Dream of the Red Chamber: Daiyu and I swapped clothes

Chapter 50 The Sovereign's Worries and the Minister's Labor
The mother, surnamed Zou, came from a family that was considered a gentry family in Wanping County, known for its tradition of farming and scholarship.

Only the two sons of the clan joined the army and met Li Chen's father, which led to the marriage alliance between the two families.

Through his uncle Zou Xun's introduction, Li Chen accepted these four cousins ​​named "Yuan, Heng, Li, and Zhen".

After exchanging brief pleasantries with several elderly relatives, Li Chen simply sat quietly in the hall, his brows furrowed, showing no interest in conversation.

Seeing this, his mother, Zou, told him to go back to his room and rest.

With his father absent and Li Chen too lazy to socialize, his mind was preoccupied with the problem of "increasing revenue" for the household.

Immediate dignity is ultimately illusory; planning ahead is the only right thing to do.

When he returned to his room, Xiangling was not there.

Li Chen then took out the booklet to find out what message Lin Daiyu had left behind.

Just as he expected, Lin Daiyu wrote down the whole story without any concealment.

How can I devise a plan at Pear Fragrance Courtyard to demand Xiangling?

How to fiercely fight back in Rongqing Hall.

Even though Lin Daiyu didn't speak ill of them, the disappointment and resoluteness conveyed between the lines were enough for Li Chen to empathize with her.

That setback actually spurred Lin Daiyu to resolve to take the imperial examination and become the top scholar.

Li Chen was pleased with this, since he was always the one who benefited in the end anyway.

As the gaze swept to the end, Lin Daiyu had also written a row of extremely eye-catching large characters: "Mother has said in advance that you will not be allowed to disrespect Sister Xiangling! Remember! Remember!"

A playful, cold smile curled at the corner of Li Chen's lips.

He had heard those words before.

It's exactly the same as those three rules: "No bathing" and "No touching."

Just then, Xiangling quietly walked back to her room.

Seeing Li Chen sitting behind his desk as usual, she habitually approached the desk, her slender hands reaching out to grind ink.

"What are you doing?" Li Chen asked suddenly as he closed the booklet.

Xiangling turned her head, a hint of natural confusion in her eyes, "Grinding ink for the young master. Isn't the young master studying today?"

Upon hearing this, Li Chen deliberately sat up straight, adopting the most serious expression imaginable. "I've been studying hard for ten days straight, without slacking off until New Year's Eve. Now that it's New Year's Day, shouldn't I enjoy myself a bit?"

Xiangling seemed to understand, but not quite. She obediently put the inkstone back in its place and whispered in agreement, "Yes, young master is right. So, is young master going to lift the stone weights to stretch his muscles?"

Li Chen was almost choked by her straightforward question. What kind of enjoyment is lifting a stone lock?

Glancing at her helplessly, Li Chen raised his hand and patted his shoulder, no longer beating around the bush, "Come here, give me a shoulder massage."

"what?"

Xiangling opened her eyes wide in surprise, thinking she had misheard.

The young master used to avoid her like the plague!
After all, the young master is young and full of vigor. Xiangling has experienced this firsthand and can understand.

But right now...

Xiangling glanced instinctively towards the door, her face showing embarrassment. Her voice was barely audible as she said, "Young Master, it's not that I dare disobey you, but Sister Chuntao just specifically instructed me to be mindful of my behavior… If I offend Madam, then…"

The more she spoke, the redder her cheeks became, and she was so embarrassed that she couldn't continue.

Li Chen understood perfectly, but deliberately misinterpreted it, waving his hand and saying, "Of course I know, but right now my studies are my priority."

Changing the subject, Li Chen countered in a persuasive tone, "But look at me, my neck and shoulders are sore, and I'm exhausted. I can't concentrate on my studies at all. As my maid, shouldn't you help me relieve my fatigue?"

"I'm a maid..." Xiangling murmured unconsciously, caught up in his words.

"Is that so? What kind of maid are you?" Li Chen looked at her leisurely.

