The splendor of the Red Chamber, the power that reigns supreme.

Chapter 104 Adopting him as a godson enhances his reputation
In an instant, Mrs. Lin felt dizzy!

A surge of scalding blood, like a floodgate bursting open, rushed from the soles of my feet straight to the top of my head with a "boom"!

She let out a soft "Oh dear!" and was so embarrassed that she wished she could turn into a wisp of smoke and disappear immediately!
In her panic, she lost her grip on the handkerchief and prayer beads, and they fell to the ground with a thud. She didn't even bother to pick them up.

So he wasn't going to marry me after all!
So it turns out they wanted to adopt my son as their godson!
So that's how marriages are arranged!
Not knowing where to put her hands, she would cover her burning cheeks tightly, the heat burning through her skin to her palms; then she would try to cover her reddened ears, but in her flustered state, her neck and collarbone were also tinged with a fiery red.

She suddenly lowered her head, wishing she could bury her head in her high breasts, leaving only the top of her slicked-back hair exposed, trembling slightly in the waves of shame.

"I...I...Gui-jie, you...you..." She stammered, her voice barely audible, thick with sobs. Her body was so limp it felt like her spine had been pulled out, and she shrank into the large rosewood chair, but even the chair seemed to be covered in thorns, making it impossible to sit comfortably.

Her shameful and remorseful appearance vanished, and her haughty demeanor as a third-rank noblewoman disappeared completely. She looked exactly like a plucked chick thrown into a basin of boiling water!

Standing to the side, Li Guijie saw that she was so embarrassed that she almost fainted, and she chuckled inwardly. It turned out that this high-ranking noblewoman was so easily fooled by her pretense of propriety.

What kind of living Bodhisattva is this! He's just a lustful, fleshy Bodhisattva!
She didn't point it out, but simply bent down to pick up the fallen embroidered handkerchief and prayer beads, gently dusted them off, and handed them back. Her eyes sparkled, and she smiled meaningfully:
“Madam, what do you think of this matter… San Guan’er is fortunate to have such a powerful and influential godfather as Master Ximen. What else could you possibly worry about? Besides, Master Ximen will personally guide and discipline him, wouldn’t that be convenient?”

Li Guijie's almond-shaped eyes held a half-smile as she coldly watched Mrs. Lin's embarrassed appearance as she writhed like a candy in her chair.

The contempt in her heart was like ice-cold well water in the dead of winter, cold and hard. She muttered to herself:
"Bah! What a virtuous and chaste woman, a noble lady with a beautiful exterior but a gilded exterior! In public, she puts on airs, looking down on girls from lowly families like dirt. But in private, she's just as easily bored and lonely as anyone else!"

"They put on a more solemn act than a bodhisattva, constantly spouting 'imperial decrees,' 'laws,' and 'ancestors,' but the lust that crawls out of their very bones can be smelled from two miles away!"
They crave that empty title hanging in the ancestral hall to receive incense offerings, yet they desperately want to crawl into Ximen Qing's lavish bedchamber and wallow in pleasure! Utterly hypocritical! This virtuous woman is even worse than us!

Li Guijie, however, showed no sign of it on her face, hiding her meanness deep in her eyes, which turned into a barely perceptible cold light.

Seeing that Mrs. Lin was almost embarrassed, she offered a way out, and gracefully stepped forward, her voice regaining its usual smooth and crisp tone, carrying an undeniable air of authority:
“Since Madam has no objections, the matter is settled! Please rest assured, I will go back and report to Master Ximen right away. He is the most considerate man, and he will certainly prepare generous gifts to visit Madam and discuss the procedures for recognizing the family, ensuring that Madam does not lose face!”

After saying this, Li Guijie curtsied and turned to leave.

"Gui...Gui-jie'er!" Upon hearing this, Mrs. Lin suddenly struggled out of the mire of shame, forgetting that the blush on her face had not yet faded, and hurriedly called out to stop her. Her voice was urgent, with a hint of panic that was hard to detect, and the handkerchief was unconsciously tightened again.

