Chapter 552: Romantic Feelings in the Inner Chambers

Rongguo Prefecture, Lixiang Courtyard.

As Jia Cong passed by the courtyard gate, he happened to see a graceful figure swaying under the eaves. It was Baochai who had just come out of the courtyard gate, followed by Jin Chuan.

Seeing Jia Cong, Baochai's eyes were bright and watery, and she couldn't help but reveal a trace of joy. Her flawless, snow-like pretty face inexplicably flushed with a trace of shyness.

Perhaps meeting at the gate of the Lixiang Courtyard reminded her of that scene in the rain that day...

Baochai asked, "Where is Brother Cong returning from?"

Jia Cong replied, "I am returning from the Rongqing Hall. The Xue Yima originally took her leave of the Old Matriarch today, wanting to move out of the Rongguo Prefecture. Second Sister-in-law sent a message to me, and I just went over to persuade the Xue Yima."

"Does Sister Bao know about the Xue Yima's plan to move?"

Before Baochai could answer, Jin Chuan on the side said, "Miss is worried about this in her heart. Seeing that the Lady has been out for a long time and hasn't returned, she was just thinking of going to see the situation."

Baochai's face turned red again when she heard this. Jin Chuan's gaze wandered between the two. She was eager for Third Master to know her mistress's thoughts.

Jia Cong laughed, "I have already persuaded the Xue Yima in the Rongqing Hall, and the Old Matriarch and Second Sister-in-law are also wholeheartedly trying to keep her. The Xue Yima has already agreed to stay, so Sister Bao doesn't need to worry."

Baochai's pretty face flushed, and she said, "My Xue Yima has moved out of the West Branch, and after that day's incident, my Mom is also hindered by reason, which is why she is like this. Even if I worry, it is useless..."

Jia Cong thought for a while and said, "That day's incident, Brother Bao and I were not at fault, and we have a clear conscience. If others want to guess blindly, that is their business. The clear will be clear, and the muddy will be muddy."

"When the Xue Yima returns, Sister Bao should also talk to her. There is no need to pay attention to those scattered and crooked words. Just live steadily. For the sisters to have one more day of comfort is one more day of convenience."

Baochai's heart circled around Jia Cong's words about the clear being clear and the muddy being muddy.

She asked herself, could she still remain pure? When she first saw him at the old mansion in Jin Ling that year, her heart had already lost its purity and stillness. Did he not know at all?

Seeing Baochai in a daze, Jia Cong said, "Sister doesn't need to go to the Rongqing Hall for now. Let the Xue Yima and the Old Matriarch chat. After a while, when she returns, this matter will pass."

Jia Cong finished speaking and was about to turn back to the East Branch, but saw Baochai biting her lips slightly, her expression seeming to summon courage.

Although her speech was clear, her heart seemed to have a trace of slightly restrained disturbance. She asked, "Did Brother Cong persuade us to stay just for the sake of etiquette between relatives?"

Jia Cong was slightly stunned when he heard this and looked at Baochai seriously, but saw her also raise her head, her gaze not retreating as she looked at him, seeming to wait for his answer.

Jia Cong was not stupid. After daily interactions over the past few years, he naturally saw some of Baochai's thoughts.

He had grown up with sisters like Yingchun, Daiyu, and Seeing Tan Chun, sharing the same blood, close and uninhibited.

He and Baochai were relatives from different branches, so there would always be some differences, with more restraint and etiquette.

Perhaps the accident in the rain that day, Lady Wang's evil speculation, and even the move to make the Xue family move out of the Jia family, the external entanglements and involvement, had caused changes in the matter that could not be ignored...

He thought for a while and said, "Sister Bao has always been good. It is a rare fate for the sisters to be able to get along in this garden, so we should naturally cherish it twice as much."

"We cannot let our own sisters suffer grievances because of others' crooked words, and have concerns in their hearts, instead becoming estranged. That would be too worthless. This is not just etiquette."

Baochai's heart gradually brightened. He kept me not just for etiquette...

She felt a joy she had never had before. Although what she expected was still a bit vague, and the world was full of grinding, it was much clearer than before...

