Meng Qiuci and Xu Ruyi snuggled together. Hua Zhuo felt nothing in her heart, but the original owner probably felt jealous, which made her soul a little uncomfortable.

Liang Shanyuan died?

Or… committed suicide?

Before Hua Zhuo could figure out the secret, she felt her soul return to its home.

Now, looking at that figure through the bed curtain, she felt a subconscious fear filling her heart. This ghost had dug out the original owner’s heart, and even peeled off her skin. The original owner knew that she couldn’t get revenge, so she didn’t ask for much, just wanting to insult Liang Shanyuan all day long to make her unhappy. Hua Zhuo closed her eyes and got up from the bed first.

Confirming that this ghost was truly a devious, black-hearted “lotus,” Hua Zhuo suddenly felt her confidence surge. No longer would she show the soft-heartedness of the past, where she’d still feel guilty after scolding someone. “Where’s Tinglan? What are you doing standing here!”

“Miss Tinglan went out to look for Young Master Xu and Miss Meng. She hasn’t returned yet. I was told to stay and carefully watch over you, Miss Hua Zhuo.”

Hua Zhuo could only sigh at the original soul’s poor luck. The palace maids were all outstanding in their own right, yet somehow she ended up with Tinglan—greedy and playful, and inexplicably trusting of Liang Shanyuan. Worse yet, she had directly left her mistress in the care of that ghost.

She flung the bed curtains open and let her gaze sweep down today’s Liang Shanyuan—from her jet-black hair downward—trying to find a place to aim her scolding. But when her eyes landed on Liang Shanyuan’s hands, which were just slightly broader than an ordinary woman’s, she suddenly froze.

Hua Zhuo’s heart gave a sudden jolt. She looked up—above the bed curtains, there was nothing.

The sky was overcast today, dark clouds pressing low. Liang Shanyuan sat on the chair beside her bed, dressed in plain robes, her jet-black hair half-tied with a silver hairpin. Her face was pale with a bluish tint, her features refined like those in a painting, but filled with an eerie ghostly aura.

Hua Zhuo’s mind was in turmoil. “You—you stole my protective talisman!”

The talisman, personally hung around her neck by Xu Ruyi, had now become just another trinket—being idly toyed with in this ghost’s hand. At her accusation, Liang Shanyuan’s seemingly kind face showed a flicker of surprise, along with a touch of hurt, as if she’d been wrongly accused.

“Miss Hua Zhuo, you’ve misunderstood,” Liang Shanyuan said gently. “I mentioned just last night that this protective talisman looked like it was about to fall off. When I woke up this morning, it had already dropped to the ground. I was just thinking of returning it to its rightful owner.”

She held out the talisman with pale fingertips, offering it to Hua Zhuo.

But Hua Zhuo didn’t dare take it. Instead, she followed the tone of the original soul’s scoldings and let loose:

“Stay away from me! Who do you think you are, sitting there? A girl from some insignificant little family dares take a seat that isn’t hers?! Have you even considered whether you’re worthy? Go sit somewhere far away!”

Right after yelling, a trace of regret surfaced.

The system, worried she might not know how to curse properly, had once given her a handbook of insults used by the original soul. To Hua Zhuo, the language inside was filled with vicious contempt—words she would normally never use. But today, stunned and furious, she’d blurted them out without thinking.

“Miss Hua Zhuo.”

The voice carried a chilling coldness.

Hua Zhuo clenched her fingertips tightly. The pale hand in front of her, holding a talisman to ward off evil, didn’t move away. She couldn’t help but shrink back, but not wanting to show weakness, she snatched the talisman back.

“Still not leaving?”

But Liang Shanyuan showed no intention of leaving.

Hua Zhuo cursed, “Do you not understand human speech?”

“Why does Miss Hua Zhuo dislike me so much?”

Her pale fingertips lightly touched the edge of the bed. Her pitch-black eyes were fixed on Hua Zhuo, and her lips slightly curved as her eyes slightly widened.

No sunlight entered the room, only the eerie shadows of trees remained. Liang Shanyuan exuded a ghostly aura. “Miss Hua Zhuo, why don’t we get along?”

“No way!”

Hua Zhuo shot her a fierce glare.

Liang Shanyuan’s eyebrows furrowed slightly.

Why did this woman detest and fear him so deeply?

