The splendor of the Red Chamber, the power that reigns supreme.

Chapter 194 A Chance Encounter Amidst Golden Wind and Jade Dew

No sooner said than done, a tall and imposing figure had already slipped into the shadows of the narrow alley.

In an instant, the four eyeballs snapped together like hooks, as if a magnet had attracted an iron needle, and they were stuck together, unable to be separated.

The official suddenly felt a bright light appear before his eyes!
In the dimly lit narrow alley, Qin Keqing's face was truly a masterpiece crafted by the heavens: her eyebrows were naturally dark without being painted, her lips were naturally vermilion without being rouged, and her skin was as smooth and lustrous as freshly steamed milk, like fine jade, faintly glowing in the darkness.

Especially her pair of affectionate eyes, now shimmering with water, with the corners of her eyes slightly upturned, possessing an innate charm, and with a touch of shyness and timidity, they were even more captivating, enough to melt one's very bones.

The alley was so quiet that you could hear two hearts pounding in their chests, like drums beating wildly. Their breathing became heavy, but their throats felt like they were stuffed with cotton, and they couldn't utter a single word.

A thousand words were poured into those burning, scorching gazes, entangled and gnawed at each other, wishing they could be fused together in an instant.

Just as their passion was burning and they were about to devour each other whole, a very faint cough, like being doused with ice water, came from the alley entrance!
Immediately afterwards, Wang Xifeng's low, yet extremely mischievous and impatient voice cut in like a knife:

"My dear grandmother! My dear ancestors! At this critical moment when we should be rushing to our deaths, you two are putting on a show of flirting? You're really driving this gatekeeper crazy!"

"If you want to hug, then hug; if you want to kiss, then Ke'er, go ahead and smack your lips and swallow them whole! What are you just standing there for? Is this the time for flirting and whispering? Hurry up! If you're any later, the servants will be coming back! Are you waiting to see your show?"

Qin Keqing was so embarrassed by Feng Jie's unfiltered village talk that her whole body felt hot. A surge of heat rushed from the soles of her feet to the top of her head, and two deep blushes rose on her beautiful face, more vibrant than peach blossoms in March.

She was already half-numbed by the man's fiery gaze, her heart felt like it was being crawled by ants, and she couldn't wait to rush into his broad embrace.

Now that Sister Feng had so bluntly exposed her secret, she was so ashamed that she wished she could immediately turn into a wisp of smoke and disappear!
That sliver of courage that had just been mustered vanished instantly, lost in the gutter. All that remained was that stunningly beautiful face, flushed with a peach-blossom blush tinged with the red of a crabapple, brimming with a shy yet anxious, hesitant, yearning for love.

She hurriedly lowered her head, wishing she could shrink her fair neck into her collar, bending it like a newly broken willow branch. Her snow-white neck was as delicate as a peeled egg, dazzling even in the dim light.

In her haste, she realized she was still clutching a gilded gift box tightly in her hands. As if grasping at a lifeline, she hurriedly held it in both hands. Her slender fingers, like newly peeled jade shoots, trembled as she held the box.

She handed it to the official, her voice barely audible, her breath almost stopped: "Here...for you...I just made some random snacks...please don't mind..."

The official's lips curled into his usual smile, a smile that carried three parts wickedness and seven parts frivolity, but his gaze seemed glued to Ke Qing's face, which was as beautiful as a peach blossom.

As he reached out to take the gilded box, his fingertips, intentionally or unintentionally, brushed against her cool, smooth fingertips.

Qin Keqing's fingertips trembled slightly as she slowly lifted the lid of the box—inside were several white, soft, and glutinous pastries, originally delicately shaped like little rabbits. Having been carried through Keqing's arms and endured a bumpy journey, the rabbits' ears were now limp and drooping, their bodies crooked and misshapen, covered in crumbs, giving them a pitiful yet amusing appearance.

"Oh dear!" Qin Keqing caught a glimpse of it and couldn't help but let out a soft cry, her voice trembling with tears.

