Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

After comforting Miaoyu for half a day, Jia Lian got up, put on his clothes, and turned around to see Miaoyu lying almost naked under the brocade quilt, looking at him with infinite shyness on her face, her long black hair cascading down, a sight to behold.

Thus, Jia Lian's displeasure subsided considerably. He bent down and tucked the blanket around her, finally saying that he would come to see her another day, before turning and leaving.

As he left Miaoyu's bedroom and before he even stepped out of the meditation room and through the main door, he suddenly heard a soft murmur coming from behind the curtain in a corner.

Jia Lian turned his head and saw a woman, half-clothed in a black robe, with a delicate and youthful figure, slumped on the ground, her movements alluring and revealing her voluptuous figure.

"Second...Master~!"

The woman, who had her eyes slightly closed, was so terrified when she suddenly saw Jia Lian that she let out a scream and went limp.

Then he remembered something, hurriedly turned over and knelt down in front of Jia Lian, but didn't know what to do.

"What are you doing here?"

"I, I..."

The woman was filled with shame and embarrassment. Seeing Jia Lian's amused expression just moments before, she knew that her every move had been observed by him. Overwhelmed with shame and humiliation, she was speechless.

Jia Lian looked down at Zhi Neng, who was half-clothed in a plain black robe and shamelessly displaying her demeanor. Even though Jia Lian considered himself well-traveled and knowledgeable, he found it quite interesting at this moment.

He knew perfectly well what the girl had been doing. She had probably spied on something she shouldn't have, which aroused her feelings.

Speaking of which, this Zhi Neng is quite beautiful, at least very charming and pretty. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to captivate two young masters, Jia Baoyu and Qin Zhong, at such a young age.

Now that he has been by Miaoyu's side for a year, perhaps influenced by her, he has lost much of his boyish vulgarity and gained more of a refined and elegant air. He has also grown up a bit.

Most importantly, hair has grown!

Her nun's hat had long since fallen off her little head and was now lying quietly on her back in the corner where she had been sitting. Thus, Jia Lian could easily see her short, light-colored black hair, which had only recently grown out.

When did you renew your subscription?

"Yes, Your Highness... Not long after I joined Miss Miaoyu's service, I begged her to take me in as a maid, and that's how my service began..."

"I see."

Jia Lian understood.

Out of a moment of kindness, they sent the girl to the Muni Monastery, but they did not expect that the nun Jingci there would misunderstand and give her to Miaoyu instead.

However, this Zhi Neng'er was indeed quite shrewd. She probably saw through Miao Yu's extraordinary nature and knew that following Miao Yu was much better than being a Buddhist female disciple without any foundation, like a floating duckweed, who could be bullied by others. Therefore, she gained Miao Yu's approval and recognized her as her master.

Or perhaps she really didn't want to be a nun, so she found a way out for herself whenever she had the chance.

Speaking of which, although Miaoyu was a lay Buddhist disciple, she had two or three maids and servants who were not Buddhist disciples. They dressed like Buddhist disciples just to make it easier for her to take care of her.

It seems that Zhi Neng'er also wanted to be Miao Yu's maid, so that one day when Miao Yu returned to secular life, she could also leave the Buddhist temple.

While Jia Lian remained silent, Zhi Neng'er quickly calmed down.

Although I still feel extremely ashamed, after all, I had already made a fool of myself in front of Jia Lian at the Green Bamboo Nunnery, so making a fool of myself again is nothing.

Moreover, given her lowly status, Jia Lian probably wouldn't hold it against her, so she knelt on the ground, trying her best to appear obedient.

Suddenly, Jia Lian reached out and touched her head, then lifted her chin, seemingly looking her over.

"Are you good at serving others?"

Jia Lian's sudden voice startled Zhi Neng'er.

Looking up at Jia Lian a few times, he suddenly understood something and nodded silently.

She had expected Jia Lian to do something to her, but he just stood there silently. Unable to say anything, she could only rely on her own intuition to try to untie Jia Lian's handkerchief and other items.

Just as she was suppressing her shyness and secret joy, thinking that her dream was about to come true, she suddenly heard a woman cough softly outside the door.

Zhi Neng'er was startled and looked up at Jia Lian.

As expected, Jia Lian's expression changed slightly. He seemed to consider it for a moment, glanced down at her, and said calmly, "Tie it on."

