Dream of the Red Chamber: Madam, please have some self-respect!

Feng Ziying seemed to notice Jia Yun's gaze, turned to him, grinned, and winked.

it is more than words.

Suppressing her anger, Grandmother Jia forced a smile and said to Feng Tang, "Nephew Feng, children often speak without thinking, please don't take it seriously. However... our Jia family has a long tradition of scholarship and values ​​talent above all else, we would never do such a thing! Today's events must be due to the senility and confusion of Master Dairu, who misjudged the situation for a moment!"

She was trying her best to save face with those words, but after Feng Ziying's outburst, who wouldn't know that something was amiss?

Although the guests verbally agreed, their eyes were filled with strange expressions as they all turned to Jia Yun, who remained calmly standing in the hall. Their gazes were filled with sympathy, admiration, and even... something else entirely.

The young ladies and grandmothers who were not yet married now looked at Jia Yun with a completely different attitude.

Previously, one might have only thought he was handsome, but now one sees even more in his talent and integrity. Especially his imposing presence when he was enraged just now—it was truly delightful!

In that inconspicuous corner of the shadows, Lin Zhixiao's family, along with their daughter Lin Xiaohong, were also watching.

Xiao Hong's pretty eyes were already glued to Jia Yun.

Seeing his initial composure, then his humiliation, and finally his desperate counterattack, which drew everyone's attention and even made someone like Feng Ziying stand up for him... her heart was already pounding like a deer.

She recalled that day in the west corridor, when she and Ping'er had a chance to go in and speak a few more words with this Second Master Yun. Perhaps... perhaps...

Lin Zhixiao's wife noticed her daughter's unusual behavior, and when she looked at Jia Yun, who was now clearly no longer someone to be trifled with, she couldn't help but recall her daughter's vague feelings from the past. She felt both regret and anxiety.

She couldn't help but pinch her daughter's arm hard, hiding it behind her sleeve, and scolded in a low voice, "You blind little hussy! Now you're staring at him? Where were you before? I told you to show your face in front of him more often, but you always turned away! If only... sigh! Now that he's so powerful, he wouldn't even look at you!"

Xiao Hong, in pain, suddenly came to her senses.

Hearing her mother's complaints, she felt an overwhelming sense of sorrow and melancholy. Gazing blankly at the boy where the light converged, she felt as if there was an invisible yet insurmountable chasm between them, and her eyes involuntarily reddened slightly.

In the hall, Jia Dairu had already been slowly awakened by having his philtrum pinched.

Hearing Feng Ziying's words, seeing Grandmother Jia's expression, and enduring the varied gazes of the room, he was truly filled with shame and indignation. Therefore, he could only close his eyes and groan, pretending to be still unconscious.

Meanwhile, Jia Rui, still stealing glances at Feng Jie, completely infatuated, was oblivious to his impending death.

After the farce, Tan Chun felt her heart still pounding.

Jia Yun's fierce, tiger-like demeanor just now was completely different from his usual gentle and refined appearance, yet... it was precisely this that made her fall for him even more.

She prided herself on not being the kind of frivolous woman who only cared about appearances or blindly admired strength, but at this moment, seeing the determination and strength that Jia Yun showed in protecting his mother, she was deeply moved.

That blend of literary talent and masculine spirit was like a pebble thrown into a still lake, creating ripples in her heart.

Tan Chun quickly lowered her eyelids to hide the strange light in her eyes, but her ears quietly blushed.

Although the girl secretly scolded herself for losing her composure, the word "joy" had already been deeply planted in her heart.

Meanwhile, Jia Qiang and Jia Qin, who had slipped into a corner, were already ashen-faced. They exchanged a quick glance and saw undisguised horror and lingering fear in each other's eyes.

They had a long-standing feud with Jia Yun, and in the past, relying on their numbers or status, they often bullied him.

But Jia Yun's actions just now were ruthless and decisive; he was nothing like the seemingly weak young man who could only rely on clever tricks to get by a month ago.

Jia Qin felt his throat go dry, and said to Jia Qiang in a trembling voice, "When...when did he learn such powerful techniques? If that elbow had hit me..."

Jia Qiang was also sweating profusely, but he forced himself to remain calm and said, "Shut up! From now on... don't provoke him so easily again. It seems he's been hiding his true strength all this time. If we really anger him next time, I'm afraid... I'm afraid he might really take our lives!"

When the two looked at Jia Yun again, they dared not show the slightest contempt.

Meanwhile, Jia Zhen of the Ningguo Mansion sat among the guests, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, his gaze intently scrutinizing Jia Yun.

He didn't know much about the boy, only that he was the son of the fifth sister-in-law in the west corridor, and that he was a little clever.

