Extra — Past Life Karma (Part 1)
The Lin family had three sons. The eldest served the imperial court, the second became a teacher, and the third was exceptionally clever but inherently playful.
“Little Young Master, Little Young Master, you can’t take that… Aiyo, how many times have I told you? You have to pay before you take things.”
Xiao Xizi watched his young master casually grab something and walk off again. He scrambled after him, pulled a silver tael from his pouch, and placed it in front of the shopkeeper. “My apologies, shopkeeper. Keep the change.”
The humbly dressed shopkeeper’s eyes nearly popped out at the sight of the gleaming silver. “Thank you, thank you, my lord!”
The lavishly dressed youth walking ahead turned back, his refined features lit with a casual smile. “What’s to fear? Aren’t you here to pay for me? Just drop the silver and let’s go.” After speaking, he continued strolling forward.
Xiao Xizi hurried to catch up. “Even so, if you pay a whole tael of silver at every single stall, our money pouch won’t be able to withstand this kind of spending!”
The youth ahead replied confidently, “What’s to fear? This young master has plenty of money.”
Xiao Xizi: “…”
He couldn’t help but lament; his young master was truly willful.
The Lin family was the most renowned family in Yizhou. The Master of the house was the highest local official, the Prefect. Two of his three sons brought him great honor, while the youngest, though mischievous and playful, was clever to the point of envy. Although he had caused trouble for everyone in the household since childhood, he remained the most doted-on youngest son of the family.
Never mind his two older brothers; even the Master himself was helpless against him.
“Come and see, come and see! Place your bets! If you lose, you leave a little; if you win, you take it all!”
Following the voice, the youth pushed through the dense crowd, successfully squeezing to the front. Before him was a high fighting ring, upon which stood two burly, robust men. It was clear the audience was meant to bet on who would win.
The youth crossed his arms. When he saw the burly man standing on the left, he raised a delicate eyebrow.
Xiao Xizi also pushed through the crowd, catching up to his young master. Seeing the scene, he was just about to advise his young master against getting involved in such violent, bloody affairs when he paused. He stared at the man on the left of the ring, who was currently posturing aggressively at his opponent, and cursed, “Isn’t that the bastard who abducted a girl two days ago and tried to force himself on her!”
Lin Zheng said nothing. After a moment, he leaned over slightly and asked his young attendant, “Look at those two on the stage. Who do you bet will win?”
Xiao Xizi was still fuming about the incident from two days ago, completely forgetting the Master’s rule forbidding the young master from gambling. “I bet on the one on the right!”
“The right side it is, then.” Lin Zheng snatched the money pouch from Xiao Xizi’s waist and tossed it onto the tray for the right side.
The crowd’s jaws nearly dropped at their extravagant bet.
Feeling the sudden lightness at his waist, Xiao Xizi finally realized what his young master had done. He looked at him in horror—that was all their silver!
Xiao Xizi tried to retrieve the money pouch but was grabbed by his young master and could only give up in grief.
After the match began, the two men on stage were evenly matched at first. But by the middle, the fighter on the right was clearly flagging, his strength no match for the bastard on the left. Xiao Xizi watched anxiously.
Lin Zheng glanced at the situation on the stage, his arms still crossed. He flicked a tiny, imperceptible pebble from his fingertips. The pebble struck the man on the left squarely in the knee. The man cried out in pain and dropped to the ground. Seizing the opening, the fighter on the right grabbed the opportunity and threw the man down.
The bastard on the left had lost.
Seeing the result, Xiao Xizi completely forgot their master-servant relationship and excitedly hugged his young master, jumping for joy.
Lin Zheng smiled and patted his attendant’s head. “What are you waiting for? Go get the money.”
Xiao Xizi said, “Oh, oh!” and hurried over to collect their winnings. Afterward, he didn’t forget to spit twice in the direction of the bastard on the stage.
With that one move, the two had made a fortune.
The two bought countless things, so many that Xiao Xizi could barely carry them all and had to make his young master help.
