Dream of the Red Chamber: I can see the hidden labels of the beauties.

The other masters in the East Mansion didn't have much contact with Jia Xichun, and since it was currently a period of mourning, everyone had their own things to do, so she didn't want to bother them or go near them.

After considering all the options, it seems that Jia Can, the half-brother, is the most suitable person to talk to.

Firstly, Jia Can was of the same generation as her; secondly, Jia Can was naturally idle; and thirdly, the two had met once during the day at the Huifang Garden Pavilion, so they could be considered to have some connection.

Sure enough, when Jia Can entered a clean room in the inner room, he saw Jia Xichun dressed in plain clothes with a white flower in her hair, sitting alone in the room. The candlelight in the room made her face look a little pale, adding to her loneliness and desolation.

Upon seeing Jia Can enter, Jia Xichun immediately stood up, a hint of joy flashing in her eyes, and greeted him politely:

"Second Brother Can".

Jia Can nodded gently and replied in a soft voice:

"Fourth sister, you've arrived. Brother Zhen's passing was so sudden, I hope it didn't startle you?"

As he spoke, he came to Jia Xichun's side, treating her like an older brother caring for his younger sister, without the slightest hint of awkwardness.

Jia Xichun felt a warmth in her heart and quickly shook her head, turning back:

"No, I'm just a little incredulous. I saw Brother Zhen during the day, and I never expected him to be here tonight..."

At this point, seemingly unwilling to continue, she looked up at Jia Can, scrutinized him for a moment, and asked with concern:

"By the way, I heard that Brother Zhen passed away in your room, Brother Can. Were you shocked, Brother Can?"

Jia Can felt a warmth in his heart as well. Jia Xichun didn't usually interact with him, yet she thought of his safety first, which showed her kind heart. He replied gently:

"Thank you for your concern, Fourth Sister. I'm fine; I wasn't frightened at all. Please sit down and let's talk."

He then gestured for Jia Xichun to sit down and talk.

Jia Xichun sat down again, feeling very warm and cozy. Although she and Jia Can were siblings, they had only met a handful of times and spoken a few words to each other before this.

All she knew was that she had an older brother born out of wedlock. He was usually quiet and rarely showed his face. No one ever mentioned him or cared about him.

But when she met Jia Can again in the pavilion of Huifang Garden during the day, she felt that this half-brother was somewhat different from before. His speech and behavior were more composed and calm, and his eyes were no longer as timid and evasive as before.

She was keeping vigil for Jia Zhen, and sitting here all alone, she was incredibly bored and lonely, with no one to talk to. She was missing a companion.

Although she is somewhat aloof and prefers solitude and quiet, she does not completely reject interacting with others.

So she took the initiative to arrange for her maid to inform Jia Can of her arrival, also wanting to see if Jia Can would come and speak to her.

Unexpectedly, Jia Can not only came, but also took good care of her, as if he knew she was a little lonely at the moment, and specially kept her company and talked to her.

After all, keeping vigil is tedious and boring. The long night is filled with the sounds of monks chanting sutras and Taoist priests ringing bells. If no one is talking to you, it is hard to endure.

As for Jia Can, he also needed to kill time. Since Jia Xichun was happy to talk to him, he was naturally willing to have in-depth exchanges with her, which was much better than talking to those rich kids outside.

After a conversation, Jia Can discovered that Jia Xichun truly lived up to her background in Buddhist Zen, occasionally uttering Zen-like remarks.

She often hits the nail on the head, leaving people pondering. For example, when she talks about life and death, she says that the living are temporary and the dead are returning home. She also says that coming into the world is accidental and going out is inevitable, so let nature take its course.

Although the words were simple and straightforward, they contained profound meaning. Jia Can, who came from a later era, couldn't help but feel that he had benefited a lot from them, and he became more and more talkative.

Gradually, Jia Can began to ask Jia Xichun some profound questions, such as worldly affairs and human nature, and how to maintain one's true self in this turbid world.

Jia Xichun was able to answer all the questions, her words concise yet always hitting the nail on the head. The two of them, in their question-and-answer session, were like two Zen practitioners discussing the Tao, having long forgotten the time, which slipped away unnoticed.

"Grandma Rong is here."

Their conversation was interrupted by the greeting from a young maid outside the door.

Jia Can and Jia Xichun turned their heads at the same time and saw Qin Keqing walking gracefully towards them.

She wore a plain white dress with a hemp belt around her waist, and her hair was adorned with white flowers. Her gait was light and graceful, and her demeanor was both dignified and charming.

Upon approaching, he politely curtsied to the two of them.

"I've met my second uncle and fourth aunt."

Although Jia Xichun was much younger than Qin Keqing, their seniority was still significant. As her niece-in-law, Qin Keqing had to be respectful and courteous to her.

Jia Can and Jia Xichun both stood up and waved to indicate that she didn't need to be so polite.

At the same time, Jia Can and Qin Keqing exchanged a glance without making a sound. In just one glance, Jia Can could see that there was something hidden in Qin Keqing's eyes, as if she had something to say to him alone.

However, since Jia Xichun was still present, Jia Can didn't press the matter further and kept quiet about it.

The three of them took their seats. Qin Keqing looked at Jia Can, then at Jia Xichun, and asked:

"What are Second Uncle and Fourth Aunt talking about? They seem to be getting along so well."

Jia Can remained calm and replied frankly, "It's nothing, just casual conversation. Fourth Sister's words were quite insightful, and I benefited from listening, so I said a few more words."

Jia Xichun sat to the side, her expression indifferent. Whether she sensed that Jia Can and Qin Keqing had something to say, or whether she simply disliked having much contact with Qin Keqing, she said she needed to relieve herself and left first.

After Jia Xichun's figure disappeared outside the door, only Jia Can and Qin Keqing remained in the room.

Qin Keqing looked at Jia Can with a half-smile, her eyes flickering, and asked softly:

"Ah-Can, tell me honestly, what were you and her talking about? When I came in, you two were chatting away, but as soon as I arrived, she rushed away, as if she was hiding something from me."

Jia Can realized that her question was teasing and not genuine suspicion. He shook his head with a helpless expression and replied truthfully:

"There's no secret, it's just casual conversation. Although Fourth Sister is young, she is quite intelligent, and everything she says makes sense. I listened to a few more words."

To prevent Qin Keqing from making unfounded speculations, she summarized the key points of their conversation before Qin Keqing entered, and added at the end:

"If you don't believe me, you can ask her yourself another day."

He spoke frankly and openly, without any attempt to conceal anything.

Upon hearing this, Qin Keqing couldn't help but show surprise, her beautiful eyes widening slightly:

"Is this really something she could say? It sounds like the words of a highly accomplished monk who has cultivated himself for many years. It's truly remarkable that she has such insights at such a young age."

Jia Can echoed:

"Yes, that's why I couldn't help but ask her for advice. I didn't expect it to be so helpful. It calmed me down a lot and made many of my thoughts clearer."

These words were not just casual remarks from Jia Can, nor were they nonsense.

Although killing Jia Zhen cleared away the psychological shadows accumulated from his previous life, he also felt that Jia Zhen deserved his fate and was deserving of death.

But for him, a modern man from the future who grew up under the red flag, killing someone for the first time still made him somewhat uneasy.

Perhaps in a few days, this unease will gradually dissipate with time, but after his conversation with Jia Xichun, he felt completely at peace.