Chapter 4 — I Will No Longer Be Your Star

She was the very person whom Mother Meng had invoked repeatedly in my previous life. Mother Meng would sigh that if Meng Truong Trach had only married a woman of such high birth, he would at least have had the backing of a powerful family. In my past life, it was only after we reached the capital that I realized: the noble lady, Tham Minh Chau, had long been enamored with Meng Truong Trach and wished to marry him. Meng Truong Trach had merely declined on the grounds that he was already betrothed, yet Tham Minh Chau remained steadfast in her infatuation, waiting for him through the years. Even when he was demoted twice, she remained indifferent to his misfortune. The people of the capital whispered about her unwavering devotion, lamenting that they were two souls bound by fate yet barred by circumstance. Gossips even penned stories hoping for their eventual union. In those tales, I was never the devoted wife who endured poverty and hardship by his side; I was merely the obstacle obstructing a beautiful romance, an ignorant woman acting as a spiteful interloper.

Why had Tham Minh Chau come here? My suspicions grew with every passing moment. After returning from the market and stepping through the threshold, Meng Uyen Nhi dashed toward me.

Lin Lin! A young lady named Tham has arrived at the house. You must go and see for yourself!

Her tone was as urgent as if she were warning me: Someone has come to steal Meng Truong Trach away from you!

I was pulled along by Meng Uyen Nhi. Before we reached the main hall, I could already hear the sound of cheerful laughter echoing through the corridor. Peering in, I saw Tham Minh Chau chatting intimately with Mother Meng. If one did not know better, they would have assumed the two were old acquaintances. Meng Truong Trach was absent, likely still occupied with affairs at the local government office. A cough from Meng Uyen Nhi caused both women to turn around. I caught the smile on Mother Meng’s face freeze for a heartbeat before she quickly composed herself.

You have returned, my child?

There was a flicker of guilt in her voice, as if she had committed a transgression against her conscience. Tham Minh Chau let out a sudden gasp of realization.

Is this not the young lady who showed me the way this morning? Mother Meng, is she truly someone from the Meng household?

That single sentence was a test, an attempt to probe the relationship between myself and Meng Truong Trach. Mother Meng’s smile stiffened once more. She, who had never been stingy with praise regarding my status in front of outsiders, was suddenly speechless, her tongue tied by hesitation. I stepped forward to diffuse the situation.

My name is Lin Lin, a distant relative of the Meng family. When I was young and forced to flee my home, Mother Meng was kind enough to take me in.

A relative?

Yes, Meng Truong Trach is also like an elder brother to me.

My expression remained unruffled. The scrutinizing gaze in Tham Minh Chau’s eyes shifted into a radiant smile the moment she heard the words elder brother.

So you are little sister Lin Lin.

She reached out to take my hand, acting as if we were long-lost soulmates reuniting. My fingers felt icy cold. Unbidden, memories of my few brief encounters with her in my previous life surfaced. They were few, yet impossible to forget. The first was when Meng Truong Trach suffered his first demotion, and he took me to the birthday banquet of the Chief Minister, Lord Tham. Tham Minh Chau, dignified and elegant, had glided gracefully toward Meng Truong Trach.

Lord Meng, is this your wife?

She is.

You chose to marry her, fully aware that you were angering my father and risking being demoted to the harsh lands of Lingnan for your efforts?

At that time, I had heard rumors of the failed romance between her and Meng Truong Trach. I also knew his first demotion was due to offending a powerful noble. I never imagined it was because of me. Tham Minh Chau’s gaze fell upon me—her pupils bright, her features exquisite. The way she looked at me, from the arch of her brows to the corners of her eyes, carried a weight of arrogance and judgment. I felt ashamed, yet deeply uncomfortable. That discomfort reached its zenith when Meng Truong Trach was demoted a second time. She had come to our doorstep claiming she had a way to save him.

If you are willing to step aside as a concubine so that Meng Truong Trach can take me as his legitimate wife, I will convince my father to submit a petition to the Emperor to reverse the royal decree.

She looked down at me from her pedestal as if I were a mere insect. Back then, Mother Meng still loved me like her own daughter. She had shielded me, scolding the young lady for using our misfortune to force my hand. Tham Minh Chau had left in a rage, hurling a final threat: There will come a day when you will come to beg me yourself.

She was right. When Meng Truong Trach was demoted for the third time, Mother Meng could no longer bear the weight of her constant anxiety. She had dragged me with her to kneel before Tham Minh Chau, begging her to intercede for Meng Truong Trach’s sake. Tham Minh Chau had said, I want you to serve as my maid for three years, doing whatever I command. I had agreed. For three years, I lived with my head bowed in servitude, hoping only to win a lifeline for Meng Truong Trach. Yet, before he could return, Mother Meng had succumbed to her illness, consumed by worry. And the chasm between myself and Meng Truong Trach had only grown wider because of it.

Now, as I looked at my enemy from a past life smiling so kindly at me, I felt a deep chill settle into my bones. The common folk cannot fight the powerful, and in this life, I only craved a peaceful existence. I did not want to repeat the cycle of my previous life. If I simply did not marry Meng Truong Trach and did not follow him to the capital, so many tragedies could be avoided. Meng Truong Trach would marry a lady of talent, beauty, and noble standing, just like Miss Tham, and would never need to endure the sting of demotion and exile. Mother Meng would not hold a grudge against me for being useless, nor would she die of grief from her son’s repeated falls from grace. It turned out that every tragedy of my past could have been averted if I had only taken one step back. Currently, Tham Minh Chau showed no hostility toward me; she even introduced herself with intimacy, eventually steering the conversation to Meng Truong Trach. She claimed he was her father’s most prized student and that the Chief Minister held him in high regard. His glorious return to grace this time was, in fact, due to the Chief Minister’s favor. Every word she spoke was saturated with praise for Meng Truong Trach, occasionally betraying the shy fluttering of an infatuated girl. Mother Meng watched, her eyes filled with the joy and pride of a mother seeing her son favored by a lady of the capital, though a trace of regret lingered beneath it. Clearly, that regret was on my account. Had it not been for the betrothal between myself and Meng Truong Trach, the person standing beside him should have been someone like Tham Minh Chau. I took note of it all, choosing not to expose the underlying tension, but waiting quietly for my moment. Soon enough, Mother Meng called for me.

Mother Meng.

Lin, come here, my child.