Dream of the Red Chamber: Starting with a Chronicle of Tragic Love

The quiet room has no windows and no doors, all for the sake of "seclusion".

The interior furnishings were simple.

A low table, several cushions, and an incense table in the corner.

It is indeed serene and elegant.

Yu turned to Jiao Si and Cui Lü.

"Miss Qin and I will be here to enjoy the fragrance and have a conversation."

"You two, go wait outside."

Jiao Si cupped his hands in greeting and prepared to leave.

"Brother Jiao, wait a moment."

Qin Keqing suddenly spoke.

"Madam, Brother Jiao saved my life."

"This quiet room is designed for appreciating incense; once the agarwood is lit, the room will be filled with fragrance."

"Whether one person comes or one person comes to smell the fragrance, it won't make a big difference."

Lady You was secretly delighted.

Just as she had predicted, Qin Keqing took the initiative to keep Jiao Si.

"this......"

"What Miss Qin said makes sense."

She turned to anxiety.

"In that case, Jiao Si, you may stay."

Her gaze then turned to Cuilu.

"Cuilu, you go out and wait."

Qin Keqing spoke again.

"Since Brother Jiao is staying, Miss Cuilu should stay as well."

"She has served the mistress for a long time and knows her best. It would be more reliable for her to do things like burning incense and serving tea."

Yu was momentarily stunned.

This Qin Keqing... is too kind.

She sent Cuilu out to reduce the chances of things going wrong.

But given Qin Keqing's insistence, Lady You could only manage a forced smile.

"Miss Qin is truly considerate of her servants."

Although she was unhappy, she could only go with the flow.

"In that case, Cuilu, you may stay as well."

Jiao Si stood aside with his hands hanging down.

He felt that something was strange about what had happened today.

Yu's attitude had an indescribable quality to it.

But then, Madam You gently closed the door.

The indoor lighting suddenly dimmed, with only a few beams of light shining through the skylight.

She took out a piece of dark brown agarwood.

Not long after.

A wisp of smoke rose up.

The aroma gradually spread.

It has a delicate and elegant aroma at first whiff, a mellow and rich flavor upon closer tasting, and a lingering aftertaste.

It smells wonderful.

But Jiao Si could vaguely sense a hint of sweetness mixed in with the fragrance.

Lady You placed the incense burner in the center of the low table.

Several people sat down around a low table.

Lady You glanced at Jiao Si.

"Jiao Si, how's this incense?"

Jiao Si gave a casual reply, but Qin Keqing chimed in.

"It has a delicate and mellow fragrance; it is indeed a wonderful aroma."

The group chatted for a while longer.

Qin Keqing suddenly let out a soft "Eh".

Is it because this room has no windows? Why am I so hot?

She raised her hand and wiped her forehead with a handkerchief.

"Mrs......"

Her voice was somewhat hesitant.

"Do you feel... a bit hot in the room?"

Upon hearing this, Lady You chuckled inwardly.

It's hot, that's all that matters.

Inviting Qin Keqing to Fengyou Temple was a calculated move from the start.

A scheme to kill two birds with one stone, simultaneously binding Jiao Si and Qin Keqing to their own warship!

This piece of agarwood is undoubtedly of the highest quality; it's just that I added some aphrodisiac ingredients beforehand.

Jiao Si, aren't you supposed to be aloof and superior?

I will use this incense to allow you and Qin Keqing to consummate your marriage first.

With this scandal in the works, Jiao Si and Qin Keqing will all have to obey my orders!

By then, Jia Rong's trusted servants and bedmates will all be his spies.

How could I possibly lose?

Madam You was secretly pleased, but her face showed surprise.

"hot?"

She looked around and then touched her cheek with the back of her hand.

"No."

"I actually find this room quite cool."

She looked at Qin Keqing with concern in her eyes.

"Is Miss Qin feeling unwell?"

Qin Keqing shook her head.

"Perhaps I was wearing too many clothes."

As she spoke, she secretly glanced at Jiao Si.

For some reason, looking at his tall figure and cold profile, Qin Keqing felt an even stronger stirring in her heart.

Qin Keqing quickly looked away, picked up her teacup, and took a sip.

But the tea, instead of quenching the thirst, seemed to add fuel to the fire.

Her cheeks gradually flushed, and her breathing became slightly rapid.

Jiao Si also noticed something was wrong.

He already had a keen sense of smell, and now, smelling the agarwood, he felt that the sweet and cloying scent was getting stronger and stronger.

He himself began to feel a strange restlessness, as if a small beast was scratching at him.

