Dream of the Red Chamber: Daiyu and I swapped clothes

Chapter 59 Am I that awesome?

Li Chen sipped his tea slowly, eagerly awaiting the show.

Xue Baochai's expression froze for a moment, then returned to normal, though her mind was in turmoil.

"Xiangling's matter can be kept secret for a while, but not forever."

"To deceive Lin Daiyu at this moment would be tantamount to planting a thorn in the sisterly bond, which would be unwise."

"But I still haven't figured out what Lin Daiyu's feelings are for the second young master of the Zhenyuan Marquis's mansion."

"If this act of sending maids to someone's residence is misunderstood, I'm afraid that Lin Daiyu, whom I've finally become close to, will become estranged from me in the future."

Xue Baochai felt as if two threads were tangled together, unable to make a decision.

The deeper his friendship with Lin Daiyu became, the more he cherished it.

Moreover, the Xue family is a merchant family, and the most taboo thing for them is to make enemies for no reason. How could she not know this principle?

Taking a deep breath, Xue Baochai picked up her teacup, then placed it back on the table, and said calmly, "Now that things have come to this, I will not hide it from you, sister. Before the New Year, when Young Master Li came to our mansion, my brother hosted a banquet for him at Pear Fragrance Courtyard, and you are aware of this matter."

After a moment's hesitation, Xue Baochai continued, "During the banquet, Young Master Li... took a fancy to Xiangling, who was pouring wine, and afterwards asked my brother to let him have her."

Upon hearing this, a hint of amusement flashed in Li Chen's eyes. Suppressing a laugh, he sighed and said, "Is that so? It seems we misjudged him. We thought he was a learned and sensible person, but it turns out he's also a womanizer."

Xue Baochai frowned slightly and subconsciously defended him, saying, "There may be more to the story than meets the eye. Although I was not present at the banquet, I could tell that Young Master Li was no ordinary rich and dissolute young man; he acted with great order and method."

"Demanding Xiangling seems more like a test. I still haven't fully grasped the deeper meaning behind it, as if it was a deliberate attempt to show off his mischievous nature."

"Could it be a deliberate attempt to first elevate him by belittling him before the county examination, thus perpetuating his bad reputation?"

Li Chen almost couldn't help but laugh when he heard this.

It really was true that "after entering the pass, great Confucian scholars came to debate the classics for me".

Unexpectedly, Xue Baochai's perspective was so unique that she managed to make it all work out.

Amused, Li Chen feigned understanding but spoke with a hint of teasing, "Sister, what you said has reminded me. If he really is a lecherous fiend, why not just barge into the hallway and take you, Sister Bao, for himself as well? Your looks are certainly superior to Sister Xiangling's."

"I think Brother Xue and Aunt might not necessarily refuse."

Ying'er, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Xue Baochai blushed instantly, glaring at Li Chen with a mixture of shame and anger. She made a move to get up, saying, "Your mouth is becoming increasingly unrestrained. I have nothing more to say to you when you treat people like this!"

Seeing her embarrassed and angry, he got up to leave.

Li Chen smiled and approached, gently placing his hands on Xue Baochai's shoulders and leading her back to her seat.

"Good sister, don't be angry, it was just a joke. But that day at the banquet in Pear Fragrance Courtyard, you were eavesdropping, and in Rongqing Hall you only praised him. How could you not be suspicious?"

"You still said that!"

Xue Baochai glared at him again, but felt a little guilty inside. She couldn't help but retort, "When has my sister ever said a bad word about him? Could it be that you have some ulterior motive?"

Li Chen had been waiting for this question, and readily agreed, "Of course. Young Master Li is handsome and talented, with impeccable manners and demeanor. Who wouldn't be pleased to see such a person?" "If you like someone, you like them. What's wrong with saying that?"

"you……"

Xue Baochai never expected Lin Daiyu to be so frank and open, and was stunned on the spot, speechless.

Taking advantage of the situation, Li Chen sat down next to her, affectionately putting his arm around her shoulder, and sat down with her in a chair. He asked with a grin, "Good sister, you didn't explain things clearly just now. Now that I've opened my heart to you, would you like to tell me more about what's going on outside?"

Xue Baochai then slowly recovered from her shock.

My heart was filled with turbulent emotions, and I couldn't let it go.

If Lin Daiyu really has feelings for that Second Young Master Li, then all my previous speculations and arrangements were unnecessary.
At this moment, Xue Baochai cannot reveal more.

He took a sip of tea to cover his mouth, moistened his lips, and then turned to Li Chen and said slowly, "There is indeed something, and it is because of this matter that I feel this person is unfathomable and is definitely not someone to be underestimated."

“A few days ago, my brother had a small gathering with him, and he entrusted my brother with a business deal. My sister is always quick-witted, why don’t you guess what kind of business it is?”

Li Chen thought to himself, "That idiot tyrant, he really can't keep a secret. There was no need for the inner quarters to know about this, but he's already making a fuss before the matter is even settled."

On the surface, she feigned curiosity and urged, "How could I possibly guess? Sister, stop keeping me in suspense."

Xue Baochai nodded, a hint of admiration unconsciously showing in her eyes, and said in a low voice, "He actually compiled a book of his own insights on the classics and asked my brother to find a bookstore to publish it."

Before Li Chen could ask any questions, Xue Baochai began to analyze the situation in detail, her eyes growing brighter as she spoke.

"This is a three-birds-with-one-stone strategy with far-reaching implications. If he passes the county examination this time, this book will surely become popular. Profit is secondary; the key is to use it to silence public criticism."

“The county examination does not conceal the names. If the county magistrate selects the sons of noble families as the top candidates, it will inevitably attract criticism. With this book proving their talent, most of the criticism can be resolved.”

"If he can use this momentum to advance further in the subsequent provincial and prefectural examinations, he can use the reputation of 'writing a book' to attract the attention of truly discerning people, and may even have the opportunity to become a disciple of a famous teacher."

"That's what he needs most right now."

"The Imperial Academy is not the best place for him, given his noble status, but without a good teacher to guide him, he will definitely struggle in the provincial and metropolitan examinations. His current tutor, Mr. Xing, is just a student with a stipend, and can hardly help him with his studies."

At this point, Xue Baochai couldn't help but sigh softly, her tone carrying a hint of admiration she herself didn't realize, "Taking one step and thinking ten steps ahead. This person... is truly frighteningly confident."

Li Chen was stunned, and subconsciously murmured, "So... I'm that amazing?"

Seeing Li Chen in a daze, Xue Baochai suddenly realized that she had talked too much and was somewhat inappropriate.

She couldn't hide the admiration that she inadvertently revealed, and blushed again. She quickly tried to cover it up, saying, "Sister Lin, please don't misunderstand. I'm just amazed by this person's strategy and skills. It's not that I have any feelings for him personally."

Unexpectedly, Li Chen suddenly reached out and tightly grasped her wrist, staring straight at her with his clear eyes, and spoke innocently.

"It's alright, Sister Bao. Outstanding people are naturally loved. Let's compete fairly."

"what?"

Xue Baochai was completely stunned. Her lips parted slightly, and for a moment she didn't know how to respond. She could only tremble inwardly and think, "This... how can something like this be so fair?"

(End of this chapter)