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

Li Rong carefully carried him to the bed, while Chu Lan lit mosquito repellent. Although it was autumn, the mosquitoes were still buzzing annoyingly.

The second day was a day off, and as was customary, there was no school on this day, and Sun Tai would not come to Rong Mansion to teach.

Jia Cong slept until the sun was high in the sky, then felt a tightness in his throat and a hangover headache that felt like it was being pounded by a small hammer.

"Third Master is awake?" Chu Lan tiptoed closer, her eyes fixed on Jia Cong's exposed arm outside the blanket.

The young woman approached gracefully, carrying a celadon teacup. She wore only a light blue jacket, the collar of which had slipped down slightly, revealing a delicate patch of skin beneath her neck.

She deliberately swayed her waist gracefully, the narrow jacket covering her exquisite figure, and her shoulders swayed slightly as she walked, making her youthful plumpness appear and disappear.

Watching Jia Cong practice boxing every day, I noticed his taut shoulders and back were very strong. Unlike Bao Yu, who was too refined and frail, or Jia Lian, who was too frivolous, Jia Cong had a ruggedness with a wild edge.

"Third Master, please have some hangover tea. I brewed it this morning with freshly picked mint and dried tangerine peel. It's the best for cutting through grease and refreshing your mind."

Jia Cong grunted and sat up, his eyes still red from a hangover.

He took the teacup, took a sip, and felt a refreshing coolness wash over his throat, which eased his headache slightly. He then lazily said, "That's thoughtful of you."

Chu Lan stood to the side with her hands hanging down, glancing at Jia Cong out of the corner of her eye. She deliberately raised her hand to tuck a stray hair behind her ear, bending her elbow in a charming arc to reveal a section of her fair forearm.

She was a second-class maid in the mansion, and had no hope of serving Jia Lian in this lifetime. So she set her sights on Jia Cong. Although he was not favored, he was still a master. If she could become his concubine, it would be better than serving others with a subservient attitude for the rest of her life.

Thinking it over, she stepped forward and reached out to straighten Jia Cong's disheveled clothes, her fingertips brushing against his neck, deliberately making it hot.

Chu Lan deliberately moved closer, almost touching Jia Cong's shoulder, and said softly:

"Third Master had a good time drinking last night, and I was worried about you all night, afraid you might be thirsty. Look how wrinkled your clothes are, shall I help you change into some clean ones?"

Before Jia Cong could respond, she reached out to untie his clothes, her fingertips brushing lightly against his chest, while her other hand quietly climbed onto his arm, gently caressing it with a hint of tentative enticement.

She tilted her head slightly, opening up the view even more, her eyes brimming with undisguised longing, even her voice carrying a seductive, sticky quality: "Third Master's body is really well-built..."

Jia Cong was incredibly shrewd; he knew all too well that the Rong Mansion was a place that would devour people without spitting out their bones. It was remarkable that this little maid had such thoughts hidden within her.

Most of the maids were a year or two older than the young masters, so that it would be easier for them to take care of the young masters. For example, Xiren from Jiangyunxuan was chosen by Lady Wang to be betrothed to Baoyu.

But Jia Cong was unwilling to let this maid take advantage of him. Although Chu Lan was quite pretty, the maids in the Rong Mansion were all carefully selected in terms of appearance and figure, but it was still a long way off before she could rise to a higher position.

Jia Cong glanced at her. This maid was pretty and had a good figure. She always liked to get close to him. How could he not see through her intentions?

He curled his lips into a lazy, half-asleep smile, reached out and grabbed the other person's wrist, which was still fidgeting, and said slowly, "You're quite attentive."

Chu Lan was overjoyed, but she dared not show it too obviously on her face. She quickly curtsied and deliberately bent her waist very low, and the hem of her light blue jacket was also pulled up.

Her voice grew even softer and more charming, with a hint of coquettish pride, "Thank you for your kind words, Third Master. This servant will certainly serve you with all my heart."

He tightened his grip on her wrist slightly, his fingertips caressing the delicate skin of her wrist, but there was no warmth in his eyes, only a casual, appraising look, as if he were looking at a cheap, worthless toy.

"Serve me wholeheartedly?" He chuckled softly, his voice hoarse with the lingering effects of a hangover.

"Tell me then, how exactly do you intend to do your best?"

Chu Lan's wrist ached from his grip, but her heart pounded wildly. Thinking Jia Cong was aroused, she quickly softened her body, snuggling closer to him, her voice so sweet it could melt your heart:

"Of course, whatever Third Master wants, this servant will give him/her..."

Jia Cong raised an eyebrow and suddenly released his grip. Chu Lan was caught off guard, swayed, and almost fell over.

He calmly adjusted his clothes, leaned against the headboard, and watched her flustered state with amusement.

"You do have some insight, but which maid in this mansion isn't like that? Your little tricks might work in front of others, but if you really want to earn the title of concubine, you're still a long way off."

The blush on Chu Lan's face vanished instantly, leaving her as white as a sheet. Her fingertips trembled slightly, yet she remained undeterred. Biting her lip, her eyes reddened, and she said, on the verge of tears, "Third Master... this servant is truly sincere..."

He paused, picked up his teacup, and took a sip.

"From now on, just behave yourself and serve me well," he put down his teacup, his voice turning colder. "If you dare to have any more crooked thoughts or gossip outside, I'll send you to the estate and you can forget about ever returning to the manor."

Chu Lan trembled, her face turning deathly pale. She hurriedly knelt down, kowtowed, and cried out, "This servant dares not do it again! This servant will never dare to do it again..."

Jia Cong glanced at her, too lazy to pay her any more attention, and simply waved his hand, "Go down, the sun is high in the sky, don't stand here in the way."

Chu Lan felt as if she had been granted a pardon. She hurriedly got up, her previous gentleness vanished, and she obediently picked up the tea tray from the ground. She then retreated in a hurry, not daring to even breathe loudly.

The room fell silent again. In this Rongguo Mansion, who wasn't living with their own agenda? The maids wanted to curry favor with their masters, and the masters wanted to scheme against their clans. It was all just a series of games where everyone got what they wanted. Although he had no power or influence, he wasn't a fool to be manipulated.

After changing his clothes, Jia Cong remembered that he still had to attend a banquet at the Ning Mansion today. He would also pick up Qin Keqing from Grandmother Jia's place on the way. However, one should not go to a banquet empty-handed; one should bring some gifts.

He was reluctant to give away the gold-inlaid cat's-eye stone pendant he had previously received from Baoyu, but fortunately, he had just acquired the hundred taels of silver, so he immediately summoned Li Rong.

"Go and buy a pair of the newly made agate paperweights from Yun Gu Zhai, and carefully store them in a brocade box. Also, buy two jars of chrysanthemum wine, ten years old and with intact seals. Go and come back quickly!"

Upon hearing this, Li Rong quickly bowed and agreed, then hesitated and said, "Third Master, these items are probably not of ordinary value..."

Jia Cong knew perfectly well, but he had no choice but to grit his teeth and take out a whole silver ingot, throwing it to Li Rong.

"Just buy it, don't fuss, the rest is yours to buy some wine!"

The silver ingot was gleaming white and weighed at least ten taels. Jia Cong glanced at it and said:

"Just remember to pick the best quality ones, and don't let anyone try to fool you with inferior products."

"This servant understands. I will definitely instruct the shop to carefully select the items and pack them properly."