Three Wives and Four Concubines in the Dream of the Red Chamber

The maids present, except for Shishu Ruhua who was more distantly related, all knew about Gu Yu's relationship with these young ladies. Therefore, they all took the initiative to distract the two of them for the sake of their young mistresses.

Although Siqi will be released in two years, and there's no question of a deep master-servant relationship between her and Yingchun, who's such a blockhead, she has served her for so many years and has a bit of a chivalrous spirit, so she naturally hopes that Yingchun can find a good home.

It goes without saying that everyone knows what Grandmother Jia is thinking, and even the maids who have some status are well aware of it. Since she hasn't broken any laws, she's happy to act as a matchmaker.

Xi Chun was the least likely to hide her true feelings from Gu Yu. She ran up to him, grabbed his sleeve, and grinned as she tried to pull him along to make rouge.

"Just now I was saying that the rouge in Brother Yu's courtyard is of a better color, and that if we made it, we definitely couldn't compare. Third Sister didn't believe me and insisted on showing off. When Brother Yu comes, we'll have to put her in her place."

Xiangyun watched as Xichun became so close to Gu Yu, while the other sisters remained indifferent. She was somewhat surprised, but dared not utter a sound, and simply watched the drama unfold.

Zijuan then remembered that Xiangyun had slipped through the net, and quickly winked at Qingwen, who had come with Gu Yu. Qingwen pouted, but could only sacrifice herself to cover for Gu Yu, and put on a smiling face to pull Xiangyun over to Zijuan and the others to ask her to be a judge.

In no time, the sisters went to their respective tables and began to slowly and methodically grind the powder. Although they did not ask Gu Yu to taste it, Gu Yu naturally took the initiative and smiled as she commented on each piece from near to far.

Xi Chun happened to be closest to him, so he went over there first. When Xi Chun saw him coming, she quickly started to act coquettishly towards him.

"Brother Yu~ come and help me grind it, my hands are sore from grinding."

Gu Yu was completely charmed by her and hurriedly went to help. The two held hands and chatted and laughed, which made the people next to them pause for a few moments.

Seeing that none of her sisters were looking at her, Xichun dipped some rouge in her mouth, smeared it on her lips, and then blushed as she stared straight at Gu Yu.

"Where did this little girl learn that? Wow~"

Gu Yu gasped inwardly, his body trembled, and he felt a tickle in his heart. He glanced around furtively like a thief, and seeing that no one was paying attention, he could no longer hold back and quietly kissed her.

Although Daiyu at the next table had her back to Gu Yu and the others, her attention was focused on them. When she heard Xichun's barely audible humming, her hand froze and gradually stopped moving.

After carefully tasting the rouge on Xichun's lips, Gu Yu straightened up, still feeling unsatisfied.

"It's very sweet...cough cough! The color is nice, with a faint floral fragrance. The scent is pure, and the rouge is thick but not greasy. This rouge from Sister Xichun is top-quality and would be a great product to sell."

After praising Xichun's rouge and patting her head, Gu Yu walked towards the next woman, Tanchun.

Tan Chun was still diligently suppressing her anger when she saw Gu Yu approaching. She shyly presented her work for Gu Yu's evaluation.

She couldn't quite define whether she saw Gu Yu as a relative, a brother, or... Ever since that day when Gu Yu held her hand to practice calligraphy, her mind had been in turmoil, and for the first time, she had some hazy, beautiful dreams. Although she spent less time with Gu Yu afterward, every time he said or did something, she couldn't help but blush and her heart race, and she would always have wild thoughts afterward.

Others might not know, but Xi Chun did notice how much she cared for Gu Yu. Every time Xi Chun leaned close to Gu Yu, she couldn't help but imagine what it would feel like if she leaned close to him herself, and then she would dismiss the thought.

After all, Gu Yu was so gentle to every sister, and she couldn't be sure what Gu Yu was thinking, so she could only stay put and avoid her as much as possible.

Although Gu Yu was unaware of Tan Chun's ulterior motives, he could clearly sense that his third sister, who was intelligent, talented, and ambitious, had a somewhat ambiguous attitude towards him.

Now that all the sisters have entered the Grand View Garden, it will be easier for me to plan my strategy. I might as well start to intensify my efforts from this moment on!

Having made up her mind, Gu Yu smiled even more brightly, and after giving a seemingly professional critique, she said:

"Without rouge, it's impossible to tell if someone is a good match. Why don't you try it on, Third Sister?"

