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

Jiao Si felt that he was in a difficult situation.

On the left is Madam You, the matriarch of the Ningguo Mansion;

On the right is Qin Keqing.

On the ground, a young maid named Cuilu was nestled.

The incense in this room was sickeningly sweet; after just a couple of breaths, one felt their blood rushing to their head, clearly indicating that someone had tampered with it. No one could endure such an environment for long.

Jiao Si felt a burning sensation on his nose, and two streams of blood flowed down.

Before he could raise his hand to wipe it, Qin Keqing, who was already in a daze, happened to sway over, raised her hand and touched his face haphazardly, wiping away the blood.

She stared blankly at her blood-stained fingertips, muttering incoherently.

My legs went weak and I couldn't stand up. I instinctively reached out to grab something, but I bumped into Jiao Si's arm. I recoiled as if I'd been burned.

She mumbled incoherently and wobbled towards Jiao Si, clearly about to fall.

Jiao Si was so overwhelmed by the incense that he almost couldn't stand up.

The woman next to her was even more unwell. She swayed and reached out to grab something, which happened to grab Jiao Si's other arm. She was panting and talking nonsense.

At this moment, Madam You was covered in sweat, her hair was disheveled, her face was flushed, and her eyes were glazed over. She had clearly lost her senses due to the incense.

Seeing that You Shi was holding onto Jiao Si, Qin Keqing couldn't stand steadily either, so she subconsciously reached out and grabbed Jiao Si's sleeve. The two of them used Jiao Si as a support, holding on tightly to avoid falling.

The two women, one on each side, grabbed Jiao Si for leverage, swaying back and forth in a stalemate.

Jiao Si desperately clung to a sliver of clarity in his mind, constantly trying to move the two women's hands away, but he himself was too weak to move them, and each time he managed to move them away, they would lose their balance and grab them again.

The medicinal effects of the incense became increasingly potent, leaving everyone extremely thirsty and feeling utterly exhausted.

Suddenly, a "rip" sound was heard.

It turned out that a piece of Jiao Si's shirt sleeve was torn off by the two of them pulling on it.

Their exposed arms were covered with sword and knife wounds from martial arts training. The two were completely out of their minds, only knowing to hold on to the most stable thing and refusing to let go, pulling even tighter.

Jiao Si's mind went blank for a moment.

The cloying sweetness of agarwood stuck in his throat, making him increasingly dizzy. The last bit of clarity he was clinging to was about to dissipate.

He felt that the two people next to him were burning hot, and their breath was spraying on him, making it increasingly difficult for him to stand.

What scheme, and what consequences?

All he could think about at that moment was getting out of there as soon as possible to get some fresh air, otherwise he would completely lose his mind.

Just when things were at their most critical moment.

"Oh!"

A low cry, accompanied by a sudden, sharp pain, instantly flooded his mind!

It's Miss Cuilu.

She could no longer stand and collapsed to the ground, crawling towards him, trying to find something to hold onto to stand up. But her limbs were weak, and she stumbled, her forehead hitting Jiao Si's chest hard.

"Well!"

Jiao Si let out a muffled groan and instantly arched his back.

The excruciating pain, like ice water poured over his head, jolted him mostly awake.

He suddenly opened his eyes wide.

The sight before him made him gasp.

Qin Keqing was already half-conscious on the ground, still muttering incoherently;

Yu was swaying unsteadily, her speech was slurred and incoherent.

"Water...I want to drink water..."

"It's so hot... Open the door..."

Anxiety rang in Jiao Si's mind.

No!

I absolutely cannot let myself faint like this!

He looked around the windowless, quiet room, his gaze settling on the tightly closed door that was jammed shut from the outside.

What happened today is by no means accidental.

This agarwood must have been laced with a sleeping potion. Someone wanted to make him lose his mind and then frame him for having an affair with the women of the Ningguo Mansion. This way, they could get rid of him and ruin the reputations of Madam You and Qin Keqing at the same time, killing two birds with one stone.

The more this is the case, the less he can let the other side succeed!

Little did Jiao Si know that the sleeping potion in the agarwood was placed there by Madam You herself.

She originally intended to trap both Jiao Si and Qin Keqing, catching them in the act so she could bring them to her side. However, she didn't control the dosage properly and ended up taking too much herself, losing her senses and becoming trapped in her own scheme.

Just as his mind was racing, the medicinal power of the agarwood surged up like a tide.

The dizziness and fever that had just been suppressed by the excruciating pain began to erode his mind again.

Qin Keqing snorted in dissatisfaction and gripped his sleeve even tighter:

"Don't shake... I can't stand..."

Yu also mumbled incoherently:

"Open the door...let me out..."

Jiao Si gritted his teeth fiercely!

He suddenly opened his mouth and, with all his might, bit his tongue hard.

The excruciating pain shot through my brain like lightning!

"cough!"

He spat out a mouthful of blood, his whole body jolted violently, and he instantly regained most of his senses.

Taking advantage of the strength generated by the intense pain, he gently pulled his arms apart, causing the two exhausted people to loosen their grip and fall to the ground.

Cuilu, who was standing next to her, was also shaken and fell to the side.

Jiao Si took a few steps back, steadied himself, and gathered all his strength in his shoulders and back.

Then, he slammed his head against the tightly closed door!

A muffled, deafening roar exploded in the quiet room.

The door panel could not withstand the weight.

However, the expected scene of the door panel shattering did not occur; instead, a clear "crack" sound of breaking came from outside the door.

It's that thick stick at the top!

Jiao Si's all-out ramming, though it failed to break the heavy door, actually snapped the hard wooden bar that was holding the door knocker shut!

The wooden door was knocked open a crack.

Jiao Si turned sideways and squeezed out through the gap like a fish.

The cool outdoor air rushed in, instantly diluting the sweet, cloying scent of sandalwood in the air.

He gasped for breath and looked back.

The room was quiet and dimly lit.

Yu Shi, Qin Keqing, and Cuilu were still immersed in the effects of the incense, sitting on the ground talking nonsense and groping to stand up.

Jiao Si felt a tightness in his chest.

We can't just leave them like this.

If they were to leave to find someone to get the antidote, and someone else were to break in during that time, or the person who framed them were to return and see them in this irrational state, their reputation would be completely ruined.

Their dignity must be preserved.

He took a few deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down.

Then, he turned around and went back into the quiet room.

He pointed his fingers like a knife, aimed at the acupoints on the back of his neck, and gently placed them down.

At almost the same time, Lady You, Qin Keqing, and Cuilu went limp, stopped moving, and fell into a deep sleep.

The chaotic ramblings came to an abrupt halt.

All that remained was the lingering fragrance and scattered pieces of jewelry and cloth on the ground.

Jiao Si finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He quickly straightened all three women's clothes, picked up the scattered outer robes, and covered them with them to ensure that no part of their bodies was exposed.

Not daring to look any longer, he left the quiet room and left the broken door panel half-closed behind him.

The courtyard was quiet.

Only the rustling sound of the wind blowing through the bamboo leaves could be heard.

Anxious, he looked around.

Who blocked the door from the outside?

Is it a monk from the temple? Or someone else?

His gaze swept across the courtyard, and he saw an old monk hunched over, slowly sweeping fallen leaves by the bamboo grove in the distance.

There was no one else.

Jiao Si composed himself and walked towards the old monk.