Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Having let go of her worries, Xiangyun regained her usual charming innocence. After releasing Baochai's arm, she huffed at Jia Lian, "Second Brother Lian, don't try to change the subject! Today, it's not you asking me questions, it's us asking you questions."

Tell me, how did you manage to win over our Baochai sister without saying a word?

Xiangyun's bold and direct words made Yingchun and the others chuckle.

They've been chasing after Baochai all day, teasing her countless times, sometimes directly, sometimes subtly.

However, they were still somewhat hesitant to directly ridicule Jia Lian like Xiangyun did.

Even though they knew that Jia Lian might not hold it against them.

As expected, Jia Lian seemed completely unconcerned about Xiangyun's offense, even glancing at Baochai with a smile. This glance, of course, made Baochai, who was already somewhat embarrassed, lower her head even further.

"It's not that I can't talk about it."

Jia Lian withdrew his gaze and looked at Xiangyun, a young girl whose height had not yet fully grown, and said with a smile, "Let me tell you my method in advance, as a way of giving you experience. That way, when you meet a handsome young man in the future, you won't be so easily deceived by him."

Upon hearing Jia Lian's words, Xiangyun, who had been standing tall with her hands on her hips and looking like she was interrogating someone, immediately lost her composure.

Her round face flushed crimson in an instant, her small mouth slightly open, glaring at Jia Lian with a mixture of shyness and reproach, but ultimately unable to utter a single word.

The others couldn't stop laughing when they saw this, thinking to themselves that Yun was not only bold, but also overconfident.

It's only natural and expected that he would be retaliated against for trying to make fun of Brother Lian.

Seeing that Xiangyun was speechless after being rebuked, Tanchun chimed in, "Second brother, stop laughing and answer Xiangyun's question."

As she spoke, Tan Chun feigned a charmingly naive laugh and said, "I've known for a long time that something was off between you and Sister Bao. You two stubbornly denied it before, keeping it from us all this time!"

With Xiangyun and Tanchun leading the way, everyone else looked at Jia Lian with curiosity and anticipation, including a few maids in the corner.

Despite the stares of the young maids, Jia Lian remained composed. He even keenly sensed that Daiyu's face was about to crumble, so he subtly raised his left hand to the low table and quietly took one of Daiyu's small hands that was resting on it.

"Actually, there's nothing that can't be said."

Everyone loves beauty, and I am no exception.

Your Baochai is so beautiful and well-educated, of course I can see that too.

However, I've been too busy, and your Bao-jie is a cold beauty who doesn't easily get close to people. As a result, in the two years she's been with our family, I've rarely had a chance to talk to her, let alone coax her.

Seeing that Jia Lian was truly willing to lower himself and chat with these younger women about his "girl-chasing experience," Yingchun and the others straightened their stools and sat down to watch the drama unfold.

Of course, many people noticed Jia Lian secretly holding Daiyu's hand, but they pretended not to see it and dared not show any unusual behavior.

Everyone knows that Daiyu is thin-skinned. If she were to storm off in a fit of anger, wouldn't that be a disappointment?

Only Tan Chun seemed unafraid of offending Daiyu. Her gaze was fixed on Jia Lian's large hand, which was tightly holding Daiyu's small hand. She felt that Jia Lian's five fingers were so slender and fair, well-proportioned and strong.

Then, egging him on, he said with a laugh, "Sister Lin is still here, and Second Brother is praising Sister Bao like this. Aren't you afraid Sister Lin will get jealous?"

As Tan Chun observed, Daiyu had already become extremely jealous when everyone was teasing Jia Lian and Baochai.

Before, when Jia Lian wasn't around, everyone made fun of Baochai, and she felt somewhat relieved and secretly pleased. But now that Jia Lian was here, she felt very uncomfortable whenever she saw the same look he gave Baochai as he did at her.

She thought of leaving several times, but she had some concerns. She was afraid that people would talk about her after she left, saying things like "She is indeed stingy" or "She is not as sensible as Sister Bao."

Then she realized that Jia Lian had held her little hand down.

Looking back, she noticed that although Jia Lian was speaking to everyone, he was holding her hand tightly.

She suddenly felt a little better, thinking that even in this situation, Jia Lian was still paying attention to her.

Although this wasn't the first time Jia Lian had publicly expressed his affection and fondness for her, she still symbolically withdrew her hand out of girlish shyness.

Unexpectedly, that damned San Ya suddenly turned the tables on her.

Seeing everyone's gaze shift rapidly to Tan Chun as she spoke, Daiyu forcefully pulled her hand back. Thinking back over the past year, Tan Chun had been the most mischievous and always the one leading the teasing. Therefore, she stared at Tan Chun for two seconds, then suddenly said:

"Why should I be jealous? Baochai is prettier than me and more knowledgeable and polite, but there are many people in this world who are prettier and more knowledgeable and polite than me, and I don't need to be jealous of every single one of them."

On the contrary, it's likely that he's found you another sister-in-law, and once she's with her, he won't treat you as well as he used to. That's why you're acting so out of character today, joining Yun'er and the others in finding ways to make things difficult for Bao-jie."

