To Hold One’s Joy

hapter 5.2: Murder Suspect

At this time, a voice came from outside the door: "Miss Luo, Shuangye jiejie[1], Sheng Dataitai's maid is here." Luo Sheng nodded slightly at Hongdou. Hongdou immediately shouted: "Tell her to come in." Luo Sheng rubbed her forehead. She was actually signaling Hongdou to clean up the room, for example, at least take down the white silk hanging from the beam first...

A maid wearing a pea-green vest entered the room and was startled by the eerie sight of the white silk. She let out a scream and nearly collapsed to the ground. Hongdou put her hands on her hips and scolded: "Why are you shrieking? What if you frighten my Miss?"

Shuangye glanced at Luo Sheng, who was seated at the table, and then at the hanging white silk. Her lips trembled. Who is scaring whom? This Miss Luo is really scary. "What's the matter?" Luo Sheng asked. Shuangye regained her composure, lowered her eyes, and said: "There will be a family banquet tonight. Dataitai instructed me to inform you." "Understood."

Shuangye curtsied to Luo Sheng and went back to report to Sheng Dataitai. She vividly describes the scene upon entering Luo Sheng's room, saying, "A white silk was hanging before this maid's eyes. It scared me so much that my heart almost jumped out." Sheng Dataitai's expression turned grim. "Is she going to cause trouble again?"

Fortunately, Miss Luo would not attend the family banquet tonight, sparing the other family members from any disturbance. Every five days, there is a family banquet where everyone gathers in Sheng's mansion. Although Luo Sheng was merely a guest and had only attended once, Sheng Dataitai, responsible for household affairs, would perfunctorily send a maid to invite her each time.

Sheng Dataitai's hanging heart was slightly relaxed. She instructed Shuangye: "Go and remind my sons to stay away from Miss Luo in the future." She had never thought Sheng Laotaitai planned to marry Miss Luo to one of the Sheng family's sons. If she knew, it would be better to marry off Miss Luo to Su Er Gongzi today.

As the sun began to set, Luo Sheng went to Funing Hall accompanied by Hongdou. Despite the early spring season, Jinsha County, situated in the south, was already blossoming with lush vegetation and spring flowers.

Luo Sheng strolled amidst the flowers and willows, encountering four young men along her way. She halted, her gaze swept across their faces. The one with a tall and straight figure resembling a green pine is Sheng Da Gongzi[2], the one with peach blossom eyes holding a folding fan is Sheng Er Gongzi, the one with thick eyebrows and big eyes is Sheng San Gongzi, and the youngest one was Sheng Si Gongzi.

The four of them had visited her shortly after she had woken up. Although their visits were hurried, like running an errand, she remembered each of them. After waking up in Miss Luo's body, the world turned upside down for her, and she had to remember everything she heard and saw carefully. Luo Sheng curtseyed slightly and greeted the four of them.

Upon seeing Luo Sheng, the four young men froze in place and only came to their senses when she greeted them. The three older ones quickly regained their composure, hastily returning the greeting and speaking in unison, "I have an urgent matter to attend to, so I won't be able to accompany Biaomei[3]." Uttering those words, the three hurriedly departed, with Sheng San Gongzi even grabbing the youngest Sheng Si Gongzi, who was still bewildered.

Hong Dou opened her mouth wide in surprise. "What's with their reaction?!" Luo Sheng, on the other hand, paid no mind to it. "Don't worry about it. Let's go." Those who would flee at the sight of her probably don't have the courage to kill Miss Luo. Furthermore, Miss Luo had shown no interest in her cousins, so they lacked the motive to harm her.

The four young men, panting and in a state of panic, made their way to the gate in one breath. Sheng Si Gongzi looked puzzled: "San ge[4], there's no need to be this frightened, right?" Sheng Si Gongzi looked puzzled.

The peach-blossom-eyed Sheng Er Gongzi knocked Sheng Si Gongzi on the head with a gold-painted folding fan: "What would a foolish boy like you understand? If you get entangled with that girl, that will be the end of you!"

[1] This maid is being referred with jiejie because she is older than Luo Sheng’s maid

[2] Sheng’s first, second, third, and fourth young master

[3] Younger female cousin (as Luo Sheng is younger than them)

[4] Third older brother