Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Chapter 539 Jade Smashing Again

As Jia Mu's own grandniece and a favorite of hers since childhood, Shi Xiangyun naturally accompanied the Marquis of Baoling and his wife to celebrate Jia Mu's birthday.

However, at such large birthday banquets, the elders gather together to talk, while the younger generation is in a separate group.

Xiangyun, thinking of Daiyu but not seeing her, left Yingchun and the other sisters behind and secretly went to Daiyu's room to look for her.

As soon as she entered, she saw Zijuan coming out with an empty birdcage. Seeing her acting suspiciously, she couldn't help but chuckle: "Miss Shi is here. Are you looking for our young lady?"

Xiangyun originally wanted to see what Daiyu was doing hiding in the room and why she wasn't playing with them.

When Zijuan spotted him, he gave a sheepish smile and said, "I'm here to see Sister Lin. Sister Zijuan, is she inside?"

"I'm here."

Zijuan chuckled and turned to say into the house, "Miss, Miss Shi has come to see you."

"It's Xiangyun! Come in quickly."

"It's Xiangyun! Come in quickly!"

Xiangyun was an impatient person by nature. She had rushed into the room as soon as she heard Zijuan say that Daiyu was there, so there was no need for Zijuan to announce her.

As soon as she entered the room, she saw Daiyu get up to greet her. She was about to run over with a smile when she heard another bird-like voice repeating Daiyu's greeting.

Xiangyun immediately lost all interest in Daiyu and went straight past Daiyu to look at Daiyu's desk.

Then she saw a brightly colored parrot with a red beak and a greenish body, standing on the crossbar of a brand-new birdcage, tilting its head and looking back at her indifferently.

Xiangyun laughed, rushed over, leaned on the table, and poked at the cage to tease the parrot, saying, "What a beautiful little oriole! Sister Lin, where did you get it? Did the old lady give it to you?"

Daiyu turned around and saw Xiangyun frightening her bird, which was scurrying around in the cage. She frowned slightly, but did not reply. She just shook her head, walked back, and quietly moved the birdcage away from Xiangyun, continuing to feed the bird with a spoon.

Xiangyun, always carefree, didn't take it to heart. She walked around to Daiyu's side and said with a smile, "If it wasn't given to you by the old lady, then it must have been given to you by your second brother Lian, right?"

Upon hearing this, Daiyu immediately lost her composure, because she sensed a teasing and mocking tone in Xiangyun's words, and couldn't help but turn around and glare at her slightly.

Seeing this, Xiangyun knew she had guessed correctly, and her expression became even more smug. Meeting Daiyu's dissatisfied gaze, she smiled and said, "You've kept this from us for so long! If I hadn't overheard my aunts talking about it the other day, I wouldn't have known about it."

You and Lian Er Gege, you two...hehehe, I haven't congratulated you yet!

Upon hearing Xiangyun's words, Daiyu immediately felt a little nervous, but seeing that Xiangyun's smile was pure and there was no intention to mock or belittle her, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Then she sighed inwardly. Although she had long accepted her relationship with Jia Lian and felt that she had long since let go of the fact that she could not be his wife in this life, she still couldn't help but worry about what others would think of her when her childhood playmate, Xiangyun, found out.

Thinking of this, her dissatisfaction with Xiangyun turned into shyness. Not wanting to lose face as the older sister, she spoke softly and forced an explanation: "What's there to hide? Since... since our marriage is a major event, it's all decided by our parents and the matchmaker. We girls should just listen to our parents' arrangements. There's no reason to tell everyone about it."

"You don't need to make fun of me. When your uncle and aunt have arranged a marriage for you, let's see if you'll come all the way to tell us..."

"Oh dear, why are you talking about other people again! I'm not making fun of you, I'm genuinely here to congratulate you."

Lian Erge is such a good person. He has always cared for and loved you the most since you were little. After you marry him, you will naturally be pampered and enjoy a life of happiness!

