Dream of the Red Chamber: Starting with winning over Daiyu's favorability

At the appointed time, the three sisters and Jia Baoyu finally met Lin Daiyu, who had been waiting for them, outside the capital.

This was the first time Lin Daiyu had invited her sisters on a trip together. She was very happy at the thought that they could enjoy the plum blossoms together at the estate, rest when they were tired, and eat some local delicacies.

However, this good mood instantly cooled down when she saw Jia Baoyu.

When Jia Baoyu saw Lin Daiyu, he felt she was even more captivating, and he murmured to himself in a daze:

"Sister Lin, we've finally met again..." Lin Daiyu responded somewhat coldly, hiding behind Rong Mama and no longer looking at him.

Jia Tanchun, who had caught up, secretly thought to herself that Jia Baoyu was about to have another bout of madness, and she could only hope that he wouldn't cause any trouble.

"How have you been lately, Sister Lin? Second Brother hasn't seen you in a long time, and I hope you won't blame him."

Lin Daiyu had naturally received advance notice from Jia Tanchun that Jia Baoyu would be visiting today, and after discussing it with Rong Mama, she made preparations well in advance.

He knew Jia Tanchun's difficulties, and he was afraid that he was powerless to help Jia Baoyu's demands and could only let him have his way.

"How could that be? We are your guests, let's go in quickly. The plum blossoms here are in full bloom, you will definitely like them."

Seeing that Lin Daiyu's expression was normal and that she hadn't made any other moves except for avoiding Jia Baoyu at the beginning, Jia Tanchun was slightly relieved.

"Sister Lin!" The youngest Xichun didn't have many thoughts on her mind; she was only happy to see Lin Daiyu.

As the group entered the manor, Jia Baoyu watched Lin Daiyu chatting and laughing with her sisters, and his heart was filled with longing.

I tried to join in time and time again, but I don't know if it was just my imagination, but everyone would be silent for a moment after he finished speaking.

It was as if a pot of water had been poured over a once-burning fire, causing the temperature to drop suddenly.

Moreover, Rong Momo always intentionally or unintentionally separated him from Lin Daiyu, making it impossible for him to get close to her.

But this strange atmosphere didn't last long, because someone Jia Baoyu hadn't seen for a long time but disliked appeared.

When Lin Daiyu saw Deng Zechen, the weight in her heart was finally lifted.

It's finally here...

"Young Master Jia has come too?"

Deng Zechen had learned from Lin Daiyu early in the morning that Jia Baoyu was also coming today, and he understood that Lin Daiyu was not too keen to see Jia Baoyu at the moment.

She readily agreed to Rong Momo's suggestion, and after Jia Baoyu arrived, she helped Lin Daiyu send Jia Baoyu aside.

Although Jia Baoyu noticed Deng Zechen's impatience, he remembered that Lin Daiyu was watching, and that his previous attempts to force things had never worked, leaving a bad impression on Lin Daiyu. Therefore, he could only patiently try to make his smile appear natural.

"Our ancestor missed Lin Daiyu. Lin Daiyu and I were originally family, so it's only natural that I should visit her more often."

"If we're family, that's wonderful! You must know Miss Lin very well. Could you do me a favor?"

The servants below were unsure of the young ladies' preferences and were afraid of spoiling their enjoyment with the food. "Young Master Jia, why don't you offer some guidance?"

Deng Zechen greeted him with great enthusiasm, as if he had encountered a major problem and Jia Baoyu was the only savior who could solve it.

All of this had naturally been discussed with Lin Daiyu, so Jia Baoyu wasn't given a chance to refuse. Lin Daiyu cooperated by saying:

"I'm not here often, so it would be great if my second brother could help me with this."

Lin Daiyu's words were sincere, which made Jia Baoyu, who originally wanted to refuse directly, hesitate a bit. If he refused, would he spoil the mood and upset Lin Daiyu?

The usually gentle and kind Jia Yingchun, whether she saw through Lin Daiyu's true intentions or simply didn't want to see the relationship between Lin Daiyu and Jia Baoyu deteriorate further, also joined in the persuasion:

"Yes, you're always so meticulous, there won't be any problems with your help."

Jia Baoyu was eventually persuaded to leave, and followed Deng Zechen away, turning back every few steps.

After the two had completely left, Lin Daiyu was visibly more relaxed:

"Come on, walk this way. You've definitely never seen plum blossoms like these before."

"Is that really the case? Then we'll have to take a closer look."

The group chatted and laughed as they walked into the village. They arrived at a small pavilion that had been prepared in advance, where hot tea was ready.

Lin Daiyu invited them to sit down, and Jia Tanchun carefully sipped her tea from her teacup with both hands.

"How is Sister Lin doing outside? The old lady specifically instructed us that if anything happens, we must tell the family first."

"I'm fine. I'll go see the ancestors in a few days."

Jia Yingchun's gaze shifted to Lin Daiyu, and after a long while, she said uncertainly:

"You look much more energetic than before."

Lin Daiyu unconsciously brushed her hand to her cheek, without answering immediately.

Jia Xichun, who was standing to the side, was probably tired from walking and was only focused on drinking tea and eating snacks, so she didn't pay attention to what they were saying.

The four of them drank another cup of tea, and only then did Lin Daiyu ask:

"Why did Second Brother come with you? Last time I went to the manor, I heard that Second Uncle was very strict with his studies."

The three sisters exchanged glances, and for a moment none of them spoke directly. Finally, Jia Tanchun answered the question:

"Lately... perhaps I've been tired from studying, plus my mother said that my aunt is coming to stay at our house for a while."

So I can't worry about many things for the time being..."

I understand. It's because the family has been busy lately, and they've relaxed their discipline of Jia Baoyu for a while.

Lin Daiyu understood and asked no further questions.

Meanwhile, Jia Baoyu, facing the somewhat stuffy kitchen, had long since begun to grow impatient:

"I've told you everything you asked. Just have your people prepare as I instructed. Why do you insist that I stay here?"

As time passed, every extra quarter of an hour spent here meant one less quarter of an hour to spend with Lin Daiyu.

Deng Zechen's unhurried attitude only made Jia Baoyu more anxious.

Upon hearing Jia Baoyu's words, Deng Zechen first turned to him before shifting his gaze away from the cook:

"Yes...it has indeed been explained clearly."

Upon hearing this, Jia Baoyu was overjoyed and muttered something as he left the kitchen, only to be stopped by Deng Zechen, who had followed him:

"Young Master Jia, why are you in such a hurry? It's been a long time since we last met."

The group of women strolled through the garden admiring the flowers, while the two of us men went to find a place to drink and do our own thing.

Not only did Deng Zechen verbally stop Jia Baoyu from going to find Lin Daiyu, but he also moved quickly, blocking Jia Baoyu's only way out.

Seeing that he could not leave, Jia Baoyu felt frustrated and did not want to talk to Deng Zechen anymore, so he just buried his head and walked in the other direction.

They wanted to avoid Deng Zechen's obstruction and find another opportunity to find Lin Daiyu and the others.

It's a pity I don't know the way around this village; I'm just going in circles.

Deng Zechen understood Jia Baoyu's intentions and stayed close to him throughout. Only after Jia Baoyu's outburst gradually slowed down did he speak slowly:

"Do you truly not know the reason why Miss Lin moved out of the Rongguo Mansion, or are you simply afraid to investigate further?"