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

Page 148

Taking the wine pot personally, Gu Yu stood up and, smiling, poured Daiyu a cup of wine first.

"This wine is no ordinary rice wine. It contains a secret recipe and is perfect for nourishing blood and qi, warming the body and beautifying the skin. Sister, you should drink more of it."

"Could it be that it was made by Uncle Sun again?"

Daiyu looked up at him with amusement. This wicked man always took advantage of Uncle Sun's favor to find all sorts of strange and unusual recipes, most of which were used on them. He was truly "unyielding in his wicked intentions".

Thinking of a certain place, the girl couldn't help but curl her toes, as if she suddenly felt a wet and slippery touch again. She quickly blushed and lowered her head to take the cup.

Following Daiyu, they went to each of the women, one after another. Yingchun and the others blushed and remained silent, but when they came to unfamiliar women like Coco Lee and Li Qi, their reactions were much stronger.

Seeing them blushing and half-sitting, bowing and whispering their thanks, if it weren't for the reproachful looks from his sisters, he would have deliberately delayed a little longer to see if they would stand up and thank him.

As for Xing Xiuyan, Gu Yu hadn't looked at her closely before, but now that he was standing in front of her, he observed her carefully. She had willow-leaf eyebrows and almond-shaped eyes, and was as serene as a virgin. Even when she thanked him, she was gentle, generous, calm, and composed. She was truly as leisurely as a crane.

"Sister Xing is truly unique."

Unable to resist a soft exclamation of admiration, Gu Yu coughed lightly, not intending to continue teasing, and walked towards Baochai's hairpin.

Upon hearing this, Xichun quickly and mischievously turned towards Daiyu, while smilingly asking Gu Yu:

"Brother Yu, tell me, what makes Sister Xing so unique? Is she even more unique than Sister Lin?"

After some instigation, Daiyu indeed glared at the smooth-talking Gu Yu with her beautiful eyes, clearly waiting for his explanation.

Giving Xichun a glare that seemed to say, "You'll get what's coming to you," Gu Yu calmly walked over and poured her a drink before slowly speaking:

"Among all the people at this table, isn't Sister Xing the most different from Lin Daiyu? In my opinion, she's most like me."

Seeing the way her sisters were looking at her, Xing Xiuyan blushed and lowered her head, feeling a little ashamed and resentful. She wondered what Gu Yu was up to and why she was being dragged into this again.

Seeing that he stopped talking after he finished speaking, and that he seemed to be watching a good show, the women kept glancing back and forth between him and Daiyu, while Xing Xiuyan and the other two observed him.

In terms of personality, outsiders see Yu as refreshing, elegant, and handsome, and he does indeed look somewhat similar to Xing Xiuyan.

However, they knew Gu Yu's character well and naturally knew that he was not as righteous as he appeared on the surface, and Daiyu was not some aloof fairy. By all accounts, the two should be similar.

The girls couldn't figure out the answer no matter what they tried. Xichun was about to plead with Gu Yu to give her the answer when she heard Yingchun exclaim "Oh!" in surprise. She looked over in astonishment.

"Second sister, have you noticed something?"

Yingchun blushed, fidgeted with her handkerchief, pointed a finger at Daiyu, and said softly:

"I don't know if it's right or wrong, it's just that Brother Yu was joking with us, so it's naturally superficial. What do you think is the biggest difference between Brother Yu and Lin Daiyu?"

Everyone turned to look, and one person had a face like jade, exceptionally handsome, while the other had a fair face and rosy cheeks, radiant like a goddess or fairy. Sitting together, they were truly a perfect couple.

After receiving the hint, Baochai thought about it carefully again and finally couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle softly, while secretly pointing out the things to those around her.

Daiyu, her face flushed with happiness, endured the gazes of the other women, feeling flustered and confused. She watched as they realized what was happening and began to chuckle. She was caught in the middle of the situation but couldn't figure out the answer, making her even more restless.

Seeing that the girl was truly unable to resist teasing, and that holding back any longer would probably not be good, Gu Yu gave Yingchun an encouraging look, signaling her to give the answer.

