Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Jia Lian always thought that Aunt Xue was a good person, well-mannered, and knew how to conduct herself, which is why he was willing to help her several times.

He truly hadn't expected that the first person to want to betray him would be her, the one who had just shown a hint of weakness.

It's really realistic.

With a gloomy face, he walked confidently to Aunt Xue's door.

"My lord, what brings you here..."

"Is your wife inside?"

"Yes, our wife just changed her clothes and is getting ready to go out..."

"Get out, I have something to say to your wife."

Jia Lian waved Tong Xi away, glanced at Aunt Xue who came out from the inner room after hearing the commotion, and then said to Aqi and Aqin, "You two stay here and don't let anyone else in."

He paused for a moment, then added, "If Baochai comes, tell her that her mother and I have important matters to discuss, and ask her to wait for me in her room."

After Jia Lian finished speaking, he remained silent and walked into the house with a cold face, which puzzled Aunt Xue.

But she could also tell that Jia Lian seemed to be in a bad mood, so as soon as she followed him into the room, she immediately asked, "Lian'er, what's wrong? Did your brother Xue Ke say something he shouldn't have after drinking that offended you?"

Jia Lian ignored her, walked to the stool by the tea table, sat down, poured himself a cup of tea, took a sip, and then slowly turned around to look at Aunt Xue expressionlessly.

Seeing this, Aunt Xue immediately understood that Jia Lian's dissatisfaction stemmed from her.

She quickly forced a smile and said, "Lian'er, did Auntie do something wrong that upset you? If so, just tell me, and Auntie will change..."

Aunt Xue didn't know what was wrong with her; in her nervousness, she spoke like a child who had made a mistake.

Jia Lian raised an eyebrow but remained silent. He picked up his teacup and took another sip before looking up at her, who was so close to him, and said woodenly, "Kneel down."

"What?" Aunt Xue thought she had misheard.

"Kneel down."

Jia Lian's tone seemed a bit harsher, tinged with impatience, as if some emotion had reached its peak and any spark could ignite it completely.

Aunt Xue's face flushed and paled in turns.

As the second daughter of the Wang family and the matriarch of the Xue family, she couldn't remember how many years it had been since anyone had said those two words to her.

Even Baochai's father, the head of the Xue family, had never punished her like this.

But now, the one giving her this order is not her parents or elders, nor even her peers, but a junior...

Her noble dignity and her sense of human dignity made it impossible for her to agree to such an absurd request.

But when faced with Jia Lian's scrutiny, Aunt Xue's legs suddenly went weak, and she knelt down on the hard floor with a "thud," supporting herself on her thighs with her hands, looking at Jia Lian with a wronged and tearful expression.

Seeing this, Jia Lian's expression relaxed somewhat.

……

After taking a bath, Baochai sent her maid out to inquire whether Jia Lian had finished eating.

Ying'er took the initiative to run the errand and returned to Baochai, saying, "Miss, the banquet outside has been cleared away. Second Master got drunk and went back to sleep. The Marquis is in Madam's room now, saying he's discussing some matters."

Baochai, who had already changed her clothes, suddenly became nervous upon hearing this.

She originally thought her mother was just giving her advice, suggesting she leave herself a way out. She never expected her mother to be so impatient and confront Lian Ergege so soon.

If that's the case, how will she face Jia Lian in the future?

Thinking of how cared for her had been these past few days, she didn't even dare to be disrespectful to her in the slightest...

Lian Ergege kept his promise to treat her like a national treasure.

But what about her and her mother?

After using the other party, once they see that the other party has lost power, they want to discard them.

Putting herself in their shoes, she had no idea how angry Jia Lian must be, or how disappointed he must be in them.

Baochai sat there dejectedly, not knowing what to do, even though she was usually decisive.

Ying'er, standing nearby, cautiously observed her expression and, seeing that she had no intention of going over, secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

She knew, of course, that Jia Lian was either venting his anger or trying to persuade Aunt Xue.

In either case, it is highly likely that she was the one who tipped them off!

Although she felt she was doing this for her own daughter's sake, Baochai had not yet married Jia Lian, and her behavior was tantamount to betraying her own family.

She was terrified of confronting him in the future.

Therefore, it would be best to ask Jia Lian discreetly afterward whether he had betrayed her before deciding how to respond.

To completely dispel Baochai's previous idea of ​​interfering, Ying'er added, "The Marquis said he'll come over to speak with you, Miss, in a little while..."

Baochai nodded silently.

……

In the main house, Tongxi and Tonggui stood on the porch, looking at Aqi and Aqin, who seemed like two insurmountable mountains, and exchanged bewildered glances.

They were all a little doubtful. Wasn't this the Xue family's house? Wasn't this their mistress's house?

Why do they seem like the guests, while the other person is the host?