Seeing they had too much, they decided to return home first.
On the way back, the streets were still bustling. Lin Zheng walked ahead, listening to the attendant behind him muttering about the girl from a few days ago. He said it was lucky they arrived in time, otherwise, that girl would have been in trouble. He also said that even though he got a little injured, saving her was worth it, and he even learned her name because of it.
“Mm-hm.”
Lin Zheng, walking in front, was listening at first, but as they reached the busy market, his gaze was suddenly drawn to something in the distance. A bright light shone in his eyes. He shoved the things in his hands backward onto the pile Xiao Xizi was carrying—which was already up to his chin—and said excitedly, “Xiao Xizi, I found it! The thing I’ve been looking for!”
Xiao Xizi, nearly toppling over from the excessive weight, yelled, “What is it? Young Master? Young Master?”
Lin Zheng straightened his robes, walked to the stall ahead, and picked up a hairpin. “The jade on this hairpin has such a gentle luster. The color is perfect for a gentle woman.” As he spoke, he glanced at the person beside him, pretending to have only just noticed them. Seeing the person holding an identical hairpin, his gaze traveled up, and he asked in pleasant surprise, “Gongzi, have you also taken a liking to this hairpin?”
Where his gaze landed was a handsome face that anyone would get lost in upon seeing.
Hearing the voice, the man turned his head slightly to look at the person beside him.
Their eyes met. Lin Zheng was so captivated by the beauty that he couldn’t help but swallow. The man before him was not only handsome, but his figure was tall and straight, quite a bit taller than him. He had ink-black hair, and his fair face carried a faint sense of detachment. Although his clothes were made of ordinary fabric, he wore even simple materials with such taste.
Truly worthy of being the person he’d fallen for at first sight!
Xiao Xizi set down the items and rushed over, only to arrive and see his young master looking like a complete fool, infatuated with the man beside him.
Heh.
The man glanced at the person beside him, ignored him, and simply handed the hairpin to the shopkeeper. “Wrap this.”
Lin Zheng continued, “Is Gongzi buying this hairpin for his younger sister?”
Hearing this, the man looked at him.
Lin Zheng understood instantly. He turned to the shopkeeper, who was preparing a cloth to wrap the hairpin. “Shopkeeper, please change the dark wrapping cloth to a light-colored one. Nothing too bright; something elegant is most suitable.” Finished, Lin Zheng turned back to the man beside him and explained, “Gongzi, you look young, so your sister probably hasn’t reached hairpin age yet. Unmarried girls mostly prefer fresh, bright things. Even as an older brother, you must cater to her tastes.”
“You certainly know how to cater to tastes.”
“Hm?”
The man said no more. He thanked him and was about to leave. Seeing this, Lin Zheng quickly blocked him, adding the self-introduction he hadn’t had time for. “Um, my name is Lin Zheng. What’s yours?”
The man lowered his gaze, looking at the youth before him, whose eyes were filled with anticipation. He softly uttered two words, “Gu Lin.”
Since childhood, everyone had asked Lin Zheng what he wanted most, but Lin Zheng could never answer. The love of his parents and brothers, a wealthy life, a never-ending supply of sweets—his life seemed to lack nothing.
But it wasn’t until he saw that person that he suddenly realized he was clearly missing a partner to spend the rest of his life with. And that person was the one he had chosen at first sight, the partner he wanted most.
Xiao Xizi watched the young master, who was teasing a bird, and whispered, “Little Young Master, did you really fall for that man from the street today?”
Hearing this, Lin Zheng retorted, “What do you mean, ‘that man’? It’s ‘that handsome man’.”
Xiao Xizi: “…”
Xiao Xizi said worriedly, “But that’s a man. The Master will definitely not agree.”
Lin Zheng got up from the stool, put the bird stick aside, and reached out to open the door of the birdcage.
Xiao Xizi said anxiously, “What are you doing, Young Master?”
As soon as the cage door opened, the bird inside found its way out, spread its wings, and flew toward the blue sky.
