Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Chapter 528 A Mistake

Looking at the handsome man before him, who had an effeminate air and behaved as gently as a girl, Jia Lian found it difficult to appreciate him.

He picked up his wine glass, made a casual gesture, and without waiting for the other person's reaction, Jia Lian drank half a glass of wine and put the glass down.

This indifferent attitude immediately made Qi Guan look a little embarrassed.

Seeing this, Xue Pan laughed and said, "Second Brother Lian, you're a bit clueless. Don't you know his reputation? You should know that all the high-ranking officials, nobles and princes in the capital dream of getting a toast from him, but it's impossible for them to do so."

As he spoke, Xue Pan walked over as if to smooth things over, and took the opportunity to put his arm around Qi Guan's shoulder, "Come on, if he won't drink with you, I'll keep you company, brother..."

Xue Pan was a fat man, and his behavior was inappropriate. When Qi Guan was being hugged like this, Qi Guan's face clearly showed disgust. Xue Pan, however, was completely unaware of this and continued to act affectionately, calling the other man "brother" this and "younger brother" that.

Jia Lian found it somewhat intrusive, glanced at the sky, and then said to Qi Guan, "I heard that Brother Jiang has a very close relationship with the Prince Zhongshun's residence?"

Jia Lian's words immediately silenced the scene.

In this era, for over 99% of the world's population, princes still wielded considerable power and exerted a significant sense of pressure. Especially given Qi Guan's unique status, Jia Lian's comment about his close ties with the Prince of Zhongshun's mansion immediately brought the young men in the room to their senses.

Actors and courtesans were not much different; many were the exclusive possessions of high-ranking officials and nobles, and were not something ordinary people could touch.

Qi Guan seemed to understand Jia Lian's unspoken meaning. His expression changed slightly, and he cupped his hands and explained, "I have only performed in the Prince's mansion a few times and received praise from Prince Zhongshun several times. I dare not say that we are close."

Jia Lian seemed not to have heard Qi Guan's explanation, and said, "Since he is someone who serves Prince Zhongshun, Brother Jiang's status is certainly not ordinary, and he is not someone that we ordinary people can aspire to."

My cousin has been raised under strict family discipline, and my uncle is also a very cautious person. If you get too close to Baoyu, it might not be a good thing for either you or Baoyu if word gets out.

Therefore, I hope that Brother Jiang will think twice before acting when he associates with Baoyu in the future. After all, he is still just a child and cannot withstand the storms that Brother Jiang has encountered.

As Jia Lian said this, he himself felt that he was meddling a bit too much, like an overbearing elder trying to break up a loving couple.

However, Jia Lian still felt that he should give Jia Baoyu a few pointers.

To put it bluntly, Jiang Yuhan was a socialite who mingled among the powerful and influential figures in the capital. He might not have been lying, but how could Jia Lian not know that this Qi Guan was destined to be the exclusive possession of Prince Zhongshun?

One of the most criticized things about Jia Baoyu in the original novel is that when Qi Guan wanted to escape from the control of Prince Zhongshun's mansion, Jia Baoyu, who knew Qi Guan's whereabouts, betrayed him because he could not withstand the pressure from Jia Zheng and Prince Zhongshun's mansion.

Although Jia Lian felt that Jia Baoyu's choice at the time was understandable, after all, he was still a child, and when he was frightened by the adults, he naturally couldn't care less about brotherhood.

However, as the older cousin, Jia Lian felt he still had a duty to remind them of their responsibilities. He wanted to prevent a situation where the older and younger brothers were doing well, but then something went wrong and couldn't be covered up, leaving everyone in a bad situation.

However, whether Jia Baoyu would listen to that is another matter.

He probably wouldn't listen. When Jia Baoyu heard Jia Lian's words, his face darkened, and he looked very unhappy, but he didn't dare to contradict his cousin Jia Lian to his face.

His expression shifted, and he said to Jia Lian, "Second Brother Lian, you must have misunderstood. Qi Guan is a master of opera, with profound skills, and is highly respected by everyone. Even Prince Bei Jing has dealings with him. Second Brother Lian, aren't you also on very good terms with Prince Bei Jing? You should know how difficult it is to gain the praise of Prince Bei Jing."

"I met him through the introduction of Prince Bei Jing..."

"Oh, really? Then I guess I was overthinking it."

Jia Lian didn't care whether Jia Baoyu would listen or not; it didn't matter to him at all.

Even if Jia Baoyu did more of these absurd things and made a fool of himself at home, it would indirectly highlight his greatness in front of the sisters at home.

His feelings for his cousin Jia Baoyu were purely out of a desire to see his own foolish younger brother make a fool of himself. He simply thought that if Jia Baoyu ever got into trouble that he couldn't handle, he would lend a hand and ensure his safety.

As for expecting him to devote himself to teaching his son with the same dedication, sorry, he doesn't have the energy, nor is he willing to do it.

So he casually replied to Jia Baoyu, thus glossing over the topic.

