Why did she remember it so clearly?

Because after donating the incense money, this person would always ask to have Jingchen explain Buddhist sutras to him.

And every year around the Ghost Festival, it was the busiest time at Water Moon Nunnery. Jingchen wasn’t necessarily available, but this person was set on her—he would rather sit and wait than accept someone else.

That man was tall and imposing, with an outstanding bearing. At a glance, one could tell he was from a prominent family. She had glanced at him from afar and even had rather improper thoughts—

Could this person be coming for Jingchen’s face?

Xie Zhifei listened and was stunned for a long while.

“What was Mingyue doing when Jingchen was explaining Buddhist teachings?”

“Mingyue was very attached to Jingchen. Wherever Jingchen went, she went. Naturally, she would be nearby.”

I see!

Xie Zhifei’s face remained completely calm without the slightest ripple. As one mystery after another was solved, his heart had become numb.

“I’ve looked through all the ledgers. There are no problems.”

He stood up from the floor and assumed the bearing of an official, “Put the ledgers away.”

Huiru was still worried, “Lord Xie, really everything…”

“Everything is finished.”

Xie Zhifei took out that small ledger from his robe, “I’m also returning this to you. Put it away!”

Seeing even the small ledger returned, Huiru finally let out a long breath of relief.

“As someone who has made it to the position of abbess, you’re clearly an intelligent person. You should have some sense about what things can be said and what things cannot be said.”

Huiru’s hand moving her prayer beads suddenly froze.

Xie Zhifei suddenly changed the subject, “In half an hour, I’m taking Lanchuan with me. Following Yan Sanhe, she won’t go wrong.”

The room became completely silent for a moment.

With difficulty, Huiru squeezed out a word from her throat: “Alright!”

Xie Zhifei looked coldly at her face, “I’m going to Jingchen’s grave to have a look. I’ll wait for her at the nunnery gate in half an hour.”

The door opened and closed again.

Old nun Huiru stood alone in a daze for a long while. Suddenly she bent down to pick up several ledgers, along with that small ledger, and threw them all into the trunk.

She hurriedly locked it and hurriedly left that meditation room.

After walking more than ten zhang, she suddenly looked back, her eyes filled with fear.

She had a premonition in her heart that the trunk, those ledgers, along with Jingchen and Mingyue—all were secrets she could never touch from now on.

Take them all into the coffin!

If only for Lanchuan’s sake!

…

Tang Zhiwei’s grave mound had been completely closed up. There was no memorial stone erected, just a small earthen mound.

Coming to her grave again, his feelings were completely different from the first time.

The first time, for Xie Zhifei, Tang Zhiwei was just a stranger whose coffin lid wouldn’t close. He felt nothing at all.

But this time…

Xie Zhifei swept aside his robe and knelt on the ground, seriously kowtowing three times.

“Thank you.”

He said softly.

“Did you also discover Mingyue’s secret, which is why you sewed that handkerchief inside? Why you instructed her not to casually tell others her birth date?”

On the night of July fourteenth in Yonghe year one, the Zheng family’s dragon-phoenix twins were born crying. The older brother was born first, named Zheng Huaizuo.

The younger sister was born second. By rights, her name should have been Zheng Zhuxi.

Because the Zheng family’s ancestral home was in Yangzhou—famous capital of Huai’s left bank, finest place at Bamboo West.

Huaizuo paired with Zhuxi—these were the names the twins should originally have had.

For unknown reasons, on July sixteenth, the real Zheng Zhuxi was abandoned at the gates of Water Moon Nunnery. Jingchen found her, and so she became Tang Mingyue.

While another infant girl from who knows where, having just been born, transformed herself and openly became the Zheng family’s young miss, given the name Zheng Huaiyou.

Huaizuo, Huaiyou.

Left and right.

What perfectly matched twin names. No one would suspect.

So from Yonghe year two onward, every year on July fourteenth, Father would go to Water Moon Nunnery, using the identity of a pilgrim to catch a glimpse of his biological daughter.

This continued until Yonghe year eight when the Zheng family was massacred—a full seven years.

Because of this reason, Zheng Huaizuo and Zheng Huaiyou looked completely different, had completely different temperaments, and were unlike ordinary twins.

Because they needed to conceal these differences in appearance, the siblings’ childhood could only be confined to Haitang Courtyard.

Mother had no maternal feelings toward Huaiyou, only coldness and even resentment, because her real daughter was serving as a young nun at Water Moon Nunnery, destined for a lifetime before the blue lamp and ancient Buddha.

And the secret of all this—

If not for him accidentally transmigrating into Third Master Xie’s body;

If not for Tang Zhiwei’s coffin refusing to close;

If not for Tang Mingyue’s appearance;

It should have been buried in the grave along with each person who died.

Who could have imagined?

Who would dare imagine?

“What should I do, Tang Zhiwei?”

No one answered him.

Tang Zhiwei’s grave stood there like a pair of the most heartless yet most compassionate eyes, quietly watching the bewildered and helpless man before her.

…

In the side courtyard.

Yan Sanhe held a book in her hand.

Li Buyan sat on the window ledge, polishing her precious soft sword over and over, occasionally glancing at Yan Sanhe.

Half a day without turning a page—this girl’s mind must be on the Zheng family case again.

“Miss, Miss, Third Master is here.”

Xie Zhifei?

Yan Sanhe closed her book with a “snap” and practically ran out.

Five days—this person had disappeared for a full five days.

Going out on official business was fine, five days was also fine. The problem was he couldn’t just leave without even a word of notice.

He had clearly said two days later he would give her the Zheng family case files, but he treated his own words as if they were farts!

Yan Sanhe stormed out furiously, thinking that when she saw him, no matter what, she would demand an answer—

Did he still want to investigate the Zheng family case or not?

The moment she saw Xie Zhifei, Yan Sanhe deflated.

The man before her had disheveled hair, an unkempt beard, and looked even worse than when he had returned from Xining Prefecture.

Had he gone to handle a case in some deep mountain wilderness?

“Starting today, Lanchuan will be following you.”

Xie Zhifei gently pushed Lanchuan forward, “Remember to come back tonight for the reunion dinner, and meet Tang Mingyue while you’re at it.”

“Xie Zhifei…”

“I still have things to do. We’ll talk later.”

Xie Zhifei casually tossed out a sentence and turned to leave.

Yan Sanhe had been waiting five days and had to at least hear something definite from his mouth. She chased after him and asked in a low voice: “When exactly will you give me the Zheng family case files?”

Xie Zhifei’s footsteps paused as he looked down at her.

True beauty lies in the bones, not the skin.

This face was rather stunning at first glance, but upon closer examination, had even more flavor to it.

If one had to use a phrase to describe this flavor, it would be “one of a kind.”

Yan Sanhe, who exactly are you?

Why did you come to the Zheng family?

Why would my father, for your sake, not hesitate to abandon his biological daughter at a nunnery?

What kind of secret are you hiding?

Yan Sanhe was startled by Xie Zhifei’s gaze. That look was too sharp, as if concealing a keen blade.

“Why so anxious? You can’t escape this case, Yan Sanhe.”

His voice wasn’t loud, his pace was the same as usual, but upon close examination, there was a hint of ruthlessness in it.

Yan Sanhe’s brow furrowed sharply.

What was wrong with this person?