Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

In the West Garden of Ningguo Mansion, Third Sister You paced back and forth on the corridor with her hands on her hips and a solemn expression, like a general inspecting his troops. (Due to caching issues, please visit the .\nCOM website directly in your browser for the fastest chapter updates.)

Although her army was small, through her tireless efforts, it finally began to take shape. At least, it was no longer like before, where many people couldn't even lift a wooden sword!

But when her gaze shifted and landed on someone practicing swordsmanship alone nearby, her mood instantly soured.

Look at her seductive figure, raising her sword with such alluring grace. She doesn't look like she's here to learn swordsmanship at all, but rather to learn how to seduce men!

If the other party weren't the young mistress of this mansion, and also her junior, she would have kicked her away long ago.

Suddenly, she saw someone walking towards her from the end of the opposite corridor. Upon closer inspection, Sister You's face lit up with joy, and she was about to step forward to greet them when she suddenly remembered something. She forcibly stopped herself and instead became even more stern, scolding those below who were not practicing their swordsmanship seriously.

Only when Jia Lian slowly walked up to her did she pretend to notice him, opening her eyes and asking, "What are you doing here?"

Jia Lian did not respond to him. His gaze swept downwards and was naturally drawn to the beautiful figure under the left corridor.

Upon seeing his arrival, the other person handed the wooden sword to the maid, wiped the fine sweat from his brow, and walked up.

Jia Lian frowned and asked, "What are you doing here?"

Qin Keqing smiled and said, "I found Third Aunt's training method quite interesting, so I came here specifically to learn it."

Qin Keqing was a rare beauty in the world, and her most distinctive feature was her enchanting and graceful figure, which aroused desire in those who saw her.

Today, she seemed to be practicing her swordsmanship, wearing only a simple white robe with a white sash tied around her waist. This simple and fitted outfit not only perfectly showcased her shapely figure but also added a touch of innocence.

The most outrageous thing was the woman's waist, tightly bound with straps. Already extremely alluring, it was accentuated in this way, making it even more striking. The sword, before it was even drawn, had already slain all the fools of the world.

Even Jia Lian, who was well aware of Qin Keqing's beauty, was momentarily captivated by her unique and elegant charm, unable to look away.

Perhaps noticing Jia Lian's prying eyes, Qin Keqing smiled and met his gaze, saying, "Tomorrow is the 23rd. I heard that Second Uncle is leaving the capital... Uncle will surely be very busy and have no time for anything else. Therefore, I am here to wish Second Uncle a safe journey and a triumphant return."

After speaking, Qin Keqing politely bowed to Jia Lian and You Sanjie, then led her maid away.

Jia Lian glanced at the "female soldiers" below, who were indeed much better than before, nodded, told Sister You to continue practicing, and went to see Old Lady You.

Seeing Old Lady You is a pretense; seeing Second Sister You and Third Sister You is the real purpose.

In fact, Jia Lian no longer needs to hide his lust for You Erjie. After all, when You Shi invited him to You Sanjie's coming-of-age banquet, she had basically made her intentions clear to Feng Jie.

Now that Sister Feng knows, what is he afraid of? Well, there's still a hurdle to overcome with Daiyu.

But surely no one in the manor would be so foolish as to tell Daiyu such unfounded rumors. Given Daiyu's limited access to information, she would hardly find out in a short time.

In short, he didn't need to hide his visit to the You sisters. Even if some people suspected something, it didn't matter; it was much better than suspecting their young mistress. And suspecting their young mistress was much better than suspecting their eldest mistress…

Almost the instant Jia Lian entered the backyard, You Sanjie dismissed her soldiers and followed after him. Ever since she learned that You Shi had seen through the relationship between her and Jia Lian, she almost never bothered to hide it from others.

Old Lady You seemed flattered by Jia Lian's arrival, and after several pointers from Madam You, she was no longer as clueless as she had been at the coming-of-age banquet of Third Sister You.

"Hehe, it's kind of you to be so busy and still think of coming to see me. But I'm getting old and my bones are aching, so I'm going to take a walk in the little garden. You young people can talk here."

