Dream of the Red Chamber: I can see the hidden labels of the beauties.

Xue Baochai only explicitly stated part of the reason why Xue Pan couldn't rush to take Xiangling into his room; the other part was left unsaid. This was because Aunt Xue knew that Xue Pan was fickle and wanted to test his temper by deliberately delaying the process.

Moreover, in order to prevent Xue Pan from secretly taking advantage of her, Aunt Xue also arranged for Xiangling to be Xue Baochai's maid. Xue Pan had always respected this younger sister of Xue Baochai, so with Xiangling in Xue Baochai's room, Xue Pan could only watch helplessly.

However, over the years, Xue Pan has mentioned to Xue Baochai and Aunt Xue more than once that he wanted to take Xiangling into his household. He has been pestering and cajoling them so much that they are tired of hearing it. Recently, Aunt Xue has finally started to relent, feeling that it's about time to wait.

So much time has passed, the incident of killing someone in Jinling City is probably no longer mentioned by anyone, which can be considered as tempering Xue Pan's temperament.

Most importantly, the results of the palace's second round of selections were about to be announced, which minimized the impact on Xue Baochai's selection.

After hearing this, Xue Pan could only agree. The two siblings chatted for a few more minutes before Xue Baochai left.

Back in her room, she saw Xiangling leaning against the desk, looking at the books on it. She immediately frowned.

"Xiangling, what are you doing?"

Xiangling was startled and quickly lowered her head to reply:

"Yes...yes, I...I'm tidying up the house."

Xue Baochai stared at her for a moment, then glanced at the books on the table, and said indifferently:

"Don't overthink things. Focus on doing your own thing. Also, be prepared. My mother might be going to let you into my brother's room soon."

"You know your brother's temperament; he's not as easy to talk to as I am."

Upon hearing this, Xiangling's face turned pale, and her lips trembled. Although she knew she couldn't escape it in the end, the arrival of this day was still hard for her to accept, and she felt extremely uneasy and unwilling.

Xue Pan was not good-looking and was a spoiled and dissolute young man. Being taken into the household by such a person meant that he would suffer a lot afterward.

Biting her lip, she fantasized about how wonderful it would be if a deity suddenly appeared to save her.

For some reason, Jia Can's image suddenly appeared in her mind. Although it was the first time she had met Jia Can today, she had a very deep impression of him and couldn't help but think of him at this moment.

She thought to herself that she would only be willing to be taken into the room by such a handsome, kind and benevolent man.

Of course, this was just her subconscious thought after suddenly learning the news. She quickly regained her composure, cleared her mind of distractions, and quietly agreed:

"Yes, I understand. I will serve you well, sir."

Xue Baochai looked at her with some sighs and emotion. She knew that she was different from the other maids, and that she was actually thinking about reading and writing, which made her stand out from the other maids. But she didn't say anything more.

……

Rongguo Mansion.

By this time, all the courtyards were already lit up, brightly lit, but compared to usual, they seemed even more desolate. The servants all had their heads down, their steps hurried, and they dared not utter a single whisper.

This was especially true in Grandmother Jia's courtyard. In the past, after dinner, Grandmother Jia would always chat and laugh with her grandchildren, granddaughters-in-law, and so on, and the flower hall was always filled with laughter.

But right now, the flower hall was empty. Grandmother Jia had gone back to her room to rest early, and the rest of the people naturally had to disperse as well.

The previous imperial edict was a major blow to Grandmother Jia and the entire Rongguo Mansion. Not only did the Rongguo Mansion's title plummet, but it also became a laughing stock among the powerful and influential circles in the capital. Grandmother Jia naturally had no time for jokes anymore.

After Jia She fainted on the spot, he woke up the next day, but he was bedridden. Whether he was really sick or not, no one knew.

Jia Zheng, Lady Wang, and others also lost face, and the servants, seeing the wind blowing, naturally all looked gloomy and miserable.

