After Rebirth, My Aloof Husband Can Hear My Inner Thoughts [Transmigration & Rebirth] - Chapter 8

The rain, which had stopped for just a day, began to fall again, pattering softly. The women emerging from Baoxiang Tower opened colorful oil-paper umbrellas.

After giving a few instructions to Manager Zhu and waiting a moment longer, Lin Shengshen stepped out of Baoxiang Tower. Standing under her umbrella, she leisurely made her way to the entrance of Xiangyun Tower.

“Oh, Shopkeeper Yin, still out soliciting business in the rain?” Lin Shengshen remarked with a cold smile, a mocking glint in her eyes.

Shopkeeper Yin had been extremely busy lately. Hearing this, he peeked out from under his umbrella, revealing a thin, sharp-featured face wearing a ingratiating smile.

“Oh, Miss Lin! Long time no see. I must congratulate you in advance on bearing a son soon!”

“How does it feel to have finally married into the Xie residence as you wished?”

Lin Shengshen rolled her eyes inwardly. In her previous life, after marrying Xie Zhizhou, she heard congratulations and well-wishes everywhere, and her heart swelled with joy.

But now, hearing them again felt utterly awkward. Especially with Shopkeeper Yin’s drawn-out tone and shrill voice, which seemed to pierce through the rain and reach the ears of every passerby.

How ironic. Who in Yunjing didn’t know that Lin Shengshen had harbored an unrequited love for Xie Zhizhou for years? Even now that she had gotten her wish, she still hadn’t captured Xie Zhizhou’s regard.

People on the street turned to look.

“Shopkeeper Yin certainly knows how to do business, specifically poaching women from our Baoxiang Tower. But I wonder, what exactly is your intention in recruiting women who’ve just bought Scented Pills from our establishment?”

“Miss Lin, you dominate the entire West Street. We wouldn’t dare offend Chancellor Lin. But… we’re all just trying to make a living. Our Xiangyun Tower can only scavenge the leftovers you graciously leave behind. Surely you won’t object to that?”

Shopkeeper Yin was a man past forty, short and thin with sunken cheeks and sharp, gleaming eyes.

Facing a girl more than a decade his junior, even if she came from a prominent family, he showed little courtesy.

After all, she was just a timid young lady—why should he take her seriously?

Soon, many young women who had just emerged from Baoxiang Tower and Xiangyun Tower gathered around to watch the commotion.

Lin Shengshen sneered, “Shopkeeper Yin, do you recognize this object?”

Peilan understood her meaning and stepped forward, holding an incense burner.

Shopkeeper Yin’s expression remained unchanged as he calmly replied, “I do not.”

Lin Shengshen glanced around and said, “This incense burner is from your shop. A few days ago, a customer bought Scented Pills from Baoxiang Tower, and as she left, you invited her into Xiangyun Tower and gave her this incense burner.”

Whispers broke out among the crowd: “That’s right, Shopkeeper Yin gave me one a few days ago too.”

Another added, “Look, this was just given to me by a Xiangyun Tower attendant, but it doesn’t look quite like the one Miss Lin is holding.”

Lin Shengshen continued, “This incense burner has a hidden mechanism—a small, inconspicuous gap concealing a quantity of Realgar powder. If one uses this burner to burn incense, inhaling excessive Realgar powder will cause skin swelling, followed by festering and disfigurement.”

The crowd gasped in shock. Those who had received the incense burner a few days ago hurried away to check theirs, while those still holding theirs immediately opened them to inspect carefully.

Upon hearing this, Shopkeeper Yin smirked scornfully, appearing even more composed as he said leisurely, “Miss Lin, you cannot rely on your family’s influence to falsely accuse others.”

“Those of you who received the incense burners, feel free to examine them closely. See if there’s really any hidden mechanism!”

The crowd quickly began searching, and in her nervousness, one young woman even dropped and shattered her incense burner.

After a moment of silence, it became clear that there was no trace of Realgar powder among the fragments on the ground.