Despite their inner turmoil, they dared not provoke Aqi and Aqin. Good heavens, they'd heard these two were the type who wouldn't even draw their swords at Rongqing Hall!

They didn't know how much time had passed before they saw Jia Lian come out from inside.

He straightened his clothes and said to the two of them, "Your wife is not feeling well. Please go in and take good care of her."

"Yes."

Tongxi and Tonggui glanced at Jia Lian before meekly entering the room.

Upon entering the private room, he saw his wife sitting at the tea table, leaning on it with one hand, lost in thought, with a forlorn expression on her face.

"Mrs……?"

Seeing them enter the room, Aunt Xue finally came to her senses, subconsciously wiping her eyes again, and then asked, "Where is the Marquis?"

"The Marquis must have gone to the girls' quarters."

Aunt Xue nodded and didn't say anything more.

Seeing this, Tong happy and Tong Gui couldn't help but feel a little worried.

They could all tell that Jia Lian looked rather gloomy when he came over.

Although the exact reason is unknown, it must be that their wife did something to displease Master Lian.

Judging from Madam's appearance, could it be that Second Master Lian hit her? Otherwise, why do Madam's eyes look so red, and why was she wiping away tears just now?

Jia Lian arrived at Baochai's secluded courtyard, paused briefly at the door before speaking, "Is Sister Baochai home?"

Ying'er came out, glanced at Jia Lian, and then said, "The young lady is inside, please come in, sir."

Jia Lian nodded and went inside.

Baochai's room looked more furnished and cozier than when I last visited, probably because Aunt Xue had tidied it up after Baochai moved out.

"Second Brother Lian, please have a seat."

After Jia Lian entered the room, Baochai became somewhat awkward. After inviting Jia Lian to sit down, she silently poured him tea, showing none of the composure she usually displayed when facing him.

Seeing this, Jia Lian sighed and said, "I just spoke with your mother about you."

Baochai paused in her tea-pouring motion, remaining silent.

"Originally, I was thinking that I still had a year left in my mourning period, and I planned to wait for a suitable opportunity to talk to your sister Feng about you."

This will make her feel better and make her more accepting of you.

Jia Lian seemed to be offering an explanation.

"I never expected that something like this would happen to me in less than a few months."

Jia Lian looked up at Baochai and said earnestly, "Originally, I thought that with my abilities, it would be easy for me to rise to prominence and seize power in the world."

Therefore, even if I were to be a little greedy and, having already had you, Sister Feng and Sister Lin, still try to take advantage of you, I could still give you the best life.

Looking back now, I realize I was too arrogant.

I have been dismissed from my post by the imperial court, and my future is uncertain.

And you are so intelligent and outstanding, how could I possibly disregard your future for my own selfish reasons?

So, you should reconsider our relationship. Whatever choice you make, I won't blame you.

Jia Lian spoke calmly, but to Baochai, it made her very uneasy.

Her eyes almost instantly filled with tears, and she said with some grievance, "Did my mother say something to you? But that was only my mother's idea, not mine. How could you, how could you do this to me..."

"But your mother is right, you deserve a better future."

Baochai walked to her bedside and sat down. After a while, she raised her head and said, word by word, "Then, what about Lin girl? Will you give her another chance to choose again?"

Jia Lian frowned and said, "She's different from you. Her parents are gone, and she only has me. So no matter how good or bad I am, she can only stay with me."

Baochai then burst into tears, saying, "You said that in your heart I was the same as Lin Daiyu, and that I would have everything she had. But now it seems that in your heart I am ultimately not as important as she is."

Jia Lian was quite surprised and moved to see Baochai, who was usually so strong, crying.

But he continued, "Everyone in this world is unique; no two people can be exactly the same."

I didn't lie to you. In my heart, you are on the same level as Feng and Lin.

From the day I decided to have you, I never intended for you to be subordinate to anyone.

But you are you, after all, unlike Feng and Lin. Feng and I are not only husband and wife, but she has been married to me for many years and has given birth to a daughter for me, so she is destined to be inseparable from me for the rest of her life.

Lin was entrusted to me by her father before his death. We not only have a formal marriage agreement, but she has also given me everything—both her status and her innocence—throughout the years she has lived in our home. Therefore, she has no choice but to stay with me.

Even though Baochai was extremely heartbroken and filled with self-doubt at this moment, she still paused for a moment when she heard Jia Lian say this.

clean?

"But you are different. Between you and me, so far, there has only been one verbal promise."

Even that might not have been your own choice...

Baochai interrupted, "How do you know it wasn't my own choice?"

Jia Lian was speechless and didn't respond, only saying, "It's precisely because you're different from them that you still have a way out. Moreover, I genuinely like you and respect your character, talent, and beauty, which is why I'm willing to give you a chance to choose again. If it were any other woman, I might not be so magnanimous."