Her stunningly beautiful face flushed crimson in an instant, then returned to its snowy white. Her long eyelashes trembled like startled butterfly wings, and her eyes instantly welled up with a mixture of grievance and shame. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she looked as if she was about to weep. She was truly like Xi Shi clutching her heart, or Yang Guifei drunk with wine. Even the most hardened heart would melt upon seeing her.
"I'm so sorry..." Her voice was faint and breathless, "I went to Qinghe County to find you... the journey was so bumpy... and I ended up looking like this... I'm really ashamed to show myself... I'll only offend your eyes..."

Her slightly pouting cherry lips, tinged with annoyance, added a touch of naive charm.

"It's alright. You went looking for me, but I came here to look for you. In the end, we still haven't gotten lost," the official chuckled. "Although this thing has changed its appearance, its heart remains the same. I... just want to eat this."

Qin Keqing was stunned, her watery eyes filled with confusion, her clear innocence revealing a thousand charms: "He can eat whatever he wants... why did he tell me...?"
Before she could finish speaking, she suddenly noticed the man's mischievous yet aggressive gaze, fixed on her lips, then on the pastry, and then on her fingers... In a flash, she realized what was happening!

"This...this damned bastard!" Her heart pounded wildly. So...so he wanted her to feed him herself!

This made Qin Keqing so ashamed that half of her soul seemed to fly away!

Her stunningly beautiful face instantly turned as red as a boiled shrimp, even her earlobes seemed to bleed, and her delicate nose was already covered with a fine layer of glistening sweat.

She felt a surge of scalding heat rush from the soles of her feet to the top of her head, making her bones feel weak and her body tremble like a leaf in the autumn wind, with even her fingertips shaking as if sieves.

But under the burning gaze of her enemy, and in the torment of unbearable longing, she found herself, almost unconsciously, extending two slender, jade-white fingers that trembled slightly, to carefully pick up the smallest piece from the soft, mushy rabbit-shaped pastry.

Her heart was pounding, and she didn't dare look the man in the eye. She just trembled and slowly fed him the crumbly pastry.

Her hands trembled like willow branches swaying in the wind, and crumbs of pastries fell down in a flurry, making her exquisite little face, flushed and slightly tense with nervousness, even more pitiful. I wanted to hold her in my arms and rub her hands!
How could the high-ranking official tolerate her dawdling?

He suddenly opened his mouth, not to take the pastry, but with lightning speed, he wrapped his mouth around Qin Keqing's two slender fingers that were offering the pastry! He bit into the warm, moist pastry along with the two fingers, and even licked it for a moment!
"Ah...!" Qin Keqing trembled violently as if struck by lightning! Her stunningly beautiful face drained of all color in an instant, only to be replaced by an even more intense crimson glow, even her neck turned completely red.

She felt dizzy and almost couldn't stand up. Her delicate face, under the stimulation of this taboo, blossomed with a breathtaking and almost bewitching charm!
Her eyes, shimmering with a captivating light, could steal a person's life!

Qin Keqing felt as if she had been branded with a red-hot iron, and with a cry of "Ah!" she abruptly pulled her finger back!
The fingertips still retained a warm, damp touch and a slight tingling sensation, which seeped straight into the heart.

She was so ashamed that she wanted to disappear, and her heart was about to jump out of her chest. In her panic, her eyes caught sight of the official's waist, and she remembered the important matter.

Her fingers trembled as she pointed to a small, delicate sachet beside the box, its stitches finely embroidered with twin lotus blossoms. Her voice was shaky and incoherent, filled with heavy sobs and an overwhelming sense of emotion:
"This...this is for you..." she gasped for breath, "It's...it's something I embroidered myself...my skills aren't very good, I hope you won't mind!"

Her voice lowered, filled with utmost piety and shyness, "Inside... there's a peace charm... it's... I knelt before the Buddha, heart to heart, and silently prayed a thousand, ten thousand times to get it..."

