Page 65 of Silk and Sensibility

Shen Lusi placed a hand over her chest. “I love Enze, ma’am. I promise to be a good wife and daughter-in-law once I marry into the Fan family.”

Madame Fan continued shaking her head. “Enze can’t take you as a bride. He is supposed to marry into the Mo family. It was all arranged. That was what I planned for!”

Just then, Enze walked in.

Ailin’s heart lurched. It had been one thing to endure Madame Fan and Shen Lusi talking about him without him present, but Enze’s arrival made everything more real. She had been honing her painterly skills so much lately for commissions, it was impossible not to approach every sight with a sharp eye. Every detail of Enze stood out to her. The circles under his eyes and the threadbare robes on his body made him look even more worn than the last time she had seen him, but he stood straighter than he used to, like he knew this moment required all his strength.

He scanned the room, clearly comprehending the situation immediately. There was a glimmer of sadness in his eyes when he looked at Ailin, but he turned away immediately. She was simultaneously relieved and regretful. She wanted him to move on from her, but she couldn’t help missing what could have been.

With deliberate steps, Enze walked toward Madame Fan. “Mother, I already told you long ago that I can’t marry Miss Mo.”

“When did you get here?”

“Just now. But I could hear you as soon as I entered our front gate.”

“I’ll give you one chance to explain this,” Madame Fan said coldly.

Enze took a deep breath. “On Teacher Pang’s deathbed, I promised him I would take care of his niece. To keep my word to Teacher Pang, I must marry Miss Sh—”

Madame Fan cut him off with a slap, the sound reverberating around the room.

Ailin winced, but Enze did nothing as Madame Fan continued to berate him.

“You unfilial ingrate! You had no authority to make such a promise. Marriages are arranged by parents, not children. What do you have to say for yourself?”

Despite his bowed head, Enze remained firm. His voice remained surprisingly level, as if being struck by his stepmother didn’t faze him at all. “Since Teacher Pang practically raised me, I considered him like a parent. My promise to him has already been made; please let me keep it.”

Hearing Enze beg Madame Fan for permission to marry Shen Lusi felt like a knife in Ailin’s heart. It was clear he didn’t want to, but he wanted to do right by his late mentor. It was both honorable and pitiable.

Fan Ruoze stared at Enze with eyes as wide as grapes. Ailin almost wished he could use his mother’s softness toward him to ameliorate her anger toward Enze, even if it meant sealing Enze’s fate with Shen Lusi.

When Madame Fan raised her hand again, Ailin shut her eyes.

“Come now, woman. Don’t you think you’re going too far?” It was Grand­mother Jiang’s voice instead of a slap.

Ailin opened her eyes to see Grand­mother Jiang holding Madame Fan’s wrist.

Madame Fan jerked her arm away. “Too far? Who are you to lecture me on how to discipline the children of my own house?”

“I’m not trying to lecture you. I’m trying to help you preserve the last shred of dignity you might have in front of these children. Look at the way they’re looking at you. Then look at yourself. You’re acting like a deranged shrew while Enze is acting like a man of honor.”

“Honor?” Madame Fan’s eyes gleamed brighter than the gold button at her throat. “That’s easy for you to say when this is clearly part of your plot. Don’t think I can’t see through you, old widow. You’re nothing but a merchant hag trying to bring the Fan house under your thumb.”

Grand­mother Jiang raised her eyebrows.

“You think you’re so mighty because you have money now, but I was born to a family of scholars and that will never change. I will never consent for a son under my control to marry someone from a house like yours. If Fan Enze goes against my wishes, then he will no longer be a part of this family.”

Ailin gasped despite her intention not to react. Madame Fan’s threat was harsh. As the eldest lineal son, Enze was the rightful head of the Fan family, but he was so deferential to his elders that he was more likely to concede his inheritance than fight for his rights if Madame Fan demanded it. If he left his family, however, he would become homeless.

To Ailin’s surprise, Fan Ruoze dropped to his knees in a touching display of fraternal solidarity. “Mother, Enze hasn’t done anything wrong. Don’t kick him out of the family.”

Madame Fan seemed shocked. “You’re pleading for him?”

Enze immediately moved to pull his brother up. He looked so tired, yet he radiated strength. “Don’t do this, Ruoze. You will be the man of the house once I leave. Please take care of Mother.”

Still holding Fan Ruoze’s arm, Enze turned to Shen Lusi. “I’m going to find a new place to live. It won’t be as nice as the home you are used to, but if you want to join me, I am willing to marry you. I’ll write to your Uncle Pang when I am settled.”

Finally, he glanced at Ailin. In that moment, time paused. A million unspoken words passed between them in an instant. Love, sacrifice, regret. Then, without speaking, he walked away, taking a piece of Ailin’s heart with him.