Yunrui was young and quite close to Third Sister, so she spoke quickly: "We went to the Stele Forest first, but it wasn't very interesting, so Fifth Sister and I went to the Thousand Buddha Pagoda. Ninth Sister and Fourth Sister stayed in the Stele Forest for a long time, I wonder what they found interesting."
Upon hearing this, Third Sister looked at An Ran and smiled, "I didn't know that my Ninth Sister could understand the calligraphy of famous calligraphers. She is also a playful person. Indeed, one is influenced by one's company. It seems that when we go back, she will have to learn more from Lan Niang."
“I knew it! Ninth Sister definitely wanted to go to the Thousand Buddha Pagoda with us! But Fourth Sister also asked her to stay, so Ninth Sister was too embarrassed.” Yunfang revealed from the side, “I thought Ninth Sister also liked calligraphy and painting!”
Third Sister smiled and shook her head: "You can tell by looking at her handwriting; it's just neat and legible."
An Ran smiled to herself.
Upon hearing this, Yunlan's lips twitched slightly, but she remained silent. Ultimately, due to her ulterior motives and lack of confidence, she smiled but didn't speak.
She was naturally feeling guilty.
"I was just following Fourth Sister to broaden my horizons, what, are you all going to laugh at me for this?" An Ran raised an eyebrow and said, "I've made up my mind to study calligraphy properly. If I don't understand something, Fourth Sister will naturally explain it to me. I've learned a lot from following Fourth Sister today."
Since An Ran had put it this way, Yun Lan couldn't very well remain silent.
“Ninth Sister is naturally intelligent and quick to understand.” Yunlan could only make up a lie on the spot: “Given time, with more observation and contemplation, and by internalizing it, Ninth Sister will naturally improve a lot.”
"From now on, I will have to ask Fourth Sister for advice more often," An Ran said with a smile to Yun Lan.
An Ran kept the matter of the jade pendant a secret, but Yun Lan wasn't at ease. Only by being able to speak frankly could one show indifference and show that the other party wasn't bothered. The more easily An Ran let it go, the more Yun Lan felt that things weren't over.
"It's not really asking for advice, it's just discussing things," Yunlan said with a smile, but there was a hint of reluctance in her smile.
Perhaps An Ran is not as gentle, weak, beautiful, and brainless as she appears.
"I just saw that Lady Qingxiang and her young ladies have also arrived. Let's go and say hello in a bit." San Niang was unaware of the undercurrents between Yunlan and Anran. She said to Yunfang and the others, "After we finish our vegetarian meal, we'll head back to the manor."
After wandering around outside for a while, Anran, Yunfang, and the others went to their respective rooms to rest and comb their hair and tidy their clothes.
Once Anran entered the west wing, Qingxing closed the door and eagerly asked, "Miss, what happened in the Stele Forest just now?"
An Ran knew that her breakdown and tears had frightened Qing Xing, so she gently comforted her, "Don't worry." She casually mentioned that she had taken the wrong turn and seemed to see a man's figure, so she quickly ran back.
After listening, Qingxing looked at Anran with a mixture of belief and doubt.
Their young lady was always calm and composed. When she heard that she was to be sent to the Prince as a concubine, she didn't shed a single tear in front of them. Although it was true that an unmarried girl meeting a man alone would inevitably tarnish her reputation, there was no one else in the Stele Forest. The young lady saw him from afar and avoided him, so she was definitely not that panicked.
A hint of bitterness crept into An Ran's smile.
She lost her composure.
She thought she was fully prepared, but the moment she saw Chen Qian again, all her hopes vanished. In her past life, she died young and suffered greatly; perhaps heaven had taken pity on her and given her a second chance. All she wanted was to stay far away from Chen Qian. Her hasty departure from Yangzhou to the capital was, in part, an attempt to avoid him.
But the moment she saw Chen Qian, all the memories of her past life suddenly flooded her mind: the sweet words they had exchanged, Chen Qian's gradual indifference, Ding's torment, the concubine's oppression, and the blow of Chen Qian taking another wife...
Later, he was left alone on his sickbed, his face pale and weak, his wrists thin as a rake, his vision growing blurrier day by day, and Qingxing and Qingmei's tearful eyes...
All those things she desperately tried to forget came flooding back the moment she saw Chen Qian.
In her previous life, both her happiness and pain stemmed from Chen Qian. Although her life had changed completely since her rebirth, and she felt she had been given a new lease on life, she realized that the past still clung to her, and she had not escaped its influence at all.
In any case, this life is completely different from the past.
An Ran repeatedly reminded herself that she and Chen Qian did not know each other and would never have any contact in the future.
She let out a long breath.
"We'll talk about the rest when we get back," Anran said, seeing that Qingxing still seemed hesitant to speak.
Qingxing nodded obediently.
Seeing that An Ran's hair was a little loose, she quickly reached out to help An Ran smooth it with a comb, and then deftly tidied An Ran's clothes, which were a little disheveled from running around.
“Ninth Miss, I’m coming in,” Huaping’s voice rang out from outside.
An Ran responded.
Hua Ping held two eggs in her hands. She curtsied to An Ran and said, "The Crown Princess asked me to bring these to you. Just now, the Crown Princess asked me why your eyes were a little swollen. I just said that you got dust in your eyes and rubbed them yourself."
Anran nodded with satisfaction.
Hua Ping probably sensed something was wrong, but it wasn't the time to discuss these things outside.
Hua Ping peeled the boiled egg and gently rolled it across An Ran's eyelids. "It wouldn't be good for outsiders to see this, they might think something has happened. The Lady of Qingxiang Marquis is a gossip, if she sees something amiss, who knows what rumors will spread."
Fortunately, Anran's swollen and shiny eyelids improved considerably after rolling an egg on them for a while. Qingxing brought hot water and helped Anran wash her face, while Huaping carefully reapplied her makeup.
Hua Ping took the target scope and placed it in front of An Ran.
The beautiful face in the mirror no longer showed any sign of imperfection.
“It’s about time, Miss. You should go to the Crown Princess’s place.” Huaping said to Anran, “We’ll be seeing Lady Qingxiang in a little while.”
Anran agreed and got up.
Third Sister led the four of them to the courtyard where Lady Qingxiang was resting, which was not far from their own courtyard.
Yunfang and the others were naturally familiar with Lady Qingxiang, but they had only met Anran once before at the banquet. Lady Qingxiang praised Anran for her poise, beauty, and charm, and even asked Anran how old she was.
Lady Qingxiang brought one legitimate daughter and two illegitimate daughters with her. The legitimate daughter was the same age as Anran and Yunfang, while the illegitimate daughters were fifteen and fourteen years old, similar in age to Yunlan.
When Third Sister was talking to the Lady of Qingxiang, the girls gathered together.
Lady Qingxiang observed Anran several more times without making a sound. Seeing Anran amused by someone, her radiant smile was captivating. She lowered her voice and asked Third Sister, "Is your younger sister betrothed?"
Third Sister smiled and shook her head.