Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 433: Drunk in the Peony Bush

At this moment, Shi Xiangyun turned her face away, but her eyes began to roll around.

"Since my sisters have all gone out, leaving me alone in the mansion, wouldn't it be justifiable for me to go and have a chat with the Marquis?"

Her mind was working rapidly. As today was a day off, Yue Ling should be at home. It was a good time for her to visit him.

Moreover, there were innumerable girls in the courtyard on weekdays, and they would meet familiar people everywhere they walked around. How could Shi Xiangyun have the nerve to sit next to Yue Ling? She certainly didn't dare to do so.

After thinking for a while, Shi Xiangyun rubbed her cheeks and rejected the idea.

"No, the Marquis and Sister Lin are in love with each other, but I want to go to her when she is not at home. What is the difference between this and a foxy woman? I can't do this."

With a slight sigh, Shi Xiangyun turned around in boredom, lay down flat, and looked up at the ceiling in a daze.

Seeing the girl's change from great joy to great sorrow, Cuilu was confused. She also saw that the girl had no intention of sleeping anymore, so she couldn't help but suggest, "Miss, how about we go out for a walk? What's the point of being stuck in the room? They all went to visit the Rongguo Mansion's other courtyard, so why not take a look here?"

Shi Xiangyun propped herself up and sat up, looking at the bright sunshine outside the window. She was always lively and active, and she became more interested. Besides, she couldn't fall asleep anymore. "Okay, let's go to the kitchen to get some food. We can find a waterside pavilion to stay, enjoy the scenery and get some fresh air."

Both the master and the servant were action-oriented. Once they made up their minds, they quickly washed up and went out, going straight to the stone pavilion in the back garden.

The breeze blows and the water is calm.

Looking at the layers of lotus flowers in the pond, Shi Xiangyun's heart couldn't help but calm down.

Looking at the self-pouring pot in her hand, Shi Xiangyun hesitated whether to drink it or not.

When I went to the kitchen to get food, the nanny in charge said that after drinking too much the day before, I would recover faster if I drank less the next day.

He even warmed the wine for her before serving it to her along with the food.

"Girl, what do you think the love they usually talk about is?"

Shi Xiangyun turned her head in a daze, looking at Cuilu who was looking at the lake with a calm face and putting cakes and candied fruits into her mouth. She couldn't help but ask suspiciously, "What are you talking about all of a sudden, girl?"

Her heartbeat quickened a little, but Cuilu seemed fine, not at all the girl in love as she had imagined.

Cui Lu explained, "These days, when I go to various courtyards, I can always hear through the window that some girls in the room say that they like the Marquis and think about love. What is love? Why don't I have such thoughts?"

Shi Xiangyun blushed slightly and said hesitantly, "You are so young, how can you understand what love is? You will understand it when you are older."

"How long is that?"

"How long can anyone tell? Anyway, we will know in the future."

"Like a girl's age?"

Shi Xiangyun nodded perfunctorily, "Yeah, maybe."

Cui Lu continued to ask: "Then, does the young lady also love the Marquis?"

"Cough cough cough..."

Shi Xiangyun just took a sip of the wine and choked in her throat.

After wiping her lips, Shi Xiangyun asked, "Why do you say that?"

"Because the young lady always mentions the Marquis. Apart from Miss Lin, she always mentions the Marquis. Moreover, when she was in Rongguo Mansion, didn't the young lady boldly admit it? She even compared herself with the three young ladies of the Jia family. I think the young lady likes the Marquis."

"And, most importantly, when the girl looked at the Marquis, her eyes seemed to sparkle. I have been with the girl for a long time, but I have never seen this happen to anyone else."

Shi Xiangyun was always outspoken, and unlike other girls who were shy and coy, she agreed immediately, "Okay, I admit that I like the Marquis, so what?"

Cuilu nodded, "That's why I asked you, young lady, what is love?"

"Love is... is..."

Shi Xiangyun twitched her lips. She really didn't know how to explain it.

When she first met Yue Ling, she just thought that Yue Ling was more masculine, and compared with the brothers of the Jia family, he was more like a man of integrity. However, she did not expect that when they met again, he had become a Duke.

The distance between the two of them was like a chasm.

Her feelings seemed to be based on emotion but ended in courtesy.

Shi Xiangyun did not give any answer, but Cuilu raised her hand and pointed at the water and asked, "Miss, look over there, there is a pair of waterfowl playing on the lake. Is that love?"

"I guess so. Playing together is for love."

"Does the girl also want the Marquis to accompany her like this, so that she won't toss and turn and think too much when she sleeps?"

