Because Lu Shouyue went to the United States on a business trip for two weeks, Lin Wanwan spent less time in the modern era, and the time difference between the two timelines, which had previously been smoothed out, reappeared.

On the Great Tang side, it was already New Year’s Eve, while in the modern world it was still mid-twelfth lunar month.

Before the New Year, the County Government solved several more missing-person cases and shut down an escort agency and a teahouse.

No one had imagined that the owners here were actually engaged in the heinous crime of human trafficking, degrading free people into slaves and scorning the law of the land; this was a grave offense.

It was only because the authorities were pursuing a lower rate of serious crimes that this group of illegal human traders luckily escaped the death penalty; aside from the two ringleaders, who were sentenced to exile, all the others received prison terms ranging from five to ten years.

Before the New Year, all the men were sent to the construction site of the newly built reservoir at Wild Ridge to serve in hard labor, while all the women were assigned to tread looms and weave cloth.

With this new batch of shackled criminal laborers joining the reservoir project, ordinary commoners serving labor there felt much relieved.

The only regret in this campaign to sweep away evil forces was that among the rescued women, one hanged herself.

Lin Wanwan had indeed asked Xiao Chong to inform her of a way out, but that woman, bound by circumstances, had to safeguard her father’s and brothers’ names and her own reputation to preserve her family’s honor.

Aside from her, the remaining five young women all went to interview at the Embroidery Workshop; they were all accepted and entered the workshop.

Among them, two refused at all costs to reveal their origins, and in the end, for the sake of a legal identity, had no choice but to sell themselves and become base-status maidservants.

The other three went home to bid farewell to their parents, then hid away deep inside the Lin Mansion’s Embroidery Workshop, living in seclusion and burying themselves in their needlework.

Lin Wanwan felt somewhat rueful about this outcome; after all their suffering, not a single one of these girls was fully accepted and sheltered by her family.

After a sigh, life went on as usual.

New Year’s Eve arrived, and the topic on everyone’s lips was how to welcome the new year.

This time last year, Xiao Chong had brought Dugu Di and the others to spend it at Lin Wanwan’s estate—drinking, playing drinking games, dancing and making music; it had been very lively.

Back then Lin Wanwan had even pestered Xiao Chong into writing quite a few couplets and peachwood charms, which were still carefully stored away in a chest.

This year the calligrapher who helped write the peachwood charms was gone, and Lin Wanwan no longer had the mood to make them either.

In fact, on New Year’s Eve in the Great Tang for the past two years, she had always spent it with Xiao Chong. This year he hadn’t come, and the mansion suddenly felt much colder and quieter.

After all, Xiao Chong could sing, dance, and play instruments; he was certainly much more entertaining than the servants.

As for the courtyard torches and the exorcism rituals, the servants took care of the preparations; the children were having a great time.

"My lady, these are last year’s masks from the Ming Mansion of Xiao. Shall we get them ready? I don’t know when he’ll come over; the exorcism play is about to start." Yun Shang came out holding a pile of masks.

Since Xiao Chong hadn’t come over to drink on New Year’s Eve, the servants at Lin Wanwan’s mansion were all quite surprised, but assumed he was just busy and would surely arrive after dinner.

After all, he was a guest in a foreign place; he would certainly want to spend the reunion night with his fiancée.

Lin Wanwan, however, lowered her eyes and said, "Put them away. Cousin probably won’t be coming this year."

"Yes." Yun Shang was very surprised, but didn’t say anything more.

Once she stepped outside, Yun Shang suddenly asked Hua Nong, "Hua Nong, how long has it been since the Ming Mansion of Xiao came to our place?"

Hua Nong thought for a moment. "Since after the Laba Festival, when our lady went back to the Lin Family Manor, the Ming Mansion of Xiao hasn’t come again."

Yun Shang’s expression unconsciously grew a little grave. "It’s already been more than twenty days."

Everyone in the mansion knew that Lin Wanwan had been granted in marriage by His Majesty to Xiao Chong, so naturally they all regarded him as their future lord.