"In my opinion, Brother Yu is making fun of Lin Daiyu's frail health, calling her a 'beauty lamp'!"

That's right. Although she's been raised to the point of staying home all the time these past few years, while other sisters can wear two layers, Daiyu has to wear at least one more.

She was petite, and although she wore a lot of clothes, she didn't look bulky, but the difference from her usual appearance was quite significant. No wonder the usually taciturn Yingchun noticed this.

Amidst a soft chuckle, a hint of embarrassment flashed in Xing Xiuyan's eyes. She silently pursed her lips and lowered her head, feeling a pang of sadness in her heart, but she had to maintain a faint smile on her face so as not to spoil everyone's fun.

Indeed, it's only natural that I'm being made a laughingstock. How could I possibly be on equal footing with these rich young ladies?

Unable to resist falling into a self-pitying and sentimental state, Xing Xiuyan didn't hear what Gu Yu said next. When she finally composed herself and looked up, she was surprised to find that Daiyu and the others were looking at her with a sour expression. She blinked in confusion.

"...But we must proceed step by step and not rush things. Right now, we should focus on improving our health."

Gu Yu smiled and tilted her head back to finish the wine in her glass, then smiled at Xing Xiuyan and said:

"A fine sword is forged through tempering, and the fragrance of plum blossoms comes from bitter cold. Isn't Sister Xing just like that proud plum blossom in the snow? Although battered by wind and snow, she has her own proud spirit and disregards the cold. All of you sisters should learn more from you."

Xing Xiuyan stared blankly at Gu Yu's smiling face, subconsciously pondering his words. She felt as if her heart was filled with something, and she couldn't speak.

As for her sisters, they didn't look at her with the mocking gaze she had expected. Instead, they genuinely envied her. It seemed quite bizarre, but this bizarreness was strangely heartwarming.

For the second half of the banquet, Xing Xiuyan had no memory of anything. She was only focused on secretly glancing at Gu Yu, who was drunk and smug across from her. She then lowered her head for a long time, lost in thought. But when she finally looked up, her beautiful eyes were noticeably brighter.

After the performance, although she was very reluctant to leave, Baochai took the initiative to get up and say goodbye, wanting to take Baoqin and the others back home.

Daiyu secretly straightened Gu Yu's collar, resisting the urge to hug him, and pushed him to pay his respects to Grandmother Jia, but Gu Yu smiled and pulled her hand, leading her into the inner room.

"Why are you in such a hurry, little sister? I heard that the old lady is not feeling well today. Why bother her to rest? Besides, I just had some wine and I can't hold my liquor. If I lose my composure, wouldn't that embarrass the old lady? Why don't you keep me company and talk to me to sober up, hmm?"

Daiyu tugged at his hand coyly, and seeing that Yingchun and the others had all run away, and having received Gu Yu's assurance that he had asked Fengjie to deliver a message, she blushed and followed him into the wolf's den.

Without the bustling crowd, Daiyu, now alone, became bolder. Without Gu Yu taking the initiative, she could no longer suppress the longing she had felt for so long and threw herself into Gu Yu's arms.

"Brother Yu~ I miss you so much...!"

……

Chapter Twenty-Two: Love Naturally Deepens When It Runs Deep

Outside the pear blossoms and spring rain, Baochai and her entourage dispersed southward in a grand procession. After seeing off Xichun, who was furthest away, Baochai signaled Ying'er to lead another maid to walk a few steps faster, while she herself pulled Baoqin to slow down.

"You were quiet at the table earlier, what's wrong? Who upset you this time?"

Baochai knew her cousin, with whom she had spent many years, very well. You could tell what she was thinking just by looking at her pouting lips.

Baoqin gave a soft hum, too embarrassed to voice her little grievances. After all, she wasn't familiar with that Young Master Yu, so there was no need for her to hold a grudge. She would simply avoid him in the future.

Seeing this, Baochai provoked her twice more, and finally managed to get her to reveal the truth.

Baoqin opened her mouth and snorted:

"Since they treat me like an unwelcome guest, should I fawn over them? Wouldn't that be demeaning to myself?"

"How do you say this?"