"When did I have that?"

Seeing Cuilu staring at her with innocent eyes, Shi Xiangyun had no choice but to lower her head again, "Okay, I do have some thoughts..."

"Then the girl should go find the Marquis. It just so happens that no one is in the room today."

Shi Xiangyun shook her head repeatedly, "No, no, I don't have any legitimate reason, and the Marquis is busy with all kinds of affairs, how can he have time to play with me?"

Cuilu really wanted to complain. How could such a thing start with a legitimate reason? To be legitimate, you have to be married before you can say that.

But seeing her own girl pouring herself wine in a depressed mood, trying to escape these troubles by getting drunk and unconscious, she said nothing more, but stood up and walked to Shi Xiangyun's side, persuading her: "Girl, drink less. You drank too much yesterday, why did you drink so much today?"

At this time, Shi Xiangyun was already a little drunk, her cheeks flushed again, and she mumbled something, as if in a trance, "Indulge your feelings in the cup, and forget the worries of a thousand years..."

When Cuilu went to pick up the wine jug, she realized that Shi Xiangyun had drunk all the wine without noticing.

"girl?"

Cuilu tried hard to help Shi Xiangyun up, but because she didn't have enough strength, she couldn't support her anymore after taking a few steps. She had no choice but to put her on the bluestone slab among the flowers and let her lie down to rest.

Looking around, there was no one in sight.

This place was a secluded area in the back garden, and few people passed by. Cuilu sighed and had to go back to the yard to call for help.

"My Lord, my young lady is drunk and is lying in the back garden now."

Yue Ling pushed open the door, looked at the little girl who came to knock on the door, blinked and asked, "Are you Cuilu? Miss Yun fell drunk in the garden? Did you fail to go to the Jia Mansion?"

Cuilu nodded repeatedly, "Yes, it was already past noon when the girl woke up, and she went to the garden to enjoy the scenery and have some food, but she didn't expect to get drunk again."

Yue Ling smiled and shook his head.

I didn't expect Shi Xiangyun to be such a heavy drinker. She had a big fight last night due to a hangover and was drunk again today.

After putting on his coat, Yue Ling did not ask any more questions, "Let's go, I will lead the way."

Soon, the two of them came from the courtyard to the pavilion. They saw a strip of colorful fallen petals adorning Xiangyun, who was wearing a long red dress.

Her face was as beautiful as jade, and she was breathing gently through her nose, and she was already in a deep sweet dream.

Petals formed the quilt, slabs formed the bed, and the lapels, skirts, and hairpins were all covered with the scent of red. The round fan in her hand fell to the ground, buried by the peony flowers, and a group of bees and butterflies flew around her noisily, not knowing whether they were attracted by the fragrance of the flowers or her body.

Under such a beautiful scenery, Yue Ling noticed the beauty of this little girl for the first time.

Sure enough, some people are static beauties. When they don’t talk or make noise, they are truly beautiful, like the drunk concubine, whose beauty is worthy of a painting.

"My Lord, this is it."

Cuilu went to pick up the food box and naturally left her girl to Yue Ling.

Yue Ling had no choice but to bend down and hug her around the waist. She felt soft and boneless, and light like a flower.

"Please, my Lord, send my daughter back to her room."

Cuilu followed Yue Ling closely, holding the food box, and kept thanking him.

Yue Ling whispered, "Since she can't drink much, you should let her drink less. She shouldn't drink too much at her age. Go to the kitchen and get some hangover soup. She shouldn't have drunk too much this time, so she should wake up soon."

"Yes."

Seeing his own girl hugging the Marquis' neck very naturally, he seemed to be about to start making trouble again in a state of drunkenness and dreaming.

He just opened his eyes slightly and saw Yue Ling's face. He stopped making a fuss and reached out to touch it. He sighed and said, "What you think about during the day you dream about at night? It feels like the real Marquis is hugging me."

Cuilu couldn't help laughing and covered her mouth, trying very hard to hold it in.

Yue Ling, who had seen Shi Xiangyun making a scene when she was drunk, tried to comfort her by saying, "Hold tight, and go back to your room to sleep."

"I just woke up, why should I sleep any more?"

Shi Xiangyun became stubborn again, with her eyes full of Yue Ling, but now she was not as noisy as before.

"I finally dreamed of such a real Marquis, but I can't just sleep like this."

As soon as she finished speaking, Cuilu was surprised to see Shi Xiangyun kissing her deeply, hitting the mark right on Yue Ling's lips.

Even the innocent girl turned her head away out of shame.

