Just as Tanchun had said before, after that troublemaking Baoyu caused a commotion, they had gone three whole days without being disturbed again. At last, they had been able to enjoy a little peace and quiet.
Well?
That afternoon, sunlight streamed through the gauze over the carved lattice windows of the small courtyard on the floating island where Lin Daiyu lived, filling the study with light.
The study was furnished with understated elegance, and the entire room was steeped in a tranquil, scholarly atmosphere.
Books and jade slips lined the wall, filling the air with a faint scent of ink and spiritual energy. By the window stood a broad sandalwood desk, neatly laid out with brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone, along with several open books. In the opposite corner was a chaise longue covered with a brocade mattress. A refined orchid sat on the little table beside it, clearly placed there for the mistress of the house to rest on when she tired of reading.
But the chaise longue was empty just then. Lin Daiyu and Tanchun sat facing each other on either side of the desk, each quietly reading in a cushioned chair.
"..."
Daiyu wore the same simple, elegant moon-white skirt embroidered with green bamboo. Her dark hair was loosely pinned up with a single white jade hairpin, lending her an even more delicate, willowy beauty.
She held a volume titled A Detailed Guide to Elementary Tribulation Arithmetic, her brows slightly furrowed as she bent over it. Every so often, she murmured a few words under her breath. The contents were clearly rather abstruse.
"..."
Tanchun wore a practical, autumn-scented, high-collared blouse, her hair neatly gathered into a hanging bun. She was engrossed in a thick volume titled Illustrated Compendium of All Spirits: The Spirit Plants, occasionally jotting