The silence lingered for an extended period.
The foreigner attempted to respond several times, thinking it might be a signal problem. He walked a bit farther under the tree, but once he couldn’t hear the Sanskrit, his face gradually paled, and all that echoed was his own rapid breathing.
Finally, Qin Jin spoke again, inquiring about “Buddha nature?”
“Boss.” The foreigner’s body tensed instantly. “Things are getting eerie.”
He briefly described the unsettling experience of listening to Li Xiangfu recite the Buddhist scriptures. “I consider myself a person of faith. My faith lies in the love of God for the world, and I believe in God. But as soon as he spoke, my mind was filled with nothing but ‘I, Buddha, am compassionate.'”
Having trained in combat since childhood, the foreigner possessed willpower stronger than most. He couldn’t comprehend why he’d succumb to brainwashing.
“If you can’t handle the job…”
“I can!” The foreigner reassured him, “I’ll never let it happen again.”
As a reputable painter, he had always commanded high prices for his unexpected effectiveness as a bodyguard for VIPs. Over the years, Qin Jin was the only big boss who could consistently pay his salary. Losing his job due to a comment about Buddha’s nature would be a senseless demise.
After the call concluded, the foreigner stared at his cellphone screen for a while, making sure he hadn’t received a dismissal message, and then breathed a sigh of relief.
In the side hall, the abbot, devoted to Buddhism for many years, gazed at Li Xiangfu with complex eyes. The monk spoke of avoiding the distractions of the world, the three thousand troublesome silks, yet the young man before him, with green silk cascading like waterfalls and a soul-seducing tear mole at the corner of his eye, embodied beauty and allure. Beauty, demonic allure, …even a rich Zen voice—various contradictions converged in one.
Unconsciously, half of the book was read out like flowing water.
Li Xiangfu closed the booklet, bowed his head, and regained composure.
He contemplated what the system had said about the worship of Buddha being a worldly desire. Unsure if he could truly let go, he reflected on the contradiction between desires and enlightenment.
Mr. Li and the others remained secluded for the time being, and at that moment, the mountains seemed unreal, and the water lost its essence.
The abbot left them undisturbed, instructing Li Xiangfu to take a stroll along a tranquil path.
As the fog lifted and the sun bathed the earth, the abbot released a long sigh. “It appears that everything in this world is based on innate abilities, and so is the practice of Buddhism. It took me nearly ten years to realize this, but I didn’t expect you to be so insightful at such a young age.”
Li Xiangfu replied, “Do not be presumptuous.” He, too, had undergone years of enlightenment before attaining his title.
Today marked an auspicious occasion, and in the afternoon, the number of worshippers at Xingyun Temple increased suddenly. The abbot, contemplating persuading individuals to join monastic life, decided against it, realizing it wasn’t the monk’s role. Folding his hands under his jaw, he departed.
As the weather grew warmer, Li Xiangfu sat beneath a tree, patiently awaiting the refreshing breeze.
In the midst of his meditation, Li Xichun returned from the gallery, expressing discontent with the weather and expressing a desire for an ice-cold cola. As she ambled toward the refrigerator, her steps abruptly halted, and she stared three times to confirm that it was indeed Li Shasha seated on the sofa, causing her heart to race.
“I recall that you shouldn’t be done with school at this time.”
Li Shasha responded seriously, “I skipped school.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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Li Xiechun glanced at the kitchen where Auntie Zhang displayed a mix of crying and laughing emotions. Informed of the situation, Li Xichun adopted a rare serious expression, fetching a small stool to sit next to Li Shasha. Addressing the issue at hand, she remarked, “More serious than skipping class is lying to skip class.”
Li Shasha produced a piece of paper from her pocket.
“What’s this?”
“My reflection.”
It was a standard reflection letter, containing at least eight hundred words of introspection. After reading it, Li Xichun felt it might be time to consider the possibility of grade acceleration.
Building up to her real request, Li Shasha stated his true appeal, “Take me to the mountain.”
“You’re still young; you can’t always be thinking about finding your dad…”
Li Shasha interrupted, pointing to a specific paragraph, “Please read the penultimate paragraph.”
Li Xichun glanced at it:
– After returning from abroad, Dad recorded a variety show and went on a field trip, resulting in a significant amount of time spent apart.
– I live like an orphan.
“…”
The pen revealed profound heartache, while the real person sat on the couch and negotiated terms.
Li Xichun conceded, “Pack up your things; I’ll take you there now.”
Li Shasha only grabbed a jacket before heading downstairs. Observing her searching for a ride, he suggested to Li Xichun, “You can use this as a reason to contact your boyfriend; it’s not a good idea to keep running away.”
After a pause, he added, “That’s what Dad said.”
Li Xichun couldn’t hold back and extended her index finger to poke Li Shasha’s forehead, saying helplessly, “Don’t learn too much from your father. Looking too deeply into relationships isn’t always a good thing.”
Li Shasha responded, “That’s why I don’t have a mom.”
“……”
—
After leaving work early, Gao Xun’s phone rang just outside the office, and Li Xichun got straight to the point, saying, “Do you have time?”
Gao Xun halted and replied, “Yes.”
