No one spoke.

Beneath the peach blossom grove, upon the rooftop, the strikingly beautiful man was steeped in an air of worldly romance, lowering his gaze to look at Jiang Li.

His smile also carried a hint of wickedness, yet it was impossible to discern whether he was friend or foe, both righteous and evil at once.

It was the perpetually dazed Tong’er who couldn’t help but ask doubtfully at this moment: “…Flower immortal?”

This person was so handsome he seemed like a demon or an immortal. His bearing and elegance were too dazzling, truly making one feel as if in a trance.

Before Jiang Li could speak, she suddenly heard noisy voices coming from outside. Her heart tensed. When she looked up at the rooftop again, she saw that the beautiful young man had already vanished, leaving only the slightly swaying branches of the peach blossom tree, as if she had dreamt a long spring boudoir dream.

Tong’er was equally surprised. She rubbed her eyes and said: “This servant isn’t dreaming, is she?”

Jiang Li said: “It’s not a dream, but right now…” She listened to the voices drawing nearer and nearer. The corners of her mouth curved up. Setting aside her earlier doubts, she said: “Let’s go kneel in the Buddha hall.”

Tong’er had been surprised and puzzled by many things now, so she didn’t ask more questions. She simply went with Jiang Li to kneel before the clay Bodhisattva in the Buddha hall. The plate of offering fruits was also put back. The two had just finished kneeling when they heard lively voices from outside. Someone was forcefully pounding on the nunnery’s main gate.

The knocking startled the nuns in the nunnery. Someone went to open the door, and the lanterns in the nunnery lit up one after another. The voices outside grew louder and louder. Jiang Li kept her composure and knelt with Tong’er.

Suddenly, someone rushed into the Buddha hall. Leading them was an old maidservant carrying a lantern. She seemed not to have expected there would be two people kneeling in the Buddha hall. After all, it was so late. She called back over her shoulder: “Madam, there are still two nuns here.”

A procession of people then came forward one after another from behind this person. There were madams and young misses, as well as men, all dressed in wealthy and expensive clothing. The “Madam” the old maidservant referred to was a gentle woman with fair skin and a graceful figure. When she came forward and saw Jiang Li, she was first taken aback, then shook her head at the old maidservant: “She’s not a nun. She still has her hair. The one beside her is probably her maid.”

Jiang Li looked at the group who had barged in with surprise. Her long hair was jet black, making her small face appear even paler. Her thin body was wrapped in the gray robe, and between her brows was a peaceful and calm expression. Though her complexion was weak, kneeling before the Bodhisattva she appeared all the more pure and unworldly, looking extremely gentle and meek, easily arousing others’ goodwill.

Perhaps pitying her young age, that madam even softened her voice when speaking to her, asking gently: “Little girl, it’s so late. Why are you here?”

Jiang Li said: “I made a mistake. Master instructed me to kneel here to calm my mind.”

All the men and women who had come were extremely astonished. Someone said indignantly: “It’s so late. What kind of mistake could require making a young girl kneel in the Buddha hall? What if it harms her health? Aren’t Buddhist practitioners supposed to be compassionate? How can they be so vicious!”

Tong’er’s eyes rolled. Having become clever now, she immediately put on a pitiful expression and said: “It was this servant. When this servant was bringing vegetarian dishes to Miss yesterday, I accidentally broke a plate. Master Jing’an said to have Miss and this servant kneel in this Buddha hall.” She wiped away tears again. “This servant is nothing, but our Miss, our Miss hasn’t eaten all day.”

As soon as these words were spoken, these people immediately showed expressions of anger and questioning. Since they had come to the temple to worship Buddha, these people were naturally all “kind-hearted people.” Seeing a young girl being oppressed, they naturally had to express their anger.

Someone was heard saying: “No wonder, no wonder they would do such ugly things. They’re clearly wicked nuns with malicious hearts.”

“Indeed.”

Jiang Li looked around and, not seeing the nuns from the nunnery, asked curiously: “May I ask, where have the young masters from the nunnery gone?”

After saying this, the group of men and women before her all showed varying expressions, as if finding it difficult to speak.

The gentle woman who had first spoken to Jiang Li looked at Jiang Li tentatively and asked: “This young lady doesn’t seem to be from the nunnery.”

