To Hold One's Joy / Happy - Chapter 3 : A Dream of Twelve Years

Miss Su had a dull expression and pinched Little Brother Su, asking, "Is this a dream?"

Little Brother Su shouted, "Ouch, that hurts..."

Eldest Miss Su let out a sigh of relief, saying, "It hurts; that means it's real. Brother, you're safe!"

That's when Madam Su woke up to the reality of the situation. She glanced at her handsome son and burst into tears, but this time they were happy tears.

Her son really dodged a bullet. If it weren't for the Su family, how could she have endured the disgust and listened to Eldest Madam Sheng say those words!

Su Yao stepped forward and gave Madam Su a reassuring pat on the arm, saying, "Sorry to have caused you trouble." He glanced at the door, still puzzled by Luo Sheng's unusual behavior.

Would Luo Sheng really let him off the hook?

Eldest Miss Su was keeping things lively, directing the maids to clean up everywhere. "Come on, everyone! Let's get rid of this bad luck!"

The Su family maids chuckled in response, "No worries, Eldest Miss. We'll handle it!"

Meanwhile, the members of the Sheng family who left the Su Mansion were feeling pretty weighed down.

Sheng Jia Yu approached Luo Sheng and hissed, "Luo Sheng, what's your deal now?"

Eldest Madam Sheng shot her daughter a warning glance. "Jia Yu, show some respect and don't just call her by her name."

"Ugh, Mom..." Sheng Jia Yu huffed in annoyance. She was a few months younger than Luo Sheng, so calling her by name felt right.

However, Luo Sheng didn't look like a cousin sister at all, so she couldn't bring herself to call her that.

Eldest Madam Sheng understood her daughter's dilemma but still feigned scolding her. Turning to Luo Sheng, she asked anxiously, "Why are you suddenly against this?"

If sacrificing the Second Son of the Su family meant peace for both families and Jinsha County, they might seriously consider it.

Luo Sheng frowned slightly and asked, "Aunt, do you really want my marriage to the Second Young Master Su to happen?"

Those words nearly gave Sheng Jia Yu a heart attack, and she tugged at her mother's sleeve in shock.

Eldest Madam Sheng quickly dropped the topic and hurried along.

The Sheng and Su families were close by, so the group made it back to the Sheng Mansion pretty quickly and headed straight for the Funing Hall to meet Old Madam Sheng.

Old Madam Sheng was anxious. She immediately asked Luo Sheng what was going on the moment she saw her.

Luo Sheng bowed and replied evenly, "I think there's been a misunderstanding. I never intended to get engaged to the Second Young Master Su. Sheng'er isn't feeling well, so I'll head to my room."

Once Luo Sheng left, Old Madam Sheng couldn't hold back any longer and asked Luo Chen anxiously, "Chen'er, has your sister fallen for someone else?"

Luo Chen's expression darkened, and he stammered, "Sister is not one to change her mind so easily..."

He planned to keep a close watch on Luo Sheng this time. If she stepped out of line again, she'd be in serious trouble!

Sheng Jia Yu patted Luo Chen on the shoulder and said seriously, "You seem to really understand your sister, Cousin Brother."

Old Madam Sheng sighed and motioned for them to leave, turning to her daughters-in-law to discuss their next moves. "Since Grand Commander Luo has asked me to oversee Sheng'er's marriage, I believe we need to settle this quickly."

If this kept up, the Sheng family would end up displeasing everyone in Jinsha County.

Both Eldest and Second Madam Sheng nodded in agreement, saying, "What the Old Madam said is absolutely right."

Old Madam Sheng rubbed her temple in frustration, looking regretful. "But that girl doesn't want to marry into the Su family anymore. Which family do you think would be a good fit?"

The Eldest Madam chuckled dryly, saying, "My niece has pretty high standards. Honestly, I don't think we'll find a match for her anytime soon."

The Second Madam chimed in, "Yes, there aren't many deserving young men in Jinsha for her." She had heard that several families were sending their attractive sons abroad just to avoid being targeted by her niece. How embarrassing!

Old Madam Sheng shot a look at her daughters-in-law and casually suggested, "Sheng'er has three cousin brothers and one younger cousin brother, all around the same age. Why not just pick one of them?"

The Sheng family had always been kind and welcoming, so instead of letting the niece cause trouble for others, it made more sense for her to stay close to home. After all, as her grandmother, she could keep an eye on Luo Sheng and hopefully prevent any big issues.

Old Madam Sheng's words were like a bolt of thunder that almost burned her two daughters-in-law to death.

Suddenly, the Eldest Madam jumped up, clutching her forehead and trembling. "I'm feeling anxious again! I should probably head back to my room for a heart pill..."

The Second Madam quickly stepped in, saying, "I'll help the Eldest sister-in-law back to her room."

In no time, both of them scurried off, leaving Old Madam Sheng to sulk alone.

Wasn't anyone willing to make a sacrifice?

She really misjudged them!

---

As soon as Luo Sheng got into her room, Hong Dou approached with a grin. "Miss, are you interested in another young man? Who is he? I can get him for you!"

Luo Sheng poured herself some tea, took a couple of sips, and stared blankly at the green buds swirling in the cup.

Hong Dou had never seen her like this before; it felt odd, so she cautiously asked, "Miss, is everything okay?"

Luo Sheng finally raised her gaze to meet the maid's eyes.

The things Hong Dou said felt a bit silly, but the concern on her face was genuine.

Luo Sheng tightened her grip on the teacup and asked the question that had been on her mind since waking: "Hong Dou, do you know anything about the Zhen Nan Palace?"

She wasn't just Luo Sheng, the pampered daughter of General Luo; she was actually Princess Qing Yang from the Prince Zhen Nan's Palace!

She died and then came back, her soul trapped in someone else's body. Not knowing anything about this person's life, she had to suppress her overwhelming pain and frustration to stay calm in this new reality.

"Zhen Nan Palace?" Hong Dou thought for a moment and then shook her head. "I haven't heard of it."

Luo Sheng's heart sank, and her knuckles grew pale as they gripped the cup.

Her father was the only prince of a different surname in the Great Zhou. Even if Jinsha County wasn't under the Prince of Zhen Nan's rule, wasn't it common knowledge?

Luo Sheng took a deep breath and asked, "What about Prince Ping Nan's Palace?"

If the maid didn't know about Zhen Nan's palace, she probably wouldn't know about Ping Nan's either.

To her surprise, Hong Dou giggled after a brief pause: "Miss, are you testing me? Everyone knows about the Ping Nan Palace! The Young Prince was even adopted by the Emperor as the Crown Prince seven years ago, and everyone from Ping Nan palace has moved to the capital. You've even met the Crown Prince..."

Luo Sheng's face went pale, and she couldn't catch a word more from Hong Dou.

Trying to steady her racing heart, she asked shakily, "What year is it now?"

"The seventeenth year of Yong'an," Hong Dou answered without hesitation.

Suddenly, the teacup slipped from Luo Sheng's fingers, crashing to the ground.

Seventeen years of Yong'an... she had died and come back.

So, twelve whole years had actually gone by.

What's been going on for the past twelve years?

Why do Hong Dou's comments seem so weird and out there?

Hong Dou jumped a bit and quickly crouched down to pick up the shattered porcelain scattered on the floor: "Miss, watch out for your feet... Wait, what's this?"

The little maid pulled out a piece of white silk from between the curtain and the screen. She stared at it for a sec like something hit her, then quickly tossed it aside: "Pah, pah, what bad luck!"