not honest with him, so it's understandable that you're angry."

"I'm not angry."

Dou Yanxun put down his teacup, his eyes clear and bright, yet a faint sadness flowed in his eyes.

Lin Xu initially thought she was seeing things, but after blinking, she realized that the sorrow in Dou Yanxu's eyes was indeed real.

"I'm just... a little disappointed."

Dou Yanxu lowered her head, as if blinded by the warmth of the room. When she raised her head again, a faint smile appeared on her lips, still as nonchalant as ever.

"My wife would rather scheme against me than discuss countermeasures with me, which makes me feel that our months of marriage are unbearable."

This... Lin Xu had never seen him so self-pitying before, and for a moment he was at a loss for words.

She opened her mouth, about to argue, but suddenly found herself speechless.

She did indeed have ulterior motives towards him, and he had long seen through it. Was she going to lie to him again at this crucial moment?

Besides, when did these two actually start caring about the so-called affection between husband and wife?

Wasn't all of this a lie from the very beginning?

She used her marriage to get close to the Dou family. He had been playing along with her from the beginning, but he was too lazy to expose her, so he let things take their course. Later...

Even if they did consummate their marriage, Dou Yanxun was always surrounded by countless women and never cared about any of them. So how could he have ever truly cared about her?

She couldn't help but shake her head.

Or perhaps her plan failed today, and she made it too obvious, even speaking ill of him in front of Dou Zhen and the servants, which made him feel humiliated and thus he felt wronged.

Her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly, her thoughts turning several times, yet her expression betrayed a deep sense of bewilderment.

Dou Yanxun observed this, and his eyes darkened slightly. He remained silent for a moment, then turned his head to look out the window, gazing at the half-lit sunset tinged with rain. After a long pause, he spoke, his voice as cold and devoid of warmth as the wind:

"Your schemes will not only fail to help Third Sister in the slightest, but will also leave a handle for others to discover."

Before they had even finished their discussion, he changed the subject and began to criticize her actions that day.

Lin Xu listened silently, her anger, which had only subsided for a moment, surged again, and she was no longer willing to endure it. So she sneered and retorted, "Oh? I didn't expect my husband to be so meticulous. Then I really would like to humbly ask you, how did my plan get seen through?"

Dou Yanxun clearly sensed the dissatisfaction in her words. His eyes darkened as he turned his gaze away from the now-continuous rain, but instead casually fiddled with the indentation on the edge of the table.

"That Taoist priest, though a wandering sorcerer, could be bribed by you, so he must be someone who only cares about profit, not someone who is dedicated to cultivating the Tao. If he can leave safely today, that's good. If he is unfortunately captured by the Fifth Prince's men, he should be able to easily confess the mastermind without the Fifth Prince's coercion or inducement."

Lin Xu was startled.

She wasn't foolish enough to personally intervene, but she had instructed Zhao Qi to meet with this Taoist priest. If the priest was truly as weak as he claimed, Zhao Qi's safety would likely be in danger. And the Fifth Prince might very well trace the clues back to her.

Without giving her a chance to retaliate, Dou Yanxun continued:

"Besides, although Third Sister is intelligent, she has been a pampered legitimate daughter since childhood. Although she knows etiquette and knows how to behave, she is still constrained by the rules of the inner chambers. She has good thoughts but lacks courage and strategy. She was so nervous in front of me today. This matter may be kept secret for a while, but it may not be able to keep it from Bai Shi forever. Once she finds out about this, even though you mean well and want to save Third Sister's marriage, you will become a thorn in her side, preventing her own daughter from marrying into the royal family. At that time, not only me, but even Father may not be able to protect you."

Although Lin Xu still harbored resentment towards his fickleness, she had no choice but to calm down after hearing these words.

She looked up at Dou Yanxun.

Bathed in the dim light, his sharp features softened, and he gained a warmth he rarely showed before.

Although she was unwilling, she still had to admit to herself that what he said was indeed something she hadn't considered. The so-called scheme to force the Fifth Prince to retreat by spreading rumors, the scheme she thought was brilliant, now seemed full of loopholes and nothing special.

The sound of rain had stopped at some point, and the outside world had gradually returned to calm.

Her fingertips curled up inside her sleeves, and the anger that had been building up inside her vanished in an instant. Looking at the nonchalant demeanor of the person in front of her, Lin Xu felt, for some reason, only a little resentment and embarrassment.

The charcoal fire in the distance burned brighter, crackling softly. Even though they were far apart, they could still smell the rich aroma of charcoal filling the room.

Lin Xu finally finished the tea in front of her. She looked up, her cheeks flushed slightly from the chill she had caught in the rain.

She spoke with certainty, her earlier anger completely gone.

“What you said makes a lot of sense. But my third sister already has someone she loves, and I can’t bear to watch her marry someone she doesn’t like and ruin her own happiness. Even though this is a difficult favor, I’m determined to help her.”

Dou Yanxun looked into those clear, bright eyes, which clearly held an indelible, radiant light. Even though the room was dimly lit, the brilliance in her eyes could not be concealed.

He rubbed his hands together, and with just a glance at the counter, a waiter brought over a steaming pot of tea. Dou Yanxun looked at her through the rising steam, his smile gradually turning playful.

"Then what are your plans, Madam? Could you please tell me?"

There are plans, of course.

Lin Xu took the teacup, his fingertips gradually getting used to the scalding temperature.

Even though his merciless criticism was truly annoying, after drinking the hot tea, her body gradually warmed up, and her mind began to clear up.

Dou Yanxun's words were not without reason. If one really thought that one could scheme against the Fifth Prince and the Huo family based on just a few rumors, it would be too simplistic and deliberate.

But if we start with the most troublesome Bai family...

After a moment's thought, Lin Xu smiled, already having made up his mind.

Looking up, I saw that the sudden rain outside the window had stopped, the sky was gradually clearing, and it was once again a scene of shimmering sunshine.

The two rested for a short while before getting up to leave. Dou Yanxun tossed several strings of copper coins onto the table, enough to buy the entire teahouse. The old manager, with a kind smile, even though his back was hunched and his steps were unsteady, still personally saw them out.

The return journey was another swift one. After the rain stopped, the roads were clear, and the horse beneath them seemed delighted, galloping swiftly, and soon they returned to the Dou family home.

Compared to before, Lin Xu had adapted much better this time and even experienced the joy of riding against the wind, something he hadn't felt in a long time.

Zhu Ling had been waiting outside the door. Seeing the two of them return safely, though somewhat disheveled, the atmosphere was harmonious, and her heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally slowly settled down.

Lin Xu changed into clean clothes and took a small bowl of longan, red date, and goji berry porridge that had been simmering in the kitchen for a long time. She took small sips and tasted it carefully. The red dates, which had been simmered over a low flame, were already soft and tender. With the addition of shredded ginger, it was indeed refreshing and made her feel warm instantly.

Granny Qin smiled and said, "Zhu Ling said that Miss got caught in the rain today, so she thought of instructing the kitchen to make some nourishing soup to help Miss get rid of the cold."

Zhu Ling continued, "Madam and Second Master rode back together. It was raining heavily at the time, and Third Miss was very worried when she returned. She wanted to wait for you at the other courtyard. I persuaded her for a while, and Third Miss was probably tired. She ate a bowl of wolfberry porridge before leaving."

Lin Xu nodded. Granny Qin was always so considerate. Besides the senior maids like Zhu Ling and Qing Mo, Granny Qin was the only one in charge of the storeroom accounts and supervising the younger maids. With her around, everything was always managed perfectly.