She raised her eyes, misty with tears, brimming with tenderness and deep longing, and gazed intently at the master, oblivious to everything else:
"I only pray that this talisman will work its magic, transforming into the golden armor and divine light on my husband's body, and the auspicious clouds of seven treasures beneath his feet..." Her voice rose with excitement, "protecting my husband—no matter if it's a dragon's den or a tiger's lair, or a mountain of knives or a sea of ​​fire!...May he turn misfortune into good fortune and danger into auspiciousness!"

Her voice choked slightly, trembling with sobs, like the most fervent prayer: "My first wish is for my husband to be healthy and free from all illness... My second wish is for my husband to have everything go smoothly and for all his wishes to come true..."

Finally, she used almost all her strength and emotion, her voice trembling slightly but resolute, as if making a vow to Heaven and Earth: "Third wish...third wish is that my husband will...will be safe and sound! I beg...I beg the Bodhisattva to open their eyes and protect you!"

She spoke lightly and simply.

But the official listened to the devout prayers that permeated every word.

Before my eyes, I vividly saw a frail woman, as delicate as a willow branch and already suffering from a heart ailment, struggling to stay afloat, kneeling before the clay Buddha statue, kowtowing repeatedly, and reciting the sutra for peace in a hoarse voice.
He sighed inwardly: This woman was not only beautiful beyond compare, but also gentle and graceful at heart, exuding a peaceful aura, as if she held all the peace in the world within her.
It seems to possess an innate magic that can dispel all the unpleasantness around us, leaving only a heartwarming and genuine peace.
But fate also bestowed upon her a breathtaking "heart for the world".

The official remained silent, but reached down and untied the sachet from his waist. Instead of tying it himself, he handed it directly to Qin Keqing, his eyes burning with undisguised intent—he wanted her to tie it for him personally.

Qin Keqing's stunningly beautiful face flushed even more, and even her delicate earlobes turned bright red.

How could she not understand what this nemesis was thinking?
It's obvious they want to use this as an excuse to get closer to each other again!
She felt both shy and anxious, yet a sweet, irresistible feeling welled up inside her. She could only suppress the trembling in her fingertips and the pounding of her heart as she reached out her jade-like hands and approached the man.

The narrow alley was dark and gloomy, and the two people's breaths mingled together.

She lowered her head, not daring to look at him, only smelling the scent on the man's body. She tremblingly wrapped the sachet, which was soaked with her body fragrance and infatuation, around and around, tightening it with each turn, and carefully tied it to the heavy jade belt around the man's waist.

"I also have something to give you." The official said in a low, slightly hoarse voice as he helped her tie the knot.

He took out a scroll from his pocket and slowly unfurled it—it was a portrait meticulously drawn with fine silver charcoal!
The woman in the painting has her hair loosely tied up, her eyes full of affection, and her figure graceful and lifelike. Her eyebrows, her expression, and her charm are all so captivating. Who else could it be but Qin Keqing?
The artist clearly poured his heart and soul into the painting, using delicate and gentle brushstrokes to capture her stunning beauty and unique languid melancholy perfectly, as if she were about to step off the paper at any moment!
Qin Keqing was stunned when she saw the portrait!

She never expected that the man in front of her would harbor such thoughts!
With trembling hands, as if holding a priceless treasure, she took the portrait, held it to her chest, and gazed intently at herself in the painting.

Her eyes held astonishment, shyness, disbelief, and a deep, cherished, and sweet thrill that overwhelmed her instantly.

Water quickly gathered and overflowed in her eyes, and dew-like tears clung to her long eyelashes.

Her lips parted slightly, her breath quickened, as if she had a thousand emotions and ten thousand desires to pour out, to tell the scoundrel who had stolen her heart...

"Oh my god! You're already on the verge of a fire! What are you still lingering for! That's enough!" At the alley entrance, Wang Xifeng's urging voice, low and strained yet like a firecracker exploding in your ear, was like a bucket of ice water being poured over your head!
The voice was filled with fire and daggers, revealing an urgent and anxious tone: "If we dawdle any longer and run into some blind fool, we'll all be slitting our throats and hanging ourselves—we'll be too ashamed to live!"