Li Guijie stopped and turned around, puzzled: "Does Madam have any other instructions?"

Mrs. Lin's eyes flickered, not daring to look directly at Sister Gui. She kept her head down and stammered in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz, yet incredibly clear: "This...this main gate...people come and go, and it's nighttime, it's just...just too conspicuous...I'm afraid...I'm afraid it will cause gossip..."

She paused, as if using all her strength, before finally squeezing out the words she was too ashamed to say:
“You…you go back and tell the master…there’s a…a small side gate under the rose trellis behind the mansion…it’s usually hidden by the flowers and not very noticeable…it’s…cheaper to get in from there…”

Before she could finish speaking, her cheeks, which had just begun to flush, suddenly burned hot again, and even her earlobes turned bright red, as if she had personally peeled off the last piece of clothing covering her shame.

Upon hearing this, Li Guijie's expression turned strange, constantly changing. Even though she was good at concealing her feelings, she couldn't hold back for a long time before finally bursting out with a "pfft" laugh. The laugh was crisp and had a hint of knowing-it-all playfulness.

She covered her mouth with a handkerchief, her eyes darting around, staring intently at Mrs. Lin's face, which had turned from pink to red, and then from red to stiff.
"Madam! You're really... a bit too hasty!" Sister Gui deliberately emphasized the word "hasty," making it sound like two red-hot needles piercing Mrs. Lin's shame.

"Does Your Excellency mean to prepare gifts and pay a visit at the main gate tomorrow? How can he possibly fly to the side gate of your back garden? Or do you intend for him to come over late tonight? I can tell Your Excellency that it's still quite late!"

"Boom!"

Li Guijie's casual words were like a thunderclap in Mrs. Lin's ears!
She felt an even stronger, purer, and more inescapable sense of shame surge from the soles of her feet to the top of her head like volcanic lava! It instantly swept through her entire body!

Oh, so it's supposed to be tomorrow!
I...I thought it was going to happen tonight!
Her meticulously maintained fair face was so intensely red it looked like it was about to bleed, and her ears, neck, and even the slightly exposed collarbone were all tinged with a scorching, almost burning crimson! Her body was taut, every muscle bearing the weight of that overwhelming wave of shame.

Seeing this, Li Guijie's mind raced. Although the matter had succeeded, wouldn't it be even better to help the master advance further? A smile appeared on her lips, and her eyes glanced again at the pointed tip of Mrs. Lin's pomegranate-red strapless bodice:

"Madam, look at you! Although you are over thirty, your demeanor and the charm in your eyes are just...tsk tsk tsk...you are like a ripe peach, at the sweetest and juiciest time! You should be wearing gold and silver, wrapped in bright brocade and satin, and adorned with a head full of dazzling pearls and jade!"

"Your status as a Lady of Imperial Decree is a golden signboard! Not to mention this small Qinghe County, even if you stepped into the capital and stood among the ladies of the Duke's and Marquis's mansions, your appearance and figure would be outstanding, the best of the best! I guarantee you would outshine all those withered and boring old feudal lords!"

Li Guijie became increasingly "emotional" as she spoke, her voice rising as if she truly felt wronged for Mrs. Lin: "But look at her! Look at her now! This empty mansion, so dilapidated, and her clothes..."

She deliberately glanced at Mrs. Lin's cuffs again, and when she saw her quickly pull the old cuffs back into her body, she sneered inwardly, with endless regret, "Wearing these old clothes from previous years has completely buried your celestial beauty! A pearl cast before swine, a phoenix fallen from its perch!"

“Look at me, even though I’ve been through so much in this world, I understand one thing: in this world, women are like vines, always needing to find a big tree to climb up and shelter from the wind and rain. If that tree isn’t strong and its roots aren’t solid, when a storm comes, the vines will just wither on the ground and be trampled on.”

(End of this chapter)