Luo Sheng was actually quite afraid of him.

Even though her sister comforted her that they had talked to Xiao Chuhuai, she still hid whenever she saw him.

Her determination to seduce Xiao Chuhuai this time took a lot of courage.

Luo Sheng was even a little impressed with herself.

She had figured it out.  It was better to take a gamble than to wait for death; perhaps there was still a chance.

She also felt that the Luo family were good people, and Heaven wouldn’t be too unkind to them because of their uprightness and kindness. Otherwise, why would her mother be reborn?

After much thought, Luo Sheng decided to go to Changming Temple to pray and ask for fortunes around the Qingming Festival in a couple of days.

Her mother would probably go too after being reborn.

Luo Sheng followed Luo Qingyan to the small garden where the royal chefs were grilling.  She forgot all her worries as soon as she started eating.

At this time, outside the garden, Princess Xingyao was watching the little girl who was concentrating on eating from a distance.

Her maid couldn’t help but say, “Princess…”

Xingyao looked at Luo Sheng intently, “Do you think she can help me?”

The maid bit her lip, her eyes full of pity.

After a moment, Xingyao sighed, “Forget it, I’m afraid no one can save me.”

At one point, she felt that this little girl might be able to help her.

But how could that be possible?

She was probably desperate.

Xingyao turned and left.

*

After Shangsi Festival, before Qingming Festival even arrived, news of the Ninth Princess’s death came from the palace.

Luo Sheng was embroidering a bamboo leaf sachet in her room when, without paying attention, the needle pricked her finger.  Her heart skipped a beat, she sucked on her finger, listening to Han Shuang and another maid’s lamenting conversation.

“The Ninth Princess was only seventeen, it’s such a pity.”

“What kind of cold could take a life so quickly?”

Luo Sheng put down the embroidery frame, feeling the power of fate for the first time.

It turned out that a warning was useless.

Fate was still moving in that direction.

Luo Sheng’s mood plummeted. She was a little panicked.  Whether her plan would work was unknown.

Tao Han was also nervous, so she prepared for this Qingming Festival particularly grandly.

She specially invited a priest to perform ancestral rites, paying respects to the ancestors of the Luo and Tao families, and then took the children to Changming Temple to worship.

It was drizzling around Qingming Festival, a light mist shrouding the mountain forest and temple, and the green trees exuded a damp and cold air.

It wasn’t good weather, but there were still many people coming to the Changming Temple to pay respects.

After Luo Sheng offered incense with her mother, she saw the Liu Sen Dai, half-hidden by the lush trees, through the mist, and took Han Shuang there.

Liu Sen Dai was located deep in the mountains, this area was sparsely populated and exceptionally quiet.

It was a secluded place she had accidentally discovered before.

When they arrived at the entrance, according to the rules, only those who came to pray could enter, and outsiders were not allowed to listen.

Han Shuang brought two umbrellas, “Miss, take another umbrella.”

Luo Sheng looked at the light rain falling outside and felt it was fine, “Why don’t you hold it for me?”

“Be careful if it starts raining heavily.”

“That’s true.” Luo Sheng still took it and entered the temple.

Inside was a large Buddha statue. When Luo Sheng entered, she looked up and met the Buddha’s downcast gaze.  The candlelight flickered on the golden Buddha, reflecting a hazy divinity.

Luo Sheng respectfully withdrew her gaze, and a familiar voice came from behind, “I figured you would come today.”

Luo Sheng turned around and saw Nun Jingchen walking over from the side, “Nun.”

Nun Jingchen was different from many people in Changming Temple.  The most obvious difference was that she didn’t shave her head, her long hair was tied up in a Buddhist hat.

Only her features were visible, making her even more beautiful and cold, her phoenix eyes slightly raised, beautiful with an aggressive quality.

It was hard to imagine that she had been in the Buddhist temple for twenty years.

Jingchen led her to sit beside her, “How was the nephrite I gave you last time?”

Luo Sheng answered truthfully, “It was useful.”

“That’s good.” Jingchen poured her a cup of tea, “Before entering Changming Temple, the Crown Prince was still a child. I didn’t expect him to have children now.”

Luo Sheng was slightly stunned, “How did Nun know I was praying for the Crown Princess?”

She hadn’t revealed her identity last time.

Jingchen smiled and pushed the teacup over, “I just figured it out.”

Luo Sheng thought that Nun Jingchen was indeed amazing and took the teacup.

Jingchen suddenly glanced at the prayer beads wrapped around her wrist, a bright light flashing in her eyes.

Wasn’t this the prayer beads she had her people send to that boy?

She looked up at Luo Sheng, who was earnestly drinking tea, her thoughts turning several times, from the Luo family and the Eastern Palace, to the Eastern Palace and Xiao Chuhuai…

Ah… I understand, he likes this girl, and gave her the item.

