Three Wives and Four Concubines in the Dream of the Red Chamber

Page 100

Yun Le's face stiffened. The information she had received stated that Gu Yu was proficient in everything at the Imperial Academy. Now, in front of a beauty, not only did he not boast, but he also blatantly lied? Not any student at the Imperial Academy would be ignorant of music!

"...To know what you know, and to know what you don't know, that is true knowledge. Young Master Gu is indeed a young talent. He has such insight at such a young age. Yun Le is truly impressed."

As she spoke, Yunle stepped forward, picked up the wine pot, filled Gu Yu's cup, and poured herself a cup as well. Her watery eyes seemed to hold a girl's shyness, yet also a hint of courage, as she gazed directly at Gu Yu and said:

"I have long admired your name, sir. It is an honor to meet you today. Please, sir, drink this cup to the brim."

"Sure, sure, hehe..."

Gu Yu chuckled softly, a hint of embarrassed pride on her face, picked up her wine glass and drank it all in one gulp. The two exchanged a smile, and a voice echoed in their hearts simultaneously.

"Heh~"

Seeing that Gu Yu had taken the bait, Yun Le followed suit, using the excuse of asking about Gu Yu's two great reputations. She acted like a devoted fan, offering him toasts one after another and getting closer and closer to him.

After downing another glass of wine, Gu Yu estimated that she had drunk enough. Seeing that Yun Le's face was also flushed, she didn't want to continue the pretense with her. Just as she was about to speak, Yun Le leaned towards her as if she were drunk.

Although it was just a slight inclination, Gu Yu immediately stepped aside. A hint of surprise flashed in Yun Le's lowered eyes. Then she looked up at Gu Yu, biting her lip slightly. Her aggrieved and shy gaze seemed to convey everything without words.

"Miss Yunle, don't misunderstand, I just have an overly sensitive nose and can't stand it."

Gu Yu waved his hand and explained. Yun Le breathed a sigh of relief, a smile returning to her lips. She glanced at Gu Yu with a half-smile, as if complaining:

"Is Young Master Gu making fun of me for wearing too much makeup? I only applied a little perfume from the capital..."

As she spoke, Yun Le tapped her slender neck, her fingers inadvertently sliding down it, seemingly unaware of how alluring her gesture was, while looking at Gu Yu with innocent innocence.

Seeing that she only ever used the same few routines, refusing to show any skin or flirt, Gu Yu completely lost interest and didn't want to play along anymore. He shook his head and said:

"It's getting late, so I'll take my leave now. Farewell, Miss Yunle."

"..."

Looking at the midday sun outside the window, Yun Le almost didn't react. Seeing Gu Yu about to leave, she quickly grabbed his sleeve, took a deep breath, and with all the courage of a pure young girl, said in a trembling voice with a flushed face:

"Young Master Gu, I have long admired you... If you would not reject me... I..."

Looking up at Gu Yu, who was standing motionless, Yun Le blushed and turned to walk into the room.

"I'm going inside to change..."

Gu Yu grabbed Yun Le's sleeve as she turned to leave, instantly reversing the situation, and looked at her with a playful expression:

"Are you going to change your clothes?"

Yun Le blushed even more, biting her lip as if too shy to speak, but Gu Yu's next words made her freeze.

"Alright, alright, you can't fake it. A chicken is a chicken, no matter how colorful it is!"

"...Young Master Gu! You—!"

"Alright! Stop acting. Even if I were blind, I wouldn't mistake it. My nose is very sensitive."

Seeing Yun Le still performing, Gu Yu waved her hand impatiently, her face full of disdain.

"I could smell the stench of your crotch from a mile away. Still unmarried? What a joke!"

This woman has probably already been betrothed to some prince or nobleman... Gu Yu glanced subtly in the direction of the object from before, feeling even more annoyed. He messed things up for her while she was out enjoying a peaceful evening, couldn't he just leave her alone for a couple more years?!

Hearing Gu Yu's humiliating words, Yun Le's face turned purple with anger, and she trembled with rage. She pointed at Gu Yu, about to expose his true colors, but Gu Yu grabbed her hand and sneered.

"Let me guess, is he asking you to seduce me? I wonder if he's just letting me play around with him? If he is, that's fine, but if not, and I force myself on you now while you're gagged, will he ever despise you again?"

