Nan Yuan'er hugged her head, burying her face between her knees, and cowered in the corner of the bed.
She remembered none of the things the maid had mentioned. The last image that remained in her mind was of herself walking through the corridor after breakfast, stepping through the archway into the front courtyard. Then what? What happened afterward? She couldn't recall when she entered the study, what she said to her father in the study, nor when she left. She didn't remember what she ate for lunch or when she went to the lake.
The next time she had any memory was the moment the maid woke her up.
Why was this happening?
Where were her memories? Did she have soul loss? Or was her mind clouded by some malevolent entity?
No, this wasn't normal. She had to find her father… Nan Yuan'er was about to get out of bed when she immediately shrank back.
No, she couldn't find her father. Her father wanted a daughter who could marry into the imperial palace and become the empress. If her father knew she had a problem, she didn't know if he would worry or what he would do. She only knew one thing: her father didn't love her; he loved the things she could bring him higher status and power.
The maid peeked through the crack at Nan Yuan'er, who was inexplicably terrified and uneasy, her brows furrowed.
What was wrong with Miss?
The next morning, after breakfast, Nan Yuan'er decided to visit Qing Shan Temple.
"Miss is going to Qing Shan Temple?"
The maid was slightly taken aback. The New Year festival had passed, and it wasn't the first or the fifteenth of the month. Why was Miss going to Qing Shan Temple?
Nan Yuan'er nodded, her face a little pale, a hint of sadness in her eyes. "I've been dreaming of my mother frequently these past few days. My mother..." As she spoke, she was overcome with grief and burst into tears.
She dreamed of Madam?
No wonder she wanted to go to Qing Shan Temple!
The carriage drove towards Qing Shan Temple. After leaving the city and reaching the halfway point of the mountain, they were blocked by a carriage returning from the summit.
Qing Shan Temple was closed!
"Closed again?"
Nan Yuan'er frowned. Qing Shan Temple had opened its doors on the fifteenth of the first lunar month. Why was it closed again now?
"Go ask what happened."
Nan Yuan'er sent the maid to inquire about the reason.
A moment later, the maid returned. "Miss, they say the abbot of Qing Shan Temple is unwell and perhaps… perhaps he is not long for this world. Therefore, Qing Shan Temple has been closed to visitors for a period of time."
Nan Yuan'er pressed further, "Did they say when it would open?"
The maid shook her head. "No. It's unlikely to open anytime soon."
With Qing Shan Temple closed to visitors, Nan Yuan'er intended to turn back towards Lin Yin Temple. But the words had barely left her lips when she suddenly froze.
"Miss? Miss?"
After the maid called out for a long time, Nan Yuan'er blinked. She grabbed the hand waving in front of her eyes. Her dazed gaze was once again filled with light.
"Let's go. Turn back."
"Yes, Miss!"
The maid instructed the coachman to turn around. Nan Yuan'er sat back down, leaning against the carriage body and closing her eyes to rest. Thinking of something, the corners of her lips curved upward.
Miss seemed to be in a good mood?
The maid looked at her with a searching gaze.
Nan Yuan'er suddenly spoke, "If you don't want your eyes anymore, you can continue to stare at me like that."
Her voice was laced with laughter, but the maid heard a chilling malice in it. She quickly lowered her head.
...
In the recent period, the turmoil gradually subsided. The murder case that occurred during the Lantern Festival had been forgotten by the public, and the streets and alleys were lively again.
Li Hao noticed a significant increase in pedestrians during his patrols recently. Yun Lan Street and Chang Ling Street were bustling with traffic.
Time passed quickly, and February soon arrived.
Since failing to visit Qing Shan Temple that day, Nan Yuan'er had developed a habit of remembering things. However, she would only recall and write down some things during specific periods of the day, often discarding them aside for most of the time.
Recently, Nan Yuan'er had been swamped with work. After the successive deaths of her mother, Madam Liu, and her stepmother, Madam Wang, the management of the Nan household was handed over to her. With Nan Yujin's wedding fast approaching, imperial envoys had sent a governess to guide her in organizing and arranging the affairs. Although it was the Nan household's wedding banquet, it concerned Lin Yuan's reputation, so it could not be taken lightly.
"Hang the lanterns there, yes, yes, straighten them up. And these items, place them all in the banquet hall…"
The governess from the palace exuded an aura of natural authority simply by standing there. The servants of the Nan household dared not slack off or fool around in front of her. Nan Yuan'er stood to the side, observing her demeanor, and a faint smile played on her lips.
The governess glanced at Nan Yuan'er from the corner of her eye, her heart sinking slightly. She had displayed her full authoritative presence these past few days. For any ordinary noble lady, even if she showed respect due to her position as an imperial governess, she would likely have been unable to endure such treatment. Even if unwilling to confront, she would surely show a hint of displeasure. Yet, this Miss Nan, from beginning to end, maintained an attitude of complete compliance. If she hadn't heard of her character and conduct beforehand, she might have mistaken her for a meek pushover!
This young lady was indeed a ruthless character who concealed her true emotions!