Baochai said sadly, "But your magnanimity makes me feel ashamed and utterly humiliated."

Jia Lian didn't say anything more, but just quietly looked at Baochai.

Baochai also looked at him, her bright eyes already brimming with tears, making them appear even more translucent and lustrous.

She suddenly stood up and said, "Since ancient times, women have been expected to remain faithful to one man until death. Although I, Xue Baochai, dare not compare myself to the sages of the past, I am aware of this principle."

You said I had a backup plan, allowing me to choose again.

The latest chapter of this novel is available on the first release page. Please go and read it there!

Okay, I'll make my choice now.

As Baochai spoke, she placed her hands under her armpits and at her waist, untied the sash that she had just tied, then raised her hands to her shoulders and pulled the collar to both sides.

As her light clothes trailed on the ground, what was revealed was Baochai's dazzlingly white skin, which she had never shown to outsiders before.

Jia Lian was stunned and shocked.

He was completely taken aback by Baochai's sudden action and was momentarily stunned.

It wasn't until he saw Baochai put her hands behind her back, as if she was about to remove the only thing covering her upper body—the bra—that Jia Lian suddenly realized what was happening.

For a fleeting moment, Jia Lian wanted to ignore it, because his coveting of Baochai and her other half had been going on for a long time.

However, seeing the complex emotions of stubbornness, pain, and resentment flickering in Baochai's tearful eyes, Jia Lian still made the right choice.

Baochai is not like Aunt Xue; she is too proud and self-respecting. Such a person should not be humiliated.

Excessive humiliation will damage her foundation.

By then, she might not be herself anymore.

Therefore, Jia Lian stepped forward and hugged Baochai tightly, comforting her, "Alright, don't be like this. It was my fault, I shouldn't have said that to you. Now I know how Baochai feels about me. Even if I'm just temporarily in a difficult situation, even if I'm at my wit's end, I will still hold your hand and walk with you to the very end."

Upon hearing Jia Lian's words, Baochai, who was already clinging to life, immediately abandoned all her worries, buried her face in Jia Lian's chest, and began to sob bitterly.

Ying'er, standing in the corner, was completely mesmerized. At this moment, all she could do was quietly slip away, so as not to disturb her mistresses' heartfelt exchange.

Baochai's skin was smooth and radiant; the legendary phrase "ice-skin and jade-bones" refers to a beauty like Baochai.

At any other time and place, if he were to hold Baochai's almost smooth and flawless body in his arms, he would have already been completely distracted and preoccupied.

At this very moment, Baochai was crying so hard that Jia Lian couldn't make any inappropriate moves.

"Okay, sweetie, your crying breaks my heart."

Jia Lian patted Baochai's back to comfort her, but his touch felt incredibly smooth, like silk. His thoughts were involuntarily drawn back to Baochai's smooth, jade-like back, leaving him feeling quite helpless.

Fortunately, Baochai was very good at regulating her emotions, and with Jia Lian's comforting words, she stopped crying in no time.

She hugged Jia Lian's waist and back, and said aggrievedly, "Are you resentful that I've never let you get close to me, so you're planning to leave me?"

Baochai was also surprised by her own boldness, but since things had come to this point, she did not feel any regret. Instead, she questioned Jia Lian.

Baochai was never a naive person. Of course, she didn't think that Jia Lian had no feelings for her body. She just felt that she couldn't let Jia Lian get his way so easily.

That's why she resolutely refused every time Jia Lian tried to test her, not even giving him a chance to kiss her.

But after hearing Jia Lian say that Daiyu had given him her title and reputation, she suddenly regretted it.

No matter how intelligent she is, she is still just a sixteen-year-old girl.

After she realized from Jia Lian's words that she was not as important to him as Daiyu, she began to wonder if it was because she had always prevented Jia Lian from getting close to her that he felt this way.

She felt wronged, and was also afraid that Jia Lian would really give up on her.

After much deliberation, she made such a bold decision that was so different from her own principles.

But her inner shame still made her hesitate and tremble as she unhooked her bra.

Jia Lian suddenly rushed up and hugged her, comforting her. This made her feel very comfortable and touched, and she also felt that her decision to cut off all her escape routes today was worthwhile.

Brother Lian is indeed as upright as ever, worthy of admiration and respect.

What could Jia Lian say when faced with Baochai's questioning?

Does he dare say that all his previous statements were merely a test of Baochai?

Indeed, in Jia Lian's heart, Baochai was the woman he was determined to win over the moment he first saw her at the Xue family's old mansion when he first traveled to Nanjing, just like Daiyu!

Otherwise, he wouldn't have gotten so angry when he learned that Aunt Xue wanted to stand him up, and would have gone to confront Aunt Xue right under Baochai's nose.

