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

Page 147

Because she kept her head down and was facing the wrong direction, Gu Yu couldn't see her face clearly for a moment. He only caught a glimpse of half of her profile and inexplicably thought of the cranes in the sky, so calm and elegant.

"What's that over there...?"

Gu Yu had a guess in her mind, but she was not sure yet, since the timing seemed a bit off, so she looked at Daiyu next to her.

After wiping away her tears, Daiyu felt that all her usual longing, grievances, and loneliness had vanished in that short moment, leaving her with a heavy sense of peace. She stared intently at Gu Yu.

Seeing Gu Yu turn to ask her, Daiyu quietly pointed it out to him. However, seeing that Xichun and the others couldn't resist the urge to come around, she knew that she had taken up too much time, so she turned back to her sisters' group with embarrassment.

"I was so carried away just now that I forgot about Sister Qin and the others..."

Daiyu was thinking about her series of silly actions just now. When she realized it, she felt her face burning. She didn't even care about Gu Yu anymore and just kept her head down and hurried on her way.

"Sister...? Sister?"

Gu Yu called out to Daiyu several times but received no response. She probably understood what was going on, so she shook her head with a light laugh and slowed down to meet up with Baochai and the others on the other side of the water.

Chapter Nineteen: Seeing is believing

Baoqin and her group stood dumbfounded under the eaves, watching Lin Daiyu, who was usually as beautiful as a fairy, become as if she were possessed, even dropping her handkerchief on the ground. They felt like their brains couldn't keep up.

If Daiyu's usual lively and playful interactions with them were already a charming contrast, then seeing her crying like this was truly an eye-opener.

But what was even more eye-catching was the figure under the plum tree. Although the front was not visible due to the angle, the figure alone seemed to have a strange attraction, making people stare at it intently, eager to see its true face.

As the man walked up to Lin Daiyu, he suddenly became flustered, which was quite inconsistent with his previous noble and elegant demeanor. This gave people a strange sense of amusement, but they couldn't help but smile knowingly.

Baoqin watched with great interest for a while, and was about to ask Baochai if that person was Young Master Gu, when suddenly she saw the figure over there seem to have heard their inner thoughts, and turned around with a smile to glance at them, and couldn't help but be stunned.

These past few months, Gu Yu has been traveling with Jiang Zhi, so he naturally couldn't dress casually. Today, when he returned, he was wearing a narrow-sleeved robe with gold cloud patterns embroidered on bamboo and ink. He didn't need any other brocade hats or fur coats. Just his appearance alone was enough to make Baoqin and the others stare in amazement.

"Such a person exists in this world..."

He had half-sword-like eyebrows and half-starry eyes, yet he had no sharpness whatsoever. The warm gaze in his eyes seemed to ignite one's heart, making one dare not look directly at him.

Looking closer, he was also handsome with red lips and white teeth. Baoqin thought of words like "half-nose like a hanging gall" for a long time, but still felt they didn't match. Such natural beauty could not be described in isolation.

"...Could he be an immortal?"

The thought, which they soon found somewhat amusing, flashed through the girls' minds. After all, the person was right in front of them; how could he be some kind of immortal?

As Gu Yu approached, Xi Chun, who had been unable to contain herself any longer, rushed over. Gu Yu carefully put her arm around her to prevent her from getting hurt, then rubbed her head before raising her head to greet her sisters:

"Sister Bao, Second Sister, Third Sister, Sister Yun... I'm back."

"These people...?"

Although Daiyu had already said it once, I still had to ask her in person. But why do these people seem a little dim-witted?

Gu Yu looked at the several girls staring blankly at him, his arm around Xi Chun's shoulder, feeling somewhat uncertain.

Are these guys idiots...? Should I still marry them?

Little did the girls know that before they could recover from the shock of seeing his beauty, Xichun suddenly rushed into his arms, leaving them speechless with astonishment.

What did they see?! A young lady from the Jia family was actually hugging and embracing a man in broad daylight?!

