Dream of the Red Chamber: Daiyu and I swapped clothes

Chapter 23 The Demon King of Confusion
After lifting the stone weight for several days in a row, Lin Daiyu had gotten somewhat used to it.

At first, she would stretch her arms until they ached after only two or three lifts, but now she can do five lifts cleanly and easily.

After adjusting your breathing, divide into four groups and slowly complete the morning exercises.

Sweating profusely indoors has led to a gradual change in her diet. Initially, she avoided meat and ate mostly bland food, but now she can better tolerate some meat and sweet and savory side dishes to replenish her salt intake.

Especially since she had a mountain of homework to do on her desk, Lin Daiyu had to be on her toes.

If she doesn't finish these things within ten days, that playboy will definitely ignore them again when he returns.

"Why should I do things for him?"

Lin Daiyu pouted, feeling a little dissatisfied.

The thought that the纨绔 (playboy) was likely still indulging in pleasure at the Rongguo Mansion made Lin Daiyu even more agitated.

"Chen'er, what are you doing? Mother is coming in."

Upon hearing this, Lin Daiyu quickly put the booklet containing her communication with Li Chen into the drawer, then picked up her classic texts and pretended to be a diligent student.

Her movements were so fluid and graceful that even she was slightly taken aback.

Since when did she, a sheltered young lady, also learn such superb acting skills?
In the past, she hated hypocrisy and lies the most, but now, forced by circumstances, she had no choice but to do so, and her heart was filled with mixed feelings.

"Mother, the door isn't locked."

Lady Zou, the wife of the Marquis of Zhenyuan, stepped inside, glanced into the room, and said with great satisfaction, "Chen'er, are you still studying hard?"

"I still need to finish two more articles before noon."

Lin Daiyu turned around and saw that Zou Shi's face was completely bare of makeup, and the filigree gold hairpin she usually wore was now replaced with a plain copper hairpin.

Although they were all similar colors, Lin Daiyu, who came from a noble family, noticed the difference in luster at a glance.

"Chen'er, is there something on your mother's face?"

Seeing Li Chen staring intently at her, Madam Zou was somewhat puzzled and began to examine her face in the bronze mirror beside her desk.

Lin Daiyu stood up and helped her to sit in a chair, asking with concern, "Mother, why did you change your hairpin?"

"Oh, so that's what it is." Madam Zou's eyes darkened almost imperceptibly, but she quickly put on a smile and stroked Lin Daiyu's hand, saying, "I've been having some headaches lately, and the gold hairpin and hair ornaments are too heavy, so I've changed to these lighter ones."

Lin Daiyu was extremely perceptive; how could she not discern the truth or falsehood in those words?

It was probably because of Li Chen's previous words about the winter clothing for the military camp that the Zhenyuan Marquis's mansion had spent several thousand taels of silver, which led to a tightening of the household's food, clothing, and other necessities.

Thinking of this, Lin Daiyu raised her hand and patted Zou Shi's back again. Sure enough, she was no longer wearing the leather coat she usually wore to keep warm.

"Is the manor so short of money? Even Madam Zou has pawned her jewelry? I've been staying in my room these past few days, and my expenses haven't been reduced... I hadn't thought about it in detail."

"How about we ask Father for some? But we can't give any to the Marquis of Zhenyuan's mansion."

Lin Daiyu is now truly experiencing what it feels like to be struggling to make a living, and she can't help but seriously consider countermeasures, completely forgetting to curse Li Chen in her heart.

"Chen'er." Madam Zou pulled herself back to reality, but her face still held an undisguised pride. "I'm not here to gossip. Your father is back, and the idea you came up with last time was absolutely brilliant! Today in court, not only was your father unharmed, but he also received praise from the censor and gained fame in the army. He truly turned misfortune into blessing!"

"Your father still has something to ask you right now, so go to the study."

Lin Daiyu's expression froze. "That method was actually conceived by that playboy? I thought he just wanted to get rid of Mr. Xing."

"He has such strategic planning skills; he's really more than just a playboy."

Upon careful consideration, Lin Daiyu's opinion of Li Chen began to change somewhat.

But then Lin Daiyu couldn't help but worry, "But what will the Marquis ask me..."

……

Rongguo Mansion
One morning, after eating a breakfast of top-quality bird's nest porridge and braised venison, Li Chen felt his body full of energy and even slightly hot, so he decided to go for a walk.

