Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

"Huan'er, hold on tight to the reins, don't let it throw you off!"

Jia Lian shouted a reminder and immediately slapped his horse's rump and chased after it. But how could the horse understand his meaning in time? By the time he controlled it to leap into the wheat field and accelerate to catch up, Zhen Yuhuan and the mad horse had already galloped quite a distance, leaped onto the path on the opposite side of the field, and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Jia Lian couldn't help but feel anxious, because if something happened to Zhen Yuhuan, not only would he be heartbroken, but he would also have a hard time explaining it to the Zhen family.

Therefore, he disregarded the fact that the horse beneath him was still a minor, pulled out the whip from the side of the horse's head, spurred the horse, and followed the sound of hooves ahead.

Fortunately, they had only rounded a bend in the mountain pass when they spotted Zhen Yuhuan and her horse. Jia Lian immediately used his riding skills and superior horsemanship to quickly approach.

Unfortunately, the road was narrow and rugged, and Jia Lian was afraid of frightening the person and the horse, so he only followed behind to comfort and teach them. When they reached a slightly wider area, he spurred his horse to ride alongside her, bent down and reached out to grab Zhen Yuhuan's reins, and slowly brought the horse under control.

"Waaaaah, my sworn brother~"

Seeing that the horse had finally stopped, Zhen Yuhuan, who had just been helped off the horse by Jia Lian, rushed into Jia Lian's arms with tears streaming down her face.

"Okay, okay, it's alright now."

Jia Lian held the girl in his arms, feeling her trembling body, and couldn't help but gently comfort her.

"Waaah, I thought I'd never see my sworn brother again..."

"Silly girl, how could that be? Everything's fine now."

Jia Lian helped the body in his arms up and looked at the woman whose face was covered in tears, yet whose stunning beauty could not be concealed. Something suddenly stirred in his heart, but he refrained from thinking about it and simply wiped away her tears with his thumb.

With too many tears, she instead raised her sleeve and wiped them away one by one.

He was more than a head taller than Zhen Yuhuan, and as he lowered his head to wipe away her tears, he gazed intently at her.

Perhaps it was because his gaze was too serious and his expression too gentle that the little girl misunderstood.

As Zhen Yuhuan gradually stopped sobbing, she looked back at Jia Lian and suddenly tilted her head up to face him, closing her eyes.

Jia Lian was taken aback.

To say that he didn't like the face in front of him, which was almost identical to Daiyu's, would be a lie.

Her slightly pouting lips looked somewhat different from Daiyu's, because every time she kissed Daiyu, it was almost always a sneak attack or a forceful kiss, while Daiyu would never pout and ask for a kiss like that.

Therefore, he immediately imagined another form of Daiyu.

Moreover, he had tasted those pink and red lips before. Although it was just an accident, when he mistook them for Daiyu, he did, in truth, have a desire to taste their beauty again.

Now, it seems that this desire can be fulfilled simply by bowing one's head.

But he had some doubts.

If the little girl in his arms were a maid, or even just a commoner, Jia Lian wouldn't have hesitated at all; he would have just tasted her.

But she was not. She was the most beautiful and favored legitimate daughter of the Zhen family, and the hope that the Zhen family was grooming for the future empress.

It's not something that can be taken on casually.

Moreover, he knew that he might not be able to give her the same status and title as Daiyu and Baochai.

Jia Lian was weighing the pros and cons. However, because he remained motionless for so long, the beautiful little face in front of him, with its eyes tightly closed, began to twitch slightly, revealing a strong sense of grievance, as if it might burst into tears again at any moment.

Jia Lian chuckled inwardly. How had he, the dignified Duke of Rongguo, a playboy who could handle even a princess with ease, become so hesitant and indecisive?

So he pulled his arms closer, drawing the person in his embrace, then lowered his head and kissed her.

A feeling that was both familiar and strange washed over Zhen Yuhuan, causing her great shock.

Almost immediately, tears of emotion welled up in her tightly closed eyes.

She knew that her sworn brother liked her, and that as long as she took the initiative, he would definitely not reject her.