Baochai opened her eyes wide in surprise. She was sitting right next to her, how come she hadn't seen her treated like an unwelcome guest?

What? You're saying I've been keeping an eye on Yu-ge and not her? I was just passing by!

Baoqin wrinkled her little nose and said:

"I knocked over the cup earlier, and that's when I realized there was also a glass cup. If they had just replaced it with a porcelain cup, that would have been fine, but deliberately taking it out and replacing it seems intentional, doesn't it?"

"..."

Baochai was taken aback for a moment, then looked at Baoqin with a strange, suppressed laugh, unsure of what to say.

Logically speaking, there is no difference between porcelain cups and glass cups, and no one stipulates which one to use. It's just that some people use porcelain instead of glass cups, which makes Baoqin wonder.

Could it be that they look down on these guests and think they are not worthy? Moreover, using porcelain first and then glass seems to be a direct mockery of their unworthiness.

However, Gu Yu's situation was different. He was usually picky and genuinely disliked using glass, considering it inferior. He even held the view that snowflake candy was inferior to brown sugar, and snow water was inferior to spring water.

After hearing it so many times, they got used to it and just treated it as a normal gathering of sisters. They didn't really notice this aspect and never expected that it would make Baoqin so sensitive.

After a brief explanation, Baochai looked at Baoqin with a teasing smile and said:

"Didn't you always disregard these things and only care about practicality? Why are you paying so much attention to these trivial details today? Do you really want to be treated like a VIP?"

"Don't talk nonsense! I knew you'd make fun of me..."

Baoqin blushed, a rare sight for her, but she stammered and couldn't speak loudly, unusually humble and subservient in front of Baochai.

Seeing Baoqin's rosy cheeks and charming appearance, Baochai felt a pang of jealousy. She knew that Baoqin must have a very good impression of Gu Yu, while she had to pretend to be indifferent. For a moment, she couldn't help but feel a little jealous.

But then she thought about how she was going to secretly help this girl get into Gu Yu's bed, and for some reason Baochai's heart raced. She felt a strange sense of anticipation and excitement.

Lost in thought, Baochai suddenly recalled the scene when Xiangyun discovered their intimacy, only now she seemed to have become Xiangyun, and the one in Gu Yu's arms seemed to have become Baoqin.

Baoqin is in Yu's arms... Yu knows I'm watching...!

"Sister, what's wrong? Why is your face so red?"

Baochai suddenly came to her senses and couldn't help but inwardly scold herself for what she had been thinking!

"Oh—hehe...it's nothing, it's nothing. I just had a little to drink and I have a bit of a fever right now, it's alright."

"In that case, sister, you don't need to see me off. I'll go out by myself. Go back and rest."

Baoqin called to her maid, hesitated for a moment, and then awkwardly hinted to Baochai:

"We don't have anything planned for tomorrow, so how about we hang out together? -- What do you think?"

Baochai secretly rolled her eyes and sneered in an annoyed tone:

"If you keep asking, then tell me clearly where you want to go, and I promise I'll have a good time with you."

"Slightly, slightly, slightly~"

With a playful sticking out of her tongue, Baoqin turned and ran away without answering, but her reddened ear tips betrayed her true thoughts.

"This girl! How old is she, still acting like this..."

Baochai watched Baoqin leave with amusement, her playful little gestures seeming to transport her back to the carefree childhood days of the two sisters.

Unfortunately, we're all grown up now, and if we want to stay sisters forever, we'll have to work hard ourselves.

"You got off easy..."

She didn't know who she was talking to, but Baochai muttered to herself, then led Ying'er back to the mansion, glancing once more in the direction of the pear blossoms and spring rain.

If my prediction is correct, Lin Daiyu should be...

……

"Good sister, don't cry... You've already cried before, why are you starting again now?"

Gu Yu lay on the rocking chair with a wry smile. Although it was warm and comfortable with several layers of sheepskin, and with a beautiful young girl hanging on him, he felt even more comfortable.

But it's not so good when a beauty sheds tears and you have to comfort her with a long face.

As Gu Yu gently stroked Daiyu's head, just as he was about to continue coaxing her, Daiyu suddenly propped her head up and kissed the corner of his mouth, then buried her face in his shoulder. Though her voice was soft, it stunned Gu Yu.