"You! Let me go!"

Yun Le's face turned pale. She subconsciously tried to pull her hand away, but couldn't. She was a little flustered. She never expected this person to be so bold. If she were really taken advantage of, how could His Highness still want her?

Chapter Twenty-Three: Water Force!

Seeing Yun Le's behavior, Gu Yu realized that the roast chicken was acting both upright and illegitimate, and that someone next door was probably already waiting for an opportunity to make a move.

Seeing that she was still afraid of attracting attention by shouting, and that the person next door was probably of high rank, perhaps even the person in question… Thinking of this, Gu Yu chuckled softly, suddenly grabbed Yun Le's slender neck, who was still struggling silently, and leaned close to say in a cold voice:

"If someone is sent out to sell their beauty, even if they don't intend to actually commit, then that person probably doesn't really value you that much."

Yun Le froze in her struggle. These words felt like a sharp sword piercing her heart. She opened her mouth but couldn't utter a single word.

"That's not it. Your Highness did this because it was convenient for me to do so while I was in the Warm Fragrance Pavilion!"

Despite wanting to argue like that, she had grown up in such a filthy place as Nuanxiang Pavilion, how could she possibly still have the ridiculous sincerity of an ordinary girl?

She herself had gotten close to His Highness, wasn't it all because she was after his power? That man was only after her beauty and the fame of being the top courtesan... It was just that the so-called perfect match and love at first sight drama seemed to instantly make it a rare and beautiful story.

Seeing the struggle lessen, Gu Yu was overjoyed, knowing she had hit the nail on the head. She quickly pressed on, sneering as she continued her mockery and attacks:

"Even if I sleep with you today, so what? He'll probably just give you to me anyway. You'll end up in my hands, heh heh..."

Yun Le struggled to suppress her trembling breaths and try to keep her face normal, still wanting to make one last effort:

"Young Master Gu's words are getting stranger and stranger. I was just...uh—!"

Gu Yu suddenly exerted force, showing no mercy in his eyes. Seeing that she was about to roll her eyes back from his pinch, he slowly loosened his grip.

"If you dare to say another word, I think it would be better to take you back and torture you a bit."

As he spoke, Gu Yu subconsciously stroked the soft, delicate skin of the swan-like neck in his palm. The youthful, tender skin made his breathing become heavier.

"Quite interesting..."

Before anyone knew it, Gu Yu reached out with his other hand and pinched her. Caught off guard, Yun Le almost screamed, but then suddenly remembered her current situation and quickly covered her mouth, struggling again.

This commotion startled Gu Yu. A flash of clarity crossed his eyes, and he realized that his hand had unknowingly gained an advantage, and the spear beneath him was poised to strike. He immediately reacted.

"You drugged the drink?!"

But then I thought about it again and realized something was wrong. This woman had also drunk several cups, and now she was still lively and energetic, which didn't seem like the effects of traditional Chinese medicine.

But the strangeness in his body couldn't lie. Gu Yu was a respectable young man, upholding traditional male virtues. How could he be so impulsive towards such a frivolous romantic encounter? Could it be some kind of yin-yang pot, or some kind of ghostly trick involving applying medicine to a cup...?

However, if you think that you can control him with these tricks, you're probably overthinking it!

Gu Yu's mind raced. Since Yun Le wasn't planning to offer herself, yet was using aphrodisiacs, she was probably timing it so that he would "love but not be loved." Since she dared to play with fire like this…

Gu Yu sneered, deliberately grabbing Yun Le's hand and taming the ferocious beast from head to toe, then leaned closer and chuckled strangely:

"I'm afraid your clientele is less than half of this number. I wonder if they'll still find other flavors appealing after they've tasted them?"

Seeing the fear on her face, as if she were about to unleash her beastly nature, Gu Yu's eyes darted around, and he suddenly turned around and pulled out a decorative sword from the wall, pretending to pounce.

Instantly, Yun Le seemed to be stunned, standing there motionless, her eyes fixed on the sword blade that had stopped just inches away. She made a few gurgling sounds in her throat, but no sound came out. Finally, she collapsed to the ground with a thud, and the next moment, a faint fishy smell wafted out.

