Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Jia Baoyu also disapproved of Xue Pan's behavior and felt that he had offended Liu Xianglian, but he did not say so directly.

Just as the two jugs of wine were finished, Jia Baoyu was about to call Mingyan to fetch more.

The servant boy, Sao Hong, who was refilling the wine cup, said with a smile, "Mingyan said his mother wants him to go home."

"Then let Wang Rong go!"

"Well, I'm afraid Brother Wang won't be able to go..."

Jia Baoyu, his patience exhausted, slammed his hand on the table, stood up, and angrily rebuked, "Well, all of you! I rarely go out, and now I'm only asking you for a few things, and you're already making excuses! You think you're more important than your master!"

Jia Baoyu naturally had reason to be angry, as he had a whole host of servants and young men who were prepared to serve him when he went out.

But he rarely went out, and these people were just getting paid for nothing. Now, he asked them to fetch a pot of wine, and they dared to refuse?

Sao Hong hurriedly knelt down and said, "Second Master, please calm down. It turns out that the Marquis was selecting personal guards in the courtyard over there today, and Brother Wang also went to try out."

I heard that the Marquis made them run thirty laps around the Imperial Horse Track, and they were all exhausted and collapsed, so they went back to rest..."

"Thirty laps?"

Jia Baoyu's anger subsided. He had also played on the imperial horse track in the east courtyard before and knew how long it was. He was afraid that he couldn't even run ten laps, let alone thirty.

Of course, Jia Baoyu was a refined and elegant young gentleman, so how could he possibly learn to run on foot like a peasant!

Hearing Sao Hong still explaining to Jia Baoyu, Liu Xianglian, who was standing next to her, changed his expression and asked curiously, "Back when I was on my way to the capital last year, I kept hearing about the heroic stories of your noble family. I thought that I might have the honor of meeting you today, but I never got to see you."

Before Jia Baoyu could explain, Xue Pan had already dragged a stool closer to Liu Xianglian and said with a smile, "Speaking of Brother Lian, he is naturally outstanding! However, he is not the same kind of person as us. When Brother Zhen of the East Mansion was still alive, we often gathered together to drink. We sent people to invite him many times, but he never came."

He wasn't interested in actors or performers; there was never any word of him being romantically involved with any famous actors in any troupe...

However, it's different for you, Little Willow. With your looks and charm, seeing him shouldn't be difficult for you if you want to.

Liu Xianglian forced himself to suppress his evil thoughts and turned his head to the other side.

When he associates with his peers, most people call him "Second Brother Liu," and even elders usually call him "Second Young Master Liu." Only those who regard him as a guest in the world of pleasure will call him "Little Liu."

That's how Jia Zhen used to address him. Who would have thought that this Xue Pan was even more vulgar than Jia Zhen, not only calling him "Little Willow" but also adding a disgusting suffix!

Lai Shangrong, fearing that Xue Pan would completely offend someone, quickly smoothed things over, saying, "Don't listen to Uncle Xue's nonsense. Uncle Lian is only unable to participate in such occasions because the master of the mansion is still in mourning."

Liu Xianglian nodded casually, and seeing Jia Baoyu ordering Sao Hong to fetch wine, he stood up and said, "The troupe leader has asked me to perform in two more shows, so I'll have to excuse myself now. Please enjoy yourselves."

Jia Baoyu looked reluctant to part with him. He knew that Liu Xianglian was not a member of this opera troupe and did not need to be under the control of the troupe leader. Just as he was about to persuade him to stay, Liu Xianglian bowed and left.

Once outside, he stopped a waiter to ask for directions, then returned to the opera troupe. Under the troupe leader's delighted arrangement, he performed two more plays before returning behind the curtain to remove his makeup.

Unexpectedly, Xue Pan came over again and praised his performance on stage.

Liu Xianglian didn't have time to pay attention to him. He was thinking of leaving soon and spending some more time with Jia Baoyu and the others to see if there was an opportunity when he suddenly felt a hot hand on his chin. Before he could react, his head was lifted and turned to the other side.

