Dream of the Red Chamber: A Refined and Elegant Young Man in a Turbid World

Jia Cong paused, looked up, and saw Qingwen standing by the bed serving Baoyu. Her brows and eyes still held a hint of arrogance, but her face was slightly pale and she looked tired. Yet her tone was still sharp and showed no respect whatsoever.

She put her hands on her hips and sized up Jia Cong with an unfriendly gaze.

"Our Second Master is unwell and cannot withstand your disturbance, Third Master. You should hurry back. Be careful that the shabby atmosphere of our Yihong Courtyard doesn't soil your official robes and diminish your good fortune."

"Qingwen! How dare you be so rude!" Xiren quickly stepped forward, grabbed Qingwen's sleeve, and scolded her in a low voice.

"Third Master came here specifically to deliver medicine to Second Master, with the best of intentions. How could you say such a thing? Quickly apologize to Third Master!"

Qingwen forcefully shook off Xiren's hand, her words becoming increasingly harsh.

"Apologize? Why should I apologize to him? Does he want to kill me?!"

Jia Cong didn't have time to argue with this maid, so he suppressed his anger and gave Qingwen a cold glance. His gaze was icy and piercing, carrying the unique killing intent of a military officer. Qingwen stiffened at the sight and subconsciously took a step back, but she still refused to back down.

"Why are you looking at me like that, Third Master? Do you want to kill me?"

"Qingwen, say no more!" Xiren stepped forward again, grabbing Qingwen's sleeve tightly.

"Third Master sought out elixirs to save Second Master. If you continue this nonsense and worsen Second Master's condition, can you bear the consequences if the Ancestor holds you accountable?"

Jia Cong was too lazy to get entangled with a maid like Qingwen, so he looked past her and onto Baoyu on the bed.

Baoyu lay on the bed, his face flushed, his lips cracked, his eyes tightly closed, his brows furrowed, and he was muttering incoherently.

His heart tightened, and he didn't bother arguing with Qingwen. He just waved his hand impatiently.

"Everyone out! Come back in a quarter of an hour. I need to treat my second brother's illness. This elixir we begged for won't work on people!"

Seeing this, Xiren quickly pulled Qingwen, who was still defiant, and gave Musk Moon, Bihen, Qiuwen and the others a look, signaling them to go out together.

Musk Moon nodded quickly, grabbed Bihen and Qiuwen, and hurriedly followed them out. Although Qiuwen was somewhat interested in watching the excitement, she dared not disobey and could only reluctantly follow them away.

Bihen narrowed her eyes slightly, glanced at Jia Cong a few more times, and then quickly walked out with her head down.

Only Qingwen refused to leave, held tightly by Xiren. She glared defiantly at Jia Cong, muttering under her breath.

"Could this elixir be poisonous? It might harm our Second Master!"

"Qingwen! If you keep talking nonsense, I'll really get rough with you!" Xiren was always charming and coquettish, but as the only head maid in the Yihong Courtyard who came from Grandmother Jia's room, she had some influence over Qingwen and the others. She immediately grabbed Qingwen's sleeve tightly, forcibly pulled her out, and then closed the door behind her.

The room finally quieted down, with only Baoyu's rapid breathing remaining. Jia Cong walked to the bedside and carefully examined Baoyu's appearance. Seeing that he still had a high fever and was talking nonsense, he became increasingly anxious.

He reached out and touched Baoyu's forehead; it was burning hot. He inwardly cried out in alarm that if they delayed any longer, his life might truly be in danger.

Without further hesitation, he looked around to make sure no one was watching, and then quickly took out the Mirror of Love and Lust from his clothes and held it in his hand.

The mirror still shimmered slightly with silver light, and the buzzing sound seemed to have returned, though much weaker than before.

Jia Cong took a deep breath, held the mirror up to Bao Yu, and gently shook it with the front facing the other's face.

Just as the mirror approached Baoyu, Baoyu, who had been talking nonsense with his eyes closed, suddenly quieted down. His brows gradually relaxed, and his tightly closed eyes slowly opened. He stared blankly at the mirror, as if he were attracted by something and remained motionless. Even his breathing became a little calmer.

His originally flushed complexion gradually faded, replaced by a faint blush, and a slight smile even appeared at the corners of his mouth, as if he had seen something extremely beautiful.

Jia Cong was startled and subconsciously moved closer to look at the mirror, but the mirror still only showed his own reflection and Bao Yu's blurry figure, nothing else.

He was filled with doubt. Why could Baoyu see different scenery, while he couldn't see anything at all? Could it be that the Mirror of Love and Lust really discriminates between people? Only for specific individuals would it reveal unusual sights?

Before he could think further, his gaze fell on Baoyu again. He saw that Baoyu was still staring blankly at the mirror, his smile becoming more pronounced, his breathing becoming more even, and the burning sensation in his body seemed to be gradually subsiding.

Jia Cong was overjoyed. It seemed that the Mirror of Love and Lust could indeed save Baoyu. He held the mirror in his hand and kept it in front of Baoyu without moving it an inch.

The time it takes for an incense stick to burn quietly passed. Just then, Baoyu suddenly let out a soft hum, his body trembled slightly, his hands moved unconsciously, and the smile on his face gradually disappeared.

Immediately afterwards, he curled his legs slightly, just like when he dreamt of the Fairy Disenchantment in the original work, leaving a puddle, his body was covered in sweat, and his clothes and bedding were soaked.

Upon seeing this, Jia Cong's heart tightened. He quickly put away the Mirror of Love and Lust and hid it close to his body. He then reached out and touched Bao Yu's forehead. He saw that the burning temperature had subsided by most of it. Although it was still warm, it was no longer scorching.

At this moment, Baoyu's breathing became steady and long, his eyes slowly closed, his brows relaxed, and he was no longer as flushed and weak as before, obviously his high fever had subsided considerably.

Jia Cong breathed a long sigh of relief, his heart finally at ease. He raised his hand to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead. Thankfully, that bastard was alright. If something had really happened to him, his career would probably have been ruined, not to mention leaving the Rong Mansion and starting his own household.

He touched the Tiger-Slaying Pill in his sleeve and his heart stirred. He quickly got up, took a cup, and fed some tea to the still dazed Baoyu.

Baoyu was much more awake now, but he was exhausted and his eyes were still a little blurry. He obediently drank his tea, and Jia Cong deliberately did not wipe away the occasional spills.

After drinking his tea and leaning back on his pillow to clear his mind, Baoyu's eyes gradually brightened. He finally recognized the person before him as Jia Cong and simply nodded.

"It's my third brother. I just had a dream where a fairy brought me medicine. After taking it, I recovered completely. I think it's all thanks to my third brother."

Jia Cong breathed a sigh of relief and took two steps back.

"Second brother is truly blessed with good fortune and a long life. I deliberately dismissed everyone when I fed you your medicine just now, just in case the noise from the crowd caused any delays. Please don't take offense, second brother."

He deliberately concealed the matter of the "Mirror of Love and Lust," only saying that it was the effect of the elixir. The "Mirror of Love and Lust" had appeared in the Rong Mansion, and it could not be hidden from Wang Xifeng's eyes.

Baoyu, as expected, did not suspect anything, and simply nodded, albeit with a hint of detachment.

"Thank you for your trouble, Third Brother. Please call them in. I am still feeling a bit tired and would like to rest for a while. Third Brother should also go back and rest early. I will personally come to thank you another day when I have fully recovered."