Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Distracted, Yuanyang walked back the way she came. As she descended the steps of the long corridor, she suddenly stumbled and lurched forward, nearly bumping into the edge of the moon gate, which gave her quite a fright.

"Hehehe..."

Behind me came someone's merciless laughter.

Yuanyang turned and glanced at Jia Lian, her face suddenly turning red.

Taking a deep breath and clearing his mind, he walked forward while asking, "I heard that Second Master had quite a show of skill outside today, composing several excellent poems?"

"Is that so? What happened?" Jia Lian asked with a smile.

Yuanyang's expression tightened slightly, and she hurriedly said, "It's nothing, it's just that I think Second Master's poems are all very good. Why didn't Second Master show his talent in front of everyone before?"

"To display talent?"

Jia Lian smiled, quietly walked to Yuanyang's side, and whispered in her ear, "What are you doing showing off your talents? Could it be that after showing off your talents, Sister Yuanyang will see that I am not a shallow person and secretly fall in love with me?"

"What nonsense are you talking about?!"

Yuanyang never expected Jia Lian to flirt with her, and her face immediately turned bright red with embarrassment.

Normally, she would have glared at Jia Lian and scolded him.

But nowadays, let alone Jia Lian's extraordinary status, even the stirrings of her own heart, planted in her youth, are already becoming increasingly restless.

So, although reason made her put on a righteous and stern face when she heard Jia Lian's inappropriate words, her heart was pounding uncontrollably!

How could he know, or why should he display his talent? The other person's heart had already secretly been given to someone else, and she never cared whether he was a shallow person or not.

Moreover, Master Lian has never been a shallow person.

The only thing that made her uncomfortable was that she could see through the old Jia Lian.

The current Second Master Lian feels increasingly distant from her, so profound that it seems as if in just two or three years, he has become as vast as the ocean, leaving her feeling that she has no ability to stir up even a ripple in it.

After nightfall, lanterns are hung at all the major intersections of Rongguo Mansion. Although they cannot illuminate the entire mansion, they provide some light on the main roads.

Just then, they reached a bright spot, and by the light coming from the gatehouse next to them, Jia Lian could see the shy and tender look on Yuanyang's face.

This made Jia Lian laugh.

Last time, when he expressed his ambitions in Grandmother Jia's room, he noticed that Yuanyang's gaze towards him was strange!

I've been so busy that I haven't had much of a chance to chat with this steward of Grandmother Jia about life's ideals.

Today was a rare opportunity, and Jia Lian naturally wouldn't miss it; what he had just done was merely a simple test.

As he wished, things turned out as he expected.

Knowing the situation was clear, Jia Lian calmed down and ignored Yuanyang's embarrassment and anger. He asked seriously, "If I remember correctly, Sister Yuanyang is the same age as Ping'er, and she's seventeen this year, right?"

Yuanyang was still annoyed by Jia Lian's words when she heard him ask her this question, and her face flushed even more.

Ping'er was his concubine; everyone in the mansion knew that. To compare her to Ping'er...

Yuanyang was intelligent, but faced with Jia Lian's ambiguous attitude, she was still a little flustered, so she didn't answer Jia Lian's words and just kept walking forward.

Although Yuanyang's lack of cooperation made it difficult for Jia Lian to implement his next strategy.

But such a genuine reaction from a young woman is quite amusing.

Perhaps this is what makes mandarin ducks so precious: they are not pretentious or seductive, but strong-willed and loyal to their duties.

If someone like that has no interest in you, that's fine. Jia Lian doesn't necessarily need to "separate Ping and Xi Yuan" (a reference to a couple in Chinese folklore).

Devour

However, he could clearly see that Yuanyang had feelings for him, so he had no choice but to be impolite.

What do you think of Ping'er?

"What she does is none of my business. She belongs to my grandparents. Whether she is good or bad is up to them to decide. How can I possibly control her?"

Yuanyang set up a certain defensive barrier against Jia Lian.

In response, Jia Lian said that she could not deflect his attack at all, and he just laughed and said, "Oh, but I heard her say that you two grew up together and are the best of friends."

She might be very sad if she heard you say such heartless things.

Yuanyang stopped and turned to look at Jia Lian, saying in a deep voice, "Second Master, please say what you want to say directly. This servant cannot understand your riddles."

"Hehe, it's nothing, I just feel that you're not getting any younger, it's time for you to think about where you'll settle down."

"So, how about it? Interested in becoming real sisters with Ping'er?"

"You?!"

Yuanyang's pupils widened instantly. Based on her experience with people and their ways of dealing with others, she simply couldn't understand how Jia Lian could say such things so openly without blushing at all.

Not only did she not blush, but she also seemed quite relaxed.

It was as if he had simply invited her to be good friends with Ping'er, and it had nothing to do with him personally!

She sensed something was wrong; why was Second Master Lian acting like this…

This did not match her previous impression of Jia Lian, nor her impression after hearing about his ambitions.

Could it be that Master Lian has a multifaceted personality? Although these strange thoughts flashed through her mind, Yuanyang's primary concern was naturally a mixture of embarrassment, annoyance, and excitement!

She finally realized that Jia Lian was seriously flirting with her!

"Second Master, don't you think it's inappropriate, or beneath your dignity, for you to say such things to me?"

I belong to the old lady; serving and caring for her is my duty. As for Ping'er...

"Pah... How dare you say that!"

Out of a woman's pride, Yuanyang wanted to suppress the flutter in her heart and speak out righteously.

But when it came to the shameful thing of "becoming sisters with Ping'er," he couldn't hold back any longer and spat under his breath to cover it up.

Looking at Yuanyang, who was radiating shyness, Jia Lian smiled slightly.

"Hmm? I was just giving you a suggestion. Whether you listen or not is up to you. I didn't mean to force you. How is that beneath you?"

You dare spit on me?

This is insubordination! Believe me or not, I'll go to the old lady and complain about you, and you'll be in big trouble!

Once the high heat has reached its maximum, it's time to reduce the heat to a simmer. This will prevent the food from overcooking and preserve its optimal flavor.

"you……"

Sure enough, Yuanyang was rendered speechless by the teasing.

He actually wanted to complain to the old lady? He should be grateful he didn't!

She wanted to argue with Jia Lian, but he seemed to be angry. He waved his sleeve, left her behind, turned through the passageway, and went into the backyard of Rongqing Hall.

Once she was sure Jia Lian had left, Yuanyang's expression slowly returned to normal, and she stood there motionless for a long time.

After a long while, he let out a soft, inexplicable sigh.

If you're heartless, why bother teasing her? Wouldn't it be better to just leave her alone forever?

If he had feelings for her, why didn't he make it clear, leaving her in this awkward position, secretly speculating but ultimately unable to grasp his thoughts?

In this light, Master Lian is ultimately a dangerous man. If I, a mere servant, were to get caught up in his schemes, I fear I wouldn't even have the chance to escape unscathed.

……