"Oh……"

Zhi Neng'er was somewhat disappointed, but dared not disobey. She could only tie up Jia Lian's clothes however she had opened them, and then watched Jia Lian turn and leave.

When Jia Lian arrived at the door, he indeed saw A Qi standing on the veranda with her sword in her arms. She showed no surprise when he came out, simply bowed slightly, and then stood behind him.

Seeing this, Jia Lian simply nodded, said "Let's go back to the mansion," and walked along the long corridor.

After taking a few steps, he finally turned back and looked at Aqi: "Um..."

It would have been better if she hadn't said anything, because once she did, Aqi's face seemed to turn red, but she quickly composed herself and bowed to Jia Lian, saying, "Please forgive me, Your Highness. I did not mean to disturb your enjoyment."

As Jia Lian's bodyguard, and the only one who followed Jia Lian into the Muni Temple, Aqi naturally kept a close eye on Jia Lian's movements.

Previously, when Jia Lian was discussing Taoism with Miaoyu in the meditation room, she accidentally discovered Zhi Neng'er's shameful behavior, but she was too lazy to pay attention to it.

Later, she overheard Jia Lian talking to Zhi Neng outside the door. When Jia Lian didn't come out for a while, she couldn't help but remind him.

Although she kept her own status low and didn't mind her lord's quest for novelty, she felt that at least a woman as ethereal as Miaoyu should be chosen.

That smart kid doesn't deserve it.

Of course, if Jia Lian doesn't heed her advice, there's not much she can do.

Jia Lian smiled awkwardly, then raised Aqi's arm and solemnly instructed, "Just now, I was careless and almost fell into a trap. Fortunately, Qi'er reminded me, and I realized my mistake."

"Yes, I am now in the midst of fame and fortune, and it is not uncommon for me to lose my senses and be tempted. In the future, if such things happen again, I hope Qi'er will offer me much advice."

Jia Lian's words made Aqi suddenly feel ashamed.

She was worried that Jia Lian would scold her for interrupting his good time, but now Jia Lian not only listened to her reminder and came out of the house immediately, but also said such things to her, which made her feel both ashamed and moved.

In addition, after following Jia Lian for so long, this was the first time she had heard him call her "Qi'er," and such an intimate address naturally made her a little shy.

However, she was used to keeping her thoughts to herself, so she simply nodded slightly and replied, "Yes, this servant remembers..."

Even so, she told herself that she had overstepped her bounds just now, and she should be more careful in the future. Unless absolutely necessary, she should never spoil Jia Lian's mood again.

Jia Lian was unaware of A Qi's thoughts, and his words were not entirely untrue.

I did gain some insights.

Now, with his elevated status, especially after returning to the capital, he has not only been granted a marquisate but also had most of his affairs concerning Daiyu settled. Feeling elated, he inevitably indulged in some carefree indulgence.

Thinking back now, given his previous aloofness, he probably wouldn't have been interested in a shallow and uncultured woman like Zhi Neng'er.

But just now he actually had some thoughts about it. It seems he really got a little carried away, which is why he said those things to Aqi.

After all, Aqi usually accompanies him when he goes out. It's a good thing to have a decent woman who is also his woman keep an eye on him to prevent him from doing something that will cause trouble for himself.

But...

Night had fallen, and Miaoyu's courtyard was quiet and deserted, with only a few dim lanterns on the eaves illuminating Aqi's face, stirring up Jia Lian's still lingering thoughts.

Therefore, he didn't let go of Aqi's hand, but just chuckled softly, "However, no matter what, Qi'er ruined Master's plans just now. Haven't you thought about making amends?"

Although Aqi served Jia Lian less often, she had seen her younger sister's various ways of currying favor over the years, so she was naturally very familiar with the ways in which they did so.

"Let's talk about it after we get back to the manor..."

It was one thing if she hadn't offered herself to him before, but now that she had, Aqi naturally wouldn't pretend to be reserved.

Jia Lian, however, was unwilling to wait. In truth, if Miaoyu hadn't piqued his interest so much, he wouldn't have wanted to try out Zhi Neng'er's skills.

Now that his own maid was right in front of him, and he had a pretext, he decided not to be polite. So he took her hand and, in this quiet place, found a secluded corner, and, half-coaxing and half-tricking, let Aqi experience what Zhineng'er had not yet accomplished.

……