Lin Zheng watched the bird fly high and said to Xiao Xizi, “Letting what you love fly free is true love. Don’t worry, Father will understand me.”
“Even if the Master understands, what about that man? Can you guarantee that he likes men, just like you?”
“Er…” Little Young Master Lin was stuck.
After a moment, he plopped down heroically on the master’s chair, tilted his chin up, and said confidently, “What’s to fear? Who am I? I’m the young lord of this place. Are you afraid he won’t like me?”
The next day, the Little Young Master had someone gather information on the man. He learned that the man had no father or mother, only a younger sister with no blood relation, and that they had just moved here recently. He learned his preferences and even his address.
As luck would have it, he actually lived not far from him.
Little Young Master Lin’s face nearly split with a grin when he saw this. The evening he received the news, he took a gift and went to visit.
But when he got there, he didn’t see a shadow of him.
The Little Young Master wouldn’t give up. He had gone to the trouble of having freshly made osmanthus cakes prepared. So, he sent his servant back and stayed by himself, sitting on the outdoor steps to wait.
The sun set, and the dark moon hung high.
The night wind was a bit chilly. The Little Young Master fell asleep, leaning just like that against the simple doorframe.
Half-asleep, he felt the things in his hands disappear. When he woke up again, there was an extra piece of clothing draped over him.
A dry, pleasant scent—it was the same fragrance from their first meeting.
Although he didn’t see the man himself, the Little Young Master happily went home with the garment he had received.
That entire night, he used the clothing as a pillow, smiling even in his sleep.
Food and money could solve anything. With this first experience, the Little Young Master began his fierce pursuit. Today, he’d arrive with osmanthus cakes; tomorrow, he’d bring the sugar figurines the sister liked. Sometimes, if he saw the sister, he would coax her until she was happy and get her to put in a few good words for him with her brother, only leaving after she repeatedly agreed.
Knowing the other lived a simple life, he often sent clothes. Naturally, those clothes were all carefully selected—cough, cough—they were what he felt best suited the object of his affection.
Xiao Xizi asked if this was going too far; he had never seen his young master be so devoted to anyone. The Little Young Master said, “Xiao Xizi, when you have someone you truly like, you’ll understand. Just being able to do something for them is happiness.”
Xiao Xizi seemed to half-understand. He only knew that his young master was being far too good to that man. If it were him, he would definitely be moved to tears. But that man, confound it, still seemed unmoved.
Xiao Xizi couldn’t help but sigh, “When will these days ever end?”
There’s a saying about words spoken from a crow’s beak.
Xiao Xizi had just been that crow.
These days did, indeed, quickly come to an end.
On another day, Lin Zheng walked out of a shop holding meticulously selected clothes, sighing repeatedly, “Excellent, excellent. Wearing these clothes, he will definitely become the most dazzling person in the crowd. Ah, as expected of the man this Little Young Master Lin has his eye on!”
Xiao Xizi followed behind. “Of course. Young Master, as someone with… such excellent taste, the person you choose is certainly not bad.”
The Little Young Master said smugly, “Naturally. The person I choose must be a dragon among men!”
The two arrived at the familiar house, carrying large and small bags. Before they even entered, they saw the door was cracked open. Lin Zheng was just about to push it open when he heard a familiar voice from inside.
“General, your humble servant failed to greet you despite your visit many days ago. This is truly a sin. I await the General’s punishment.”
Lin Zheng recognized the speaker’s back—it was his father. And across from his father stood, clearly, only one person.
Lin Zheng stared at the handsome face he longed for day and night in his dreams, covering his mouth in shock.
Xiao Xizi, behind him, was also dumbfounded. He stammered, “The… the one you chose… he really is a dragon among men.”
At this moment, Lin Zheng had only one thought in his mind.
These days… are over.
Lin Zheng turned around, bonked Xiao Xizi on the head, muttered “Crow’s beak,” and left resentfully.
