The splendor of the Red Chamber, the power that reigns supreme.

Chapter 65 Collusion
"It's been so long since I've heard you call my name!" Chen Anxian reached out his large hand, bringing his face close to her ear, panting heavily: "Do you want to? Hmm? Forget about it! Still dreaming of climbing the social ladder, becoming a maidservant? A wife or concubine? Bah! Keep dreaming! A maidservant with a rotten body and a ruined reputation is not even as good as a prostitute!"

"Then, you'll be drowned with me, beaten to death with sticks! Neither of us adulterers can escape! We're like grasshoppers tied to the same rope, if you can't escape, neither can I! If you obediently listen to me, you can still be a dutiful maid in the Ximen household. Who knows, one day your master might take a liking to you, and you'll fly up to the top and become a concubine. Hehe, by then, I'll have tasted the pleasures of being a concubine, and our affair will probably be even more enjoyable."

"Come here, Second Sister!" Chen An said, reaching out to pull the handkerchief from Yu Xiao's waist.

Just then.

Suddenly, they heard footsteps clattering in the distance along the corridor, accompanied by the soft sounds of maids carrying lanterns and candles and whispering. The halo of the lanterns was moving in this direction!

Chen An shuddered, as if doused with cold water. The burning rage within him vanished almost instantly, and his madness was replaced by terror. He abruptly withdrew his hand from the jade flute, as if stung by a scorpion, and frantically tried to pick up the food box that had fallen to the ground, his movements clumsy and awkward.

"Listen!" He lowered his voice, his tone urgent and hoarse, as he frantically adjusted his loose waistband. "Later... later, when the banquet starts at the manor, everyone will be gathered at the front. Find a moment to come here and wait for me to continue the feast!" He glared fiercely at Yu Xiao. "If you dare not come... Hmph! What I just said wasn't just empty talk!"

Before he finished speaking, he had already bent over like a frightened mouse, picked up the food box, and scurried into the dog hole with a "whoosh," disappearing in the blink of an eye, leaving only a few withered leaves still trembling slightly at the entrance of the hole.

Yu Xiao felt as if she had just crawled back from the brink of death, completely exhausted. She slid softly to the ground against the cold wall, panting heavily, her chest heaving violently.

She dared not delay, forcing herself to stand up, frantically straightening her torn and disheveled clothes, and carefully covering the glaringly white undergarment. She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm her wildly beating heart and trembling hands, pushed the millstone back, and, barely managing to adopt the demeanor of a senior maid, straightened her back and walked towards the approaching lights and voices.

Turning past the artificial hill, I saw several young maids standing on tiptoe, using long poles to hang lit lanterns under the eaves.

Yu Xiao cleared her throat, her voice still slightly hoarse, but it had already adopted its usual stern tone: "Hurry up! Watch the candles carefully, don't let them get wet! In the dark, if anyone bumps or scrapes their skin, you'll be in big trouble!" Her gaze swept over them, with its usual sharpness.

As he reprimanded her, a quick glance caught sight of a tiny, scarlet spark flickering in the shadows of a pavilion not far away. By the dim light of the newly hung lanterns, he could clearly see Pan Jinlian reclining on a balustrade, her water-red dress standing out starkly in the darkness. One embroidered shoe tip lightly touched the ground, while the other swayed slightly. She seemed to be leisurely cracking melon seeds in her hand, watching the scene with an air of carefree enjoyment, a faint smile playing on her lips.

Yu Xiao's mind went blank! That little bastard!
The humiliation, threats, and tearing he had just endured from Chen An, the cold walls, the foul smell, the desperate fear, and the humiliating agreement he had been forced to agree to… all these emotions exploded like boiling oil poured into a red-hot iron pot! A surge of evil fire shot straight to the top of his head!
"What an unruly little hussy!" Yu Xiao rushed forward, pointing at Pan Jinlian's nose, her voice suddenly rising, sharp enough to pierce the night, "You shameless slut! The whole household is busy as bees, and you're enjoying yourself! Hiding here pretending to be dead!"