Before Tan Chun could reply, Gu Yu picked up the rouge and slowly approached her.

Chapter Thirty-Four: Brother Takes You to See Gold—and Birds!

Gu Yu slowly extended her finger, giving Tan Chun enough time to react. Unexpectedly, Tan Chun stood still, letting Gu Yu apply the rouge to her finger.

Gu Yu's breathing became lighter. He applied the ointment briefly and then withdrew his hand, knowing his sisters were watching. He coughed, said a few more words, and then left. Tan Chun didn't hear a word he said and just gave random, nonsensical responses, not even knowing what she was saying.

Xi Chun, having gotten the better deal, watched the spectacle with wide eyes, making Gu Yu too embarrassed to try and grope Ying Chun and Bao Chai. After all, being seen being intimate in public was something they couldn't accept. He was forced to properly help them try out the rouge, and then regretfully gave up.

However, Daiyu didn't dare to look at him the whole time. Gu Yu knew exactly what was going on, but he didn't dare to tease her any further and just let her calm down by herself.

Watching the delicate flowers laughing and chatting carefree, Gu Yu felt a warmth in his heart. Wasn't this exactly his original wish? Making them happy and fulfilled for a lifetime had become a responsibility he had to shoulder.

Of course, the tears that were owed still had to be shed, but they would be shed in the way he chose to…

After the gathering ended, Gu Yu intentionally or unintentionally blocked Daiyu's path. Upon seeing this, Baochai consciously led Xiangyun away first.

After Sanchun and her maids left the pavilion, Zijuan, completely ignoring Daiyu's pleading look, smiled and pulled Qingwen outside to keep watch and whisper in each other's ears.

Daiyu looked around, her ears burning red, but she refused to look at him. Gu Yu smiled gently and invited her to his courtyard:

"Yesterday you brought a cage of large red-necked pearl doves. I think their color is truly rare. My sister hasn't visited me in a long time. Why don't you go over and take a look today?"

Daiyu's small hands were curled up inside her sleeves, tightly gripping them, and her voice trembled:

"Maybe next time, Zijuan still needs my help!"

Before she could finish speaking, Gu Yu pulled her along and strode straight toward the pear blossoms in spring rain.

Whether it was the sun making her dizzy or the wine she had drunk in her dream last night, Daiyu felt weak as Gu Yu led her along the pebbly path.

After struggling a few times to no avail, the girl focused more on her surroundings. After all, this place was close to her sisters' residence, and servants came and went quite frequently. It wouldn't be good if she were seen by someone.

Gu Yu had honed his physical skills since childhood. Although he couldn't become a martial arts master capable of scaling walls and leaping across rooftops, he could easily take on two or three ordinary men. He was physically strong, with sharp hearing and eyesight, and could detect the arrival of strangers very early on.

However, seeing Daiyu's adorable, peeking-in look, Gu Yu felt smug but didn't tell her, just secretly chuckled to herself.

After passing Li Wan's Daoxiang Village, they had arrived at Gu Yu's territory. Daiyu visibly breathed a sigh of relief, but then her struggles intensified.

"Let go! What will people think if they see you doing this?"

Gu Yu rolled her eyes. Why didn't you say so before? Now that you've found a safe place, you're starting to act tough. Are you just a bully at home?

However, once everyone was inside the pot, Gu Yu let go of her hand. Daiyu hummed twice, but still obediently followed Gu Yu into the house.

She originally thought that Gu Yu was just making up an excuse to lure her here, but before she even entered the room, she could hear a few birds chirping faintly from inside, their cooing sounds quite melodious.

Lifting the curtain, Daiyu glanced around and saw several birdcages hanging in front of the window of the large study next door, with several doves inside. Their bright red backs and necks were particularly striking, truly a rare and exotic species.

"What a nice view…"

Daiyu subconsciously walked to the window and examined it closely. She had never kept doves before. When Baoyu gave her two cages of thrushes, she had simply given them to the maid in the courtyard.

After all, although the thrush's voice was pleasant, its appearance did not catch Daiyu's eye. She only regarded it as a playful creature that made noise, and kept it in the courtyard to relieve some boredom.

However, Gu Yu's two cages of doves were brightly colored, had an adorable appearance, and their voices were quite pleasant, so Daiyu immediately developed a liking for them.

However, she still remembered one thing, so she turned to look at Gu Yu and asked in confusion:

"Didn't you used to refuse to keep pets? You even returned the lion cat that Baoyu gave me for his birthday last time. Why are you keeping a turtledove now?"

