Chapter Four: Entering the Inner Chamber
The Qiao residence.
Ah Chen's car drove in and parked in front of the garden.
The car door slammed open, and Qiao Yuan got out first, his face still showing signs of anger. He walked around the front of the car and almost half-carried Cheng Qing out of the back seat.
Cheng Qing stepped onto the cold stone steps, her slender figure appearing even more delicate in the bright light. She timidly raised her eyes, her gaze sweeping over the magnificent Western-style building in front of her, her eyes revealing a timely mix of amazement and just the right amount of timidity.
“Master Qiao…” Her voice was soft, with a lingering tremor, as she nestled beside Qiao Yuan, like a frightened bird finding shelter. “This…this is the Qiao residence? It’s so beautiful…much more magnificent than those mansions on Xiafei Road.”
Cheng Qing tilted her head slightly, her gaze sweeping over the tall Roman columns and exquisitely carved wrought iron balcony in front of the building, finally settling on the meticulously manicured French rose bushes swaying in the night breeze in the garden. "This garden, this design... I heard that it was all handled by Madam? Madam is truly... truly a top student from Tongji University, her taste is so refined!" Her words were full of pure, naive admiration, as if she genuinely admired the hostess's talent.
The news that Qiao Yuan had brought "the little one" back spread quickly.
Ah Xiu practically stumbled into the small hall, her face deathly pale and breathless. Facing Lin Tang, who was sitting by the window looking at the account books, her voice trembled uncontrollably: "Madam! Master... Master... he really brought that Miss Cheng... into the manor! The carriage... the carriage is already in the front yard!"
Lin Tang's fingers tightened almost imperceptibly as she gripped the ledger, her knuckles turning slightly white.
Outside the window, the rain pattered against the banana leaves. She slowly raised her head, but her face showed none of the panic or anger Ah Xiu had expected; only an almost frozen calm.
"You've arrived so quickly?" Lin Tang's voice was not loud, even a little soft, but still steady. "Then let's greet this Miss Cheng together!"
She put down the ledger, her movements unhurried and deliberate.
The edges of the ledger were neat and there wasn't a single crease.
She stood up, the hem of her moon-white satin cheongsam cascading down like water, outlining her still slender waist, though no longer as vigorous as it once was.
The woman in the mirror still had delicate features, but deep in her eyes lay a heavy weariness and aloofness, and the gentle curve of her lips, which she usually maintained, now looked somewhat stiff.
"Let's go!" she said calmly.
Seeing her calm demeanor, Ah Xiu felt even more flustered. She wanted to say something, but her lips trembled a few times before she finally dared not speak. She could only follow closely behind her.
Lin Tang strode towards the front hall. In this damp, rainy weather, her injured leg inevitably ached terribly, the pain spreading up her spine. Yet, she showed no sign of it on her face, her back ramrod straight, as if the pain had nothing to do with her.
As you walk through the long corridor and step into the front hall, you hear a burst of giggles, accompanied by a deliberately soft but undeniably boastful exclamation.
Cheng Qing looked at Lin Tang, his eyes catching the ebony cane Lin Tang was leaning on and the barely concealed stiffness in Lin Tang's right leg as she stood. He let out a soft "Ah," his voice carrying just the right amount of concern and regret: "Master Qiao... is this Madam?"
Qiao Yuan looked at Lin Tang and nodded almost imperceptibly.
Cheng Qing immediately went to greet her, "Madam, what brings you here? Your legs must be sore from standing like that for so long... It's all my fault for making you stand in the cold wind for so long..."
Upon hearing this, Qiao Yuan's brows furrowed unconsciously, and his gaze fell on Lin Tang's legs. An inexplicable sense of irritation welled up in his heart.
"Hmph!" A cold, harsh laugh came from the side. Zhang Ma, her back hunched, stared intently at Cheng Qing with her cloudy old eyes. "Miss Cheng, you should take better care of yourself! Aren't you afraid of catching a cold dressed so lightly!"
Cheng Qing seemed startled by Zhang Ma's sternness, pressing herself even closer to Qiao Yuan. Her face instantly turned pale, and her eyes quickly filled with tears as she looked at Qiao Yuan, on the verge of sobbing, "Master Qiao... he... I..."
Lin Tang glanced at Zhang Ma, her gaze calm and unwavering, yet carrying an unyielding authority that effectively silenced Zhang Ma's unspoken harsh words. She turned to Cheng Qing, a faint, almost imperceptible smile playing on her lips, her voice low but clear enough to pierce the stagnant air of the front hall:
“Miss Cheng, you’re too kind. It’s just an old ailment, nothing serious.” As she spoke, her gaze swept over Cheng Qing’s carefully painted, tear-filled face, finally settling on Qiao Yuan. Her eyes were as deep as an ancient, cold well, devoid of joy or anger. “It’s windy outside, let’s not stand here, let’s go inside and talk.”
Cheng Qing was taken aback by her lukewarm attitude. She tightened her grip on Qiao Yuan's arm slightly, but a sweeter smile bloomed on her face, carrying a touch of innocent naivety.
The group arrived at the hall.
