Did Miss become a nun today?

Less than an hour after Xie Yun Chu sent the peace charm, Meng Qi An returned the favor with a gift.

Qingluo came in carrying the things, looking troubled. "The people below said that Young Master Meng insisted on sending them, and we couldn't refuse, so we had to take them back. What do you think we should do?"

Xie Yun Chu glanced at the brocade box. "Keep it for now, and return it another day when you have the chance."

She only agreed to the peace charm because Meng Qi'an had treated her fairly politely in the past.

Unexpectedly, they sent another gift, and the back-and-forth continued endlessly.

For the next few days, the mansion was unusually quiet.

Xie Yun Chu felt much more at peace, and even the autumn scenery in the courtyard seemed more pleasing to the eye.

But Lan Yue and Qing Luo were not happy.

Because they discovered that the young lady had started eating vegetarian food.

The meat dishes served each day were arranged neatly and remained untouched when they were taken away.

This continued for several days, and Lan Yue and Qing Luo panicked.

"Miss, these are all meat dishes that you used to love to eat. Please have some."

Xie Yun Chu hummed in agreement, but didn't even glance at her.

"Miss..." Lan Yue's voice trembled, "You're not really going to become a nun, are you? If you do, what will we servants do?"

She looked up and asked, "What were you all doing before you came to serve me?"

Lan Yue was taken aback, and answered honestly, "I am a servant born into a family. Before you came, Miss, I served in the Madam's courtyard with my mother."

Qingluo chimed in, "Before I entered the manor, I was starving and cold. I had no choice but to sell myself into slavery. I came to serve you, Miss, not long after I entered the manor."

Xie Yun Chu nodded, her tone softening. "You have served me very well. If I ever leave the manor, I will inform my aunt and arrange a proper place for you."

Upon hearing this, Lan Yue and Qing Luo immediately knelt down, "Miss..."

Xie Yun Chu sighed, looking at the two little girls with teary eyes, and shook her head helplessly: "Why are you crying? It's not like I'm going to become a nun tomorrow."

She's just a vegetarian, she's not starving herself.

Lan Yue sobbed and wiped away her tears before standing up and replying softly, "This servant understands."

Xie Yun Chu thought she had come to her senses so quickly, but unexpectedly, she looked like she was ready to die, "If Miss really becomes a nun in the future, this servant will follow her."

There's no need for that.

This path, from beginning to end, belonged to her alone, and had nothing to do with anyone else.

"Alright, take all of these away and get ready. We'll head out tomorrow."

The next day, she took a carriage to the bookstore early in the morning and picked out several books of scriptures she had never read before.

These days she has circled the parts of the Buddhist scriptures that she doesn't quite understand, thinking that she can ask the nun about them when she goes to the temple next time.

As she came out of the shop, a guard-like man blocked her way. "Miss Xie, my mistress requests your presence."

"Your wife?"

The guard handed her a token—a token from the General's Mansion.

Xie Yun Chu followed him into the theater, and a maid led her up to the second floor.

The servant who had led the way bowed and withdrew at the door of the private room. She pushed the door open and entered herself, only to find a young woman sitting inside, not Madam Wei.

"Miss Su?"

Su Yao looked up and smiled, "Miss Xie, please have a seat."

Unlike the Su Yao she remembered, Su Yao seemed exceptionally approachable today.

The people inside left, and Su Yao personally poured tea for her.

"Do you have any plays you like? I'll have them perform them."

"I rarely go to the opera, so Miss Su can make the decision."

"Then I'll often come to you to listen to operas? I get really bored by myself."

Xie Yun Chu's smile faltered slightly, and a hint of suspicion arose in her heart.

She and Su Yao were not close friends. They had only met a few times and exchanged very few words. Her unusual warmth today seemed to indicate that she had ulterior motives.

"Miss Su, you..."

"Xie Yun Chu," Su Yao interrupted her, her tone not condescending but rather carrying a hint of a smile, "Actually, I don't dislike you."