Qin Keqing disregarded her childish sentimentality and hurriedly hugged the hot portrait, which was soaked with affection, tightly in her heaving bosom as if she wanted to embed it into her flesh!
In a flash, she raised her shimmering, reluctant eyes one last time and gazed deeply and greedily at the man, as if trying to etch his image into her heart.

Immediately, she bit her lower lip hard with her pearly teeth, twisted her slender waist sharply, and like a white rabbit startled by the autumn wind, she took hurried, shuffling steps as if walking on cotton. She didn't dare to look back, and disappeared into the darkest shadow of the narrow alley as if fleeing in a flash!

Only a faint, yet alluring, warm fragrance remained in the air, subtly captivating the nobleman's soul...

The official was lost in thought, gazing at the fading fragrance, a sigh of emptiness washing over him, when suddenly he heard Wang Xifeng's voice, raised in pitch and tinged with surprise, coming from afar:
"Oh dear! Jin Chuan'er? You silly girl! You look so lost and disoriented, where are you going to bump into with that bundle in your arms?"

The official's heart stirred, and he quickly rushed to the alley entrance, hiding in the shadows of the corner of the wall to look into the distance.

Qin Keqing's graceful figure had already slipped into the side gate of Ningguo Mansion.

Outside the Rongguo Mansion, a slender and pretty maidservant, her face ashen and eyes vacant, was carrying a small blue cloth bundle. She staggered out of the mansion, looking like a clay figure whose bones had been pulled out. Wang Xifeng rushed forward, frowning, and demanded, "What's going on here?"

The maidservant collapsed to her knees on the cold ground with a thud, ignoring the bundle that had rolled to the side. Before she could speak, tears streamed down her face, and her voice trembled uncontrollably.

"Second Madam... please, Second Madam, save me... Madam... Madam kicked me out..."

She raised her tear-blurred face, her lips trembling: "Jin Chuan'er is a servant born into the family... She was born and raised in the Jia family... For more than ten years, she followed the mistress, serving tea and water, making beds and folding quilts, never daring to slack off or feel tired."

"This mansion...this mansion is my lifeline, my home!" She suddenly kowtowed repeatedly, her forehead instantly turning blue and red. "Now...now that Madam has driven me out...this world is vast, where can I find a way to survive? This servant would rather just smash my head against this stone lion and die!"

Why was Jin Chuan'er suddenly sent here?
Wang Xifeng was taken aback and asked for the reason.

She frowned and patiently listened as Jin Chuan'er sobbed and rambling as she recounted the events in a jumbled mess.

Before the words were even finished, Wang Xifeng's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately understood!

This is hardly a serious mistake made by Jin Chuan'er.
Clearly, the lady had been rebuffed by some unpleasant person and had nowhere to vent her anger. Unfortunately, she ran into Jin Chuan'er, so she used her as a convenient scapegoat to vent her frustrations and anger!

There's a high chance he suffered another loss in silence with the old lady and Miss Lin.

As Wang Xifeng listened, her brows furrowed, and she quickly began to calculate in her mind.

She knew all too well that Jin Chuan was an exceptionally clever girl.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to rise to the position of the mistress's first-class maid.

She served her mistress with utmost care; she kept a clear record of all the household affairs, from the smallest to the most trivial.

When she first took over the Jia family's vast estate and managed so many servants, she was overwhelmed with work and relied heavily on Jin Chuan'er's secret guidance and assistance.

Seeing her in such a miserable state, as if she were dead, I couldn't bear it.

But... to disobey the Madam for the sake of a maid? Wang Xifeng's moral compass immediately tipped.

If I offend the madam, I'm afraid I won't be able to hold onto my position as the housekeeper!
Just as she was anxiously twisting her handkerchief in a dilemma, Wang Xifeng glanced around and happened to catch a glimpse of the official standing at the entrance of the alley!

Her heart suddenly lit up, as if she had grasped a lifeline! Her face immediately lit up with a warm smile, and she hurriedly waved to the man, "My lord! My lord, come here quickly! I have a good deal for you!"

