Zhou Yan's rebirth made me deeply worried.

I went to Luan Zhong, hoping he could help me find out more.

Luan Zhong has connections in both the black and white worlds, quite resourceful. He bribed the servants of the Zhou family and found out about Zhou Yan's recent situation.

Zhou Yan expressed her unwillingness to continue with Cui Anren, sending a letter of farewell, hoping to sever ties with Cui Anren forever, never to interact again. The letter also contained a warning that if Cui Anren dared to mention their past relationship, she had the ability to strip him of his status as a scholar, leaving him with no future.

Naturally, Cui Anren went to seek an explanation, but he was mocked by the Zhou family's servants and driven away.

Zhou Yan's father was very puzzled. His daughter had previously insisted on marrying only Cui Anren, so why the sudden change of heart?

Zhou Yan explained her reasons. She felt that the head of the Wei Hai Escort Bureau, Luan Zhong, was a good person. She no longer liked Cui Anren and wanted to marry Luan Zhong. She vowed that Luan Zhong would become a high-ranking official in the future, with unparalleled power.

Zhou Xuezheng thought his daughter must be out of her mind. While Luan Zhong was indeed good, he was a martial artist and could never take the imperial examination or become an official. Cui Anren was a better choice, as he was on the verge of passing the imperial examination and had a promising future.

Unable to persuade his daughter, Zhou Xuezheng reluctantly sent a few letters to Luan Zhong to see if he was truly as exceptional as his daughter claimed.

However, Luan Zhong coldly refused, stating that he already had a fiancée and would marry her after the New Year, rejecting the favor of the Zhou family.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yan fell ill at home out of anger.

I didn't know who Luan Zhong's fiancée was, but I envied that woman.

Before I knew it, New Year's Eve arrived.

I thought I would be spending this New Year's Eve alone.

However, early in the morning, Luan Zhong started preparing. He cleaned the Taoist temple inside and out, bought firecrackers, and reserved two tables at Tianranju.

One table was for the two nuns in the front courtyard, and the other was for me.

He knew I had joined the Dao, so the dishes were all vegetarian, along with a pot of rose wine.