Chapter 365

What nonsense! I smashed you, and that's it!

Baoyu saw Daiyu and Baichai playing chess by themselves, paying no attention to him.

Moreover, the bright red agate bracelet Daiyu wore on her wrist was glaring, and Zijuan's words went against his wishes.

In a flash of anger rising from his heart, he, in a fit of spite, snatched the Spiritual Jade from his neck, gritted his teeth, and violently threw it to the ground.

But the jade was extremely hard; after being thrown, it didn't even budge.

Baoyu picked up the jade, held it before his eyes, glanced at the front engraved with "Spiritual Jade" and the back engraved with "Never forget, never lose, eternal longevity and prosperity" — the lustrous jade pendant — and suddenly found those words extremely glaring.

What bullshit "Never forget, never lose"? What should be forgotten can't be forgotten, and what should be remembered can't be remembered.

He gritted his teeth and smashed the jade hard against the ground again, accompanied by a crisp "crack".

The Spiritual Jade bounced on the ground, traced an arc, and flew toward the crack beside the window-side bed, disappearing.

Meanwhile, Daiyu, who was playing chess with Baichai, frowned, heard the sound and looked over; seeing him acting crazy, her delicate face turned slightly pale, showing a hint of astonishment, and she said softly:

"Baoyu, why bother smashing that useless thing again?"

This time, Daiyu was not as panicked and anxious as before, to the point of vomiting blood; although her face was a little pale, she still retained some composure!

She considered that her words and deeds just now were not improper; even if this matter blew up, she would not be as helpless and friendless as last time, condemned by thousands.

At the same time, she was utterly disappointed in Jia Baoyu in her heart.

Such a childish temper—smash the jade at the slightest disagreement—as if I could not oppose his will at all, and must completely indulge him!

At this moment, Baoyu's dark, chubby face flushed red; seeing that Daiyu, Baichai, and Zijuan were not as frightened and flustered as he had expected, his anger and resentment grew, and he shouted loudly:

"Miss Lin, you've changed your heart too! I thought you were a confidante who could understand my feelings, but I never expected you to become like this!"

"When you first came, wasn't I just playing along? Whatever you liked, I'd give you; whatever I liked to eat, hearing you also liked it, I'd hurriedly prepare it clean and neat, waiting for your return!"

"Now I want a sachet, but you won't make one for me; the jade bracelet I've been saving for you, you won't even accept."

"And you say I'm too old for such childish nonsense! Your attitude toward me is also like this—neither close nor distant, neither cold nor warm?"

"What have I done wrong to make you treat me so distantly?"

"Or have you grown close to someone else, preferring the bead string they gave you rather than the bracelet I painstakingly sought for you?"

Baichai, standing nearby, rose and stepped back, holding a round fan in her hand, the lotus on its face swaying slightly between her fingers.

Hearing Baoyu's accusation, her face, as white as pear blossoms, rarely showed a hint of displeasure; her brows furrowed tightly, and she spoke:

"Baoyu, what nonsense are you spouting? Miss Lin's words were not improper; you fly into a temper at the slightest disagreement, showing her no respect at all!"

Daiyu's willow-leaf brows slightly furrowed, she set down her chess piece, and explained softly:

"Second Brother Baoyu, you're overthinking; I've never been distant or cold toward you."

"What Zijuan said is also not wrong; indeed, we are all older now, and we ought to pay attention to certain things!"

"You want me to make a sachet and wear a bracelet, but I don't like them—do I not even have the right to refuse?"

"In your heart, am I merely a toy you can vent your anger on whenever you please?"

Saying this, Daiyu felt a bit wronged and sore; she lowered her head slightly, and her eye rims had unknowingly turned a little red.

After all, living under others' roofs, we must always watch others' faces, with no escape! This has been the case since childhood, never truly changed!

She suddenly missed Jia Jing; if it were Third Brother, he would never treat her like this!

Daiyu loosened her grip on her collar, then clenched it again; the tears she had held back for a long time finally fell, silently, drop by drop from her eye sockets, tracing down her cheeks.

She bit her lips tightly, making no sound, but her frail shoulders trembled slightly.

Baoyu's dark, chubby round face was originally full of indignation, his expression revealing madness,

but at this moment, seeing Daiyu sitting on the bed with her red-rimmed, pitiful look, his heart unexpectedly shifted from anger to joy, leaping wildly.

"Miss Lin's tears are finally flowing for me again! Her heart is not completely indifferent to me!"

At this moment, inside the side chamber,

Yingchun, Tan Chun, Xichun, Xiang Yun, and Xing Xiuyan, etc., also heard the commotion and gathered around.

Yingchun and Xichun looked somewhat panicked and uneasy, still bearing a trace of lingering fear; Baoyu's jade-smashing has always been the scene they most dread facing.

But Tan Chun raised her delicate eyebrows, a hint of angry resentment on her face, and spoke coldly:

"Second Brother, why are you smashing jade again for no reason, taking out your temper on the sisters in the household like this—are you still a child?"

Last year, Second Brother's jade-smashing scandal provoked Third Brother to mobilize the household troops and scold the entire household from top to bottom!

Third Brother had sternly warned then that there must be no repeat, otherwise old scores and new scores would be settled together!

And now, as I manage the household, Second Brother pulls this stunt again—how can this be tolerated?

If I mishandle this, how will I answer to Third Brother?

Thinking this, Tan Chun's expression turned solemn, and she ordered the attendant scribe beside her:

"Second Brother has reverted to his old ways—go fetch the master from the front to deal with this!"

Hearing this, the attendant scribe was somewhat startled, but still replied softly; before she could move, she saw Baoyu already frozen there as if struck by lightning!

At that moment, Jia Mu, Lady Wang, Yuan Chun, and the others outside finally heard the commotion from the side chambers.