Gu Yu was surprised by this unexpected surprise. Amused and disgusted, she put the sword back in its place. Estimating that it was about time, she prepared to leave quickly to avoid running into someone she shouldn't have.

"You don't actually think you're good enough for me to poke, do you?"

"Stinky cesspool!"

Watching Gu Yu cover her nose in disgust and stride out the door, Yun Le sat on the ground in a daze. It took her a long time to come back to her senses. Just as she struggled to stand up, a figure suddenly walked in.

"What does it taste like?"

The person who came in instinctively frowned and covered their nose, feeling that the smell seemed somewhat familiar.

"Your Highness! Waaaaah!"

Yunle was taken aback, and quickly squeezed out a few tears, sobbing pitifully as she vividly explained her experience of enduring humiliation and hardship.

"...That man was capricious and unpredictable. When the drug took effect, he uttered foul language. I hesitated and refused to respond, so he went berserk and almost strangled me to death..."

The visitor saw that there was indeed a bright red handprint on Yun Le's delicate neck. Upon seeing that her body was completely unharmed, he couldn't tell whether he felt resentful or relieved. He could only offer some words of comfort to the little beauty who had suffered.

After dealing with the farce in the room, the person left, turning to stare indifferently at the descending staircase beside him, a faint gloom on his face.

"Gu Su Gu... will ultimately not escape my grasp. Those two good-for-nothings are destined to lose to me!"

……

After quickly slipping out of the room, Gu Yu rushed downstairs without stopping. When she passed the private room on the second floor, she did not intend to disturb Xue Pan and the others. However, whether by coincidence or not, Jia Lian happened to come out and saw Gu Yu's hurried departure, and was taken aback.

"Wow, that's long... No, Miss Yunle is indeed quite beautiful... No, Brother Yu is indeed very virtuous!"

The thought of Gu Yu carrying his spear home rather than enjoying himself with them filled Jia Lian with a sudden surge of admiration. He wondered what kind of spirit supported Brother Yu's actions and felt ashamed.

"In that case, let Xue the fool and I each take one of the two maids who serve Brother Yu. It's time to be more frugal!"

With a spirit of self-reflection, Jia Lian decided to grit his teeth and add another layer of responsibility for them, so as not to be extravagant and wasteful.

"Brother Xue, I just saw Brother Yu go to his house. Let's not worry about him anymore and just have a good time!"

"Back already? But... ouch! Going back even with a gun at your side?... My sister is so lucky! Come on, let's have a drink!"

……

So-called aphrodisiacs don't actually take away a person's reason; it just means that after being driven by lust, one has to weigh the consequences and decide whether or not to act. Gu Yu ran all the way with his gun in hand, and eventually couldn't help but stand up slightly to avoid the discomfort from the friction.

After jumping off his horse and entering the side gate, Gu Yu couldn't help but lift his clothes and rush back. He immediately saw Xiang Ling sitting on the veranda in the courtyard, resting her face on her hand. His eyes instantly turned bloodshot, and he rushed over, panting.

As if sensing something, Xiangling looked up and saw Gu Yu return. She was about to greet him with a smile when Gu Yu picked her up and carried her into the house.

"Master, come back—! Master? Master, wait a minute, oh dear, my clothes are torn… Ah~ wait—… Qingwen~! Qing ah ah ah ah—! Master, be gentle, oh ah…"

"Qingwen, go and call Ying'er over... quick!"

……

Chapter Twenty-Four: I Have a Dream

For the entire afternoon, after Qingwen went to call Ying'er for help, and then asked Ying'er to call Zijuan and Xueyan over, the six of them fooled around for half a day, finally managing to get Gu Yu to let off steam.

Looking at the intertwined arms and legs on the bed, even Xueyan's tender crotch was red and swollen from the back and forth friction, and there was a trace of white fluid on the corner of her mouth. Gu Yu couldn't help but touch her head with pity and gently stepped off the bed.

"If one day I put Yu'er, Baochai, Xichun, and all the others on one bed... and even Mengzhi..."

Thinking of this, Gu Yu felt a surge of warmth in his heart, and his spear began to itch to use again. He had already accomplished the feat of the Yingchun and Xichun sisters, which could be considered as taking the first step towards success. He was certain that he would achieve it one day!

