Young widow in her boudoir

It is said that because Madam Shen suddenly asked the abbot to perform a Dharma ceremony, the women had to stay on the mountain for another night.

Counting the days, Xie Rutang stayed at Qingyin Mountain for four days.

Night falls at the Shen family residence.

The man returned to the Shen residence as if he had traveled under the stars and moon, his white robe spotless and his face flawless.

Hongyao hurriedly went to greet him and served him his meal.

Seeing this, Hongyao realized that no one was around, and Zhulan and the other maids were not present.

She lowered her voice and said, "Second Master, Madam Shen is not in Cuiwu Courtyard. Madam and Old Madam Shen have gone to Dao'an Temple on Qingyin Mountain to worship Buddha."

"Madam Shen has not been in the manor for the past few days."

Hongyao thought to herself, "Madam Shen is really something. Shouldn't she have informed the Second Master before she left? She just left like that, and the Second Master still doesn't know."

Pei Zhiheng stopped in his tracks.

He didn't say anything, but simply instructed Hongyao to prepare water for his bath.

Hongyao immediately went to do as instructed. In the darkness, she couldn't see the man's face clearly. His face was handsome and dignified, aloof and elegant. He stood tall and graceful in the courtyard, while a bright moon hung high above his head.

Even a maid like her couldn't fathom what the Second Master's attitude was towards Madam Shen.

……

Meanwhile, Shen Xiaoxiao was summoned to her room by the old lady and punished by copying down traditional female virtues. She was also forbidden from leaving that door before returning home.

It is said that after Shen Xiaoxiao returned to her room, she was so angry that she smashed the vase on the shelf. Not only did she make her maid clean it up, but she also had to compensate the temple at the original price.

She finally felt relieved. After this lesson, Shen Xiaoxiao dared not cause any more trouble in front of her for the next while.

Xie Rutang stopped thinking about what happened at noon. She was very grateful to the abbot for giving her this meditation room, so that she wouldn't have to stay in that cold and damp one.

It rained for a while, then the dark clouds dispersed, and the sun came out in the afternoon.

Pushing open the window of the meditation room, one sees a bamboo grove bathed in sunlight. The leaves, glistening with raindrops, are a vibrant green in the sun. Taking a deep breath after the rain, one is filled with fresh and invigorating air, a truly refreshing experience.

As the mountain breeze swept through the forest, Xie Rutang, watching the swaying bamboo grove and the dappled shadows on the steps, suddenly had an idea that flashed through her mind.

She quickly spread out a thin silk cloth on her desk, concentrated on her painting, and soon drew several green branches on the paper, with distinct bamboo joints and bamboo leaves in varying shades of light and dark.

Xie Rutang discovered that the previous resident of this meditation room had taken excellent care of the things, and she was almost reluctant to touch them.

The elm wood desk in the room was sleek and lustrous, and every item on it was a precious object. An inkstone and a white jade brush rest were casually placed on it, and a green jade paperweight carved with pine and crane was used.

Xie Rutang picked up the paperweight, stroked the cool jade, and then gently put it down, afraid of damaging the temple's things.

The night in Qingyin Mountain was very quiet, so quiet that only the sounds of birds and insects could be heard. Xie Rutang, suffering from night blindness, could not see anything clearly.

Perhaps because Ye Wanyu and Shen Xiaoxiao all lived in the Cicada Courtyard, leaving her all alone, Xie Rutang felt a deep sense of loneliness that touched her very soul. After losing her husband, her heart seemed to wither away, and no one else could understand her loneliness.

Back when Shen Yuan was still alive, at least she could lean on his warm shoulder during every frightening night.

The next morning, when I woke up, the feeling of loneliness gradually faded away.

Xie Rutang was eating a vegetarian meal with no oil or fat in the meditation room when she overheard the servants of the Shen family gossiping about it.

Master Pei has actually come to Dao'an Temple!

The servants and old women under the eaves were gossiping about whether Pei Zhiheng was coming up the mountain to the temple on cloudy days to show his respect to the old lady.

Xie Rutang, who was passing by the Zen temple after her meal to digest her food, felt her heart pounding. She instinctively hid behind a pillar, clutching her handkerchief to cover her heaving chest.

Pei Zhiheng rarely came to temples, especially since the Shen residence was half a day's walk from Qingyin Mountain.

