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

The old monk seemed oblivious, remaining focused on the broom in his hand.

"Greetings, Abbot." Jiao Si cupped his hands in greeting. "May I ask, did you see anyone heading towards that quiet room just now?"

The old monk showed no reaction.

Jiao Si raised his voice and asked again.

The old monk slowly raised his head, revealing a wrinkled face with a blank expression.

He pointed to his ears, waved his hand, and made muffled "ah ah" sounds.

He turned out to be deaf and mute.

Jiao Si was disappointed, knowing he wouldn't get any information out of him, so he had no choice but to give up.

Time passed little by little.

As the sun began to set, some movement finally came from the quiet room.

First came a few soft moans, then the rustling of clothes.

Yu Shi slowly woke up.

My head feels like it's about to split open.

She frowned, propped herself up, and saw Qin Keqing and Cuilu sleeping in equally disheveled positions, as well as the three of them wearing rather disheveled clothes and with messy hair.

Fragments of memory flooded my mind in an instant.

Agarwood...heat...the door that won't open...a restless, muscular upper body...I pounce on him...

Madam You's face turned deathly pale instantly.

She sat up abruptly, feeling flustered and confused.

Finished!

Not only did he fail to outmaneuver Jiao Si and Qin Keqing, he also ended up getting himself caught up in the mess!

Judging from this situation... could it be... that I really am with Qin Keqing, with Jiao Si...?

If that's the case, what power do I have to blackmail Jiao Si?

Instead, it became a situation where he had leverage over them!

Just as she was feeling anxious and helpless, Qin Keqing beside her let out a soft moan and slowly opened her eyes.

"Auntie..."

Qin Keqing's voice was hoarse and confused, as if she had just woken up.

She sat up and then saw the three of them in such a sorry state.

Those chaotic and intense images appeared intermittently.

Her face flushed red instantly, all the way to her ears.

Having never experienced such matters, her understanding of relationships between men and women was vague and ignorant.

In her current state of confused memory and perception, she sees herself like this, yet she also remembers being so close and entangled with Jiao Si...

I'm afraid... I'm afraid they've already consummated their marriage.

The thought made her so ashamed she almost wanted to disappear, and her mind was in complete turmoil.

"Qing..."

Yu's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"You're awake? How are you feeling? Is there anything... bothering you?"

Qin Keqing lowered her head, her voice barely audible.

"My head... hurts a little."

"Is it just a headache?" Mrs. Yu pressed. "Is there anything else... that's not quite right?"

Qin Keqing thought for a moment and answered honestly.

"I'm still... a little thirsty."

Madam You pursed her lips and simply asked directly.

"I mean... is there anywhere else that hurts? Like... my body?"

Qin Keqing shook her head blankly.

"there is none left."

Yu felt a great sense of strangeness.

Judging from Qin Keqing's reaction, she was shy and flustered, but she didn't seem to feel the pain of losing her virginity.

Could it be that... Jiao Si was able to endure it under such circumstances?

This is truly "worse than an animal"!

How did he manage to escape?

Where is he now?

As she pondered with doubt and uncertainty, a clear cough rang out from outside the door at just the right moment.

"cough."

It was a frantic sound.

Then, his steady voice came through the door.

"Grandma Zhen, Miss Keqing, you said you were tired and wanted to rest, so you asked me to come out and wait for you."

"It's getting late, we should pack up and head back."

"If it's convenient, please come out."

Qin Keqing and Madam You exchanged a glance and immediately understood Jiao Si's intention.

This is to give them a way out, to save face for them, to completely erase this absurd accident, and to treat it as a "rest".

Lady You felt somewhat relieved.

At least Jiao Si's attitude suggests that things may not have gotten to the worst point.

She gently kicked the still unconscious Cuilu.

Cuilu woke up groggily, still somewhat disoriented from the lingering effects of the medicine, muttering to herself.

"Fourth Brother... be gentle..."

