Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Chapter 560 A Land of No Return

Li Wan assisted Sister Feng with tidying up the garden today, and didn't get home until very late.

As always, he instructed Jia Lan to read in the West Chamber and told the maids to go and rest, and not to make any noise to disturb him.

She herself went to the flower alley on the east side.

This flower-lined alley is located behind the east wing; it is a narrow area running north to south. Originally, it was an abandoned place, used only for storing miscellaneous items.

Later, she ordered people to clear it out and, imitating Sister Feng, planted some flowers and plants there. She also set up a platform and stone table under the rose trellis in the north corner. When she had nothing to do, she would come over to trim the flowers and plants, or, like tonight, come over alone to admire the moon.

After sitting quietly for a long time, seeing that there was still no one on the main road to the east, Li Wan thought that she had missed the appointed time tonight, so she calmed down and sincerely admired the bright moon in the sky.

His eyes were deep and unfathomable, as if he had countless unspoken thoughts to share with the bright moon.

Just as she was feeling utterly desolate, she suddenly saw that familiar, tall figure walking towards her from the end of the road, bathed in the lamplight. Li Wan's gaze immediately shifted from the horizon to the person approaching.

Seeing him step off the path, she tensed up instantly, realizing there was no time to avoid him. She quickly turned her back, pretending to focus on admiring the moon. But she could hear his increasingly clear footsteps.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps stop. Although she didn't see them with her own eyes, Li Wan could "see" that the person was standing outside her courtyard, looking her up and down.

After a long silence, Li Wan finally couldn't contain herself any longer. She glanced casually and saw Jia Lian. She quickly stood up and asked softly, "Second Uncle, why are you standing there alone?"

Then she added, "I thought the moonlight was beautiful tonight, so I stayed here a little longer... I didn't expect to run into my second uncle again. Did you just finish your practice and go back?"

Before he could finish speaking, he regretted it, feeling that his explanation was completely unnecessary and that the more he explained, the more guilty he felt. But he could only grit his teeth and continue.

Jia Lian stood outside the courtyard wall, quietly watching Li Wan, who seemed rather embarrassed, through the empty window.

After she finished speaking, he nodded and replied, "I had just finished practicing and was on my way back when I saw you admiring the moon alone. I didn't want to disturb you, so I stood here for a while."

Li Wan blushed. Wasn't Jia Lian admitting that he was spying on her?

Once again, Jia Lian was dressed as impeccably as ever, wearing loose brocade trousers and a narrow-sleeved long shirt with the collars crossed and tied at the waist with a belt, fully displaying his heroic figure.

Li Wan glanced at him once and dared not look any longer. She lowered her head and said, "Since that's the case, Second Uncle, you should go back quickly. It's cold outside. I'll go back to my room and sleep after sitting for a while longer."

Jia Lian hummed in response, but did not move.

Instead, he took two steps closer, cupped his hands in apology, and said, "I drank that night and was momentarily out of my mind. I offended you, sister-in-law. I hope you will forgive me and not hold it against me."

"you……"

Li Wan naturally understood what Jia Lian was talking about, and suddenly felt short of breath.

She naturally remembered that the night Jia Lian returned from Jiangnan, he had drunk too much and forcibly grabbed her hand at the gate of her courtyard.

Fortunately, no one else witnessed it. This incident led her to suspect that Jia Lian had deliberately harassed her while drunk.

However, there is no way to verify this.

To everyone's surprise, several months later, Jia Lian brought it up in person...

"Since it was an unintentional mistake, I have no reason to blame you. However, I hope that you will not mention this matter again in the future."

After Li Wan finished speaking, the two of them looked at each other in silence.

Just as Li Wan was about to turn away, unable to bear the atmosphere, she heard Jia Lian say, "Last night, I was fortunate enough to see my elder sister, the Imperial Concubine, returning home. She was so beautiful and confident, and I hope she can always maintain this appearance. Only in this way can she live up to her youthful beauty and the gift of heaven."

Even if Brother Zhu could know this from beyond the grave, he would surely prefer to see his beautiful and confident sister-in-law, rather than a desolate, listless, and heartbroken sister-in-law…”

Jia Lian's words were indeed bold; at least to Li Wan, they were shocking and alarming.

Firstly, she herself felt that, with her elaborate makeup, she had indeed regained some of her former beauty, making her worthy of competing with the likes of Feng Jie and Daiyu. Unexpectedly, Jia Lian saw her and remembered it, which both surprised and delighted her, because it proved that she wasn't just indulging in self-pity.

