Page 25 of Silk and Sensibility

Meilin’s pulse raced. The golden chāi pin was a gift from her parents. It was irreplaceable. “Stop, thief!” she shouted as she took off running.

Street peddlers swept out of the way as the thief barreled past, trying to protect themselves from the commotion. Meilin tried to close the distance between her and the thief, but her lungs burned. She began losing hope even as she kept running in desperation. Even if she caught up to him, how would she make the criminal give back her chāi?

She feared she would lose him around a corner, when she heard a grunt.

The thief sailed back into the lane, stumbling.

A young gentleman calmly emerged from around the corner, walking toward the thief while casually waving a fan.

The thief wielded the two prongs of Meilin’s golden chāi like a weapon.

The gentleman’s eyes flicked to Meilin and seemed to instantly comprehend the situation. He snapped his fan shut and pointed it at the thief. “Return that hairpin to its rightful owner.”

The thief swiped at him with the chāi to distract and escape, but the gentleman pivoted away from the attack and tripped the thief with his leg. By this time, a couple of Uncle Meng’s men arrived on the scene and pinned the thief down. They pried the golden chāi out of his hands.

“I’m sorry for the scare, Miss Meilin,” one of the men said as he held out the hairpin to her.

“Please allow me, miss.” The young gentleman took the chāi and deftly slid it into Meilin’s hair. “You seem to be shaking.”

Meilin looked down at her pale and trembling hands. Though she was safe now, part of her could not believe she had been robbed in broad daylight. Her heart pounded, and her voice came out as tremulous as a kitten’s mew. “Is Suzhou always this lawless?”

The gentleman’s eyes softened. “Are you new to the city, miss?”

Uncle Meng arrived before Meilin could answer. “I’m so glad you’re not hurt!” He was red-faced and out of breath. After glancing at the young gentleman, however, he looked relieved. “Master Wei, what a pleasure to see you! Are you the one who helped my niece?”

The gentleman bowed politely. “To be of help to anyone is an honor, but is this lovely young lady here truly your niece?”

Meilin’s ears grew warm at the word “lovely.” She shifted her feet slightly to ensure their large size was hidden under her skirt.

“This is Miss Duan Meilin, and, indeed, she is my niece, newly arrived in Suzhou today. Meilin, may I introduce Master Wei Luobi? He is a tenant of our family and also a brilliant writer famous for his plays.”

The young man smiled winsomely as he clasped his hands behind his back. “You’re making me blush, sir. I’m hardly famous yet. My plays need to get popular before I can make that claim.”

“You write plays?” Meilin was struck by both Master Wei’s gallant demeanor and his interesting occupation. A writer! To think she had been saved by someone who wrote dramatic works! Perhaps that explained his dashing aura. It didn’t hurt that he was uncommonly handsome too, with an angular jaw and beautifully bright eyes. She had never met anyone who looked more like a hero.

“Don’t let his modesty fool you, Meilin. ‘Wei Luobi’ is his pen name, and it’s only a matter of time before that name becomes known throughout the empire. I’m sure he would be happy to tell you about his plays if you’re interested. Perhaps we should invite him for dinner tonight. What do you think? It’s the least we could do to thank him for his courageous service today.”

Meilin curtsied naturally out of gratitude. “I don’t know what I would have done without you, sir.”

Master Wei touched her elbow to lift her from her curtsy. “Please don’t be so formal with me, Miss Duan. Call me Wei Luobi. I love to hear my name used, especially by someone who appreciates the arts as much as yourself.”

“You can tell that I like the arts?” Meilin’s stomach flipped. The man read her so well even though they had just met.

Master Wei smiled again. “Your face lit up when your good uncle began talking about my plays. Passion like yours cannot be hidden.”

His words pierced her heart. Master Wei gave voice to the sentiments that Meilin had nurtured for ages. Hadn’t she always longed to find a zhīyīn like this? Someone who understood her the way Zǐqī understood Bóyá? Her emotional defenses, if she ever had any, crumbled away. Master Wei was someone she wanted to admire wholeheartedly.

She sincerely hoped to see him again.

離開南京去往杭州途中。

曉看天色暮看雲，行也思君，坐也思君。

My dearest Ailin, I know it will be at least several months before we meet again, but I need to write down how much I miss you or else my longing will tear me up from the inside. Since telling my sister about my hopes for our future, I have left Nanjing for Hangzhou, traveling by boat and by foot. “With every step, I think of you.”

—Unsent letter from Fan Enze to Duan Ailin, poem excerpt by Táng Yín, Ming dynasty

Chapter 9