Liang Shanyuan had roamed the world for who knows how long, never sparing the living so much as a glance. Yet countless people still flocked to him eagerly. He had thought that after saving this woman just in time last night, she would at least feel a bit of gratitude toward him—or, if not that, at least let down her guard enough to get along with him in the future. But why was it the opposite?

Liang Shanyuan couldn’t understand.

The behavior he now followed was all an imitation—copied stroke by stroke from the mannerisms of the Eighth Young Lady of the Liang household. When he was brought into the Liang residence, she had been the one most adored by everyone, from the highest to the lowest. Even the most critical eyes could find no fault in her.

Liang Shanyuan knew that, by nature, he couldn’t blend in with the living, nor could he gain the favor of the heavens. So he observed all kinds of people: he observed a compassionate monk and went to work at a temple, asking for no fame or fortune; he observed the Eighth Young Lady and took up medicine, healing the sick and saving lives.

But now, he found himself in a dilemma.

He didn’t know how to truly build a relationship with people—because he had never “observed” it before, nor had he ever experienced it himself.

The alarm blared harshly, making Hua Zhuo freeze all over. Then the system’s loud voice warned, “Warning, Zhuo Zhuo, current detection shows Liang Shanyuan’s murderous intent is as high as ninety-five percent, ninety-six, ninety-seven…”

“Ah? Ah? Why?”

Hua Zhuo panicked and hurriedly tried to pull away, but the countdown’s beeps grew louder and louder. Seeing Liang Shanyuan’s calm expression, she didn’t even think twice and directly grabbed her wrist.

Was Liang Shanyuan trying to get along with her?

In the original story, Hua Zhuo recalled, there was no plot where Liang Shanyuan got along well with the original character. Instead, Liang Shanyuan was closest to Xu Ruyi and had no connection with the original Hua Zhuo…

Was it because Liang Shanyuan wanted to get along with the original Hua Zhuo, but she refused, that brought about this deadly disaster?

If so, then this Liang Shanyuan was way too petty, right? Was she some kind of sickly obsessive type? She’d want to kill whoever didn’t play along with her? Was she really that desperate for friends?!

Hua Zhuo wanted to cry but had no tears, clutching Liang Shanyuan’s icy wrist tightly, sweat poured down her forehead from anxiety.

Liang Shanyuan paused slightly. He actually disliked others touching him, but every time he made contact with this woman, the karmic flames within him diminished, making him feel nothing but comfort in his heart.

Hua Zhuo was just holding onto her wrist when she heard the alarm in her mind counting down—it had dropped all the way back to eighty. Hua Zhuo simply couldn’t believe it.

This ghost actually really liked making friends… liked being close…

And somehow … was kind of cute about it…

Hua Zhuo shook her head in disbelief for the first time. But as soon as she let go, the alarm in her mind started rising again.

Hua Zhuo: …

She reluctantly kept holding Liang Shanyuan’s wrist. “Liang… uh… I suddenly remembered, I’ve always thought your name was a bit hard to say. Do you happen to have a nickname or something?”

Hua Zhuo was clever by nature—on one hand, she was trying to change the subject; on the other, she guessed that by asking about a nickname, Liang Shanyuan might let go of her grudge and stop wanting to hurt her.

After all, exchanging nicknames among girls was a sign of growing closeness.

As soon as she said this, the alarm sound in her mind disappeared without a trace.

“Nickname?”

“Mm.”

“My family never gave me one,” Liang Shanyuan said, lowering his eyes slightly. “But Miss Hua Zhuo, you can call me Ah Shan—”

He paused mid-sentence as voices came from outside the door.

Hua Zhuo, still unaware of what was happening, soon heard Tinglan’s voice from a distance. The wooden door was pushed open from outside, bringing in a strong aroma of food. Tinglan said, “Everyone, please wait a moment. Our young lady is probably still sleeping—”

As the words fell, Tinglan’s gaze met Hua Zhuo’s almond-shaped eyes, and she was momentarily stunned. “Third Miss, you’re awake.”

“Mm,” Hua Zhuo said with a proud expression. Seeing Xu Ruyi and Meng Qiuci along with Liang Nanyin, the Huaguang Pavilion, small as it was, suddenly felt crowded. “I’ve always liked peace and quiet. You fools don’t understand my feelings.”

