Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

The third day of the fifth lunar month is Xue Pan's birthday.

Xue Pan prepared a banquet at Jinxiang Courtyard and invited Jia Lian and Jia Baoyu to attend.

Jia Lian originally didn't want to go because Feng Jie had told him that Aunt Xue was also hosting a banquet that evening and invited the couple to attend. However, he couldn't resist Xue Pan's repeated invitations, so Jia Lian finally agreed.

The dressing room, inner room of Qin Keqing, in Tianxiang Tower of Huifang Garden.

Jia Lian rolled off Qin Keqing with satisfaction, propped himself up with a pillow, and leaned against the edge of the bed, stretching out his body comfortably.

The stunningly beautiful Qin Keqing glanced at him with her alluring eyes, then took out her silk handkerchief from the side and began wiping her fair neck and collarbone while playfully complaining, "Uncle, you're such a jerk, making me all dirty again."

Jia Lian snorted lightly, and without turning his head, reached out and put his arm around the beautiful woman's shoulder, pulling her into his embrace.

A beauty like Qin Keqing would tempt any man to defile her.

Now that it belongs to him, Jia Lian will naturally not be polite if given the chance.

Although Jia Lian didn't speak, his silent actions and expressions fully demonstrated his affection for her and his satisfaction with her body.

So she gently pulled up her thin veil to conceal her beauty, then nestled obediently in Jia Lian's arms, enjoying this rare moment of secret rendezvous.

The third day of each month was the day she and Jia Lian had agreed upon.

She had prepared herself early and was waiting here, but she didn't see Jia Lian even after she fell asleep.

She had thought Jia Lian wouldn't come over today, but while she was half asleep, she noticed someone making a fuss over her. When she came to her senses, she realized it was Jia Lian, which naturally surprised and delighted her. She then cooperated and served Jia Lian well.

Young men and women sometimes don't need too much romance; their most direct physical needs are the most effective way to move each other.

After lying down for a while, Qin Keqing realized that Jia Lian wanted to leave. She was very reluctant to part with him and begged him to stay with her a little longer.

Jia Lian reached out and caressed her smooth and exquisitely beautiful shoulder, explaining, "Today is Xue Pan's birthday, and I have to attend the banquet, so I only managed to squeeze in this time."

Qin Da Meiren was a little unhappy and said in a huff, "I know that Uncle brought back four stunning beauties from the south. Each one of them is as beautiful as a fairy. You have them to keep you company, so naturally you don't care about me."

Jia Lian wasn't angry at all upon hearing this. He sat up and flicked her forehead, laughing, "Are you jealous? Have you forgotten your place?"

Qin, the beautiful woman, was stunned for a moment, then her beautiful face turned red. If Jia Lian hadn't reminded her, she would have almost forgotten that she and Jia Lian were having an affair.

"I don't care, you're just fickle and easily bored."

Qin, the beautiful woman, also sat up, turned her head away, and acted unreasonably.

As the weather gets warmer, Qin, the great beauty, wasn't wearing much to begin with, and Jia Lian had already stripped off a layer of clothing. Now she was only wearing a thin veil, which wasn't even properly fastened.

As she stood up, the thin veil slipped off her fragrant shoulders, revealing her beautiful figure and delicate skin. She was stunningly beautiful, a sight rarely seen in the world.

Jia Lian was also very fond of her. He reached out and touched her head, then pretended to use An Lushan's claws, which startled the beautiful Qin. She quickly glared at him and slapped his lewd hand away.

"Hahaha……"

Jia Lian laughed loudly, "They are indeed beauties, and it is understandable that others are envious, but it is wrong for our Keqing to be jealous of them."

"No matter how beautiful they are, can they possibly be more beautiful than you? Or is it that our beloved Qin Keqing lacks even this much confidence?"

Upon hearing Jia Lian say this, Qin Keqing's anger turned to joy.

She had only been feigning annoyance to keep Jia Lian around a little longer. Now, hearing her lover's elaborate praise, she was overjoyed and chuckled, saying sweetly, "Who can say for sure? I think I'm not bad either, but you men are all fickle. Who knows if Uncle will forget his old love once he finds someone new?"

