Prince Bei Jing of the Red Chamber, starting from saving Qin Keqing

At the gate of the mansion, Shui Rong saw Lin Ruhai and his entourage approaching. He immediately stepped forward, bowed, and greeted them with a respectful yet warm tone: "Greetings, Father-in-law."

Lin Ruhai quickly stepped forward to help him up, his expression somewhat restrained, and repeatedly returned the greeting: "Your Highness, please rise. I apologize for visiting without prior notice."

"Haha, Father-in-law, aren't you trying to dishearten me with those words?"

Shui Rong smiled and took Lin Ruhai's arm, affectionately leading him towards the main hall. "It is my honor that you have come to visit. There is no need for me to be presumptuous."

As he spoke, he steadily helped Lin Ruhai to sit down on the grand chair in the main hall, and then instructed the servants to serve tea.

Once both were seated, Shui Rong's gaze naturally fell on the young man behind Lin Ruhai, and her eyes lit up.

The young man was wearing a light blue brocade robe embroidered with lotus flowers.

His hair was bound with a jade crown, his eyebrows and eyes were so handsome they were almost unreal, his skin was as white as jade, his nose was straight and delicate, and his lips were naturally red.

Her beauty surpassed that of many noble ladies in the capital.

Shui Rong had seen many handsome men, but this was the first time she had ever seen a young man so refined and otherworldly, with a touch of gentle charm. She wondered to herself:

This young man is so handsome, is he really from the Lin family?

His scrutinizing gaze was so direct that Lin Ruhai's heart tightened instantly, and his palms secretly sweated. Afraid that Shui Rong would notice something amiss, he quickly tried to smooth things over:

"Your Highness, this is my daughter Daiyu's elder brother, Lin Jin. Jin'er, quickly pay your respects to Your Highness!"

Lin Daiyu's heart was already racing and her cheeks were burning under Shui Rong's scorching gaze. Upon hearing this, she quickly composed herself and deliberately lowered her voice.

She bowed respectfully, mimicking the man's posture, but her fingertips unconsciously clenched the handkerchief hidden in her sleeve, her voice trembling slightly.

"Greetings, Your Highness. This is a plum blossom cake that my younger sister made herself. She asked me to bring it to Your Highness to try and see if it suits your taste."

As she spoke, she reached out and handed over the bamboo basket beside her, her head bowed, not daring to look Shui Rong in the eye, her ears already turning red.

Shui Rong smiled as she looked at the neatly arranged pastries in the bamboo basket, imprinted with plum blossom patterns. They looked exquisite and had a faint plum blossom fragrance. She reached out and took the tray.

He deliberately slowed his movements, and in front of the father and daughter, picked up a piece of plum blossom cake, put it in his mouth, chewed it carefully for a moment, his eyes full of approval, and nodded repeatedly:

"Excellent, excellent! Sweet but not cloying, with a rich plum aroma, the taste is superb! Even the imperial chefs in the palace couldn't surpass this. No wonder she's the daughter of the Lin family, my future princess."

Upon hearing this, Lin Daiyu's ears instantly turned bright red, and even her neck flushed a thin layer of red.

She lowered her head even further, her long eyelashes fluttering rapidly like the wings of a startled butterfly, her heart filled with a bittersweet feeling.

Shui Rong took in her reaction, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes, and deliberately teased her:

"There's a charcoal fire burning in the main hall, so it shouldn't be too cold, right? Why are the tips of Young Master Lin Jin's ears all red from the cold?"

Seeing this, Lin Ruhai quickly coughed lightly, interrupting Shui Rong, and smoothly changed the subject, his expression solemn:

"Your Highness, we just discussed the engagement. Could we perhaps set a specific date? That way, both families can make preparations as soon as possible."

He was afraid that if Shui Rong pressed further, he would reveal Daiyu's secrets.

Upon hearing this, Shui Rong immediately dropped his joking expression, sat up straight, and spoke sincerely:

"Father-in-law, rest assured, I have already consulted the Imperial Astrologer to calculate the horoscopes of Daiyu and me. The eighteenth day of the first lunar month is an auspicious day for marriage and betrothal. The wedding ceremony and the setting of the wedding date can be carried out together. What do you think?"

