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

After entering the Rong Mansion through the side gate, before reaching his own courtyard, he bumped into Baoyu's servant, Mingyan, who hurriedly bowed and took two steps forward.

"Greetings, Third Master. Second Master sent me to deliver a message, saying he'd like to invite you to a banquet the day after tomorrow..."

Jia Cong paused slightly, but still agreed.

"Yes, go back and tell Brother Bao that I will definitely keep the appointment."

Baoyu has been having a blast these days. He doesn't have to go to school during the New Year, and he spends his days playing Go or dice with his maids, servants, or Baochai and Daiyu in Jiangyun Pavilion, or attending banquets and watching plays.

Two days later, after lunch, Jia Cong led Li Rong to Jiangyun Pavilion.

Before even entering the Jiangyunxuan courtyard, a refreshing aroma of tea mixed with a faint scent of cosmetics wafted through the air. When the maids, including Xiren and Qingwen, saw Jia Cong enter, they hurriedly stepped forward to greet him.

Upon entering the room, they saw Baoyu reclining on a soft couch by the window, with a tea stove and teacups on the table. Daiyu sat on a pearwood chair beside him, holding a volume of "Collection of Yuefu Poems," her eyes lowered. Jia Cong's gaze lingered briefly on Daiyu's face before turning to Baoyu.

"Brother Bao, I'm sorry to bother you."

"Good brother, you've finally arrived!" Upon seeing him, Baoyu quickly sat up with a smile and personally pulled him to a seat. "Please sit down, please sit down. Someone, brew a pot of the finest tea!"

Daiyu, however, was too lazy to look up, only glancing at him out of the corner of her eye before dismissing the matter, as if she hadn't been the one who helped Jia Cong write the poem during the Imperial Concubine's visit home.

Jia Cong knew Lin Daiyu's eccentric nature and didn't want to make a fool of himself, so he simply accepted the tea that Xiren had poured for him, and looked at Baoyu with a smile.

"What brings you here today, Second Brother?"

Baoyu pointed happily to the wine bottles on the shelf.

"I originally invited my brothers to try this Western wine, but I didn't expect Lin Daiyu to come too. So I had someone invite Sister Bao and Third Sister, so we can all have a good time together..."

As Jia Cong responded in a low voice, he glanced at Daiyu's makeup out of the corner of his eye. She was clearly wearing the lip rouge he had given her, which made her look even more elegant and understated. Unfortunately, Baoyu didn't notice.

Baoyu chattered on and on about the grand scene of the Imperial Concubine's visit to her family, and how moving Lingguan's performance of the play at the Pear Fragrance Courtyard the day before was, his words filled with joy.

Although Daiyu was reading, she occasionally chimed in with a few words: "It turns out that you are the one who is obsessed with Lingguan, yet you say that the opera singing is good. You can't remember a single word of the articles and poems that your teacher teaches you every day, but you care more about these opera lyrics than eating. I wonder what kind of crazy nonsense you are thinking about."

Baochai, Tanchun, or Li Wan were all held up by something and hadn't arrived yet, while Daiyu was gradually getting tired.

Perhaps due to the numerous social engagements of the past few days and lack of rest at night, he placed the book on the table, raised his hand to rub his temples, and spoke with a hint of languor.

"Alright, you all keep talking, I'll rest for a bit." With that, he leaned back on the soft couch.

Baoyu quickly stepped forward to stop her, saying anxiously, "Good sister, you've just eaten and you're going to sleep right away. Be careful not to get indigestion and make yourself sick!"

Daiyu glanced at him and said in a light tone, "I was up all night the other day and I haven't recovered yet. My whole body aches and I'm too lazy to move. You go and talk to Third Brother and don't bother me."

"The soreness is a small matter, but the illness caused by sleeping too much is a big deal!" Baoyu wrung his hands anxiously. "I'll keep you entertained by telling you some jokes, and you'll get through your sleepiness."

Daiyu closed her eyes and turned her head to the side.

"I'm not sleepy, I just need a short rest. If you find it boring, go somewhere else and stop bothering me."

