Dream of the Red Chamber: Daiyu and I swapped clothes

Chapter 35 Going in the wrong direction
As a young lady from a scholarly family, Lin Daiyu had very limited knowledge of playboys; the only one she had ever met was Jia Baoyu.

In her view, if someone's behavior is even more frivolous than Jia Baoyu's, wouldn't he be the epitome of a spoiled brat?
Therefore, after exchanging glances with Xue Baochai and seeing her gracefully disappear, Lin Daiyu was certain that things had already come to fruition!
"Sister Bao is such a rational person. She will surely be disgusted by my frivolous behavior."

"Although marriage is a major event that is decided by parents and arranged by matchmakers, Baochai has a lot of influence in her family. She was able to give away a business worth several thousand taels of silver to the Zhenyuan Marquis's mansion. Even if she can't arrange her own marriage, her aunt and Brother Xue will definitely listen to her thoughts!"

"However, I can't ruin things between the two families. I still need to maintain some decorum in front of my aunt."

Before her thoughts could settle, the beaded curtain rustled softly. She looked up and saw that Xue Baochai and Xiangling had already disappeared into the depths of the corridor. Lin Daiyu felt even more at ease, "Good, good, it seems they've already been rejected!"

Meanwhile, Xue Baochai and Xiangling, who had retreated back to their room, couldn't help but start discussing what had just happened.

“Miss, the second young master of the Li family is indeed handsome, perhaps even more so than the second young master Lian and the second young master Bao in the manor. But isn’t his gaze a bit too…”

At Xue Baochai's signal, Xiangling quietly began to express her opinion, but before she could finish, Xue Baochai interrupted her, saying, "When judging people and things, one should not be superficial, and one should not make judgments based on a momentary action. Look at him, when he saw Mother come out, he immediately got up to greet her, without any of the arrogance of a noble son, which shows that he is of good character."

"When his elder brother offered him wine, he declined. When he accepted the teacup, he held it with both hands. His manners were so impeccable that he seemed more like a well-behaved Confucian scholar than a nobleman from a military family."

Xiangling asked, puzzled, "Then why treat the young lady that way?"

Xue Baochai shook her head. "Sister Lin once said that this boy is exceptionally intelligent. Now it seems that his 'playboy' behavior is somewhat deliberate, done to please his brother. He is by no means a reckless person. No wonder that day when his brother drank with him, he was able to return home safely without causing any trouble outside."

She paused, her fingertips brushing against the handkerchief, her voice lowering slightly, "But..."

"Just what?"

Xue Baochai did not elaborate further.

However, a strange feeling lingered in her heart that she couldn't quite put her finger on. Just now, she had only caught a glimpse of that young man, and beneath his deliberately frivolous demeanor, there was an inexplicable sense of familiarity about him, which made her heartstrings tremble for no reason.

Lin Daiyu's subtle actions were naturally noticed by Xue Pan, who was nearby.

As a notorious playboy on the list, Xue Pan was not annoyed to see Li Chen gazing at his sister with such longing; instead, he was overjoyed and his heart was filled with excitement.

"As expected, letting my sister show her face was a brilliant move! My sister is truly a beauty of unparalleled grace; how can those vulgar beauties outside compare?"

"If Brother Ruochen can marry my sister, not only will she find a good home, but the Xue family and the Zhenyuan Marquis's mansion will also be related by marriage, sharing both glory and fortune. When Brother Ruochen rises to prominence in the future, won't the Xue family also rise to the same heights?"

"Mother is so stubborn. She always says I'm useless, but she can't see that the men of the Jia family are no better than me. Now that Marquis Zhenyuan is favored by the Emperor, and Brother Chen is exceptionally talented, if we don't place our bets now, when will we?"

"Only by sharing hardships can we share joys. I understand this principle of doing business! The only thing missing now is that Brother Chen hasn't achieved official rank yet. If he could become a scholar, I could persuade my mother."

"But if she really passes the imperial examination, other families will surely vie for her place, and then the Xue family will have no advantage. How can we prevent my sister from marrying into the family first, so that the two families can maintain a closer relationship?"

His thoughts wandered further, and even Xue Pan couldn't help but feel troubled, taking a sip of wine in a sullen mood.

Seeing this, Aunt Xue frowned and scolded, "Pan'er, what are you doing? You're drinking by yourself instead of entertaining your guests?"