He suddenly came up the mountain today, I wonder... if he came to Dao'an Temple because of her.

After all, they had just been physically intimate a few days ago, so it was hard for Xie Rutang not to think about it.

Gradually, her heartbeat calmed down.

Xie Rutang shook her head on the veranda, forcing herself to stop overthinking. She figured Pei Zhiheng must have come up the mountain for something important.

On a sunny morning, Xie Rutang was walking slowly along the mountain path in the temple with her maid.

She had wanted to draw a famous herb before, but no matter how she drew it, it didn't look similar. She happened to know that a few of them were planted in An Temple, so she decided to try her luck and see if she could find one, draw it on paper, and then take it back to the Shen residence to carefully copy it.

As they walked along the way, they suddenly heard faint voices coming from the plum grove ahead.

The voice sounds somewhat like her sister-in-law, Shen Xiaoxiao.

Why is Shen Xiaoxiao not copying female virtues in the Zen temple at this moment, but instead doing something in front of us?

Xie Rutang, out of curiosity, couldn't resist going forward to eavesdrop.

Unexpectedly, what they overheard was Pei Zhiheng and Shen Xiaoxiao talking in the corner.

Shen Xiaoxiao, dressed in a playful pink dress, stood before the man, her makeup almost ruined from crying, her round eyes like a rabbit's. "Second Master, are you really going to marry that Su Yao? What do I lack compared to her?"

Pei Zhiheng stood with his hands behind his back under the flowering tree, saying nothing.

Shen Xiaoxiao's heart was completely broken by her love, and she wanted to immediately loosen her clothes. She had never been a demure lady; for love, she was bold and passionate, wanting only to let Pei Zhiheng see her determination.

"Second Master, Xiaoxiao has really grown up. She's no longer the little tagalong who always followed you around..."

She didn't loosen her belt; the girl was very well-developed, like a flower bud in full bloom, so beautiful that one couldn't take their eyes off her.

Shen Xiaoxiao cautiously reached out and grabbed his sleeve, her hint quite obvious.

Xie Rutang was so shocked that she instinctively covered her lips and gasped. She never expected to witness Shen Xiaoxiao confessing her feelings to Pei Zhiheng.

Even more unexpectedly, Shen Xiaoxiao would be so bold!

Public displays of affection in the temple, so blatantly obvious...

Her heart was pounding.

After Xie Rutang realized what was happening, she subconsciously frowned. She couldn't help but feel a little annoyed. She hadn't expected her sister-in-law to be so reckless.

If this matter were to spread, Shen Xiaoxiao's reputation would be the first to be affected, and the women of the entire Shen family would also be dragged down by the rumors, never to be able to hold their heads high again.

A moment later, they heard a man in the distance, his eyes cold and his voice restrained and mature, say, "Xiaoxiao, I have always regarded you as my younger sister. After Shen Yuan leaves, I will take care of you for him. I have no other intentions."

"Once you are betrothed, I will send you off to your wedding."

His voice was gentle, yet cold and indifferent.

Perhaps realizing that someone was eavesdropping, Pei Zhiheng's cold gaze instantly turned towards them, only to spot the blue skirt hanging by the plum tree, which looked very familiar.

Xie Rutang was caught off guard and met his gaze.

Upon seeing her and realizing she was eavesdropping, Pei Zhiheng's eyes deepened and darkened, like a lake in the dead of night.

Her heart started pounding.

Seeing his calm, dark eyes fall on her fair face, Xie Rutang understood. The Second Master was, after all, a man full of vigor. He had been a virgin for over twenty years, and now that he had finally tasted the sweetness, he would inevitably think about it every day. It would take at least half a month before he got tired of it and found it boring.

Only she could understand the look in Second Master's eyes.

Xie Rutang clenched her handkerchief tightly, but she was terrified that the Shen family would find out that she was having an affair with Master Pei in Cuiwu Courtyard. She was afraid of being caught in the act!

If Shen Xiaoxiao finds out, wouldn't she kill her?

Upon seeing Pei Zhiheng's radiant figure in the woods, Xie Rutang was so frightened that she turned around and hid behind a plum tree. Her legs went weak and she collapsed. The Second Master was truly lustful, and she still felt lingering fear towards him.

She came to Dao'an Temple with the old lady to worship Buddha, hoping to rest for a few days and take a break.