“Sister, you’ve gone astray. How can you lump birds and cats together? These doves are usually kept in their cages and are very clean, while cats and dogs run around everywhere and climb into people’s arms, which can easily hurt them.”

Although Gu Yu spoke seriously, he didn't mean it that way. Daiyu gave him a strange look, vaguely guessing what he meant. She was both embarrassed and happy, and for a moment forgot to retaliate.

The two hadn't seen each other for a long time. Although Daiyu felt shy, she couldn't bear to part with Gu Yu, so she stayed instead of trying to escape as she had before.

As Zijuan and the others slowly strolled over, they saw the two of them once again inseparable, chatting and laughing. Gu Yu, seeing Zijuan, suddenly remembered something and turned to Xiangling beside her, saying:

"This morning, a pot of fresh raspberries was delivered from downstairs. They said they taste good. Xiangling, quickly wash two plates and bring them over. Then you and Zijuan can eat them together. There are also some candied fruits in the room, you can take them and eat them too."

Xiangling's eyes lit up, and she quickly agreed with a grin; she loved eating these snacks the most. Seeing her satisfied expression, Gu Yu smiled helplessly and quickly added, "Don't eat too much!"

After saying that, she asked Zijuan to take care of them: "Zijuan also has to watch them so they don't eat too much, otherwise they'll get tooth decay and it will be too late to regret it when it hurts."

In the past, he would personally feed Xiangling and the others, but today he wasn't around, so Gu Yu had to be deliberately strict. After all, if they really ate too much, could he really slap them? He could only nip it in the bud.

Zijuan was surprised that Gu Yu even cared about this, and couldn't help but look at Xiangling with some envy. She had never seen a master who doted on his maids so much. Even Baoyu, he was more concerned with fulfilling his own desires than with doing something simply for the benefit of a servant.

After they brought the fruit, they went out together and closed the door. Gu Yu then casually picked up a raspberry and placed it on Daiyu's lips, asking her to open her mouth and eat it.

Daiyu only realized what had just happened when a sweet juice flowed from her mouth. She quickly looked up at Gu Yu. Seeing his nonchalant expression, her shyness suddenly lessened, replaced by a compensatory feeling. She just stared at him, still wanting him to feed her.

Seeing his familiar movements, Xiangling and the others must have been pampered a lot... Daiyu felt a little uncomfortable and ate more than a dozen pieces before stopping.

Gu Yu noticed Daiyu's unhappy expression halfway through feeding her, finding it somewhat amusing. Seeing that Daiyu finally couldn't take it anymore and stopped eating, Gu Yu stopped, took out a handkerchief to wipe her hands, and squeezed next to Daiyu, asking with a smile:

"Why is my sister getting angrier as she eats? Could it be that she doesn't like this?"

Chapter Thirty-Five: Flirting and Banter

It's almost March now, and the weather is quite warm. Daiyu and the others' clothes are made of cloud brocade from Sichuan. This kind of cloud brocade was a tribute to the palace and has always been circulated only among princes and nobles.

Although Daiyu and the other girls were deeply loved by Grandmother Jia, they had only been rewarded with one or two sets of clothes in recent years. Gu Yu, on the other hand, had more clothes than the Jia family had. Since there weren't enough for the masters to share, she naturally used most of them to please her sisters.

This superior fabric is light, thin, soft, and delicate to the touch. It is also made with a secret twisting method, which not only makes the colors bright and resistant to fading, but also makes it feel as soft as clouds, hence the name cloud brocade.

Although Daiyu was wearing two or three layers of clothing, when Gu Yu got so close, it felt as if the two of them were naked, and they could feel each other's body temperature.

Daiyu trembled, her face flushed, and she hurriedly tried to stand up, but Gu Yu had already encircled her before her, and just smiled and told her to answer the questions honestly.

Since the two had already been intimate, and seeing that Gu Yu didn't make any further moves, Daiyu calmed down, only blushing and feeling a little jealous.

"I noticed you've been feeding Xiangling and the others quite often, but I only realized it today. Is this what your heart is?"

Seeing that Daiyu's pouting lips could hold a vase, a smile flashed in Gu Yu's eyes, but she sighed softly, her sorrow so deep it seemed to flow from her face.

“I thought my sister still remembered those things back in Yangzhou, but I never expected…sigh.”