After that day, Lin Zheng stopped his visits to the person he yearned for. He was no longer his usual lively, cheerful self, just moping around the house day after day.
Xiao Xizi naturally knew the reason and asked, “Little Young Master, are you really planning to stop liking him?”
Lin Zheng lay on the recliner, chewing on a long candy stick. “Even if I like him, what can I do? He’s not the simple boy we thought he was. He’s a high-and-mighty General serving the country. Who knows how many admirers surround him? I’m just the son of a prefect. How could I possibly catch his eye?”
Little Young Master Lin had always been perceptive.
Xiao Xizi suddenly felt a pang of heartache. He had seen everything the young master did. Since they were little, others only knew the young master loved to cause trouble, but who knew that the ones he ‘troubled’ were all bad guys? The young master had a kind heart. As soon as he had silver, he would find ways to give it to those in need. The young master was playful, but what child isn’t? Why couldn’t the person such a good young master liked, like him back?
As Xiao Xizi thought, he couldn’t help but start crying. “Waaaah, Little Young Master! Who cares if he likes you or not! There are so many men in the world; it’s not like he’s the only one. I’ll just go find an even more handsome man for you!”
The more Xiao Xizi spoke, the louder he cried.
“It’s just a breakup, what are you crying for? Crying… sob… you’re making me want to cry too…”
In the end, the master and servant hugged each other and bawled their eyes out.
Halfway through their crying, a servant came in to announce, “Little Young Master, the Master requests your… hm? Are you alright?”
Lin Zheng grabbed Xiao Xizi’s sleeve, wiped his tears, and blew his nose on it for good measure. Seeing this, Xiao Xizi cried even louder. Only then did Lin Zheng look at the servant who had entered. “I’m fine. What is it?”
The servant said, “An honored guest has arrived at the house. The Master requests that you go out to receive them.”
Lin Zheng said, “Oh.”
He washed his face, straightened his clothes, rubbed his eyes, and then opened the door and walked out.
Walking into the main hall, a familiar back came into view.
Hearing the sound, the person turned around.
Seeing the person’s face clearly, Lin Zheng froze slightly.
But very quickly, his expression returned to normal.
His father saw him, beckoned him over, and said, “This is His Majesty’s personally appointed General of the Northern Defense. Hurry and pay your respects to General Gu.”
Hearing this, Lin Zheng was instantly terrified.
The shock of his father’s words left him almost speechless. His Majesty’s personally appointed General of the Northern Defense—this was no ordinary general. Rumor had it, this man had followed his father into the army as a child and had led troops to conquer a city by his teens. After that, he continuously achieved merits. Just recently, he had reclaimed a strategic fortress for His Majesty that had been lost during the previous Emperor’s reign. For this, he was granted the title and became the renowned General of the Northern Defense, known throughout the land.
Xiao Xizi, ah, I think we’ve provoked someone we absolutely cannot afford to provoke!
Xiao Xizi, ah, between him and me, there is absolutely no possibility now.
The difference in their status was too vast.
Lin Zheng dazedly paid his respects to the man. Then, taking advantage of the moment his father was chatting with the man, he abandoned his usual glib demeanor and shrank behind his eldest brother.
Lin Zheng had no mind to listen to their conversation. He only sighed inwardly, lamenting that his standards were too high, falling for someone he could never reach with just one look.
And I actually thought I could tempt him with money and food. I never expected he was a figure leagues above me. Thinking back on the last few weeks, in his eyes, I must have looked like a failed little clown on the street. Utterly humiliating.
Sensing the conversation was finally winding down, Lin Zheng finally breathed a sigh of relief.
After the farewells, Lin Zheng was about to follow his older brother out when he heard the man behind him say to his father, “Could you leave the Little Lin Gongzi behind for a moment? I have a matter I wish to discuss with him.”
Recommended Reads
![Accidentally Turned a Tragic Romance Plotline into a Sweet and Pampering One [Transmigration]](https://beereads.space/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/ACCIDENTALLY.png)