"Daiyu is still young, so we will hold the betrothal ceremony first, and then bring her into the Prince's mansion when she is a few years older."

He paused, then added:

"As for the betrothal gifts required for the engagement, the Lin family does not need to prepare any of them. My Prince Bei Jing Mansion will take full responsibility for them and will not allow Daiyu to suffer the slightest grievance."

"If my father-in-law is still worried that she will have nothing to rely on in the Prince's mansion in the future, I can increase the betrothal gifts by more than double and give them all to Daiyu as her private property."

"Your Highness, you absolutely mustn't!"

Lin Ruhai quickly interrupted him, his tone urgent:

"The matter of the betrothal gifts should be handled according to the rules. How can we allow the Prince to spend so much? Since the Imperial Observatory has already set the date as the 18th of the first lunar month, then let us proceed accordingly."

"The Lin family will certainly not be short of any items that need to be prepared, and will not let the Prince and my daughter suffer any injustice."

Seeing his resolute attitude, Shui Rong stopped insisting and nodded.

"Alright, I'll do whatever you say, Father-in-law. On the eighteenth of the first month, officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Clan Court will be present. The ceremony will be conducted in a thorough and respectable manner, so please rest assured."

Lin Ruhai nodded with satisfaction, unaware that Daiyu beside him was already blushing, her cheeks burning, her fingers tightly twisting her handkerchief, and even her breathing becoming soft.

Shui Rong's gaze fell on Daiyu again, and she asked casually, as if pretending to be nonchalant:

"By the way, young brother Lin Jin, when did you arrive in the capital? I heard you'd been managing the Lin family's businesses in Suzhou. What brings you here so suddenly?"

That's pure nonsense. He had no idea whether Daiyu had an older brother, let alone know where she was. He was just trying to test her.

Lin Daiyu was so engrossed in Shui Rong's words that she didn't hear his question. She kept her head down, her eyes unfocused, and a faint smile played on her lips.

Seeing this, Lin Ruhai glared at her fiercely, then coughed lightly to remind her, "Jin'er, the Prince is asking you a question, why are you lost in thought?"

"Huh? Is... are you calling me?"

Lin Daiyu suddenly came to her senses, hurriedly raised her head, her wet almond eyes full of doubt, her gaze flickering like a lost fawn.

Shui Rong was momentarily lost in thought as he looked at her like this.

Her appearance was even more captivating than that of a woman, causing him to secretly ponder:

Could it be that I have a problem with my sexual orientation?

Lin Daiyu felt uncomfortable under his gaze, and noticing her father's disappointed look, she quickly composed herself and stammered in response:

"Your Highness, I just arrived in the capital the day before yesterday. Today I heard that my father wants to finalize my younger sister's marriage with you, so I came along. I wanted to... to take a look on my sister's behalf..."

Shui Rong blinked, her eyes filled with even more amusement, and deliberately asked:

"I see. Then, young brother Lin Jin, do you have any problems with my arrangement? If you feel there's anything inappropriate, or if you'd like to add anything for Daiyu, please feel free to speak up."

Lin Daiyu frowned, pondered seriously for a moment, and when she raised her head, her eyes were exceptionally earnest, and her tone was somewhat urgent:

"Your Highness, my Daiyu is frail and easily hurt. You must treat her well in the future and not let her be sad. Also, you... you must not let your concubines bully her!"

As she spoke, her cheeks flushed even more, but she still looked at Shui Rong stubbornly, as if afraid that he would refuse.

"Haha, good! Good! Good!"

Shui Rong was amused by her protective attitude towards her younger sister and nodded repeatedly, her tone solemn:

"I'll do whatever you say, brother-in-law. I won't let her suffer the slightest grievance."

Upon hearing the words "brother-in-law," Lin Daiyu's face instantly turned as red as a ripe apple, her ears burned, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her palms.

She hurriedly grabbed the fan beside her and fanned herself haphazardly, trying to hide her embarrassment, muttering indistinctly, "Why...why is it still so hot today..."