Second sister, take good care of your second brother Lian.

Old Lady You got up with a smile, and before leaving, she gave Third Sister You a meaningful look. Third Sister You pretended not to see it; she had things to say to Jia Lian, so how could she bear to leave?

Besides, what right does she have to leave? Logically speaking, her relationship with Jia Lian is even closer than that of the second sister...

Old Lady You had no choice but to laugh awkwardly and leave alone, unable to understand her youngest daughter's lack of tact.

As soon as Old Lady You left, Third Sister You stepped forward and tugged at Jia Lian, saying, "I want to discuss something with you."

"explain."

"I want to equip each of my men with a sword. Right now, they just swing around a wooden sword all day long, which makes them look intimidating."

Although Sister You was not tall, she was a typical woman with a curvaceous figure.

Now he sits in the armchair, with Sister You leaning against him. Given Sister You's capricious style of dressing, if it were summer, one could easily discern the secrets behind her attire.

Even though he was wrapped in the fabric of his clothes, the burgeoning masculinity still stirred a secret desire in Jia Lian, so he wrapped his arms around his waist and took a close look at the unique fragrance of youth.

Noticing Jia Lian's subtle actions, You Sanjie only blushed slightly, without objecting or refuting.

Why didn't you tell your older sister?

"My older sister said that using real swords could easily hurt people. We're not really going to the battlefield to kill enemies, so let's just use wooden swords."

Third Sister You was furious. Her only skill was a few sword techniques, but without a real sword, she felt she couldn't perform to her full potential. However, Madam You was very disrespectful to her, so she went to Jia Lian.

Jia Lian initially didn't think much of it, but after hearing You Sanjie's words, he felt that You Shi's considerations made sense. Therefore, instead of answering immediately, he lifted You Sanjie's chin and asked her, "Didn't you say last time that they were all hopeless? Why are you suddenly so serious?"

"It's all because of my older sister. She said I'm always causing trouble and that I'd be better off training your troops! So all this hard work is for you, and you can't be like my older sister and not support me."

How could Sister You admit that she had been manipulated by Madam You? However, Gu Qingyi's beauty did indeed make the arrogant Sister You feel a serious sense of crisis, which is why she was less willful and accepted Madam You's words and suggestions.

"Hehehe, it's not difficult to give them swords, but your sister is right. Here's what we'll do: I'm going to Tianjin for a while, so you train them well during this time. When I get back, I'll personally test them one by one."

If they all pass the test, how about I have a set of standardized swords made for you all?

"Oh, how long will you be gone...?"

"It's hard to say. It could be as quick as ten days to half a month, or as slow as before New Year's Eve."

"It's been that long."

Sister You thought for a moment and asked, "What constitutes passing?"

"Of course, it's my decision."

"How can that be? What if we practice hard, and you still say it's not good enough?"

"Don't worry, it's not like I'm forging golden swords for you. As long as you practice diligently, I'll be able to tell."

Jia Lian pinched You Sanjie's nose and said with a smile.

Only then did Sister You become happy, and she plopped down in Jia Lian's lap and started to act coquettishly.

At this moment, Jia Lian looked at You Erjie, who was standing to the side looking somewhat awkward. She seemed a bit introverted and didn't seem to want to compete for favor with her younger sister, so she just stood by and watched the show.

When she noticed Jia Lian looking at her, she lowered her head at first. But when Jia Lian beckoned to her, she slowly leaned closer, mimicking the posture of You Sanjie earlier, and rested on Jia Lian's other shoulder.

Second Sister You was much taller than Third Sister You, and stood gracefully, which Jia Lian liked very much. He gently took her fair hand, and as he raised her arm, her sleeve fell down, revealing a section of her fair and tender arm.

Its smooth and delicate beauty was so striking that it immediately caught Jia Lian's eye.

Jia Lian thought to himself, "I know Baochai's skin is as white as snow, a rare sight in the world. But I have no idea what her jade-like arms look like hidden beneath her gleaming sleeves."

Unfortunately, despite living for many years and meeting Baochai countless times, he never had the chance to catch a glimpse of her.