But what I saw today was completely unexpected.

Not only was his writing impeccable, but even Confucian scholars and officials couldn't refute it. When he took action, he was exceptionally ruthless, yet he always used the noble pretext of "filial piety," making it impossible for anyone to find fault with him.

"He is both literate and skilled in martial arts, brave and resourceful, and what's even more remarkable is his patience and explosive power..." Jia Zhen thought to himself, "It seems that the Rongguo Mansion is not entirely composed of empty-headed embroidered pillows like Baoyu and good-for-nothings like Jia Lian. After all, someone of note has emerged, and there is some hope."

As soon as this thought crossed his mind, he couldn't help but think of his good-for-nothing son, Jia Rong, and... his daughter-in-law, Qin Keqing, who was as delicate as a flower.

In a flash, his gaze drifted toward the women, sweeping over Qin's exquisite face and graceful figure.

Immediately, a surge of heat rose in his lower abdomen, and a chilling sense of smugness and possessiveness welled up within him. He sneered to himself, "How could that good-for-nothing Rong'er be worthy of me? Such a beauty will be mine sooner or later..."

This beast twisted his disappointment in his son and his lustful thoughts towards his daughter-in-law into a complex and distorted combination.

Wang Xifeng, however, had a completely different mindset at this moment.

She was also startled by Jia Yun's sudden outburst, but her shrewdness and intelligence quickly prevailed.

Feng Lazi clutched her chest, her phoenix eyes narrowing slightly, thinking to herself, "Good heavens! It's true what they say, a barking dog doesn't bite! He seems so gentle and unassuming all the time, but when provoked, he's a veritable leopard!"

After the initial surprise, what welled up in my heart was an indescribable sense of admiration, and even... a slightly itchy, fluttering feeling.

In her eyes, a man with such talent, courage, and the ability to be ruthless in critical moments was far more to her liking than a hothouse flower like Baoyu.

She immediately recalled her previous "investment" in Jia Yun and the goodwill she had shown him, and couldn't help but feel fortunate: "It seems my eyes haven't gone blind after all! This move was actually the right one! As long as he doesn't run into bad luck, such a person will surely amount to something great in the future. The goodwill I've cultivated today may prove invaluable in the future."

Thinking about it this way, the look in Jia Yun's eyes lessened with fear and became more intense with a sense of value.

As for those unmarried young ladies, Daiyu's heart was already filled with turmoil.

She was naturally sensitive and could best understand the coldness and warmth of human relationships. Jia Yun's resolute fight for his mother reminded her of her own lonely and helpless life. She felt both admiration and self-pity, and her gaze towards Jia Yun was filled with complex sympathy and respect.

Baochai remained dignified and composed, but her eyes betrayed surprise and admiration. She had always believed that a man should have a foundation for his character and the ambition to make progress. Jia Yun's talent and sense of responsibility displayed today undoubtedly met her standards, but she remained deep in thought and did not reveal her true feelings.

The most conflicted person was Baoyu.

He already had a slight liking for Jia Yun because of his handsome appearance, and when he saw his brilliant writing just now, he secretly applauded him.

However, Jia Yun's sudden display of "martial prowess" made him somewhat uncomfortable, feeling that it spoiled the mood and violated his belief that women are made of water and men should be gentle and refined.

What made him even more unhappy was that most of the attention and praise that should have been focused on him, the "phoenix," was now being stolen by his nephew from a collateral branch.

Baoyu felt both that Jia Yun's way of protecting his mother was "very cool" and that he disliked his "showing off" and "being keen on official career and economy," which disrupted the harmonious atmosphere that should have been during the New Year. He was filled with mixed feelings.

So he turned his head away and pulled Jia Lan aside to ask her some trivial questions in a low voice, in order to dispel the inexplicable boredom.

The hearts of everyone in the room were like a bottle of mixed flavors that had been overturned, each with its own unique taste: sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, and salty.

Jia Yun, however, stood in the main hall, supporting his mother, calmly accepting all kinds of gazes.

He felt a strange sense of peace, as if he were an outsider observing the diverse world around him.

Jia Yun's gaze swept over the girls adorned with gold hairpins and jade rings. Upon closer inspection, each of them was indeed exceptionally beautiful, like figures from a painting.

However, when his gaze inadvertently swept over the slender figure sitting beside Grandmother Jia's bed, he was struck dumb, as if his blood had frozen instantly!

That's... Lin Daiyu?

But that face—those delicate eyebrows, those affectionate eyes, that seemingly angry yet not angry corner of her mouth, that charming and flirtatious demeanor... it was clearly, clearly the image of Chen Xiaoxu!

Could it be that she also time-traveled?