She watched Jia Cong's departing back until he passed the small gate of the two prefectures, and she still stood quietly at the gate of the Lixiang Courtyard, her thoughts chaotic and difficult to calm.

Rongguo Prefecture, Baoyu's Courtyard.

Because it was almost time for the change of seasons, this day Sister Xi Ren and Sheyue directed the little maids to move the quilts and winter clothes from each room to the courtyard to dry while the sun was bright.

Qiuwen went to Fengjie's courtyard to collect the monthly allowance for everyone, and only Bihun was left in the room to tidy up Baoyu's change of clothes.

Baoyu was sitting at the desk, distressed, flipping through a copy of the Four Books. Recently, people in the two prefectures were all reading poetry and books like Jia Cong, waiting for the spring imperial examination.

Perhaps the day Lady Wang and Jia Zheng mentioned Daiyu's marriage touched Jia Zheng's heart knot, making him realize that Lin Ruhai was a pride of the imperial examination, so how could he agree to the marriage between Baoyu and Daiyu.

Consequently, Jia Zheng urged Baoyu and Jia Huan's homework more tightly than usual, calling Baoyu to the East Courtyard every two days to examine his books and lessons.

After Baoyu went a few times, he was scolded upon returning. This was still because Jia Zheng was wary of the Old Mistress being angry, so he didn't use the cane.

Baoyu was forced by the situation and went to the clan school more diligently than usual, but reading was a slow process, not something that could be done by hugging the Buddha's feet at the last minute.

He went to beg Jia Mu, but thinking of Jia Cong's excellence, and the current state of the Jia family's Second Branch, and the fact that Baoyu's reputation outside had also been ruined, Jia Mu's state of mind had also changed a bit.

Although she didn't tell Baoyu to study hard, she urged Baoyu not to make his father angry, and even if he didn't like reading, he should at least pretend to like it and leave a good reputation outside.

Baoyu saw that even the Old Matriarch had changed her tune, and felt more and more that all the sincere people in this world had gone, so he couldn't help but look for sorrow and hatred.

But he also knew that his book and scripture skills were sloppy, so to avoid being scolded by his father, he had to flip through books and read a little every day.

It was just that in less than half a cup of tea, he felt nauseated, restless, and truly miserable...

Seeing that Baoyu was actually willing to move books, Sister Xi Ren was very happy.

Every time Baoyu picked up a book, she would have the maids prepare tea, water, pens, and ink, and everyone would withdraw, leaving only one person to serve, so that Baoyu could have more peace and quiet.

This day was the same scene. Baoyu picked up a book, Sister Xi Ren had the little maids prepare tea, water, pens, and ink, and then took Sheyue to the garden to handle things.

Only Bihun had many small thoughts. Midway, she entered the room and asked the little maid who was serving to go to the backyard to wash clothes, saying she would just follow and serve.

Now everyone knew that Baoyu would turn fifteen in the fourth month. According to the old rules of the prefecture, two girls should be arranged in Baoyu's room to serve him.

Among the first-class maids in Baoyu's courtyard, except for Sheyue, whose character was refreshing and didn't compete, Sister Xi Ren had long since obtained the truth and was confident, while the others were all exerting secret strength.

Although they all knew that the first-class master of the Jia family now was not their Baoyu, entering Baoyu's courtyard meant being stamped by the Second Branch. With the Lady there, no one should think of climbing to another branch.

Opportunities like Xiaohong's were not something everyone could encounter, so the few big maids only stared at Baoyu, secretly using their magical powers.

Originally, the most energetic one was Qiuwen. She played tricks on Xiaohong in front of Lady Wang and was quite favored by Lady Wang, and was even rewarded with two new clothes.

Unexpectedly, Xiaohong was driven away only a few days ago, but she turned over and was appointed by Jia Cong as the managing maid of the Rongxi Hall, which was a hundred times more glorious than in Baoyu's courtyard.

This matter almost made Lady Wang sick, and she didn't even like Qiuwen anymore. If it weren't for her instigation that day, there wouldn't have been later events.

