Upon hearing this, Yunlan asked, "The temple is full of tall, ancient trees, so it's naturally cooler than outside. Is Ninth Sister dressed too lightly?"
An Ran quickly shook her head.
She laughed and said, "I'm not cold. Although it's a bit chilly, I feel even more refreshed."
If Huaping and Qingxing were to leave, wouldn't there be only three people left? Anran looked into the depths of the stele forest, where it seemed to connect to the back mountain, and she felt uneasy.
Yunlan smiled and said nothing more.
An Ran initially thought Yun Lan would just watch from the front for a while, but to her surprise, Yun Lan slowly walked towards the back. The more An Ran thought about it, the more uneasy she became, as if some fierce demon was lurking behind her.
"Fourth Sister, I think it's about time." An Ran couldn't help but say, "I'm afraid my Third Sister will be back soon. Yun Fang and Yun Rui went to the Thousand Buddha Pagoda, so we need to call them back as well."
A smile of apology appeared on Yunfang's face. "I was so engrossed in watching that I forgot the time."
An Ran hurriedly waved her hand.
The two of them were about to walk back hand in hand when Yunfang suddenly looked down and exclaimed in surprise.
"Where did my jade pendant go?" Yunfang was sweating profusely with anxiety. Her face changed instantly, and her eyes turned red.
An Ran glanced at her and, sure enough, the lustrous, translucent jade pendant that usually hung at her waist was gone. An Ran quickly said, "Fourth Sister, don't worry. Think carefully, did you perhaps forget where you put it?"
"I remember it was still here when we first arrived at the Stele Forest. My aunt gave it to me, saying it was a family heirloom." Yunlan, usually so composed and calm, showed a look of panic for the first time. "How could it be gone!"
Yunlan's birth mother was a concubine with a very low profile, so that jade pendant was probably the only precious thing she owned.
"Fourth Sister, we'll help you look for it." Seeing Yunlan looking like she was about to cry, Anran's heart softened, and she advised, "It's probably in the Stele Forest. You haven't been to many places, so we'll find it eventually."
Yunlan's eyes were still filled with tears as she nodded, her voice choked with sobs.
"Huaping and Qingxing, go and look in the west and east." Anran said, "Look carefully, the ones with peach-colored netting should be very conspicuous."
There are quite a few clumps of grass in front of the Stele Forest, which don't seem to have been deliberately pulled, making them a bit difficult to find.
The two agreed and went.
Anran and Yunlan were left alone, and they couldn't just stand there. Yunlan, her eyes red, said to her, "Ninth Sister, go and look around the south side for me. I'll go look around the north side!"
An Ran had no choice but to agree.
As the three figures gradually disappeared into the distance, An Ran's unease returned.
The forest of steles became increasingly serene, solemn, and even somewhat frightening. She stood still, when suddenly, she seemed to hear the sound of boots treading on the grass.
An Ran was startled and didn't dare to look back, so she hurriedly ran outside. But she lost her way in front of a path. The early summer sun shone through the dense canopy, casting dappled light, and a gentle breeze rustled the leaves.
She suddenly panicked.
"Qingxing, Huaping?" Anran called out in a trembling voice, disregarding everything else.
The footsteps behind her seemed to be getting closer and closer. An Ran stopped and ran haphazardly onto a side path.
The more she thought about it, the more frightened she became. Running so fast, she wasn't paying attention to her footing. She nearly tripped over the hem of her skirt. Anran stumbled a few steps, quickly grabbing a nearby tree to steady herself. But a handkerchief from her sleeve had fallen out.
An Ran composed herself before reaching out to pick it up. Just as she looked down, a figure suddenly emerged from behind the tree.
She was so frightened that she hurriedly took two steps back.
"Miss, is this your handkerchief?" A magnetic male voice rang out, and An Ran, who had been desperately lowering her head, was struck dumb.
She stared blankly at the person in front of her, momentarily forgetting to dodge.
Sunlight pierced through the tree canopy, casting a beam of light. She could clearly see the dust motes dancing in the sunlight, and... the person beneath the tree.
The newcomer wore an ivory-white silk robe with royal blue trim, which accentuated his jade-like features. He was tall and handsome, with a slender and upright build. The smile on his face did not come across as obsequious; instead, it conveyed a sense of cheerfulness and warmth.
But Anran felt a chill seeping into her very bones.
After many twists and turns, a lifetime has passed, and she has unexpectedly encountered the person who ruined her in her previous life.
Chen Qian, the eldest son of the wealthy Chen family of Jiangnan, and her husband in her previous life. Readers, you can search for "" to find this site immediately.
Chapter 52 A Twist of Fate
This meeting occurred more than a year earlier than their previous encounter.
Nineteen-year-old Chen Qian was less mature and composed than he was then, but more cheerful and enthusiastic.
Why did I run into Chen Qian here?!
An Ran was in a panic. Her mind went blank, and she only had one thought: to leave this place as soon as possible and get away from Chen Qian's sight.
In fact, that's exactly what she did.
An Ran didn't care about handkerchiefs or jade pendants anymore; she stumbled and ran in the opposite direction, not daring to look back, her heart pounding wildly.
"Miss, Ninth Miss?" Suddenly a familiar female voice came from the front.
An Ran looked up in a panic and found that the person standing in front of her was Qing Xing, who was looking at her with a worried expression.
"Young lady, what's wrong?"
Looking at Qingxing, Anran finally regained her senses. She felt her legs go weak, and she almost collapsed to the ground. Her eyes were red and brimming with tears. She didn't answer any of Qingxing's questions, then suddenly blinked and just kept crying, large tears rolling down her cheeks—a heartbreaking sight.
"Miss, what happened?" Qingxing panicked upon seeing this.
After a while, An Ran gradually calmed down. She felt a little embarrassed and wanted to take out her handkerchief to wipe her tears, but found that her handkerchief was nowhere to be found.