"Oh, oh, oh, it was my fault for being negligent." Xue Pan quickly put down his wine cup and apologized with a smile, "Brother Chen, please don't be offended. I was just distracted for a moment."

He then introduced the young master to Aunt Xue, saying, "Mother, this is the Li Chen brother, the prodigy of the Zhenyuan Marquis's mansion, whom I've often mentioned to you lately. He's ten and a half years old this year, quite ambitious, and eagerly awaiting his examination next year!"

Seeing Xue Pan's absent-minded look, Lin Daiyu was even more delighted. "As expected, I've displeased Brother Xue. It seems I'm even more confident now!"

But when facing Aunt Xue, she still maintained the demeanor of a young master from a prominent family, and stood up respectfully, saying, "Junior Li Chen greets Mrs. Xue."

"Good child, sit down quickly."

Aunt Xue looked the young man up and down, and the more she looked, the more pleased she became. He was handsome, with a scholarly air about him, and his manners were upright and polite, without any of the frivolousness of ordinary noble sons.

Let alone a marriage alliance, even just having Pan'er spend more time with him, being influenced by him, and restraining her temperament would be extremely beneficial.

Thinking of this, Aunt Xue's smile widened, and her tone became even more affectionate.

“Since you and Pan’er address each other as brothers, I will take the liberty of calling you Chen Ge’er. Our two families are just doing business, and I am only doing what I can to please you. I never expected that the Marquis’s mansion would have to send Chen Ge’er to deliver the New Year’s gifts in person.”

"We, a widow and her orphan, have seen much of the coldness and warmth of human relationships in the capital. The Zhenyuan Marquis's mansion has treated us with such sincerity, which is truly unprecedented. The Xue family will remember this kindness, and we hope that when you return, you will be sure to convey it to the Marquis."

"Mrs. Xue, you flatter me. I will certainly pass on your message," Lin Daiyu replied quickly, bowing slightly.

"Alright, alright, let's not talk about such superstitious things. Brother Chen, you've had a hard morning, please have some food first."

Aunt Xue gave him a wink, and Xue Pan then poured wine for Lin Daiyu without hesitation. "Brother Chen, you were quite the tough guy at Zuixianlou, gnawing on a whole pork knuckle. Make yourself at home here, don't be shy!"

"Huh?" Lin Daiyu's lips twitched almost imperceptibly.

"This spoiled brat has such poor table manners?"

Lin Daiyu groaned inwardly. The greasy food she had eaten at Pear Fragrance Courtyard last time had taken her several days to recover, and now she was going to suffer again.

Left with no other choice, Lin Daiyu had to bite the bullet and, imitating the bold and unrestrained manner of men in her memory, began to eat heartily.

This ability to be both polite and unrestrained when appropriate earned him even more points in Aunt Xue's eyes.

She secretly pondered that if Madam Wang's planned "golden and jade marriage" failed, this young marquis in front of her would indeed be a good match for Bao'er.

After three rounds of wine, five flavors of food.

Seeing that Aunt Xue was still sitting with her, asking about her family background and studies, and becoming increasingly intimate in her words, Lin Daiyu gradually realized that something was wrong.

"How could this be? Shouldn't they think I'm frivolous and disrespectful for behaving like this? Why are they being even more affectionate and asking the same questions that you'd ask as a matchmaker?"

"If this continues, wouldn't it backfire and pave the way for that纨绔 (playboy/spoiled brat)?"

Lin Daiyu paused, her heart pounding with anxiety, and she frowned, deep in thought.

"We must do something that will offend them, but not in a way that will damage the relationship between the two families... just enough to cool things down."

Just then, Xiangling, carrying a wine pot, gracefully walked in from the back room, intending to refill everyone's wine.

Lin Daiyu's eyes flashed, and a plan came to her mind.

"I've got it! Xiangling is Brother Xue's favorite. He even got into a murder case over her back then. If I ask him for Xiangling, he'll definitely be reluctant, and my aunt will think I'm greedy for beauty and untrustworthy!"

Having made up her mind, Lin Daiyu took the wine cup that Xiangling had filled, feigned a slight buzz, took a sip, and then slammed the cup heavily on the table, saying loudly, "Brother Xue! I'm quite tipsy, and I have a favor to ask, but I don't know if I should say it!"

The room fell silent.

Xue Pan was taken aback at first, then clapped his hands and laughed, "Brother Chen, what are you saying! I've said it before, you and I are brothers, so please speak freely if you have any requests!"

(End of this chapter)