Baoyu seduced Xiaohong in the Rongxi Hall and was scared away by Xiaohong's study of career and economy. Since then, although he didn't dare to harass Xiaohong again, he also felt disgusted with Qiuwen, who squeezed Xiaohong away.

Bihun, who had always been close to Qiuwen, felt that the fisherman benefited, secretly proud, and since she had been with Baoyu once last summer, she had wild ambitions and had been looking for opportunities to get close to Baoyu recently.

Baoyu flipped through the books in boredom. Bihun took the opportunity to tidy up the clothes in the room and swayed around him from time to time.

Being able to be a first-class maid around Baoyu, Bihun's appearance was naturally not bad. She was a year older than Baoyu, a girl in her prime, and had grown up to be graceful and seductive.

Now that the weather was warming up, everyone had taken off their winter clothes. Bihun specifically wore a tight-fitting ink-colored thin jacket, covered with a green satin vest, supporting her plump chest, and tied her sweat towel around her slender waist.

The sun shone on her, radiating undulating and moving light. Baoyu, who was reading without heart, occasionally saw this scene, and his eyes went straight.

Although Bihun pretended to tidy up the clothes, she could feel Baoyu's hot and dull gaze, and felt secretly proud.

Suddenly, a figure leaned close behind her. Baoyu had already thrown away the book and stuck to Bihun's back, sniffing at her snow-white neck, which made Bihun's heart jump and goosebumps rise all over her body.

"Good sister, did you also apply perfume? Why does it smell so good?"

Bihun blushed and laughed, "What nonsense is Bao Er Ye talking about? Who applies perfume on their body?"

"Let me tell Bao Er Ye a trick. This morning I took that piece of soap of yours to bathe, the kind that is only sold in the Xin Chun Shop in the city, and it had this fragrance."

Baoyu laughed, "I think that thing is slippery and not refreshing to use. I always threw it there. I didn't expect that using it on Sister would have such a wonderful effect."

Bihun blushed and said, "Bao Er Ye truly doesn't know how precious things are. That soap sells for one tael of silver a piece in the Xin Chun Shop. You actually threw it away without using it. It's too wasteful."

Baoyu giggled, "It's not a good thing. Since you like using it and it has such a wonderful effect, I will ask someone to ask for more from Second Sister another day and give it all to you, okay?"

Bihun laughed, "These words were said by Bao Er Ye, don't coax people."

Baoyu looked at her undulating and graceful figure, his heart moved, and he said, "Now that the weather is starting to get hot, in the summer, we can still wash and play like last summer..."

Bihun thought of last summer, when she served Baoyu in the bath, Baoyu actually pulled her to join him with a drooling face. Bihun half-pushed and half-yielded to let him succeed.

The two washed together for several hours, messing around in the room, making the room look like it had been flooded. Sister Xi Ren and the others didn't feel embarrassed to enter because Baoyu was bathing.

Bihun and Baoyu tossed for too long, and after the event, she pretended to be sick in her own room for two days before she could recover. Now, thinking of it, she couldn't help but feel hot all over.

She laughed secretly, "Master, don't bully me. That was too noisy. I don't dare to provoke Master anymore."

Hearing her voice was charming and seductive, Baoyu couldn't help it anymore. He hugged her slender waist and said, "I think the rouge you applied today is excellent. Why don't you reward me with it?"

As he said this, he straightened Bihun's body and bit down on her red lips, regardless of whether Bihun was willing or not.

Bihun was secretly happy. She knew that Baoyu was reading, and Sister Xi Ren and the others wouldn't easily come in to disturb, so she didn't have to worry about being caught. She struggled slightly, pushed her chest forward, and let Baoyu mess around.

After only a while, Baoyu was covered in rouge, and his hands were still rubbing around Bihun's clothes.

The two were panting, and they were having a great time. The room was quiet, and no one came in to disturb, so they couldn't help but be full of spring feelings, tearing clothes and untying belts, with fragrance overflowing, and they were about to start a big fire...

Suddenly, Sister Xi Ren's voice was heard outside: "Why is the Lady here? Bao Er Ye is reading in the room."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 553 =====