Chapter 102

Ruyun felt that Luo Minghuan's actions were her way of showing interest.

However, when Ruyun thought about it like that, she couldn't help but find it a little strange. After all, the Second Young Madam was still a child.

Most importantly, their genders were incorrect.

Ruyun inwardly sighed as she thought about something that wasn't so nice.

"Can we walk faster, Husband?" Jun Zishu apprehensively asked as she twisted her fingers.

The more Luo Minghuan looked at her little dummy, the more she felt that her little dummy was quite intelligent. Specifically, her little dummy possessed a very strong instinct to avoid harm.

The little dummy could tell apart people with good and bad intentions. She could also tell which side she belonged to. Moreover, despite having a child's intellect, she didn't behave unreasonably like a child.

Luo Minghuan stretched out her hand, her sleeve rolling back slightly and exposing a small section of her wrist. Despite her skin having a pale and sickly tone, she radiated an aura of elegance.

Jun Zishu suddenly realized what made Luo Minghuan different from the Luo family's other members. Besides her depressing illness, what set her apart from the others was her calmness and elegance.

Those uninformed might think that Luo Minghuan was a noble family's delicate young lady judging by her poise and that her elegance was a byproduct of the noble education she received.

However, Luo Minghuan wasn't such a delicate young lady. She was much more resilient than that. She also possessed the shrewdness and competence of a businessman.

Perhaps because of her chronic illness, Luo Minghuan found everything around her to be meaningless. She would always maintain a fake smile when she dealt with others, making it so that others had a difficult time looking straight at her. Thus, those who've dealt with Luo Minghuan before would assume that she was a strong lady.

Yet, that wasn't entirely true since, at times, Luo Minghuan was no different than a reed, weak and prone to collapsing at even the slightest wind. Moreover, hidden underneath that beautiful appearance was a complicated heart.

It took only an instant for Jun Zishu to finish her thoughts. Then, she joyfully placed her hand on top of Luo Minghuan's, allowing Luo Minghuan to hold hands with her.

…

Only a maid and a monk stood outside the temple by the time Jun Zishu and Luo Minghuan arrived before the temple.

"Second Young Miss, the madam and the others have already gone inside. A room has already been assigned to you as well. Should I guide you to it?"

The trip this time wouldn't end with just some simple prayers. The Luo family's ladies would stay overnight and fast for a day as a sign of devotion.

"Mhm."

After guiding Luo Minghuan and Jun Zishu to their room, the maid left.

"Are we not going to go out and pray?" Jun Zishu asked, a confused look on her face as she looked at Luo Minghuan settling into the bed.

"Come here."

Luo Minghuan beckoned at Jun Zishu with her hand, to which Jun Zishu responded by leaning into Luo Minghuan's embrace. Then, she looked at Luo Minghuan with round eyes.

"Yuanyuan, do you believe there are gods in this world?"

"Of course I do. My mother has said that there are gods everywhere, so I need to be a good girl and not do bad things. Otherwise, the gods will punish me," Jun Zishu said with a serious expression. Her voice, though, sounded more curious than fearful.

However, despite what Jun Zishu said, she was a firm atheist in reality…

After all, if karmic cycles truly did exist, why were there so many villains getting away with their crime?

She didn't believe in past lives, either. After all, if two people with the same soul had two different sets of memories, they were essentially two different people.

Jun Zishu believed in law and justice. She wouldn't place her hopes on nebulous things. Of course, she wouldn't stop others from believing these superstitions, either. Everyone had the right to their own beliefs.

"Gods are everywhere?"

When Luo Minghuan said these words, there was faint sarcasm in her voice.

If gods existed, why could evildoers go unpunished?

If gods existed, why would some firm believers still meet with unfortunate fates?

"Do you want to go out and play?"

After a long pause, Luo Minghuan chose to discontinue the topic and brought up a different one.

"Mhm."

Jun Zishu's eyes immediately lit up with joy and anticipation.

When Luo Minghuan saw this expression, she dotingly rubbed Jun Zishu on the head and said, "Go ahead. Have Ruyun follow you. You can go wherever you want, but make sure not to go too far. Don't talk with strangers, either. Come back once you're satisfied, understand?"

Luo Minghuan behaved like a concerned mother reminding her child, fully indicating her worries.

Jun Zishu nodded and left the room. At the same time, she also had Little Fairy keep an eye on Luo Minghuan.

…

There was a very large osmanthus tree in the temple's backyard, so the fragrance of osmanthus lingered around the bed-chamber.

Although Jun Zishu wasn't interested in looking around, she still needed to run around with a child's mentality right now.

Meanwhile, Ruyun dutifully followed Jun Zishu, her eyes never leaving Jun Zishu's back.

While walking around the temple, Jun Zishu came across Luo Ziqi.

The pampered young lady had just walked out of the main hall, her expression neither happy nor unhappy. She carried the smell of incense around her, so she had probably just finished praying.

Jun Zishu decided to visit the main hall. Even if she wasn't interested in praying to whatever god this temple worshipped, it wouldn't hurt to look around.

