Dream of the Red Chamber: My Daiyu Has Been Reborn

When Li Qi emerged from Zuixianlou, he was completely drunk, mumbling incoherently, "The Great General is mighty!" Fortunately, he didn't shout "Long live the Emperor!", otherwise Gu Jinhong would have gagged him with his socks.

As dusk approached, the number of pedestrians on the street gradually decreased, and lanterns were hung up one after another in the shops along the street.

Gu Jinhong summoned his guards and ordered them to put Li Qi in a carriage and send him back. He himself did not go with them, but instead strolled slowly along the street to a tea stall.

The tea stall was very simple, with only a few rough wooden tables and benches, and there weren't many customers at this time.

Gu Jinhong didn't mind the simple conditions. He sat up, ordered a bowl of coarse tea, and slowly drank it.

Before long, Bai Yutang walked over from a distance, looking refreshed, and sat down directly opposite Gu Jinhong.

"What orders does our Second Master Gu have this time? There are quite a few new girls at Third Sister's place, and I've only just gotten started when you called me over in such a hurry."

Gu Jinhong glanced at the lipstick mark on his collar: "Since you like it so much, I'll tell Liu Sanniang to keep you at Anxiang to entertain guests. It just so happens that many young masters from noble families in the capital city have a taste for you."

Bai Yutang shuddered, a chill running down his spine. He quickly sat up straight. "Second Master, just give me your orders. I'll do anything, even go through fire and water. If I even flinch, I'm not Bai. I have a bad temper. I can't even afford a drink in Anxiang. I'd better not ruin Third Sister's business."

Gu Jinhong glanced at him indifferently and said without beating around the bush, "Send some people to keep an eye on the Qin family."

"Which Qin family?"

"Qin Ye, Director of the Construction Department."

"Didn't we keep an eye on him before? Qin Ye only goes to the yamen for roll call every day, and then he stays home all the time. There are only a few people in the house, not even a stranger. What's there to keep an eye on?" Yu Tang thought for a moment, then suddenly realized, "Second Master, could it be that you've taken a fancy to his adopted daughter? But don't you already have a fiancée? Are you thinking of finding another mistress?"

Gu Jinhong looked at him expressionlessly.

Bai Yutang felt a little uneasy under his gaze and quickly became serious: "Please speak, I'm listening."

"His adopted daughter is getting married next month."

"Whom did she marry?"

"Jia Rong, son of Jia Zhen of Ningguo Mansion."

Upon hearing this, Bai Yutang raised an eyebrow slightly: "Although the Ningguo Mansion is not as grand as it used to be, it is still a Duke's mansion built by imperial decree. Qin Ye is indeed quite capable to have managed to marry his daughter into the Duke's mansion. However, this is not too surprising. The Qin family's daughter is indeed outstanding in appearance and character, and it is possible that the Jia family is after her."

"If it's just about the person, that's nothing special. But what if they're after something else?"

Bai Yutang's expression hardened: "Could there be a problem with Qin's identity?"

"I don't know, that's why I'm asking you to investigate. Focus on observing whether any suspicious unfamiliar faces appear near the Qin family's residence."

Bai Yutang knew that Gu Jinhong wouldn't speak without reason, so he nodded: "Alright, I'll also send some people over to Ningguo Mansion."

……

As night deepened, two lanterns hung under the eaves of the Pear Blossom Courtyard, swaying gently in the breeze.

Daiyu sat behind her desk by the window, reading a book in the dim light.

Zijuan walked in quietly.

"Young lady, it's getting late, you should rest."

"What time is it?"

"It's just past 7 PM. Granny Zhou and Granny Sun have already retired for the night. Xueyan was so sleepy that she kept dozing off, so I let her go back first."

Daiyu nodded and was about to get up when a series of footsteps suddenly came from outside the courtyard gate. The footsteps were very light, but since it was late at night, they were all the more noticeable.

The footsteps stopped at the door.

Zijuan had obviously heard this as well. She frowned slightly and said in a low voice, "Miss, please stay seated. I'll go out and check."

She walked to the gate and peeked through the crack. She could vaguely see a familiar figure standing outside, peering in cautiously.

Zijuan's heart skipped a beat, and she turned around and quickly returned to the main room: "Miss, it looks like Master Bao is outside."