She immediately wrapped her soft, slender arms tightly around Jia Lian's strong body, opened her small mouth, and leaned towards Jia Lian forcefully, fully experiencing this impulsive pleasure and joy.

Time passed second by second, perhaps only a quarter of an hour, or perhaps several years, before the two finally parted their lips.

Jia Lian looked down at Zhen Yuhuan, whose face was flushed and whose eyes were glazed over, clearly disoriented. He was momentarily dazed.

Because Zhen Yuhuan's expression at this moment was exactly like Daiyu's, this feeling of being both real and unreal was, undeniably, somewhat wondrous and intriguing.

Their eyes met, and Zhen Yuhuan's gaze gradually sharpened. Jia Lian then chuckled, "Satisfied, you little glutton?"

Zhen Yuhuan immediately became very embarrassed. She quietly buried her head in Jia Lian's arms, not wanting Jia Lian to see her shy expression.

But after a moment, she raised her head again, looking both nervous and expectant, and said, "Brother, please take me..."

The little girl's voice trembled slightly, and she subconsciously tried to turn her head away from Jia Lian's gaze.

Jia Lian remained calm, but his heart was in turmoil. He still asked, "You won't regret it?"

"Uh-huh."

Zhen Yuhuan's courage vanished when she realized that Jia Lian might have already agreed, and she shyly hid in Jia Lian's arms.

What else could Jia Lian say? Now that things had come to this, he could not tolerate Zhen Yuhuan being betrothed to someone else. Since the beauty was so eager, how could he not grant her wish?

He glanced at the two foals grazing on the crops beside him, then bent down, picked up Zhen Yuhuan, and walked towards the woods...

……

The dense foliage of the trees blocked out the sunlight, leaving only dappled rays of light.

A large, embroidered cloak was spread over the withered, yellow leaves, simply forming a bed for lovers.

Jia Lian rolled over and lay on his back on the cloak, which was already wrinkled and messy from being tossed around, breathing heavily to calm his inner joy.

But his heart was filled with mixed feelings, and he even felt a little guilty.

Even though he cherished Qingwen so much, he waited until she came of age before taking any real action. Zhen Yuhuan, however, was actually born a month younger than Daiyu, which is undoubtedly a mistake.

However, Zhen Yuhuan seemed quite content.

Jia Lian unconsciously hugged the person next to him, bringing their body closer to his.

Zhen Yuhuan let out a soft moan. As she was wiping her chest, she gathered the handkerchief together and nestled against Jia Lian's chest.

After a while, she finally couldn't hold back any longer. She propped herself up slightly and looked at Jia Lian, asking, "Did you get involved with her because you didn't want her to have your child?"

Jia Lian was greatly surprised and couldn't help but look down at her.

Zhen Yuhuan immediately realized the reason for Jia Lian's surprise, and she explained in a low voice, "Before, I was going to marry the Crown Prince, so my mother secretly taught me a lot about how to serve others..."

The more Zhen Yuhuan spoke, the redder her face became, and the softer her voice grew.

Jia Lian felt relieved, moved his arm around the beauty up to touch her flushed face, and replied, "You're still too young. If you want children, it's not too late to wait a few more years. Having children too early is very dangerous, and your sworn brother doesn't want you to take that risk."

Upon hearing this, Zhen Yuhuan nodded as if she understood, then buried her head back in Jia Lian's chest, feeling the sound of his heartbeat, and she felt incredibly satisfied.

Suddenly she raised her head again and said, "Brother, I like you."

"Yes, I know."

"It's the kind of love that's so strong. Ever since you lifted me out of the icy water in Weiyang Palace, my heart has been filled with your image. I can't forget you, day or night."

But at that time I was engaged to the Crown Prince, so I dared not tell you.

"Now...it's so good..."

Zhen Yuhuan was moved and opened her heart to her beloved.

But noticing that Jia Lian didn't react much, she became somewhat uneasy.

She glanced at Jia Lian's expression discreetly, then said, "But don't worry, sworn brother, I won't bother you, nor will I compete with Sister Feng and Sister Lin for anything. What happened today was entirely my own choice and has nothing to do with you, sworn brother, so you don't need to take it to heart..."

