Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 461: Dingguo Mansion, Who is the spy?

As the banquet began, the little girls chatted and laughed, enjoying their meals leisurely, creating a truly happy family scene.

Lin Daiyu, who was sitting next to Yue Ling, had not yet recovered from the blow she had just suffered. She raised her chopsticks, but did not move, her eyes wandering and somewhat absent-minded.

It would have been fine if she had just lost face in front of the other girls in the mansion, but Baoqin had just arrived at the mansion and had witnessed that embarrassing scene.

She didn't know how to explain it and lost her mind for a moment. The only thing she realized was that she had to block their way. Yue Ling had to change the subject and talk about business before she could send them away.

In the end, Lin Daiyu was unable to explain the scene they saw, let alone what others were thinking of her now.

What she wanted was a clean and innocent reputation, but now she was afraid that in their eyes, she looked just like Qin Keqing.

Filled with shame, Lin Daiyu lost her appetite.

Yue Ling looked at this scene, but he didn't have much to do.

Putting himself in his shoes, if it was him in the room just now, he would probably not be able to think of an excuse for a while.

However, he didn't care about other people's opinions, but Lin Daiyu did care a lot about it.

After all, Lin Daiyu is still a little girl. She cares most about her own embarrassing moments and even more about what others think of her.

A small mistake may cause you to think about it many times, or even think about it before going to bed at night, and you may twist your body and still not be able to get rid of it.

This age is so delicate and sensitive.

Perhaps she felt that her emotions had affected the people around her, so Lin Daiyu stood up and said, "Brother Yue, I'm going to go out for a while."

Everyone in the room looked over, and Yue Ling smiled and nodded without asking any more questions.

"Okay, Sister Lin hasn't eaten much yet, come back early."

After watching Lin Daiyu stagger out of the door, Yue Ling began to think about how to break the impasse.

Since Lin Daiyu cares so much about what others think of her, the person who tied the bell should be the one to untie it. If everyone sits down together and talks it out, the problem can be easily solved.

As he thought of this, Yue Ling exchanged glances with Qin Keqing, who was eating below. Qin Keqing then left her table and walked over.

He naturally put his hand on Yue Ling's leg, leaned over and whispered, "Master, there are too many people here, right? In such a public place?"

Yue Ling held his forehead helplessly, "What are you thinking about? This is different from what happened in the room just now."

"Ah? Where is it?"

Qin Keqing blinked, confused.

Yue Ling reminded him again, "Sister Lin was not in a good mood just now. She was still thinking about the misunderstanding in the room. You should take half the responsibility for this. Think of a way to liven up the atmosphere and let everyone praise Sister Lin while playing."

"So this is ah……"

Yue Ling raised his eyebrows slightly, "Then what do you think it is?"

Qin Keqing winked and said, "I thought the master wanted me to crawl under the table..."

"Stop making jokes. Is there any way? Just do it like the party at Lin Daiyu's birthday in Yangzhou Prefecture. You can take the lead in playing and frolicking for a while."

Yue Ling pushed Qin Keqing's head aside speechlessly.

Qin Keqing pinched her chin, thought carefully, and said, "Well, I'll do as you say, Master. I'll think of a way."

"You can't make it too obvious, understand? Sister Lin is very smart. If she notices it, it will backfire and make her uncomfortable."

"Got it, leave it to me, don't worry, Master!"

There are many people in this mansion who can be trusted, but Qin Keqing and Xueyan are the two who cannot be trusted the most.

How can Yue Ling feel at ease when a gatekeeper leaves his post when he sees the fruit trees in the distance bearing fruit and another one always does things in a shady way no matter what he does?

It would have been better if he hadn't said this last sentence. After he said it, Yue Ling couldn't help but feel worried and began to regret not leaving the matter to Xue Baochai.

……

"Brother Yue, are you feeling unwell?"

Lin Daiyu felt the breeze in the pavilion, and the temperature on her cheeks gradually cooled down before she returned to the hall.

But when she returned to the room, she saw that Yue Ling's face looked a little unnatural, and he looked even more worried than before she left.

Yue Ling smiled awkwardly, stood up and helped Lin Daiyu sit down beside him, saying, "It's okay, Sister Lin, eat more."

Lin Daiyu felt a little puzzled, but she didn't say anything. She sat back in her original seat and said softly.

Just as he picked up the chopsticks, he saw Qin Keqing walking out from behind the screen with a smug look on her face and a bamboo tube in her hand.

Arriving at the table, Qin Keqing coughed lightly to attract everyone's attention and said, "Today is a good day. The girls of the Jia family have officially settled down in the mansion. The second girl of the Xue family, Miss Baoqin, has just arrived. In addition to setting up a banquet, it is also appropriate for the sisters to have fun together and get to know each other better."

