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墨書 Inktalez
Mei Shuang stood still, recalling the first time Abbot asked her for her surname, name, place of residence, and age. Initially, she thought he was just questioning her for the safety of the temple, but now it seemed as if Abbot already knew her.
She scratched her head, trying to think for a while. There should never have been such a person in her memory, and she didn’t find him familiar at all; it was strange.
However, since Abbot knew Chu Xiruo, perhaps he would also recognize her, who was also a daughter of the capital. Moreover, he had shown concern for her in his words, which was not inappropriate.
With doubts in mind, Mei Shuang went to eat vegetarian food but did not see Chu Xiruo.
Because of Chu Xiruo’s words, Mei Shuang always felt that the letter she left for Xiao Luo regarding Chu Xiruo's whereabouts was unnecessary. Not only did it backfire, but she also felt unjustly resented by Chu Xiruo.
Since Chu Xiruo knew she had changed her temperament, why couldn’t she believe that Mei Shuang’s intentions were genuine?
She decided to see Chu Xiruo, but the nuns at the temple said they hadn’t seen her.
Wasn’t she just in the Buddha Hall? Where could she have gone in such a short time?
Mei Shuang thought gloomily; could it be that she was deliberately avoiding her?
In fact, upon reflection, Chu Xiruo’s words were somewhat biased. If the emperor found her and they were able to be together as they wished, would she still blame herself for meddling?
If what she said was true, then the emperor moved on too quickly. After so many years of feelings, how could he just let go? Otherwise, why would Chu Xiruo leave so heartbroken?
If someone like Chu Xiruo could give up so easily, it could only mean that her opponent was too powerful. Or perhaps the Empress Dowager did not allow it? But that wasn’t what she implied!
Sighing, Mei Shuang looked up at the sky and suddenly felt that perhaps there was no need for her to return to the capital this time.
Thinking back over nearly a year after her "death," she believed everything was flawless. However, Lin Yuan frequently traveled to Jiangnan; it was impossible for him not to leave any traces.
Although Lin Yuan claimed he was discovered stealing banknotes by Lin Tian'er before he came here, the actual situation was likely known only to him.
If he knew, Xiao Luo would realize it in an instant. With his power over the world, how could he not be aware of his own whereabouts?
Whether it was a desire to see him or to capture him for treason, those were matters that could be resolved in seconds. Yet now, after all this time, she was still living quite well.
The only explanation was that they knew but did not care.
At first, she had only refused to become Empress as a desperate measure to gain her freedom. Now, it seemed the Emperor had come to terms with it; if she didn’t want to be Empress, so be it. If she wanted freedom, that was fine too. He wouldn’t make things difficult for her and wouldn’t delay his old love in finding a new one. She could do as she pleased.
Thinking of this, Mei Shuang mockingly curled her lips. Mei Shuang, you still think of yourself as a frightened bird, hiding everywhere, when in fact the Emperor has long forgotten about you.
When Yun Kong appeared, you mistakenly thought the Emperor still cared about you. You might have misunderstood; perhaps Yun Kong meant that Kuranami Miyako wanted to see you!
Mei Shuang mocked herself, yet her mind began to involuntarily replay some scenes like a film:
In Miaochun Tower, they encountered each other unexpectedly. To escape Madam, she tried to jump out of the window but fell into his strong arms.
Again in Miaochun Tower, that chaotic and passionate night allowed her life to continue.
He gave her the unparalleled Zhanlu Sword and said that whenever she missed him, she should look at this sword...
For some reason, the scenes flashing through her mind were all filled with warmth, making her heart feel cozy. She even forgot that their initial acquaintance stemmed from the humiliation on their wedding night...
Speechless, Mei Shuang suddenly wanted to scold herself for being pathetic—no, for being very pathetic.
Leaning on her broom and lost in thought while gazing at the sky, she suddenly heard a gentle and somewhat surprised voice beside her: "Amitabha, what are you doing?"
Mei Shuang jolted, and when she came to her senses, she looked down to see many scattered broom seedlings on the ground. She was gripping the last few seedlings tightly, and the broom was nearly bald.
Her face flushed as she awkwardly stood up. "I'm sorry, I must have pulled too hard... Uh, do you have any broom seedlings? I can tie brooms..."
The Nun smiled. "It seems you have something on your mind. It's alright, no need."
"Do you know where Master Jinghui went?" Mei Shuang suddenly remembered to ask.
"Master Jinghui?" The Nun furrowed her brow in thought. "Oh, you mean the one who came yesterday? She has already gone out with another Abbess from the temple..."
"......"
Mei Shuang was taken aback. "Huh? When did she leave? When will she be back?"
"She left about half an hour ago. As for when she'll return, I don't know... However, the Abbot instructed before going down the mountain that you should stay here to rest and not worry about Jinghui; she could come back any day..."
"Oh." Mei Shuang returned to her room feeling utterly dejected.
