Song Wanchu was fidgety and anxious.
She knew Liang Yuzhou's capabilities and charm only too well. As long as he wanted, a single look could make an innocent young girl like Chu Yueying fall head over heels for him.
She couldn't just stand by and watch Chu Yueying get in too deep.
"Ying'er, he's a Taoist priest. There's no future for you two."
Chu Yueying didn't seem to care. "So what if he's a Taoist priest? Taoist priests can defrock. I think he must have become a monk on a whim. When he finds the right person, he'll naturally leave the priesthood."
She had only met Liang Yuzhou a few times and probably spoken no more than ten words to him, yet she was already so smitten.
Song Wanchu got a bit tougher. "Even if he defrocks, it won't help. Your parents won't be willing to marry you off to a penniless Taoist priest."
Chu Yueying pouted. "My parents said they won't force me to marry or make me have a political marriage. Whenever I meet someone I like, rich or poor, they'll support me."
Song Wanchu was at a loss for words.
Her uncle and aunt were open - minded, but such words were probably just to comfort her. When it came to marrying their daughter, they would surely look for a family of equal standing.
But this wasn't something she, as an elder cousin, should say.
She could only be patient and continue to try to talk Chu Yueying out of it. "You don't really know him at all. What if he's a heartless, fickle, cold - blooded liar? Just like the heir of the Duke's Mansion I married before."
The young girl was just starting to have her first stirrings of love, with no romantic experience. Song Wanchu couldn't describe to her the pain of being deceived and hurt to the core by the one she loved.
Chu Yueying blinked her clear eyes and looked at Song Wanchu in confusion.
She didn't understand why her usually gentle and mild - mannered elder sister had suddenly become so agitated.
"Sister, it seems you have a big grudge against Taoist Priest Qingzhou."
She didn't know that Taoist Priest Qingzhou was actually Liang Yuzhou, the heir of the Duke's Mansion that Song Wanchu had mentioned. She could only guess based on her own thoughts. "You don't know him either. How can you say he's the same as that heartless heir of the Duke's Mansion?"
Song Wanchu was really in a bind.
The young girl had fallen head over heels in love. At this moment, she wouldn't listen to anything.
If she said too much, the girl would only get annoyed and think she was deliberately trying to dampen her spirits.
Song Wanchu felt annoyed.
For the rest of the journey, Chu Yueying didn't talk to her anymore. She just pouted and sulked.
The young girl's secret longings were shy and full of passion. The first person she thought of sharing them with was Sister Wanchu. Who would have thought that the first person to know would also be the first to try to stop her.
The atmosphere in the carriage was a bit stiff.
When they arrived at Songhe Taoist Temple, Chu Yueying jumped out of the carriage without looking back.
Song Wanchu watched the angry back of the young girl and shook her head helplessly.
A complaint against Liang Yuzhou welled up in her heart.
At the main entrance of Songhe Taoist Temple, Taoist Priest Qiu had already led the other Taoist priests to welcome them.
He was dressed in a purple Taoist robe, looking solemn and dignified. His white hair fluttered, and his eyes were bright, looking like an otherworldly immortal.
When Shi Luohan saw Taoist Priest Qiu for the first time, he was deeply shocked.
Without even having to fight, he could tell that this man was an extremely powerful master.
Who would have thought that this small Yunzhou could also hide such a talent.
Grandma Chu beamed and bowed to Taoist Priest Qiu with folded hands. "Old immortal, we meet again. We have to thank you for teaching such a good disciple. He's really helped our family a great deal."
The dirty business of Qian trying to poison Ning and Chu Hao'an sending the girdle to Wanchu naturally couldn't be mentioned in such a sacred and pure place as the Taoist temple.
Grandma Chu just hinted at it, and Taoist Priest Qiu understood.
"Qingzhou has a natural inclination, high understanding, and is very hard - working. I've just given him a few pointers."
Song Wanchu didn't see Liang Yuzhou among the Taoist priests.
She let out a slight sigh of relief.
Chu Yueying looked around for a long time. Not seeing Liang Yuzhou, her disappointment was hard to hide.
The religious ceremony and prayer lasted from noon until sunset.
Burning incense, paying respects, chanting scriptures, and sitting in meditation - each task was quite tiring.
In the evening, Taoist Priest Qiu prepared a vegetarian feast for the Chu family.
As the most respected Taoist priest, Grandma Chu invited him to join them at the table.
"Is this Miss Song?"
