Chapter 364

In the side room, Jia Baoyu gazed stupidly at Daiyu; perhaps because he was older, his gaze no longer held the former pure innocence, but instead carried a hint of fervor and rudeness.

Actually, Jia Baoyu was not exactly a pure and innocent person; on the contrary, he often indulged in wanton behavior.

Not to mention the spring dream he once had in Keqing's room, he also had improper relations with several maidservants around him.

In the original text, Qingwen, who was straightforward and outspoken, had on more than one occasion pointed out the secrets between Jia Baoyu and the maidservants around him.

Once, upon seeing Jia Baoyu combing Sheyue's hair, she coldly laughed and jeered, "You haven't even finished the exchange cup, and you're already getting ahead!"

In old times, after marriage women would change their hair bun into a style called "shangtou"; here it naturally alludes to the fact that their relationship is not ordinary.

When mentioning Xiren, Qingwen also said, "I know all about your sneaking around."

Combined with Qingwen's knowledge of Jia Baoyu's affair with Xiren, this remark naturally lumped Sheyue into that ambiguous relationship circle.

Qingwen had also refused Jia Baoyu's invitation to bathe together, and took the opportunity to expose the "astonishing" scene of another maid, Bichen, serving Jia Baoyu in his bath.

"It lasted two or three hours… after they finished washing, when I went in to look, the water on the floor had reached the bed legs, and even the mat was covered in water."

In the historical context, it's not hard to guess what actually happened during this lengthy, chaotic bath.

Moreover, the incident with Jinjuan, including his "pasting the pancake" with Qin Zhong, Jiang Yuhan, Xianglian, Yu'ai and others—these male‑on‑male affairs all reveal Jia Baoyu's licentious nature.

At this moment, seeing Daiyu's exquisite natural beauty, what he was thinking goes without saying!

And Daiyu, by nature extremely sensitive and keenly perceptive, almost instantly sensed the rudeness in Jia Baoyu's wandering gaze.

Her eyebrows knit, her starry eyes turned icy, a feeling of shame and annoyance welled up unbidden, and she couldn't help letting out a soft cold snort.

"Hmph…"

Jia Baoyu was startled by the hum, but because his mind had been elsewhere, he didn't immediately realize Daiyu's disple's displeasure.

Instead, he casually moved closer to Daiyu and Baichai, leaning in as if to get a better look at the chess piece in Daiyu's hand.

As he drew nearer, he suddenly caught Daiyu's faint fresh scent mixed with the smell of ink and the rich fragrance of Baichai's cold perfume pills—clean and pleasant, making his heart beat faster for a moment.

Seeing that Daiyu and Baichai had solemn expressions and paid him no heed, Jia Baoyu's dark, large face showed no concern; instead, a smile appeared again, and he spoke once more:

"You're really asleep early now; I went to your courtyard as soon as I returned home yesterday, never expecting you to already be asleep."

"I know you girls usually sleep lightly, so I didn't dare disturb you!"

This remark was naturally meant to show his thoughtfulness.

Daiyu's complexion was pale, her voice cold and indifferent as she said:

"In the summer heat, sometimes one's thoughts grow dim, making it inevitable to fall asleep earlier!"

In fact, when Jia Baoyu went yesterday, Daiyu wasn't asleep at all, but considering how late it was, there was bound to be suspicion of impropriety.

Moreover, Jia Jing had once ordered Jia Baoyu not to visit the sisters' quarters, so Daiyu didn't see him; instead, she had Zijin say she was already asleep.

On the other side, Baichai, responding to Jia Baoyu's show of closeness, had a slightly sunk gaze, avoided looking sideways, and spoke somewhat coldly:

"You're older now, you shouldn't go running about; you'd better listen more to your elder sister and focus on your studies."

A short sentence, yet with a double meaning.

Baichai naturally wasn't really advising Jia Baoyu to study; she always minds her own business and wouldn't bother with his trifles.

One reason she said this is that she knows Jia Baoyu dislikes hearing such talk, intending to make him distance himself voluntarily.

After all, with everyone present, she couldn't bluntly say, "Don't come looking for me anymore; I don't want to see you!"

