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

He immediately lowered his voice and coaxed her gently.

"Sister, you don't need to be so hard on yourself. We are family. As long as I am here, I will never let you suffer any injustice."

Upon hearing this, Xing Xiuyan felt both shy and grateful. She didn't dare to ask Jia Cong what he meant, so she simply lowered her head and nodded slightly. Then, she timidly bit her lip before picking up her chopsticks and putting some food into her mouth.

Seeing that she didn't mind using public chopsticks, Jia Cong was delighted and quickly picked up some more.

"Sister, try this pheasant; it's rare to see it outside."

After the meal, he asked Jinping to bring several bolts of fabric for Chulan to carry, and said with a smile,

"Spring is just around the corner after the New Year. I think these fabrics are too bright. Why don't you take them and make some spring clothes?"

The barrage of sweet talk left Xing Xiuyan somewhat bewildered, and surprisingly, she didn't refuse, though her face remained flushed.

"Thank you in the end, Third Brother. I am truly ashamed."

Having achieved his goal, Jia Cong didn't press the other party to stay any longer. He politely saw them off before summoning Li Rong.

"Go quickly and go out of the manor to buy some rare items, things suitable for the nun, regardless of price!"

Li Rong hurriedly left, only returning at dinner time with two boxes. One box contained eighteen Zhenla agarwood beads in hand, adorned with a red gold Buddha head. The other box contained a set of Chengxintang tribute paper, a purple-haired rat-whisker scripture writing brush, and an ink jade lotus-patterned paperweight.

Jia Cong stepped forward and took a look, and was quite satisfied. These items were worth seventy or eighty taels of silver, which was in line with Miaoyu's status.

The next day, he visited Cuilong Nunnery again. Miaoyu seemed to be used to it and was slightly taken aback when she took the mirror box from his hand.

She wore no makeup whatsoever, yet her skin was as white and radiant as snow. A rare hint of shyness appeared in her delicate and refined features. She turned and gave Jia Cong a slight curtsy.

"I dare not accept such a generous gift from you, Third Master. As a monk, I am not bound by worldly desires and should not covet such things. Please take it back..."

Jia Cong gave a calm bow.

"I offended you last time, so I should apologize. If you don't accept my apology, it will put me in a difficult position."

Seeing that he spoke so politely, Miaoyu had no choice but to raise her hand and call over a maidservant who was standing nearby.

"Third Master is a man of few words, and his words have enlightened me greatly. There is no need for apologies." Despite saying this, she still had the maid carry the offering into the inner room.

The two had tea together. At the end of the year, Jia Cong liked to sleep in and hadn't eaten breakfast, so he was now very hungry.

Miaoyu had obviously heard it; her face flushed, and she quickly stood up.

"I apologize for neglecting Third Master. I will have someone prepare a vegetarian meal immediately."

Before long, four kinds of side dishes were served. Jia Cong peeked out and saw bamboo fungus stuffed with water chestnut rice, matsutake mushrooms braised with winter bamboo shoot tips, monkey head mushrooms stir-fried with snow lotus, lotus seeds and lily bulbs steamed with fox nuts, and white fungus and bamboo fungus clear soup. They were truly exquisite.

He couldn't help but give a thumbs up.

"Young lady, you really have a good appetite; these are all excellent."

The next second, Miaoyu personally took a small Ding kiln sweet white glaze ewer with lotus pattern engraved on it, and gently placed it on the table along with two small cups with sunflower-shaped mouths and flat feet. She then asked a maid to pour some wine into them.

Jia Cong raised an eyebrow.

"The young lady actually wants to drink?"

Miaoyu smiled shyly, a rare occurrence, a faint blush rising to her fair face.

"Third Master, you're making a fuss over nothing. Even monks can drink vegetarian wine. It's quite amusing for me to pour myself a drink in the nunnery on ordinary days..."

Jia Cong was secretly amazed. Just yesterday, Xing Xiuyan said that Miaoyu was eccentric and never ate with anyone. Could it be that this nun had fallen in love with a mortal?

But he didn't show it on his face, only glancing at the wine in his glass, which was quite fragrant, probably made from grapes or other fruits.