Pan Jinlian was startled by the sudden, stern rebuke, almost spilling the melon seeds in her hand. She looked up at Yu Xiao, but there was little fear in her peach blossom eyes. Instead, a knowing look and a cold sneer flashed across them.

Yu Xiao was even more enraged by that look in her eyes: "What are you looking at?! Look again and I'll gouge your eyes out! Get up now! Go to the kitchen and help out! Chop wood, start fires, wash pots and pans, do whatever's dirty and tiring! If you dare to slack off again, I'll skin you alive! Get out! Get out now!" Yu Xiao cursed as she spoke, her chest heaving violently, as if she wanted to vent all the filth she had suffered at Chen An's place on this vixen who had stolen her position.

Pan Jinlian slowly stood up, brushed off non-existent dust from her skirt, and casually tossed the remaining melon seeds on the ground. She didn't argue, but instead, a cold, meaningful smile slowly curled at the corners of her lips as she faced the furious Yu Xiao.

Without a word, she swayed her lithe waist and walked gracefully past Yu Xiao with her tiny, lotus-like feet, leaving a trail of fragrance as she headed straight for the warm, bright light in the kitchen.

Yu Xiao felt a chill run down his spine from her last cold laugh, but his anger was burning fiercely, and he didn't have time to think. He spat at her back and said, "Pah! You vile little slut! You slut! You'll get what's coming to you! I'll teach you a lesson you bastard!"

Meanwhile, a thrilling thief-catching scene was about to unfold inside the Ximen mansion, while the Xue family members at the Qinghe County government compound were packing their belongings in preparation for their journey to the capital.

Xue Pan kicked open the carved lattice door in the backyard of the county government office, the sound causing dust to fall from the beams. His face was flushed from drinking, and his eyes burned with a mindless rage. He didn't even look at anyone as he entered, his eyes darting around before suddenly fixing on Xiangling, who was tidying up her belongings.

"Come here!" Without saying a word, his large, fan-like hand gripped Xiangling's slender wrist like an iron clamp and dragged her away with all his might.

Xiangling's small face instantly drained of color. Her lips trembled, and incoherent sobs escaped her throat. Her body slumped backward, her thin shoulders shaking violently. A strand of hair fell loose, clinging to her damp cheek, making her small, delicate face appear even more pale and fragile, a sight that tugged at the heartstrings of anyone who saw it.

"You wretched child!" Madam Xue, who was directing the servants, was so startled by the sudden commotion that she almost fell over. Her heart pounded, and her fingertips trembled with anger. Pointing at Xue Pan, she cursed fiercely, "You damned scourge! How many pounds of wine has he drunk this time? He's back and already courting death! Why are you pulling her like that? Let go of her now! Are you trying to drive me to my death?"

Xue Pan, after being scolded by his mother, seemed to have been doused with a bucket of cold water. His domineering momentum faltered for a moment, and he loosened his grip on Xiangling's hand slightly, but still didn't let go. He turned his face, which was red to the bluish-purple, and grinned at Madam Xue, revealing a smile that was a mixture of smugness and arrogance, with spittle almost spraying onto his mother's face:

“My dear wife! You scolded me too soon! This time, your son is not being silly!” His voice boomed so loudly that the paper windows rattled. “Master Ximen saved my sister, a debt of immense kindness! Today, your son has finally understood!”

He slapped his broad chest with his other free hand, making his clothes flutter. "I can't do those sleazy things like cockfighting, dog racing, womanizing, and brawling anymore! Starting tomorrow, I'll follow the experienced and prudent managers in the shop and seriously learn how to use an abacus, read accounts, and run a business! I won't dare to cause you, Mother, any more worry or trouble!"

His gaze shifted to Xiangling, whose hairpins and ornaments he had torn apart and who was now trembling, as if she were merely an object. "Since this unfortunate girl is the one I bought to cause all this trouble, it's perfect to give her to Master Ximen to thank him for saving my life! Our Xue family should at least show our appreciation! Xiangling is pretty and has a decent temperament; she's a perfect match for Master Ximen's status!"

(End of this chapter)