This translation is by Pocketrobbin at S h a n g h a i f a n t a s y . c o m

Lin Wan and Lin Dan lived quite close to each other. Whenever something happened to Lin Wan, the other party’s courtyard would be filled with constant crying and wailing, disturbing the peace of everyone around. Lin Dan had no choice but to wander outside during the day and stay inside to practice at night. But despite the situation, her days were rather carefree. In the other Lin Dan’s memory, Lin Wan was a very obedient and thoughtful younger sister. However, in Lin Dan’s eyes, she was someone with a deep, calculating mind, always using underhanded tricks and someone that wasn’t worth associating with. Lin Wan had tried to frame Lin Dan several times. How could Lin Dan not see through it?

During the last incident when Lin Wan fell into the water, if Lin Dan hadn’t kept her distance and avoided even the slightest contact, she would have been dragged into trouble. Instead, Princess Mingzhu was the one who got involved and was forced by her family to apologize to Lin Wan. Lin Wan, in turn, comforted Princess Mingzhu and apologized as well, leading to them becoming friends after the ordeal.

Lin Dan found Lin Wan to be a rather fascinating character. She manipulated those around her effortlessly, exploiting them without hesitation, yet people still praised her and even helped her count her money. It was truly a talent. The most blind of all was her fiancé. No matter how much Lin Wan caused trouble, he accepted it all, a stark contrast to his reputation as the number one scholar of the capital.

Lin Dan didn’t even need to think to know that the scandal about Lin Wan’s ruined reputation would continue for a while. Thus, she kept avoiding the situation altogether. As expected, after Ding Mujie visited the Lin family once, he never brought up the topic of breaking the engagement again. When people asked him about it, he claimed to have full faith in the integrity of Prince Kang and his fiancée, insisting that their relationship was pure and that he wouldn’t abandon his and Lin Wan’s love for each other just because of rumors.

Others were left speechless. They couldn’t criticize Prince Kang’s character, nor could they question Lin Wan’s virtue, so they could only retreat awkwardly. Some brought up the issue of propriety, stating that even males and females over the age of seven wouldn’t sit together. Spending a night together in the wilderness had already crossed the line. Ding Mujie then used the story of the old monk carrying a woman across the river to mock them for their lack of open-mindedness.

He praised Prince Kang’s bravery in saving others and expressed complete trust in Lin Wan, his fiancée. His words left no room for further gossip and others even felt ashamed in comparison.

General Lin, upon hearing the news, became even more satisfied with his future son-in-law. Without Ding Mujie even mentioning it, he proactively asked Madam Lin to speed up the wedding preparations, aiming to marry Lin Wan off as soon as possible. Lin Wan had assumed Ding Mujie would, as usual, cater to her wishes and bring up the topic of breaking the engagement. However, to her surprise, he returned home acting as though he were deeply in love, refusing to leave the house.

During this period, Ding Mujie not only gained a good reputation but also cleared Lin Wan and Prince Kang of any impropriety. Gradually, people stopped gossiping about the matter and even began to envy Lin Wan for securing such a good match. Seeing that the storm was about to pass and that she had gained nothing, Lin Wan could no longer sit still. She had her mother cause a scene in front of General Lin, and at the same time, she tied a rope, pretending to hang herself.

Ding Mujie did not mind that Lin Wan’s reputation was tarnished and was still willing to marry her. When Lin Wan had been rescued and returned to the Lin family, she had cried and insisted that she would never become a concubine for Prince Kang, all to highlight her chastity. Now, her antics had no valid reason behind them. General Lin wasn’t a fool, and Old General Lin, with his keen insight, quickly saw through the mother and daughter’s act. The two simply looked down on the Ding family and wanted to climb to higher status!

With this drama, the masks they had worn for over a decade were torn off in an instant, revealing their shallow, selfish, and opportunistic natures. Old General Lin was furious, finding them insufferable to even look at, while General Lin was both sad and disappointed. After all, they were his cherished concubine and daughter, and Concubine Shi had even once saved his life, so he couldn’t bring himself to be too harsh.

Upon hearing of the farce at the Lin family’s residence, Ding Mujie felt no emotional turmoil whatsoever. He knew that Lin Wan could never fully retreat from this situation. As long as he didn’t back down, in order to marry Prince Kang quickly, she would have no choice but to make a huge fuss. And the more trouble she caused, the less patience the Lin family would have with her. In the end, she would drain all their love and concern, and be left with nothing.

Even now, she still hadn’t realized that without the Lin family and without those who were willing to support and help her, she was nothing.

In their past life, after falling into the water and being saved by Prince Kang, the blame for pushing Lin Wan in had fallen on Lin Dan, who was then completely despised by General Lin. With accusations of stealing her younger sister’s marriage proposal and later trying to kill her, General Lin, in order to make up for Lin Wan’s suffering, did not stop Lin Wan from entering Prince Kang’s household as a concubine. In his eyes, a woman who had been rejected by her fiancé could do no better than becoming a prince’s concubine. If he had any fatherly kindness left, he shouldn’t block his daughter’s path.

Madam Lin, in an attempt to redeem Lin Dan’s reputation, even gave half of her dowry to Lin Wan to take into Prince Kang’s household.

Lin Wan had the full support of her family and the favor of Prince Kang, enjoying quite the splendor.