However, Lin Daiyu and the other girls breathed a sigh of relief.

Lin Daiyu, in particular, felt it was unfair to Jia Can when she saw him being stripped of his inheritance rights, and she sympathized with him greatly. However, since Jia She was her maternal uncle, she could not say anything.

Seeing that Jia Can has not only gained the emperor's approval but also doesn't have to inherit the title at a lower rank, I am genuinely happy for Jia Can.

As for her maternal uncle Jia She falling ill and the sudden changes in her maternal grandparents' family, she didn't take it to heart. Her many years of living as a dependent had gradually allowed her to see through some of the situations in the Rongguo Mansion.

At this moment, the sisters were gathered in Jia Xichun's room talking.

Lin Daiyu looked at Jia Xichun and teased her with a smile:

"Look at her, Fourth Sister's smile has never faded; she's probably smiling even when she's sleeping."

Upon hearing this, Jia Xichun blushed and glared at Lin Daiyu.

"Sister Lin, stop talking nonsense! If you keep doing that, I won't talk to you anymore!"

As she spoke, she deliberately turned her face away, seemingly genuinely angry with Lin Daiyu.

Lin Daiyu walked gracefully to her, leaned closer to take a look, tilted her head slightly, and smiled:

"Oh dear, I've touched on something that's been bothering you. You're even holding a grudge now?"

Jia Xichun was both embarrassed and anxious, and she kept fuming, but she couldn't argue back, so she could only get up:

"I'm not talking to you anymore, I'm going to the East Mansion."

With that, he got up to leave.

Jia Tanchun hurriedly pulled her along:

"Hey, don't rush. It's already dark. Tell the maids and servants to hold the lanterns carefully and be careful not to fall. Be careful on the road."

Jia Xichun felt a warmth in her heart, glanced at Jia Tanchun, and nodded slightly.

"Don't worry, Third Sister. Second Brother Can knew I was going back to the West Mansion to talk to you, so he specially arranged for someone to pick me up. Besides, it's just a short walk, nothing will happen."

After saying that, he glanced at Jia Yingchun again, and when he looked at Lin Daiyu for the last time, he couldn't help but give Lin Daiyu a reproachful look.

Not to be outdone, Lin Daiyu returned her a look and replied with a touch of arrogance:

"Knowing you have a loving older brother now, you don't need us sisters to take care of you anymore. Go find your brother!"

Jia Xichun was young and easily embarrassed; upon hearing this, she immediately blurted out something reckless:

"Sister Lin, you don't need to be envious. If you'd like, you can come with me to the East Mansion to see Second Brother Can and let him show you some love and care. What do you say?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Daiyu felt extremely embarrassed, and a blush immediately appeared on her pretty face, making her even more charming and beautiful. She was so shy that she hurriedly walked over to pinch Jia Xichun's face.

Seeing that things were going badly, Jia Xichun had already slipped away, leaving behind only one sentence:

"Don't be shy, Sister Lin... I'll go talk to Second Brother Can."

"By the way, Second Brother Can said he would host a dinner party and invite you sisters to the East Mansion to enjoy the flowers and wine. Sister Lin, you can go and talk to him in person then."

Lin Daiyu chased after her to the door, watching her departing figure, her face flushed with embarrassment, and she gently stamped her foot:

"You little brat, just wait till you get back tomorrow, I'll teach you a lesson!"

Jia Tanchun came to her side and said with a smile, "Sister Lin, please forgive her this time."

Lin Daiyu snorted, "Who told her to talk nonsense? I won't let her off easily!"

The thought that Jia Xichun might actually mention taking care of her to Jia Can sent a shiver through Lin Daiyu's heart. Some indescribable feelings welled up from the bottom of her heart, and she couldn't even tell what they were.

In an instant, the blush on her pretty face deepened. To cover it up, she hurriedly bid farewell to Jia Tanchun and Jia Yingchun and rushed back to her room.