Daiyu's mind raced, but she couldn't recall what she had forgotten. She wanted to ask, but she was afraid it might be something important and hurt Gu Yu's feelings. She was so anxious that she was almost sweating.

Daiyu was delicate and fair-skinned, and when she got anxious, her face turned unusually red. Gu Yu was afraid that she would be upset, so she quickly told her the truth.

"I was receiving treatment at the time, and I happened to be sleeping in your bed. Do you remember how many I took that night—"

"Stop talking!"

Daiyu finally remembered that they had such innocent feelings for each other back then, but now, thinking back on it again... not only was her face flushed, but her neck was also tinged with a rosy blush, which left Gu Yu stunned.

Before anyone knew it, Gu Yu pulled her into his arms again, but he had no other thoughts. They simply held each other quietly and began to whisper intimate words.

Daiyu quietly counted his heartbeats, then suddenly looked up at Gu Yu and asked shyly:

"Brother Yu... when... when did you..."

"When and what?"

"you!"

Daiyu playfully slapped him, but since there were only two young lovers in the room, she blushed and mustered her courage to continue asking.

"Stop talking nonsense! Tell me, when did you...?"

Gu Yu exclaimed "Oh dear!" and suddenly looked annoyed.

"Damn it! I've been thinking about it for ages and I still can't remember. Could I have been tricked?"

Daiyu's beautiful eyes widened, and with a snort, she tried to stand up from Gu Yu's arms. This scoundrel is really ruining the atmosphere!

Gu Yu couldn't help but burst into laughter, then hugged her tightly, rubbing his face against hers a few times, and whispered:

"I honestly can't remember the exact date. I only know that we drifted on that boat for a very long time. As soon as I got off and entered the Lin residence, I saw a girl smiling at me, and I fell in love with her instantly..."

"Brother Yu..."

Daiyu's body stiffened, and she hugged Gu Yu tightly, burying her face in his arms and collapsing completely.

She couldn't think of any other words. She felt that these few lines were even more unbearable than poems like "Until the mountains crumble and the heavens and earth unite, I will never part from you."

Gu Yu held Daiyu in his arms for a long time, still wanting to get closer, but unexpectedly, Daiyu's peaceful breathing came from his arms. It turned out that she had fallen asleep after the excitement.

Seeing this, Gu Yu could only smile helplessly, holding the warm and soft woman in his arms without moving, gently coaxing her to sleep, but he didn't feel bored at all.

Xiangling came in briefly and saw Gu Yu sitting so upright. She wanted to get him a cushion, but as soon as Gu Yu moved his shoulder, she saw Daiyu's brows furrow slightly, as if she was about to be woken up, so she had to give up.

Spring afternoons are always long and warm. When Daiyu opened her dreamy eyes, the golden rays of the setting sun shone directly into Gu Yu's window, filling the room with golden light.

Daiyu gave a soft "hmm," and only after Gu Yu touched her temple did she realize that she had actually slept in his arms all afternoon. It was clear that their positions hadn't changed, and she couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him.

"Why don't you let me lie down on the bed? Sitting like this can cause poor blood circulation, and it makes me feel sorry for you."

Gu Yu was surprised that Daiyu would say such sweet words. Overwhelmed with emotion, he couldn't help but kiss her forehead and smiled:

"With my sister in my arms, how could my blood and qi be stagnant? I should find someone to prescribe some medicine to clear the heat."

"Tch! You're so glib and never serious."

Daiyu blushed and spat at him, but a smile still lingered on her lips. Then she remembered the time and hurried back.

Since moving into the garden, the sisters have been getting together for a while after meals every day. If I don't go back now, someone might find out that I've been staying at Gu Yu's place all day.

Although there were no consequences, the thin-skinned Daiyu couldn't stand her sisters' teasing, so she decided she had had enough of the day and quickly called Zijuan to say goodbye.

"If you leave, I'm going to find Sister Bao to cheer myself up."

Daiyu gave a soft snort, not believing his nonsense.

"Do you dare to do this in front of Xiangyun? Even if Baochai were willing, you probably wouldn't?"

Seeing that he couldn't fool the clever and mischievous Lin Daiyu, Gu Yu awkwardly touched his nose. He wasn't a frivolous young man who disrespected them. Although he liked to play some sneaky and exciting games, it depended on the occasion.

Whether it's Yingchun and Baochai, or Xiangling and Daiyu, they are all his pre-arranged wives. Even if they are discovered, it will only be a matter of romance.