They're genuinely happy for you, and you still criticize me. I knew I was right; you've always been the best talker since we were little, and even now that you're engaged, you're still so sharp-tongued.

I see you're only like this in front of us. In front of Brother Lian, you're very gentle and obedient..."

Daiyu entered the Jia family at the age of nine. Because of Grandmother Jia's special care, Yingchun and others took good care of this cousin who had come from afar and would not easily offend her.

Xiangyun, on the other hand, was straightforward and outspoken, unafraid of offending Daiyu. She often came over to play, and there were quite a few times when she and Daiyu would bicker, which had almost become a habit.

Sure enough, when Daiyu heard Xiangyun's impolite tone, she also sneered, "I only said one thing to you, and you've already said so much. I don't know who's sharp-tongued."

Seeing that the two sisters are about to have another argument, which will likely end in them ignoring each other.

But then, a young man in a pink robe, with red lips and white teeth, walked out from behind the door, looking utterly dejected.

Upon seeing this, Xiangyun immediately stopped retorting to Daiyu and looked at Jia Baoyu, who had made such a dramatic entrance, with some confusion.

Daiyu, who was waiting to respond, saw Xiangyun's expression and followed her gaze. When she saw that it was Jia Baoyu who had entered, Daiyu frowned, turned her head away, and remained silent.

They didn't speak, but Jia Baoyu naturally had to.

His gaze was fixed on Daiyu's retreating figure, and he said in a low voice, "Sister Lin, what were you talking about just now? What about your marriage? What about who you'll marry after you get married?"

Upon hearing this, Daiyu realized that Jia Baoyu had overheard her conversation with Xiangyun. Moreover, this fool had probably followed Xiangyun's trail here.

She wanted to avoid answering Jia Baoyu's question, but she was also concerned about Jia Baoyu's special status in the Rongguo Mansion and his mentally challenged nature. Today was also Grandmother Jia's birthday, and it wouldn't be good if he caused any trouble here.

So he said coldly, "Who I marry is none of your business!"

Daiyu didn't realize that her reply was worse than no reply at all.

As expected, when Jia Baoyu saw Daiyu's attitude towards him, and connected it with the conversation between Daiyu and Xiangyun just now, a surge of anger welled up in his heart, making him feel extremely uncomfortable.

"Could it be that you are really engaged to Brother Lian?!" Jia Baoyu clutched his chest, his face extremely pale.

Unfortunately, Daiyu, whose back was to him, couldn't see it. After hesitating for a moment, she replied, "What if it is, and what if it isn't?"

Jia Baoyu's face immediately turned bright red. He knew Daiyu very well and knew that if there was no such thing, Daiyu would definitely not give any answer.

Overwhelmed by a surge of emotions including worry, sadness, and fear, he nearly lost his balance.

Seeing this, Xiangyun hurriedly stepped forward to help Jia Baoyu up, and asked, "Brother Bao, what's wrong? Sister Lin and Brother Lian are celebrating their happy occasion. Although they shouldn't have kept it from us, I was just saying that about her..."

Jia Baoyu was already burning with anger, and hearing Xiangyun's words only fueled his rage.

"Get away!"

Jia Baoyu gave a cold shout and casually pushed Shi Xiangyun away when she came to him.

In his rage, he didn't care about the force he used, and Xiangyun, who was still young, didn't expect that the usually gentle and polite Jia Baoyu would be violent towards her. She was caught off guard and was thrown to the ground, landing on her bottom with a thud, which made her cry out in pain.

Normally, let alone laying a hand on his sisters, even if they were just bumped or bruised, Jia Baoyu would be concerned and distressed for a long time.

However, at this moment, Jia Baoyu only glanced at Xiangyun lying on the ground, his brows furrowed involuntarily, but he refrained from moving, and simply stood a few steps away from Daiyu, facing off.

Daiyu had already turned around when she heard Xiangyun's cry of pain. She quickly woke Xiangyun up and asked her a few words of concern. More than half a year later, her dislike for Jia Baoyu rose to a new level!