"If you don't mind my crudeness, I'll gladly keep you company." He then raised his wine glass.

Miaoyu also raised her cup and clinked it with his from afar, then used her sleeve to cover her mouth and drank it all in one gulp.

Before Jia Cong could even pick up his chopsticks, the girl herself placed a piece of lotus seed into his bowl.

"Although this lotus seed is bitter, it is better than human heart. Third Master, please try it." After saying that, he picked up a little and tasted it.

Jia Cong didn't want to ask her why she had changed her attitude today, so he could only smile and thank her before chatting idly with her. Miaoyu drank some wine, and a blush rose on her originally fair face, adding a touch of allure. She also became more talkative.

After a few drinks, the effects of the alcohol seeped into his brows, and his usual aloofness and coldness faded considerably. His clear eyes softened like water, carrying a rare tenderness.

"If you have time in the future, Third Master, you are welcome to come and visit. I have gained some insights from our previous game of chess, and I would appreciate your guidance."

Jia Cong secretly rolled his eyes. He didn't like playing Go with this person at all, but he still gave a nonsensical reply.

"Since you do not mind, I will naturally agree, but I am afraid of disturbing your peace."

Miaoyu's alcohol tolerance was probably not very high, for she had covered half her face with a handkerchief and was now chuckling, her eyes crinkling into soft pools, completely devoid of her icy demeanor.

"No one else can have any peace and quiet here, because Third Master keeps calling me 'Miss'..."

Jia Cong narrowed his eyes slightly, thinking to himself that Miaoyu really did not lose her worldly desires. Although she had become a nun at a young age, she could not hide the demeanor of a daughter of an official. He thought that when her parents were alive, they must have treated her like a precious jewel, and even living in a temple would not sever her family ties.

Although it's not appropriate to ask the other party about the cause of their parents' death, based on what they said before, "due to being out of step with the times and not tolerated by those in power,"...

Judging from these words, it's highly likely that the family's decline was caused by being framed.

But seeing the beautiful woman's soft, sweet voice, unlike her usual aloofness, Jia Cong also harbored a flirtatious intention, though he spoke in a light and frivolous tone.

"It was my fondness for the word 'girl' that made me realize something."

He raised his cup in a perfunctory toast.

"Once the young lady smells of wine, she transforms into a charming and adorable young lady from a noble family. Perhaps she's tired of maintaining a facade all the time and is waiting for me to come so she can shed that aloof exterior?"

Although Miaoyu's pretty face was flushed, there was no trace of annoyance left; she retained the delicate charm and true nature of a young lady from a wealthy family.

"Third Master, please don't make fun of me. I am a daughter of high-ranking officials, not born cold-hearted. It's just that I will find it difficult to maintain my composure when I see you in the future."

"Looking at the girl's appearance now, she is willing to come here and suffer this disgrace. Even if the Bodhisattva in the nunnery resents her, she would not want to miss such a good time."

Miaoyu bit her lower lip lightly, covering her lips with a handkerchief as she smiled shyly.

"Third Master always says such shameful things, lest he defile this peaceful place."

Fortunately, Miaoyu had been in seclusion for a long time; otherwise, Jia Cong would have approached her like Qin Keqing had, and after chatting and laughing for a while, he left the Longcui Nunnery. As he left, he carried with him a string of beads that she often wore, which exuded a faint sandalwood fragrance and the serene aura of a young girl.

He came out of the nunnery intending to find Baochai or Daiyu, but on the way he ran into Baoyu, who was hurriedly preparing to leave the garden with Mingyan. Upon seeing Jia Cong, he also rushed forward.

"Look at Third Brother's appearance, did he actually come from the Green Bamboo Nunnery?" Baoyu was terrified that Jia Cong would go and berate Miaoyu mercilessly.

Jia Cong subtly concealed his hand in his sleeve, then waved his hand and shook his head.

"Second brother is joking. I have never gotten along with that nun, so why would I make a fool of myself? I was just taking a stroll when I had nothing else to do."

Baoyu breathed a sigh of relief and finally put on a smiling face.

"My third brother is the most diligent, so let's have a good time together today. My eldest brother Xue and his brothers are waiting outside the mansion."