But when Jia Lian mentioned Jia Zhu, it was as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over her heart, startling her awake and chilling her to the bone.

How could she dare admit that ever since Jia Lian took her hand while she was drunk that day, she had been unable to sleep night after night.

Although she appeared angry and avoided Jia Lian afterward, little did Jia Lian know that she had seen him almost every day during those months.

Therefore, in the months since Jia Lian returned, he has practiced every night almost without interruption.

She simply acted discreetly, either peeking out of the window from her room, or, like tonight, silently watching Jia Lian pass by in this secluded courtyard, hidden by the walls and flowers.

Tonight, we simply didn't expect Jia Lian to suddenly take the side path, which is why we were spotted.

This is not her fault. When she married Jia Zhu, she was a beautiful young woman in her prime.

Who knew that Jia Zhu would die young, leaving her not only a widow on her new marriage but also unjustly burdened with the stigma of being a jinx to her husband, a stigma that has lasted for over ten years!

These ten years, for a young girl, are both incredibly precious and incredibly difficult.

She had become numb and was almost cultivating a heart free of desires.

Who knew that Jia Lian would suddenly appear, so dazzling and eye-catching, and he would tempt and tease her from time to time, making her heart flutter uncontrollably.

In her self-blame and repentance, she found a trace of the youthful stirrings she once had.

She was delighted, she fantasized, and in her dreams every few nights, there were always breathtaking indulgences and enchanting moments.

But at this very moment, just as her relationship with Jia Lian was becoming increasingly ambiguous, Jia Lian's words "Brother Zhu" suddenly brought her back to reality, filling her with fear.

She realized with a start that if she took another step forward, she would be plunged into an abyss.

So she glanced at Jia Lian, then turned and hurriedly went into the house.

She was indeed too flustered, or perhaps the place was too cramped. As she turned around, her sleeve caught on a flower branch beside her, and she lost her footing. With a soft cry, she fell to the ground.

She tripped over the bonsai tree, causing it to fall over. Luckily, she was quick enough that she didn't accidentally crush its leg.

Even so, it still surprised Jia Lian outside. Without saying a word, he took a step forward, pushed off the outer wall, grabbed it with one hand, and jumped over it, already inside the courtyard, standing in front of Li Wan.

"How are you? Are you alright?"

"No, it's nothing, I just twisted my ankle a little, it's nothing serious..."

Li Wan stood up with Jia Lian's help, but her voice grew softer and softer.

It was fine to talk from seven or eight steps away, but when she got really close, she realized that Jia Lian's aura was so strong that it was irresistible.

His arms were bare, and even his broad chest was revealed by the crossed collar. Most importantly, the masculine scent emanating from him, perhaps from someone who had just finished practicing martial arts and was still covered in sweat, made her dizzy and disoriented, almost unable to stand.

After Jia Lian briefly checked and confirmed that Li Wan was indeed unharmed, his thoughts involuntarily wandered away.

To be honest, this was the first time he had ever been so openly close to Li Wan, so intimately feeling the softness and fragrance of her body.

Without a doubt, Li Wan's beauty and figure were enough to make men unforgettable and tremble at the touch.

In this situation, even if Li Wan scolds him, Jia Lian probably wouldn't be willing to give up.

Moreover, Li Wan didn't have any. Her whole body seemed boneless; if she were thrown away now, she would probably fall to the ground again.

Thus, Jia Lian took Li Wan's consent as his own, not only wrapping his arms around her waist to provide support, but also looking down at Li Wan's face.

Even for him, this was the first time he had appreciated Li Wan's beauty from this perspective.

"I'm alright, let me go..."

Li Wan finally issued a warning, but her trembling, soft voice sounded more like encouragement than a warning.

In this situation, Jia Lian, who had long harbored the desire to win Li Wan's heart, would not hesitate any longer. He gently lifted Li Wan's chin and, under the shocked gaze of her eyes, kissed those icy lips...

The courtyard was small, with flowers scattered about, making it quite secluded. Jia Lian, however, still wasn't satisfied. Before Li Wan could react, he dragged her to the rose trellis, to the stone table used for drinking tea and playing chess.

According to Jia Lian's quick observation, this was the place least likely to be noticed.

Moreover, no matter how Jia Lian looked at the place, he had the feeling that it was a place specifically used for secret rendezvous. Outside was a secluded and deserted area of ​​the Rongguo Mansion, and inside there wasn't a single lantern hanging.

