Chapter 8: Accepting her fate

Living peacefully from childhood to adulthood and never being truly exposed to schemes and conspiracies in the inner courtyard, Madam Lin had always thought that the Lin household was peaceful and harmonious.

Never once had she mistreated her husband’s concubines, concubine-born children, or daughters-in-law.

But during that visit, Madam Lin was not the only one who went to the temple.

She brought the concubines with her.

In that old era, when women suffered the strongest restrictions, their rights were naturally suppressed to the lowest level.

Concubines were not allowed to take a single step outside the household grounds; only the legal wife could.

Aside from the first time Madam Lin brought her husband’s old concubine to the temple to pray for his safety at the border, the only other time she brought a concubine out was during that final trip.

Madam Lin had not intended to bring the two concubines along initially, but they came to her themselves, pleading that they had not stepped outside for many years and wished to visit the temple with her to pray to Buddha.

Feeling sympathy for their grievances, Madam Lin softened her heart and allowed the two concubines to accompany her to the temple.

As the matriarch of the household, Madam Lin naturally had to sit in her own carriage, while the concubines shared another carriage. That was the proper etiquette.

But in that long dream, Madam Lin finally noticed some clues she had never thought about before.

Between the two concubines, Concubine Mei was much older, having started as a tongfang serving her husband while he was still in his youth before gradually being elevated to the status of concubine. Concubine Yu was much younger, only two or three years older than Madam Lin, because she had originally been one of the personal maids who accompanied Madam Lin to the Lin household after her marriage.

Concubine Mei, as the elder of equal status to Concubine Yu, naturally initiated the request, while Concubine Yu supported her from the side.

Yet Concubine Mei kept glancing at the latter, as if confirming something.

Madam Lin never thought deeply about it before, but in her dream, she could finally see even the most minuscule movements clearly.

Concubine Mei was hesitant, while Concubine Yu encouraged her with faint nods, her eyes guiding the former.

Strange.

At the temple, Madam Lin once turned around after gazing at the Buddha and caught a glimpse of Concubine Yu’s face before the latter quickly lowered her head obediently.

Back then, she did not understand that expression.

Now, Madam Lin thought it looked somewhat similar to Hou Yizhen’s expression earlier.

Coldness and aversion.

These details had only just become clear to her, but they were not the decisive blow that nailed the truth into Madam Lin’s mind.

Sitting in a separate carriage, when the horses pulling it were suddenly startled into a frenzy, only her carriage broke away from the group and veered toward the cliff.

At that moment of chaos, Madam Lin was terrified and crying for help while gripping the carriage window.

It lasted only a split second, but it felt as though time had slowed down.

The curtains were thrown into the air, she was screaming in terror with eyes wide open, and there, back at the group her carriage had just left, the screen of the concubines’ carriage was being lifted by a fair hand.

Through that opening, two faces looked out. One wore a terrified expression, and the other...

Concubine Yu’s face looked strange.

Her eyes were wide open with a manic gleam, as if she were trying to imprint everything into her memory. She looked as though she was attempting to restrain her excitement yet failing to do so. There was even a strange curve at the corner of her lips, as if she were about to smile.

Madam Lin recognized the look of someone enjoying an exciting spectacle, a hint of schadenfreude.

Concubine Yu.

Concubine Yu!

How could it be Concubine Yu? She had been Madam Lin’s close maid, one of the servants she favored the most.

Why?

The boy covered his face with his hands, rubbing it hard.

Then he raised his head and took a deep breath, only to freeze.

A tall shadow sat in a chair in one corner, silently watching him. His legs were so long that they had to spread apart, and his arms were crossed over his chest.

The boy froze.

Hou Yizhen!

The boy’s mouth opened slightly, almost calling out "Lord Husband," before finally remembering something.

He closed his mouth and silently looked back at the man.

"Oh?" Hou Yizhen finally raised an eyebrow. He had thought the boy would once again try to take advantage and call him by that disgusting term.

It seemed that the boy had finally calmed down. Or had his mind gone haywire again?

The man finally broke the silence and spoke in a low, calm tone.