As the official approached, Wang Xifeng pointed at Jin Chuan, who was crying her eyes out on the ground, and lowered her voice, speaking rapidly as if she were selling a top-quality item: "Look at this girl! Her looks, figure, and ability to serve others—aren't they all outstanding?"

"The most capable and outstanding person in the Rongguo Mansion! Now, the Madam has heard some rumors and released him! I just happened to visit your mansion. As the mansion expands and grows larger, we are in dire need of such capable people!"

She winked and smiled meaningfully: "Take him back, he'll be the top manager inside and out! I guarantee you won't lose out! It's a sure-fire deal!"

Upon hearing this, the official was taken aback. He had not intended to bring a maid back with him from the capital, and a hint of hesitation appeared on his face.

How sharp was Wang Xifeng's eye?
Seeing his hesitation, she immediately added fuel to the fire, her voice fast and urgent, like the crackling of abacus beads: "My lord! Think about it again! This girl is truly a master at managing household affairs, handling social obligations, disciplining servants, and serving her master!"

"She is truly a top-notch talent personally trained by the old lady of our Rongguo Mansion! Her manners, her keen observation, her methods—aren't they all top-notch? No matter which mansion she's in, she'd be a capable person who can manage half the household!"

"A top-notch person personally trained by the old lady..." The official's heart stirred, and suddenly the image of Madam Lin's repeated complaints flashed before his eyes—complaining that the newly bought maid was clumsy and that training her made her heart ache, and even an extra gray hair appeared on her head.

Then, while saying this, she snuggled into his arms, calling him "Daddy" with a wronged expression.

Although Jin Chuan'er looked disheveled, her cleverness was still evident in her eyes. She had been trained by the old lady of a wealthy family like the Jia family... Wasn't she just the one who solved Madam Lin's urgent problem?
His mind raced, and he nodded slightly, saying, "My residence... is indeed currently crammed full. However..."

He then changed the subject: "I do know a distinguished person—Madam Lin, a third-rank imperial consort, is in dire need of capable personnel. If you are willing, I can recommend you for a position there; it would be a good way out."

"A third-rank imperial consort?!" Wang Xifeng gasped in surprise, her phoenix eyes widening in disbelief. She never expected that this high-ranking official knew so many people!

Thinking back to how politely Master Gu and Master Zhen had seen him off that day, although he didn't know what kind of official Ximen Xianmo was, he had clearly never met such a person in all the years he had managed the Jia family and had met many people outside.

Wang Xifeng felt a sudden jolt in her heart!
That day in front of Shuiyue Nunnery, this man stood in front of her, his body like an iron tower, his posture as immovable as a rock, and that domineering and tyrannical masculine aura mixed with the smell of sweat... It was like a red-hot iron, suddenly burning her heart again after a long time!

A sudden surge of hot, foul-smelling, and inexplicable anger rushed up, drying out his usually eloquent tongue and making his cheeks burn as if he had applied two ounces of rouge!

"Damn it! What evil spirit has this slut been bewitched today?!" She cursed herself inwardly for losing her composure, but fearing that the lecherous-eyed official would notice something amiss, she hurriedly turned her burning hot face away.

Facing the trembling Jin Chuan on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably like a leaf in the wind, he transformed all his inexplicable shame into a blustering rebuke, shouting rapidly like a machine gun:
"Did you hear that, Jin Chuan'er? You little rascal, this is truly an incredible stroke of luck! Hurry up and thank this master! This gentleman is a rare and benevolent person, a truly noble person! Go with him, and I guarantee you'll be ten times better off than you are in our manor!"

At this moment, Jin Chuan'er felt utterly hopeless, as if the world was vast and she had nowhere to go. Only death could offer her relief.

Upon hearing Wang Xifeng's arrangement and seeing the imposing, tall, and handsome stranger before her, her resolve to die was shaken by this unexpected "way out of the world."

She looked around blankly, knowing full well that she was like a rootless duckweed, and what else could she do but grasp at this lifeline that she didn't know whether it would bring her good fortune or misfortune?
In the end, she simply nodded silently and heavily in the direction of the official, like a puppet whose soul had been lost. There was no joy in that gesture, only a resigned indifference and emptiness.

