Dream of the Red Chamber: Daiyu and I swapped clothes

Chapter 54 Don't stay here!

Having lived two lives, Li Chen never expected to relive the embarrassing feeling of being caught by his parents for skipping class to go online when he was young.

This time, however, the Marquis of Zhenyuan and his wife did not become hysterical.

Even when they returned to the main hall of the mansion, the two of them were too busy to pay attention to him and simply let him sit by his side with his hands at his sides.

"Master, have you caught the thief?"

Zou stepped forward, taking off the dusty cloak from the Marquis of Zhenyuan and handing it to Chuntao, while asking softly.

Marquis Zhenyuan sighed heavily and sat down at the tea table. “No. That thief is extremely cunning, agile, and good at disguise. He blends into the crowd like an eel into the sea, impossible to find.”

"What a terrible thing..."

Madam Zou also sighed, "Why did the master return at this time?"

Marquis Zhenyuan then raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over Li Chen, who was hanging his head below the hall, and said irritably, "Isn't it all because of him?"

Upon hearing this, Li Chen lowered his head even further, pursed his lips, and remained silent, waiting for a scolding.

Unexpectedly, the Marquis of Zhenyuan spoke up, "Why aren't you going back to your room to study? Are you trying to make me angry by standing here?"

Li Chen felt as if he had been granted a pardon, and bowed, saying, "Then I shall go back?"

Marquis Zhenyuan waved his hand impatiently, "Go away, go away, don't bother me."

After Li Chen left, Madam Zou asked suspiciously, "I noticed you and your son looked off as soon as you came in. Didn't he go to have drinks with the Xue family's son today?"

"Yes, I went there. Guess where I bumped into him?"

"where?"

"Lichun Pavilion!"

Madam Zou frowned immediately. "Why did Chen'er go to a place like that? He just got a new maid in his room."

Marquis Zhenyuan blew on the tea foam and shook his head, saying, "He's reached the age where he understands human affairs, and I'm afraid he can't hold back anymore."

"They must have led those merchants' sons astray!" Madam Zou was very dissatisfied.

"Not necessarily."

Marquis Zhenyuan smiled instead, “I think that Xue family lad is quite loyal, so it’s not a bad thing for Chen’er to associate with him.”

"Loyalty, loyalty, stop talking about such unimportant things!"

Madam Zou glared at him, then ordered, "Chuntao, go and call Xiangling here."

"Yes."

After resting briefly, Marquis Zhenyuan went to the inner hall to rest.

Before long, Xiangling quietly entered, her heart pounding with anxiety. Her legs felt weak, and before she could even speak, she curtsied, not daring to lift her head.

Her close interactions with Li Chen these past few days have made her feel very guilty, and she's most afraid of her wife calling her name.

Zou Shi liked Xiangling because of her beautiful appearance and gentle nature, but she also felt that Xiangling was too timid and how she would be able to control the young maids in the future.
Thinking of this, Ms. Zou intended to give her some pointers.

Do you know where Chen-ge went today?

Xiangling nodded timidly, her voice barely audible, "She went to drink with Master Xue...

"So that's how it is. Who knew we'd end up in a brothel? Did you know that?"

Xiangling shook her head repeatedly, so anxious that she was about to kneel down again, "Madam, please understand, this servant really doesn't know!"

Madam Zou winked at Chun Tao to help her up. "I don't suspect you of hiding anything from me. I just want to ask you, why couldn't you keep the young master in the house?"

"You've only been in the manor for less than a month. How could he possibly abandon you to go out and find food elsewhere? Could it be that you really intend to leave the manor?"

Xiangling hurriedly waved her hand, "No, I never thought of that!"

Madam Zou nodded, her tone softening slightly. "I'm not trying to make things difficult for you today. Now that you're in the young master's household, although I won't allow you to consummate the marriage right now, you should at least use some gentle measures to keep him indoors and prevent him from causing trouble outside." "With the county examination just around the corner, this is no time for such things."

Upon hearing this, Xiangling's mouth gaped slightly, and she stood there stunned.

After savoring the meaning of her words, her cheeks flushed instantly, like a crimson lantern hanging from the beam.

Embarrassed to the point of wanting to disappear, Xiangling could only manage a faint "Mmm" from her throat as a form of acknowledgment.

Chuntao, watching from the side, couldn't help but cover her mouth with her handkerchief and giggle.

"It's good that you know what's going on. Go ahead."

"Yes……"

……

Rongguo Mansion
Lin Daiyu was writing furiously at her desk under the lamp, reviewing her lessons.

Zijuan and Xueyan sat side by side not far away, busy with their needlework.

The girl has gone from quietly reading to now writing with great flair, and the two of them have gotten used to it.

But there are always people who are not used to it.

Shi Xiangyun arrived in a flurry along the corridor, pushed open the door, rushed to the desk, looked down at it closely, and exclaimed in surprise, "Oh my! Sister Lin, you've actually written an essay on classical texts?"

Lin Daiyu was not familiar with Shi Xiangyun, but Shi Xiangyun was very outgoing and friendly.

Without even raising her head, Lin Daiyu continued writing intently, "Exactly."

Shi Xiangyun looked Lin Daiyu up and down and said with a smile, "Good sister, if you didn't know better, you would think you were the one who was going to take the imperial examination!"

Taking a breath, Shi Xiangyun continued, "I went to see Brother Ai just now. He studied at Mengpo Studio all day and came back to find himself paralyzed on the bed. Sister Xiren and the others are taking care of him, and he is just waiting to be settled down and rest."

A hint of coldness flashed across Lin Daiyu's lips as she said indifferently, "This is just his style."

Shi Xiangyun was completely oblivious to Lin Daiyu's coldness. "Sister Lin, since you are so knowledgeable about these things, look at Brother Ai's learning. Is it possible to learn Chinese?"

"To be honest, he is not unintelligent, but to stand out from thousands of people, he will probably need a bit of luck."

Shi Xiangyun nodded in agreement, "Even Sister Lin said so, so it must be true. If he could be half as diligent as Sister Lin, his luck would probably be better."

"Nothing."

Shi Xiangyun changed the subject abruptly, her mouth moving faster than her brain, and said bluntly, "Even if my love for my brother is not good, it is still better than the second young master of the Zhenyuan Marquis family who made such a boastful remark in Rongqing Hall that day. I specifically asked my third uncle, and he is a complete wastrel. Not only has his family fallen into disgrace, but he only started studying at the age of fifteen, and before that, he only knew how to fight with spears and sticks."

"How can a monk who has only recently entered the monastic life truly master the scriptures?"

"You agree, right, Sister Lin... Hey, Sister, why are you glaring at me?"

Lin Daiyu abruptly averted her gaze and lowered her eyelashes. "You're seeing things. I never glared at you."

Lin Daiyu put down her pen, gently blew dry the Xuelang paper filled with delicate calligraphy, folded it neatly, and placed it aside, intending to rest for a while.

It was Shi Xiangyun's constant chatter that made it impossible for her to concentrate.

"It's completely dark outside, why are you still wandering around?"

Lin Daiyu washed her hands with a cotton cloth while reluctantly asking the question.

However, Shi Xiangyun had already started pouring tea for herself. "Good sister, you know. This used to be my room, but since I went back to the Shi family and you came, I haven't had a room. I've been crammed into my third sister's room these past few days, but she thinks I'm too noisy, so I had no choice but to come and stay with you."

“I’ve already planned it out. Once my older sister gets tired of me, I’ll go stay at Sister Bao’s place again.”

"?"

Lin Daiyu refused resolutely, "No, you absolutely cannot sleep here!"

(End of this chapter)