Baoyu scratched his head and could only look at Jia Cong with a helpless expression.

Seeing this, Jia Cong chuckled and said, "Since Miss Lin is tired, it's fine for her to lie down and rest. However, sleeping right after eating might cause some stagnation. Why don't we chat for a bit to relieve your boredom? It's better than sleeping with your head down."

Unexpectedly, Daiyu didn't even acknowledge his words, not even lifting her eyelids. "Third Brother is even more talkative than Baoyu. I'm going to rest anyway. Do you think I'll get sick from sleeping? It's not really suitable anyway. Even if I get indigestion or fall ill, it'll save others from finding me annoying all the time."

After saying that, he moved to the inside of the soft couch, turned his face towards the inside of the couch, leaving only his thin back to the two of them.

Baoyu was extremely anxious and was about to reach out to pull her away when he caught a glimpse of a light blush on Daiyu's lips, more delicate than the rouge she usually wore in the manor, making her skin appear even whiter. His eyes lit up.

"The color on your lips is quite novel, much prettier than your usual rouge! What new and nice item did you acquire?"

Upon hearing this, Daiyu's drowsiness was somewhat dispelled. She subconsciously pursed her lips and looked at Jia Cong with a hint of panic in her eyes.

This lipstick was a gift from Jia Cong. She only dared to apply a thin layer each day, afraid that someone would see it and ask about it, but unexpectedly, Baoyu still noticed.

Jia Cong could only explain, "Second Brother has a good eye. This is just a little trinket I was tinkering with in my spare time in early autumn."

Baoyu became interested and leaned closer to Daiyu to examine her closely. "The color is so beautiful! When applied to your lips, it's even more vibrant than the crabapple blossoms! Good brother, did you make this yourself?"

"It was just a wild guess," Jia Cong said with a smile. "The rouge in the manor is either too gaudy or has a cloying fragrance. I thought that Miss Lin prefers elegance, so I chose this one. The color is lighter and the fragrance is a light orchid scent, which is quite suitable."

Hearing this, Daiyu thought to herself, "Could it be that Jia Cong really didn't give one to anyone else, but only to me?" But she said with a hint of annoyance, "It's just because I'm sickly, that Third Brother is bringing it up."

Baoyu, completely oblivious to Daiyu's shyness, was preoccupied only with the lipstick. Grabbing Jia Cong's hand, he eagerly said, "Good brother, teach me how to make this lipstick! I'll make some for Lin Daiyu, and also for Baochai, Xiren, and Qingwen; they'll surely be delighted!"

Upon hearing this, Daiyu immediately became angry. Already prone to temper tantrums, she turned cold as soon as she heard that Baoyu was still thinking about the rouge on those girls' lips. She turned her head to find a handkerchief to wipe the lipstick off her lips.

Seeing this, Jia Cong feigned ignorance and asked, "What's wrong with Miss Lin? Why are you wiping it off all of a sudden?" Baoyu also sensed Daiyu's anger, paused for a moment, then quickly released Jia Cong's hand and moved closer to Daiyu.

"Good sister, why are you arguing with someone again? But what did I say wrong?" He looked bewildered, completely unaware of what he had done wrong.

Daiyu held the plain silk handkerchief she had found, but did not wipe her lips immediately. She only glanced coldly at Baoyu.

"Second Master is so generous, always thinking of sharing everything with others! In his eyes, I'm no different from those maids, servants, or other women!"

Baoyu was taken aback by Daiyu's retort, and his face turned red with anxiety. "That's not what I meant! Sister, don't misunderstand. I just thought the lip rouge was pretty and wanted everyone to be happy. I had no other intentions..."

"No other meaning?" Daiyu sneered, raising her hand to wipe her lips, her tone becoming increasingly sharp.

"Second Master certainly didn't mean anything by it. In his eyes, as long as it's a good thing, it doesn't matter who gets it!" As she spoke, her eyes reddened. Living under someone else's roof, she was already sensitive and suspicious. What she valued most was this "exclusive" sentiment. Baoyu's indiscriminate treatment of relatives and friends undoubtedly hit her sore spot.