Three questions hit her one after another, and Zhang Lingyue knew that what had happened yesterday had been exposed.
However, she wasn't overly surprised, as this was well within her expectations.
The betrothal that had been agreed upon was suddenly called off by the other side. Her mother was bound to investigate, and Qinghe was such a small place. So, her meeting with Scholar Luo yesterday was sure to be discovered by her.
Then, by connecting these two things, the truth could be guessed for the most part.
Zhang Lingyue didn't defend herself. She placed the water on the stone table and knelt down at her mother's feet of her own accord.
"Do you admit that you ruined this betrothal?"
"Yes."
"Slap!"
The slap landed.
Although it was Zhang Lingyue who was hit, Mrs. Zhang shed tears first. She lovingly pulled her daughter into her arms and cried, unable to hide her distress, "Yue'er, please, forget about him, okay? You two have no future together!"
The life of her biological father stood between them, dooming Lin Zihan and Zhang Lingyue to never be together in this lifetime.
Zhang Lingyue understood this truth, and so did Lin Zihan. In fact, they had long since given up the idea of marrying each other. Only Mrs. Zhang, as an outsider, always thought they might rekindle their old feelings and was on tenterhooks all day long.
"Mother, I've already told you that I won't marry anyone in this lifetime! I ruined this betrothal not for Brother Zihan."
Breaking free from her mother's embrace, Zhang Lingyue tightly held Mrs. Zhang's hand, looked into her eyes, and said word by word, "Mother, I've made up my mind. After I finish mourning Father, I'll go to Cian Nunnery to become a nun and atone for Father's sins!"
...
Lin Zihan saw Zhang Lingyue again on the day before the New Year's Festival.
It snowed heavily that day. When Zhang Lingyue opened the door and saw the visitor, her eyes were full of surprise.
"Zi... Lord Lin?"
"Tomorrow is the New Year's Festival. I've come to bring you and Mistress some New - Year goods and then I'll leave." With that, he put down the things in his hands and was about to turn around and leave.
"Wait..."
Mrs. Zhang didn't know when she had come to the front yard. The two words just now were from her mouth, but her expression towards Lin Zihan was still unfriendly.
"Come in. I have something to talk to you about."
This was the first time Mrs. Zhang had spoken to Lin Zihan in such a gentle tone since Prime Minister Zhang's death. Even though her face was still unpleasant, he hurriedly picked up the things and followed Mistress into the house.
Watching their departing backs, Zhang Lingyue fell into thought. Then she closed the door and went into her own room.
She could almost imagine what her mother would say to Brother Zihan. It was nothing more than asking him to persuade her to give up the idea of becoming a nun.
Since she had revealed her true feelings to Mrs. Zhang that day, Zhang Lingyue's life had become much easier. She no longer had to worry about marrying a man she didn't like in the future, and Mrs. Zhang no longer always harped on Lin Zihan.
Moreover, Mrs. Zhang mentioned Lin Zihan more often in front of her daughter than before.
The reason, of course, was to change her daughter's mind about becoming a nun.
It was half an hour later when someone knocked on the door. Zhang Lingyue answered, and the person outside pushed the door open and came in on their own. It was none other than Lin Zihan.
Zhang Lingyue watched him walk towards her against the light, step by step approaching her, and finally stop at a relatively appropriate distance.
Not too intimate, nor too distant.
"Brother Zihan, are you here to persuade me?" Zhang Lingyue took the initiative.
Lin Zihan didn't answer immediately. He first nodded slightly, then shook his head. Afraid she wouldn't understand, he then said, "Yue'er, have you really made up your mind?"
"If you had asked me this question a year ago, I might not have been able to give you an answer. But now, I've made up my mind!"
If a year ago, Zhang Lingyue's decision to become a nun was to escape, then now she was facing reality.
"Since you've made your decision, then even if I say more, it should be meaningless, right?"
Zhang Lingyue just smiled and didn't say a word, which was a silent admission.
Lin Zihan also smiled, and then, as if thinking of something, suddenly changed the topic, "Yue'er, do you know why I came to Rongcheng to be the prefect?"
Rongcheng was a prefecture in the south of the Great Qi, and Qinghe was just a county under its jurisdiction.
"Is it because of me?" Zhang Lingyue guessed.
She still remembered that when she left the capital a few years ago, Brother Zihan had just been appointed as the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue by the emperor, in charge of the entire dynasty's finances. It had only been a few years. Even if he had made a big mistake, considering his past merits, the emperor wouldn't have demoted him to Rongcheng.
"Yes."
Lin Zihan didn't hide it. "I made up my mind when I saw you off from the capital that year. After the world was at peace, I would come to Qinghe to accompany you and Mistress. I've already let Master down, but I can't let you suffer anymore."
Originally, Lin Zihan's plan was to resign from office, but the emperor wouldn't let him go. Helpless, he had to compromise and begged the emperor to let him be the prefect of Rongcheng.
"So, if you've really made up your mind, don't worry about Mistress. I'll take good care of her."
"Thank you, Brother Zihan!"
...
It was another freezing winter.
On the day when Zhang Lingyue finished her mourning period, Lin Zihan rushed to Qinghe overnight. He watched as she came out of the house and put on a light - gray Taoist robe.
"I... I'll take you to Cian Nunnery."
"Okay."
Over the past year, Mrs. Zhang had gradually accepted the fact that her daughter was going to become a nun, but when this day finally came, she was still timid after all.
So, the task of taking Zhang Lingyue to the nunnery fell to Lin Zihan.
Cian Nunnery was on a mountain near Qinghe. The distance wasn't far, and it would only take an hour to go there and back. After Zhang Lingyue knelt in front of her mother's room and kowtowed three times, she got into the carriage and left home with Lin Zihan.
Not far out of the city, there was a mountain road. The snow from a few days ago had made the road muddy and difficult to walk on. Zhang Lingyue immediately decided to abandon the carriage and walk. Lin Zihan also dismounted and accompanied her on her side.
The two were very tacit and didn't say a word, as if they both understood that silence was the best choice.
I don't know how long they had walked when suddenly snow began to fall from the sky.
Zhang Lingyue subconsciously reached out to catch it, but found that as soon as the snowflake landed on her palm, it melted into a small pool of snow - water, just like the quicksand in her hand. The tighter she held it, the faster it was lost.
Even before she could get it, she had already lost it.
The snow fell more and more heavily, and the two had to quicken their steps. Finally, before they were completely exhausted, they saw the outline of Cian Nunnery.
But at this moment, a sudden sense of timidity welled up in Zhang Lingyue's heart. Once she stepped through that door, she would no longer be Zhang Lingyue. She suddenly stopped and turned to look at the man beside her.
She saw that his black hair had long been dyed pure white by the heavy snow. She thought that her own hair should look no better.
Zhang Lingyue suddenly bent down and laughed. Tears slid down the corners of her eyes. "Brother Zihan, do you think this counts as fulfilling our promise back then?"
Even though they were destined to have no future together in this lifetime, at least they had grown old together once.
Lin Zihan instantly understood the unspoken meaning in her words and nodded solemnly, "It counts!"
...
Time went back many years ago.
At that time, Lin Zihan and Zhang Lingyue had just been betrothed for a short time.
Even though she usually strictly adhered to the etiquette of a well - bred young lady, in front of her sweetheart, Zhang Lingyue couldn't help showing her coquettishness as a young girl.
"Brother Zihan, will we always be together?"
"Yes! Even when we're both old and our hair is white, I won't let go of your hand!"