Xie Yun Chu: ......

Su Yao continued, "You are close to the Second Young Master Pei. My elder brother used to mention you when he returned to the manor, saying that you are quite bold and dare to boss Pei Changfeng around."

"Actually, the reason I called you here today is because of what happened at Yong'an Temple last time. Pei Changfeng saved me first that day and couldn't take care of you, so you've been holding a grudge ever since."

No, she didn't.

"That day, it was because I held onto Young Master Pei that he was delayed in rescuing you. If you really want to blame someone, then blame me."

"Miss Su, you flatter me."

Su Yao slowly sipped her tea. "However, Miss Xie is about my age, and I heard she's already looking for a husband. Has she found someone she likes?"

Xie Yun Chu was puzzled. Why would she do this? Was she testing whether she still had feelings for her second cousin?

She straightened her expression and was about to speak when she suddenly heard the curtain rustle and someone strode in.

Wei Lin ignored everyone else and grabbed Su Yao by the back of her collar: "Alright, you can go now. Your brother is waiting downstairs."

As soon as Wei Lin entered, the play on the opposite stage began.

He took it for granted and sat in the spot where Su Yao had just been sitting, across a small table from Xie Yun Chu.

"Wei Lin, you again..."

"Shh." He put a finger to his lips. "Watch the show quietly."

Xie Yun Chu looked at him in disbelief, thinking that this man had gone mad.

Wei Lin felt uncomfortable under her gaze. "What are you looking at me for? Are you watching a show?"

But she doesn't like watching plays.

Not intending to waste any more time with him, she closed her eyes, got up to leave, but when she pushed the door... it wouldn't budge.

She turned around to look at him. What was he going to do?

He sat there, holding a teacup, looking relaxed and quite interested.

"Wei Lin!"

"Hmm?" He looked up at me, his expression innocent.

"Open the door."

"What's the rush?" Wei Lin put down his teacup, gestured towards the chair opposite him, and said, "This play, 'Thinking of the Mortal World,' has just started. Let's at least listen to a couple of lines."

Xie Yun Chu frowned. Was this person doing this on purpose?

This play tells the story of a young nun who, unable to bear the loneliness, escapes from the Buddhist temple.

Seeing that she was unwilling to sit down, Wei Lin stood up and stepped forward. "Xie Yun Chu, I've come today to apologize to you."

Wei Lin carefully considered his words before continuing, "I know that I used to always oppose you, say hurtful things, be shameless, deliberately rub salt in your wounds, and be morally corrupt and despicable..."

His voice trailed off as he spoke, "Anyway... I'm sorry."

"But my apology to you today is sincere. Can...can you forgive me...?"

Xie Yun Chu remained silent. He grew impatient. "Xie Yun Chu, I've said so much, why don't you give me a response?"

"oh."

"...That's it?"

"That's all."

Wei Lin laughed in exasperation, instinctively wanting to bicker with her as they used to, but she managed to hold back.

She turned her face away, angrily kicked the chair leg, and ended up clutching her foot and spinning around in pain.

Xie Yun Chu's lips twitched, but she held back from laughing out loud.

Wei Lin, who had been wincing in pain, saw her feigned seriousness and asked, "I heard that Pei Changfeng knelt down to apologize to you. If I kneel down to you too, will you forgive me?"

She was about to say no when the person in front of her suddenly knelt down, startling her so much that she quickly helped them up. "What are you doing now?"

His grin almost reached his earlobes. "You can't stand seeing me kneel, so you forgive me?"

"If you're still not satisfied, here you go."

As he spoke, he untied a whip from his waist. "You can whip me a couple of times, just to vent your anger. Whip me as much as you want, I promise I won't dodge."

Xie Yun Chu really wanted to whip him a couple of times, preferably until his mouth was completely ripped apart, so he could never say those nasty things again.

She gritted her teeth, raised her hand, and slapped him.

Wei Lin yelled, "Xie Yun Chu, you're really going to hit me?"