The official's gaze swept over Jin Chuan'er, then he suddenly remembered an important matter: "Since she's going with me, then... what about her indenture?"

Wang Xifeng laughed and said, "Don't worry, my lord! Leave it to me! I'll personally go to Qinghe County another day and guarantee that her death contract, along with..."

She deliberately dragged out her words, her eyes darting around, and lowered her voice: "...that thing you've been longing to see, I'll send it to your residence as well!"

Having said that, without waiting for the official to ask any more questions, she curtsied gracefully and hurriedly entered the side gate of the Rongguo Mansion, swaying her slender waist.

Only the high-ranking official and Jin Chuan remained at the alley entrance. The official, towering over her, looked down with a scrutinizing and undeniably authoritative gaze, and said in a deep voice, "The matter has been decided. Have you thought it through? Are you willing to come with me? From this day forward, I will be your master! If not…"

"It's not too late to back out now."

Jin Chuan'er was kneeling on the cold ground, her heart as cold as withered wood, her eyes empty.

But as her gaze involuntarily climbed up the dark brocade robe, landing on the tall, towering figure and the sharply defined features of his face, which carried a hint of wildness and wickedness…

A strange heat surged through her cold limbs and bones without warning!
"Hmm..." She was about to speak when two hot blushes suddenly appeared on her cheeks!

That heart, long since withered and despairing, suddenly sizzled like snowflakes thrown into hot coals, releasing a faint but real warmth, tinged with panic and embarrassment!

She had been confined to the deep courtyard of the Jia family mansion since childhood, and the number of men she had seen could be counted on one hand—nothing more than a few fleeting glimpses through the gaps in the sedan chair curtain or in a crowd on a few Lantern Festival nights or days for offering incense.

The gentlemen of the Jia family?
They are all fish kept in crystal tanks, and flowers being baked under glass covers!
Or perhaps she is the kind of woman who is powdered and incense-scented, with a fair complexion that rivals that of a young lady, and walks with such grace that a strong wind could break her back.

Or perhaps they were old men and young masters whose bodies had been ravaged by wine and women, their eyelids swollen, their steps unsteady, and their whole being exuding a stale air wrapped in brocade and silk.

Or they are just a bunch of pretentious scholars who only know classical Chinese and spout pedantic phrases.

I have never seen such a masculine and robust man before me, exuding such a strong masculine aura.

This untamed, burgeoning energy rushed towards her, making Jin Chuan'er's heart pound like a drum.

Her slender waist straightened taut, her delicate hands resting neatly on her lower abdomen, and her smooth forehead struck the cold stone slab with a soft "thud," the sound carrying a slight, barely concealed tremor.
"This servant, Jin Chuan'er...is willing to go with you, Master! Please...take me in! From this day forward, you are my everything! My life!"

Seeing her impeccable manners and docile demeanor, the official's eyes flashed with a hint of satisfaction, and he nodded slightly: "Get up."

Looking around, all he could see was his magnificent, tall horse, its saddle gleaming. Then he saw Jin Chuan'er, her two small, pointed feet peeking out from under her skirt, wearing embroidered shoes, standing precariously in the wind; how could she possibly walk?

The official didn't even frown. With a light stretch of his long arm, his large hand gripped Jin Chuan'er's slender waist like an iron clamp!

"Ah!" Jin Chuan'er's short cry of surprise choked in her throat. In a dizzying moment, her body felt light, and she was lifted into the air as if she were a delicate toy. Without a word, she was firmly pressed onto the hot and solid saddle!
My buttocks were pressed tightly against the saddle, and a surge of heat mixed with sweat and the smell of leather wafted up.

"Hold on tight!" The official's deep voice, carrying an undeniable force, rang in her ear, his breath brushing against her earlobe: "Tonight, we'll settle in the capital. Tomorrow morning, you'll return to Qinghe County with me!"

(End of this chapter)