"Do you remember who I am?"

The boy nodded. His eyelashes flickered for a moment before he whispered,

"Uncle Hou."

The man stared quietly at the boy, who had lowered his gaze to avoid eye contact.

The setting sun shone red, painting the sky with shades of pink. Its fiery glow suffused the entire room with a rosy hue. The boy’s light-colored hair reflected that rosy light, and his fair, delicate face carried a melancholic air.

When the boy was silent like this, Hou Yizhen could finally understand why his sworn sister, Bai Yufei, used to say that her son was the most gentle and obedient child in the world.

He really did look like a good kid.

Who would have expected that his mouth liked to spout such annoying words?

After watching the boy silently squirm beneath his gaze, the man finally nodded.

"Remember. That’s how you address your elders properly."

Madam Lin closed her eyes, feeling a faint ache in her heart.

But as a woman known for her virtue, Madam Lin also understood that if something was beyond one’s reach, one must never dare to dream of it.

Perhaps this lifetime was both a reward and a punishment bestowed upon her by fate.

It was a reward for saving a person of merit, allowing her to see a world that advocated equality and peace, where technology made daily life far more convenient.

Yet it was also a punishment for being blind to the evil hidden within people’s hearts, placing her in a body that could never be together with her beloved husband, whether because of the difference in gender or their identities as family members.

As the matriarch of a great household, Madam Lin possessed enough dignity and self-respect to never allow herself to stoop so low as to continue forcing herself upon this man.

Accepting her fate, Madam Lin lowered her head slightly in apology and spoke softly.

"I am deeply sorry, Uncle Hou, for upsetting you earlier. It seems my mind was not very clear at the time. I have already corrected myself and shall never do it again."

"..." Hou Yizhen quietly rubbed the goosebumps rising on his arms. "Why the hell are you speaking so formally? Just talk normally."

The boy opened his mouth but seemed unable to find any words, so he simply looked at the older man helplessly.

It was at this moment that Madam Lin finally began to realize how vastly different this man’s personality was from the one in her previous life.

They had the same soul, but one was refined and considerate, while the other appeared... rather roguish and rude.

The cycle of reincarnation was endless, and every lifetime had its own story and protagonists.

In this life, Hou Yizhen was no longer her beloved husband. That man had died long ago.

She herself, Madam Lin, had also died long ago.

She was now Lin Feng.

Madam Lin quietly made a decision.

Since she now inhabited this body, she must live responsibly and cherish it.

Although it would be difficult, she would do her best to understand her new identity, and perhaps, one day, slowly accept becoming a man.

...

...

"Yes, he’s with me right now. However, I think he was shocked by what happened before his coma, so his personality seems to have changed quite a bit," Hou Yizhen remarked while holding the phone. "Did the old woman already leave?"

A tired old voice sounded from the other end.

"I’ve sent them overseas. Whatever their fate may be from now on is up to them."

"Huh. You didn’t just let them go that easily, did you?"

"To them, money and status are the most important things. I’ve stripped them of all inheritance rights and given them only a meager, one-time alimony. That fact alone will torture them for years to come."

The man laughed sarcastically before glancing at the quiet boy sitting beside him in the backseat.

"If it were me, I’d make sure they lost at least an arm or a leg."

"...It was my last act of kindness."

"They got off too easily." Hou Yizhen was dissatisfied, but he no longer pursued the matter. "What now? The Bai family has been hit hard by this scandal. I’m sure the board of directors is having a field day. What are your plans?"

The old man sighed.

"Letting my grandson remain here in the capital will be difficult. He may encounter some unpleasant situations. The shareholders are also blaming him for being too radical and implicating the company. Not to mention, there’s that Lin Dong’s mountain of debts... I can’t allow the Bai family to bear the short end of the stick, not even for my grandson."

"Are you blaming him too?"

"Not at all. He is a victim. If I were in his position, I might have acted even more recklessly."

"Then what now? Are you going to pick him up or not?"

"Can you let him stay with you a little longer? I’m afraid this matter has offended too many people. I cannot guarantee his safety here."