"...Brother Yu, you don't need to coax me. That monk once said that all the tears I shed in my life were predetermined."

"Though I didn't believe it, I'm now more inclined to believe it. In this life, I only shed tears for my father and mother, and in the future, I will shed tears for you."

"Since it's all predestined, just let me cry my heart out. If I shed all my tears today, will Brother Yu never let me cry again? If we never part for the rest of our lives, that would be a blessing we should have..."

"..."

Gu Yu stared blankly at the girl's slightly disheveled hair, which had become disheveled from being curled up in his arms. He felt that what was flowing in his heart was not blood but vinegar. Otherwise, why would he suddenly feel weak all over and have no strength left?

Daiyu's sobbing stopped, but Gu Yu's eyes welled up with tears. He could only silently hug the delicate body in his arms, greedily inhaling the fragrance from the girl's neck with all his might.

In a moment of passion, Gu Yu inadvertently used too much force, and Daiyu felt as if their bodies were about to be fused together. The pressure in her chest made it hard to breathe, yet she strangely enjoyed their close embrace, so she just blushed and remained silent.

It was only after Gu Yu noticed the anomaly that he hurriedly loosened his grip slightly. Looking at the love that had welled up in the girl's pure and clear eyes, he knew the answer without even asking, so he simply continued to silently rub his cheek against hers.

As they whispered sweet nothings to each other, Gu Yu felt as if all the pressure and exhaustion she had felt over the past few days had vanished, and her heart felt like it was soaking in a hot spring, her mind completely empty.

Even though the air was filled with the delicate fragrance of a young girl and her body was soft and shapely in his arms, Gu Yu felt no desire whatsoever. He only wanted to lie there until the end of time.

The warm room was silent. Daiyu nestled against his chest, and the two listened to the faint, synchronized heartbeats, as if they could sense each other's thoughts, their harmony and sweetness palpable.

Chapter Twenty-Three: Rewards for Good Young Men

After an unknown amount of time, Daiyu suddenly raised her head, and Gu Yu looked down at her with a knowing glance. It's unclear who took the initiative to lean in first, but the two slowly drew closer and finally kissed each other's long-lost lips.

On the way back, Gu Yu imagined many intimate scenes with her sisters after returning, but no matter how frantically they took from each other or how she forcefully and domineeringly enjoyed them, nothing seemed as good as this moment of silence.

With practiced ease, Gu Yu wrapped his tongue around the girl's tongue that was offered to him. Instead of teasing her, he happily followed the girl's gentle, proactive movements.

As their lips met, sweet saliva filled her mouth, and Daiyu couldn't help but gasp. The warm, fragrant breath she exhaled from her nose wafted onto Gu Yu's philtrum, which was so close to hers, and he inhaled it with rapture.

"Mmm..."

With a flushed face, Daiyu kept exploring Gu Yu's territory, feeling as if she had switched places with her brother Yu in the past, desperately trying to get more.

When the kiss reached its climax, Daiyu even slightly propped herself up and lifted herself up, actively cupping Gu Yu's face to prevent him from moving around. She lowered her head and closed her eyes, refusing to look at him, yet she remained tender and affectionate, lingering and tender, until she had no strength left.

After a long while, their lips parted, and Daiyu, panting, nestled in his arms. Suddenly, she blushed and moved slightly. Even through her cotton trousers, she could feel his hot, thick thighs. However, she suppressed her shyness and instead pressed her legs against his, gently grinding against him.

"...Ahem, I've been a bit irritable lately."

Looking at Daiyu's beautiful eyes, which could be both angry and happy, and her shy and resentful expression, Gu Yu felt a little embarrassed. He wasn't a saint, so how could he not react to all this kissing?

What's more, I'm a carnivore, and after going to Jiangnan, seeing all those courtesans I could look at but not touch made me incredibly frustrated.

Daiyu couldn't help but smile, and suddenly her shyness faded a lot. She boldly reached out a hand to his body and took the initiative to massage him through his pants. She straightened up without saying a word and refused to look him in the eye.