However, when Jun Zishu walked past Luo Ziqi, the latter suddenly reached out and stopped her.

"What took you so long, Sister-in-law? Are your legs too short or something?" Luo Ziqi asked without a hint of politeness in her voice.

Jun Zishu did not speak, opting to look at Luo Ziqi with a confused expression.

After staring at Jun Zishu for a moment, Luo Ziqi suddenly burst out in laughter.

"I guess this is all that you amount to. You'll have to stay this way for a lifetime. No, you might not even have a life soon," Luo Ziqi openly said. Despite being only 13 years old, she behaved nothing like a child her age. Her expression carried undisguised disgust and ridicule, and her voice carried hints of mockery.

In Luo Ziqi's mind, a woman marrying another woman was already plenty ridiculous. Meanwhile, a medicine jar marrying a fool was even funnier.

Although Luo Ziqi knew that a taoist had suggested the solution for Luo Minghuan's unfortunate fate, she never thought that Luo Minghuan's mother would be so dumb as to believe it. Even on her deathbed, that woman did not forget to remind her husband to carry out this ridiculous solution.

Initially, Luo Ziqi thought that Luo Minghuan's mother was plain dumb. However, after receiving her mother's guidance, she felt that Luo Minghuan's mother was quite smart.

At the very least, before the woman departed, she had helped those three women have children of their own and solidify their position in the Luo Manor. As a result, they gained the qualifications to contend with her mother.

Jun Zishu remained silent, pretending not to understand Luo Ziqi's words.

As for Ruyun, she clenched her fists tightly as she stood behind Jun Zishu. However, she did not rashly open her mouth. If she did, the venomous young lady in front of her would definitely teach her a painful lesson.

"Why aren't you talking? Could it be that you're not only an idiot but also a mute?"

Luo Ziqi nudged Jun Zishu and clicked her tongue.

The word "idiot" seemingly triggered Jun Zishu's switch as she finally showed some reaction.

Ruyun looked at Jun Zishu anxiously, inwardly deciding that she would promptly hold the Second Young Madam back should she get angry.

"I'm not an idiot," Jun Zishu emphasized, pouting her lips unhappily.

Ruyun was at a loss for words. She thought that the Second Young Madam would have a much bigger reaction. Yet, all Jun Zishu did was pout. This situation was truly…frustrating.

Luo Ziqi laughed. Then, she pointed at Jun Zishu and said, "You are an idiot."

The maids standing next to Luo Ziqi covered their mouths and snickered.

"I'm not a mute, either," Jun Zishu added. Then, she turned away to leave.

However, Luo Ziqi kept on agitating Jun Zishu. She even grabbed Jun Zishu's hand and stopped her from leaving.

"I don't like talking with ugly people, so don't talk to me," Jun Zishu said, shaking Luo Ziqi's hand away in annoyance before covering her ears with her hands.

Ruyun's body shook as she tried her best to hold back her laughter.

"Who are you calling ugly?!"

Luo Ziqi was fuming. The idiot dared to call her ugly? How dare she?

"Stop talking to me. I don't want to talk with ugly people." Jun Zishu kept her hands on her ears as she repeated her words. Then, looking at Luo Ziqi as if she were looking at a retard, she continued, "Do you not understand words? Could it be that you're the one who's an idiot?"

Jun Zishu's words were sharp and imposing.

Nobody could stand being called ugly, especially not a girl who was confident in her appearance.

"You… You…"

Luo Ziqi was at a loss on how to respond. She felt that it'd be unbecoming of her to curse in this situation, much less start a fistfight. However, it was also meaningless to continue making sarcastic remarks since the other party couldn't even understand her.

Jun Zishu knew that Luo Ziqi wouldn't make a scene in this public place. Luo Ziqi was just like her mother. Even when they hated someone to the point where they continuously cursed at the other party in her heart, they would still make sure to keep up their appearances.

Unfortunately, Luo Ziqi wasn't as skilled at controlling her emotions as her mother. So, her composure eventually cracked as she started childishly retaliating, saying, "You're the ugly one! You're ugly and stupid! But you two do make a good match for each other. Tsk. You two are practically a match made in heaven."

"You think that my husband and I are a good match? I think she and I are a match made in heaven as well."

Jun Zishu removed her hands from her ears and clapped, looking very happy.

Before Luo Ziqi could laugh at Jun Zishu's stupidity, Jun Zishu's following words caused her face to stiffen.

"Although I don't agree with what you said in the first half, what you said in the second half is correct. I guess you're not all that ugly after all. Though you are still slightly uglier than me and this much uglier than my husband," Jun Zishu said, gesturing with her hands and fingers to get her point across.

"Thank you very much, oh match made in heaven," Jun Zishu said, smiling. Then, she walked away while humming happily.

Ruyun pinched the palm of her hand to prevent herself from laughing. At the same time, she thought to herself, Oh my god. The Second Young Madam's delighted look is so cute!