Although the others felt that Jia Lian seemed to be prejudiced against Qi Guan, they dared not say anything. In terms of status and position, Jia Lian was far superior to all of them present.

Xue Pan, however, thought he had seen through everything. After helping Qi Guan back to his seat, he turned his head and whispered a few words to Yun'er, his expression ambiguous.

Indeed, Xue Pan thought that Jia Lian was not fond of the Wei-Jin tradition, which was why he spoke coldly to Qi Guan. Therefore, Zhi Yun'er came to win Jia Lian's favor.

The geisha Yun'er rolled her eyes at him, then, holding her pipa, she gracefully approached Jia Lian and asked him what tune he wanted to hear.

Jia Lian simply picked a song casually and didn't pay much attention to it.

It wasn't that he disliked Yun'er. In fact, Jinxiang Courtyard wasn't a very big or small brothel, and Yun'er was able to become the top courtesan there, so she must have some beauty.

Jia Lian knew that Yun'er was actually Xue Pan's lover, so he naturally disdained to have any connection with her.

Given Xue Pan's wealth, it's not surprising that he became a regular customer of prostitutes like Yun'er.

Jia Lian knew it was Xue Pan's birthday today, and he had invited many young gentlemen to celebrate, so he naturally wouldn't be stingy. There might even be some romantic entertainment later.

Since Jia Lian had no intention of associating with them, he naturally wouldn't disturb their refined enjoyment.

After drinking another cup of wine, he excused himself and left, citing other business.

Although Xue Pan was somewhat displeased with this, he still escorted Jia Lian downstairs and reminded Jia Lian not to forget his mother's invitation that evening.

Back at the table, Xue Pan smiled at everyone and said, "Brother Lian is not the same kind of person as us. It's already a great honor for me that he came to have a couple of drinks with us today."

That's fine, he's gone, we're all more at ease now.

Come on, let's have a few more drinks, and later, let's have some more OLO...

As he spoke, Xue Pan gave Feng Ziying and the others a knowing look.

Feng Ziying and the others all laughed.

Although they were all princes and nobles, they were still young and not as wealthy as Xue Pan.

Now that Xue Pan is so generous in treating them, they have no reason to refuse.

In fact, this is also why Xue Pan, who has only been in the capital for a year or two, has become very familiar with the sons of the Jia family's old friends.

Nothing else, this guy is rich, and not only rich, he's also generous.

When we go out for drinks and to see a play with him, I basically don't have to pay for anything myself.

"Xue the Fool" was the nickname given to Xue Pan by the scions of wealthy families. In their eyes, Xue Pan, a wealthy but foolish man, was a complete idiot. However, everyone liked to associate with such a fool.

……

When Jia Lian returned home to Sister Feng's courtyard, he found the house eerily quiet.

Even the main room door was ajar, but Jia Lian didn't seem to care, assuming the maids were just being lazy.

Upon entering the room, they found Ping'er asleep on the table in the outer room.

This concubine of his was on par with Yuanyang and Xiren among the head maids of the Jia family, but she was the most beautiful of the three, and Jia Lian liked her very much.

It was only because this girl was Feng Jie'er's person that Jia Lian couldn't show too much concern for her, lest Feng Jie'er become jealous and end up making things difficult for her.

When no one was around, Jia Lian went over and, while admiring her beauty, teased her by tucking a strand of her hair in his hand.

"Mmm..."

Ping'er seemed to be a light sleeper and woke up quickly.

While she was still sleepy, Jia Lian pinched her cheek and said with a smile, "Why are you sleeping here? Go back to your room if you're sleepy."

Jia Lian was usually gentle, but when Ping'er saw him, she seemed startled. The usually quick-witted girl stammered, "Second Master, why are you back... Mistress Rong is in the room..."

Ok?

Qin Keqing was also there.

Jia Lian glanced back at the lavishly decorated room of Feng Jie, then looked at Ping'er, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes.

He grabbed Ping'er as she was about to enter the house, pressed her back into her previous seat, and earnestly instructed her, "Stay here, don't go anywhere, understand?"

"Second Master?"

Ping'er didn't quite understand Jia Lian's meaning.

Jia Lian didn't explain to her. Knowing that the girl was very sensible, he wasn't afraid that Ping'er would disobey him. He turned around and went into the inner room.

He was a little curious about what those two women usually did together.

Feng Jie was one thing, but Qin Keqing, with a guilty conscience, dared to approach Feng Jie every day. Jia Lian was quite suspicious of her intentions.

Because of his experience with the affairs of Lady Zhuang and the second wife of the Xue family, Jia Lian even wondered if Feng Jie and Qin Keqing also had some unspeakable secrets. Otherwise, why would the two of them be so close?

However, once inside the house, Jia Lian realized he had been overthinking things.

Qin Keqing was indeed in the inner room, and she was even sleeping with Feng Jie.

