Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

As Jia Lian walked out of the back corridor of Rongqing Hall, he immediately saw a maid with slender shoulders and a beautiful profile kicking a flower bed idly.

It seems like this little girl has grown taller in the past two weeks.

Jia Lian turned and walked over. His footsteps startled the maid in the corridor. When she turned around and saw him, her bright little face immediately lit up with a radiant smile.

"Second Master, you're out?"

Seeing Qingwen dart up to him in a few quick steps, gazing up at him expectantly, Jia Lian patted her head and chuckled, "What are you doing here?"

"Sister Yuanyang said that the old lady was discussing important matters with you and wouldn't let us into the house. I was afraid that Second Master would leave through the back corridor, so I've been keeping watch here."

The maid's sweet words, seemingly expressing loyalty yet also seeking favor, pleased Jia Lian greatly. He playfully pinched her nose, then suddenly bent down and picked her up.

"Ah~"

Qingwen immediately let out a soft cry, and after confirming that she was firmly seated in Jia Lian's arms, she pouted and said, "What are you doing? Someone saw us..."

"What's there to be afraid of? It's only natural for me to hug my own mistress."

Qingwen blushed and was too embarrassed to say anything.

Perhaps she has already accepted her status as a "concubine," because she no longer refutes Jia Lian's teasing of her.

"Besides, you're getting bigger now. In a few years, I'm afraid I won't be able to carry you anymore."

"Pah, as if people will be much heavier in a few years..."

Jia Lian's words reminded Qingwen of the time when Grandmother Jia bestowed her upon Jia Lian, and Jia Lian carried her home from this very spot.

In the blink of an eye, many years have passed.

Feeling a pang of emotion, Qingwen casually put her arm around Jia Lian's neck and whispered curiously, "Second Master, are you really a grandson of the Emperor?"

Her clear eyes held a great deal of innocence.

"Is being a grandson of the emperor so important to you?"

"No, I was just curious."

Qingwen wasn't stupid; she knew this was a "sensitive topic."

Seeing that Jia Lian did not answer directly, and not wanting Jia Lian to think she was being rude, she chuckled and then said in a sickeningly sweet tone, "No matter what your status is, in my heart you will always be my second master, the most important person in my life."

As she spoke, Qingwen pouted and planted a kiss on Jia Lian's cheek.

Having just returned from the chaotic Iron Net Mountain, Jia Lian was overwhelmed with emotion upon hearing his young maid's declaration of love.

Just as he was about to embrace Qingwen's soft, fragrant body and kiss her tenderly, a woman's cough sounded from behind.

Looking back, I was surprised to see that they were mandarin ducks.

The head steward of Rongqing Hall, a kind and gentle person, who, despite her high position, never abused her power and was well-liked and respected by everyone in the mansion, walked in from the back door with a "gloomy" expression.

She glanced quickly at Jia Lian, then looked at Qingwen, who hurriedly climbed down from Jia Lian's arms, and said, "Didn't you come with Xiangling?"

"Oh, right! Xiangling is still ahead."

As Qingwen spoke, she looked at Jia Lian somewhat embarrassed and explained, "Xiangling and I were ordered by Second Mistress to come and fetch Second Master back. We were worried about missing him, so after discussing it with her, I stayed behind while she stayed in front. But when we saw Second Master just now, we completely forgot about him..."

Second Master, please wait a moment. I'll go and fetch Xiangling.

As Qingwen spoke, she took off running down the corridor.

After Qingwen left, Yuanyang gave Jia Lian a somewhat resentful look, then bowed slightly, as if about to depart.

"stop."

Jia Lian walked up to her and asked, "Where are you going so late?"

"What I do is none of your business, Second Master. He's finally back home; he should go back and rest soon..."

Oh, you seem to be holding a grudge.

Jia Lian had long known that with so many women, it was sometimes impossible to cater to everyone's feelings.

Although he strives to do his best, he cannot be in two places at once, so he can only focus on taking care of his few favorites.

What remains requires some capacity for self-soothing.

Women who value his status, wealth, or even his looks are easy to please; a little gentleness is all it takes for them to become devoted to him.

What I fear most is a woman like Yuanyang, who is self-respecting and strong.

This woman dared to publicly declare that she didn't care about "Heavenly King" or "Emperor". Jia Lian knew that such a strong-willed woman, even if she really liked you, would really lose control if you ignored or underestimated her too much.

Jia Lian certainly didn't want this girl to turn her love for him into hatred; he was still thinking about the "Ping Xi Yuan" drama.

Are you jealous?

Originally feeling uneasy seeing Qingwen being affectionate in Jia Lian's arms, Yuanyang immediately became timid and defiant upon hearing Jia Lian's serious question.

"Who, who's jealous! Second Master is getting more and more outrageous. This is the old lady's courtyard after all. It's too disrespectful for you to act like this with... with the maid here."

Hearing Wang Gu's insincere and evasive explanation, Jia Lian chuckled, forcefully pulled the woman in front of him into his arms, and as she struggled, he lowered his head and kissed her hard on the cheek.

"Are you still angry now?"

Yuanyang, whose face was still warm and moist from Jia Lian's kisses and who could smell his strong masculine scent, was so weak that she gave up struggling.

But Jia Lian insisted on asking that question, so she immediately pushed him away, saying in embarrassment and anger, "I just said that this is disrespectful, and you did it again. I know that Second Master has become more and more capable and capricious, not taking us maids seriously and just having fun."