Secondly, she was saying that as he grows older, he should also know about propriety between men and women.

In short, Baichai has already made her feelings known to Jia Jing; she naturally must avoid suspicion with other outsiders, otherwise if Jia Jing were to misunderstand, that would be bad.

Sure enough, upon hearing Baichai's words, Jia Baoyu frowned slightly and stepped back from her.

Immediately afterward, he leaned toward Daiyu, suppressed his displeasure, his dark, chubby face breaking into a smile again, and he said softly to Daiyu:

"Lin sister, I heard the matriarch say you made her a sachet, your needlework is exquisite."

"I don't have a skilled maid for needlework around me; could you make one for me too?"

"I'm not asking for nothing; a few days ago I happened to obtain a pair of jade bracelets, and I thought that if you wore them, they'd be splendid—I've been saving them for you."

Jia Baoyu certainly has his ways of winning girls' favor, using the pretense of an exchange,

wanting Daiyu to make him a sachet, naturally presenting the bracelet as a gift, and perfectly revealing his constant thoughts of Daiyu.

Daiyu furrowed her brows, moved her body slightly aside without a change in expression, and gently refused:

"Second brother, you're joking! My needlework is clumsy; I'm afraid I can't do this. If you want a sachet, second brother, you can buy one at the market!"

Third Brother had previously asked me whether this sachet was his alone; if I made one for Jia Baoyu as well, wouldn't that lead him to misunderstand my feelings?

Moreover, a sachet is such an intimate item—how could men and women casually exchange it?

Daiyu paused, then said:

"As for the bracelet, I've never liked wearing such heavy, bulky objects."

"Not only is it inconvenient to move about in daily life, but it's also easily broken! I think second brother would do better to give it to the eldest sister or the third sister—their stations are just right!"

"If there's nothing else, second brother, you might as well go see the matriarch—she's been missing you dearly at home."

Daiyu's words carried a faint aloofness, though not as overt as Baichai's display.

After all, she and Jia Baoyu have grown up together as cousins since childhood; some things are hard to say too bluntly, lest they hurt their affection.

And Jia Baoyu at this moment finally sensed that Daiyu's and Baichai's attitudes were off, his dark, chubby face full of bewilderment like a mid‑autumn full moon.

Turning his gaze to Daiyu, he inadvertently noticed that the half‑exposed wrist of Daiyu now bore a string of multicolored agate beads,

those agate beads were red as the blood dripping from his heart, causing his dark, chubby visage to swell into the color of spoiled liver in an instant.

This is what she means by not liking to wear… bulky objects??

Daiyu sensed Jia Baoyu's gaze, her hand twitched slightly, she pulled her sleeve down to cover her wrist.

She lifted her head, glanced at Jia Baoyu, her clear, dark eyes holding something neither cold nor hot, hard to describe… like a thin veil separating them.

Jia Baoyu's heart jolted; he stood frozen for a moment, his expression locked.

Though Lin Daiyu was clearly sitting right beside him, Jia Baoyu felt as if thousands of mountains and rivers lay between them.

In a sudden rush, Bao Yu couldn't think further, stepped forward at once, ready to grab Daiyu's hand and see exactly what she was wearing.

Daiyu, without showing any expression, stepped back a step; Zi Juan, who had been watching the situation from the side, hurried forward, blocked Bao Yu, and gently advised:

"Bao Er Ye, now the sisters are all grown, it's not proper to continue such frolicking!"

There were things Daiyu couldn't say; as a maid, she couldn't just watch with her eyes wide open.

Since Bao Yu's last fall that made Daiyu spit blood, Zi Juan has known that Bao Er Ye is not a good match for their own girl, so it's better to keep a respectful distance.

Hmm! Keep your distance, lest… misunderstandings!

Zi Juan's blunt words made Bao Yu's complexion redden further, his heart felt like being torn by knives, veins stood out on his forehead, his head buzzed, and the whole world seemed to blur!

Like a round pancake, the black face plate shed two streaks of tears, he felt short of breath, and his hand instinctively reached for the warm jade on the collar around his neck…