Volume One, Chapter Three: Unable to Eat Sweetness

The blazing sun gradually faded, and the courtyard of the Marquis’s residence exuded a serene calmness under the lingering glow of the setting sun. Lin Chuyao stepped slowly into her garden, her gaze sweeping across the surroundings until it settled on several pots of water lilies in the pond.

It was summer, and the water lilies were in full bloom. Their pale pink and white petals swayed gently in the breeze, radiating tranquility and beauty.

This was the most picturesque courtyard in the Marquis’s estate. Years ago, Lin Yanluo had insisted on switching to this garden but was firmly refused by Liu Xishuang.

Now, five years later, the courtyard remained unchanged, as if time itself had paused here.

“Miss, madam has been instructing us all these years to take good care of these water lilies!” Xiaotan stood nearby, her voice light and tinged with a touch of flattery. “And this courtyard has been kept spotless too—no dust has ever settled.”

Once she started talking, she couldn’t stop. “Miss, this courtyard is exactly as it was when you left! Madam often says she misses you and insists that everything remains just as it was, so you won’t feel like a stranger when you return…”

Lin Chuyao didn’t respond, merely casting a faint glance at the water lilies. She pushed open the door to her room; the familiar setup greeted her, stirring a sense of nostalgia.

The furnishings were as before, and the Buddhist ornaments on the eight-treasure shelf remained intact and undisturbed. As a child, she had found these decorations dull and had pleaded with her mother to replace some, but in the end, she never got her way and gradually grew accustomed to them.

Standing in the center of the room, she quietly observed everything familiar, as if transported back to a carefree time five years ago.

Her gaze softened slightly, but soon she withdrew her thoughts, and the coldness returned to her expression.

Soon after, the maid Qingxing hurried in, bowing slightly. “Miss, madam requests you join Grandmother Lin for dinner.”

Lin Chuyao hesitated briefly but ultimately chose not to veil her face, stepping toward the main hall.

The dining hall of Grandmother Lin was brightly lit. The table was laden with sumptuous dishes, the aroma rich and inviting, yet the atmosphere felt somewhat heavy.

Lin Chang’an sat solemnly at the head of the table, his expression stern, while Grandmother Lin lowered her eyes slightly, seemingly disinterested in everything before her.

The moment Lin Chuyao entered, several pairs of eyes fixed upon her.

She stepped forward with measured grace, offering a slight bow. Her voice was cool and steady: “Greetings, Father, Grandmother.”

Yet when Lin Chang’an and Grandmother Lin saw her face clearly, a flicker of fear and disdain crossed their eyes—though they tried to conceal it, it was impossible to fully hide.

In the past, their attitude toward her had always been lukewarm, something she had long grown accustomed to.

“Come, Chuyao, come sit!” Liu Xishuang quickly rose and drew Lin Chuyao closer, her smile gentle. “Your brother has been unwell lately and won’t join us for dinner.”

“I specially had the kitchen prepare some of your favorite dishes today—don’t let your mother’s kindness go to waste.”

Her tone was soft as she settled Lin Chuyao beside her and placed a piece of Eight-Treasure Duck into her bowl. “Try it. Does it suit your taste?”

Lin Chuyao looked at the piece of duck, her brow furrowing lightly. She said nothing more and did not pick up the meat.

Silence fell over the dining hall. Grandmother Lin sipped her soup without a word, and Lin Chang’an glanced at Lin Chuyao repeatedly, hesitating to speak.

Liu Xishuang tried to enliven the mood as she served herself, “Chuyao, it’s been five years. You look much thinner than before. You must have suffered a lot these years. When you’re home, you must take good care of yourself.”

Lin Chuyao merely uttered a faint “hmm,” her expression unreadable, eyes lowered as if she had not heard her.

Lin Yanluo sneered, leaning back in her chair with a sharp tone: “If sister didn’t want to come back, she could have said so outright. What’s the point of putting on such a cold act? Who are you trying to show this to?”

Upon hearing this, Lin Chuyao finally lifted her head and looked at Lin Yanluo with icy disdain. “I’m not putting on an act. I just have no appetite.”

At that moment, Lin Chang’an lost his patience. Seeing that the Eight-Treasure Duck in Lin Chuyao’s bowl remained untouched, his face darkened instantly. “Chuyao! Your mother kindly served you food, yet you spurn her goodwill? Five years have passed, and you’ve only grown more unruly!”

Lin Chuyao remained calm. Seeing Liu Xishuang looking embarrassed, she explained, “Father, it’s not that I won’t eat it, but I can’t eat sweet things.”

Lin Yanluo immediately seized the chance, her tone mocking: “If you don’t want to eat, just say so. Why make excuses? Everyone in the Marquis’s residence knows you love sweets. Now you’re pretending to be so virtuous?”

Lin Chuyao’s lips curled into a cold smile. “Is that so? I do love sweets. But at the Mystic Medicine Valley, they turned poison into sweet flavors—the sweeter, the more painful. I’ve long since dared not touch sweet things.”

Her words fell like a stone, plunging the dining hall into silence. Grandmother Lin frowned, and Lin Chang’an’s expression darkened further.

To prove her point, Lin Chuyao picked up the piece of Eight-Treasure Duck and bit into it. Before she could even swallow, her face paled.

She clutched her stomach and hurried aside, vomiting what she had just eaten.

A sour, foul odor filled the air. Everyone wrinkled their noses; some even covered their faces.

Lin Chang’an, who had harbored a trace of guilt, now felt a surge of anger. “If you can’t eat it, don’t! No one’s forcing you! Why make such a scene? What kind of attitude is that?”

Liu Xishuang quickly interceded, “Master, Chuyao has just returned. She’s still adjusting. Please don’t be too harsh.”

Grandmother Lin cleared her throat, her voice cold: “Enough. This meal is over. Everyone may leave.”

After dinner, Lin Chuyao returned to her courtyard. Qingxing brought her a cup of clear tea. Holding it in her hands, she tasted the bitterness spreading across her lips and teeth, yet it brought an inexplicable sense of peace.

Soon, Xiaotan arrived with a few plates of sweet pastries. “Madam said Miss didn’t eat well at dinner and worried you might be hungry. She specially had the kitchen prepare these.”

Lin Chuyao’s gaze grew colder as she looked at the rich, sugary treats. She said nothing, took up a piece of cake, stared at it for a moment, then tossed it into the pond.

The pastry splashed, rippling the water before sinking beneath the lotus leaves.

Qingxing whispered, “Miss, Xiaotan and I will eat these. Please don’t force yourself.”

Lin Chuyao nodded faintly, her voice low: “Take them away. Don’t let me see them again.”

Qingxing gathered the pastries and, holding Xiaotan’s hand, left.

Xiaotan muttered cautiously as they went, “Miss is so pitiful. I heard most who go to Mystic Medicine Valley either die or go mad. Just thinking about it makes you understand what kind of life she endured.”

“And now she’s back, and Madam, whether intentionally or not, sends such pastries…”

A night breeze stirred as Lin Chuyao sat by the pond, watching the lotus flowers sway gently in the wind. Her eyes were deep and still, like a quiet lake.