While he was pondering, Jia Lian lifted You Erjie's soft arm, took a deep sniff, and gently kissed it.

Leaving aside how embarrassed Second Sister You was by her actions, Third Sister You saw it immediately, first letting out a soft snort, then suddenly saying in an unfriendly tone, "When do you plan to marry us sisters?"

Jia Lian didn't know why she was like this. Was she jealous? But even if she was jealous, it was not her place. She had clearly disregarded sisterly affection and gotten there first. How could she be jealous of You Erjie?

"What's your rush? Why are you so eager to become my concubine?"

"Pooh."

You Sanjie wasn't unaware that Jia Lian was still in mourning, but his nonchalant attitude still greatly displeased her. Therefore, she slapped away Jia Lian's hand that was reaching for her face and sneered, "So, it seems the Marquis is treating us sisters like prostitutes for his amusement?"

Meeting You Sanjie's sharp gaze, Jia Lian's expression remained unchanged; he simply smiled and asked, "What, you're unwilling?"

One sentence immediately stifled You Sanjie's anger; she truly hadn't expected Jia Lian to respond to her like that.

Before she got angry, she had thought that Jia Lian would coax her, and she had also thought that Jia Lian would be displeased, but she never expected that Jia Lian would admit it directly and even ask her if she was unwilling? It seemed that being able to be her mistress was such an honor and a rare opportunity!

But upon closer reflection, it does seem to make sense. Even someone as self-important as her was captivated by his handsome appearance and unrestrained spirit, and willingly threw herself into his arms, didn't she?

Therefore, despite her instinct to feel that she should be angry, Sister You San honestly discovered that she couldn't muster any anger at all, and even felt a little lacking in confidence.

So he stared at Jia Lian for a long time, unable to utter a single word. Finally, he could only pinch Jia Lian's waist and curse, "Pah, who would want that, you arrogant jerk..."

After finishing her rant, she decisively stopped bringing up the previous topic and instead found the most comfortable angle to snuggle into Jia Lian's arms.

Since it was Old Lady You's room, Jia Lian did not do anything to You Erjie or You Sanjie there. After absorbing the youthful energy of the two sisters, he leisurely left the West Garden and went to Tianxiang Tower with ease.

He pushed open the door, and sure enough, that familiar soft, delicate body nestled against him. Before he could do anything, a sweet kiss was already offered.

Jia Lian readily accepted, and stood inside the door, passionately kissing Qin Keqing for a long while before hearing her say with a charming smile, "I thought Uncle hadn't understood the meaning behind my words and wouldn't come."

Jia Lian shook his head and smiled. With his tacit understanding with Qin Keqing, he could understand her meaning with just a glance. There was no need to analyze it with words.

Looking down, Jia Lian noticed that Qin Keqing was dressed exactly the same as she had been in the West Garden. He couldn't help but think to himself, "This woman truly understands men's hearts."

Sensing Jia Lian's scrutiny, Qin Keqing glanced down at herself and then smiled, "I'm very happy that Uncle could come. I've prepared other gifts for you."

After saying this, without waiting for Jia Lian, who seemed to be deep in thought, to reply, she grabbed Jia Lian's belt with one hand and led him into the house.

A pretty young woman dressed exactly like her stood timidly in the room. She seemed a little embarrassed, but when she saw Jia Lian coming, she mustered her courage, stepped forward, bowed, and stammered, "General, you are about to embark on a long journey. I humbly offer this auspicious occasion to bid you farewell."

Before she could finish speaking, her face was already flushed with embarrassment.

She was naturally Lady You, and Jia Lian wasn't too surprised to see her here. However, seeing Lady You's white dress, which was exactly the same as Qin Keqing's, Jia Lian couldn't help but smile.

It's clear that Madam You is the mother-in-law, so how come it seems like she's being manipulated by Qin Keqing? Those two sentences she uttered were probably taught to her by Qin Keqing.

However, it was indeed somewhat amusing. Looking at the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, both dressed in tight white robes—a situation strikingly similar to the desire to appear elegant in mourning attire—Jia Lian smiled genuinely.