Although the scene just now was ambiguous, they were far apart and it was not easy to see the affection in their eyes. Moreover, there was no physical contact between them. How could it compare to throwing himself into her arms now?

Baoqin finally came to her senses and, at least, knew she couldn't shout. She anxiously tugged at Baochai's sleeve, but as soon as she opened her mouth, she couldn't help but pause in surprise.

Why do you all seem so nonchalant? I even feel a little envious.

“This…sister…they…”

Seeing that Baoqin, who was usually eloquent, was now acting like a mentally challenged child, only able to stretch out her hands and say "Aba aba," Baochai couldn't help but laugh, and then quickly explained:

“Don’t let Brother Yu’s appearance fool you… don’t forget he’s actually younger than Bao Yu. Sister Xi Chun isn’t much older either. They have a deep bond, so it’s understandable that they’re reunited after so long.”

“Is that so…”

Baoqin stammered as she looked around, and sure enough, none of them seemed like the newcomers she was with, which made her feel a little guilty.

She thought she was just overthinking things and making a fuss over nothing, and her face flushed slightly.

After Gu Yu finished rubbing Xi Chun's head, he realized that there were new people present. But seeing Xi Chun's upturned lips, his heart softened, so he simply continued to rub her head.

As long as I win them over quickly enough, they won't feel awkward, right?

In this strange atmosphere, Baochai, with a strange expression and suppressing a laugh, introduced them to everyone. Gu Yu returned the greetings with a smile. Seeing Xing Xiuyan shrink back after greeting everyone, Gu Yu calmly invited everyone to gather at Pear Blossom Spring Rain.

"My sister just said she wanted to host a welcome dinner for me. There's no time like the present, so why don't we go now?"

"When people welcome guests, they usually treat them to a meal. Why would Lin Daiyu do it the other way around?"

Baochai jokingly teased Daiyu, who was standing to the side. Seeing Gu Yu's look, she naturally understood that this was an excuse. After laughing and joking with Daiyu for a while, she successfully changed the topic from whether or not to go to what to eat.

"I'll have to talk to Brother Yu about this later, but these two younger sisters of the Li family..."

Baochai glanced at the four newcomers again. She already knew who Baoqin and Xing Xiuyan were, but she didn't make any arrangements for the Li family sisters.

After all, Li Wan was also in Daoxiang Village, and she had the least contact with them, just like Baoqin. But Baoqin at least had her as an inside agent, someone who knew her inside and out, while the Li sisters knew very little.

Moreover, Aunt Li is a woman of her own mind. It was only because Grandmother Jia liked her that they were allowed to stay temporarily. Once spring comes, they probably won't stay for long. It all depends on Gu Yu's own wishes.

As for the present situation…

Baochai reached out and quietly grasped Gu Yu's outstretched hand, feeling the warmth she hadn't felt in a long time. A bright smile appeared on her face, and she squeezed it firmly before reluctantly letting go.

Ying'er and the others had already gone ahead to deliver the message, so Gu Yu led Daiyu and the others to stroll around the garden and chat for a while.

Xing Xiuyan, intending not to listen to anything improper, had no intention of inquiring about the stranger's past. However, the clear and gentle voice, like a spring breeze melting snow, captivated her and left an even deeper impression on her.

"I thought Baochai and Daiyu had gone too far with their boasting, but I never expected..."

Xing Xiuyan pursed her lips, glanced at Gu Yu who was chatting with her sisters in front of her, and then lowered her head sadly. No one knew what she was thinking.

"It's so cold... I hope it'll warm up inside later... By the way, what should I call him? Will I have to return the invitation later...?"

Li Wen, who was standing next to Xing Xiuyan, saw her walking with her head down and suddenly start counting on her fingers, and couldn't help but open her mouth in surprise.

Just as she was about to pull Li Qi aside to let her see, she saw Li Qi staring at Gu Yu's back with bright eyes, and her face turned red, and she immediately froze.