She tried to appear relaxed and carefree, but ultimately couldn't control her emotions well, and her voice choked up as she spoke.

Upon hearing this, Jia Lian sighed, raised his other hand and patted her head, scolding, "Silly girl, what nonsense are you talking about? Since you've given yourself to me, you naturally belong to me."

However, your sworn brother is currently facing some unresolved troubles, and I'm afraid I won't be able to take good care of you if you stay by my side. Therefore, you and your mother should return to Nanjing first.

Don't worry, it will be at most three years. Within three years, your sworn brother will definitely bring you to my side, and then we can be together every day, okay?"

"real?"

When Zhen Yuhuan heard that Jia Lian wanted her to return to Nanjing, she felt a little disappointed. But when she heard what he said next, she was overjoyed.

Jia Lian grunted in agreement and countered, "What, you still don't trust your sworn brother?"

"No, I trust my sworn brother. I'll listen to him and wait for you to come and get me in Nanjing!"

Zhen Yuhuan gave herself to Jia Lian so easily, which was just a youthful impulse; she hadn't originally planned anything.

She was already quite satisfied with the promise Jia Lian had given her.

Suddenly, she realized a problem and said nervously, "Oh no, we've been out for so long, won't Sister Lin suspect something?"

Zhen Yuhuan was not ready to face Daiyu, and she had always relied on currying favor with Daiyu to stay by Daiyu's side and thus get closer to Jia Lian.

Daiyu had always been very kind to her, but now she was having an affair with Jia Lian behind Daiyu's back, which naturally made her feel very sorry for Daiyu.

But then I thought that I was leaving Beijing and heading south tomorrow anyway, so I felt much more at ease.

When Jia Lian heard Zhen Yuhuan's words, he smiled and was about to say something when he heard a "rustling" sound.

Someone is coming.

However, Jia Lian wasn't nervous at all; he knew who was coming.

Sure enough, just as Zhen Yuhuan was nervously trying to hide in his arms, Aqin appeared before them.

She first glanced at them, her gaze lingering on Zhen Yuhuan's fair body, before smilingly saying to Jia Lian, "If you don't get up soon, I'm afraid Miss Lin and the others will come after you."

Jia Lian had already sat up. Hearing this, he nodded and prepared to get dressed.

However, Ah Qin reminded him, "Master, don't move yet. Let me clean you up first."

As she spoke, Aqin took out the water bottle she had prepared at her waist, soaked a handkerchief, and then knelt down in front of Jia Lian to wipe and clean the messiest parts.

Originally feeling quite ashamed, Zhen Yuhuan saw Jia Lian so openly exposing his body in front of Aqin, and naturally understood that this sister Aqin, who always carried a sword, was probably also Jia Lian's woman.

Despite this, she still shyly hid behind Jia Lian, not daring to let Aqin see her naked body.

Jia Lian was deeply moved to see how well Aqin had prepared everything. He knew that Aqin or her sisters had guessed that Zhen Yuhuan was still a virgin, and since there was no water source for cleaning in the mountains, they had specially prepared water and handkerchiefs.

"Hehehe, Miss Zhen is indeed a delicate virgin; she doesn't seem to have satisfied your master at all."

Aqin's sudden remark startled Zhen Yuhuan. She then followed Aqin's gaze and felt both ashamed and embarrassed. At the same time, she couldn't help but ask herself, "Did I really fail to satisfy my sworn brother?"

Jia Lian slapped Aqin on the head as a form of punishment, then said, "Give it to me."

Aqin naturally understood Jia Lian's meaning. Covering her head with a somewhat aggrieved expression, she handed the handkerchief to Jia Lian and knelt down.

Seeing that Zhen Yuhuan stubbornly hid behind Jia Lian and refused to come out even when Jia Lian coaxed her, she was happy to see the joke, but when Jia Lian looked at her, she could only obediently turn around and turn her back.

After Jia Lian finally cleaned Zhen Yuhuan's body, Aqin helped the two of them get dressed.

