“What good would hearing about it do? Besides adding to your troubles, it just adds to your troubles.”

Li Buyan sneered. “My mother said: things can be exchanged for things, but hearts don’t necessarily exchange for hearts. Don’t be too thorough about everything—being a bit muddle-headed brings more happiness. Especially when it comes to men, they’re not worth it.”

This time, it was Zhu Weixi’s turn to be shocked speechless.

Regarding Li Buyan, she only knew this girl was forthright and uncompromising, not at all like a servant, but she never imagined…

“What do you mean ‘not worth it’?”

Young Master Pei’s dantian was about to explode with anger. “What’s not worthy about us men?”

“Young Master Pei.”

Li Buyan said coldly, “Do you know how my mother categorized men?”

Pei Xiao asked, “How many categories?”

“One type can earn money to support the family and is good in bed. The second type can earn money to support the family. The third type is good in bed. The rest are all eunuchs.”

Zhu Weixi: “…”

Young Master Pei: “…” So which type was he?

“That’s a bit extreme, but not without reason.”

Yan Sanhe paused, then continued, “In the end, what matters most is the present.”

Zhu Weixi slowly exhaled, silent for a while. “Miss Yan is quite right.”

Seeing the clarity return to her eyes, Yan Sanhe knew she had taken the words to heart. “Besides this, is there anything else you want to say about Old Master Zhu?”

Zhu Weixi shook her head.

“After marrying, I didn’t return to my parents’ home often—at most once a month. Father really liked the master, always pulling him into the study to chat for ages. I ended up taking a back seat instead.”

Once a woman married, she became part of another family. She had to put away her troubles and hide her tears.

It wasn’t that she had no troubles or tears, but she didn’t want to tell Father or cry in front of him, fearing he would worry.

Over time, the father-daughter bond moved from the surface to somewhere deeper.

Seeing she had nothing more to say, Yan Sanhe asked again, “Before Old Master Zhu died, did he say anything to you?”

Zhu Weixi replied, “Half a year before Father passed away, he called the master and me to his side alone and instructed us about several matters.”

Yan Sanhe prompted, “Tell me specifically.”

“The first matter concerned the master.”

Zhu Weixi explained, “He said that in a few years, the master would face a tribulation. This tribulation was somewhat strange—he couldn’t calculate its size, direction, or cause, but it would definitely come. He told the master to be extremely, extremely careful.”

Yan Sanhe asked, “The second matter?”

“The second was about Huaizhou.”

Zhu Weixi continued, “He said this child had the Literary Star’s protection in his destiny, but his primary position was slightly weak.”

Young Master Pei asked, “What’s ‘primary position’?”

Zhu Weixi explained, “Natural talent.”

Young Master Pei let out a long “Ohhh.”

Zhu Weixi went on, “He said Huaizhou would need to work twice as hard to achieve success in the imperial examinations. And after age twenty, he would have the Fortune God’s favor, so we needn’t worry too much.”

Young Master Pei asked, “What’s Fortune God’s favor?”

Zhu Weixi answered, “Assistance from elders or one’s wife.”

Young Master Pei grinned, thinking: That little brat has pretty good fortune.

“The last matter concerned me.”

Zhu Weixi’s eyes dimmed slightly. “He didn’t say what would happen to me, only that I should follow the master faithfully in married life and show filial piety to my parents-in-law.”

These words were all those of a dying person arranging his affairs—nothing seemed unusual about them.

Yan Sanhe was about to ask “Did you feel your father was acting strangely in any way?” when Zhu Weixi suddenly said “Oh.”

“Miss Yan, there is one thing I found very strange.”

Yan Sanhe’s eyes lit up immediately. “What thing?”

“Three months before Father passed away, when the master couldn’t come because of work at the yamen, I returned to my parents’ home alone.”

Zhu Weixi continued, “He said the osmanthus flowers at Jietai Temple were blooming and asked me to go look at them for him.”

Yan Sanhe asked back, “Why did you find this strange?”

Zhu Weixi explained, “Mother often went to Jietai Temple, and it was also where my parents pledged their love. Why wouldn’t he ask Mother to go, but specifically asked me? I don’t understand the reasoning.”

Yan Sanhe pressed, “Did the madam know about this?”

Zhu Weixi replied, “I told Mother. Her tears fell immediately, saying Father was thinking of the past again, and that when a person starts dwelling on the past, it proves they won’t live much longer.”

Yan Sanhe asked, “Did you go?”

Zhu Weixi nodded, “I went.”

Yan Sanhe continued, “What did you see?”

Zhu Weixi answered, “Vast expanses of osmanthus flowers—you could smell the fragrance from far away. I even broke off a branch to bring to Father. Father smiled and had me put it in a vase.”

Yan Sanhe glanced at Li Buyan. “We should make time to visit Jietai Temple.”

Half a year before his death, Zhu Xuanjiu had begun methodically arranging his affairs. He wouldn’t have casually sent his daughter to Jietai Temple to view osmanthus flowers.

Besides pledging his love with Madam Mao and praying for his birth mother, what special significance did Jietai Temple hold for Zhu Xuanjiu?

Or perhaps…

Was it the osmanthus flowers that held special meaning?

Li Buyan looked at Yan Sanhe’s pale complexion. “Let Third Master make the trip—he’s idle anyway.”

Yan Sanhe shook her head. “I must go myself.”

“Fine, fine, fine—go yourself.”

Li Buyan’s tone suddenly became impatient.

Zhu Weixi quickly said, “If Miss Li has other matters, I can accompany Miss Yan.”

Li Buyan snorted and forced out each word viciously: “With things or without, I’m staying. Even if I die, I’m staying.”

If you’re staying, then stay—why say it so forcefully?

Young Master Pei squeezed his eyes at Yan Sanhe: I’ve assessed this girl’s expression—she definitely ate gunpowder today.

Yan Sanhe suddenly stood up, walked to Li Buyan’s side, and under the astonished gazes of Young Master Pei and Zhu Weixi, knelt down and pressed her head against Li Buyan’s leg, gently nuzzling twice.

What was this gesture like?

Like a dog or cat acting cute with its master.

Li Buyan grabbed her and pulled her up, lifting her head to look at her deeply. After a long moment, she let her head droop powerlessly.

“I must have owed you in a past life.”

Yan Sanhe nodded earnestly. “Looking at it, I owed you quite a lot.”

“…”

Li Buyan burst out laughing, finally showing a long-absent smile.

Yan Sanhe squeezed her arm and walked to Zhu Weixi’s side. “You must accompany us.”

“Yes, yes.”

Zhu Weixi answered somewhat distractedly.

That scene just now gave her a strong feeling—these two weren’t in a master-servant relationship. They were sisters, close friends, the kind who depended on each other through life and death.

Yan Sanhe asked, “Is there anything else you want to say?”

Zhu Weixi quickly gathered her thoughts, thought again and again, but ultimately shook her head.

“Since there isn’t, then we’re finished.”

Yan Sanhe paused. “I’ll see you out of the residence.”

She would personally see her out?

Panic filled Zhu Weixi’s eyes. “Miss Yan, will I really…”

“You might, or you might not. There’s no turning back now.”

That’s right—no turning back.

Zhu Weixi stood up in a daze. Just as she was about to step forward, she suddenly pulled her foot back and began breathing heavily.

After her chest rose and fell several times, it suddenly stilled. The panic in Zhu Weixi’s eyes transformed into determination.

“I will definitely survive to the end. I won’t die. No heart demon can make me die. I will definitely live to a hundred.”

With that, she raised her chin at Yan Sanhe.

“No need to see me out—I’ll go myself.”