Now that he has reasoned with her and settled things with Aunt Xue, there's no reason for him to turn around and push Baochai away.

The purpose of everything was simply to test Baochai's true feelings for him.

Although he could sense that Baochai had feelings for him, she was too shrewd and her actions and words were always impeccable, making it impossible for even Jia Lian to grasp her thoughts.

This strategic retreat has resulted in victory, which is the current situation.

Even if he miscalculated and failed, and Baochai didn't like him much, he would still leave a good impression in Baochai's heart as someone who could take things in stride.

In the future, if we conspire with Aunt Xue, we can still win her over.

He felt it was worth the extra time and effort to win Baochai's heart and soul.

Having made up a flimsy excuse, Jia Lian was no longer able to focus on winning over Baochai's heart.

Baochai was only wearing a strapless top. Not only was her entire back exposed under his hands, but her two soft arms were also tightly wrapped around his waist.

It should be noted that, apart from Baochai's breasts, her jade-like back and soft arms were also things that could arouse his great interest.

After all, Baochai, who was described as having the beauty of Yang Guifei in the original novel, only slightly revealed half of her delicate arm when she was untying her bracelet, which was enough to make Jia Baoyu, who grew up surrounded by girls, stare blankly and have endless fantasies. This shows how beautiful and alluring Baochai's snow-white skin and delicate arms were.

These two beautiful objects were right under his nose, exposed without any concealment, yet he couldn't bring himself to lower his head to observe or appreciate them.

The torment involved is unimaginable.

Xue Baochai had no idea that the man holding her was already filled with filthy thoughts. With her defenses just broken, she was unusually love-struck.

"What did Mother say to you in her room just now?"

"It's nothing, it's just..."

Jia Lian processed the information he obtained from Ying'er and provided it to Baochai.

After hearing this, Baochai explained apologetically, "Mother said those things only for my own good, but I didn't mean it that way. She's my mother, please don't blame her, okay?"

"No wonder, no wonder..."

"And I think..."

Baochai suddenly raised her head and looked at Jia Lian solemnly: "Moreover, I think my mother guessed wrong. There must be another reason why you were dismissed from your post. You won't be defeated like this, will you?"

Jia Lian was taken aback: "How can you be so sure?"

Seeing this, Baochai became even more certain: "Ever since I met Brother Lian, he has always been a very shrewd person who plans ahead of time."

If you and the emperor truly had an irreconcilable rift, you certainly wouldn't be so relaxed after returning from the hunting grounds, and you wouldn't have the leisure to hold a poetry club with us at home.

You care so much about Sister Feng and Lin Yatou, even if you don't think about yourself, you should at least try your best to leave a way out for them for their future wealth and safety.

The fact that you didn't do that means things aren't at the point where you need to find a backup plan yet.

Jia Lian almost couldn't help but give Baochai a thumbs up.

He lifted one of his hands, which had been secretly touching Baochai's arm, and placed it on Baochai's head, pressing her tilted head back onto his shoulder.

Goodness, little girl, you have no idea how much you have to offer.

That strapless top was made of silk, and with your breasts pressing against it, the edges were already bunching up and not sticking to your skin. And then, tilting your head back like that, that incomparable snow-white cleavage—what man could resist?

Jia Lian had no choice but to bend over.

"That's right, my precious girl is the smartest. But you're wrong about one thing. It's not just for Feng and Lin. Everything I have will always have a share for you."

You could even say that my relentless pursuit of fame and status is largely due to you, because I know that only in that way can I be worthy of you.

Baochai wasn't Daiyu; she immediately understood Jia Lian's words.

She didn't think Jia Lian called her materialistic; on the contrary, she felt that Jia Lian truly understood her.

A relationship between two people lacking material security is tragic enough. Not to mention, Jia Lian was so greedy, wanting to have so many outstanding women by his side.

If you don't have the ability, how can you possibly keep them?

Even if they are willing to suffer with him, they will most likely succumb to reality in the end.

Just as she was about to ask something else, she noticed Jia Lian's hands moving around on her body, making her feel a little uncomfortable.

She instinctively twisted her body, but somehow triggered something that made her suddenly startled.

Her body went limp, and she collapsed into Jia Lian's arms, not daring to utter another word.

Jia Lian felt a little awkward and wanted to let go of her. However, Baochai's body was too comfortable to hold, and he couldn't bear to part with her.

They remained silent for a long time before Baochai finally broke down.

She tightened her arms around Jia Lian, then tiptoed to his ear and whispered, "Second Brother Lian, you should take Baochai. Baochai is willing..."

Nourishes...

The beauty's nod was like the most potent stimulant, causing Jia Lian to stop thinking and directly bend down to pick her up by the waist, carrying her to her bedside and gently setting her down.

……