To Hold One's Joy / Happy - Chapter 4 : Hidden Murder Intent

A meter-long strip of white silk was dancing in the breeze. Luo Sheng picked it up and pondered it curiously.

Hong Dou looked a bit annoyed and said, "Miss, I'll burn this unlucky thing right away."

Luo Sheng nodded in understanding: "Is this the white silk I used for hanging?"

"Exactly. Things were such a mess back then that I didn't think much of it. I just assumed someone had thrown it away. Who would've guessed it would end up here?" Hong Dou explained, reaching for the silk in Luo Sheng's hand.

But Luo Sheng held on tight, her gaze drifting around the room as she glanced up at the beams.

Hong Dou gasped, her expression suddenly alarmed: "Miss, you... you're not still upset, are you?"

Luo Sheng looked down at her and calmly asked, "Do I seem like someone who can't move on?"

"No, although Second Young Master Su is handsome, you have flirted with more handsome boys in the capital. Why would you commit suicide for a country boy?"

Luo Sheng's mouth twitched slightly.

She really realized what kind of person this Miss Luo was.

"Miss, please give me the silk."

Ignoring Hong Dou's protests, Luo Sheng raised the silk, letting one end drift through the beams above.

Hong Dou's hair stood on end, and she dashed over to grab Luo Sheng.

Luo Sheng gently patted the maid's head and said, "Go grab the stool I used before."

Hong Dou instinctively released her grip and hurriedly brought over a small round stool, setting it right under the dangling silk.

As she finished, the little maid slapped her own face and muttered, "What am I doing?"

Seeing this, Luo Sheng couldn't help but smile a bit.

She had noticed that despite all her quirks, this little maid was always quick to follow orders.

That was exactly what she needed right now.

Luo Sheng stepped up onto the round stool.

Hong Dou was terrified, frantically hugging her legs and pleading, "Miss, you really don't want to die again, do you?"

From above, Luo Sheng replied calmly, "Definitely not. I just want to check something. Let go."

Hong Dou automatically released her grip, gazing up at Luo Sheng, who was now standing on the stool, and asked, "What do you want to verify?"

Luo Sheng pinched the frayed end of the white silk.

One part had a knot, clearly from when the woman had hanged herself, and the neatly cut end was from someone snipping it while rescuing Luo Sheng.

She formed the silk into a loop again.

Hong Dou watched her anxiously, ready to spring into action if needed.

Since she had saved the young lady before, she felt a bit more confident now.

Luo Sheng shook the white silk and said coldly, "Three days ago, I hanged myself with this on this stool, right?"

"Yes."

"Did you see it?" Luo Sheng leaned closer to the white ring.

With caution, Hong Dou nodded, uncertainty in her eyes. She was unsure how to answer.

Did the young lady really want her to witness her hanging?

Luo Sheng caught the confusion in Hong Dou's eyes and decided to make it easier for her. Pointing at the silk in front of her, she asked, "If I hung myself like this, my knees would have to bend. Wouldn't that be unfair to myself?"

Hong Dou was taken aback and couldn't help but agree: "Yes, that's really unfair."

If the young lady was going to end it all, wouldn't she use a more convenient method? Plus, Luo Sheng was never one to put herself in a tough spot.

Luo Sheng stepped down from the stool, letting the silk drift down, her eyes growing darker: "Hong Dou, don't you see? It's not me wanting to hang myself-someone's trying to get rid of me."

"Really?" Hong Dou was at a loss for words.

Luo Sheng glanced at Hong Dou with an exasperated look: "Don't you know whether I want to die or not?"

With that, Hong Dou's doubts vanished, and she couldn't help but react.

The slightly cool fingertips fell on her lips, blocking her scream.

Fear and anger filled Hong Dou's eyes as she demanded, "Miss, who would want to hurt you? How dare they?!"

Luo Sheng herself was deep in thought about that question.

Miss Luo was highly favored by Grand Commander Luo, and even the matriarch of the Sheng Mansion didn't act superior around her. Yet, someone had attempted to murder Miss Luo in her own room.

A chilly early spring breeze wafted through the window, causing the hanging white silk to flutter, as if an unseen threat was invading the space.

Hong Dou trembled slightly, her anger intensifying. She declared fiercely, "Miss, we need to hunt down whoever did this and take them out!"

Luo Sheng nodded: "That's precisely what I had in mind."

Having faced death before, she valued her life even more now and was resolute about uncovering the identity of her attacker.

"Have a seat." Luo Sheng gestured toward a round stool.

Hong Dou didn't mind that it was the same stool her young lady had used to hang herself, and she plopped down on it.

Luo Sheng propped her chin up with one hand, her expression calm: "So, let's start with the whole hanging thing."

Hong Dou froze. Seeing Luo Sheng's composed demeanor, she finally asked the question that had been nagging at her: "Miss, you don't remember anything?"

Luo Sheng confidently replied, "I don't remember anything."

Hong Dou gasped, "How can that be?"

Luo Sheng smirked with indifference: "Maybe I took a little trip through hell and accidentally sipped on some Meng Po soup."

"Is there actually a Meng Po brewing soup by the Naihe Bridge?"

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Translator's Note: Meng Po Soup, or 'Soup of Forgetfulness', is a drink from Chinese mythology that helps souls forget their past lives before they're reincarnated. It's said to be served by the goddess Meng Po to souls crossing the Naihe Bridge, which leads to the underworld. Drinking it ensures that a soul begins its next life with a clean slate.
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Luo Sheng's gaze turned sharper: "Hong Dou, remember this: whether I remember or not, I'll always be your master."

Hong Dou's expression grew serious, and she held back more questions as she recounted why Luo Sheng tried to take her own life.

"Over a month ago, when we arrived in Jinsha County, you ran into Second Young Master Su and wanted to get to know him, but he rejected you. After a few times, you went to Old Madam Sheng and told her that you wanted Second Young Master Su..."

"When did I go see my grandmother?" Luo Sheng interjected.

"Three days ago."

Luo Sheng's eyes shifted: "And then what happened?"

"And then you were turned away!" Hong Dou said indignantly. "The Old Madam was so unkind! You were furious and even cried when you came back... Later, when you rested, I felt something was off and went to check on you. I found you hanging from the beam..."

Hong Dou's face went pale at this point; she was visibly shaken.

"What made you realize something was wrong?" Luo Sheng sensed a clue.

Hong Dou placed a hand on her chest, exhaling, "You usually take an afternoon nap. I took that time to run to the market and buy a few things. I suddenly remembered I forgot my money and headed back. I didn't want to wake you, but I didn't hear your snoring outside, I thought it was strange and came inside to see."

Luo Sheng's expression turned a bit stiff.

In other words, this Miss Luo had the habit of snoring.

This explained why she found that the other maids were all waiting outside and rarely came in. If it were her, she probably wouldn't want anyone else to get close to her, except for the closest maid.

Luo Sheng gathered her thoughts and asked again, "Did anyone stop by before my lunch break?"

"Yes!" Hong Dou replied, counting on her fingers, "The young master came by, and so did your eldest cousin sister and your second cousin sister..."

The young master referred to Luo Sheng's younger brother, Luo Chen; her eldest cousin sister was Sheng Jia Yu, and her second cousin sister was Sheng Jia Yu's half-sister, Sheng Jia Lan.

"Tell me about the situation when they came, including what they said."