Page 44 of Silk and Sensibility

“My mother gave this to me because the tiger is my zodiac sign. The necklace has no worth beyond its sentimental value, but I want you to have it.”

Meilin felt the weight of the jade despite Master Wei’s self-deprecating words. Jade pendants were tokens of affection and not exchanged lightly. “If your mother gave this to you, then it must be terribly important.”

He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “I want the best part of me to always be with you.”

Meilin clutched the tiger pendant to her chest, squeezing the precious gift tightly. “Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.”

人言落日是天涯，望極天涯不見家。

已恨碧山相阻隔，碧山還被暮雲遮。

They say the sun sets at the edge of the world,

Yet when I gaze across the expanse,

I can’t find home.

I resent the jade mountains for blocking my view,

While the jade mountains themselves are blocked by sunset clouds.

—Poem by Lǐ Gòu, Song dynasty, transcribed by Fan Enze

Chapter 17

Ailin

When Ailin knelt to pray, she noticed Meilin was missing, but she didn’t know what to do about it. If she rose to look for Meilin, she might arouse notice and create a burden for Aunt Meng. However, if she didn’t find Meilin, there was a possibility her sister could get into trouble.

A glance out the doorway of the prayer hall showed Begonia pacing. Meilin was clearly not with their maid, which meant that Ailin had no choice but to slip out and find her sister as soon as possible.

As Ailin exited the prayer hall, Begonia pulled her aside. “Tian saw Miss Meilin leaving the temple with Master Wei. He told me, then followed after them on foot.”

Dread sank into Ailin’s gut. What was Meilin thinking? How could she leave Hanshan Temple alone with a man? Buddhist temples were notorious places for illicit meetings between lovers. Master Wei presented himself like a gentleman, but his interactions with Meilin could still affect her reputation.

“I’m glad Tian kept an eye on them,” Ailin said calmly despite her mounting internal worries. Tian was Uncle Meng’s most capable assistant and probably the most trustworthy servant in the household besides Begonia. “Did he notice why they were leaving?”

“He overheard them saying that Miss Meilin wasn’t feeling well and wished to return home early.”

Ailin considered this. Meilin often felt ill when traveling in enclosed spaces. During the morning’s carriage ride, she appeared barely able to hold down her nausea. “Let’s hope Master Wei can escort her home without trouble. Do you think Tian will support us if we say that he accompanied them the whole way?”

Begonia frowned. “As long as he doesn’t get in trouble for stretching the truth, I think he would.”

Ailin understood Begonia’s concern for Tian. She didn’t like lying either, but this was the best they could do to protect Meilin from potentially nasty rumors about her leaving alone with Master Wei. In her heart, she prayed more sincerely than she had all day for no harm to befall her sister. With her aching feet and lack of travel options, she could only hope that it would be enough.

Aunt and Uncle Meng took the news of Meilin’s early departure placidly after Ailin and Begonia told them that both Tian and Master Wei had accompanied her home. Whether they trusted the story or were choosing not to add fuel to gossip was uncertain.

With less inhibitions in general, Madame Pang made some stray guesses to her husband about when Master Wei would bring betrothal gifts to Meilin’s mother. As Ailin boarded the carriage along with Miss Shen, a few of the servants chuckled about “highborn ladies and their shenanigans.”

“Did Miss Meilin truly leave with Master Wei because she was feeling ill?” Miss Shen asked on the ride home. “I can’t help but think that, if I were in her situation, I would have endured discomfort for a little longer to avoid being alone with a man like Master Wei. After all, they haven’t known each other very long.”

Ailin silently bore the insult. She understood why Shen Lusi disliked Meilin, but it made her dislike Shen Lusi even more. She hated that such a petty gossiper wanted to marry Enze. Stronger than her dislike of Shen Lusi, however, was her concern for Meilin. She was dismayed that her sister hadn’t considered how people would talk about her before she made the decision to leave with Master Wei.

Meilin is not ignorant, Ailin reminded herself. More likely, Meilin knew people would gossip, but she wouldn’t think it mattered. She undoubtedly believed her actions were right, regardless of the social consequences. If rumors got out of hand, then she and Master Wei would be pressured to marry, which probably appealed to her anyway.

Yet there was so much she was not considering. How could she be sure Master Wei was the man she wanted to be tied to for life? Could he really take care of her? Their family hardly knew anything about him besides that he was charming, wrote plays, and was an heir to a distant relative.