Daiyu seemed to have expected this and was not surprised: "Don't worry about it. Just turn off the light and pretend you're going to sleep."

Zijuan understood and blew out the candlestick on the table, plunging the room into darkness.

Outside the courtyard gate, Jia Baoyu stood at the entrance, holding a bag of osmanthus cakes. Ever since he met Daiyu at the Princess's residence, he had been unable to forget her aloof and elegant demeanor. None of the sisters in the mansion, who were used to coaxing him, were like that.

He had originally intended to greet Daiyu at the gate with Jia Lian when he heard she was coming today, but Gu Er, that brute, was also there, so he didn't dare show himself. He finally made it to night, but couldn't fall asleep, so he made an excuse to slip out and made his way to Pear Fragrance Courtyard.

He stood outside the door for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, and seeing that there was still no movement inside, he couldn't help but raise his hand and knock on the door knocker.

"Lin Daiyu? Lin Daiyu, are you asleep? It's your Second Brother Bao. Open the door, I brought you some osmanthus cake."

Seeing no response from inside, Jia Baoyu grabbed the door knocker and knocked twice more: "Sister Lin, I know you're awake. Please let me in to see you, okay? Just for a quick look."

Zijuan stood behind the door, her palms slightly sweaty. She knew the temperament of this young master Bao; the less anyone paid attention to him, the better he felt, and the less willing he was to give up.

Sure enough, a short while later, there was another rustling sound outside the door. Jia Baoyu walked around the courtyard wall to the small gate on the west side, where the old women usually brought water and firewood. The door bolt was only loosely hung.

With a soft click, the door was pushed open by Jia Baoyu.

Zijuan's heart tightened, and she was about to speak up to remind him when a sharp shout suddenly rang out from the next room.

"Who is it?"

Granny Zhou emerged from the west wing carrying a lantern. Although she had already retired for the night, the alertness she had developed from years of service in the palace made her awake the moment a sound was heard.

Jia Baoyu was startled by the sudden question, and almost dropped the osmanthus cake he was carrying. He turned around and saw an old woman with gray hair staring coldly at him. He felt a little guilty and said, "I...I am Baoyu from the manor. I just...I just came to see Lin Daiyu."

"Master Bao?" Granny Zhou sized him up. "This old servant is here on the orders of Her Highness the Princess to serve Miss Lin and protect her safety. Now that it's late and the dew is heavy, Master Bao, as a man, has broken into Miss Lin's residence at night. I wonder which family's rules this violates?"

Jia Baoyu blushed with embarrassment at her words: "This old woman, I only brought some food, I meant no harm."

"Why bring food uninvited in the middle of the night? In all my years in the palace, I have never seen such a thing done. If Master Bao does not leave, I will have no choice but to inform the Old Madam and send a message back to the Princess's residence."

Upon hearing the words "Princess's Residence," Jia Baoyu was immediately startled, his face changed color, and he felt pain in every part of his body, including his back, chest, and lips.

He shrank back, not daring to linger any longer: "I'm leaving now, I'm leaving now." He lowered his head and quickly retreated out of the yard.

After he walked away, Granny Zhou went to the small door, bolted it, checked it carefully, and then turned back into the house.

Inside the house, Daiyu listened to the sound of the courtyard gate closing again and slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.

Zijuan said worriedly, "Miss, you may not know this since you've just arrived, but given Master Bao's temperament, you'll likely cause him a lot of trouble in the future."

"It's alright. With Granny Zhou and Granny Sun around, he can't cause any trouble. It's just that this matter will probably reach the old lady's ears tomorrow, and then we'll have to deal with it."

"Is there anything you'd like to do in advance, young lady?"

"No need," Daiyu gently shook her head. "He broke into Pear Fragrance Courtyard at night. Even if the old lady wanted to protect him, she couldn't do so openly. I just need to pretend I don't know anything and go to pay my respects as usual tomorrow."

Zijuan nodded and made the bed for Daiyu. Daiyu lay on the bed, but her heart was not much turmoil.

She had already experienced Jia Baoyu's persistent advances before; what seemed like deep affection was actually nothing more than a lust for fleeting novelty and superficiality.