Volume One, Chapter 14: You No Longer Deserve It

That day, the patients at Qingfeng Hall were far fewer than usual. Taking advantage of the rare leisure, Lin Chuyao brought along Qingxing and Xiao Tan to a jewelry shop in Shangyang City.

The marketplace bustled with activity, and the jewelry shop’s entrance was crowded with passersby. Lin Chuyao stood before the counter, her gaze fixed on an exquisite jade hairpin. The hairpin was translucent and lustrous throughout, its head carved into a blooming lotus flower, vivid and lifelike.

Qingxing noticed her lost in thought, and softly asked, "Miss, do you like this hairpin? Shall I ask the shopkeeper to show it to you?"

Lin Chuyao nodded slightly, accepting the jade hairpin the shopkeeper handed her. She cradled it gently in her palm, a complex emotion flickering in her eyes.

“This hairpin...” she murmured softly, memories involuntarily drifting back five years.

Back then, she was the cherished eldest daughter of the Marquis’s household, tenderly cared for by Liu Xishuang. Once, she accidentally broke Liu Xishuang’s most treasured jade hairpin and panicked, fearing a scolding.

Yet Liu Xishuang did not blame her. She stroked Lin Chuyao’s head and said gently, “It’s just a hairpin, my dear. Your mother does not blame you.”

She still remembered Liu Xishuang’s warmth that day—that maternal love was the warmest corner in her memory.

Lin Chuyao had planned to buy a new hairpin the next day to make amends, but fate had other plans, and that wish remained unfulfilled.

Now, with the jade hairpin before her once more, she sighed softly—both for the regret of five years past and for herself in the present.

Lost in thought, a familiar figure slowly approached.

“Lin Chuyao?” Fang Xiuran’s voice carried disbelief.

Startled, Lin Chuyao regained her composure and responded coldly, “Young Master Fang.”

Fang Xiuran’s gaze fell upon the jade hairpin in her hand, complex emotions surfacing. He recognized it immediately—the memory of five years ago flooded back.

That was the last time they had strolled together without misunderstandings. At that time, Lin Chuyao had set her heart on that hairpin, but since it was late, he insisted on escorting her home.

He had planned to buy it for her the next day, but by then, they had become strangers.

Looking at the hairpin in Lin Chuyao’s hand, emotions surged within Fang Xiuran. Believing she too was recalling those fond memories, he stepped forward tentatively, “Miss Lin, do you still remember that hairpin from back then?”

Lin Chuyao frowned faintly and replied coldly, “Young Master Fang, if you have nothing else, there’s no need to mention the past.”

Fang Xiuran ignored her coldness and continued, “Since you still like it, why don’t I gift you this hairpin, as a token—”

“You’re overthinking it, Young Master Fang,” Lin Chuyao interrupted evenly. “It’s just a hairpin. I’ll buy one myself.”

She slipped the hairpin into her sleeve and began to turn away, when suddenly, a voice, sweet and tinged with a coquettish charm, came from behind.

“Young Master Fang, what are you doing here?” The tone was perfectly balanced between surprise and intimacy.

Lin Chuyao halted and looked up to see Lin Yanluo approaching in a delicate pink silk dress, her makeup exquisite, her steps light.

First, she glanced at Fang Xiuran with a shy smile, then her eyes fell on Lin Chuyao, instantly revealing a mixture of surprise and disdain.

“Sister?” Lin Yanluo’s voice was soft but laced with feigned astonishment. “What a coincidence to see you here. But... seeing you with Young Master Fang today truly surprises me. To come before your fiancé after ruining your face... your audacity is something else!”

At her words, the crowd watching erupted into whispers.

“Isn’t Fang Xiuran the fiancé of Princess Pingyang? Why is he walking with the Lin family’s eldest daughter?”

“They were once betrothed. Looks like there’s some story between them after all.”