They were perfectly in sync from a young age, able to understand each other's thoughts with just a glance or a gesture. Even when they were naughty as children, if one of them got a spanking from her mother, the other seemed to feel the pain as well, which was incredibly magical.

Now that my younger sister is staring intently at that young master Yu, she is naturally expressing her attitude... I am older and know that this is impolite, but my younger sister has become somewhat carried away.

"Cough cough~"

"!!...You scared me to death..."

……

Chapter Twenty: The Feast of Beauties

The distance from Qinfang Pavilion to Pear Blossom Spring Rain wasn't too long, and Gu Yu and his group didn't walk very fast. If it weren't for Xing Xiuyan looking so pitiful that he couldn't help but hug her shoulders, Gu Yu would have liked to slow down even more so as to hear the whispers of the two girls behind him.

"Looks like I made a pretty good first impression on them..."

Gu Yu curled the corners of her lips, openly eavesdropping on the sisters' whispers, relying on her exceptional hearing.

When they entered Pear Blossom Spring Rain, Xiangling and the others, who had received the message, had already prepared tea and were waiting for them. They also warmly led Baoqin and the others, who were visiting formally for the first time, to their seats.

With outsiders present, Daiyu suppressed her reluctance and was about to give up her seat to sit in the secondary seat when Gu Yu grabbed her hand.

"We're all family here, so why bother with all this formalities?"

Gu Yu smiled and led her to sit down beside her, completely ignoring the surprised looks from Baoqin and the others. Xichun reacted quickly, immediately taking up the other side with a grin.

Fortunately, this action actually livened up the atmosphere. Tan Chun pretended to tease him a few times, trying to cover up the subtle atmosphere from before, but she couldn't help but glare at him reproachfully.

Why is this bad guy so unruly as soon as he comes back?

They used to be quite well-behaved towards them, but later they all knew what was going on and stopped hiding it. Now they're being so bold in front of Baoqin and the others. Have they gotten too big for their britches?

Gu Yu didn't see the expression on her face, so she naturally didn't know what she was thinking, but even if she did know, she wouldn't change it.

After working so hard for half a year to finally win over these young wives, can't I even enjoy myself?

"Little sister, you're wearing so little, your hands are freezing! Why don't you wear more layers?"

Having been too excited to notice her earlier meeting, Gu Yu now had the leisure to carefully examine her beloved Lin Daiyu while sitting in the room and relaxing.

Seeing that although she was wearing a dark blue padded jacket, she had taken off her robe when she came inside, and she looked small and very thin. Gu Yu couldn't help but feel sorry for her, and she clenched her slightly cold little hand under the table even tighter.

Daiyu stared at her teacup with a blush on her face, refusing to turn her head to look at him—otherwise, she was afraid she would lose control and press herself against him.

"It's freezing cold there. In previous years, I wouldn't have dared to go out in this weather, but now that I've recovered, I'm not afraid anymore."

As she gently felt the warmth of the hand caressing her own, Daiyu's usually clear and bright eyes seemed to be veiled by a layer of mist, as if separated by a veil. Fortunately, she kept her head down so no one could see it, otherwise, her watery expression would have been impossible to hide.

When the maids started serving the dishes, Gu Yu finally let go of Daiyu's hand. Although Xichun didn't see the two of them making a move, she noticed that Daiyu was unusually looking down, and she knew that something was definitely going on.

Seeing that the two seemed to have finished, she quickly and pitifully snuggled up to them and couldn't help but ask the question that all the sisters wanted to ask.

"Brother Yu~ Why did you take so long to go south this time?"

The women at the table all stared at them. Even Xing Xiuyan and the others, who had never met before, had heard about it so much that they were tired of it and were also very curious.

Gu Yu chuckled and deliberately tapped Xi Chun's nose with a smile, saying:

"I originally planned to go back after the Mid-Autumn Festival, but unfortunately there were too many tourist boats on the Jinling River, and I got lost. Luckily, I managed to get away, which is why I came back a little late."