He took a deep breath, trying to suppress the feeling, but found that the deeper he breathed, the more fragrance he inhaled, and the stronger the restlessness became.

He frowned and looked at the incense burner.

Could there be something wrong with this incense?

I was just thinking about it.

Suddenly, Madam You stood up.

"Ouch......"

She clutched her stomach, a hint of discomfort on her face.

"Perhaps it's because I drank too much tea earlier, my stomach... feels a little uncomfortable."

She looked at Qin Keqing, her tone apologetic.

"Qing, please sit here for a while. I'm going to the outhouse."

She paused, then turned to Cuilu.

"Cuilu, come with me."

Cuilu was smelling the sandalwood incense and felt a little drowsy.

Hearing Madam You call her, she mumbled a response and stood up.

But as soon as I stood up, I felt my legs go weak and my body swayed.

Madam You frowned and scolded in a low voice, "You good-for-nothing who has no respect for your master!"

Cuilu jolted awake and quickly mustered her strength.

"This servant...this servant will serve Madam right away."

Lady You nodded and smiled at Qin Keqing.

"I'll be right back."

After saying that, she led Cuilu toward the door.

I walked to the door.

As soon as Madam You reached out, she suddenly realized something was wrong.

Why is this door so hard?

She paused for a moment, then increased the pressure on her hand.

The door remained unmoved.

She was startled and leaned down to look through the crack in the door.

Outside the door, a thick wooden stick was stuck horizontally on the door knocker, firmly blocking the door from the outside.

Madam You's expression changed instantly.

What's going on?

By now, the smoke from the incense had filled the entire room, so even if the incense was extinguished, it would be of no use.

If I can't get out, I'm afraid I'll be affected too!

An ominous premonition welled up in her heart.

Raise your voice and shout towards the door.

No one answered.

"Open the door! I am Mrs. You from the Ningguo Mansion!"

"Open the door!"

She pounded on the door.

Silence remained outside the door.

Only the faint sounds of chanting and bells could be heard in the distance.

Qin Keqing forced herself to stand up, enduring the heat in her body.

"Madam, what's wrong?"

"How about letting Brother Jiao take a look?"

Jiao Si was also feeling hot all over, with beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.

He managed to calm himself and walked to the door.

I tried pushing the door.

The door panel remained completely still.

"Grandma Jane, the door is being blocked from the outside."

Madam You asked anxiously, "Then... what should we do?"

"I...I urgently need to use the restroom..."

She was only half telling the truth.

I was really in a hurry, but not to use the restroom; I just wanted to leave the room.

If she stayed any longer, she was afraid she would lose control.

Jiao Si took a deep breath.

He took two steps back, mustered all his strength, and rammed into the door panel.

A muffled thud.

The door vibrated, but did not open.

On the contrary, Jiao Si was thrown back by the shock, his chest heaving with blood and qi.

The effects of the agarwood medicine were so strong that he was now weak all over and had almost no strength left.

They couldn't break open the heavy wooden door at all.

Qin Keqing also came over.

Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes were unfocused, but she still managed to maintain her composure.

"Madam...it's really not possible..."

Her voice trembled slightly, tinged with shyness.

"Just let Brother Jiao turn his back..."

"We can't... keep letting my wife bottle this up..."

Yu cursed inwardly.

Even at this point, Qin Keqing is still so kind!

If she were to let Jiao Si turn his back and deal with it, how could the plan be implemented?

But now she was in a difficult situation.

She couldn't open the door and urgently needed to use the restroom.

The fragrance inside the room grew stronger and stronger.

The sweet, cloying smell permeated almost every corner.

Yu herself also felt her body starting to heat up.

Smelling this strong fragrance, she felt her heart race and her body go weak.

"Where did this kind-hearted person come from, blocking the door for someone else!"

She stomped her foot angrily, but stumbled and fell onto Jiao Si.

"Madam, be careful!"

Jiao Si instinctively reached out to help.

Yu grabbed his arm and pressed herself almost against him.

The warmth of his body seeped through his clothes.

Jiao Si froze.

Madam You raised her head and looked at him with a dazed expression.

"I'm so dizzy... I... I feel so lightheaded..."

The voice was soft and gentle.

His eyes were fixed on someone with a murderous intent.

Qin Keqing watched from the side, her heart filled with even greater turmoil.

She watched as Madam You clung to Jiao Si, and watched Jiao Si's stiff but unyielding hand...

A strange mix of jealousy and longing welled up inside me.

She bit her lip and took half a step forward.

"Brother Jiao..."

Her voice was soft, yet filled with longing.

"I...I'm also feeling a little dizzy..."

As she spoke, she swayed and leaned towards Jiao Si's other side.