Because the maids had suffered heavy losses, Gu Yu insisted that they stay overnight. Zijuan was worried that Daiyu would not be used to being away from them, and Ying'er was also afraid that staying overnight would cause trouble for Baochai, especially since Xiangyun had also returned. However, the next moment, Gu Yu frightened them with his actions.

"Want to go back? Fine, you can go back as soon as you're done serving me. Zijuan, do you want to try? Ying'er?"

"..."

After easily suppressing the group of pitiful little ones, sleeping at night became a problem. Looking at the expectation in their eyes, Gu Yu felt embarrassed to show favoritism. After racking her brains for a long time, she couldn't come up with a solution, so she simply gave up, lay down on the bed, and ignored them.

"You can decide how you want to sleep, don't ask me. Whoever comes, I'll hug them."

The girls blushed and exchanged glances. After some back and forth, they decided to let the guests come over and enjoy themselves. Xueyan, being petite, lay directly on Gu Yu's chest. It was fortunate that Gu Yu had been strong and healthy since childhood, otherwise he would have been unable to breathe after sleeping on her for a night.

Silent all night.

Early the next morning, Daiyu and Baochai, fearing that their sisters would discover their personal maid was missing, quietly made their way to Gu Yu's courtyard. Unexpectedly, they bumped into each other again, and for a moment, both of them awkwardly looked away.

Daiyu felt a pang of bitterness in her heart. She had sensed something was amiss when Ying'er came to call Zijuan and the others yesterday. Then, Zijuan and Xueyan didn't return all night. Her heart was filled with shame and turmoil. Could it be that Ying'er...

Seeing Baochai all alone, Daiyu was completely certain of her suspicions. Her cheeks puffed out as she plotted to teach Gu Yu a lesson. She hadn't been watching him for a few days, and he had secretly sneaked off to another courtyard without anyone noticing!

Baochai's heart skipped a beat when she saw Daiyu all alone. She thought she had been bold enough, but this Lin Daiyu was just as daring, seemingly even more so than herself. Truly, appearances can be deceiving. She wondered if she had personally...

Thinking of this, Baochai glanced at Daiyu, who was silently standing beside her, and felt a sense of urgency. Now that Ying'er had been eaten, she didn't know if she had caught up with the progress. But it was inconvenient for Xiangyun to stay at her place. What should she do?

With their own thoughts, the two only exchanged a few casual words on the way to Gu Yu's study. They arrived early, and the only people in the room were the old women who hadn't left yet, cleaning up. So they had no choice but to stand outside and wait for Gu Yu to wake up.

Fortunately, Gu Yu's strong biological clock allowed him to leave before the two couldn't help but test each other. When he suddenly saw the two standing at the door, Gu Yu was surprised and quickly pulled them into the room.

"Why are Lin Daiyu and Baochai here so early?"

As soon as the question left his mouth, Gu Yu realized he had spoken out of turn, gave an embarrassed laugh, and hurriedly called the maid to pour tea. The girls inside, hearing the commotion, also hurriedly got up, held their breath, and sneaked out through the side door to wash up, feeling a little excited.

"The maid stole the young master..."

Before Gu Yu could fully enjoy the leisurely time with her sisters, the announcement from the maid below quickly made Gu Yu's lips twitch, ending her good mood for the day.

"Young Master, Young Master Li has sent word that he wishes to see you. He is currently waiting outside the side gate."

Daiyu put down the book in her hand, subconsciously exchanged a glance with Baochai beside her, then quietly closed the book, smiled and said:

"Since someone is looking for you, Brother Yu, you should hurry back. We've been studying for so long today, it's time for us to go home."

"You just got here and you're already going back?" Gu Yu's eyes widened, and she quickly waved her hand, telling them to stay.

"It's alright, I'm just going out to say a few words and I'll be right back. Little sister, you have to wait for me a little longer. We haven't played together in a long time since I got back, so you can't leave today."

As she spoke, Gu Yu hurriedly ran out, determined to return quickly. Baochai covered her mouth and chuckled softly:

"Look how fast Brother Yu is running. I'm really afraid that Sister Lin will go back. He really misses her so much that he can't leave her for even a moment."