Chapter 61: Seeking a Son at the Temple

The spring light was bright and beautiful.

A gentle breeze, carrying the scent of flowers, blew slowly by.

When Sun Yan'er gathered her courage and walked toward the figure in front, the scene suddenly fell silent.

Huang Zhaodi had just been humiliated; how could she still dare to go over?

The crowd's gazes followed her all the way forward, stopping behind that young man.

"Luo Zijun..."

Sun Yan'er arrived behind him and called out in a low voice.

At this moment, her tone no longer held the haughtiness and pride from their first meeting; it was even somewhat submissive.

She did not know why she had suddenly become like this either.

Her mind was in chaos, and her feelings for the young man before her were very complex—even she herself could not explain them clearly.

Hatred? Gratitude?

Or perhaps both?

Or perhaps there were other emotions?

She truly could not tell.

Hearing the voice, Luo Zijun turned his head to look at her.

Sun Yan'er looked at his handsome face and indifferent eyes, and her heart suddenly panicked. Not daring to meet his gaze, she averted her eyes, lowered her head, and said, "I..."

"If you came over to thank me, there is no need."

Before she could finish, the young man before her interrupted her words, his expression cold: "I saved you not because you are Sun Yan'er; if it were anyone else here, I would have saved them too."

Sun Yan'er raised her head, her eyes suddenly brimming with tears: "Luo Zijun, do... do you dislike me that much?"

Luo Zijun shrugged: "Sun Guniang is overthinking it. I am not even familiar with you, why would I dislike you?"

The two were indeed not familiar.

They had only met a few times, and each time seemed quite unpleasant.

"..."

Sun Yan'er looked at him with teary eyes, her gaze full of grievance.

But she knew that she must absolutely not cry at this moment.

The men and women of the Academy were likely all watching her right now, perhaps waiting for her to reveal the gossip between her and him...

"Thank you for saving me..."

She did not dare to say more, fearing she would be unable to stop her tears from falling. After finishing her thanks, she immediately turned and fled the scene.

"You're welcome. If Sun Guniang also wants to offer herself in marriage, then just like Huang Guniang, go to that field and carry the plow to plow the land, and earn money for me."

Luo Zijun said this to her retreating back.

Sun Yan'er bit her lip, struggling to hold back the tears that were about to fall.

This guy, so... so hateful!

"Luo Zijun! Your mouth is truly poisonous!"

Huang Zhaodi could not help but say loudly.

Luo Zijun replied: "It is indeed very poisonous. It just kissed you, so I reckon you have been poisoned too."

Huang Zhaodi's face turned red in a "whoosh," and she said in shame and annoyance: "You... you..."

She stomped her feet in frustration and said: "One thing is one thing, another is another. Although you saved me, I just think your mouth is very poisonous! Very detestable! Can you... can you change it in the future? If you changed, you would be a perfect man."

Luo Zijun said: "Why would I want to become perfect? If I became perfect and you pestered me shamelessly, what would I do? Wouldn't that be very troublesome for me?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the students could not help but laugh out loud.

"You..."

Huang Zhaodi was so angry her chest hurt. Seeing that she could not outtalk him and fearing that if she continued she would only continue to bring humiliation upon herself, she could only snort: "Whatever, it serves you right if you can't marry a wife in the future! Yan'er, don't ever pay attention to this bad guy again!"

Luo Zijun did not pay her any more mind.

If this girl could really make that eldest daughter of the Sun Family stop coming to bother him in the future, that would naturally be for the best.

Wang Dafu suddenly said in a low, heartbroken voice from the side: "Brother Luo, this brother just remembered, you just kissed my Zhaodi, did you also kiss her cute little tiger teeth?"

Luo Zijun said: "No, I only bit her cute little tongue."

"Ah!"

"Pfft..."

Su Bie and the others nearby all laughed.

Wang Dafu wailed a few times and earnestly advised: "Brother Luo, my Zhaodi has a secret crush on this brother here. As the saying goes, a friend's wife should not be trifled with. Stay away from her in the future, don't talk to her, okay? Just consider it this brother begging you; I'll even kneel to you. How about this, when we return to the city tomorrow night, I'll take you to Tianxian Pavilion and find you a few of the most seductive girls, is that okay?"

Su Bie, who was to the side, laughed: "Dafu, you should let your Zhaodi Guniang stay away from your Brother Luo. Haven't you seen that it has always been your Zhaodi Guniang taking the initiative?"

Wang Dafu immediately said proudly: "My Zhaodi is just roaring at injustice and speaking up for her sister. A girl like that is a good girl! A girl like that is a girl qualified to have a secret crush on me, Wang Dafu!"

Su Bie laughed: "Maybe the one with the secret crush on you isn't her?"

Wang Dafu immediately became anxious: "It is her! I can be certain, it is her!"

"Oh, why is that?"

Not only was Su Bie puzzled, but Luo Zijun, Xu Xian, and the others all looked at him with confusion.

Wang Dafu snorted coldly and said with a face full of smugness: "You guys go look among those women, who is the cutest? Naturally, it is my Zhaodi! With this brother's charm, it is absolutely impossible for me to attract those ugly monsters, and those ugly monsters don't have the guts to have a secret crush on this brother, so it can only be her!"