"Brother Yu!"

Even though they knew he was lying, Daiyu and the others were still furious. They glanced at Baoqin and the others opposite them without making a sound, and Daiyu kicked Gu Yu's shin in a huff.

You may not care about your reputation, but I do! I praised you to the skies before, but the moment you come back, all you talk about is womanizing. Don't you get annoyed?

Since they knew Gu Yu was unwilling to talk about it, they naturally felt embarrassed to ask further. Seeing the atmosphere suddenly turn cold, Baoqin became restless and cleared her throat, continuing:

"I heard that Young Master Yu's Mid-Autumn Festival poem was written during the night meeting. I wonder if you could tell me some interesting stories from that time? I often hear people talk about the romantic tales of many scholars. I used to think they were all lies, but I never expected that there was such a talented person as you, Young Master Yu."

Gu Yu's eyelids twitched, and she glanced suspiciously at Baochai beside her, wondering if she was Baochai's mouth double.

I was just joking, why would I really have to talk about how to drink and dine with courtesans? Is this some kind of sarcasm?

However, when Baochai saw his staring gaze, she initially blushed and met his eyes, but later couldn't help but look away, not at all like someone who wanted to watch a good show.

"Hehe, poetry is just a minor pastime, something to pass the time. As you ladies know, I don't usually like going out. I'm only attending on behalf of my uncle this time."

"?"

Baoqin turned her head in confusion to look at Baochai, who promptly explained:

"It's Uncle Lin."

As she spoke, she gestured to Daiyu across from her, and Baoqin finally realized what was happening, but even greater doubts arose in her heart.

Since this young master Yu is merely Lord Lin's cousin, how did he manage to come to the Jia family mansion and even move into the Grand View Garden? Isn't that a bit unreasonable?

Just as she was wondering, Gu Yu, who had failed to fool her, coughed twice more, pretending that the group of newcomers did not exist, and started her familiar antics again.

"...In the blink of an eye, I immediately clasped my hands in a fist and stepped forward, generously pledging that I would never tarnish the reputation of my Lin family!"

Daiyu's pretty face turned bright red. She took the opportunity of lowering her head to drink to hide the shocking heat on her cheeks, but she didn't even have the strength to reach out and pinch his waist.

And which Lin family are you from? Tch!

Seeing Gu Yu acting like a storyteller, the girls, who had never seen him act like this before, couldn't help but cover their mouths and giggle, feeling as if something inside them had been broken.

It was as if... the celestial beings in the sky had suddenly come to life with the scent of earth, and their previous indescribable restraint gradually disappeared, and the reserved and polite smiles on their faces became genuine.

When Gu Yu mentioned that several talented men on the field had provoked him and deliberately portrayed him as a clown, Baoqin finally couldn't hold back and cried out, clutching her stomach with laughter.

"Puhahaha~ Hey—!"

Before she knew it, the porcelain cup on the table was knocked over and shattered. Hearing the noise, Qingwen, who was in the side room, quickly ran over with her maid to check.

Before Gu Yu could give any instructions, the maids quickly gathered up the broken pieces and wiped away the wine stains. Qingwen took a glass cup from a drawer and said apologetically to Baoqin:

“Miss Baoqin, please don’t mind. I’m always frugal, and I didn’t have a spare in this rush. I’ll just have to make do with this glass cup for now.”

Baoqin forced a smile to express her gratitude, then stared at the clear glass in front of her for a long time, her face showing a hint of indifference.

Once the minor incident had passed, the sisters focused their attention on Gu Yu, and no one noticed the unusual expression on her face.

Chapter Twenty-One: A Walkthrough That Isn't a Walkthrough

Since it was snowing, it was natural to have some wine to warm up. Before long, some old women brought over a pot of warmed wine.

Xiangling had just stood up and was about to come over to pour wine for Gu Yu when he smiled and waved her away.