Even so, when Qin Keqing saw that Jia Lian had gotten out of bed and was getting dressed, she still straightened his clothes, got out of bed and cleaned and wiped him down, and then picked up Jia Lian's clothes from the ground and dressed him one by one.

The gentle and meticulous care of a beautiful woman while he changed clothes was a pleasure. So, once he was almost fully dressed, Jia Lian wrapped his arm tightly around Qin Keqing's slender waist, then lifted her enchanting face with one hand, teasingly saying, "Who's the newcomer, and who's the old? This beauty, Qin, is so lovely; I've only recently acquired her, and she's still incredibly rare. I don't believe you can't feel it. So, are you saying this against your will?"

Laughing and joking, Jia Lian lowered his head and kissed her. "By the way, didn't you choreograph a dance for me last time? I think with Ke Qing's figure, she's a natural-born dancer."

"Among those four beauties, several are skilled dancers. So, if you have some free time, why not seek them out to learn from them, or even invite them to your courtyard to teach you? What do you think?"

Upon hearing this, Qin Keqing looked up at Jia Lian and asked, "Uncle, do you really think she's suited for dancing?"

"certainly."

"Hehe, since that's the case, I'll definitely study hard."

Qin Keqing smiled and gazed at Jia Lian with gentle eyes, saying tenderly, "It's not for anything else, as long as Uncle is happy, I'm willing to do anything."

These words were so heartfelt that Jia Lian couldn't help but gasp and look down at her intently.

Whether she understood Jia Lian's gaze or not, Qin Keqing continued with a smile, "I'm not lying, Uncle. If you're willing to stay, I can help you right now..."

Seemingly because the following words were somewhat explicit, the beauty smiled and leaned close to Jia Lian's ear to whisper the rest of the words.

Upon hearing this, Jia Lian's spirits lifted, and he quickly shook his head, saying, "Qing, you've misjudged me. I'm not that kind of person."

Qin Keqing rolled her eyes at Jia Lian, then leaned closer to his ear and teased, "Uncle, don't think I don't know. The reason you like my mother-in-law so much is because she's willing to do 'that' for you."

Seeing that Jia Lian was still shaking his head and not daring to admit it, Qin Keqing said with a smile, "Uncle, don't deny it. I saw it last time. You were holding Heng'er, and Grandma was lying on your lap..."

"Cough cough cough, nonsense. Alright, I have something to do, I'm leaving now."

Seeing that Qin Keqing was becoming increasingly alluring, Jia Lian knew that if he didn't leave now, he would never be able to leave. So he waved his sleeve, pushed Qin Keqing away with great willpower, and strode towards the door.

Watching Jia Lian flee in disarray, Qin Keqing stood inside the house, laughing for a while before brushing a strand of hair from her forehead and stepping out.

"Has the Marquis left?"

"Um."

Ruizhu, who had been waiting outside, was a little afraid to look directly at Qin Keqing at this moment.

Having just experienced the passion of spring, Qin Keqing was radiant with beauty. Her languid, jade-like body seemed to shimmer with an incomparably luxurious and brilliant light, making even a woman like herself feel a thrill of excitement.

So he thought to himself, no wonder even someone like Master Lian fell for Grandma. With Grandma's looks and character, even a god would have a hard time getting past her.

Qin Keqing was unaware of her maid's thoughts. She stood on the corridor and looked down at the empty Tianxiang Tower, feeling a sense of loss.

She then turned around and went back to her inner room to tidy up, then went home for a meal, and after tidying herself up, she went to Sister Feng's courtyard in Rongguo Mansion.

"Second Grandmother is preparing gifts for each family for the Dragon Boat Festival. She'll probably be back soon. Please have a seat, Grandmother Rong."

In Sister Feng's room, after Xiao Hong served tea to Qin Keqing, she replied with these words.

After Qin Keqing nodded, she went about her own business, not at all worried that Qin Keqing might do anything bad in the room.

As Feng Jie's most favored and trusted maid in recent years, and who is now completely her confidante, Xiao Hong naturally knows how well Qin Keqing and Feng Jie get along and how intimate their relationship is.

This close relationship between the young mistresses of a large family is quite rare. What's even more remarkable is that Sister Feng and Qin Keqing are not from the same generation.

This makes the friendship between the two all the more precious.

When Sister Feng returned, she saw Qin Keqing and couldn't help but ask with a smile, "Why have you come here?"

