Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

"You've come."

Although she had already been intimate with Jia Lian, You Shi still couldn't help feeling nervous and restrained every time they met in such a setting.

Jia Lian walked over and sat down on the neatly made, soft couch.

Meanwhile, the matriarch of the Ningguo Mansion, a third-rank imperial lady, acted like a maid, gently and obediently serving Jia Lian a cup of hot tea. She personally handed it to Jia Lian, gave him a sip, and then set it aside before kneeling on the footstool to massage his legs.

Seeing Jia Lian enjoying her services as if he were at home, You Shi smiled with satisfaction. She continued, her hands moving, and said softly, "Your brother Zhen went to the Xuanzhen Temple to pay his respects to our master today; he won't be back until this afternoon."

The voice was soft and gentle, like a statement or a reminder.

Jia Lian understood, reached out and lifted her chin, raising her round, plump face, and said with a smile, "So, sister-in-law, you came prepared today?"

No wonder this woman asked him to meet her at the usual place today; she really is a cautious and mature person!

Even if you have a secret rendezvous with such a shrewd and beautiful young woman at dusk, you don't need to worry too much about the aftermath, because she will take care of everything herself.

Thinking of this, Jia Lian couldn't help but recall the day after his birthday, the Qingming Festival, when he paid respects to his ancestors.

Because Lady You had been beaten by Jia Zhen, Jia Lian took the opportunity to meet with her alone, also to comfort the injured woman.

Who knew that Ms. You would be so excessively resilient.

Apart from a few very faint finger marks on his face, there was no sign of sadness or distress in his mood or expression.

When Jia Lian asked about what happened that day, she only said that she had given Jia Zhen a few words of advice: even if you care about your daughter-in-law, you should still be careful in your actions to avoid gossip among the servants.

To everyone's surprise, Jia Zhen flew into a rage and berated her, venting all his past grievances.

Lady You was a prudent person who would not normally offend Jia Zhen. However, she couldn't hold back for a moment and, mindful of her status as the mistress of the house, made a retort, which resulted in her being slapped by Jia Zhen.

It's that simple.

In other words, if it were any other woman who was even slightly less sensible, in that situation, when Jia Zhen was in a very volatile mood, it would probably have been far more than just a slap.

In short, Jia Lian, who intended to comfort Lady You, failed to notice her sadness. Instead, he realized that Lady You was very happy and touched by his special visit to comfort her.

Because, on that day, Lady You was exceptionally obedient and submissive.

Right at the foot of Tianxiang Tower, in the dimly lit room where Jia Lian first pulled her in to talk.

Afterwards, Jia Lian and You Shi both felt that the place was not suitable for meeting, so the third floor, the place where You Shi usually changed clothes, became their new meeting place.

This is the third time they have met here in the month or so since the garden was built.

Faced with Jia Lian's frivolous behavior, You Shi seemed somewhat uncomfortable, but she was trying her best to adapt, as she cooperated with Jia Lian's strength, looking at him from below with a flirtatious gaze.

"How is Qin Shi?"

Qin was an extremely delicate and fragile beauty, unable to withstand the elements.

After being frightened and threatened by Jia Zhen, he indeed fell into depression.

Lady You knew long ago that Jia Lian also cared about Lady Qin, because this was not the first time Jia Lian had shown concern for Lady Qin since she fell ill.

Jia Lian didn't even try to hide it from her, telling her directly to take good care of Qin Shi.

Faced with her suspicions, Jia Lian revealed a little about Qin Shi's true identity...

Although Yu was shocked by this, she did not completely dispel her doubts.

She understood perfectly well that a beauty like Qin would be irresistible to any man, who would want to care for her, cherish her, and win her over.

Jia Zhen is a typical example; that old man has become somewhat obsessed with what he can't have!

Lady You could understand Jia Lian's, and even Jia Zhen's, mindset. It would be impossible for her not to feel any jealousy or resentment, but she wouldn't go so far as to plot against Lady Qin because of it.

In her opinion, it wouldn't matter if Jia Lian really had any inappropriate thoughts like Jia Zhen.

At least, she was Qin's nominal mother-in-law, and Qin was largely controlled by her.

If Jia Lian wants to get close to Qin Shi, he must offer her sufficient benefits...

She doesn't seek fame or fortune; Jia Zhen has already given her all that. All she asks for is the passionate love of a true man while she is still young and beautiful.