“Baoxiang Tower has powerful backing, but they shouldn’t bully people like this.”

“I heard the Xie family despises mercantile behavior. I wonder how they would react if they found out Miss Lin is showing her face in public again, using her influence to suppress Xiangyun Tower?”

“Recently, I bought some Scented Pills from Xiangyun Tower. They work just as well as Baoxiang Tower’s, but cost half the price!”

Whispers once again rippled through the crowd.

Shopkeeper Yin looked at Lin Shengshen, who stood indifferently to the side, and couldn’t help but laugh. “Miss Lin, Young Master Xie is exceptionally talented. Has he not taught you… the principle that ‘business rewards integrity’?”

He laughed heartily, then added, “Oh, I almost forgot—after marrying into the Xie family, you probably haven’t even had the chance to meet Young Master Xie, no wonder you haven’t learned a thing.”

The fact that Lin Shengshen had pursued Xie Zhizhou for years, only to be ignored by him, had long been gossip in the boudoirs of Yunjing. Many families even used it as a cautionary tale, teaching their daughters not to degrade themselves.

The drizzle gradually ceased, but the whispers on the street grew denser than raindrops, each word piercing Lin Shengshen beneath her umbrella like silver needles threaded with silk.

Inside a carriage at the street corner, a man wearing a gold and jade crown, his features deep and profound, watched for a long while before shifting his gaze away from Lin Shengshen and lowering the carriage curtain.

Beside him, a handsome young man with softer, somewhat similar features lifted the curtain again and asked, “Brother, were you just watching that young lady? What were they saying? I didn’t quite catch it.”

The man’s voice was deep and resonant as he replied, “It’s nothing. Stop looking.”

The young man wouldn’t give up. After watching for a while, he said, “That young lady seems about to be bullied. Brother, aren’t you going to help?”

Silence filled the carriage for a moment before the man replied, “She doesn’t need my help.”

The youth clicked his tongue twice, lowered the carriage curtain and said, “In that case, let’s not stay here any longer. Mother is waiting for us at home.”

The man glanced at him sideways. “Let’s wait a little longer.”

“Tsk tsk tsk, wait a little longer, then wait a little longer~” the youth said with sarcastic exaggeration.

The rain had stopped. Lin Shengshen instructed Peilan to put away the umbrella and took two steps to the side, putting some distance between herself and Shopkeeper Yin.

She declared, “Shopkeeper Yin, you poisoned the incense burner, nearly ruining another young lady’s face, and then tried to pin this dirty water on Baoxiang Tower. This is absolutely true.”

Shopkeeper Yin knew that young ladies inexperienced in worldly affairs loved to argue about principles. With a smug expression, he said, “Does Miss Lin have any evidence? Which young lady exactly? Making baseless accusations and using power to bully others—is this the Lin family’s way?”

The voices criticizing Lin Shengshen around them gradually grew louder. Those who had previously feared the Lin family or envied Lin Shengshen’s background now found an outlet for their resentment.

Lin Shengshen sneered and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, “Shopkeeper Yin, are you afraid of pain?”

Shopkeeper Yin: ?

Suddenly, a group of young women rushed out from the street corner. The one leading them was dressed in luxurious attire, her face so swollen and covered in red spots that her original features were unrecognizable. Furious, she cursed and swore while the maids following behind her, some holding feather dusters and others brandishing wooden sticks, charged forward aggressively.

Before Shopkeeper Yin and the crowd could react, the red-faced young lady had already rushed forward and slapped Shopkeeper Yin across the face.

“You wretched Yin! How dare you hide something in the incense burner to harm me! Give me back my face! Everyone, beat him up!”

Knocked to the ground, Shopkeeper Yin hadn’t even recovered his senses before being surrounded and beaten by a group of maids.

Continuous cries of “Aiyo, aiyo!” echoed around. The young women who had been watching the spectacle were so frightened by this scene that their faces turned pale.

“Her face has swollen like a pig’s head! Could there really be poison in that incense burner?”