Only now, a faint thought had risen in Yun Shang’s heart—that this match might be falling through.

If the engagement really did fall through and it became a matter of withdrawing the betrothal, it would be a tremendous blow to the woman’s reputation; who knew how many rumors and slanders would be hurled at Lin Wanwan.

At this thought, her face turned pale with fright.

"No, no, impossible. This engagement was personally bestowed by His Majesty—who would dare withdraw it!"

Yun Shang hastily muttered to herself.

"What withdrawal?" Hua Nong, who had overheard at the side, jumped with fright. "The Ming Mansion of Xiao wants to break off the engagement with our lady? On what grounds? Our lady is so wonderful!"

Yun Shang quickly covered her mouth and hissed, "What nonsense are you spouting? Stop it at once."

With that, she grabbed her and hurried away.

However, every word they had just said was clearly heard, without a single syllable missed, by Liu Rushi not far away, who possessed Inner Strength.

But Liu Rushi didn’t think much of it, because she knew the Sect Master Xiao would never withdraw his engagement to Miss Lin.

He was even willing to hand over Xingluo, whom he had personally trained, entirely to Miss Lin; how could he possibly have any intention of backing out of the betrothal?

No one knew better than she how many covetous forces the Sect Master Xiao had quietly swept away for the lady behind the scenes; his feelings ran deep.

If there really were to be a withdrawal, it would definitely be Miss Lin who initiated it.

But since their engagement was an imperial decree, it would not be easy to withdraw; it would be a slap in the royal family’s face.

So Liu Rushi felt Yun Shang and the others were simply worrying themselves for nothing.

Lin Wanwan of course paid no attention to the servants’ thoughts. After supper, little Qingyu was pestering her to play.

"Mother doesn’t want to go dance. You take your little friends by yourself. Naba, you go together with them."

"All right then." Seeing that Lin Wanwan was determined not to go out and play, little Qingyu stopped pestering her, turned her head to Baya Naba, and said, "Naba, shall we go together then?"

"Okay." Naba had picked up the Mao County dialect very fast; after a few months, everyday communication was no problem.

This pair of siblings from the Baye clan were exceptionally intelligent.

Watching little Qingyu lead her personal maid, ten Attendant Students, and other children like Baya Naba, all donning masks and joining the exorcism procession as they headed out the main gate,

Lin Wanwan looked up and asked Baye Feng, who was kneeling beside her, "Do you have anything like this for New Year’s Eve in the Western Regions?"

"No."

"Do you want to go and play?"

"No."

"All right then, suit yourself. It’s New Year’s Eve today. Apart from those on duty, everyone else has the day off to rest."

"Mm."

Lin Wanwan really couldn’t get a conversation going with Baye Feng; this youngster was too cool, spoke as little as the foodie Jie Yuting.

She turned away, continued warming herself by the incense burner, sipping tea and cracking melon seeds, while listening to Xiao Yixun read medical texts to her.

The Xiao Family didn’t spare a thought for Xiao Yixun at all; this girl with albinism had more or less been abandoned by the Xiao Family.

After the New Year she would be eighteen, and the Xiao Family had shown no intention of arranging a political marriage for her, nor of finding a husband for her. They simply let her live with Lin Wanwan, and usually didn’t even send word.

Outwardly, they prettified it by saying that having Xiao Yixun follow Lin Wanwan was for the sake of curing her illness.

They did remember to send New Year’s gifts, but it was just money and goods, nothing heartfelt.

Xiao Yixun had long grown used to it. Living with Lin Wanwan now, she felt her days were very pleasant, and she hardly ever thought about the distant Xiao Family in Chang’an.

Because her emotions were stable, her second minor personality had not appeared for a very, very long time.

In the Ancient Temple Bao Guo Temple, which dated back about six hundred years before the Great Tang’s Zhenguan fifth year, incense burned in great profusion on New Year’s Eve.

Xiao Chong, Dugu Di, and the others had finished offering incense in the various halls of the temple and were now gathered in a meditation room, playing Go.

It seemed they were planning to spend New Year’s Eve at the ancient temple.