Uh……

Everyone was speechless, because Daiyu's sudden outburst was completely unexpected.

In the past, Daiyu had often been teased like this by Tanchun and others, but each time, Daiyu would either turn away in embarrassment or pretend to be angry and ignore them.

Never before have we been so close, eye to eye, nose to nose, with each other snapping back at the other.

Tan Chun was also stunned, and blushed for a moment, stammering, "I, I didn't..."

"No? Then why did you bully Sister Bao today?"

Daiyu opened her eyes wide in confusion. She even affectionately linked arms with Baochai, as if to say, "It's one thing to bully me before, but now you all want to bully such a good person as Sister Bao. What kind of people are you?"

Everyone was speechless, and they couldn't help but reflect on whether their previous teasing of Baochai had gone too far.

Baochai, whose arm was being held by Daiyu, also turned to look at her, her bright eyes showing a hint of surprise.

Jia Lian, standing to the side, smiled and didn't interrupt the maids' conversation.

Even when he saw Daiyu completely in control of the situation, leaving Tanchun and the others speechless, he was greatly pleased.

My daughter has really improved; she knows how to deal with these troublesome sisters-in-law now.

We cannot allow Daiyu's influence to completely overwhelm the other side, so after the atmosphere quieted down slightly, Jia Lian continued:

"It's also because I'm smart. I figured that your sister Bao would be hard to approach, so I decided to start with your aunt."

My aunt and her family moved to Beijing, where they were unfamiliar with the city, and I was able to help them in many ways.

With my persistent flattery, my aunt's favor towards me increased, and she would often summon me to her home for drinks.

After a while, I felt the time was right, so I subtly expressed my feelings for Baochai to my aunt.

My aunt was initially unwilling, but perhaps moved by my sincerity, she eventually agreed.

As you all probably know, your Bao-jie is a very filial daughter. Since her aunt has already agreed, she naturally has no choice but to accept her fate.

However, my aunt also warned me, saying that she only has one precious daughter, and she spoils her rotten at home. She told me I must treat her well in the future, or she would never forgive me.

Although Jia Lian spoke casually, everyone listened to every single word he said.

For Yingchun, such elaborate schemes to win the heart of a beautiful woman were not uncommon in plays, but when it happened around them, especially to Jia Lian, it still felt fresh and exciting.

I never expected that Brother Lian would be this kind of person. Sister Bao is Brother Lian's cousin, and he had been coveting her for a long time.

Not only did he covet her, but after realizing that Baochai was not easy to fool, he actually used a roundabout tactic and first won over Auntie.

It's admirable that he dared to say it.

However, such words can only fool simple-minded people like Xichun and Yingchun. Those who are truly shrewd will realize that things are not so simple.

The shrewd Jia Lian, upon hearing that he had helped the Xue family in many ways, immediately recalled the incident at the beginning of the year when Xue the Fool killed Qiu Duwei's son. At that time, even the old lady and others were at a loss, and it was only after Jia Lian made a special trip back from Tianjin that the matter was resolved.

It's likely that from that time on, the relationship between Sister Bao and Brother Lian was settled.

While the others had their own guesses, Baochai was somewhat moved.

Actually, she was a little worried when she saw that Jia Lian was really going to tell Tan Chun and the others the whole story.

Because she understood very well that the matter between her and Jia Lian was not simple; in many ways, it was inseparable from the exchange of interests.

Once this is brought up, it's inevitable that people will think the Xue family is opportunistic.

Unexpectedly, Jia Lian's words contained not a single word of belittling the Xue family, nor any intention to look down on Xue Baochai. In fact, to protect the Xue family and Xue Baochai's reputation, he deliberately distorted the facts, portraying her mother's act of selling her daughter to save her son as him lusting after her and plotting to seduce her.

She was moved, and once again gained a deeper understanding of Jia Lian as a truly great and upright man.

To be fair, from Jia Lian's perspective, she didn't know what Xue Baochai had that made him consider her so much.

Jia Lian had no idea that such a simple detail of his had moved Baochai so deeply; in fact, he wasn't exactly lying.

He truly had been plotting from the very beginning how to win over Baochai, who was "alluring even in her ruthlessness." However, he was shrewd and calculating, always planning before acting. He didn't easily reveal his intentions before his plans were finalized, which is why he didn't earn a reputation for being treacherous.

As for beautifying the Xue family, it was naturally for Baochai's sake. In any case, this era was excessively tolerant of men, especially a man as successful as him. After achieving his goal, he would not be looked down upon for revealing his past wicked schemes. On the contrary, people would think that he was open-minded and a true man.

Winning the heart of a beauty is also a matter of skill.

After Jia Lian finished explaining, although the maids still had many doubts, or wanted to make fun of the matter, they became embarrassed to speak up because of Daiyu's previous words.

Tan Chun opened her mouth several times, but finally only said, "So, what Yun'er said this morning—that you only took Sister Lin and Sister Bao out of the city to play, and didn't take her at all—is that true?"

Upon hearing Tan Chun mention this, Xiang Yun still showed resentment on her face.