Song Wanchu was stunned. She looked up and met Taoist Priest Qiu's gaze.
The old man had a kind smile. His eyes were sharp but also kind and amiable, not intimidating at all.
"Does the Taoist priest know me?"
Taoist Priest Qiu smiled mysteriously. "Sure enough, she has an extremely noble destiny."
Grandma Chu looked at Song Wanchu with a beaming smile and praised her. "Wanchu is intelligent, elegant, and dignified. I wish she were my granddaughter."
She felt a little regretful. If only she didn't have an engagement with Shi Luohan.
There were quite a few outstanding young men in the Chu family. If Wanchu could marry into the Chu family, after Ning, there would be another capable mistress.
Suddenly, like a flash of lightning in her mind, when Taoist Priest Qiu said that Wanchu had an extremely noble destiny, she inexplicably thought of Taoist Priest Qingzhou.
There seemed to be some kind of similar aura about them.
Chu Yueying couldn't wait any longer since she still hadn't seen Liang Yuzhou. "Taoist priest, why isn't Taoist Priest Qingzhou here?"
Taoist Priest Qiu raised his eyebrows imperceptibly. His eyes swept across Song Wanchu's face.
Looking at the expectant eyes of the young girl, he winked mysteriously. "He's naturally busy with his own business."
Grandma Chu stared into her granddaughter's eyes. "Girls shouldn't pry into things."
"Grandma, I... I didn't!" Chu Yueying felt a bit guilty. "Taoist Priest Qingzhou helped our family get rid of the evil spirits. I just wanted to thank him in person."
Grandma Chu looked at her granddaughter's blushing face and seemed to understand something.
They would be staying at the Taoist temple for one night. They would go up the mountain to watch the sunrise the next morning before going home.
"Thanking Taoist Priest Qingzhou is my and your father's business. How can you, a young girl, say such things?"
Grandma Chu scolded her gently. "It's been a long time since you've stayed with me. You'll stay with me tonight."
Song Wanchu knew that this was to prevent Chu Yueying from sneaking out to find Liang Yuzhou at night.
With Grandma Chu keeping an eye on her, Song Wanchu felt much more at ease.
After the meal, a young Taoist priest brought in some snacks.
A plate of date - paste cloud cake was placed in front of Song Wanchu.
It was just an ordinary snack, and she didn't pay much attention to it. She picked it up and took a bite.
She was stunned.
The taste...
It was exactly the same as the date - paste cloud cake from Xunxiang Ji in the capital!
It couldn't be. This place was a thousand miles away from the capital. No one could replicate the taste of Xunxiang Ji.
"What do you think of this date - paste cloud cake, Miss Song?"
Taoist Priest Qiu asked with a smile.
It was as if someone had thrown a huge stone into her calm heart lake, creating ripples that shook her chest.
Her mouth suddenly went dry. The bite she had taken now tasted a bit bitter along with the sweetness.
"The taste is excellent," she praised, but she couldn't eat any more.
Taoist Priest Qiu's kind and wise eyes seemed to be able to see through everything.
"When the intention is there, the taste is naturally excellent."
Song Wanchu didn't say anything else.
At night, more than fifty people from the Chu family, including the young and old, servants, and maids, stayed at Songhe Taoist Temple.
Grandma Chu was especially concerned about Song Wanchu. She specifically asked Taoist Priest Qiu to prepare a separate small courtyard for her.
Song Wanchu was already very tired. Nanzhi served her while she changed clothes and washed up. Suyue and another maid named Huasui were organizing things.
Suddenly, Huasui ran in in a hurry, her eyes teary.
"Miss... This servant... This servant..." She sniffled and couldn't speak clearly.
Song Wanchu handed her a handkerchief and said softly, "Don't be afraid. Take your time and tell me."
"The parcel with Miss's undergarments that was in the carriage is gone!"
When Nanzhi and Suyue heard this, their faces immediately changed.
There were only Taoist priests in Songhe Taoist Temple, which were basically a bunch of young men. If the undergarments, such intimate items, were lost and picked up by a Taoist priest, and if things got out of hand, Miss's reputation would be ruined!
No wonder Huasui was so scared that she was crying. This was no small matter!
Song Wanchu remained relatively calm. She told Nanzhi and Suyue, "Don't scare Huasui. Go with her and look for it along the way. Keep your voices down. Don't alarm Grandma."
At the same time, in Liang Yuzhou's room.
Taoist Priest Qiu was dangling a brocade - wrapped parcel on his finger, grinning at him.