Yuanyang wasn't actually angry; she just felt a little uncomfortable seeing her beloved man barely glancing at her, instead being intimate with a maid right under her nose.

But having said that, it's hard not to feel a bit sorry for myself.

"You say I'm angry? We're just little maids, what right do we have to be angry with Second Master? I was just reminding Second Master to be mindful of the occasion, so that others wouldn't gossip about him."

"If you're willing to listen, that would be best. But if you're not, I hope you'll have mercy and not hold a grudge against a mere maid like me."

Jia Lian naturally understood Yuanyang's resentment. He had flirted with her a lot and taken advantage of her. With the tacit approval of Grandmother Jia, their relationship was basically settled.

Because Grandmother Jia relied on her, she had to stay by Grandmother Jia's side and could not be as close to her as Qingwen and others.

How could a young girl in the throes of first love not feel melancholy?

Jia Lian had faced similar situations far too many times, and he had a thousand ways to resolve Yuanyang's little grievances.

Coaxing is a common and simple method.

However, Jia Lian has used this trick too much, and thinking about it, there will be many more situations like this in the future. He has to coax her every time, which is quite tiring.

Being with a beautiful woman should be wonderful; he didn't want to be too tired.

Therefore, after listening to Yuanyang's complaints, Jia Lian sighed and said, "The outside world has been in turmoil, and many major events have occurred. I almost got caught up in them and couldn't get out."

Finally, I got home, and my tense nerves finally relaxed.

Do you really have to be angry with me at this time?

Yuanyang was carefully trained by Grandmother Jia; she was very intelligent.

This can be seen from the fact that she, as a servant born into a family, was literate and able to read and write.

If one didn't have some talent, how could one gain such appreciation from Grandmother Jia?

She had no idea what major events had happened outside during this time, but the closure of the nine gates of the capital a few days ago and the chaos of war within the city were enough to give her some clues.

Recalling Jia Lian's role as a military commander and the sudden, widely publicized "imperial grandson" affair, Yuanyang, well-versed in history and classics, suddenly realized the danger involved.

When Yuanyang saw Jia Lian's exhausted expression as he spoke these words, she immediately felt ashamed and remorseful.

Even though she considered herself to be more insightful than most women, she still had moments of such confusion.

The man she loves has gone through countless dangers and troubles outside. He has finally returned, and instead of offering her any tenderness, she finds herself upset over a trivial matter.

How could someone like me deserve his love?

Thinking of this, Yuanyang's face showed even more shame and worry.

She was worried that Jia Lian would dislike her because of this, but more than that, she was worried that Jia Lian might be in danger.

"Are you... alright?"

Yuanyang wanted to apologize, but she was too shy, since her relationship with Jia Lian had never been publicly acknowledged.

Wanting to know about Jia Lian's affairs outside, yet ultimately knowing nothing and unsure how to show concern.

After hesitating for a long time, he asked this question weakly.

But Jia Lian was already very satisfied.

Seeing Yuanyang's face full of guilt and heartache, Jia Lian knew that his tactic of turning the tables had worked.

Presumably, if a similar situation arises again, Yuanyang will definitely not cause him any trouble.

To resolve the issue once and for all, Jia Lian gently embraced Yuanyang again and whispered, "To receive a word of concern from you is enough to make me fear nothing in this world."

Yuanyang obediently buried her head in Jia Lian's chest.

Previously, in order to talk to Jia Lian, Grandmother Jia had dismissed all irrelevant people in Rongqing Hall, and she knew that there was no one else in the backyard at this time.

Meanwhile, Qingwen, after reaching the end of the corridor, did not immediately go to look for Xiangling, but instead hid in a corner to peek at the situation.

She usually gets along well with Yuanyang, and she's not afraid of him.

But when Yuanyang came out of the back room just now, for some reason, the way she looked at her startled her.

If it were somewhere else, she wouldn't be intimidated at all; she might just glare back at you.

But at the time, she was afraid that Yuanyang would complain about her to Grandmother Jia, so she slunk away after Yuanyang said something.

She vaguely understood why Yuanyang was causing her trouble, so she hid in the shadows to see what was going on.

When she saw Jia Lian holding Yuanyang in his arms and even kissing her, how could she not understand anything?

Although she was annoyed, she still muttered sarcastically, "All that talk about how shrewd and insightful you are, and you're actually jealous of me? If you can't even see this through since you chose to follow Second Master, you'll regret it later!"

Qingwen suddenly felt a little smug, because she realized that she wasn't like Yuanyang, getting angry or jealous of each other.

She didn't consider herself a magnanimous person, but after thinking about it, she understood the core reason.

I'm prettier than her!

Yes, Sister Yuanyang is quite beautiful. She is very tall and has a slender figure, but upon closer inspection, there are some freckles on her pretty face, which is an indisputable fact.

In front of the lustful Second Master, there was really nothing to fear.

Qingwen thought about these things with smug satisfaction. With her current status and vision, being better than other maids could not arouse her competitive spirit.

But Yuanyang was the undisputed leader among the maids of both households; it was no exaggeration to say she was the head of all the maids. When she first entered the Jia household, Yuanyang was already a favorite of Grandmother Jia!

Qingwen would be happy to have the once high and mighty elder sister become her follower like Xiangling.

Although she was illiterate, the clever Qingwen naturally knew that she should not suppress Yuanyang but win her over, because they were in the same camp and class, and should work together to deal with those other camps and classes.

Except for Xiaohong.

……