Jia Lian didn't believe that such a place wasn't created by Li Wan intentionally or unintentionally.

After tasting Li Wan's sweet and tender tongue, Jia Lian pinned her to the stone table before releasing her.

Only then did Li Wan come to her senses. Having noticed Jia Lian's actions, how could she not know what he intended to do?

Unlike most young girls, she didn't scold or struggle. Instead, she stared blankly up at Jia Lian, a tear welling in her eye, and cried out, "Uncle, you're putting me in a hopeless situation. Please stop..."

Hearing her tearful words, Jia Lian's heart trembled.

In truth, he had always respected Li Wan, knowing her hardships, and thus had always taken good care of her. Even when he occasionally spoke frivolously, he never intended to tarnish her reputation; he simply couldn't bear to watch her wither away like this, her youthful beauty turning to ashes.

That's why I was stunned when I saw her beautiful face under her elaborate makeup yesterday.

I had just told her to put on more beautiful makeup, and that was exactly what happened, but who knew it would escalate to this point.

To be honest, even at this point, if Li Wan had firmly refused or shown any sign of dislike for him, Jia Lian would have given up.

But ironically, he was able to clearly sense Li Wan's true feelings.

If he had always been chaste and self-disciplined, that would be fine, but he is not.

He could even take Qin Keqing and You Shi into his household and bestow upon them his favor, so why would he be stingy with Li Wan?

He leaned close to her ear and gently touched her earlobe in response: "Even if there is no hope of redemption, with me protecting you, you have nothing to fear. After tonight, you will no longer be a helpless person. You and Lan'er will be cared for by me. I will protect you and your child for the rest of your lives!"

Li Wan was stunned by the sound and remained silent for a long time.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Jia Lian took off his long coat and tossed it gently, which was then perfectly laid out on the stone table.

He intended to lift Li Wan onto the stone table so they could embrace face-to-face. One of his favorite things was watching such a stunning beauty writhe and submit to him; this pleased him more than obtaining a virgin.

Suddenly remembering something, Jia Lian turned Li Wan over and gently pushed her back. Li Wan, who had lost her composure, floated lightly and gracefully onto the stone table, allowing Jia Lian to successfully glimpse what he wanted to see.

Li Wan, who had only removed her outer coat and was now wearing tight-fitting clothes, could no longer hide her slender waist and full hips.

Jia Lian had long noticed that Li Wan's buttocks were unlike those of ordinary beauties, and now, seeing them up close, he realized his guess was correct. The great beauty indeed possessed the most exquisite slender waist and full hips, as well as long, shapely legs—the quintessential peach-shaped figure of a beautiful woman.

This is the most beautiful and healthiest body type a woman can have. No wonder, even though Jia Zhu died so young, Li Wan was still able to successfully give birth to Jia Lan. There's some truth to the old saying: women with big hips are good at giving birth.

In this respect, even Sister Feng would have to admit defeat.

Although Jia Lian felt as if he had found a treasure, he was also afraid that if he waited too long, Li Wan would change her mind. Therefore, he did not dare to look at her for long and bent down to untie Li Wan's belt and handkerchief.

Just as he was about to untie his belt, he suddenly felt his hands being pressed down by a smooth, jade-like hand. Looking up, he saw that Li Wan had already stood up, turned around and glanced at him, then snatched her belt from his hand, pressed down on her skirt, and ran away quickly.

Although, during this process, Jia Lian had a thousand opportunities to keep Li Wan, or even forcibly take her, which would not have been difficult.

But Jia Lian hesitated and eventually gave up.

There was no other reason than that, although Li Wan didn't say a word, Jia Lian saw the resolute determination in her eyes.

He could clearly sense that Li Wan wasn't angry. But if he tried to force her, even if he succeeded, it would destroy all the goodwill he had built up in Li Wan's eyes.

As a result, he couldn't help but feel depressed and regretful.

She regretted letting Li Wan pose in such a shameful position on their first time. Otherwise, she might have already gotten her way and enjoyed herself.

The frustration is that this woman didn't refuse earlier or later, but chose to do this when I was most excited. Isn't she just deliberately torturing me?

Glancing at the moonlight, Jia Lian, though unwilling, dared not rush back into the house to find Li Wan. He could only pull up his trousers, find a secluded spot, and climb over the wall to leave.

Feeling unhappy after reading this? That's perfectly fine...