As she spoke, Qin Keqing opened the stick box and drew a stick with everyone at the table, except Yue Ling.

However, when passing by Yue Ling, Qin Keqing mouthed to him, "Don't worry, leave it to me," looking confident.

After the bamboo sticks were distributed to everyone, Qin Keqing began to explain the rules of the game.

"This game is different from the previous ones. Everyone's lottery should have a word written on it, and only one person's word is different from the others."

Seeing someone put the bamboo sticks on the table, Qin Keqing reminded them: "Sisters, you must not let others see the sticks in your hands. Put them away quickly."

The women looked at their own lots, then quickly covered them up and put them into their sleeves.

Lin Daiyu glanced at it casually; her mind was not on the game.

"Why is it a person's name? Is it like last time, specifying a person's name to do something?"

Lin Daiyu was thinking randomly, and her thoughts gradually returned to the embarrassing incident during the last play.

Qin Keqing continued to explain the rules, "Next, everyone needs to describe the word on the stick in turn. The person who is different from the others, like a spy, not only needs to describe the word on his stick, but also needs to try to get close to everyone else's words so that his identity is not easily discovered."

“Everyone should be accurate in their descriptions, but also be careful not to reveal their own words, which would make it too easy for the spies to guess.

"After a round of descriptions, you can vote for the one who looks most like a spy in your mind. If you can choose the one, you win and the spy loses, and vice versa."

"How about it, do you understand the rules?"

Every little girl in the room was very smart and understood such a simple rule of the game immediately.

As soon as Qin Keqing finished speaking, everyone agreed.

Although this game is simple, it is interesting enough as it involves a battle of wits and courage between sisters.

Moreover, they had just returned from working as "spies" in the Jia family, which made the story even more interesting.

After seeing this scene, Qin Keqing became even more proud.

The cheerful atmosphere of this game is not the most ingenious part; what is even more ingenious is the questions she set.

Everyone is "Lin Daiyu", only one is "Yue Ling".

So when someone drew the bamboo stick with Lin Daiyu's name on it, the girls would definitely say a few words of praise. Lin Daiyu held the answer in her hand, and after hearing others say this, the gloom in her heart would surely dissipate.

And the one who draws "Yue Ling" will follow everyone's words and praise Yue Ling in person, or even treat her as Lin Daiyu, saying corny words that they usually dare not say, and even make a joke to liven up the atmosphere.

It’s like killing two birds with one stone!
Slightly raising her head, Qin Keqing continued, "Miss Yingchun is the oldest, so let's start with her."

Yingchun, whose name was called, was stunned for a moment, then looked at the bamboo stick in her hand and stammered, "Talent...unparalleled..."

"You are extremely talented, very good!" Qin Keqing nodded repeatedly. This was the effect she wanted. Everything was going according to her arrangement!

"Next person!"

Tanchun had already seen the bamboo sticks, and said without hesitation: "Sharp-tongued, and thoughtful!"

Qin Keqing covered her mouth and smiled, "Not bad, next one."

Xichun's voice was as soft as a mosquito's hum, and she whispered, "When I first met her, she seemed like a cold fairy, but after getting to know her, I realized she was a caring sister."

"it is good!"

Xue Baoqin raised her hand and asked, "Sister Keqing, is it okay if it's not a word?"

"Of course, as long as the description is appropriate, it's fine."

"Well, if I were to describe it, I'd heard of him before I met him. Now that I've met him, I realize he's really considerate and thoughtful!"

Everyone's descriptions were very good and the praises were spot on. Looking at Baochai, Qin Keqing seemed to have already identified the candidate for the spy.

Being stared at by Qin Keqing with a scorching gaze, Baochai rolled her eyes, feeling very puzzled, as if this person was waiting for her to make a fool of herself again.

"He has a noble character, like an orchid or a jade tree."

Baochai described it in a graceful and elegant manner.

After everyone had described the story, only Lin Daiyu was left, and all eyes naturally turned to her.

The atmosphere and the elements were well designed, but Yue Ling sensed something was wrong.

I turned over the sign in Xue Baochai's hand and saw the words "Lin Daiyu" written on it, but when I looked at the sign in Lin Daiyu's hand again...

Lin Daiyu held the bamboo stick in her hand and suddenly came to her senses.

Especially after thinking carefully about what the five people said, Lin Daiyu felt as if she was struck by lightning.

"Oh no! Why do they all sound like they are talking about me? Didn't Sister Keqing say that everyone uses the same words? Could it be that this 'Yue Ling' in my hands... I am the 'spy'?!"

"Am I being overly sentimental? But what they said was a compliment to me..."

"You are extremely talented, eloquent, fairy, your mind is more clever than Bi Gan, and you are so beautiful, but it is really embarrassing. How can I deal with this?"