While speaking, he instructed people to carry some goods into the house.

This situation made Qin Keqing, who wanted to speak, stop talking and follow Feng Jie'er's footsteps until she saw her calm down a little. Then she pulled her hand and sat down, saying, "Auntie is already the wife of a marquis, why do you still personally handle these things?"

Even if Uncle doesn't care about Aunt, we younger relatives will feel sorry for her seeing her working so hard.

"Oh, what's the big deal? It's not like I'm carrying heavy loads on my shoulders. If you really asked me to be like those officials' wives, sitting or lying down all day long, I'd probably get bored to death."

Sister Feng laughed nonchalantly.

"Even so, Auntie should only take care of the lighter tasks. As for the heavy ones, it would be better to leave them to the servants. This way, Auntie will not only have a lighter workload, but she will also have time to take good care of her health and raise a son to inherit the family business as soon as possible."

If Qin Keqing had said something else, Sister Feng probably wouldn't have listened.

Jia Lian had said similar things countless times. But they were only effective at the time. For Feng Jie, she enjoyed the feeling of wielding power, of having the power to influence events with a single word.

However, when Qin Keqing brought up the matter of having children, it was a source of great anxiety for her, so she naturally became concerned, clutching her stomach and appearing thoughtful.

Could it be that I'm unable to have a son because I've overworked myself? No, that's not it.

After being cruelly reminded, she has started paying more attention to her health. Since becoming the Marquis's wife, she no longer handles all the big and small matters of the household personally as she used to.

So it shouldn't be my problem...

Otherwise, why hasn't Ping'er's belly shown any signs of pregnancy?

Feng Jie found a reason for herself: ever since Jia Lian went to the battlefield several times, in order to preserve Jia Lian's lineage, she had long since stopped restricting Ping'er from getting pregnant.

Unfortunately, Ping'er was just like her, with no sign of pregnancy at all.

Therefore, her inability to give birth to a son does not necessarily mean it's her fault. Didn't she and Jia Lian have a daughter, which proves there's nothing wrong with her pregnancy?

If Jia Lian can't sow the seeds himself, there's no use in her being anxious.

Even though she tried to comfort herself in this way, Sister Feng couldn't help but show a worried expression on her face because of Qin Keqing's words.

Seeing this, Qin Keqing didn't know whether to pity Feng Jie or be jealous of her. Finally, she smiled and asked, "Did Uncle go out again today?"

"Old Master Xue invited him to drink, and he went out early this morning."

Qin Keqing smiled and said, "In that case, why don't I give you a massage and acupressure points? I've heard from the older, experienced women in my area that regular massages can help women conceive."

Upon hearing this, Sister Feng's pretty face immediately turned red.

He glanced at Qin Keqing, then hesitated and said, "But I still need to prepare holiday gifts for the Marquis of Linzi's mansion, the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, and a few other families. How about we postpone it to another day..."

Upon hearing Feng Jie's words, Qin Keqing immediately looked like she was about to cry, and lowered her head sadly, saying, "I know, I'm not as capable as you, Auntie. My mother-in-law takes care of everything at home. I'm usually bored and idle by myself. The happiest time is when I come to talk to you, Auntie."

Who knew that even my aunt dislikes me now? In that case, I'll head back now.

As Qin Keqing spoke, she was about to get up and leave.

Feng Jie couldn't stand this. She had just forgotten what she was about to tell Ping'er, and quickly pulled Qin Keqing's arm, saying ingratiatingly, "Alright, alright, look at you looking so aggrieved. When have I ever disliked you? Really."

"My aunt says she doesn't mind me, but she definitely dislikes me in her heart. Otherwise, why hasn't she come to see me these days?"

I understand. It must be because Uncle is back, and Aunt has someone to keep her company, so she doesn't need me anymore and naturally won't come looking for me.

Sister Feng blushed at Qin Keqing's words, glared at her fiercely, and said with a laugh, "It's just pressing acupoints, I'll do as you say. Honestly, look at the heartless things you're saying."

"Perfect timing. The man is out drinking and we don't know when he'll be back. It'll be a good opportunity for us women to chat and pass the time."

As she spoke, Sister Feng deliberately instructed Ping'er to take care of things outside herself, to show that she really had something to do before and was not deliberately making excuses.