However, the two women were perfectly groomed and slept with their backs to each other, making it seem like they were just two close friends taking a nap together, with nothing suspicious about it.

Jia Lian was slightly disappointed. He sat on the edge of the bed and quietly looked at the two stunningly beautiful women, who had different temperaments but were equally gorgeous.

One was his wife, slender and beautiful, with a captivating aura.

One is his lover, graceful and alluring, possessing a myriad of charms.

The two of them were lying together on their bed at that moment, and Jia Lian couldn't help but find it amusing.

Logically speaking, Sister Feng should not have allowed other women to sleep with them, but she was exceptionally tolerant of this Xiao Qinshi.

This beautiful woman, Qin, was even more audacious. While seducing him, she also dared to maintain a close relationship with Sister Feng. Wasn't that like dancing on the edge of a knife?

All I can say is that this woman really loves seeking thrills.

Thinking of this, Jia Lian couldn't help but reach out and pinch Qin Da Meiren's cheek.

Then Qin, the great beauty, twitched her eyebrows slightly, and then opened her eyes, revealing a pair of beautiful eyes that seemed to be full of affection at any time.

She stared at Jia Lian for a long while, as if only then did she realize the situation before her.

But she didn't seem embarrassed at all. Instead, she smiled slightly at Jia Lian, then turned over and hugged Feng Jie's slender body to continue sleeping soundly.

As she turned over, the thin blanket that had been simply draped over them was lifted, revealing the beautiful Qin's fair and jade-like back.

The woman's back was exquisitely beautiful and alluring, entirely white, with only red ribbons tied around her neck and waist, connecting to a bright red silk bodice in front.

From Jia Lian's vantage point, one could even clearly see the curved side of the white jade bowl hidden within.

This scene is truly breathtaking.

Just as Jia Lian was sitting there in a daze, pondering what the beautiful Qin meant and considering what he should do next and what the consequences would be, he saw the beautiful Qin turn her head slowly, give him a flirtatious wink, and then lightly raise her jade arm to pat the spot she had vacated.

The meaning in their eyes seemed to be asking, "Man, do you have the guts to lie down?"

Jia Lian raised an eyebrow; he seemed to understand what the beautiful Qin meant.

Looking back at Ping'er, who was secretly peeking at him from the doorway, Jia Lian smiled slightly, waved her away as if to shoo her away, and then stood up to undress himself.

His nephew's wife isn't afraid of anyone, so why should he, a grown man, be afraid of anything?

He could just pretend he was drunk and got into the wrong bed. After all, who told her to bring another woman into their room?

In that light, it might actually be an opportunity.

Thinking of this, Jia Lian acted even faster, quickly stripping himself naked and getting onto the bed.

Qin Keqing, who had her back to Jia Lian, blushed deeply when she heard the commotion behind her.

However, she did not make any unusual movements. Instead, she hugged the sleeping Feng Jie more intimately, lay down with their necks intertwined, skin to skin, and closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep just like Feng Jie.

Outside, Ping'er hesitated.

She naturally saw Jia Lian's actions and was shocked.

She was certain that Jia Lian hadn't mistaken her for someone else; he was doing it on purpose!

Good heavens, what will happen when Second Mistress wakes up? In this situation, she faces a difficult choice: should she rush in immediately and ruin Jia Lian's plan?

The advantage of doing this is that it avoids mistakes. However, at the same time, she will offend Jia Lian, and if that happens, the Second Mistress and Xiao Rong will also face an awkward situation when they wake up.

I'm afraid that the relationship between Second Madam and Xiao Rong's First Madam will be ruined.

If we ignore it and pretend we don't know...

It doesn't seem like a big deal. Since the Second Master dared to do this, he must be confident in dealing with the situation. What she needs to do is pretend that she doesn't know anything. In this way, no matter what the outcome is, the two masters won't blame her.

Ping'er glanced at Jia Lian and saw that he was already in bed. She knew it was too late to regret it. With a heavy heart, she went back to the outer room, bolted the door shut, and returned to her previous spot, pretending to be asleep.

But it was clear that she could no longer fall asleep. Taking advantage of the quiet room, she activated all her senses and paid close attention to the movements inside.

Just as she expected, the room was sparse, and soon some indescribable sounds came from inside.

Ping'er was so nervous her heart was about to jump out of her chest. Just then, she suddenly heard a soft "Ah!" and Ping'er's heart skipped a beat.

Because of her understanding of Sister Feng, she knew that the voice did indeed come from Sister Feng.

Second Grandma is awake!

What to do, what to do? Just as Ping'er was having an internal struggle, thinking about how to clear herself of all charges, she came to her senses and suddenly realized that there was no earth-shattering commotion inside as she had expected.

Instead, after a brief silence, the suppressed, moaning sounds gradually returned, rising and falling, making one's heart itch with anticipation.

In the end, Ping'er, being too timid, didn't dare to peek. She could only shrink her neck and obediently lie on the table in the outer hall, watching the situation while suppressing her inner restlessness.