The mountain path was uneven, and since Zhen Yuhuan was still a newborn, Jia Lian carried her down the mountain.

During the process, Jia Lian couldn't help but think that although the previous chase hadn't lasted long, it had covered three or four miles. Zhen Yuhuan's current condition was definitely not suitable for riding a horse again, but if he carried her back, it would inevitably arouse people's imaginations.

Since he decided to let Zhen Yuhuan go back to Nanjing with her mother first, he meant he had decided not to expose her yet.

After all, his relationship with Baochai had only just been established, and he really didn't want to upset Daiyu and the others too much.

Then, a thought crossed his mind, and he said to Aqin behind him, "There is a mountain road about a mile away that can be traveled by carriage. Go and arrange for a carriage to come over there, and we will wait for you there."

If the girls see you and ask, just say she hurt her foot and I took her to see a doctor.

Upon hearing this, Aqin chuckled and immediately did as instructed.

Zhen Yuhuan, who was in Jia Lian's arms, naturally understood what Jia Lian meant from his words. Although she was a little embarrassed, she also thought her sworn brother was very clever.

This explanation not only explains why they were delayed for so long, but also conceals her current physical inconvenience, and incidentally, it also makes sense that their clothes got dirty—it's a perfect solution.

With no one else around, Zhen Yuhuan reverted to her usual demure and affectionate self, wrapping her arms around Jia Lian's neck and savoring the feeling of being held in his embrace.

Suddenly she remembered something, and her expression became conflicted and hesitant.

Jia Lian looked down and asked, "What's wrong?"

"without……"

Jia Lian smiled slightly and did not ask any further questions.

After a while, as they were about to reach the other side of the mountain path, Zhen Yuhuan made her decision after much deliberation.

"Brother, I'm sorry..."

Jia Lian looked at her with a puzzled expression.

A hint of remorse appeared on Zhen Yuhuan's delicate face: "Brother, I'm sorry. I deceived everyone, and I deceived you."

Actually, I can ride horses. The reason the horse I was riding went out of control before was because I did it on purpose. I secretly stabbed it with a hairpin...

Zhen Yuhuan sounded aggrieved and uneasy, afraid that Jia Lian would be angry with her.

But she felt she had to take the initiative to confess, because she knew that with Jia Lian's intelligence, he would understand when he turned around and discovered it, or when his subordinates told him about the horse's injuries.

She was afraid that Jia Lian would despise her, so she thought it better to confess first and maybe she could gain her sworn brother's forgiveness.

After all, her purpose in doing this was simply to escape everyone's attention and spend some time alone with Jia Lian...

Upon hearing this, Jia Lian showed no surprise. He smiled and said, "Alright, I saw through you a long time ago and understand your thoughts. Don't worry, I don't blame you."

Jia Lian was initially puzzled, after all, if Zhen Yuhuan had never ridden a horse before, it was illogical that the horse hadn't shaken her off the mountain road at such a rough and bumpy speed.

Jia Lian knew that if it were Daiyu, she would probably have fallen off the wheat field long ago.

But at first, he was too worried to think much of it. It wasn't until he kissed Zhen Yuhuan that he saw the horse trying to turn its head to lick something, and he noticed the barely noticeable wound on the horse's back.

He had a rough idea of ​​it back then.

"Really?" Zhen Yuhuan asked in surprise. From Jia Lian's reaction, she could tell that Jia Lian really didn't mean to blame her.

Jia Lian slapped Zhen Yuhuan's small, upturned bottom and scolded, "Although I don't blame you this time, you mustn't be so reckless next time. What if you fell off your horse?"

"Yes, I know, I won't do it again." She smiled playfully.

In fact, Zhen Yuhuan was too eager to be alone with Jia Lian and wanted to have something happen between them before parting, so she acted rashly and impulsively.

In reality, how good was her horsemanship? On that stretch of mountain road, she almost fell off her horse several times because she couldn't hold on tight. She thought she was going to die, so when she cried in Jia Lian's arms in fear, she was really scared.

……