Upon seeing this, Shui Rong couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Lin Ruhai couldn't sit still any longer, fearing that if they continued talking, Daiyu would eventually give herself away, so he quickly got up:

"Your Highness, it's getting late, and I still have some matters to attend to at home, so I'll take my leave now."

He secretly planned that when he returned, he would write a letter to Zhen Linjin in Suzhou, asking if he would come to the capital for the New Year. If not, he would let him go with the elders of the clan to gain experience, which would also cover up the lie he told today.

"Why is my father-in-law in such a hurry?"

Shui Rong quickly stood up to persuade her to stay, his gaze falling on Daiyu, and he smiled:

"It's a rare treat for Brother Lin Jin to come to the capital. I'll show him around the Prince's Mansion so he can get acquainted with the place and visit more often in the future."

Upon hearing this, Lin Daiyu's eyes lit up instantly. She raised her head and looked at Lin Ruhai with hopeful eyes, unable to hide the longing in them.

Lin Ruhai couldn't bear the look in his daughter's eyes. His heart softened, and he finally nodded. But he still pulled Daiyu aside and whispered his instructions:

"Jin'er, remember that you are a man. Do not give yourself away in your words or actions. Do not touch any of the Prince's belongings without permission, and do not cause any trouble for the Prince. Do you understand?"

Lin Daiyu nodded repeatedly and obediently replied, "Daughter...son understands, Father, don't worry."

Lin Ruhai then walked up to Shui Rong with a sense of relief, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Then I will trouble Your Highness to take care of my son."

"Father-in-law, you're too kind," Shui Rong replied with a smile, then turned and called out, "Zhao Zhong! Take the two matrons and accompany Father-in-law to the side hall to discuss the specifics of the engagement. Make sure everything is handled carefully."

"Your servant obeys!" Zhao Zhong hurriedly stepped forward and bowed in response.

As Lin Daiyu watched Shui Rong methodically arrange the affairs, the light in her eyes deepened, and her heart was filled with admiration.

"Come on, young brother Lin Jin, I'll show you around the Prince's Mansion."

Shui Rong looked at him gently. Seeing his slender figure and remembering that he had just arrived in the capital, she naturally reached out and took his hand.

Upon being touched, Lin Daiyu froze instantly. Her palms burned, her heart pounded like a drum, as if it would burst from her chest, her cheeks flushed red again, and even her eyes were filled with panic. The prince's hand was warm and strong, carrying a faint scent of ink, which stirred a strange flutter in her heart.

Upon seeing this, Lin Ruhai suddenly stood up, his voice urgent: "Your Highness!"

He instinctively wanted to stop him, but when he met Shui Rong's questioning gaze, he forcefully suppressed the panic in his heart—Shui Rong's eyes were clear, as if she hadn't noticed anything, and it was just an elder's affectionate gesture towards a younger person.

Lin Ruhai finally breathed a sigh of relief, sat down again, cupped his hands in greeting, and tried to appear calm: "It's nothing, it's nothing. I was being presumptuous. Your Highness, please take my son for a stroll."

Shui Rong assumed he was just worried that his son was causing trouble at the Prince's mansion, so he smiled and stopped thinking about it. He then took Daiyu's hand and turned to leave.

But after taking only two steps, he noticed something was wrong—the fingers under his palm were excessively slender, the skin was smooth and delicate, the fingertips were long and white, and the touch was warm and smooth like jade, even softer than a woman's hand.

He had practiced martial arts for many years, and his hands were already rough from holding a sword. Such delicate hands could really be a man's hands.

Shui Rong's doubts deepened, and she glanced at the young man beside her without making a sound—Daiyu had her head down, her cheeks flushed, and her long eyelashes obscured the expression in her eyes, but could not hide the gentle charm around her.

He pondered to himself: Is this Lin Jin really the eldest son of the Lin family?

Lin Daiyu, meanwhile, was in a state of utter confusion. She felt a burning sensation on her wrist, which was being held by Shui Rong, and her steps became unsteady.

But she couldn't help but secretly glance at Shui Rong beside her, her eyes filled with shyness and joy.