What left people dumbfounded was that Tang Wei actually chased after in the direction the several people had disappeared.

Lin Chan remained silent for quite a while, then grasped Lin Hao’s hand and seriously instructed: “Second Sister, you should stay far away from Second Miss Tang in the future. Even if you can’t avoid hearing her say something unpleasant, don’t argue with her.”

To actually chase after several men to reason with them out of anger—this was too frightening.

“Elder Sister, don’t worry. In the future I won’t say her mouth is crooked.” Lin Hao said with a smile.

Lin Chan shook her head helplessly: “Second Sister—”

In the end, she couldn’t bear to say more to her younger sister.

All of them were raised with care and affection—who should naturally have to suffer idle annoyances?

Yang Zhe’s group successfully escaped and sat down in a pavilion.

“I’ve truly never seen such a difficult young lady.” One person raised his sleeve to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

Han Baocheng smiled bitterly: “This Second Miss Tang’s difficulty goes beyond just this.”

Because the two households had some dealings, he had known Tang Wei since childhood and got a headache whenever he saw her.

“Brother Yang, you’re really bold. Be careful that girl won’t let it go in the future.” Han Baocheng patted Yang Zhe’s shoulder.

Yang Zhe smiled: “We’ll deal with future matters in the future.”

Han Baocheng looked at the others without good humor: “And you all, one by one saying you didn’t hear and didn’t laugh, pushing me out alone.”

One person laughed: “Brother Yang and Brother Wen both said so, so I just went along. We couldn’t very well say we heard it and let Second Miss Tang cause trouble for those two young ladies, could we?”

“Exactly. Those two young ladies looked gentle and refined at a glance—how could they provoke Second Miss Tang?” Another person said with lingering fear.

Han Baocheng laughed: “If you say that young lady in purple clothes is gentle and refined, I believe it. But that young lady in the green skirt—which gentle and refined young lady from a good family would say to someone’s face that their mouth is crooked?”

Hearing Han Baocheng bring this up, the several people had strange expressions and wanted to laugh again.

That green-skirted young lady not only said someone’s mouth was crooked, she said it extremely seriously.

“I don’t know why, but even though it was somewhat excessive, I don’t feel that young lady was mean-spirited.”

Han Baocheng shook his gold-traced folding fan: “Probably because… she spoke the truth?”

Every time he saw Tang Wei, he saw her mouth pulled to one side—it might really be a bit crooked.

“Actually—” Wen Feng, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke, drawing everyone’s attention to him.

“Actually what? Brother Wen, why did you start and then stop talking?” Among the group, Han Baocheng and Wen Feng had the best relationship, so naturally he spoke casually.

Wen Feng hesitated, then still said: “Those two young ladies are my cousins.”

Originally he didn’t want to reveal his two cousins’ identities, but several chance encounters made him realize the circle was just this small—his friends would find out sooner or later.

By saying it now, he could also save his friends from joking around without knowing.

“Your cousins? They’re surnamed Wen?”

Wen Feng smiled bitterly: “Now they’re surnamed Lin.”

The group had a sudden realization: “So they’re Vice Minister Wen’s daughters.”

Knowing of Wen Feng’s relationship with the Lin Hao sisters, the group couldn’t very well continue discussing the two young ladies, so they changed the topic.

When Lin Hao and Lin Chan were heading toward the guest rooms, they discovered quite a few people standing outside the treasure hall, and those incense-offering pilgrims who wanted to enter were being directed elsewhere by monks.

Lin Hao curiously looked over a few times and saw the young novice monk among the crowd.

The young novice monk had a deep impression of the female benefactor who had given him osmanthus cakes and came running over.

“Female benefactor, did you go stroll in the maple forest?”

“We did. It was very beautiful there.” Lin Hao answered with a smile. Her gaze swept over the treasure hall entrance as she casually asked: “Young Master, why are the incense-offering people being blocked outside?”

The young novice monk glanced in that direction and said in a small voice: “I heard from senior brother that a prince has come. It would be best if the female benefactor didn’t go over to disturb him.”

