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

Jia Cong personally handed over a cup of hot tea, saying, "Now that you're here, there's no need for formalities. Just have a simple home-cooked meal."

Xing Xiuyan took the teacup, and when she looked up, the grievance in her eyes was gone, replaced by a few fervent flames.

"My third brother is currently enjoying great popularity, and all the sisters in the manor speak highly of him."

Jia Cong, however, did not point it out, but simply smiled and said,

"Sister, you're joking. It's just sisters of the same generation looking out for each other. On the contrary, you've been worrying about the trivial matters of your uncle's family these past few days, and you look like you've lost a lot of weight."

As he spoke, he gestured to Jinping to set out the meal, and then ordered Qianxue to bring a jar of aged yellow wine.

"It's cold, have a few drinks to warm yourself up," he said, pouring himself a cup. Looking up, he saw Xing Xiuyan staring blankly at her wine cup, so he smiled and waved his hand.

"I know my sister isn't a good drinker, so I'll just pour myself a drink."

To everyone's surprise, Xing Xiuyan gently shook her head and reached for the empty cup beside her.

"Since my third brother has invited me to dinner, how can I refuse? I can't hold my liquor, but I'll just have a couple of drinks with him."

Jia Cong was slightly taken aback. He knew that Xing Xiuyan never drank alcohol, so his sudden offer to drink today prompted him to calmly pour her half a cup.

"In that case, a couple of sips will warm you up."

Xing Xiuyan picked up her wine cup, lightly clinked it against Jia Cong's, and then tilted her head back to drink it down.

The yellow wine was mellow, but it had a slightly spicy taste as it went down her throat, making her frown slightly and bringing tears to her eyes. Jia Cong quickly handed her a handkerchief.

"Drink slowly, don't rush."

She took the handkerchief and wiped her eyes, then picked up the cup and insisted on drinking another cup. In just a moment, a blush spread from her cheeks to her ears, and her eyes gradually became hazy. Her usually clear eyes were now covered with a layer of water, adding a touch of pitifulness.

As the wine entered her sorrowful heart, the bitterness of living under someone else's roof welled up instantly. Thinking of Jia Cong's care these days, from his generous allowance to his luxurious winter clothes and cloak, to his figure running around for her trivial matters, the grievances and admiration in her heart surged up together, and she could no longer suppress them.

Seeing Xing Xiuyan swaying as she tried to get up, Jia Cong, not understanding what was happening, had no choice but to put down his wine cup and stand up with her. He then saw her body go limp, and she lean against his shoulder, the pearl hairpin at her temple swaying gently, her eyes misting over, her eyelashes trembling.

"My third brother has been so kind to me, and I have nothing to repay him with except this clean body."

Having said that, she lowered her eyes in embarrassment, her ears turning bright red as if they were about to bleed. She gripped his sleeve tightly, barely daring to breathe.

"Third brother..." she murmured, "I know it's wishful thinking, but I..."

Jia Cong was secretly delighted. He immediately pulled her into his arms, stroking her hair with his palm, and deliberately lowered his voice.

"Sister, there's no need to belittle yourself; my feelings are the same as yours."

Xing Xiuyan looked up at him, her eyes filled with surprise and shyness. The intoxication after drinking made her let go of all her reserve, and she subconsciously took the initiative to raise her hand to wrap around his neck, her cherry lips slightly parted and her breath warm.

Jinping and Chulan had already tactfully left, carefully closing the door behind them, leaving only overlapping shadows inside.

With the embroidered quilt gently gathered and her clothes slightly loosened, a glimpse of her snowy breast was reflected in the dim lamplight, like moonlight falling on her lapel. Xing Xiuyan frowned slightly, yet took the initiative to move closer, like a lone boat finding a harbor and gently nestling against it.

Jia Cong pitied her youthful innocence, yet also felt a tender and affectionate warmth, and whispered words of comfort.

"Don't be afraid, sister, I will never let you down."

Xing Xiuyan closed her eyes and nodded. The tears welling up in her eyes were no longer from grievance, but from peace and joy.

