A Dream of Red Mansions: Beloved Daiyu [Baoyu and Daiyu]

(Updates every other day)

After arriving at the Rong Mansion, Jia Min quietly told Daiyu to keep her distance from her cousin, the one born with a piece of jade in his mouth.

Though she didn't understand why, she had always been obedient. If her mother said to stay away, then stay away she would.

But even if she wanted to keep her distance, it wasn't up to her.

The beloved phoenix of that household went to every length to win her over, using every trick in the book, ingratiating himself and smiling apologetically. He doted on and protected her as if she were a little princess, year after year. Every day, he cared about whether she'd eaten enough, slept well, and was in a good mood. He was so attentive that even a heart of stone would have melted.

In her heart, she'd long since come to think of him as her own brother.

But why was her brother looking at her more and more strangely?

Then one day, her mother told her, "You and Baoyu were engaged as children. But your father and I have only you, and we thought of breaking the engagement and finding you a husband who'd join our household. That's why we've always told you to keep your distance from him."

Then one day, Xue Baochai arrived and started picking fights with her at every turn.

Daiyu had a natural fragrance, so Baochai had her own cold fragrance. Daiyu liked flowers and face powder, so Baochai disliked them. Rumors even began circulating around the household, saying Daiyu was petty and always lost her temper with Baoyu, and that she was nowhere near as open-minded as Baochai.

Daiyu was already annoyed when the Old Madam, her mother, and Baoyu each rushed to her defense, leaving her no chance to show her own displeasure.

Daiyu: What's it like to win without lifting a finger? Well, it's pretty great, but also kind of annoying.

Reader's Guide

1. A serious political intrigue, with careful research and faithfulness to the original. Daiyu's parents are both alive, and Baoyu and Daiyu get a happy ending.

2. Baoyu is scheming, devoted, talented, and shrewd. These aren't just character traits assigned to him, this is who he really is.

3. Faithful to the original: the Baochai faction in the original is false and hypocritical.

4. A complete world, with a coherent storyline, set in a parallel world that runs alongside the original.

Theme: Good triumphs over evil, and truth cannot be mistaken for falsehood.