“I told you long ago that Xiangyun Tower’s Scented Pills were inferior, but you wouldn’t listen. Are you saving that little silver to pay for medical treatment?”

“Hurry! Go back and smash that incense burner! Throw away the Scented Pills too!”

“Xiangyun Tower actually engages in such heaven-defying, harmful deeds! I always thought Shopkeeper Yin had shifty eyes and an untrustworthy face.”

As everyone whispered among themselves, public opinion quickly shifted. While the discussion was at its peak, no one noticed several young ladies quietly slipping away.

Over there, the beating continued as Shopkeeper Yin repeatedly begged for mercy.

After the rain, the clouds cleared, and a few rays of sunlight fell on puddles by the street. Reflected in the water was Shopkeeper Zhu’s beaming face.

“Young ladies! Summer is approaching. Baoxiang Tower has specially developed Summer-repelling incense pills for everyone to try. We’re giving them away with every purchase of Scented Pills or Incense Powder!”

Upon hearing this, the young women who had gathered together swarmed into Baoxiang Tower, leaving only Lin Shengshen standing at the entrance of Xiangyun Tower.

Having vented her anger, the red-faced young lady led her maids away triumphantly, leaving only Shopkeeper Yin moaning on the ground.

Lin Shengshen walked up to him, bent down, shook her head and sneered, “How pathetic.”

“Shopkeeper Yin, it seems no one ever taught you that business rewards integrity. Have you learned that lesson today?”

Shopkeeper Yin still couldn’t figure out what had happened. The Zhou family were clearly the most timid people! Wiping the blood from his nose, he spat out viciously, “You! You!”

Lin Shengshen placed her index finger to her lips, shushing softly, and blinked. “Keep your voice down. If others found out you’ve hidden the poisoned incense burner in the secret chamber of the southwest private room on the second floor of Xiangyun Tower, would that be a good thing?”

Shopkeeper Yin’s pupils instantly dilated, his face—usually marked by disdain and arrogance—finally showing terror. “You… how did you…”

Before he could finish, soldiers patrolling West Street approached with stern expressions. Spotting Lin Shengshen, they saluted first and asked, “What’s…”

Lin Shengshen smiled and looked down at Shopkeeper Yin on the ground. “Oh dear, Shopkeeper Yin, what happened to you?”

As Shopkeeper Yin was carried into Xiangyun Tower, he gritted his teeth, lifted his head, and forced a smile at the soldiers. “It’s nothing.”

Seeing that the most severely injured person had no complaints, the soldiers didn’t want to stir up trouble. They remarked, “Glad it’s nothing,” and left.

Inside a carriage at the street corner, a young man who had just watched the entire spectacle chuckled as he lowered the curtain. “Brother, that was truly interesting.”

The man beside him gave a slight, barely perceptible smile and nodded without speaking.

The young man, still craving more, lifted the curtain again and leaned out to look. He saw a woman in a tea-white floral-patterned skirt, a tasseled hairpin swaying in her hair, rushing anxiously to Lin Shengshen’s side.

The bright sunlight fell gently on the woman’s face, casting a soft glow.

“Are you alright? Did that scoundrel Yin bully you?” Xie Zhenhuan tugged at Lin Shengshen, examining her carefully.

Lin Shengshen laughed. “I’m perfectly fine. How could he possibly harm me?”

With that, the two linked arms and walked toward Baoxiang Tower.

Xie Zhenhuan whispered, “Sister-in-law, what exactly happened? You sent Baidou to tell me to prepare all this—was it just to give him a beating?”

Lin Shengshen replied meaningfully, “It was more than that.”

[Beating him up not only vented anger for me and for Third Miss Zhou, but more importantly, it pinned the entire incident squarely on Xiangyun Tower.]

Xie Zhenhuan grew somewhat worried. “But won’t we…”

It wasn’t the place to discuss such matters openly, and Xie Zhenhuan was straightforward by nature. Lin Shengshen simply reassured her, “What’s there to fear? I’m here.”

