At this moment, Huiru’s face showed the unwillingness and resentment that only worldly people possess.

“At the time, Lan Chuan was only four years old, chubby and tender, very likable. And a four-year-old child is easier to bond with. But as soon as Mingyue walked out, the couple immediately changed their minds and took Mingyue away.”

“This is what you called a meeting of eyes!”

“No.”

Huiru bit her teeth. “Besides that meeting of eyes, behind Mingyue stood Jingchen.”

She remembered it especially clearly.

That day, Jingchen wore a newly made nun’s robe, standing in the sunlight with hands hanging down, a slight smile at the corners of her mouth, her lustrous skin seemingly covered in a layer of light.

When Madam Tang’s gaze came over, she gave a slight nod. With lowered brows and modest eyes, she appeared both dignified and elegant.

Madam Tang was immediately drawn to her, then her gaze moved down to see Mingyue standing before Jingchen. Madam Tang’s eyes suddenly brightened.

She reached out and tugged at Old Master Tang’s sleeve…

Mingyue’s fate changed in that instant.

Afterward, Madam Tang walked over to her, looking regretful. “I apologize, Abbess Huiru. We’ve taken a liking to that child Mingyue. That child looks pleasing.”

“Madam Tang’s words were truly beautifully said!”

Huiru looked up and sighed. “Actually, to put it plainly, the child was pleasing because Jingchen was pleasing. Lan Chuan wasn’t pleasing because I, Huiru, am not pleasing.”

Yan Sanhe looked at her in disbelief.

“At that moment, I realized a truth: in my entire life, I could never compare to her. Not only could I not compare, my disciple couldn’t compare to her disciple either.”

“Precisely because you couldn’t compare to her while she lived, you had to tamper with things after her death?”

Huiru bit down hard on her tongue, forcing herself to remain calm as she continued.

“She entrusted me with two matters. The first was that she didn’t want to wear the nun’s robe. I asked why, and she said eighteen years of temple lamps and ancient Buddhas were enough.”

Enough?

These two words revealed quite a bit of information.

“The second matter was not to keep her body—just burn it and be done with it.”

Cremation?

Yan Sanhe’s heart shook greatly as she blurted out, “Why?”

Huiru said, “She said her soul had scattered, so what use was keeping the body? Better to burn it.”

“So…”

Yan Sanhe almost couldn’t believe her ears. “She told you her final wishes to your face, you agreed to everything, yet you didn’t carry out a single one?”

Huiru nodded. “Yes!”

Yan Sanhe pressed, “Just because she was smarter than you, had more perception than you, the old abbess liked her, and her Mingyue had a better future than your Lan Chuan?”

Huiru confirmed, “Yes!”

Yan Sanhe couldn’t hold back any longer. “Huiru, where are you still a nun with purified roots? You’re simply a petty person from the mundane world who can’t stand to see others do well.”

“Yes, yes, yes…”

Huiru’s body bent down as she slowly buried her face in her palms. Tears flowed through the gaps between her fingers, flowing continuously.

Were there regrets in those tears? There probably were.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t be willing to risk her own life for Jingchen’s inner demon.

But regret was a word Yan Sanhe liked least.

It was already too late!

Yan Sanhe said coldly, “Huiru, I want to go see Jingchen’s room now. Is it still there?”

Huiru struggled to straighten up, wiping her tears with her sleeve. “It’s still there. I’ll have Lan Chuan take you. Please wait a moment while I wash my face.”

The freshly washed Huiru showed no trace of having just cried, but she looked deathly pale, without a spark of life in her eyes.

Moments later, Lan Chuan entered the room. Seeing Huiru’s poor complexion, she quickly asked, “Abbess, are you unwell somewhere?”

“No.”

Huiru forced out a smile. “Take Miss Yan to see Jingchen’s room.”

Lan Chuan didn’t turn to leave immediately. Instead, she poured out the cold tea before Huiru and made fresh hot tea.

“Abbess, be careful not to burn your mouth. Drink it in a while.”

“Good child, go on!”

Lan Chuan looked up and smiled at Yan Sanhe. “Honored guest, please follow me.”

“Wait for me outside. I have one more thing to say to the abbess.”

“All right!”

After Lan Chuan left, Huiru looked up at Yan Sanhe’s dark eyes, her palms inexplicably breaking out in cold sweat.

“You said you couldn’t compare to Jingchen in anything, so you were jealous of her. But in my view, there’s one thing Jingchen absolutely couldn’t compare to you in.”

Yan Sanhe said word by word, “Jingchen definitely never heard Mingyue say to her, ‘Master, be careful not to burn your mouth. Drink it in a while.'”

Like a gleaming dagger thrust straight into Huiru’s heart, it hurt so much her whole body trembled.

“People should look more at what they have, less at what they lack. Those who can see this point need no cultivation—they’ve already entered the Buddha path.”

With that, Yan Sanhe withdrew her gaze from Huiru’s face and turned to leave.

At this moment, she finally understood why Huiru, only forty-five or forty-six years old, had a face already so weathered—aged by more than ten years.

Because of jealousy.

Because the face reflects the heart.

Because fate never forgives anyone, never favors anyone—it only punishes!

…

“Honored guest, watch your step.”

“Just call me Miss Yan.”

“What did you say to our abbess just now? I noticed her complexion didn’t look good.”

“Nothing much. She was just remembering some things from when Jingchen was alive. No need to worry.”

Yan Sanhe rubbed Lan Chuan’s head. “Were you close with Jingchen?”

Lan Chuan said with a smile, “Very close! I called her Martial Aunt. She was a very good person and taught Buddhist scriptures well. We all liked her.”

“Compared to the abbess?”

Yan Sanhe’s expression unconsciously softened. “Which one do you like more?”

Lan Chuan answered without hesitation, “Still the abbess.”

“Why?”

“The abbess raised me. When I was sick, both the abbess and Martial Aunt would worry, but not as urgently as the abbess.”

Lan Chuan bit her lip. “Our abbess is also a very good person, Miss Yan. You’ll know once you spend more time with her.”

“Good child.”

Seeing Lan Chuan’s simple and pure heart, Yan Sanhe felt several parts pity and wanted to rub her head again.

Suddenly, she felt uncomfortable.

This gesture was one Xie the Dandy liked to do to her. Could it be that when he rubbed her head, his heart was also filled with pity?

“Miss Yan, Miss Yan.”

“Ah!”

Yan Sanhe quickly returned to her senses. “We’re here?”

“Yes, Martial Aunt lived here.”

Lan Chuan walked inside while chattering, “Before Martial Aunt passed away, she burned many of her belongings.”

Yan Sanhe stopped in her tracks. “What did you say? She burned everything?”

Lan Chuan pouted. “Actually, there wasn’t much—just some copied Buddhist scriptures and letters.”

“She had no family—who was she writing letters to?”

“Mingyue!”

Lan Chuan said, “Sometimes Mingyue would write letters, and her parents would too. Mingyue has such good fortune—we all envy her.”

Yan Sanhe no longer had the heart to listen to Lan Chuan’s words. She strode quickly into the room.

With a sweeping glance, her heart sank heavily.