Actually, Qin Xuan's feelings are not wrong. Liang Mansion is indeed very large, but there are really few servants, totaling no more than ten people. So it's only natural for Qin Xuan to feel that Liang Mansion is empty. Liang Wan, on the other hand, has always lived in the admiration of others. Deep down, she really dislikes interacting with people, even though, in reality, she is very well versed in this area. Therefore, when she returned from Japan, she dismissed many of the servants in Liang Mansion. At least at home, she wanted to be more carefree. After washing up, she sat on the bed in a white nightgown. At this moment, Liang Wan looks completely different from how she appears in front of others. Right now, she completely lets down her guard and looks clean and beautiful, without any trace of her Shanghai high-class image. It's as if she is just a simple and pretty Shanghai girl. After sitting on the bed for a while, Liang Wan picked up the cigarette box on the table, took out a cigarette, and put it in her mouth, lighting it with fire.

Liang Wan originally did not smoke either. She used to find the smell of cigarettes extremely unpleasant. But even the purest lotus flower will inevitably be stained with some dirt. The social circle she was exposed to was too complicated, too murky. Over time, she too developed a smoking addiction.

Rising from her seat, Liang Wan walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window. She looked at her reflection in the window, lightly blowing a smoke ring.

The smoke rings drifted lazily towards the window, blurring her shadow. Liang Wan squinted her eyes slightly, her gaze becoming rather profound.

She recalled a past incident.

She had once visited Hunan when she was twelve years old.

Followed by her father - Liang Hansheng.

That was her only trip to Hunan, accompanying her father to meet his good friend.

Liang Hansheng: "Wan'er, do you like Hunan?"

Sitting in the teahouse, Liang Hansheng had a smile on his face.

For this trip, they only took Liang Wen with them.

Liang Wan: "I like it, but I would like it even more if it comes during a stable period."

Hearing her words, Liang Hansheng let out a sigh and remained silent.

And at this moment, a burst of opera music drifted up from downstairs. Because Liang Wan's nanny had a fondness for listening to operas, Liang Wan had also grown to love them since she was young.

Liang Wan exclaimed, "Father!"

Liáng Hànshēng looked at her like this, a smile of indulgence appearing on his face.

He nodded, then said to Liang Wen, "Awen, take her with you."

Liang Wen nodded in response and followed Liang Wan as they walked downstairs together.

Not long after the two of them left, a man wearing a hat and a long robe appeared.

And he was the person that Liang Hansheng had been waiting for.

Below the stage, there was a troupe setting up and performing. The audience below would occasionally clap and cheer while enjoying the performance and sipping tea. Liang Wan stood beside the staircase, listening attentively for a while, with a smile on her face. The play being performed on stage was "Farewell My Concubine," and at that moment, Yu Ji was preparing to commit suicide by pulling out her sword. "Farewell My Concubine" was Liang Wan's foster mother's favorite play. Unfortunately, her foster mother passed away from an illness six months ago, so she could no longer hear it. Thus, for the past six months, whenever she encountered a scene where "Farewell My Concubine" was being sung, she would go in and listen, to commemorate her foster mother. Just then, she unintentionally noticed a little girl being punished with a paddle. The little girl appeared to be younger than her, dressed in a red coarse cloth, with two twisted braids, and was adorable. Liang Wan initially thought that the little girl would cry after being punished, but to her surprise, the girl only wiped her eyes stubbornly and resumed practicing with a straightened posture. As Liang Wan watched, she unconsciously walked over. She was not someone who liked to meddle in other people's affairs, so even Liang Wen was somewhat surprised by her actions. Liang Wan reached the little girl's side without saying a word, only smiling with genuine interest. Seeing someone approaching to interfere, the master who punished the little girl was about to speak and ask Liang Wan to leave but was then bribed by Liang Wen with two silver coins. Liang Wen gestured for him to keep quiet and move away. This person saw their generous offer and guessed that they were wealthy and influential, so he remained silent and distanced himself.

The little girl asked, "Who are you?"

Seeing that they actually had the ability to make that annoying senior master go away, the young girl found it very surprising.

Liang Wan's lips curled up, she smiled and didn't answer.

Seeing that she wasn't saying anything and just staring at him, the little girl furrowed her brows, feeling a bit displeased.

The young girl asked, "Why aren't you speaking? You're just staring at people."

Liang Wan: "Don't you dislike being stared at?"

Liang Wan felt that this little girl was truly amusing.

The little girl nodded.

The young girl said, "I don't like it, it's very strange."

After listening to the little girl's words, Liang Wan turned around and said to Liang Wen, "Uncle Wen, I want to spend some time alone with this little girl. Could you wait for me on the side?" Liang Wen also knew that she seemed very interested in this little girl. Liang Wan was not someone who easily became interested in something, so this was rare. Liang Wen nodded and said, "I will be standing not far away. Just call me if you need anything, Miss."

Liang Wan: "Now, it's just the two of us. You don't dislike me when I'm alone, right?"

Liang Wan turned around and said, "Just now, I saw your master hitting your hand with a plank. It looked painful, why didn't you cry?"

Little girl: "Because I did indeed sing it wrong, so I deserve to be punished."

Liang Wan raised an eyebrow, her smile deepening, "So, have you learned the part you sang wrong now?"

The little girl nodded confidently.

Liang Wan stood up and sat on the chair behind her, then spoke, "So, why don't you sing for me now? I've been listening to those mature and skilled singers all the time. I also want to occasionally change my taste. Is it okay?"

The little girl said, "If I sing poorly, you can't laugh at me."

Liang Wan: "How is that possible? I am not that kind of cruel person, especially since I asked you to sing. Naturally, I won't mock you."

I remember that day, when the little girl sang to her a song called "Startled Dream in the Garden". Although her pipa-playing skills were a bit rusty, it still carried a unique charm. However, after that day, she never went to Hunan again. Snapping out of her reminiscing, Liang Wan brushed off the cigarette ash and chuckled, "But luckily, I found you."