From the very first day Daiyu entered the Jia family mansion, her feelings towards Jia Baoyu were a mixture of good and bad.

It goes without saying that he was kind; everyone has a heart, especially someone like Daiyu who was far from home and had a sensitive soul. She remembered Jia Baoyu's kindness in caring for her for so many years.

As for the bad, or rather, the dislike, half of it stemmed from Jia Baoyu's own immaturity and ill-fated personality. The other half, perhaps, was due to Jia Lian's influence.

The cunning Jia Lian often manages to magnify Jia Baoyu's shortcomings in front of Daiyu at the most crucial moments, while simultaneously cultivating a noble and virtuous image in Daiyu's mind.

This kind of situation doesn't need to happen many times; just two or three times is enough to establish a solid and unshakable essential impression in Daiyu's mind.

Especially after Jia Baoyu caused the death of her Anu, Daiyu's hatred for Jia Baoyu reached its peak for the first time.

Later, it was only after Jia Lian's persuasion that she gradually opened her heart and decided to treat Jia Baoyu as an ordinary cousin.

Surprisingly, this actually helped Daiyu's dislike for Jia Baoyu gradually subside. At the same time, all of Daiyu's expectations of her cousin Jia Baoyu also diminished.

After all, since he was just an ordinary cousin, whether he was good or bad was none of her business. Seriously speaking, Jia Baoyu's character was better than many others.

This is also why, when Anu had just died, she took the initiative to approach Jia Lian, wanting him to help her move back, and was single-mindedly trying to avoid Jia Baoyu, but now she is able to live peacefully by Jia Mu's side.

Who would have thought that Jia Baoyu would revert to his old ways today? He actually hit Xiangyun!

Although she didn't see it with her own eyes, Daiyu had a keen ear and could naturally tell that it was Jia Baoyu who pushed Xiangyun.

Therefore, I felt both anger and relief. Indeed, it's only in crucial moments that one's true character is revealed. Jia Baoyu is far inferior to Brother Lian!

My choice was absolutely right!

So she angrily rebuked Jia Baoyu: "Get out of here! My affairs are none of your business. Whether they are good or bad, it's none of your concern. If you don't leave, I'll go tell Grandmother and my uncle and aunt that you're bullying us!"

Normally, if Daiyu said that, Jia Baoyu would have already chickened out.

At this moment, he couldn't care less about the old lady or Jia Zheng. Looking at Daiyu, who was glaring at him, he was overcome with grief, and tears welled up in his eyes.

"Lin Daiyu, you, you have such a cruel heart."

All these years, all the good I've done for you, do you really not care at all? Do you really not know my heart at all?

From the moment you stepped through this door, you were everywhere in my eyes and in my heart. We ate at the same table, talked together, and even when we argued, we were always back to normal within a few days. I thought we would be together like this forever, but who knew you would treat me so coldly now? My heart is broken...

Jia Baoyu, with tears streaming down his face, said...

As a result, not only did the maids Zijuan and Xueyan, who rushed over, not dare to chase Jia Baoyu away, but even Xiangyun, who had been helped up by Daiyu and was baring her teeth and claws at Jia Baoyu in great anger, gradually understood what was going on.

She was careless, but that didn't mean she was stupid. From Jia Baoyu's words, she naturally understood that he also liked Lin Daiyu, no wonder he was so angry!

Xiangyun was a little younger than Jia Baoyu and the others, and she never cared about romantic relationships, so she had no idea about this beforehand.

She was simply thinking that it was a joyous occasion, with Jia Lian willing to marry and Daiyu happy to be married. Although she didn't quite understand how Daiyu and Fengjie would get along in the future, she didn't care. With her capable brother Lian's abilities, he would surely handle such a small matter.

Who would have thought that Jia Baoyu would suddenly appear and also express his love for Daiyu!

But so what? Standing outside the situation, she could see clearly that Daiyu liked Jia Lian, but not Jia Baoyu.

Not to mention, the two of them were already engaged! It was a marriage arranged by their elders long ago, so what was Jia Baoyu doing making a scene at this time?