谷鱪

As for Jia Zhen... she once tried to assist him properly, but later she realized that their relationship was nothing more than mutual benefit.

She needed the position of the mistress of the Ningguo Mansion, while Jia Zhen needed an obedient and submissive housekeeper who dared not disobey him.

So, that slap made her realize the truth, and she finally dared to lower herself and take good care of her uncle.

After recounting Qin's recent situation, Madam You smiled and said, "If Second Uncle cares about her, he can go and see her himself another day."

In response, Jia Lian simply touched You Shi's face, which had been surgically altered, and felt its unusually smooth texture.

Although he didn't see it, he could guess that Jia Zhen's sudden dislike of You Shi and her daughter-in-law might have its reasons.

If he were to go and see Qin Shi again, Jia Zhen would probably explode instantly, and in that case, it would be these two helpless women from the Ningguo Mansion who would suffer.

However, noticing the teasing and probing tone in Madam You's clever words, Jia Lian smiled slightly, rubbed her shapely, thin lips with his thumb, and said with a smile, "Alright, aren't you hot? Take off your clothes."

Lady You blushed immediately, awkwardly stopping her hand from massaging Jia Lian, but mustered her courage: "Let's do as we agreed last time, today, let me serve you, Uncle."

After saying that, she didn't touch her clothes, but instead gave Jia Lian a charming look and put her hands on his waist.

……

After an unknown amount of time, Lady You, soaked to the bone, nestled obediently in Jia Lian's arms, softly whispering, "If I could just die in Uncle's arms like this, I would have no regrets in this life..."

Although it was just a reflection afterward, Jia Lian still keenly understood the underlying meaning.

Although Madam You appears quite open and composed now, she is probably still worried and fearful inside. In fact, she may have already prepared herself for death if her misdeeds are exposed.

This woman's free-spiritedness and decisiveness are truly admirable.

So Jia Lian gently massaged her body with one hand, and said with a smile, "Really? If that's the case, how about we do it again while we still have time?"

Lady You immediately felt embarrassed. She was a woman who knew how to be moderate and that too much of a good thing was bad—she didn't want Jia Lian to play around with her so much that he wouldn't want to play around with her anymore!

Therefore, she did not answer. After a while, perhaps feeling that it was too quiet, she said softly, "There is something that Uncle may not know."

"Oh, what is it?"

The jade-like body in his arms held a unique allure for Jia Lian.

The women he's been dealing with so far, including Wang Xifeng, are all just young married women, quite different from a truly mature and beautiful young woman like You Shi.

"I suspect that Rong'er's wife might still be a virgin..."

Ok?

Jia Lian tightened his grip, which You Shi immediately felt, and a look of "I knew it" appeared in her eyes.

As the mother-in-law, it was impossible for Qin Shi to keep the fact that she and Jia Rong slept in separate rooms a secret from her over time.

Lady You had long harbored a whole set of suspicions in her mind. After Jia Lian told her last time that there was a problem with Qin Shi's identity, she had almost filled in the gaps herself.

The purpose of bringing it up at this time was to attract Jia Lian.

"How so?"

Madam You smiled, propped herself up, disregarded the glimpse of her exposed skin, leaned over to look at Jia Lian, and said as if in a private conversation between husband and wife, "In the two years since Rong'er's wife married into the family, I suspect that she has never consummated her marriage with Rong'er."

One of them slept in the inner room, and the other slept in the warm pavilion. Moreover, Rong'er rarely slept in Rong'er's wife's room.

Apart from their personal attendants, no one else knew about this; I only found out later.

Lady You intended to keep Jia Lian in suspense, so that he wouldn't lose patience after a few rounds. She wanted him to come immediately if she called him again in the future.

Therefore, even if Jia Lian asked her in more detail, she would not immediately reveal everything.

But she underestimated Jia Lian; he knew far more about their household affairs than she had imagined.

Lady You's words almost instantly cleared up Jia Lian's previous doubts, making everything clear.

He finally understood why Qin Shi always had a faint sadness on her face.

I can understand why she looked so hesitant and aggrieved after he rejected her advances while watching the moon at the ancestral temple that night.

Therefore, Jia Lian did not ask any further questions, but instead looked at the round fruit in front of him and greedily put it in his mouth.