A huge feeling of shame surged up in Lin Daiyu's heart, causing her ears to turn red. She held the bamboo stick with "Yue Ling" written on it and whispered, "Well, he has made a lot of contributions to the mansion."

"Okay!" Qin Keqing clapped her hands and said, "Now that the sisters have finished speaking, let's vote."

Xue Baoqin raised her hand and said, "Vote for sister. Sister must be an undercover agent. She guessed our words!"

Xue Baochai retorted: "Then I'll vote for you!"

Xichun said: "I vote for my third sister, who is eloquent. There are many people in this room. What my sister said is broad."

Yingchun nodded affirmatively, "Yes, the third sister is a suspect."

Tanchun frowned and said, "How can you vote for me? What did I say is wrong? If you say that my eloquence is broad, then my talent is not broad?"

In order to win, Lin Daiyu gritted her teeth and said, "I think what Sister Baoqin said makes sense, and I will vote for Sister Bao too."

Tanchun seemed to have seen a life-saving straw, so she also joined Baochai, and Baochai was forced to be eliminated.

"How could I be? You have really been led astray by her."

Qin Keqing smiled and counted the votes, "Okay, Sister Bao has three votes, so stop pretending and show us the spy card in your hand."

When Qin Keqing saw that Baochai wrote "Lin Daiyu" on the bamboo stick, she was stunned.

"This...how could this happen? Did I put it wrong?"

When she noticed Qin Keqing's expression, the unyielding Tanchun said immediately: "Although this game is not as elegant as poetry and songs, it is also thrilling and interesting. But it is not enough to eliminate only one person. We should find the spy. How about another round?"

"it is good!"

After Tanchun made the proposal, the sisters responded one after another, so Qin Keqing had no choice but to go with the flow and let the sisters play another round.

"Then Miss Yingchun, please say it again..."

Yue Ling covered his face speechlessly, as if he could predict what would happen next and couldn't bear to watch any further.

"She is very beautiful, quiet like a delicate flower reflecting in the water, and moving like a willow swaying in the wind."

Tanchun said: "We have a deep bond, better than family members!"

Xichun nodded and said, "She is a beautiful person with a kind heart, and she often supports us when she is outside."

Baoqin said, "It's the person sitting at the table now."

The situation became increasingly tense, attracting the little girls from the other tables to come over and join in the fun.

But Lin Daiyu's cheeks were getting redder and redder. No matter whether she was praised in person or she was about to praise him in front of Yue Ling, it would only make Lin Daiyu feel ashamed.

"It's not as good as everyone says. It still has obvious shortcomings..."

Baoqin whispered, "Does Sister Lin hate this person?"

Lin Daiyu had a strong desire to win, and it was not realistic for her to say that she hated herself, so she had to pretend not to let others see the flaw. She narrowed her eyes and said with a fake smile: "How can I hate you? I like you, of course I like you."

Xichun said weakly, "But we are very good people, without any obvious shortcomings. Sister Lin, aren't you the same person as us?"

Lin Daiyu tightened her sleeves and held the bamboo sticks tighter. "How could that be? No one is perfect. There will always be flaws. Don't you agree?"

Lin Daiyu looked around at the maids standing outside, seeking help from outside the venue.

But after looking at the bamboo sticks, everyone shook their heads in unison, and Lin Daiyu didn't know whether to cry or laugh.

Qin Keqing said weakly: "Okay, let's vote..."

Everyone pointed at Lin Daiyu. Lin Daiyu raised her head, then slowly lowered it to the same level as the table top.

Yingchun, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up and analyzed, "Sister Lin thought that he had contributed a lot to the family, then she said he had many shortcomings, and then she said she liked him. The only one who loves and hates him should be the Marquis."

"Could it be that Sister Lin's signature says Marquis?"

Tanchun quickly covered her sister's mouth and smiled awkwardly but politely...

……

"I am here to take the pulse of the Duke and examine him, ordered by His Majesty."

Jia Yun looked at the imperial carriage parked outside the door, his head full of confusion. He had never heard of any news that his master was ill, and he was clearly having a banquet in the hall at this moment.

But the palace carriage could not be fake, and the imperial physician who came had an immortal appearance. Just by looking at his appearance, one could tell that he was not someone who often left the palace.

"Please follow me, my master is having a feast in the hall now."

The imperial physician stopped Jia Yun and asked, "Did Duke Dingguo have any women to accompany him to the banquet?"

"They are all women."

The imperial physician sighed, thinking that the Duke of Dingguo was indeed worthy of his reputation. No wonder His Majesty wanted him to come for a consultation. He politely declined, saying, "Then I cannot come in and disturb you."

(End of this chapter)