"Awesome!"

Upon hearing his analysis, everyone could not help but worship him.

This guy's reasoning and logic were truly both awesome and stupid—in short, awesome!

Wang Dafu became even more smug, patting Luo Zijun on the shoulder as he said: "Brother Luo, you are the only one here who is a threat to this brother; after all, you saved Zhaodi and even kissed her, but it's fine. As long as you are careful in the future, this brother is still very confident in winning her over."

Luo Zijun asked humbly, "Then how should I pay attention?" Wang Dafu whispered, "Ignore her. As soon as she gets close to you, or wants to talk to you, you must scold her fiercely. If that doesn't work, hit her, but don't hit her face, and definitely don't break her cute little tiger teeth."

Luo Zijun was speechless: "Do you take me for a violent maniac?"

"Aren't you?"

Wang Dafu looked at him with a puzzled expression.

Luo Zijun ignored him further.

The group chatted, looked at the scenery, and felt the breeze, soon arriving at the foot of Hanshan Temple.

A flight of stone steps rose and fell, extending upward until reaching the temple above.

On those stone steps lay fallen flower petals and blades of grass.

There were also some birds there, chirping, hopping about, and pecking at fruit to eat.

It was nearly evening now.

Many tourists who had come to offer incense and worship Buddha had already begun to descend one after another.

!

However, for these students, this was only the beginning.

Having finally managed to come out for a trip, and with it being so lively, they naturally wanted to have their fill of fun.

"Let's go, climb the mountain!"

The group marched in a grand procession and began to climb the stone steps.

At the same time.

In a side hall in the backyard of Hanshan Temple.

The door was closed, the light was dim, and incense smoke curled in the burner.

A woman wearing a luxurious purple dress, a Bamboo Hat, and a veil was kneeling before a Buddha statue, eyes closed, quietly praying for something.

Near a pillar not far away, two maidservants stood with heads bowed, still as wooden statues.

Inside the room, there was silence.

At this moment, an old monk in a grey robe emerged from the inner room, pressed his palms together toward the woman, his voice devoid of sorrow or joy: "Amitabha, the noble guest has been kneeling here for a long time."

The woman remained quietly kneeling on the ground, as if she had not heard his words.

The sandalwood in the burner gradually burned to ash.

A long time passed again.

Only then did the woman slowly open her eyes, revealing a pair of watery eyes, and murmured in a low voice: "So what if I have knelt for a long time? Has the Buddha manifested?"

Her tone was full of self-mockery and resentment.

"I have indeed knelt for too long... from the age of fourteen, kneeling until now, I have already grown accustomed to it."

The old monk sighed, bowed his head and said: "Amitabha, such is fate, why force it? The noble guest should return."

The woman raised her head and looked at him: "Master, I have no time left to wait. He has never touched me, not because he doesn't want to, but because he cannot... but I need a child now, otherwise, all my previous efforts will be washed away."

The old monk bowed his head and closed his eyes, saying no more.

The woman looked at him with her charming, peach-blossom-like eyes, watery and pleading: "Master, I have already decided, and I hope Master will grant this."

The old monk bowed his head and chanted Buddha's name, remaining silent.

The woman's eyes were full of entreaty: "This humble woman is willing to regild the Buddha statues in the temple; I am willing to eat vegetarian food for life, perform good deeds, and accumulate merit; I am willing to chant scriptures daily to deliver all living beings... I only hope the Buddha can help me..."

The old monk kept his eyes closed, still bowing his head in silence.

The woman was silent for a long while, then lowered her head and said: "Does Master still remember how this Hanshan Temple escaped that purge of Buddhism back then?"

The old monk finally opened his eyes and slowly raised his head: "Why must the noble guest make things difficult for this poor monk?"

The woman gave a bitter smile: "For matters like this, I can only find you when I have the opportunity to come here to worship Buddha."

She looked at the old monk before her, her gaze complex: "If I don't come to you, who else can I find? My family is broken and dead; although you have entered the Buddhist gate, you did, after all, give birth to me and raise me, did you not?"

"Amitabha..."

The old monk bowed his head and closed his eyes once more.

The woman watched him and stopped speaking.

After a long time.

The old monk finally spoke slowly: "Tonight, students from the West Lake Academy will come to the temple to worship Buddha and stay for the night."

The woman's gaze shifted, she was silent for a moment, and said: "I fear they are all mediocre talents with empty reputations."

The old monk bowed his head and said nothing.

The woman sighed softly and said: "Very well, when they come up, I will take a closer look. If there is someone who will suffice, then tonight..."

"Amitabha..."

The old monk seemed not to dare to listen further; after chanting a Buddhist name, he bowed and retreated.

In the main hall, quiet was restored.

"Students from the West Lake Academy?"

The woman's eyes flickered; she raised her head, her beautiful peach-blossom eyes looking at the Buddha statue above, her chest heaving gently with her breathing.

"Qing'er, prepare yourself..."

"Yes."

(End of chapter)