Huang Ningmeng flipped through Buddhist scriptures for quite a while before Hongyan returned with a tea tray.

A quick glance revealed that the blood on his forehead had been cleaned up and medicine had been applied.

In her opinion, this medicine was of the highest quality, and it was given to her by the Prime Minister's wife.

Hongyan's expression was calm, and her demeanor was composed and generous. She was not afraid of being seen by the madam, which meant she had already been instructed by the madam and knew what to say if asked.

Madam, given her personality, if she really wanted to intervene and beat or scold someone, even if it was Madam herself who gave the order, she would still beat them without hesitation.

Huang Ningmeng took a sip of tea, which didn't taste strange, and then continued reading the Buddhist scriptures.

Hongyan, on the other hand, was completely stunned.

Didn't Huang Ningmeng see that? Her forehead had already been treated with medicine. Didn't she feel angry at all when she saw that?

Why has she suddenly become so easy to talk to?

No, no, no, she's definitely not that easy to talk to.

Hongyan was bewildered; she couldn't figure out Huang Ningmeng's personality at all.

Huang Ningmeng patiently spent the entire afternoon flipping through Buddhist scriptures in her room, while the outside world was in complete chaos.

Hearing the abbot of the temple sing Huang Ningmeng's praises, the young men immediately took action.

He didn't even stay at the temple; he rushed home and asked a matchmaker to propose marriage at the Prime Minister's residence.

For a time, the temple gate was crowded with carriages. If Yuanjue Temple were not some distance from the city, they might have run back directly.

By nightfall, the temple was almost empty except for the royal family.

Huang Ningmeng played with the jade flute and came out again.

Taking advantage of the beautiful moonlight, they went straight out of the west wing and into the garden.

"Miss, it's so dark, shall we go back?" Hongyan was still young, and Huang Ningmeng forbade the servants to follow her, so she was a little scared.

The jade flute twirled beautifully in Huang Ningmeng's hands. She smiled, her eyes bright, and said, "If you want to go back, then go back. You don't need to come with me."

Hongyan shut up. She wanted to go back and leave her alone, but her mother told her to keep an eye on Huang Ningmeng no matter what.

Huang Ningmeng sat down in the pavilion in the garden, placed the jade flute to her lips, and began to play with slightly moving fingers.

The sound of the flute carried far under the moonlight.

If the person in the east wing heard it, the person in the west wing would naturally hear it too.

The Prime Minister's wife knew that all the young men outside had left, and she was annoyed, so she didn't have time to care about Huang Ningmeng. Let her brag all she wanted; after all, the only men left in the temple besides the servants were the monks.

The scholar who was reading poetry in the west wing immediately recognized the music as being played by Miss Huang.

With a sudden thought, I put down the book and went outside.

The scholar first went to the wall separating the west wing from the courtyard, but found that the sound was not coming from inside.

Upon closer listening, it seemed to be coming from the garden.

The scholar walked to the arched gate, peeked out, and saw Miss Huang playing the flute inside the pavilion.

"Perhaps Miss Huang thought everyone in the west wing had left, which is why she dared to come here to play music under the cover of night," the scholar said softly. "This music is like celestial music, and it is refreshing to listen to."

The scholar watched for a while longer and exclaimed, "Miss, your figure is graceful and slender. Just sitting there, you are like a fairy in the moon. I wonder what your face looks like? When I first saw you, you wore a light veil. It is truly rare to see your face revealed this time. Let me go to another place to look."

The scholar quietly turned around and took small steps forward.

Huang Ningmeng sensed someone's presence, though it was very subtle, she could still feel it clearly.

She stopped playing the flute and said to Hongyan, "You stay here and are not allowed to go anywhere."

Hongyan was startled by her sharp tone and quickly replied, "Yes."

Huang Ningmeng stood up, lifted her skirt, and walked towards the courtyard wall.

The scholar, not hearing the flute music, assumed the young lady was leaving. He hurriedly placed the stones he had brought on the ground, and without caring whether they were stable, stepped onto them and climbed over the wall to look at the garden.

Just then, a bright and pretty face appeared in front of him. The woman smiled charmingly, and the scholar was immediately stunned.

"The beauty is so stunning that she could topple kingdoms; her graceful movements are even more breathtaking than a fleeting glimpse of a swan."

Huang Ningmeng smiled slightly, her almond-shaped eyes carrying three parts amusement, three parts mockery, three parts slight anger, and one part gritted teeth. "Scholar, do I look pretty enough?"

The scholar awoke with a start, realizing how close the two were now. He released his hand as if he had been electrocuted, and involuntarily took a step back. But he forgot where he was, slipped, and fell down with a scream.

"Sigh..." Huang Ningmeng shook her head and sighed helplessly, showing no intention of reaching out to help him.

"Master, he is Ji Rufeng!" The ring recognized him as soon as it saw him. It had prayed and prayed, but it never expected that he would be reincarnated as the person it least wanted to see.

"I know." Huang Ningmeng turned around calmly, jumped off the flower bed, and walked towards the archway.

"Master, do you know? What if he abandons you?"

"Abandon me? I'll break all three of your legs." Huang Ningmeng sneered and walked into the west wing.

ring……

Why am I suddenly feeling a little sorry for Ji Rufeng?

Hongyan became somewhat nervous as she watched Huang Ningmeng enter the west wing.

Weren't all the young masters from the West Wing gone? How come there are still people here?

She didn't dare follow, because given Huang Ningmeng's unpredictable nature, she really couldn't be sure if she would attack her.

The scholar's buttocks ached from the fall, and his face contorted in pain. He rubbed his sore bottom and reached out to grab something to help him stand up, but after a few attempts, he grabbed nothing. Suddenly, he grabbed a pair of hands.

These hands supported him and helped him up.

The scholar turned around and cupped his hands in thanks. "Thank you for helping me. I will certainly repay you."

"Oh? Scholar, how do you intend to repay me?"

The scholar was stunned. He looked up and, sure enough, it was Huang Ningmeng.

The scholar took several steps back, his face flushed with embarrassment. "Miss, I didn't know you were coming. I have been so...so offensive. Please forgive me."

“It’s Miss, not Little Miss.” Huang Ningmeng teased him intentionally, taking a step closer.

The scholar didn't dare to raise his head. "Yes, Miss."

"Scholar, what is your name?"

“My name is Jiang Sheng.”

"You've been spying on me here," Huang Ningmeng stated directly.

"I, I am..."

"You don't need to explain. Write me a poem tomorrow night in the garden. If you write it well, I'll let you go. If you write it poorly, I won't forgive you." Huang Ningmeng smiled like a spring breeze, turned around, and slung the jade flute that had turned into a flower behind her back.

She glanced back briefly, then smiled and left.

Jiang Sheng was stunned by Huang Ningmeng's high spirits.

The women he had met before were almost always gentle and demure, shy and timid around men. This was nothing like her! She was poised and graceful, poised and confident, especially…

Jiang Sheng couldn't pinpoint the place, but he had never seen a woman like her before; there wasn't a single part of her that didn't attract him.