Cheng Qing's gaze swept over the elegant furnishings in the hall: "This hall is beautifully decorated. I see the patterns on the curtains and the style of the sofa; they are both fashionable and elegant. They must all be the work of Madam. You are a top student from the architecture department of Tongji University, and your taste is truly exceptional! Unlike me, I am shallow and only know some gaudy things."
Her voice was soft and sweet, each word like honey, but her eyes glanced intentionally or unintentionally at Lin Tang's cane and posture before quickly lowering her gaze, with a touch of just the right amount of self-consciousness, "Madam, please don't laugh at me, I just think... the person who designed such a house is truly remarkable."
She paused, as if suddenly remembering something, and looked at Lin Tang with pure admiration: "By the way, Madam! I heard that you were exceptionally good at drawing when you were in school, and even won an award from the Powell Foundation? That's an extremely prestigious honor! Unlike me..."
Her voice lowered, tinged with a just-right touch of melancholy, "Back then, I was in Mingde Girls' High School, and I was also determined to get into Tongji University to study architecture... Unfortunately, my family suffered a misfortune, and I didn't finish my studies, and... well, let's not talk about it, it's all fate. How could I compare to you, Madam?"
A crack finally appeared in Lin Tang's calm expression. Her knuckles, gripping the ebony cane, turned bluish-white from the force. The base of the cane lightly tapped against the polished marble floor, producing an almost inaudible knocking sound, as if her carefully maintained composure was crumbling.
Cheng Qing's words were innocent and full of praise, yet they were also laced with venom, pointing directly to everything she had lost.
Lin Tang's straight back tightened even more, like a bow stretched to its limit. Only she knew that deep within her crippled leg, wrapped in the cheongsam, the aching pain was gnawing at her marrow with Cheng Qing's words and the damp air.
Qiao Yuan took it all in. Cheng Qing's "unintentional" envy and self-pity were like a stone thrown into a deep pool, stirring up the turbidity in his heart that he himself despised; when he saw Lin Tang's face turn pale instantly and her slight trembling, a surge of irritation mixed with an indescribable stinging pain suddenly rose up and burned his nerves.
Qiao Yuan abruptly shook off Cheng Qing's hand, the force so great that Cheng Qing staggered and her smile froze.
"Enough!" Qiao Yuan's voice was low and suppressed, like the rumbling thunder before a storm. He dared not look at Lin Tang again, and waved his hand impatiently. "Why bring up these old stories? Ah Chen, take Miss Cheng to the West Building to settle in!"
“The east wing,” Lin Tang’s voice was completely calm, as if she were simply stating a perfectly ordinary arrangement, “The east wing is empty, and it has good lighting and ventilation.”
This sudden arrangement, imbued with the unquestionable authority of a female protagonist, caused Qiao Yuan to stiffen abruptly. Cheng Qing, in his arms, was also stunned, a fleeting look of astonishment and deep resentment flashing across her eyes.
The east wing? That's where only the principal wife lives! How could a mere "concubine" who just entered the household be allowed to live in the east wing? Was Lin Tang deliberately humiliating her? Or... testing Master Qiao's limits?
Cheng Qing was filled with doubt and uncertainty, but dared not show it on her face. She simply gripped Qiao Yuan's clothes even tighter and looked up helplessly at his tense jawline.
Qiao Yuan's chest heaved violently a few times. He turned around abruptly, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Lin Tang, filled with rage, humiliation, and a hint of mania at having his authority questioned in public.
He practically spat out those words through gritted teeth, hurling sparks at Lin Tang: "I can let her live wherever I want! It's none of your business!"
Before he finished speaking, he used his arm forcefully, almost dragging Cheng Qing, and rushed straight into the brightly lit hall, striding towards the corridor leading to the west wing.
As he dragged her along, Cheng Qing stumbled, her slender white ankle hitting the edge of the cold Italian marble floor tiles. The pain made her gasp, but she dared not utter a sound, only letting out a suppressed whimper.
Lin Tang stood there, the night wind blowing in through the open door, making the hem of her cheongsam flutter.
Zhang Ma's cloudy old eyes were fixed on Cheng Qing's retreating figure, wishing she could burn two holes in that scarlet cheongsam. "Madam! This...this damned...why do you have to put up with this!"
Ah Xiu could no longer hold back her tears, which streamed down her face. She rushed forward and tightly held Lin Tang's cold arm, her voice trembling and incoherent: "Madam... please go back inside! This wind... this wind is too cold, your legs can't take it!"
Zhang Ma cursed hoarsely, "That damned slut! That pretentious little whore! Madam, you shouldn't have let her in! This old servant will go and tear her face off!" She made as if to rush out, but Lin Tang's silent gaze froze her in place.
Lin Tang gently pulled her arm away from Ah Xiu's grasp. Her fingertips were icy cold, and when they touched Ah Xiu's warm hand, Ah Xiu couldn't help but shiver.
She straightened her back, but her voice was surprisingly calm: "They've all dispersed."
Ah Xiu wanted to say something, but saw Lin Tang turn around, his ebony cane tapping the ground with a crisp and lonely sound, as he walked step by step towards the inner courtyard.
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