At that time, Ding Mujie had deeply resented Lin Dan, blaming her for still not being satisfied after marrying him and trying to harm Lin Wan. No matter how much Lin Dan tried to explain, he never listened. He seldom came home after that, gradually leaving Lin Dan behind. Now, looking back on it, Ding Mujie felt nothing but guilt and self-mockery.

He thought that in his past life, he had been the most pathetic and foolish man alive. He had never realized who truly cared for him and who was pretending. He had cast aside the one who was sincere and protected the one with false intentions like a precious treasure. If he could return to his past life, he would dig up his own grave, throw Lin Wan’s memorial tablet and his own corpse into the flames, and burn them together.

People say that husband and wife should be buried side by side in death, so Lin Dan’s grave must have beeen placed right next to his. If Lin Dan’s spirit had known in the afterlife, she would have felt it was the greatest insult to lie next to such a blind, foolish man.

The more Ding Mujie thought about it, the more ashamed he felt as if his heart were being roasted over flames. However, he didn’t fail to do what needed to be done. In this lifetime, he had already missed the chance to make things right with Lin Dan. All he could do now was help the Lin family avoid the impending disaster to the best of his ability.

While Ding Mujie plotted in secret, Lin Wan was also busy. She threatened General Lin with her own life and had her mother bring up the matter of saving his life, pressuring him into agreeing to the marriage with Prince Kang. Since Lin Dan had not been framed or wrongfully accused of any crimes in this life, neither General Lin nor Madam Lin felt guilty toward Lin Wan, and they were determined not to yield. Ding Mujie had made it perfectly clear that he didn’t care about the rumors and trusted his fiancée’s innocence. He intended to marry Lin Wan as planned. Given these circumstances, if the Lin family initiated breaking off the engagement and sent Lin Wan to Prince Kang’s household as a concubine, what were they trying to do? Were they trying to curry favor with Prince Kang’s household?

It didn’t matter how outsiders ridiculed the Lin family. What mattered was how the emperor would view it. Would he start to doubt the loyalty of the Lin family and take action as a result? Given the importance of the family’s century-long legacy, Old General Lin would never agree to such a marriage, and General Lin certainly wouldn’t dare approve it either.

Lin Wan had caused quite a stir multiple times, and on one occasion, she nearly hanged herself from the beam. After being saved by a maid, her voice was damaged and she couldn’t speak for several days. Concubine Shi knelt outside General Lin’s study for three days and three nights, without eating or drinking, almost suffering a miscarriage. Only then did General Lin find out that Concubine Shi was pregnant again. He quickly carried her back to her room and whatever the two talked about inside, when General Lin came out, he seemed to have softened somewhat and even kindly consoled Lin Wan.

The household was in constant chaos, so much so that the eldest granddaughter of the family no longer dared to come home, significantly losing weight. The old madam, heartbroken by this, forcefully overruled the old general and made a decision, “If she’s willing to debase herself and become someone’s concubine, let her go. We, the Lin family, won’t stop her. Someone come, pack the belongings of Concubine Shi and Lin Wan, and send them to the estate on the outskirts of the capital. Also, give them the deed to the estate and let them live separately. From now on, there will be no Concubine Shi or Seventh Miss in this household. Anyone who addresses them wrongly will be beaten twenty times and kicked out! Eldest Son’s Wife,” The old madam turned to Madam Lin and carefully instructed, “prepare a generous gift and visit the Ding family. Tell Mujie that Lin Wan has passed away from illness and that the two families are ultimately not destined to become in-laws. He should not grieve. In the future, when there’s a chance, this old woman will personally choose a good wife for him.”

Madam Lin glanced at Lin Tie and said hesitantly, “But Mother, what about the child in Concubine Shi’s belly?”

The old madam snorted coldly, “She can raise it herself. She has plenty of ideas.”

Normally, the old madam didn’t meddle in household matters, but when she spoke up, even the old general had to listen to her. General Lin certainly didn’t dare speak lightly. Concubine Shi and Lin Wan were dumbfounded this time. Crying and wailing, they refused to leave the Lin family’s residence and crawled on their knees to try and grab the old madam’s leg, but Lin Dan pushed them both away.

The old madam lovingly patted her eldest granddaughter’s head, and when she looked at Lin Wan, her heart sank even further. She quickly ordered the servants to tie up the two women and shove them into a carriage. That afternoon, Madam Lin visited the Ding family with rich gifts, and the next day, white mourning flags were hung at the Lin family’s gate, announcing that Lin Wan had succumbed to her illness from excessive grief. And unable to bear her daughter’s loneliness, Concubine Shi followed her in death.

From that day on, the mother and daughter no longer had any ties to the Lin family. They were free to do whatever they wanted, even if it meant becoming a prince’s concubine.

The Lin family’s actions were not discreet, and in fact, rather ostentatious. When Lin Wan and Concubine Shi were driven out, they cried loudly and made a scene, with many people watching along the way. However, it was precisely because of this that everyone could see the Lin family’s stance. In order to avoid being entangled with Prince Kang, they were willing to abandon a favored concubine and a daughter they had raised for over a decade, making it clear how difficult they were to win over.

Prince Kang had been completely blindsided by the Lin family. Even though he was furious to the point of wanting to kill someone, he had to maintain a cheerful appearance, acting as if he didn’t care at all. Lin Wan was no longer the Seventh Miss of the Lin family, and Concubine Shi had been expelled from the household, no longer able to have pillow talk with General Lin. The two of them had no value left to Prince Kang, so the matter of taking Lin Wan as a concubine quietly faded away.