This was clearly a jab at the others.

Meng Qiuci was used to Hua Zhuo’s arrogance but worried about hurting Liang Nanyin’s feelings. She glanced over; Liang Nanyin’s fair face held a somewhat restrained smile. Xu Ruyi pointed to a seat, and Liang Nanyin sat down, first nodding politely to Liang Shanyuan, who was seated by Hua Zhuo’s bedside.

But in her heart, she was a little surprised. Her Fifth Sister didn’t seem like someone who was being bullied by the noble lady Chang’an. Sitting so close, it almost looked like their relationship was quite good?

“Brother,” Hua Zhuo smiled upon seeing Xu Ruyi. “What delicious thing have you brought me that smells so good? Only you, brother, remember me when you’re out eating.”

Xu Ruyi’s smile carried a hint of helplessness. “Zhuo’er, you’ve never liked eating out. How could I bring something for you? It’s Miss Nanyin who’s been thinking of you and wanted you to try some local delicacies from Ningzhou—”

“I won’t eat.”

Hua Zhuo immediately turned her face away, her heart bleeding. What delicious food smelled so good? She really wanted to eat it. “What kind of delicious food can there be in this remote place? I won’t eat it!”

Liang Nanyin’s eyelashes trembled slightly.

“Hua Zhuo…”

Xu Ruyi looked disapproving and actually called her by her full name.

Tinglan was frightened. “Young Master Xu, our young lady has a delicate stomach and never eats outside food. It’s not intentional.”

Meng Qiuci quickly added, “Senior Brother, that’s right. You once told me that Miss Huazhuo has a sensitive stomach—she’s afraid of getting sick from unfamiliar food, and that’s no small matter. But Miss Nanyin’s kind intentions shouldn’t go to waste either.”

The three of them had already eaten earlier. When Tinglan came to find them, she ate with them as well. The only one who hadn’t eaten was Liang Shanyuan.

“Fifth Young Lady,” Meng Qiuci said gently, “You probably haven’t had breakfast yet, right? Why not have some? We bought a lot of food—there must be something you like.”

“Warning to Zhuozhuo: current detection shows Liang Shanyuan’s killing intent is at 80%…”

Hua Zhuo looked at Liang Shanyuan’s gentle expression—so mild-mannered that it made her want to scream. Her gaze swept over her eerily ghostly features, and she finally realized: as a ghost, the black-hearted lotus never ate food meant for the living.

The original novel had once described that after being half-forced to eat food for the living, Liang Shanyuan suffered immensely, and later that night sought revenge by slaughtering the banquet host…

“Then I thank you all,” she said.

Just as Liang Shanyuan was straightening her clothes and about to stand up, Hua Zhuo suddenly grabbed her wrist and yanked her back.

The raging karmic fire within him was instantly extinguished, as if doused with cold water. Liang Shanyuan turned to look, only to see Hua Zhuo glaring at him fiercely. For some reason, her eyes were filled with both anger and grievance, as if Liang Shanyuan had done something terribly wrong. Liang Shanyuan froze. Then Hua Zhuo turned her head and stared sharply at the confused Meng Qiuci and the others.

“If I won’t eat it, you give it to her? Who does she think she is? Does she deserve to stand on equal footing with me?”

Hua Zhuo let out a cold snort. She truly wanted to harden her heart and say, like the original character would have, “Throw it out.”But how could she bear to? Not only would it waste the food, it would also ruin Liang Nanyin’s heartfelt effort.

“Tinglan, come help me put on my shoes. What belongs to me—no one else can have it!”

How domineering.

The room fell silent. Liang Nanyin looked at Liang Shanyuan, clearly flustered and unsure what to do. Yet even after being so publicly humiliated, her usually kind Fifth Sister remained calmly seated, still wearing a faint smile at the corners of her lips. In that moment, Liang Nanyin’s heart swelled with even greater admiration.

The noble young lady rose gracefully and sat down at the table, picking through the food with refined pickiness—selecting only the best portions. Everyone could hear her criticize the cuisine of Ningzhou from top to bottom, yet she ended up eating almost everything on the table. At the end, she sipped a cup of tea to rinse her mouth, lifted her chin with lofty elegance, and declared:

“I won’t eat a commoner’s food for nothing. Tinglan, go bring out the snacks I’ve been hoarding—let them have some.”