[Who cares about truth or evidence? Even if I presented proof and revealed the truth, others would only grow suspicious. Rather than exhaust ourselves and drag Third Miss Zhou’s reputation through a lawsuit against Shopkeeper Yin, it’s far simpler to handle it this way directly.]

In the alley beside Baoxiang Tower, a carriage stood parked. Xie Zhizhou, who had just missed Lin Shengshen at the Lin residence, watched her through the carved wooden window. She appeared calm and composed, soothing Xie Zhenhuan’s back and telling her not to be afraid.

[After witnessing the horrors caused by the poisoned incense burner and seeing Shopkeeper Yin suffer for it, everyone fears these rashes and sores might afflict them next. Naturally, they’d rather believe it’s true than risk disbelief.]

[By now, whether Shopkeeper Yin actually did it or whether I have any evidence no longer matters to those people.]

Xie Zhizhou listened silently, a faint, careless smile playing on his lips—

Who would have thought his wife, who seemed absorbed in romance and oblivious to worldly affairs, possessed such a shrewd and intricate mind?

[The truth is clear, so the outcome matters more than the process.]

[If you know the truth but fail to achieve the result because the process is obstructed, that’s putting the cart before the horse.]

Xie Zhizhou raised an eyebrow, watching Lin Shengshen gradually walk away, a subtle stir in his heart.

He had to admit, ever since he began to understand what Lin Shengshen was thinking, she always left him inexplicably…

“Young Master, Yin Wei spoke recklessly and publicly insulted the Young Madam. Shall we teach him a lesson?” Yuan Qing interrupted his thoughts.

Xie Zhizhou lifted his gaze toward the entrance of Baoxiang Tower. Lin Shengshen stood there in a lychee-colored silk dress, a few stray strands of hair at her temples fluttering against her snow-white nape in the breeze. Even from this distance, he seemed to catch the faint, sweet scent of lychee that had lingered in her room that day.

Over by his side, Xie Zhenhuan chimed in, “Sister-in-law, after all the commotion in the street today, I’m afraid Father and Brother won’t be pleased. But don’t worry, I’ll stand by you!”

Lin Shengshen gave a wry smile and brushed it off with a laugh, “Who cares about them?”

[At most, Old Man Xie will just grumble a bit—he wouldn’t dare do anything. As for Xie Zhizhou… he can go find someplace cool to hang out.]

Xie Zhizhou: “…”

He had overheard Yin Wei’s words earlier, along with the hushed whispers of the crowd. Could it be that Lin Shengshen’s resentful thoughts were because—

She felt he had humiliated her and made her lose face?

Xie Zhizhou lowered his eyes in contemplation for a moment. When he looked up again, Lin Shengshen had already stepped into Baoxiang Tower, and he could no longer hear her thoughts.

Across the bustling street, Xie Zhizhou spotted a handsome, spirited young man stepping down from a carriage at the corner, striding toward Baoxiang Tower with an air of confidence and cheer.

It was the young master of the Wen family, Wen Zhaoya.

Behind him, the carriage curtain lifted, revealing a face marked by depth and composure.

It was Wen Lingzhou.

Their eyes met, and neither Xie Zhizhou nor Wen Lingzhou looked away until the bustling crowd completely obscured their view.

The carriage moved forward slowly, surrounded by the constant noise of laughter and hawking, yet inside, the silence was palpable. Yuan Qing didn’t dare ask a single question.

Just as Yuan Qing thought Xie Zhizhou wouldn’t issue any orders and had buried himself in reading the files, a voice suddenly came from within the carriage.

“Yuan Zhen, go deal with Yin Wei.”

Yuan Qing’s smile stiffened. He had assumed Xie Zhizhou would send him to warn Yin Wei, but instead, he dispatched Yuan Zhen.

If Yuan Zhen was handling it, breaking a leg would probably be considered lenient…

–

Baoxiang Tower was livelier than ever today. Young ladies who had previously balked at the high prices of scented pills and incense powder were now buying them without hesitation.