The charcoal fire burned brightly, and the candlelight illuminated the two women's gentle features. Although Xing Xiuyan was not as delicate and weak as Qin Keqing, she possessed her own unique aloof and elegant charm.

After a while, the beauty in his arms curled up into a ball and sobbed softly. Jia Cong comforted her for a moment before catching his breath. His hair was disheveled, his forehead was slightly sweaty, and the blush on his face had not faded.

A short while later, Jinping called softly from the doorway.

"Third Master, the servants from Second Miss's household have come to invite Miss Xing back. I sent them to wait in the corridor, saying that Third Master and Miss were discussing family matters."

These words startled Xing Xiuyan, who disregarded the pain of her first sexual experience and hurriedly tried to get up and dress. Jia Cong, while comforting her, replied...

"I understand. Tell them to wait and say that my sister and I will come after we finish our tea." With that, she quickly got up.

In a flurry of activity, he put on his winter clothes, then put his arm around the woman's slender waist, stroked her hair, and whispered softly.

"With me here, no one will dare to bully you. I will take good care of your maternal uncle's affairs."

Xing Xiuyan leaned against him, responding softly in a sweet voice, her eyes full of dependence. Her heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down.

She walked unsteadily, probably still in pain, so Jia Cong could only instruct Chu Lan to take good care of her before calling Jinping to change the sheets.

Jinping chuckled as she worked quickly and efficiently with him.

"Third Master is quite skilled; even Second Master Bao has never been this agile."

Jia Cong took out ten taels of silver as a reward, then gave the other person a meaningful look.

"Breaking up with Qianxue will bring you even more benefits in the future."

Jinping smiled and curtsied, obediently accepting the gift without saying anything more. However, he could see clearly that this girl was quite cunning, after all, she came from Grandmother Jia's quarters. He might even have to give her the title of concubine in the future.

The next day, he intended to go to Yingchun's place to take a look, but Jia Lian summoned him instead. It turned out that after the New Year, this Second Master Lian had gotten another job, which required purchasing flower seedlings for spring. According to the method last time, it would inevitably bring in tens or hundreds of taels of silver.

Jia Cong naturally wouldn't refuse. The two brothers had lunch before coming out of the house. Just as they were about to return to the Grand View Garden, they ran into Jia Huan, who kept pestering him to practice martial arts.

Jia Cong rolled his eyes, then put on a smile as well.

"How could I refuse Huan-ge'er's request to practice martial arts? In that case, come to my room and have some snacks together." After saying this, he let Jia Huan follow him back to Qingyan Hall.

After practicing their martial arts, the two went inside to drink tea. Jia Cong deliberately sighed, as if he had something on his mind.

Jia Huan understood perfectly, so he immediately rolled up his sleeves and silently chewed his snacks.

"Cong-ge rarely looks so sullen; perhaps he has suffered some injustice?"

Jia Cong feigned a bitter expression and waved his hand.

"That's not true. Huan-ge'er knows me well. We've always lived like this in the old days."

What Jia Huan resented most in his life was being looked down upon, which immediately fueled his resentment.

"What are you saying, Cong-ge? We're like brothers. Tell me, has my dear second brother offended you again?"

He hurriedly waved his hands and shook his head.

"This is truly a miscarriage of justice for Brother Bao. To tell you the truth, he is actually Sister Bao's brother..."

Jia Huan was not usually allowed to go out of the manor to play with Bao Yu and the others, so he knew very little about the Xue brothers, Xue Pan and Xue Ke. Hearing Jia Cong's deliberately evasive explanation only fueled his anger.

"The Xue family is nothing but imperial merchants, yet they dare to step on Cong-ge'er's head! As your brother, I'll help you get revenge!"

Jia Cong quickly grabbed the other person with a smile.

"Good brother, don't be angry. You burned Brother Bao last time, haven't you had enough of a beating from the master yet?"

Jia Huan couldn't help but shudder. Although the injury on his buttocks had healed, the scar remained. He immediately sat down sullenly.

"It's just a beating and scolding, nothing serious."