Chapter 3446

Sun Jie's words put Tang Sihai at ease, so he asked Sun Jie: "According to your opinion, how should I approach Miss Xiao and inform her of these matters?"

Sun Jie said: "Jing Qing will come to Qixia Temple the morning after tomorrow. Madam's intention is to find a way to get Miss Xiao to come to Qixia Temple, and then have Jing Qing create an opportunity for you two to talk safely."

"Jing Qing..." Tang Sihai smiled faintly and asked: "Is Jing Qing now a renowned master?"

"Yes." Sun Jie nodded, sighing: "Jing Qing has spiritual aptitude; whether cultivating Dao or studying Buddhism, he possesses it. With Madam's guidance, his progress has been swift. Though he has entered the monastic life, he still regards Madam as his supreme authority."

Tang Sihai then asked: "Then how can we get Miss Xiao to come to Qixia Temple?"

Sun Jie smiled: "Miss Xiao runs a design company; you should know that, right?"

"Of course." Tang Sihai nodded: "It was the Young Master who encouraged her to start her own design studio. When it opened, many prominent figures in Jin Ling came to give opening gifts."

"Yes." Sun Jie said: "Her company has a female employee we arranged to be placed there. She is capable and has already earned Miss Xiao's trust. Tomorrow morning she will find a moment to mention it to Miss Xiao, and surely she can persuade Miss Xiao to visit Qixia Temple."

Tang Sihai was stunned into silence for a while, unable to speak. He never imagined that although Madam never shows herself in public, she has placed eyes and ears everywhere.

After a long while, he asked: "Sun Jie, I dare to ask an improper question: besides me, are there any people arranged by Madam around the Young Master?"

Sun Jie looked at him and smiled: "You know you shouldn't ask, yet you still do."

After saying that, she still replied: "Madam does not wish to interfere with the Young Master's growth path, so besides you, there is no one else. In fact, Madam has always regretted this. If she had intervened slightly in the Xiao family's affairs back then, perhaps the Young Master would not have married Miss Xiao."

Tang Sihai couldn't help but sigh: "It seems Madam indeed bears some grudge against Miss Xiao..."

Sun Jie smiled: "As for this grudge, how to put it? It certainly exists, but it is mainly directed at Miss Xiao's parents, not Miss Xiao herself. When the Young Master and the Xiao family had not yet moved out of that old neighborhood, the Young Master's daily life was clear to Madam. At that time, the people living downstairs in their building were arranged by Madam—Ma Lan and Xiao Changkun constantly bossed around and insulted the Young Master. How could Madam not feel distressed?"

"That's true." Tang Sihai laughed: "Sometimes I even want to step in and teach Ma Lan a lesson."

Sun Jie nodded and smiled: "But Ma Lan has also suffered quite a bit afterward, which counts as a lesson. This family, regardless of right or wrong, ends up being too distracting for the Young Master. If they could leave, the Young Master could relax. I entrust this matter to you."

Tang Sihai bowed solemnly and said: "Sun Jie, rest assured, I will do my utmost!"

……

The next morning.

Xiao Churan arrived at the company as usual, early in the morning.

Ye Chen was not at home, and her mother Ma Lan had lost the motivation to make breakfast, so Xiao Churan brought some snacks from downstairs in the company building, intending to have them in the office.

She thought she would definitely be the first to arrive, but to her surprise, her capable assistant Sun Mengmeng had already arrived early.

Seeing Sun Mengmeng, Xiao Churan smiled and said: "Mengmeng, why are you here so early today?"

Sun Mengmeng laughed: "Boss Xiao, I got up very early today to go to Qixia Temple, hoping to ask the master for a health charm for my family. I didn't expect it to be in vain—I'm utterly depressed."

Xiao Churan asked curiously: "How could it be in vain? Isn't Qixia Temple open today?"

"The temple is open," Sun Mengmeng shrugged, saying: "I just got the wrong date for Master Jing Qing's visit. He is coming to Qixia Temple tomorrow, but I got it wrong and went there this early morning."

"Master Jing Qing?" Xiao Churan frowned and murmured: "I feel like I've heard that name somewhere before."

Sun Mengmeng laughed: "Master Jing Qing is quite famous—he is currently one of the youngest high monks in the country. His understanding of Buddhist teachings far surpasses that of ordinary monks. In the past one or two years, he has traveled to major temples nationwide, giving lectures to believers and even empowering their religious objects. It is said that the health and safety charms he empowers are the most effective."

"Is that really true?" Xiao Churan asked in surprise.

"Of course it is!" Sun Mengmeng said: "Boss Xiao, why don't we both go to Qixia Temple tomorrow morning? We'll leave at seven o'clock, return without delaying work, and get a few protective charms for your husband and your parents."

Xiao Churan laughed: "My husband seems quite knowledgeable about feng shui—he even makes protective charms himself and gave me one long ago."

"That's different." Sun Mengmeng said seriously: "Feng shui should be the Yi Jing and Eight Trigrams system, which is closer to our Huaxia Daoism. Master Jing Qing is a Buddhist master, and his protective charms are Buddhist in nature—like Android phones and iPhones, different underlying architectures."

Xiao Churan was amused by her logic and analogy, laughing: "Mengmeng, you really have talent—you can come up with such an analogy. But have you thought about it? Whether Android or iPhone, having just one would be enough, wouldn't it?"

Sun Mengmeng said seriously: "Boss Xiao, you know about Indians, right? They believe in tens of millions of different gods, yet they still manage to worship whenever they see a god. Why? Isn't it just for an extra layer of security? When I encounter difficulties, I pray to gods and buddhas from both East and West, just in case one god isn't home or another happens to be passing by—then I'd have covered all bases!"

Saying this, she raised her eyebrows and smiled: "Boss Xiao, let me demonstrate for you."

After speaking, she closed her eyes, pressed her palms together, and said devoutly: "God, Jesus, Buddha, Bodhisattva, Yuanshi Tianzun, Jade Emperor, Queen Mother of the West above—this humble girl Sun Mengmeng prays to all gods and buddhas to bless me with early wealth and longevity. Amitabha, Amen, Amen, hurry up like a law and order!"

Xiao Churan laughed at her solemn expression, saying: "I've never seen you worship gods like this before."

"Impressive, right?" Sun Mengmeng giggled: "These are my secret tricks. What do you think, Boss Xiao? Want to go together tomorrow? Pray to one more god, gain one more layer of protection, and it doesn't cost money—just buy a ticket to Qixia Temple. You can't lose money or get scammed."

Seeing Sun Mengmeng's clever and lively spirit, Xiao Churan felt a genuine liking and appreciation for her personality. Over the past year, the company has grown and now has dozens of employees, but most are actually old oil slicks in the workplace—deep schemers with heavy ulterior motives. Sun Mengmeng is different: she works seriously, never complains of hardship or fatigue, and is intelligent and eager to learn, which has made Xiao Churan consider focusing on her development.

Moreover, Sun Mengmeng's words had indeed moved her. After all, it's just getting up a little earlier—whether useful or not, it does no harm to her or her family.

So she said with a smile: "Alright, I'll trust you once. Tomorrow morning at seven, let's meet at the Qixia Temple entrance!"

Sun Mengmeng exclaimed happily: "Great! Then we've agreed, Boss Xiao!"