Lin Chuyao’s expression remained unchanged, but her voice grew icier, “Lin Yanluo, is that all you know—using such despicable tricks?”

Lin Yanluo’s expression shifted at the sting of Lin Chuyao’s words, then she sneered, “Compared to your methods, Sister, mine are mild. You ruin your face and still dare to harass someone else’s fiancé? That’s laughable.”

Qingxing could no longer hold back and shouted, “Second Miss, please show some respect! Our Miss has never tangled with Young Master Fang. You’re slandering her with lies!”

“Lies?” Lin Yanluo scoffed contemptuously, her eyes full of sarcasm. “I wonder why Young Master Fang still stands there—is it pity, or... unfinished feelings?”

“Lin Yanluo!” Fang Xiuran finally spoke, his voice low, cold, and edged with anger. “Enough.”

Lin Yanluo looked up at him, a flash of triumph in her eyes, but her tone feigned grievance. “Young Master Fang, I only worry for Sister. She’s disfigured, her engagement broken, and her reputation far from what it used to be. I just remind her not to cause others to misunderstand.”

“That’s enough!” Fang Xiuran’s gaze was as cold as frost as he fixed Lin Yanluo with an unyielding stare. “Second Miss Lin, as a lady of the Marquis’s household, to publicly insult your own sister is truly unbecoming.”

“Miss Chuyao has never pursued me nor done anything to tarnish her reputation. Your insinuations—are they meant to ruin her name or shame your own upbringing?”

Lin Yanluo’s face drained of color, lips trembling slightly as she restrained her anger. “Young Master Fang, aren’t you protecting her too much? Aren’t you afraid Princess Pingyang will misunderstand?”

Fang Xiuran’s gaze turned icy. “The matter between the Princess and me is none of your concern. If you continue to speak recklessly, I won’t hesitate to visit Lady Lin myself to demand an explanation.”

Lin Yanluo’s expression changed drastically. Suppressing her fury, she shot Lin Chuyao a glare and said coldly, “Sister truly has skillful means to earn such protection from Young Master Fang. Alas, not everyone is as foolish as him.”

With that, she swept her sleeve and left, her gown trailing the floor, stirring a breeze.

Fang Xiuran’s face was heavy with guilt as he intended to speak, but Xiao Tan blocked his path.

Xiao Tan spoke indignantly, “Young Master Fang, you’d better keep your distance from our Miss. Didn’t you cause her to be slapped last time? Isn’t that enough?”

Fang Xiuran froze in place, watching Lin Chuyao’s retreating figure, silently pained.

Filled with resentment, Lin Yanluo returned home and grew ever angrier as she brooded, confiding to her personal maid, “Young Master Fang actually defended that Lin Chuyao in public! He knows well how deeply Princess Pingyang cares for him, yet he still protects her... it’s infuriating!”

The maid, seeing Lin Yanluo’s agitation, gently advised, “Miss, don’t be impatient. If Princess Pingyang finds out, she’ll likely be even angrier.”

A cold glint flashed in Lin Yanluo’s eyes as she nodded slightly. “You’re right. Lin Chuyao thinks she has Young Master Fang’s favor, but... her good days are probably over.”

Not long after, this matter indeed reached Princess Pingyang’s ears.

“What?” The princess rose abruptly from her chair, her face darkening ominously. She sneered and slammed a cup of tea onto the floor. “That wretched Lin Chuyao dares to entangle herself with Xiuran in broad daylight!”

Her gaze was cold and sharp, filled with jealousy and rage. “A ruined woman still dares to approach Xiuran... who does she think she is?”

Princess Pingyang turned coldly to her trusted guard, Li An, her voice icy, “Convey my orders—handle this matter swiftly and cleanly. Leave no trace.”

Li An bowed low. “Yes, Your Highness.”

Princess Pingyang’s eyes grew colder still, a cruel smile curling at her lips. “Lin Chuyao, this time, I will make sure you vanish completely.”