She clearly saw Xu Ruyi as family; everyone else in the room, she referred to as outsiders. Xu Ruyi could only raise his hand to his forehead and sigh.

Tinglan came out carrying a tray piled with all sorts of rare fruits and snacks. She called out for everyone to take a handful. Meng Qiuci casually grabbed some; Liang Nanyin lowered her eyes and took only a few chestnuts from the side. When it came to Liang Shanyuan, Tinglan, afraid she might feel awkward, scooped a generous handful and placed them neatly on the small table beside her.

Hua Zhuo watched with her heart in her throat, terrified that the black-hearted lotus might suddenly become displeased again.

“Miss Hua Zhuo’s chestnuts really do taste different,” Liang Nanyin said, as if trying to make conversation out of nothing.

Meng Qiuci was just about to respond when Hua Zhuo, propping her cheek with the back of her hand, said lazily, “Aren’t chestnuts the same everywhere? There’s nothing special about the ones I brought.”

“Maybe it’s just been too long since I last had them,” Liang Nanyin lowered her eyes. “When I was young, my mother often bought them for me. I’ve been to Chang’an too, but oddly, I’ve never had chestnuts from there. So they really all taste the same?”

“The taste is more or less the same,” Tinglan said cheerfully, trying to lift the mood. “If it tastes different to you, Miss Nanyin, it’s probably because your memory’s gotten a bit fuzzy. Food from childhood always seems more delicious!”

Liang Nanyin smiled but didn’t reply further.

Hua Zhuo, meanwhile, was inwardly fretting over how to bring up the matter of Xu Ruyi wearing the talisman to ward off evil. But with Liang Nanyin present, it wasn’t the right moment—she didn’t want to frighten anyone with talk of ghosts or the supernatural. Yet seeing everyone chatting in this awkward but persistent way, and with no one making a move to leave, Hua Zhuo finally sighed and placed the talisman on the table.

“Brother, the warding charm you hung for me last night fell to the ground.”

“It fell? Fell off on its own?”

Hua Zhuo glanced sideways at Liang Shanyuan—she was still fussing over a single melon seed, peeling it slowly and with exaggerated care. It had taken nearly the time of a whole incense stick, and Hua Zhuo, conflicted, lowered her head slightly.

When Xu Ruyi entered the room, he immediately sensed that the protective barrier within had weakened. But considering both Liang Shanyuan and Liang Nanyin were present, he refrained from asking Hua Zhuo directly about what had happened the previous night. After all, with that warding charm in place, no vengeful spirit should have been able to get close to Hua Zhuo.

The awkward small talk inside the room came to an abrupt halt as Xu Ruyi silently took the charm and stepped outside. When he returned, his already tired face—having not slept a wink the night before—looked even more strained.

“Zhuo’er, did something happen last night? Tell me everything, in detail.”

Looks like Tinglan hadn’t told Xu Ruyi or the others what had happened.

“Would you two step out for a bit?” Hua Zhuo glanced at Liang Shanyuan and Liang Nanyin. “This is all about ghosts and the supernatural—don’t want to scare you both silly. If you start screaming and hurting my ears, that’d be a problem.”

“Miss Hua Zhuo is thoughtful, but I’m not afraid,” Liang Shanyuan said, still peeling that pitiful little melon seed in her hand.

“I’m not afraid either,” Liang Nanyin added, eyes full of concern. “In fact, I’m quite curious. I do hope Miss Hua Zhuo can explain everything in detail.”

“That’s true. Miss Nanyin and Miss Shanyuan are both from the Liang household. Hua Zhuo, you should explain clearly—so they can help figure out what’s going on.”

“No need for your reminder!” Hua Zhuo shot Meng Qiuci a glare, then grabbed a handful of raisins and handed them over, remembering that Meng Qiuci liked them.

“There really was something strange last night. Tinglan, tell everyone what you experienced.”

Tinglan’s face went pale at the mention, clearly hesitant to speak. Hua Zhuo pulled her over to sit beside Xu Ruyi.

“My brother is here—what are you afraid of? He’s the most powerful person under the sky and can drive away all those demons and ghosts! If you don’t speak up, that means you don’t believe in my brother!”

Liang Shanyuan paused mid-peel of her melon seed, her eyes smiling in a way that was both teasing and serious as she looked over.

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