Yue Ling, who was holding Shi Xiangyun in his arms, was caught off guard. He had never thought that she would be so bold, and he felt dizzy for a moment.

But the reality did not allow him to leave her on the side of the road. After being stunned, he looked away and said helplessly, "Miss Yun, stop messing around. You are still an unmarried girl, how can you be so frivolous?"

Even so, in Yue Ling's eyes, she was always impetuous and like a tomboy who dared to love and hate, but her behavior just now was her true nature.

As expected, Shi Xiangyun was still unsatisfied and licked her lips, showing a bit of coquettishness. "My Lord, when you were not yet my Lord, I was already thrown by the Shi family to your side, much earlier than the sisters of the Jia family. How can I be innocent?"

"I'm afraid that in the eyes of the Shi family, I have long been the Marquis's man, so I have been so free and unrestrained over the years."

Yue Ling said with shame: "I think someone should take care of you."

The awkward kiss, with a slight smell of alcohol, was really tasteless. Compared with the wet kiss with Lin Daiyu, it was far worse.

However, Yue Ling couldn't help but feel guilty as he unconsciously made this comparison.

"What am I thinking about? They are just a bunch of little girls, how can they understand love?"

Fortunately, Shi Xiangyun was greedy for Yue Ling's embrace. After a kiss, she leaned on his shoulder and fell into a deep sleep.

After returning to her room and sending her to the bed, Yue Ling just thought he was relieved, but Shi Xiangyun grabbed his wrist tightly again, "My Lord, please don't leave. It's just in the dream, can you stay with me for a while longer?"

Cuilu came in at an inopportune time with some sobering soup, blinked her eyes, then walked out calmly and closed the door.

Yue Ling felt that Cui Lu was one of the smartest maids among all the girls, so he had no choice but to let her stay in the room.

The romantic debt that had been incurred at some point had to be repaid bit by bit. Yue Ling tucked the corner of the quilt for Shi Xiangyun and comforted her, "Okay, okay, go to sleep, I won't leave..."

……

"Yu'er, if she really said that, why doesn't she come over here to see me, an old woman?"

In the Buddhist hall, Jia's grandmother looked at the servant girl who came to report the news, and her brows were furrowed and wrinkled into the shape of a "川" character.

"What do the girls say?"

The maid replied tremblingly, "The girls didn't say anything. They all followed Miss Lin to the garden to enjoy the flowers. Now it's the first and second wives who should be looking after them."

Grandmother Jia slapped the armrest of the chair angrily and scolded: "A few maids who have forgotten their roots really don't take an old woman like me seriously. No wonder they were indifferent when Lian'er encountered trouble. They are just sycophants."

"My Jia family doesn't care about this ignorant younger generation! When the eldest daughter returns, we will settle the matter one by one!"

"Go tell the Madam to tell them to come see me after Yu'er leaves!"

After he had scolded him angrily, he saw Baoyu coming back from the inner hall having made some tea.

"You must not get angry, old man. If you get angry and your body gets damaged, what will happen? You will have to see elder sister in one day."

"Sisters were probably deceived by Yue Ling. After seeing how good the eldest sister is, they should know that this is home."

After hearing Baoyu's voice, Jia's mother smiled and asked with concern, "How is your injury?"

Baoyu lowered his head in shame and said, "Even though I still feel a little uncomfortable after sitting or standing for a long time, I can move around a bit on weekdays. The doctor who treated me said that my body has recovered very well, and I can't delay meeting my elder sister."

"That's fine, that's fine."

Grandmother Jia rubbed the back of Baoyu's hand curiously, and could not help cursing Jia Zheng, "Even a tiger won't eat its own cubs, but your father hit you so hard. When your elder sister comes back, I will let her seek justice for you!"

How could Jia Baoyu dare to find fault with Jia Zheng? He waved his hands and said, "No, no, how can I make trouble in such a big event and ruin my elder sister's mood?"

Seeing Baoyu so sensible, she couldn't help but touch the softest part of Jia's heart, and said with emotion: "You are really the most sensible child, who has suffered the most grievances. Don't worry, I will take care of you in the future, and your father will not dare to touch you again!"

Baoyu nodded repeatedly, "Thank you, ancestor."

Changing the subject, he asked, "Grandfather, my mother told me about a marriage proposal. She came to the mansion a few days ago. How does the woman look?"

When she heard Baoyu mention this, Grandmother Jia felt extremely unwilling in her heart.

How could the most well-behaved and sensible junior, the apple of her eye, the apple of her eye, be paired with a lowly merchant?
"Being a concubine is enough, but not a wife."

"Okay, grandson will listen to the old ancestor..."

(End of this chapter)