"Exactly, exactly. I couldn't understand it at all until I heard about you and Sister Bao, then I knew, hmph..."

Xiangyun deliberately glared at Jia Lian with a puffed-up face, as if to say: What a lecherous second brother Lian is!

Jia Lian then beckoned to her, and as she approached, he patted her head and said with a smile, "It's not that I don't want to take you out of the city to play, but the real reason I'm taking these two out of the city today is to tell your Sister Lin about your Sister Bao."

You should know that even though I have such an outstanding woman as your Baochai, my feelings for your Lin will never change.

Before I know whether your sister Lin is willing to forgive me, how can I be distracted by bringing you along?

In other words, it was Jia Lian who said these words. If it had been someone else, the girls present would have spat at them.

What kind of scumbag quotes are these?

Xiangyun felt a little embarrassed when Jia Lian patted her head in public, but not much. She was always carefree and rarely cared about romantic feelings, so she innocently retorted, "So now, has Sister Lin forgiven you?"

Everyone was almost defeated by Xiangyun's innocence and naivety.

Didn't you see Miss Lin sitting there perfectly fine? Have you forgiven her yet? Haven't you seen what Miss Lin looks like when she's angry?

Jia Lian glanced at Daiyu with a smile and said, "I think it's about time. After all, I said a lot of nice things to her."

Everyone laughed again, feeling that Jia Lian was too humiliated in front of Daiyu, appearing quite inferior.

But amidst the laughter, there was also a deep sense of envy. Brother Lian had always doted on Sister Lin, and this time he must have gone to great lengths to get her to accept Sister Bao.

Just by looking at how someone as willful as Sister Lin is willing to sit so peacefully with Sister Bao, one can guess what's going on.

Seeing that the conversation was about to turn back to her, and feeling that she had given Jia Lian enough face by sitting there for so long, Daiyu stood up and said, "Are you leaving or not? If you're not leaving, I'm leaving."

Seeing this, most of the others got up.

The tight defenses began to falter as the guards rose, and Daiyu took advantage of these openings to slip away.

Zhen Yuhuan, who had been quietly observing the whole time and following Daiyu like a shadow, suddenly turned around and asked Jia Lian, who was getting up to see the guests off, "Brother, are you busy tomorrow?"

"Not at the moment."

"Could you spare some time tomorrow...? Before I return to Nanjing, I'd like to hold one more poetry club meeting with all of you..."

Upon hearing this, everyone stopped in their tracks.

Yes, because Jia Lian and Baochai's gossip is so big and juicy, they've all forgotten that tonight's main character should be Zhen Yuhuan.

She's leaving tomorrow.

She's going back south, and we'll be separated by thousands of miles. Who knows when we'll meet again!

Yingchun said with some sadness, "Speaking of which, Sister Yuhuan was one of the official members of the Begonia Society. Now that she's gone, our Begonia Society will be one less person."

The others shared the same feeling, their gazes towards Zhen Yuhuan filled with reluctance.

"Sister Zhen, please don't go. I'll miss you so much."

All the sisters gathered around Zhen Yuhuan, holding hands and saying goodbye to each other.

Tan Chun walked to Jia Lian's side and suggested, "Since Second Brother has no plans for tomorrow, and Sister Zhen wants to hold a poetry club, why don't we hold another one tomorrow as a farewell to Sister Zhen?"

Jia Lian nodded, then suddenly reached out and tapped Xiangyun on the head, saying, "Didn't you say all the time that I was biased? I'll be fair this once."

Go back and prepare yourselves; tomorrow I'll take you all out of town for a spring outing.

After a moment of surprise, the women suddenly burst into immense joy.

"Going out for a spring outing? Great! I love spring outings!"

"But now that the weather is hot, won't we get sunburned if we go out for a spring outing...?"

"Just tell me, are you going or not?"

"go!"

For these young ladies from wealthy families who rarely leave their homes, going out for a stroll is a rare luxury, let alone venturing out of town for a spring outing.

No one is unhappy.

Jia Lian stopped Tan Chun, who was also beaming with joy, and said, "I'm giving you a task. Go down and count the number of your entourage going out tomorrow, what you need to bring, and how many carriages you need. You decide these things yourselves. I'm only responsible for arranging the accompanying guards; I'm not responsible for anything else."

Tan Chun, who had been beaming with joy, was suddenly dumbfounded. She said, "Are we going to decide all of this ourselves? But I've never done this before, I don't know how to do it. Why don't you find someone else, Second Brother..."

"There's always a first time for everything. Don't worry, I'll ask your sister Ping'er to help you later."

Hearing that Ping'er, Feng Jie's personal steward, would be assisting her, Tan Chun, who had never dealt with serious matters before, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

She was naturally a strong-willed person and not afraid of challenges. After thinking it over, she said, "Then thank you for your trust, Second Brother. I will definitely discuss and arrange everything with everyone!"

"Go and get ready. There's no need to rush. We're going out to have fun, so we'll tentatively set the departure time for tomorrow at Chenshi (7-9 AM). You have plenty of time to make arrangements before then. If you encounter any difficulties or have any questions, you can consult your sister Ping'er."

"understood."

……