Dream of the Red Chamber: Daiyu and I swapped clothes

Chapter 57 Why are you eating so well?
The next day,

In the cold winter, the days are short, and the house, which already lacks charcoal, is even colder to the bone.

Inside the bed curtains, Xiangling's eyelashes trembled slightly as she slowly woke up.

"this?"

Xiangling blushed slightly. "Since I am the young master's concubine, it is my duty to take care of such matters for him."

"But……"

Xiangling was never one to make decisions, and at this moment she was even more confused.

After hesitating for a while under the brocade quilt, seeing that the young master was still fast asleep, Xiangling finally made up her mind.

"Young Master has been studying hard lately and is sleeping soundly. I'll be quiet and dry him off while he changes into his undergarments."

Thinking this, Xiangling quietly got out of bed, took a set of clean clothes from the closet, and then went back.

Then, suppressing her embarrassment, she lifted a corner of the quilt and stretched out her hand.

Removing her clothes went smoothly, but the moment her fingertips touched her body, Lin Daiyu suddenly woke up as if her tail had been pinched.

"what!"

As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Xiangling leaning close to him, while he himself was completely naked.

Lin Daiyu's eyes widened in shock.

He froze for a moment, then suddenly grabbed the quilt and wrapped it tightly around himself, shouting, "You, you little brat! What are you doing?!"

Seeing the young master's strong reaction, Xiangling was so embarrassed that she wanted to disappear. She twisted her handkerchief tightly with both hands and sobbed, "Young...Young master, please calm down! I didn't mean to be disrespectful. I only wanted to take care of things for you..."

Lin Daiyu blinked and subconsciously lifted the quilt to see what was going on.

This scoundrel was completely exposed to Xiangling, and she was the one who had to deal with him.

"That纨绔 (playboy), could it be that he has disobeyed Mother's words and already slept in the same room with Sister Xiangling?!"

"If that weren't the case, how could Sister Xiangling be so skilled, and how could she be so bold as to touch me directly? She, she wasn't originally such a shameless person!"

He had cursed Li Chen a thousand times in his heart, but it was all in vain.

The most urgent task is to come up with a plan on how to deal with the possible questioning from Mr. Zou.

"That纨绔 (wán kù, a spoiled brat) must have done it on purpose!"

Lin Daiyu pressed her lips together, forcing herself to calm down. She avoided looking at Xiangling, who was dressed in only a thin undergarment and had a graceful figure. She turned her head away and said in a hoarse voice, "Sister, please go and change your clothes and boil some more hot water."

"From now on, please remember my words, sister. Do not act on your own initiative without my permission!"

Lin Daiyu warned, her tone turning cold.

Upon hearing this, Xiangling's expression naturally darkened.

Last night, the young master was quite affectionate with her, so why is he so cold after waking up?

Could it be that my actions just now really angered him?
Xiangling only remembered what the madam said about "keeping him in check," but forgot that the young master had never clearly stated what he wanted from beginning to end...

"Yes."

Xiangling's eyes were red, she gave a proper curtsy and silently withdrew from the bedchamber.

Seeing her act like this, how could Lin Daiyu not guess what she was thinking?

It must have been when that playboy was around, showering her with affection and tenderness. Now that she's the one being so cold and indifferent, she seems like a heartless man who doesn't acknowledge his past.

But how could an unmarried girl like her possibly express the bitterness and immense shame she felt?
She was not only forced to clean the man's body of filth, but also had to find a way to appease the neglected maidservant.

However, Xiangling was ultimately someone she chose to come to the mansion. Although she clearly intended to treat her well, she was now forced by circumstances to do this, which Lin Daiyu was unwilling to do.

"What should I do?"

Clenching her fist, Lin Daiyu resolved to write a few more lines in that book and properly question that纨绔 (wan ku, a spoiled, dissolute young man)! Otherwise, she would definitely find an opportunity to confront him face to face and clarify things!
When I bathe alone, the warm water flows over my skin, but it cannot wash away the intense shame that lingers in my heart.

Lin Daiyu's face remained flushed. After she finished tidying up and came out of the washroom, she saw Xiangling standing respectfully outside, looking so lonely. She couldn't help but feel sorry for her and went up to comfort her softly.

"Sister, please don't take it to heart. It's not that I dislike you... It's just that Mother gave the order that your studies should be the priority."

Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, Xiangling's tears fell like beads from a broken string.

“Young master, it’s not that I’m ignorant. But, but you can accompany Master Xue to those brothels for pleasure, yet now you’re treating me so coldly and scolding me.”

"My heart is truly, truly aching..."

Xiangling lowered her head and sobbed, feeling extremely wronged.

Seeing Xiangling crying with tears streaming down her face, Lin Daiyu panicked and rushed forward to hug her, glancing anxiously out the window, afraid that Chuntao or other nannies might suddenly burst in.

"Sister, please let me explain..."

Lin Daiyu had just opened her mouth when she suddenly seized on the key point in Xiangling's words, "Wait! You said... I went to a brothel?"

Xiangling nodded with tears in her eyes, sobbing softly, "It must have been that Master Xue who instigated it. But young master, do you really think that the women in those brothels are better than me?"

"No, no, no! How can they compare to my sister!"

Lin Daiyu blurted it out.

Hearing this, Xiangling felt greatly encouraged. She mustered her courage and took a step forward, looking up with tearful eyes as she asked, "Then why does the young master keep avoiding me?"

"me……"

Lin Daiyu's waist trembled slightly, and she was speechless for a moment.

She could only gently push Xiangling away from her embrace, turn around to hide her panic, and say in a trembling voice, "I am only focused on the imperial examination right now. Let's talk about love and romance later. Please don't make things difficult for me, sister."

"And then, go and get me another bucket of hot water. I still feel like I haven't washed properly..."

"I need to go and greet my mother in a little while."

"Yes……"

Seeing Xiangling leave gracefully, Lin Daiyu finally breathed a sigh of relief.

But deep down, she felt truly indignant and secretly cried out, "Why should I be the one to pay for the romantic entanglements that playboy incurred?!"

……

Rongguo Mansion
Li Chen slowly woke up from Xiangfei's bedchamber.

What came into view was not Zijuan, nor Xueyan, but Shi Xiangyun, whom he didn't recognize.

Li Chen closed his eyes again, thinking to himself, "I've only met Shi Xiangyun once, how come I dreamed about her? I'll sleep a little longer. How can a person eat so well and keep changing the person they sleep with?"

But the next moment, Shi Xiangyun woke up on her own and raised her hand to scratch Li Chen's itchy spot.

"Sister Lin! You're awake but pretending to be asleep, do you think I can't see you?"

"Are you trying to trick me into falling asleep so you can hog that lavish breakfast all by yourself?!"

Li Chen suddenly opened his eyes, looked at Shi Xiangyun who was playing and teasing him, and frowned slightly.

"what?"

Shi Xiangyun continued working, but looked puzzled. "Sister, why aren't you ticklish today? You laughed so hard when I touched you the other day."

"Scratch it?"

Li Chen's lips curled into a roguish smirk as he grabbed Shi Xiangyun's hands and pinned her down. "Take this!"

(End of this chapter)