It turned out to be a family, no wonder she felt a connection with this child.

Jingchen’s phoenix eyes slightly raised, she looked at the young girl with interest. Her appearance and temperament were exceptionally simple and pure in the intrigue-filled capital, yet her every move was full of unrestrained bright and soft charm.

She was her favorite type.

Tsk, that boy, you can’t tell.

He usually scoffs at her preferences, pretending to be a good person, but his heart is actually quite wild.

Jingchen saw her worried expression, “What’s wrong? Did you come today with some confusion you want to tell Mother… this nun?”

“Yes, there are some.” Luo Sheng twirled the teacup in her palm, “Can you help me tell a fortune? Will the thing I’m thinking about have a good result?”

“Is it about family and relationships?”

Luo Sheng looked at her in astonishment, “Yes.”

Jingchen smiled and let her draw a divination slip.

Luo Sheng devoutly drew a slip.

Jingchen looked at it, “You’re currently troubled by someone very aloof and noble.”

Luo Sheng instantly felt admiration for Jingchen, “Yes, you’re so accurate.”

“There will be a good result,” Jingchen lifted her eyelids, her bright phoenix eyes rippling, “You have good karma and Buddhist affinity, your wishes will come true.  It’s just that the person who is troubling you is a bit difficult. You’ll have to take the initiative, be bold, tear away his aloof and abstinent disguise, watch him fall, and cultivate him into your submissive subject, and everything will be as you wish.”

Luo Sheng was enlightened. It was surprisingly similar to her plan, “I understand, thank you, Nun, for your guidance.”

Jingchen curled her lips, watching the young girl thank her and leave, putting down the divination slip.

It was indeed a good omen, but it was a good omen with a hint of danger.

She hadn’t lied or misled Luo Sheng, but she had added some personal emotions and bias.

She was very much looking forward to seeing her unconventional and self-restrained son fall in love, tormented by love to the point of being unable to control himself.

It should be very exciting.

When Luo Sheng left the temple, it was really raining harder.

Luo Sheng opened her umbrella and was about to go out to meet Han Shuang when she unexpectedly saw a figure hidden in the corner of the woods in this empty and quiet Liu Sen Dai.

He was different from ordinary people, wearing a half-silver mask to cover his face, his almost pure white clothes were half-wet, and he was holding a small cat in his arms.

Both the man and the cat were drenched in the rain.

The cat was clinging to his clothes, as if terrified of the heavy rain.

Luo Sheng paused, looked at the umbrella in Han Shuang’s hand outside the courtyard, and walked towards the person.

Even under the shade of the Bodhi tree, the heavy rain was still falling on him. He let it rage, stroking the wet fur of the cat in his arms, “You don’t have anyone to take care of you either, little poor thing?”

His eyes were full of gloom, but his voice was leisurely, “Look, even the Bodhi tree doesn’t want to save us.”

He pondered for a moment, then suddenly laughed, “Why don’t we destroy it?”

As soon as he finished speaking, the heavy rain falling on his shoulders suddenly disappeared.

He paused for a moment and slightly tilted his head, meeting a pair of black and bright peach blossom eyes.

The girl squatted beside him, tilting the oil-paper umbrella in her hand towards him, and he was instantly enveloped by a lychee fragrance.

She asked, “Don’t you have an umbrella?”

Xiao Chen didn’t speak, staring at her for a while.

Luo Sheng pursed her lips and awkwardly explained, “I have two, this one is for you.”

Seeing that he didn’t speak, Luo Sheng didn’t say anything else.

She put down the umbrella, shielding her head from the falling raindrops, and ran quickly towards the courtyard.

Han Shuang saw Luo Sheng come out in the rain and anxiously stepped forward, “Miss, didn’t you take an umbrella inside?”

“Someone didn’t have one, so I gave him mine.” Luo Sheng wiped the rain from her face, “I’m fine, it’s just that he…”

As she spoke, she looked back, but found that the Bodhi tree was already empty, “Hey, where is he?”

Han Shuang pulled Luo Sheng, “Okay, don’t worry about others. Miss, hurry back to the carriage and change your clothes, don’t catch a cold.”

“Oh.” Luo Sheng retracted her gaze suspiciously, followed Han Shuang away from Liu Sen Dai, and muttered as she walked, “It’s so strange.”

Luo Sheng walked while looking back until she got into the carriage.  When Han Shuang was wiping the rain from her face, she gestured, “That person was wearing a mask.”

Han Shuang, hearing this, also felt sympathy, “Oh, maybe his face was injured and he didn’t want to be seen?”

Luo Sheng thought she was right, “That must be it.”

She looked at the rain outside the carriage.  After all, she came to the Buddhist temple to pray for blessings, and doing good deeds was also accumulating virtue for herself, “I hope he gets home safely.”