Mei Fei, though feeling a bit strange, still answered honestly, "I'm from Cangzhou, the state bordering the Qinghuang Kingdom. My parents were minor Gu masters. When I was ten, they were murdered, and I've been wandering alone ever since."
"Your biological parents?"
Mei Fei was a little surprised. "I never asked, but... shouldn't they be biological? Which child would question if their parents were their biological ones?"
Bai Sheng stepped forward, tugged on her master's sleeve, and whispered, "Master, are you taking a census?"
Elder Wu snapped back to attention, instantly regaining her usual demeanor. "Apologies, Consort Mei bears a striking resemblance to an old acquaintance of mine, which is why I asked a few extra questions."
Mei Fei smiled, "Elder Wu, you don't need to be polite. It's fine to ask a few more questions; I don't mind."
Elder Wu glanced at Mei Fei again and nodded faintly.
Seeing Elder Wu busy with alchemy, Mei Fei didn't want to disturb her further. She took Bai Sheng's hand and bid farewell to Elder Wu.
Bai Sheng felt her master had been rather unusual after seeing Consort Mei. As it wasn't convenient to ask with Consort Mei present, she decided to discuss it with her master when she had time.
When people have a mouth, anything between family and friends can be resolved by talking it out. Keeping things bottled up would only lead to discomfort.
On the noon of Lunar New Year's Day, several tables were set up in the dining hall, with the children seated at their own separate table.
Si Zai had successfully integrated into the group of children and ate without needing any supervision.
However, Lu Huo worried they might choke, so she sat at the children's table. Her presence instantly made the children look like miniature figures.
The adults clinked glasses, their laughter and conversations filling the room, creating a lively atmosphere.
Bai Sheng kept a close eye on her master at the dining table and noticed her glancing at Consort Mei from time to time, her brow deeply furrowed.
Her master definitely had something on her mind!
Bai Sheng was certain of her thought.
The New Year's Day lunch lasted until the afternoon.
Bai Sheng instructed Aunt Ding and Tian Guihua not to prepare too much for dinner, suggesting they simply make dumplings. If anyone got hungry later, they could easily cook some. Eating rich food every day could become tiresome.
Mei Fei had drunk too much and was helped back to her room by A Dong to rest.
Lu Hua, Lu Yin, and Ding Xiang, along with a group of other girls, sat under the sun, embroidering and chatting, their silver-like laughter occasionally ringing out.
Others resumed their games of Mahjong and "Dou Dizhu."
Prince Yu, Lu Ye, Third Uncle, and Feng Pingyuan sat at a table playing "Da Sheng Ji." A crowd of spectators surrounded them.
Prince Yu boldly declared his intention to beat Lu Ye to a pulp at the card table.
However, after only a few rounds, Prince Yu's forehead was already marked with three black lines drawn by a brush, while Lu Ye had none.
The onlookers burst into laughter.
The children chased each other in the courtyard.
The three silly dogs and the black and white wolves joined in the play. Even the usually aloof Flash would occasionally join the fun, coiling its snake tail around a child, lifting them high, and playfully startling them.
The children's screams of surprise echoed.
Bai Sheng, arm in arm with Elder Wu, entered the room.
"Master, you mentioned earlier that Consort Mei bears a strong resemblance to someone. Could you tell me who she looks like?" Bai Sheng sat beside her master, blinking her bright eyes as she asked.
Her master tapped her forehead and chided, "What's inconvenient to say? With you, Master can tell you anything."
Bai Sheng narrowed her eyes and leaned against her master's shoulder, acting spoiled. "Master, you dote on your disciple the most."
Elder Wu smiled affectionately. "Mei Fei looks very much like... someone I loved. If my daughter weren't dead, I might have mistaken her for my daughter."
Bai Sheng was stunned, her eyes filled with shock. She could never have imagined Mei Fei having some kind of connection with her master.
After a long pause, she held her master's hand and said earnestly, "Master, are you absolutely sure your daughter is truly no longer alive?"
Elder Wu was taken aback by Bai Sheng's question. She hadn't considered this before and certainly hadn't thought in that direction.
This was because her junior sister had helped her with the delivery. After giving birth, she had fainted. When she woke up, her junior sister, with a look of deep sorrow, told her that she had given birth to a stillborn child and even showed her the infant's body.
Due to overwhelming grief and physical exhaustion, she had only glanced at the body before fainting again. Her junior sister had handled the disposal of the infant's remains.
"Master, what kind of person is your junior sister? Are you close with her?" Bai Sheng asked, resting her chin on her hand.
Elder Wu looked at Bai Sheng inexplicably. "Why do you ask?"
Bai Sheng giggled, "It's nothing, I'm just curious. I'm very curious about the people around you, Master."
Elder Wu thought for a moment and said faintly, "When my junior sister and I first met, I was eleven and she was nine. Our master was only fifteen at the time, a very skilled Gu physician.
I began learning witchcraft and Gu arts from Master at the age of nine. My junior sister was a child we found during one of our travels.
Initially, she followed us as a maid. Later, Master discovered she had a talent for divination and witchcraft, so she took her as a disciple. We grew up together and were like sisters. She always cared for me greatly."
"Master, is the person you like your master?" Bai Sheng winked mischievously at Elder Wu.
"How do you know?" Elder Wu asked, surprised.
"Because your eyes look different when you mention him," Bai Sheng chuckled.
"Naughty girl!" Elder Wu tapped her forehead again. "Back then, my master was exceptionally handsome. While not as stunningly beautiful as Lu Ye now, he was still one of the top handsome men. Young girls who liked him could form a long queue."
"Your junior sister liked him too, didn't she?" Bai Sheng asked directly. Bai Sheng deduced this common trope in romance novels – two sisters falling for the same man – without hesitation.
Elder Wu was stunned again, staring blankly at Bai Sheng. Her mind involuntarily began to search for various instances of her junior sister and master together. The more she thought, the tighter her fingers clenched.
After a long pause, Elder Wu seemed to awaken from a dream and nodded heavily, "Should... yes."
"Doesn't that add up?" Bai Sheng clapped her hands, her intuition telling her that her master's junior sister was definitely problematic!
"Master, your junior sister appeared to be like a sister to you on the surface, but secretly, she was undermining you. I suspect your junior sister either hid your daughter or killed her." This kind of plot was cliché in modern television dramas and romance novels.
"You—" Elder Wu looked at Bai Sheng in shock. "Bai Sheng, why do you say that? My junior sister and I have always had a good relationship. How could she... do such things?"