Lin Shu straightened up as instructed, her hands clasped before her in a respectful posture without a trace of flattery.
Marquis Lady glanced at her with concern, then looked toward her mother-in-law, hesitating to speak.
Xiao Che stood nearby, his gaze fixed heavily on Lin Shu as if examining something beyond his comprehension—probing, with a hint of barely perceptible wariness.
“You handled today’s matter well,” Old Madam Xiao leaned back in her chair, her murky eyes revealing no emotion. “Whether it was the Milk Crisp or the Bird’s Nest Soup, had you not intervened, these old bones of mine might truly have ended up reporting to the King of Hell’s Palace.”
Lin Shu replied softly, “Shu’er dare not claim credit, I merely fulfilled my duty as a granddaughter.”
“Duty?” Old Madam Xiao sneered. “Had you understood what duty meant earlier, I wouldn’t have been bedridden for so many days.”
With these words, the atmosphere froze over once again.
Marquis Lady quickly tried to mediate: “Mother, you see, Shu’er has come to understand now? This child isn’t inherently bad, it’s just that she was previously…”
“Enough.” Old Madam Xiao raised her hand to cut her off, her gaze still locked on Lin Shu. “Credit is credit, fault is fault. Having lived this long, I haven’t lost my wits yet. Since you saved me, I cannot let your efforts go unrewarded. The Hou Mansion is not a place that fails to distinguish between reward and punishment.”
Lin Shu’s heart leaped, and she quickly waved her hands: “Grandmother Xiao, you exaggerate. As I said, this is what I ought to do. When my mother was alive…”
“Your mother is your mother, and you are you.” Old Madam Xiao interrupted her, a complex emotion flashing through her murky eyes. “I remember your mother’s kindness, and I remember your past foolishness. Each matter stands on its own.”
She turned to Marquis Lady beside her. “Go fetch that set of Diancui Qianbao de Toumian from my dressing case.”
Marquis Lady paused briefly, then delight spread in her eyes as she promptly responded: “Yes, Mother.”
Old Madam Xiao then looked to the elderly maidservant attending her: “Go to the accounts office and withdraw one hundred thousand taels in silver notes.”
“One hundred thousand taels?!”
This time Lin Shu truly couldn’t contain herself, exclaiming in surprise before immediately realizing her impropriety. She quickly lowered her head, her hands tightly clasped together, her cheeks instantly flushing crimson as if in shame and embarrassment.
“What? Is it too little?” Old Madam Xiao’s tone carried a hint of cold scrutiny.
“No, no, no!”
Lin Shu shook her head like a rattle drum, urgently explaining: “That’s not it, Grandmother Xiao! It’s too much, truly too much! I merely did what I ought to do, how could it be worth so much… I cannot accept it, absolutely cannot!”
“What? Do you think this old woman is being stingy, giving too little?” Old Madam Xiao’s voice betrayed no emotion, but her murky eyes suddenly turned sharp.
“Not at all, how would I dare…”
As Lin Shu flustered to explain, Marquis Lady returned carrying a rosewood case, followed by a maidservant respectfully presenting a tray piled neatly with stacks of brand new silver notes.
Marquis Lady opened the case and pushed it toward Lin Shu.
“Shu’er, look. Do you like it?”
As the case opened, the room filled with dazzling splendor.
An exquisitely crafted kingfisher feather headdress lay quietly on red brocade, the dark blue luster of the kingfisher feathers shimmering, while the inlaid rubies, sapphires, and pearls glittered brilliantly under the lamplight, dazzling to the eyes.
Lin Shu’s breath caught for an instant.
In her previous life, she had been an overworked office worker who never saw fine things, and in this life, the original memories of this body had also never witnessed such exquisitely crafted treasures.
Her eyes seemed glued to the brilliance, unmoving.
Yet reason screamed frantically—no, she couldn’t accept it, or her carefully maintained persona would shatter!
“Grandmother Xiao, Aunt…” Lin Shu forced her gaze away, her voice trembling slightly as she took two steps back. “This is far too precious. I truly don’t deserve it. Your forgiveness for my past mistakes and allowing me to care for you is already the greatest kindness. If I were to accept these as well… what kind of person would that make me?”
As she spoke, her eyes reddened, adopting an expression of being overwhelmed by the generous reward while fearing to be misunderstood as greedy.
“Silly child.” Marquis Lady took her hand and pressed the cool wooden box into her arms, her tone gentle yet firm. “This is your grandmother’s gift to you—meant for you to keep. You saved her life. Forget a set of jewelry or a hundred thousand taels of silver notes; even if you asked for the stars in the sky, Che’er and I would find a way to pluck them for you.”
She punctuated this with a reproachful glance at Xiao Che, who stood nearby.
Xiao Che remained expressionless and silent, though his gaze never left Lin Shu.
“But…” Lin Shu attempted to decline again.
“No more ‘buts’.” Marquis Lady patted her hand and gestured toward the stack of silver notes. “This money isn’t solely a reward. I’ve heard from the Estate Physician that your health is severely depleted. Recovery won’t happen overnight. Ginseng, bird’s nest, rare medicinal herbs—all of them require substantial funds.”
Clutching the heavy box, Lin Shu glanced at Marquis Lady’s sincere, concerned face, stole a look at the Old Madam who appeared to be resting with her eyes closed but was clearly listening, and finally let her gaze settle on the silver notes.
She bit her lower lip, her face a mask of inner conflict and distress.
After a long pause, as if having mustered immense resolve, she curtsied deeply to Old Madam Xiao and Marquis Lady, her voice choked with emotion. “In that case… Shu’er will shamelessly accept. Thank you for your profound kindness, Grandmother Xiao and Aunt. In the future, I will spare no effort to honor and care for you both, repaying even a fraction of today’s grace.”
“That’s more like it.” Marquis Lady smiled with relief and personally helped her up.
Rising smoothly, Lin Shu cradled the wooden box as if it were a priceless treasure.
Her head bowed, the corners of her mouth twitched upward uncontrollably, but she quickly suppressed it, leaving only an appearance of tearful gratitude.
The matron stepped forward promptly, presenting the tray of silver notes to her.
As Lin Shu reached out, her fingertips trembled almost imperceptibly upon touching the stack.
She snatched up the notes swiftly, as though afraid they might sprout wings and fly away, and stuffed them hastily into her sleeve.
The motion was fluid, almost impatient.
Only after completing this did she belatedly realize her actions might seem improper. She quickly lifted her head, reassuming a deferential and slightly abashed expression.
The drawing room was quiet.
Marquis Lady watched her little money-grubbing act, feeling both exasperated and amused. She shook her head, a deeper smile playing on her lips.
Old Madam Xiao had opened her eyes at some point, looking at her with a gaze still complex, yet the bone-chilling coldness had mostly faded.
Only Xiao Che.
From beginning to end, he had taken in every subtle change in her expression.
Keep pretending, just keep pretending.
He wanted to see how much longer she could keep up the act.