“Thank you for the reminder, Young Master.”

The young novice monk waved his hand and ran back.

When they reached the turning point, Lin Hao looked back.

Only a few monks remained before the treasure hall. A man round as a ball was being surrounded by people as he walked out.

To say he was round as a ball was no exaggeration but an accurate description.

Lin Hao knew the “prince” the young novice monk spoke of was Prince Wei.

Prince Wei had been chubby since childhood, and the older he grew the fatter he became. Naturally he couldn’t compare with the handsome Crown Prince, but as one of Emperor Tai’an’s only two sons, the officials and nobles dared not slight him.

“Second Sister, what are you looking at?” Seeing Lin Hao pause, Lin Chan gently tugged at her.

Lin Hao came back to herself with a smile: “I was somewhat curious what the prince the young novice monk mentioned looked like.”

Three years later in her previous life when she returned to the capital, she had once happened to see Prince Wei. This prince who had been fat since childhood had actually slimmed down. To say he was like jade trees in the wind would be somewhat exaggerated, but he could be called handsome.

She found it difficult to connect the ball before her eyes with Prince Wei three years later.

“That’s Prince Wei.” Lin Chan said in a low voice.

Lin Hao curved her lips: “Elder Sister also knows Prince Wei?”

“Who doesn’t know Prince Wei—” Realizing it wasn’t good to mention someone’s deficiency, Lin Chan tugged at Lin Hao. “Anyway, it has nothing to do with us. Let’s go quickly. Mother should be well-rested by now.”

When they returned to the guest room, Lin Shi was eating vegetarian pastries.

The vegetarian pastries made with pure vegetable shortening, each one only the size of a small steamed bun, were sweet but not cloying when eaten, fragrant and rich.

Lin Shi had a bite of vegetarian pastry and a sip of tea. Seeing her two daughters enter, she wiped her mouth with a handkerchief: “Finished strolling?”

Lin Hao and Lin Chan fell silent in unison for a moment.

Mother seemed quite comfortable on her own.

“Come quickly and try some. These vegetarian pastries from Green Deer Temple are quite good.” Lin Shi beckoned her two daughters.

The two walked over and sat down, cleaned their hands, and picked up vegetarian pastries to taste. Indeed, the flavor was very good.

“Was the maple forest fun?” Lin Shi asked with a cheerful smile.

Lin Hao and Lin Chan exchanged a glance.

“The scenery was very good.” Lin Chan spoke of the maple forest’s beauty, mentioning neither Tang Wei nor Wen Feng.

Lin Shi’s interest was piqued: “Tomorrow morning let’s all go stroll together.”

The mother and two daughters ate vegetarian pastries while chatting idly.

At this time, urgent knocking sounded at the door.

Lin Shi nodded toward the maid Fangfei.

Fangfei walked over and opened the door. Outside was a maid with a pale face.

“May I ask if the two Misses Lin are here?”

Lin Shi found this maid somewhat familiar: “Which household are you from, and what business do you have with my daughters?”

The maid hurriedly performed a curtsy: “This servant is from the Marquis of Wuning’s household. May I ask if the two Misses Lin have seen my family’s Second Miss?”

Lin Chan examined the maid’s expression, became secretly vigilant, and didn’t speak for the moment.

Lin Hao then asked: “When you say ‘seen,’ what time are you referring to? If you mean in the maple forest, we spoke with Second Miss Tang and then she hurriedly left. Aren’t you her personal maid? Weren’t you following behind her at the time?”

The maid became somewhat anxious: “Have the two young ladies truly not seen my family’s young lady?”

Lin Chan’s face grew stern: “What reason would we have to lie to a little maid like you? If you’re anxious, then hurry and search elsewhere.”

The maid bent her knees slightly and hurried away with a deathly pale face.

Lin Shi hastily sent Fangfei out to inquire about the situation and asked her two daughters what this was about.

After hearing the two explain, Lin Shi frowned: “With the Marchioness of Wuning’s temperament, if her daughter is truly lost, she might very well blame it on us.”