Sudden Thunderclap

"...Miss Baoqin merely wanted to ask him to pass a few words to the Imperial Concubine. She absolutely meant nothing else by it."

No sooner had Lin Daiyu and Zijuan returned to XiaoXiang Pavilion than Xiren hurried after them, her face full of smiles as she gently explained herself.

Daiyu only listened in silence. Once Xiren had finished, she calmly asked, "Does he truly think I am so petty? He even sent you after me to explain."

Seeing that her expression remained placid, Xiren secretly groaned. Those two little enemies had quarrelled, yet somehow she had been caught in the middle.

Fortunately, she was quick-witted and silver-tongued. Smiling again, she said, "Surely you know his temperament, miss. He is the most careless and lazy sort—when has he ever paid such close attention to anyone else's affairs? Yet when it comes to you, even the slightest stir of wind or grass makes him fuss and worry."

These words finally softened Lin Daiyu's expression somewhat. She said evenly, "Then please tell him when he returns that I truly am unwell. There is no other meaning behind it."

Though Xiren could see that she did not mean what she said, it was hardly proper to press her for the truth. She could only take her leave for now and return, intending to explain things once Jia Baoyu came home.

After seeing Xiren out of XiaoXiang Pavilion, Zijuan returned to the room and found Lin Daiyu seated on the daybed, twisting a handkerchief over and over in her hands. She was plainly restless.

Zijuan could not help complaining, "Really, miss. Since Second Master Bao has already made up his mind not to let you go, what harm would there be in telling him all that gossip? You keep hiding it from him, so he