Upon returning to Guangming Nunnery, Shen Shaoguang discovered noble lady visitors who were familiar faces – Pang Erniang, and the lady who had worn the autumn-scented robe with gold embroidery at the riverside pavilion during the Dragon Boat Festival.

They had likely already paid their respects to Buddha, as Master Yuanjue was now showing them the temple’s murals and explaining Buddhist stories.

Since they had met, Shen Shaoguang stepped forward to pay her respects.

Master Yuanjue smiled at the two ladies and said, “This is Devotee Shen.” She had already mentioned Shen Shaoguang while they were having tea earlier.

She then introduced Shen Shaoguang: “This is the Fifth Lady of Minister Qin’s family. You already know Second Lady Pang.”

The three smiled and bowed to each other.

Yuanjue smiled at Shen Shaoguang, “We just drank the jasmine tea you sent last time, and both devotees praised its elegant fragrance and sweetness. You always say I’m ‘overpraising’ you…” Her tone carried the intimacy of long acquaintance.

Shen Shaoguang smiled with pressed lips.

Fifth Lady Qin studied Lady Shen with a smile. Though Guangming Nunnery wasn’t a major temple, Master Yuanjue was no ordinary person. She had heard from her grandmother that Yuanjue’s teacher was the former Princess Anqing, who had wielded great influence at court in her early years before suddenly renouncing the secular world and taking the tonsure in Luoyang. Yuanjue was her last disciple, accompanying her on extensive travels. For Master Yuanjue to hold someone in such high regard, Lady Shen must be extraordinary.

Fifth Lady Qin smiled, “Lady Shen’s face seems quite familiar, perhaps we’ve met somewhere before?”

Shen Shaoguang smiled and furrowed her brow slightly, thinking: Perhaps when you were thirsty and wanted to buy my sour plum drink? But she only said with a smile, “This must be fate then.”

Pang Erniang and Shen Shaoguang had the same thought – they had indeed met by the river that day, but then Shen had been selling food, while today she was “Lady Shen,” which was why Fifth Lady Qin hadn’t recalled.

“I once had several encounters with the Fourth Lady of Governor Shen’s family from Dengzhou, perhaps you share some facial features with your clan sister.”

Shen Shaoguang was truly unfamiliar with her clan members in Luoyang and didn’t know what generation this Governor Shen belonged to, but was certain he wasn’t a close uncle. “I’ve drifted in the world for long and haven’t returned home in years, so I truly don’t know if I resemble my sisters,” Shen Shaoguang said with a smile.

Being able to speak so composedly about her difficult circumstances showed she was no ordinary person. How could Fifth Lady Qin not notice that Shen Shaoguang’s plain clothes, though made of Yizhou silk gauze, had been washed many times and were old, and she only wore two small silver hairpins?

Shen Shaoguang also had a good impression of this Fifth Lady Qin, who was neither arrogant nor pretentiously sympathetic toward her as a poor woman but treated her as an equal. Even if it was just a gesture, it was comfortable – especially compared to Pang Erniang’s initial attitude.

Thinking of Pang Erniang, Shen Shaoguang smiled and asked her, “How have you been these many days, Second Lady?” On the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, perhaps stung deeply by her “friends,” Pang Erniang moved back home after returning. They hadn’t seen each other in many days, and Shen Shaoguang wondered how she had ended up among these noble ladies again, particularly with her “love rival.”

In Shen Shaoguang’s opinion, Fifth Lady Qin was truly more suitable for Assistant Magistrate Lin. Setting aside family background, just considering their personalities, Assistant Magistrate Lin appeared somewhat cold-hearted, and being the Capital District’s Assistant Magistrate at his age suggested he was deeply calculating. Pang Erniang, however, was shallow as a small stream, wearing everything on her face – their styles completely clashed.

But then she thought, perhaps that’s exactly why they matched. A calculating, cold-faced gentleman paired with a naive innocent? This CP had quite an appealing contrast. While listening to Master Yuanjue explain the story of “The Monkey Scooping the Sea” on the mural, Shen Shaoguang thought about the romance dramas she had watched in her previous life. As she thought about it, she wanted to sigh – back then she had despised their vulgar logic, but now she couldn’t even watch one more episode.

Fifth Lady Qin had come on her family’s orders and needed to make offerings again in the evening and the next morning, so she would stay overnight. Master Yuanjue invited her to stay together, but Fifth Lady Qin didn’t want to disturb the master’s peace, so she arranged to stay with Pang Erniang instead.

Yuanjue smiled, “That’s good too, you young ladies can keep each other company.”

She added, “In the evening, lanterns will be hung in the ward. Though not as lively as the Lantern Festival, some of the lanterns are worth seeing. You can go out to look, but make sure to take attendants with you.”

All three ladies agreed with smiles.

Since arriving in this world, Shen Shaoguang had been confined in the palace – how could she have seen this era’s lantern festivals? Although the Ghost Festival wasn’t like the Lantern Festival where the curfew was lifted and the whole city celebrated all night, only allowed to walk around the ward, for a country bumpkin like Shen Shaoguang, it was still very attractive.

Ayuan, with her childlike nature, was very happy to hear that Shen Shaoguang would take her out to see the lanterns in the evening. “In previous years, no matter what festival it was, Lady Xu never let me go out, only telling me to watch the house. If I sneaked out to take a peek, I’d quickly run back, afraid of being caught. Once Lady Xu came back to get something she’d forgotten and caught me – she beat me severely with a broom.”

Shen Shaoguang patted her head.

Ayuan smiled, “The beating didn’t hurt much, but she starved me for three days. That time made me suffer from hunger.”

Shen Shaoguang patted her head twice, smiling slightly. She too had been beaten and starved. When she first arrived in the palace, dragging a sickly ten-year-old body, unable to sort out the original owner’s memories, with no relatives to protect her, how could a confused visitor from another world not make mistakes?

Thankfully, it was all in the past.

While Shen Shaoguang and Ayuan were reminiscing about past hardships in their room, Fifth Lady Qin and Pang Erniang were also discussing old acquaintances in their room.

“You’re young, so you might not remember well. That Lady Cui was two years older than me, with a very calm and gracious nature, and her beauty and talents were the finest among the ladies of our generation – none of us could compare. Later, when Minister Cui fell from grace, by law his family members were to be sent to the palace…” Fifth Lady Qin sighed lightly, “Who would have thought that someone as composed as her would take her own life, truly…” Fifth Lady Qin, considering that Pang Erniang was the Virtuous Consort’s sister and had deep connections with the royal family, swallowed the words “principled and virtuous.”

Pang Erniang’s face turned pale as she unconsciously played with the pearl tassels on her hair ornament, which matched the pearls on her newly changed mud-gold robe and brocade belt – presumably a set.

“I hadn’t heard that Assistant Magistrate Lin was engaged to Lady Cui?” Pang Erniang bit her lip and said.

“Indeed, they weren’t officially engaged. I heard the families had just come to an agreement when Minister Cui’s incident occurred.”

Just as Pang Erniang was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Fifth Lady Qin continued, “But Assistant Magistrate Lin held Lady Cui in his heart, otherwise why hasn’t he married to this day? And in the first year or two after Lady Cui’s passing, Lin rarely attended any banquets…”

Pang Erniang lowered her eyes, and even the lotus flower ornament newly pasted on her forehead seemed to have lost its earlier vibrancy.

As Shen Shaoguang led Ayuan out of their room, passing through the hall, she happened to overhear the last few sentences. So Assistant Magistrate Lin was such a devoted person?