“My Miss is Second Miss Jiang from the Jiang family of Yanjing,” Tong’er answered crisply.

“Jiang family?” Another younger miss heard this and her gaze shifted. She asked: “Could it be the Jiang family of Chief Minister Jiang Yuanbai?”

“Precisely!” Tong’er answered with certainty.

“How is this possible?” That young miss appeared even younger than Jiang Li. She said hesitantly: “I only know that the Jiang family has a Third Miss, Jiang Youyao. I didn’t know there was a Second Miss.”

Once the four words “Second Miss Jiang” were spoken, the young misses showed no reaction, but the madams each had their own thoughts. Eight years ago, everyone in Yanjing knew about Second Miss Jiang pushing down Master Jiang’s second wife, causing her miscarriage. However, too much time had passed. After that, it was heard that Second Miss Jiang had been sent to the family temple to learn proper behavior. For many years she had never returned to the capital. Having never seen her, naturally they couldn’t remember.

They hadn’t expected to encounter her here.

Yet the Second Miss Jiang, Jiang Li, before their eyes didn’t seem at all like the vicious person from the rumors who had tried to murder her younger brother and legitimate mother. Kneeling in the Buddha hall, looking so frail and docile—could she harm her legitimate mother? Even if said out loud, no one would believe it!

People always prefer to believe what they see with their own eyes.

Jiang Li stared at the madam who had first spoken to her. After hesitating, she said: “Madam… are you Madam Liu from the residence of Chengde Lang, Minister Liu?”

That madam was taken aback and asked: “Do you know me, young lady?”

Jiang Li lowered her head, as if bashful, and smiled slightly: “Many years ago at the Peony Flower Festival, Madam came to our residence to admire the peonies. This young woman still remembers.”

Hearing this, Madam Liu pondered briefly, then said: “That’s right.” She looked at Jiang Li with even more gentle eyes. “It’s touching that you still remember.”

Madam Liu, wife of Chengde Lang Liu Yuanfeng, had once been very close to Jiang Li’s birth mother, Ye Zhenzhen. When Ye Zhenzhen had first married into Yanjing, she had much contact with this Madam Liu. Later, after Ye Zhenzhen passed away leaving behind Jiang Li, Madam Liu, thinking of her good friend, would still often go to see Jiang Li.

However, after Ji Shuran later entered the household, it became awkward for Madam Liu to visit Jiang Li anymore. Gradually the relationship faded. The Peony Flower Festival Jiang Li mentioned should have been the last time Madam Liu saw Jiang Li. Now that Jiang Li brought it up, the image of her departed good friend Ye Zhenzhen immediately floated before Madam Liu’s eyes.

Madam Liu carefully examined Jiang Li before her. Whether because she felt somewhat guilty toward that good friend, Madam Liu found the girl before her increasingly endearing and gentle. She said: “Did Master Jiang send you here?”

Jiang Li nodded slightly.

“You are the legitimate young miss of the Yanjing Jiang family, Master Jiang’s own daughter. How can you live in such a place? Early summer is damp and cold. Kneeling all night like this—what will happen if you fall ill? Clearly someone is deliberately making things difficult. Second Miss Jiang, come back to Yanjing with me tomorrow,” Madam Liu suddenly said.

Tong’er, kneeling on the ground, brightened. Madam Liu’s words meant she intended to stand up for Jiang Li. Jiang Li had been thrown into Mount Qingcheng for so many years, forgotten with no one caring. Now Madam Liu was after all an official’s wife. If Madam Liu spoke up, even if nothing came of it now, when she returned to Yanjing and mentioned it a few times among the various madams, it would inevitably reach Jiang Yuanbai’s ears. Jiang Yuanbai would naturally remember this daughter who had been thrown into the nunnery.

However, after Madam Liu finished speaking, she didn’t hear the answer she wanted. The girl before her, upon hearing this, raised her head and looked at her with surprise in her eyes. A flash of joy seemed to pass through, but immediately became hesitant. Then she firmly shook her head and said: “Thank you for your kind intentions, Madam, but I’m afraid that won’t be possible.”

My son came out, made a brief appearance, then ran off ╮（╯▽╰）╭