Upon seeing that it was Madam You and Qin Keqing beside her, and recalling the events before she fainted, Cuilu's face turned as red as if it were about to bleed, and she wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

"Shameless little hussy!"

Madam You muttered a curse under her breath.

"Keep your mouth shut! Once you get back, don't say a word about what happened today! Do you understand?"

Cuilu quickly knelt down and nodded repeatedly.

"This servant understands! This servant would never dare to speak recklessly!"

Only then did Madam You let Cuilu get up and help her and Qin Keqing tidy their clothes, re-tie their hair, and smooth out the wrinkles.

After the three of them had finished getting ready and at least appeared to be neat and tidy, Madam You took a deep breath and opened the half-closed door.

Jiao Si was standing with his back to the door when he heard the noise and turned around.

His face showed no particular expression, only a hint of weariness deep in his eyes.

As soon as Qin Keqing saw him, she immediately recalled those chaotic and intimate encounters, her face flushed again, and she quickly lowered her head, not daring to meet his gaze.

Jiao Si also looked away.

Yu coughed lightly, breaking the somewhat awkward silence.

"It's been hard on you guarding the door for so long."

Her voice regained its former dignity, as if the previously unrestrained woman had never existed.

"Go back and get some rest."

He bowed anxiously.

"Yes, Mrs. Xie is very considerate."

The group remained silent, tacitly agreeing to leave the quiet courtyard deep in the bamboo forest, following the same bluestone path they had come from, and headed out of Fengyou Temple.

Behind Fengyou Temple, outside the quiet bamboo grove courtyard.

Not long after Jiao Si and his group left.

The deaf-mute old monk who had been hunched over sweeping fallen leaves slowly straightened up.

The blankness and numbness on his face disappeared, and his eyes became deep.

He gazed in the direction Jiao Si and the others had left, a meaningful smile curving his lips.

At that moment, another figure emerged from the depths of the bamboo forest.

It was the same old monk who had interpreted the divination slips before.

The old monk who was interpreting the divination slips walked to the sweeping monk's side, bent down and picked up the thick wooden stick that had been broken in two by Jiao Si.

"Senior brother."

The old monk, who was interpreting the divination stick, held the broken stick in his hand and weighed it in his hand, his brows furrowing slightly.

"Our ancestor predicted that Jiao Si would come to this temple today and have this 'calamity' with those two female benefactors. Therefore, he instructed us to make preparations in advance, replacing the doors with thick iron-clad doors to lock them securely and ensure the success of this matter."

"But now it seems... things haven't developed exactly as our ancestor predicted? How did Jiao Si manage to escape?"

His tone was questioning.

"Could it be... that our ancestor miscalculated this time?"

"What a waste that I took down this roof beam and made this arrangement."

Upon hearing this, the sweeping monk smiled gently.

He spoke, his voice slightly hoarse, showing no sign of being deaf or mute.

"Junior brother, you're too attached to appearances."

"Our ancestors meticulously calculated the timing, location, and human factors, and peered into the secrets of heaven. When did they ever make a mistake?"

His gaze returned to the direction of the temple gate.

"Today, things may seem 'unsuccessful,' but how do you know that this 'unsuccessful' situation might not be the outcome our ancestors desired?"

"After this incident, the entanglement has deepened. Several hearts, several threads, are now more tightly intertwined."

"This may be the 'effect' that our ancestors truly desired."

Upon hearing this, the old monk seemed to be deep in thought, looking at the broken stick in his hand, and remained silent in contemplation.

The sweeping monk said no more, picked up the broom again, and slowly swept up the fallen leaves on the ground, stroke by stroke.

He transformed back into the same unassuming, deaf and mute old monk who swept the floor.

Only those eyes that occasionally lift up and gaze into the distance reveal a glimmer of insight into the ways of the world.

The wind swept through the bamboo forest, burying the absurdity of what had just transpired.