A chubby, fair-skinned face, not particularly ugly, but with a lewd expression, quietly came into view.

"you!

'

Liu Xianglian was furious. He stood up abruptly, wishing he could grab the sword hanging on the wall and kill the official with one stroke.

Ultimately, considering their long-standing friendship with the Jia family, they dared not act rashly.

"Uh, Xiao Liu, why are you ignoring me like this? It's a rare treat to see you today. I've already ordered some wine and entertainment to be prepared. Later, I'd like to invite you to my home so we can have a long chat about our friendship."

"Don't worry, although my family can't compare to the Jia family, we're not much less wealthy. We'll definitely give you a generous performance fee, so you won't have to go through all this trouble performing on stage..."

Xue Pan wasn't oblivious to Liu Xianglian's dissatisfaction with him, but he frequented brothels and was used to such pretentious pretenses used to elevate his own status.

Besides, even if Liu Xianglian really didn't like him, the saying "a good woman is afraid of a persistent man" was a trick he learned from Jia Zhen and others after arriving in the capital. After using it a few times, he found it very effective, so he shamelessly met Liu Xianglian's angry glare at this moment.

"snort……"

Liu Xianglian snorted inwardly. By now, he could see through Xue Pan's true nature.

He traveled all over the country, frequently performing in various opera troupes, but not simply to make some money.

He was originally from a collateral branch of a wealthy family. Although his direct parents and elders had all passed away, they had left him some wealth.

While he might not become extremely wealthy, he could certainly ensure a comfortable life for himself.

He went on stage to perform for several reasons: firstly, because he enjoyed it; secondly, to make friends with people of insight from all over the world; and thirdly, to enhance his reputation and gain a reputation for being a frivolous courtesan, thus alleviating his loneliness.

Yes, he liked beautiful women and even frequented brothels, but he didn't like being teased as an actor.

It's just that he frequents brothels and has seen a lot, so he can pretend not to care if someone takes advantage of him verbally.

This is because those sons of powerful people have some sense of dignity, and even if they happen to encounter a troublesome person, they will simply take the opportunity to avoid them.

Anyway, he didn't have any relatives, and he had no ties, so it didn't matter where he went.

How many people would persist like Xue Pan, even daring to lay a hand on him? Thinking further, the Xue family was merely a wealthy merchant family, and Xue Pan himself was utterly despicable. How could he possibly swallow this insult? He changed his expression, asking Xue Pan to wait a moment, then quickly removed his makeup. He pulled Xue Pan to a secluded spot and said with a smile, "What you said earlier, Xue Dalang, was it true? I wonder, are you truly kind to me, or are you feigning it?"

"It's truly my heart. If I were to be false, may I die a horrible death!"

Xue Pan was overjoyed, thinking that Liu Xianglian had truly changed his mind.

Liu Xianglian laughed even harder, "Since it's true, it's not very convenient here right now...would you be willing to leave and stay outside for the night?"

"Haha, with you, what need do I have for a home! Of course I'd be happy to stay."

Looking at Liu Xianglian's handsome and flawless face, Xue Pan recalled his charming appearance when he played a woman on the stage, and his heart was already half melted. Overjoyed, he didn't think of anything else and hurriedly agreed.

"That's perfect. I have a residence outside the North Gate, where I keep two excellent children who have never left the house. You can come with me; you don't need to bring anyone with you. I have plenty of servants ready. What do you say?"

"Alright, let's go now."

Xue Pan looked anxious and immediately tried to take Liu Xianglian's hand.

Liu Xianglian suppressed his displeasure and flung his hand away, saying, "What's the rush? Be careful someone sees."

"You should sit somewhere else for a while. I'll leave this gate first and wait for you at the bridgehead outside the North Gate. Then you can come back. Wouldn't that be done without anyone knowing?"

"Okay, okay..."

Xue Pan was indifferent to the situation.

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Chapter 420 Teasing - Read for free.