Faced with Jia Baoyu's question, Daiyu was at a loss for words. Young people are naturally shy about saying such things, let alone when Jia Baoyu was practically confessing his feelings to her face. Was she supposed to argue with him?

What would that look like? Therefore, she pursed her lips tightly and remained silent.

When Jia Baoyu saw this, he thought that Daiyu was so heartless that she didn't even bother to talk to him anymore. Therefore, he felt even more sad, which gradually turned into anger after reaching an extreme.

This anger was directed not only at Jia Lian and Daiyu, but also at the worldly order.

Therefore, he glared at Daiyu and questioned her: "I have always thought that you are a person who does not conform to the common people, and therefore I respect you very much."

Who would have thought that I was wrong?

Don't you know, young lady, that although Brother Lian has achieved great success, he has already married Sister Feng. The two are a harmonious and loving couple. What is the meaning of your meddling here?

Could it be that, like other ordinary people, the young lady is also eyeing the fame, fortune, and status that Brother Lian possesses?

In a fit of rage, Jia Baoyu no longer cared whether he was speaking recklessly.

Although he had always known that Daiyu's attitude towards Jia Lian was different from her attitude towards others, he had never been too worried.

Firstly, he was too young to understand what "competition" meant; secondly, he was very confident in himself and felt that even if Daiyu didn't say it, she must like him in her heart; and thirdly, Jia Lian was already married, so Jia Baoyu naturally felt that Jia Lian posed no threat to him.

What truly made him realize something was wrong was seeing Jia Lian helping Daiyu draw her eyebrows the day before. From that moment on, he repeatedly reflected on the past and a great sense of crisis arose in his heart.

He wanted to ask Daiyu for clarification, but unfortunately, Lady Wang repeatedly and solemnly warned him to be polite and not to go to the sisters' rooms without a valid reason. Otherwise, she would have the master hire a etiquette teacher to instruct him.

He had finally made it to this day with great anxiety, intending to follow Xiangyun to sound out Daiyu's thoughts, but instead he heard words that made him lose his soul and chill him to the bone.

He felt his heart was broken.

Daiyu was naturally intelligent and quick-witted, so how could she not understand the meaning behind Jia Baoyu's words? He was saying that she, Lin Daiyu, was a person who coveted vanity and power.

She suddenly felt short of breath and almost fell over, but fortunately Xiangyun, Zijuan and others reacted quickly and caught her, helping her catch her breath.

Then she finally had the strength to cry out, "Stop spouting nonsense! My marriage was arranged by my father before he died. It was the arrangement of my parents and elders. How could I possibly agree or disagree?"

If I am like this, then you have no right to comment.

I know you resent me, resent that I've lived in your house for so long, resent that I've taken away the old lady's favor from you, so you deliberately said these things, intending for me to die so you could be satisfied.

Daiyu spoke in several parts, coughing incessantly and appearing to be fainting. This made Zijuan and the others extremely anxious, and they hurriedly told Jia Baoyu and Daiyu to stop talking.

Xiangyun, who had always been bursting with a sense of justice, immediately put her hands on her hips and said to Jia Baoyu when she saw him making Daiyu so angry:

"Brother Bao, you've gone too far! How could you say such a thing about Sister Lin!"

I know you like Sister Lin, but Sister Lin likes Brother Lian. Just because you like someone doesn't mean you can force others to like you too! There's no such logic in the world!

Furthermore, since you know that Sister Lin and Brother Lian are already engaged, you should know that Sister Lin is practically your sister-in-law. How can you speak rudely to your sister-in-law? I advise you to shut up. If this gets back to your uncle, you'll be in for a good beating!

Xiangyun's voice was childish, yet she spoke with righteous indignation, which sounded extremely grating to Jia Baoyu's ears.

Seeing that Daiyu was barely breathing, he ripped the "Jade of Spiritual Enlightenment" hanging from her chest and threw it hard to the ground.

"I'll smash this useless piece of junk!"

……