Xiangling's face flushed even more, almost to the point of bleeding, and her voice was as soft as a whisper, "Yes, it's a maidservant..." "That's it." Li Chen clapped his hands and laughed, saying matter-of-factly, "Isn't this your duty?"

"Yes, I should."

Xiangling was eventually convinced by his twisted logic, so she had no choice but to get up, move behind him, and gently place her cool, slender fingers on his shoulder.

Li Chen closed his eyes contentedly, letting out a satisfied sigh: "Hmm, that's the right amount of force. Now that you're in my room, you should listen to me. Would I ever harm you?"

"Young Master, are you feeling better now?"

As Xiangling carefully massaged the area, she asked in a low voice.

"It's okay."

Li Chen, taking advantage of the situation, added, "Give me another massage, but be careful with the pressure. As the saying goes, 'When the ruler is worried, the minister toils.' How can you be at ease while I'm working so hard?"

Xiangling could only reply "Yes," but her mind was still a bit confused.

She hasn't seen the young master do anything today.

As Xiangling served him, and he inhaled the faint fragrance emanating from her sleeves, Li Chen felt relaxed and refreshed, as if he had returned to the Rongguo Mansion, and his desire to do things was also rising!
Opening his eyes, Li Chen's gaze fell on the pages of manuscripts that Lin Daiyu had used on the desk, which were stacked thicker than when he had visited before.

They really did work twice as hard.

Therefore, Li Chen silently thought, "If Lin Daiyu really aims to be the top scholar, then she will be the first noble son of the Great Jing in a hundred years to be the top scholar. At that time, it will surely cause dissatisfaction among many scholars and cause a great uproar in the capital."

“In that case, I might as well polish the commentaries on the scriptures she wrote for me and sell them as ‘secret study guides’ to prove my innocence.”

"Even if she doesn't get into high school as she wishes, it's still a precaution. But if she does, she'll gain both fame and fortune."

Since the tide is coming, we might as well ride it.

Having made up his mind, Li Chen suddenly stood up and grabbed Xiangling's wrist.

Caught off guard, Xiangling had no time to dodge and could only frantically beg for mercy, her eyes constantly glancing out the window. "Young Master! Young Master, you mustn't! In broad daylight... what if someone sees us..."

Upon hearing this, Li Chen frowned slightly and couldn't help but mutter, "This girl is so dull, why is she so sensitive about this kind of thing? Could it be that she has some kind of criminal record?"

Li Chen lightly tapped her forehead with his finger and said helplessly, "What are you thinking about all day long? Go and find someone to send a message to the Xue family, saying that I want to invite Brother Xue Pan to dinner."

"Huh?" Xiangling was startled again, her face showing hesitation.

"What?" Li Chen raised an eyebrow. "You want to avoid suspicion?"

Xiangling shook her head, and said in a rather embarrassed voice, "Young master, your monthly allowance for this month has not yet been withdrawn. I'm afraid our household expenses are not enough to host a banquet outside."

Li Chen waved his hand dismissively.

Does he not know whether he has money in his pocket or not?
"Just go ahead and invite him. Brother Xue is such a generous person, do you really think I, as his brother, would pay for this?"

Upon hearing this, Xiangling looked up in surprise.

A moment later, she couldn't help but cover her mouth with her sleeve and burst out laughing.

"Sometimes serious, sometimes so lazy, he's really hard to figure out."

"Then this servant will go now?" Xiangling put on her outer cloak and looked at Li Chen hesitantly.

"Go and come back quickly." Li Chen nodded, then lazily lay back on the bed, adding slowly, "When you come back, you can properly 'relieve my fatigue'."

The blush that had just faded from Xiangling's face suddenly surged back up, and she dared not say another word, practically fleeing through the door.

Watching her hurried retreating figure, Li Chen squinted and couldn't help but chuckle softly.

"This little girl is still too inexperienced."

Looking up at Lin Daiyu's words, Li Chen shouted across the distance, a smile playing on his lips, "Lin Daiyu, did you see that? I never 'flirted' with her in the slightest. From beginning to end, it was she who touched me."

What a saint! After ten days, he's just another bed warmer.

(End of this chapter)