“Give me a ride up the hill, and we can talk.”
“Okay.” He didn’t inquire about the reason, heading straight to the car to pick up Li Xichun.
Qin Jin and his assistant happened to be in the garage. The assistant poked his head out of the car window, wondering, “What’s the rush? He didn’t even hear me when I called him.”
After work, there wasn’t much to discuss. The assistant half-jokingly remarked, “In a hurry, probably to see his girlfriend.”
Qin Jin shifted his gaze away from the data, looked up, and calmly said, “Call him.”
“Huh?”
Qin Jin doesn’t repeat himself, and upon a subconscious query, the assistant promptly executed the instruction.
On the other hand, Gao Xun had no choice but to park the car on the side of the road, considering there might be a work schedule. He adjusted his emotions and opened his mouth, “Hey, boss.”
Qin Jin leaned back and inquired, “What are the plans for the evening?”
Gao Xun answered truthfully, “I’m taking my girlfriend to the mountains.”
Qin Jin looked out the window, his thoughts unclear. Suddenly, he mentioned Li Xiangfu’s name and calmly advised, “If you see Li Xiangfu, don’t listen to him.”
“…”
Gao Xun was puzzled but refrained from asking why, so he simply acknowledged.
When the car reached the designated location, Li Xichun stood under the overpass with a child in front of her.
Gao Xun was a bit surprised, but he quickly grasped the situation, speculating that it was Li Xiangfu’s child.
After getting into the car, Li Xichun immediately set the navigation for Xingyun Temple.
The mountain road was relatively spacious, and silence prevailed along the way. The first to break the silence was Li Shasha, who closed his eyes and said, “You can pretend I don’t exist.”
His tone was so earnest that Li Xichun couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.
This smile inadvertently lightened the atmosphere in the car, and after a few moments, Li Xichun finally broached the topic, slowly saying, “I’ve thought it over, we… love each other deeply, but it’s not suitable for us to spend the rest of our lives together.”
She spoke the second half of the sentence in a hushed voice as if she were addressing the other person but also making a personal declaration: “If we continue, sooner or later, will deplete each other’s feelings.”
Gao Xun’s fingers tightened on the steering wheel, but his gaze remained fixed straight ahead. “I can do my best to change…”
Without further explanation or reassurance, he took a deep breath, “For the last time, let’s try dating for three more months.”
Li Xichun remained silent.
The car fell into silence once again, with both individuals in contrasting moods. Meanwhile, Li Shasha in the back seat seemed submerged in contemplation.
As the sky gradually darkened, approaching the time when Li Xichun was about to call Li Xiangfu, she preemptively dialed the number but decided to call Mr. Li instead.
One reason was to let the old man know that his grandson was here, bringing him joy. The other reason was to make Gao Xun see the obstacles between the two sides, recognizing that their love, after many years, was still in a state of unacknowledged by the elders.
The conversation lasted about a minute, after which Li Xichun turned to Gao Xun and stated, “My father said he’d come to pick us up at the door.”
“I know,” replied Gao Xun in an emotionless tone.
The parked car was still some distance from the temple, so they had to walk. Seeing Gao Xun following her, Li Xichun looked conflicted, saying, “My father won’t be pleased when he sees you.”
This statement was a mild description; with Mr. Li’s fiery temper, he might directly use a broom to drive people away.
Gao Xun remained silent, walking forward.
From a distance, several people stood in front of them. Li Xichun quickened her pace, and after regaining composure, she called out, “Dad.”
Next to Mr. Li were several elders who had come together to worship Buddha. They had just finished listening to the sutra chanting and were discussing their experiences along the way, so they followed them out.
Hearing the shout, the group dropped their hands to their sides, tilting their heads simultaneously, smiling compassionately under the dusk, and appearing serene.
Facing this extremely strange scene, Gao Xun took a slightly hesitant step and asked, “Which one is your father?”
Li Xichun hesitated. “It seems to be the one in the center.”
The four of them exchanged glances, detecting doubt in each other’s eyes.
Upon a closer approach, Mr Li frowned slightly when he saw Gao Xun.
He did not approve of his daughter’s love affair, which had become an open secret in their social circle. An Lao, standing nearby, observed the situation and quickly patted Grandpa Li’s shoulder, reminding him, “In ritual Buddhism, emphasis is placed on a quiet heart, old friend. Your heart… is not calm.”
Mr. Li closed his eyes deeply, stating, “Water is not sorrowful because the wind wrinkles it… It’s not that my heart is not calm; it’s external factors that stir it.”
The sadness embedded in his words and tone resonated strongly, bringing a sense of familiarity.
Li Xichun pondered where she had witnessed this scene until her gaze unintentionally fell on Li Shasha, and a shiver ran through her body.
In the evening breeze, Li Shasha raised his eyes to look at the temple. Under the setting sun, the clouds seemed to be infused with Buddha’s light. After a long pause, he murmured, “Indeed, they’ve undergone a transformation.”
Every person who undergoes such intense exposure to Li Xiangfu’s chants inevitably bears such after-effects.
Author’s note:
Li Shasha: Since then, a few more people in the world have understood me.
