Did Miss become a nun today?

"Bang bang bang"

Suddenly someone knocked on the door.

"Minister Pei, something's happened!"

The people inside pretended not to hear, and were burying their faces in her chest, biting her.

"Minister Pei, did you hear that? Something's happened in the west of the city! There's been a landslide, and the city may be in danger!"

The man on the bed paused, bit her shoulder, and said in a hoarse voice, "Wait for me to come back."

He got up and covered her with the blanket before turning around and leaving the room.

Xie Yun Chu recovered from her fear, closed her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. Without thinking, she quickly got up, hurriedly put on her clothes, and even tripped and fell when she got out of bed. She then walked out the door shakily.

I was running too fast and didn't see the road clearly, so I bumped into someone coming in.

He was so dizzy from the impact that he was helped up by the person in front of him.

"Are you alright?"

Hearing the voice, she looked up and barely made out the person's face before pausing in surprise.

"Young Master Meng? What are you doing here?"

Seeing her condition, Meng Qi'an knew what had happened inside the room. His voice deepened, "I'll take you out first."

Then, worriedly, she asked, "Can you still walk?"

Xie Yun Chu nodded. "I'm fine, I can go."

My legs are a little weak.

Meng Qi'an took off his coat and covered her head with it, then helped her leave.

As he walked, he explained, "Don't worry, I've had everyone in the house sent away; no one will be coming back."

Was that person sent by him?

How did you know I was here?

He smiled and said, "When you were brought back, the people around me saw it and told me."

"Unfortunately, I wasn't there at the time, which is why I'm late."

Once outside the courtyard, Meng Qi'an helped her into the carriage, then sat down himself, wrapping her up tightly.

She gently reassured him, "It's alright now."

The carriage stopped again, and Meng Qi'an jumped off first. "This is the back residence of the Changning Prefecture government. You can settle in here."

Thank you.

"You don't need to be so polite with me. You can stay here for the night. I'll take care of things outside."

But Xie Yun Chu went into the room and lay on the bed, and she couldn't fall asleep anymore.

Every time I close my eyes, I see Pei Changyu. Luckily, the light is dim so I can't see him, otherwise he would be even more impossible to get rid of.

She let out a soft sigh, closed her eyes, murmured "Amitabha," and began to recite the sutra in her mind.

I carried it for a full hour, until it was already dawn outside, before I finally felt sleepy.

When she woke up again, it was already bright outside. A maid she didn't recognize was standing beside her. "Miss is awake?"

"Young master sent me to serve you. Is Miss ready to get up?"

The maid was about to step forward to help her get dressed, but she shook her head, "No need, I can do it myself."

She dressed and tied her hair up simply before the lunch was brought in from outside.

"Young Master is busy with matters in the west of the city today. He told me before he left that he would come back to keep you company later."

"It's alright, thank you."

Lunch was quite plentiful, but Xie Yun Chu only ate a few vegetarian dishes and left the rest untouched.

The maid was puzzled and worried that she hadn't taken good care of her, so she came forward to serve her some food. "These are all fish produced locally in Changning. They taste delicious. Please try them, Miss."

She shook her head. "No, I am a nun and do not eat meat."

The maid was taken aback. A... a person who has become a nun?

Is this young lady a nun?!

Her young master brought home a nun?

The maid's chopsticks froze in mid-air. She blinked, then blinked again, and after a long pause, finally managed to stammer, "Miss... is she a nun?"

"Hmm." Xie Yun Chu took a sip of porridge. "I've prayed to Buddha."

The ceremony just wasn't finished.

The maid's expression was quite interesting. She put away her chopsticks, removed the meat dishes, and soon brought out several new vegetarian dishes, which were placed to the side.

After finishing her meal and taking a walk in the courtyard, she returned to her room and looked at the maid, saying, "Please prepare some writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone for me."

With no scriptures at hand, she bent over the table and copied them from memory. After copying down a few pages, she was calm, detached from worldly affairs.

As dusk fell, the courtyard gate opened, and Meng Qi'an returned.

He had changed his clothes and tied his hair back up; the weariness from his travels was evident in his brows.

"Young Master Meng is back? How are the people in the west of the city?"

"The landslide buried more than a dozen houses, but fortunately most of the residents had been evacuated in advance and no one was injured."

"That's good. You've worked hard, young master."

Upon seeing him in his official robes yesterday, Xie Yun Chu had a guess that the newly appointed top scholar that the people were talking about must be him.

"Congratulations to Young Master Meng on topping the list of successful candidates have not yet been given."

Meng Qi'an returned the greeting with a cupped hand, "I must thank you, young lady. I wear the amulet you gave me and it makes me feel much more at ease. It also helps me concentrate on my reading."

Xie Yun Chu certainly didn't really believe those words, but they were just humble remarks.

The two chatted for a few moments before a maid came in and said, "Young master, dinner is ready."

"Okay, let's set the table."

Dinner was set out in her room, and Meng Qi'an didn't plan to leave.

Because she didn't eat meat at noon, the amount of meat in her dinner was significantly reduced.

She didn't eat, and Meng Qi'an didn't ask any questions. The two ate their meal quietly.

At this moment, the servant hurried in and stood at the door looking inside. When he met the young master's gaze, he didn't dare to make a sound.

Only after the meal was finished did Meng Qi'an step out of the door. "What is it?"

"Minister Pei has arrived."

Meng Qi'an turned around and glanced at the people inside the room. Without making a sound, he said in a low voice, "Tell him to wait a moment. I'll be right there."

The servant acknowledged and withdrew.

When Xie Yunchu saw him return, she smiled and said, "Young Master Meng, if you have something to attend to, please go ahead and do your thing. There's no need to worry about me."

"Yes, someone is coming. I'll go see them. If you're tired, you can rest. Don't be shy."

*

Meng Qi'an entered the front hall, where Pei Changyu sat in a chair, his tea untouched.

He had just returned from the west of the city, and before he could change his clothes, his shoulders were still covered in dust. He leaned back in his chair, looking languid.

"Minister Pei," Meng Qi'an said politely, "I just finished dealing with matters in the west of the city. What brings you here?"

Pei Changyu smiled faintly, looking gentle and refined. "I haven't slept all night and am indeed a bit tired, but no matter how tired I am, I still have to take my cousin back. It would be really inappropriate to have Meng Hanlin take care of her."

"My cousin is young and likes to run around. I sent people to look for her for a whole day, but I never expected her to come here. Meng Hanlin is working hard on disaster relief and he also has to help me take care of my cousin. He is truly a great help."

Meng Qi'an met his gaze and smiled, "I have known Miss Xie for a long time, so it is only natural for her to live here. There is no need for Vice Minister Pei to trouble himself."

As soon as Meng Qi'an finished speaking, the atmosphere in the hall froze for a moment.

Pei Changyu sat there, tapping his fingertips on the table absentmindedly, then looked up and smiled.

That smile seemed gentle, but there was a thin layer of ice in its eyes.

"Your Majesty is right. Meng Hanlin is new to the court, but he is indeed quite bold."

"Vice Minister Pei flatters me. I do indeed have courage; otherwise, why would I have volunteered to come to Changning for disaster relief?"

Upon hearing this, Pei Changyu's smile vanished, and his eyes lost their gentleness, becoming sinister and cold.

It turned out to be the case.

From the very beginning, I came here specifically for Xie Yun Chu.