Chapter 32: Ah Xun’s Identity

However, He Xiang Xiang was still delighted, thinking that having many children was a good thing, and it even made her a noble. “What about the young master? What will he be like? Can you tell me?” she asked the old man.

The old man took a close look at her hand and palm, but since she was alone and didn’t have a male companion, it was difficult for him to read more from her facial expression. “Young lady, do you have your Eight Characters?”

“Yes, I do,” He Xiang Xiang replied.

The old man calculated for a while, his expression changing several times, before speaking with a tone of mystery: “Young lady, her husband’s social standing is high and will love and protect her dearly, but only…”.

“Only what?” He Xiang Xiang asked impatiently.

The old man hesitated, considering whether to reveal the truth or not. What if he was wrong? The result was too shocking for him to bear; he couldn’t believe that she was born to be the Imperial Mother, yet her appearance, demeanor, and mannerisms all seemed unimperial. He thought it better to double-check later.

Apart from this uncertainty, the old man was confident in his other predictions. His voice grew slightly deeper as he said: “Only, young lady, she will not be the main wife.”

“What do you mean? Won’t she be a concubine?” He Xiang Xiang’s face turned slightly dis pleased.

“A high-ranking concubine,” the old man replied quickly.

“But that’s still a concubine,” He Xiang Xiang said, clearly unhappy, pouting her lips. “I don’t want to be a concubine.”

Seeing her unhappiness, He Miao hastened to grab her hand, wanting to leave, “Ah Xun, Xiang Xiang, it’s time to go, let’s hurry back to the mountain.”

In the end, the three of them bid farewell to the old man and headed towards the mountain.

Fortunately, He Xiang Xiang’s heart was not easily hurt and her memory was short, so she forgot about the old man’s words soon and continued to be lively and enthusiastic, indulging in the sights and sounds of the mountain.

He Miao didn’t mention the old man’s words at all, too afraid to believe them. If she did, it would give her hope, and hope would only lead to disappointment.

At the foot of the Ling Ruo Temple, there was a shop called Precious Jade Hall, where they sold precious jade and jewelry. The name itself suggested that it was a high-end store. He Miao and He Xiang Xiang were initially hesitant to enter, but He Xiang Xiang, who wanted to buy some gifts for Zhang Guihua, dragged He Miao inside to take a look.

The shop’s interior was elegant and refined, and the products were exquisitely crafted and valuable. He Miao just accompanied He Xiang Xiang and browsed casually.

As they walked in, He Miao’s gaze fell on a beautifully crafted jade comb. The comb was simple yet elegant, with only a small detail at the end. Its pale green color was delicate and subtle, and it suited He Miao’s taste.

He Miao gazed at the comb, and for some reason, it made her think of Ah Xun’s hair pin. “Do you like it?” Ah Xun noticed He Miao’s attention and stood beside her, asking softly.

“No… no, it’s nothing,” He Miao replied hastily, shaking her head and looking away from the comb. “I was just taking a look.”

Ah Xun bought the comb anyway, paying the shop owner 8 liang of silver.

He Miao saw Ah Xun’s purchase and quickly moved beside He Xiang Xiang, pretending to be interested in buying some presents for Zhang Guihua.

The shop owner told Ah Xun that he was a generous customer, and Ah Xun laughed and agreed. He Miao, however, was not happy about this, worrying that Ah Xun might have spent too much.

In the end, they only bought a silver necklace for Zhang Guihua, spending 3 liang of silver.

After leaving the shop, He Miao and He Xiang Xiang went to a nearby cosmetics shop to join the crowd. Ah Xun said he needed space and stayed outside, but actually, he went back to the Precious Jade Hall and bought the jade comb he had seen earlier.

As they walked out of the cosmetics shop, He Miao showed Ah Xun the face cream she had bought, which the shop owner had claimed would make her skin whiter and smoother. Ah Xun looked at her with a mixture of amusement and tenderness.

The two of them chatted for a bit, but in an instant, He Xiang Xiang was nowhere to be seen.

He Miao looked around frantically, her eyes scanning the crowd, but she couldn’t find her sister anywhere. “Ah Xun, have you seen Xiang Xiang?”

Ah Xun, with his exceptional eyesight, also looked around, but he couldn’t find her either.

**The Hostel**

The next day, He Shun learned from Tie Zhu that he would be taking a break at noon and decided to meet him at the hostel. However, he felt a bit restless and wanted to go out and have a look around. He instructed the guesthouse owner to deliver a message to He Miao and the others, saying that they should meet him at the hostel after they finished their shopping and then go to the yamen together.

He Shun went out for a walk and, around noon, he arrived at the yamen ahead of schedule. Luckily, it was a slow day at the yamen, and Tie Zhu was not busy. He Shun greeted Tie Zhu with a smile.