Chapter 11: The Encounter

When she returned to the campsite, the sun was already dipping low, casting a warm glow across the land. After bidding farewell to the Grand Princess and the others, Lin Pianran made her way toward her own guest quarters.

Lin Chuyan followed closely behind her, silent as a shadow. She seemed to be calculating something, her mind clearly churning with malice. Every so often, the gaze she cast toward Lin Pianran was filled with resentment and bitterness. Lin Pianran, however, chose to ignore her. She kept her head down and walked straight into her room.

Outside the quarters, her two personal maids, Huanxue and Tianzhu, were pacing anxiously, their faces etched with worry. When they saw Lin Pianran, their eyes welled up with tears of relief. They rushed over, checking her thoroughly from head to toe. Only when they confirmed she had no serious injuries did they let out a long, heavy sigh.

Huanxue asked with deep concern, "Miss, did the Third Young Master and the others give you any trouble? I was so worried they would bully you again. If you hadn't returned, we would have been frantic; we were just discussing going out to look for you..."

"Miss, I just saw the Fourth Young Master, Lin Chuqi, and the Eldest Miss, Lin Chuyao, return. They have both gone to Madam Zhao's quarters."

Lin Chuqi was the legitimate son of the second branch, and Lin Chuyao was the legitimate daughter of the first branch. Four people had gone hunting with Lin Pianran today, and only these two had returned. Letting them off this time was a mercy, but there would be other opportunities to deal with them later. It was only a matter of time. Lin Pianran was in no rush.

Looking at the two girls standing alive and well before her, Lin Pianran felt her eyes fill with tears. Tianzhu and Huanxue had been by her side since childhood, unfailingly loyal. In her previous life, after she married into the Prince Jing estate, they had followed her, serving and protecting her until the end. To protect her, Tianzhu had been brutalized to death by the Sixth Young Master of the Prince Jing estate. When her body was finally recovered from the mass grave, it was covered in bruises, with barely a patch of unblemished skin. Though Lin Pianran later used a scheme to kill the Sixth Young Master and avenge Tianzhu, the loss of her faithful maid remained a source of agonizing heartache. As for Huanxue, she had been hacked to death by assassins sent by Lin Chuyan after she stole Lin Pianran's jade identity pendant.

Now, both girls were standing safely before her. It was wonderful.

Recalling the misery of her past life, the tears in Lin Pianran’s eyes hardened into a steely resolve. In this life, she would protect these two girls; she would never let them suffer the same fate again.

Lin Pianran comforted them patiently, only to notice the slap mark on Tianzhu’s face. "Who did this?" she asked coldly. "What happened?"

Tianzhu immediately covered her cheek, trying to hide the bruise. Lin Pianran turned to Huanxue. "Tell me exactly what happened!"

Huanxue hesitated for a moment before confessing, "It was the Eldest Miss. As soon as she returned, she started searching for you everywhere. When Tianzhu told her you hadn't come back yet, she didn't believe it. She accused Tianzhu of lying and ordered someone to slap her twice. Then, she searched our courtyard from top to bottom, and only when she couldn't find you did she leave in a rage with her maids and matrons."

Lin Pianran sighed softly. In the past, she had been timid and submissive, allowing herself to be bullied, which meant her maids were often targeted and abused as well. From now on, she would turn the situation around and strike back hard. She would never suffer a loss again.

The young masters of the Lin family were all strictly trained in martial arts and were considered quite skilled among their peers. Their maids and guards also practiced combat, and Huanxue and Tianzhu were among the best, far more capable than the average servant. If they hadn't held back, they would not have been easily defeated; they must have endured the abuse in silence, just as they always had.

"In the future," Lin Pianran instructed gently, "if anyone dares to bully you, hit them back. Do not be soft-hearted." Though surprised by her change in attitude, the two maids nodded obediently.

After returning to her room, Lin Pianran bathed and changed into a simple, elegant dress. She suspected that trouble would soon come knocking and that a difficult battle was ahead. Sure enough, as if summoned by the mention of their names, Madam Zhao Yurou of the first branch and Madam Wang Yanwan of the second branch arrived with several young ladies in tow.

Zhao Yurou was the true mistress in power at the Lin estate. Su Qingfeng, Lin Aodong’s original wife and Lin Pianran’s adoptive mother, had been forced by the Dowager to accept her cousin, Zhao Yurou, as a co-wife after she lost the ability to bear children.

To the outside world, Zhao Yurou appeared gentle, fragile, and refined—the picture of a noble lady. But if one truly believed that, they were gravely mistaken. Not only did she bear two sons and three daughters upon entering the estate, but she also held the entire household firmly in her grasp. No matter how many women Lin Aodong brought into the house, none could shake her position. She was ruthless and cold-hearted, ensuring that the other concubines rarely conceived, and only a handful of children from other women had managed to survive. She was a woman with a Buddha’s mouth but a snake’s heart, knowing exactly how to twist the knife to cause the most pain.

As Zhao Yurou stepped forward, feigning a look of pity, she bypassed her intended questions and said, "Why are you dressed so plainly? You aren't even wearing a single decent piece of jewelry. If outsiders see you like this, they will whisper and talk. It looks so improper—they might even think our Lin family is mistreating you."