"So, it seems that Ye Qingran wasn't successful today!" Yun Qianyue sighed. That monk was truly against her!
"Miss, what do you mean by Ye Qingran's success?" Cai Lian asked.
"Of course, I mean finding a way to push Rongjing into monastic life," Yun Qianyue replied.
"Oh dear, Miss! Didn't I tell you? The Young Master Rong is never going to become a monk. He is the sole heir of the Rong family. No matter how much you dislike him, you can't hope for him to renounce the world!" Cai Lian reproached, narrowing her eyes at Yun Qianyue. "The Young Master Rong treats you very well; it's too ungrateful to wish for his monastic life."
Yun Qianyue huffed, acknowledging that her desire for his renunciation was indeed unreasonable, so she fell silent.
"However, when I returned and found you asleep, I thought I'd go to the prayer tree to pray for you and my grandmother. But then I unexpectedly saw the Crown Prince questioning the Fourth Prince. I had to hide behind a rock to listen. The Crown Prince was furious, saying he had clearly instructed the Fourth Prince to extinguish the firewood used for roasting fish, so why was there almost a fire on the mountain? The Fourth Prince simply replied that he forgot. The Crown Prince seemed very angry, but he couldn't do anything to the Fourth Prince." Cai Lian lowered her voice, leaning closer to Yun Qianyue.
"Hmm." Yun Qianyue nodded, thinking that the Fourth Prince probably didn't even care about the fire.
"When the Crown Prince finally stormed off, the Fourth Prince just smirked ominously. It makes sense now; you're so clever, Miss," Cai Lian exclaimed.
"If I were the Fourth Prince, I wouldn't have just let that fire die out. I would have used that chance to fan the flames and burn down the mountain. That way, he would benefit greatly—both I and Ye Qingran would be in trouble, and the Crown Prince would be in jeopardy too. If a fire broke out on Xiangquan Mountain during the festival, it would be catastrophic. Yet, if the Fourth Prince had simply forgotten about the fire, he wouldn't have survived in the palace for this long," Yun Qianyue said indifferently.
"Miss?" Cai Lian was shocked.
Realizing her bluntness, Yun Qianyue quickly smiled at her. "I was just thinking that if this place burned down, it would be great. I wouldn't have to listen to a bunch of monks chanting all day, driving me mad and keeping me awake at night."
Cai Lian exhaled and looked at Yun Qianyue with exasperation. "Miss, the prayer festival lasts only three days. You might be here for just a few days. You can't burn down Xiangquan Mountain just because you can't sleep well during this time! Just think about the beautiful scenery here—the half-branch lotus and the fragrant magnolia are blooming so vividly. And what about the fish you enjoyed? If everything here were burned down, wouldn't it ruin the river's fish too?"
"Yeah, that's true! Thankfully, the Fourth Prince isn't that ruthless!" Yun Qianyue remembered the delicious roasted fish and sighed, realizing it would be a pity if everything burned down.
"And what about you, Miss? If something happened today, especially after the fire at Wangchun Tower, and now there was a fire at Xiangquan Mountain, you'd surely end up in prison! The Fourth Prince does seem to care about you. I guess that's why he didn't go ahead with it. The Fourth Prince isn't soft-hearted, but he also isn't stupid; he knows how to consider the consequences." Cai Lian quietly explained.
"Hmm, you're right. The Fourth Prince doesn't seem to be someone who shows mercy easily. But he may not be considering me at all; he might have his own plans! In that case, even if Ye Qingran and I were punished, the Fourth Prince would only face negligence charges. Since the Fourth Prince was instructed to extinguish the fire, he would share some responsibility for not putting it out. He wouldn't harm himself while dragging others down with him." Yun Qianyue nodded thoughtfully.
"Right! I think that's why the Fourth Prince didn't make things worse." Cai Lian agreed wholeheartedly.
"Enough about them; it's really bothersome! I'm hungry. Where's the food?" Yun Qianyue waved her hand dismissively. The rivalry between the Fourth Prince and the Crown Prince was their issue, not hers.
"The Young Master Rong's servant, Xian Ge, came earlier and told me that the Young Master said you should join him for dinner. That's why I didn't prepare anything," Cai Lian replied quietly. "Miss, if you're hungry, I can go check the west wing to see if the Young Master has returned. If not, I can head to Lingyin Master's place to look for him. His residence is right next to where we're staying."
"Who's going to eat with him? No way! You go and make something now!" Yun Qianyue waved her hand at Cai Lian.
"Miss, the Young Master said we don't belong to the temple, so we don't have to worry about the food. He instructed his staff to make 'Hibiscus Fish' using fish from the river in Xiangquan Mountain! Are you sure you don't want to go? I can't make it, and even the cooks in our manor can't make it. Even Mama Zhao wouldn't know how to make 'Hibiscus Fish!'" Cai Lian looked at Yun Qianyue with concern.
"Of course, I'll eat! Why wouldn't I? Go and call him back for dinner now!" Yun Qianyue immediately insisted.
"Alright, I'll go right now!" Cai Lian chuckled as she ran off, knowing that whenever it came to eating, playing, or sleeping, Yun Qianyue was the most enthusiastic of all. She suspected that the Young Master knew Yun Qianyue wouldn't want to go to him for dinner, which is why he'd said that.
Yun Qianyue was already imagining the taste of the Hibiscus Fish. Would it be even more delicious than Ye Qingran's lotus leaf grilled fish? Just thinking about it made her restless. As soon as Cai Lian left, she opened her door and walked out.
The night air in the mountain temple was refreshing, tinged with a coolness that came from the mountains and waters.
Yun Qianyue pushed open the gate to the west wing, where it was pitch black. She sniffed the air but couldn't catch even a whiff of fish, causing her to frown. Looking around, the courtyard was empty; not a person or a trace of fish was in sight. Turning to leave, she suddenly thought, since Rongjing mentioned fish, there had to be fish! If there wasn't any, it wouldn't do—she absolutely needed him to conjure up Hibiscus Fish for her! Determined, she walked toward the main house, ready to wait for him.
————
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This is a story of rebirth and rise: she was once the number one ranked international spy, a master of firearms, assassination, and hacking. But fate took a twist, and she's reborn as an ordinary ninth-grade student, facing a weak and helpless family and countless challenges. Yet to her, weakness is just a facade—she uses her calm and strength to strike back, gradually revealing the prowess of her former life as a spy.
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