First, replenish your energy with food; it's also time to go out and exercise.

"Zijuan, Xueyan, let's go for a walk in the garden later. Didn't they say the winter plum blossoms in the garden are in bloom?"

"it is good."

The two responded and instinctively went to fetch the bamboo basket for picking flowers and the jade bottle for collecting morning dew.

Li Chen chuckled. "We're not doing any of that today, just stretching our muscles." "Stretching our muscles?"

Zijuan and Xueyan looked at each other in bewilderment.

It's quite incongruous to associate the phrase "stretching one's muscles" with the delicate beauty of young women.

Thinking of this, the two couldn't help but suspect Lin Daiyu's recent abnormal behavior, especially her overly intimate physical contact with them, which made her seem like a man.

But the two of them had just changed Lin Daiyu's undergarments that morning, so the idea seemed somewhat absurd.

"The girl has been so unpredictable lately..."

The two nodded, and in the end, they could only come up with this one reason.

Li Chen, however, was impatient. While the two maids were exchanging glances, he took off his hair and tied it into a neat high ponytail at the back of his head.

I never imagined that what I did for my deskmate in my past life could be used on myself now.

Looking in the mirror, Lin Daiyu's eyebrows and eyes were exquisite, her expression refreshing and neat. Paired with a high ponytail, if she wore a school uniform from her past life, she would be the white moonlight of countless people.

The plum blossoms planted in the back garden of Rongguo Mansion are early-blooming plums, which bloom in early winter.

With its embellishment, what should have been a scene of withered branches and fallen leaves, desolate and decaying, now has a touch of vitality.

The winter plum blossoms are serene and elegant, with a delicate and subtle fragrance.

Walking along the path through the plum grove, the subtle fragrance filling the air, is truly a delightful experience.

Li Chen jogged slowly with his arms crossed, his cheeks flushed pink in the wind, and puffs of white mist came out of his mouth.

He didn't feel tired at all; on the contrary, the two maids behind him were so exhausted that they were almost collapsing and begged him to stop.

"Girl, please spare us, we really can't run anymore."

Li Chen glanced back and saw that the two women's chests were heaving with their heavy breathing.

Looking down at yourself, your gaze goes straight to your feet.

Li Chen felt a pang of sorrow. "Running without weights, he's really a promising athlete."

Composing himself, Li Chen approached the two men, also panting heavily, and said, "Exercising your muscles and bones in winter is very beneficial to your heart and lungs, and just like reading, you have to keep at it."

"However, it's only the first day, and I'm already quite exhausted. Let's rest for a bit and then head back."

Zijuan and Xueyan breathed a sigh of relief and nodded repeatedly in agreement.

Leaning against the railing of the waterside pavilion, Li Chen gazed at the distant lake.

The back garden of Rongguo Mansion alone is the size of his university campus. If a Grand View Garden were built, who knows what kind of scenery it would be.

"By the way, why haven't any of the sisters from the other rooms come to visit me lately?"

Li Chen asked, puzzled.

Upon hearing this, Zijuan and Xueyan's expressions immediately became somewhat unnatural.

The older Zijuan carefully chose her words and said tactfully, "Miss, perhaps it's because the end of the year is approaching, and all the young ladies are busy with needlework in their rooms."

Xueyan, however, couldn't keep her mouth shut. Panting, she muttered softly, "Busy? Ever since last time you dealt with Zhou Rui's wife at Rongqing Hall, and then in Second Mistress Lian's room, you knocked Second Master Lian's sword away with a sword... oh no, a candlestick, and even made Second Master Bao cry his eyes out. Now, everyone in this mansion is saying that you, Miss..."

Li Chen raised an eyebrow and spoke for her, "You're saying I'm a troublemaker, someone you can't mess with, right?"

Xueyan stuck out her tongue and shook her head slightly.

Upon hearing this, Li Chen was not annoyed at all; on the contrary, he was secretly pleased. "That's just right. Without Jia Baoyu bothering me, I can go back to the Zhenyuan Marquis's residence with peace of mind."

"But I really don't want to go back."

"Hey, girl, what are you doing?"

Zijuan was startled when Lin Daiyu suddenly pounced on her.

"I'm exhausted," Li Chen said matter-of-factly. "Carry me back."

Zijuan was both amused and exasperated, but she managed to hold her young lady back firmly. "If you don't have the strength, don't run around so happily next time."

(End of this chapter)