Page 81 of Silk and Sensibility

Ailin smiled at her maid’s impertinence.

Wei Luobi looked between Begonia and Ailin. “Is this how you train your servants? To speak so rudely to their superiors?”

Tian folded his arms across his chest, his rolled-up sleeves revealing muscular forearms. “I don’t see a superior here, just a petty man.”

Begonia ignored Wei Luobi altogether, turning to Ailin. “I fetched the item you wanted, Miss Duan. Also, Miss Meilin and Captain Bai said they would love to have your help with the children whenever you’re done here.”

“Bai Yun? That brute?” Wei Luobi’s face darkened. “Is he trying to win over Meilin now that I’m gone?”

Ailin’s sympathy ran out. Wei Luobi had no right to speak ill of Captain Bai. “They are betrothed, Master Wei. Please show some respect.”

Wei Luobi laughed drily. “She’s willing to accept him now? It won’t be easy keeping up with a soldier, especially one who already has a child.”

Ailin held up her hand to keep Begonia and Tian from responding. They were already offended at Wei Luobi’s insults without even knowing the full irony of his words. “Fate works in mysterious ways. As does the human heart.”

“Shall I escort the visitor out, Miss Duan?” Tian asked.

“In a minute. There is something we need to return to Master Wei.” Ailin motioned to Begonia for the hemp bag. She had held onto its contents for far too long, and she was glad to return it now.

Begonia dropped the bag directly and unceremoniously into Wei Luobi’s hand.

He looked surprised when he opened the bag. “This is the jade pendant I gave Meilin as a token of my love.”

“My sister will never need this again,” Ailin said coldly. “Tian, please escort our visitor out.”

Tian stretched his arm toward the exit. “This way, please.”

Wei Luobi made no move to follow Tian. Instead, his eyes took on a disdainful gleam as he stroked the jade tiger pendant in his hand. “Before I leave, I think I should deliver some interesting news from Hangzhou. The Fans, a family I know you care about, recently celebrated double blessings. Their eldest son, Fan Enze, passed the autumn exam with the highest score in Zhejiang province, and before he set off for Beijing to take the metropolitan exam, the family held a splendid wedding to welcome their new daughter-in-law, the former Miss Shen Lusi.”

Wei Luobi smiled, tossing his jade pendant up and catching it in his hand again before he followed Tian out of the courtyard.

Ailin felt dizzy. She tottered for a moment before Begonia grabbed her elbow to support her. With Begonia’s help, she walked to the nearest bench in a pavilion overlooking the Jiang family’s koi pond. White lotuses floated atop the water.

“Are you all right, miss?” Begonia asked. “I hope that nasty man didn’t upset you.”

Ailin rubbed her temples. “I’m not upset. I promise.”

No. Upset was not sufficient to capture the complexity of Ailin’s feelings. She felt such a mixture of joy and pain that it was impossible to explain.

She didn’t know for sure how Wei Luobi knew the best way to provoke her, but he was clever. Perhaps he had deduced the tenor of her relationship with Enze and Shen Lusi just from dinner parties at Batong Mansion. Or maybe Meilin had told him Ailin’s secret back when they were close. It didn’t matter anymore.

The details Wei Luobi mentioned were so concrete that they had to be facts. He said that Enze was a provincial top scorer. That meant Enze had not only taken her words of encouragement to heart but also performed beyond the scope of everyone’s expectations. It was the sweetest confirmation that her faith in him had been correctly placed. Only one in hundreds passed the exams, let alone achieved a top score. Ailin was so proud of Enze that she could cry.

But she would not cry. In terms of social relations, he was merely her sister-in-law’s brother and nothing more.

He is married to Shen Lusi now.

The news she had been dreading for months finally hit. It stung to learn that their knot was tied, but she would not allow herself to break over an irreversible event. Her heart had ached for months, and the muscle grew stronger each day. She had other goals to look forward to, like growing her painting career and planning Meilin’s wedding. She could bear the news of Enze’s marriage with composure. She could. She could. She could.

During a quiet moment before bed, and after considerable hesitation, Ailin told Meilin about Wei Luobi’s visit. Meilin took the information surprisingly well, assuring Ailin that she had done the right thing to keep Wei Luobi away from Sandy and Captain Bai.

“But are you really feeling all right about Enze?” Meilin asked. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, but I want you to know that I care. I’ll listen if you want to talk.”

Ailin paused combing her loose hair. She appreciated Meilin’s kindness, but there was nothing to be done. All they could do was wait for a letter from Madame Cai confirming the news. She expected it any day now. They were overdue for a report from Madame Cai to Grand­mother Jiang on all matters in the family.

“Thank you for your concern, Meilin. I’m happy for Enze, and I have no regrets. I’ll be fine.” Ailin said as many honest words as she could and willed the rest to become true.

Thankfully, as the date of Meilin and Captain Bai’s wedding drew near, she hardly had time to dwell on sad thoughts. There were plenty of tasks to keep her occupied. The whole household was busy, but especially the women who took it upon themselves to plan everything.