Qin Keqing didn't care about these things; she was happy as soon as she heard Feng Jie agree.

After the maids left, she happily pulled Feng Jie into the inner room.

Just seeing Jia Lian and Feng Jie's bed made her restless. She imagined how Jia Lian treated Feng Jie on that bed, and whether there were any differences between how he treated her and how he treated Feng Jie...

……

Xue Pan's birthday banquet was nothing special.

Xue Pan did not break his promise when he invited Jia Lian, and indeed only invited a few people.

Of the Jia family members, Xue Pan invited only Jia Baoyu and Jia Ziying; the other guests were only Feng Ziying and Wei Ruolan.

Both men were considered brothers from long-standing friendships within the Jia family, and Xue Pan became acquainted with them after arriving at the Jia household. Because both men came from military families, were easygoing, and came from similar social standing, they gradually developed a brotherly relationship with Xue Pan, Jia Baoyu, and others.

In addition, the guests included the top courtesan of Jinxiang Courtyard, a geisha named "Yun'er," and an actor with the stage name "Qi Guan."

Let's not go into detail about the geisha, but let's talk about Qi Guan. It's rumored that he's a famous actor from one of the major troupes in the capital, renowned throughout the land.

It's roughly equivalent to those famous courtesans who are so rare and expensive that you can't even get a glimpse of them.

With these two accompanying him, Xue Pan felt very important and engaged in lively and eloquent conversation at the banquet.

"Sigh, I had originally invited Liu Erlang as well. But when he heard that I had also invited Lian Erge, he absolutely refused to come."

After drinking half a cup of wine, Xue Pan suddenly sighed.

Actually, the person he most wanted to invite for his birthday was Liu Xianglian. Not only because of Liu Xianglian's impeccable character, but more importantly, because his relationship with Liu Xianglian was one of those that started as enemies but ended in conflict, and they had a deep bond of friendship, love, and hate.

Upon hearing this, Feng Ziying smiled and said, "Now that Erlang is serving under Brother Lian, it is only natural that he would have such a taboo."

"Tomorrow, you can invite him to dinner alone again, that will do."

"That's the only way."

Xue Pan responded and raised his cup to invite everyone to drink together.

Jia Lian, standing to the side, simply smiled and remained silent.

Liu Xianglian was very well-mannered. Although everyone had different social statuses in the past, they treated each other as friends, so there was no need to be shy about it.

Now that Liu Xianglian is working under him, he is his master. At this time, Liu Xianglian should be careful in his interactions with Jia Lian's relatives and friends.

For example, when Xue Pan celebrated his birthday, he and Liu Xianglian were invited to the banquet. Given their superior-subordinate relationship, it was naturally inconvenient for them, so they simply declined to come.

Although Jia Lian didn't care about this, Liu Xianglian himself paid attention to these small issues, and it was in these details that one could see whether he was worthy of being given important responsibilities.

"I am Jiang Yuhan, and I have long admired the illustrious reputation of the Marquis of Zhenyuan. It is truly an honor to meet you today. I toast to the Marquis."

A soft-spoken male voice rang out, accompanied by a fragrant breeze.

Jia Lian turned around and saw that Qi Guan had walked up to him at some point and was respectfully offering him a cup of wine.

Seeing this, everyone else chuckled, even Jia Baoyu had a mischievous grin on his face.

Given Qi Guan's "status," it's surprising that he took the initiative to show his affections to Jia Lian. Everyone in the industry understands that under these circumstances, as long as Jia Lian is willing and uses a little trickery, he can probably win the beauty's heart.

"Brother Lian, someone is toasting you, drink up!"

Jia Baoyu looked on with an expression of anticipation, as if he were watching a good show.

In truth, given Xue Pan's abilities, he probably couldn't have invited Qi Guan to the banquet. The reason he was able to invite him today was mostly due to Jia Baoyu's influence.

As for how Jia Baoyu was able to come into contact with a famous actor like Qi Guan, it was thanks to Prince Bei Jing, Shui Rong, that he was able to do so...

The relationship between them is too complex to explain in a few words. In short, Jia Baoyu, who was only thirteen or fourteen years old, had already officially entered this circle. Moreover, given his status and "appearance," he was likely to thrive in it and had a promising future!