In the following days, Mei Shuang no longer ate vegetarian meals with the other Nuns but had Little Nun prepare meals for her in the back kitchen. The staple food was a type of coarse grain noodles, and the vegetables were quite strange—green vegetables she had never seen before—with no meat in sight. However, they were surprisingly tasty.
This treatment made Mei Shuang feel both honored and overwhelmed; how could she allow someone to serve her like a grandmother?
When Little Nun brought the food as usual, Mei Shuang hurriedly took it from her hands, repeatedly saying, "No, no, I've already disturbed everyone enough; how can I let you go through so much trouble to serve me?"
Little Nun smiled. "This is what the Abbot instructed."
Mei Shuang felt even more reluctant and quickly said, "I'll go tell the Abbot not to prepare special meals for me anymore; I can eat vegetarian meals with everyone just fine. This is really too much..."
Little Nun smiled, revealing a row of small, uneven teeth. "You need not feel uneasy, benefactor. Abbot said this is the food for your healing, and others cannot use it."
After placing down the food, Little Nun walked away, leaving Mei Shuang in a daze.
Carefully observing the green leaves, healing food? It was the first time she had heard of such a thing.
Moreover, even if the monks were compassionate, wasn't this kindness a bit excessive? The care she received was almost overwhelming. She seriously doubted whether Abbot truly recognized her.
During the day, Mei Shuang swept and cleaned with the other Nuns, gathered firewood on the mountain, and fetched water. The remaining time was spent in the meditation room reciting scriptures with the Nuns. At night, she followed the breathing techniques taught by Abbot to regulate her body.
She no longer rejected Little Nun's attentive service and interacted calmly, but secretly kept an eye on everything happening in the temple. Finally, one day, she noticed a clue.
The temple was located on a dirt hill in the outskirts, in a remote area and was a Nunnery, typically devoid of visitors. Thus, everyone coming in and out of the temple was familiar.
After breakfast one day, Mei Shuang shouldered a basket and went up the mountain with the other Nuns to gather firewood.
As they reached the back of the mountain, she casually turned to look back and saw two unfamiliar figures hurrying along the path to the temple.
Both were wearing Black Hats that obscured their faces, making it impossible to see their features. However, their figures indicated that both were women.
Could it be that Chu Xiruo had returned? But why would she need a Hat?
She noticed that as they walked, they occasionally glanced back as if afraid of being noticed.
Feigning a stomach ache, Mei Shuang urged the other Nuns to go ahead while she set down her basket and slipped back to the temple under the cover of trees.
Around the corner, she saw the newcomers and quickly hid herself against the wall. She then heard one woman's voice say, "Cheng En Temple, this is it."
Then she heard someone say "Hmm," the tone neither too light nor too heavy, making it impossible to determine their age, but they were likely older than the first speaker.
The temple door opened, and two people entered.
Through the wall, she heard the warm yet somewhat respectful voice of the Abbot, "You have arrived?"
Another brief "Hmm" followed.
Then came the sound of the door closing.
There happened to be a small hole in the temple wall, through which Mei Shuang saw them enter the Abbot's meditation room.
In a moment of urgency, Mei Shuang circled around to the back of the Abbot's meditation room.
Since it was a secluded area and there was no need to guard against thieves, the courtyard wall was not high. After glancing around and finding nothing unusual, she quickly climbed over the courtyard wall and gently landed behind the meditation room.
Ever since returning from that perilous special mission, she had noticed that she had become more agile.
The long window of the Abbot's meditation room was open. Crouching down below, she could clearly hear what was happening inside, and her angle allowed her to catch a glimpse of a corner of the room.
She chose her position carefully, ensuring she wouldn't be discovered while listening attentively.
Inside the meditation room, the Abbot invited the visitor to take a seat and instructed someone to serve tea before dismissing everyone else.
Then the Abbot knelt down and respectfully greeted, "I pay my respects to Your Highness."
Your Highness? Mei Shuang was taken aback.
When the hat was removed, it revealed a face hidden beneath that dazzled everyone.
Her hair, dark as night, was simply tied up with a wooden hairpin at the back of her head. Perhaps due to the long journey, fine beads of sweat glistened on her nose. Although the corners of her eyes hinted at the passage of time, her youthful beauty still shone through.
"Get up; we are not strangers, so there is no need for such formalities," the princess said lightly, her voice soft and polite, pleasant to hear.
"Yes." The Abbot stood to one side after rising. "The princess has hurried here; you must be tired. Please rest first."
"No need," the princess interrupted. "I came here for one thing—how is she?"
"The princess need not worry; she is in the temple now and is much better than before..."
"Oh..." The princess nodded, her expression one of relief. "After searching for over a year, I have finally found her..."
"Rest assured, good people have their blessings. Miss Mei Shuang will always have protection wherever she goes, so she will not encounter any major troubles. However, she needs to recuperate properly to recover. I suspect she must have encountered something that caused internal damage; although she appears fine on the surface, if this continues for long, it will surely harm her constitution. Fortunately, we discovered it in time. I have already begun her treatment and believe that within half a year, there will be significant improvement..."
After a moment of silence, the princess sighed softly. "I am wondering if I should see her."
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