Shopkeeper Zhu beamed with joy, chatting and laughing with one customer after another, and soon, a large box of summer-repelling incense pills was nearly empty.

When Zhou Qiong arrived at the entrance of Baoxiang Tower in a carriage, her face hidden beneath a thick veil, everything appeared to be running as usual.

Lingbi returned after making inquiries and reported, “Miss, just now, Miss Lin of Baoxiang Tower confronted Xiangyun Tower. The manager of Xiangyun Tower was beaten in the street, but the matter has been resolved.”

Zhou Qiong lifted a corner of the carriage curtain, cautiously peering out with her eyes toward Baoxiang Tower. She saw a constant stream of people, even busier than before.

It seemed Miss Lin had truly resolved this conflict on her own, just as she had said.

Then she had indeed arrived too late.

Zhou Qiong lowered her gaze, a wave of loneliness and self-mockery washing over her. “Let’s go.”

Lingbi hesitated, “Since we’re already here, wouldn’t you like to see Miss Lin?” At least let her know that Third Miss had intended to help, even if she was late.

Zhou Qiong understood Lingbi’s meaning. She shook her head and said, “Failing to help someone and then expecting them to remember your kindness—that’s just being greedy. Actions speak louder than intentions… having the heart but not the ability is simply incompetence.”

Miss Lin would not care for incompetent people.

The Zhou Mansion carriage gradually departed unnoticed by the crowd, while Baoxiang Tower remained as lively as ever.

When Wen Zhaoya stepped into Baoxiang Tower, he was greeted by waves of fragrant breezes, feeling refreshed and invigorated.

The tower was filled with as many girls as flowers in a garden, but he had no time to look around. His gaze swept through the crowd, searching for that figure in tea-white robes.

Earlier in the carriage, he could tell from his elder brother’s attitude that Miss Lin was no ordinary person.

His brother was now twenty-three and still unmarried. Though he claimed it was because he traveled constantly for military campaigns and didn’t want to burden anyone, Wen Zhaoya knew the truth was different.

All these years, his brother had been holding someone in his heart.

But his brother had kept this girl completely hidden, never letting him know. Today, having finally caught a glimpse, Wen Zhaoya grew curious and came to Baoxiang Tower under the pretext of buying scented pills to make inquiries.

The girl in tea-colored dress earlier must be Miss Lin’s sister. If he could sound her out indirectly, he would surely learn much.

Soon, Wen Zhaoya found the gentle and elegant young woman in tea-white dress. He approached and bowed, “As the weather is growing warmer, might I ask what scented pills Baoxiang Tower would recommend?”

Xie Zhenhuan was sorting scented pills with her head lowered when the sudden appearance of the man startled her, making her retreat two steps.

She glanced at him appraisingly – he was very young, with peach-blossom complexion and slender build.

Dressed in a light sky-blue robe with cloud patterns, wearing jade hairpin and fish-shaped pendant, he was clearly someone of distinction at first glance.

“Summer-repelling incense pills, pear, lychee, and Spring Message in Snow are all quite good. If you prefer something more subtle, you could also try lotus fragrance.”

Wen Zhaoya nodded repeatedly, picking up various scented pills following Xie Zhenhuan’s gaze. Then he said familiarly, “Earlier I saw your proprietor confronting Xiangyun Tower – she certainly has a strong character. Surely no one on this street would dare trouble you from now on.”

Xie Zhenhuan frowned at him.

Wen Zhaoya continued probing, “Might I ask which family’s daughter your proprietor is?”

……

Xie Zhenhuan said angrily, “That’s my sister-in-law! How dare you gossip about her behind her back?”

With that, she snatched the scented pills from Wen Zhaoya’s hands and pushed him toward the door, “Go away! Our incense isn’t for sale to you!”

Wen Zhaoya stood thunderstruck, repeatedly confirming, “Sister-in-law?”

Married? Then what about his brother…

“How dare you call her sister-in-law?!” Xie Zhenhuan nearly grabbed the feather duster nearby to chase him out.