Hanshan Temple.

"Senior Brother Zhaohua, I just heard them say that the coffin of the eldest daughter of the Wen family is to be placed in a temple for blessings?" Zhaochan asked in confusion.

Could the Wen family, Wen Su, be related to her?

"Yes, junior brother, the Wen family specifically asked you to chant sutras for Miss Wen's soul to be saved." Zhao Hua said angrily. The Wen family is too rich and arrogant. Do they think they can do whatever they want just because they donated more than a dozen golden Buddha statues to Hanshan Temple?

They even specifically requested that the Buddhist monks from Hanshan Temple perform a ritual to help the Wen family's eldest daughter pass on to the afterlife. The Wen family really knows how to judge people, and they're very generous with their money. Now, the temple's renovation costs have increased again. It's a happy kind of trouble.

"Senior brother, do you know the name of the eldest daughter of the Wen family who is to be prayed for in the afterlife?" Zhao Chan continued to ask, "Buddha, please protect her."

"I was just about to go over there when you dragged me here. Master has already gone over, let's hurry over too, don't keep them waiting." Zhao Hua said as he pulled Zhao Chan along.

Along the way, Zhao Chan felt his heart pounding. The closer he got to the main hall, the faster it beat. He had a bad feeling. Zhao Chan raised his hand and pressed it against his heart. It was a little painful. What was wrong with him?

"Buddhist disciple has arrived, Brother Zhaohua has arrived." A voice announced from the doorway.

Immediately afterward, Zhaohua and Zhaochan walked in from outside. Many people from the Wen family had arrived, led by an elderly man, who must be the former head of the Wen family, Zhaochan thought to himself.

As the Buddha's light shone brightly and the aloof and noble Buddha slowly approached, everyone from the Wen family bowed respectfully, saying that the Buddha was indeed worthy of their respect.

Old Master Wen spoke first, saying, "Greetings, Buddha."

"Greetings, Master Wen," Zhao Chan replied with his usual indifferent expression.

"Su'er really has a connection with Hanshan Temple. The first time she was framed and seriously injured, she was saved by the master of Hanshan Temple. Please tell me which master it was later, and our Wen family will definitely repay him handsomely," said Old Master Wen sincerely.

Hearing this, Zhao Chan breathed a sigh of relief. As long as it wasn't her, that was good. She really was the daughter of the Wen family. But why wasn't she here today? Did she resent her for bringing rumors to her?

“Master Wen, you flatter me. Miss Wen Su has already given a token of gratitude, so the Wen family need not give any more,” Zhao Chan politely declined.

"The Buddhist disciple is indeed noble." Old Master Wen glanced at Zhao Chan with admiration.

"Why haven't I seen Miss Wensu today?" Zhao Chan asked casually.

As Old Master Wen turned around with a sorrowful expression to support the coffin, Zhao Chan's heart suddenly skipped a beat, and his body trembled slightly.

All that could be heard was Old Master Wen's desolate voice saying, "Su'er, she's here, she's come too."

With a thud, Zhao Chan stared blankly at the coffin, unable to hear anything. His nose stung, and his throat ached. He couldn't utter a sound. With heavy steps, Zhao Chan slowly walked towards the coffin. Those four or five steps felt like an eternity to him.

However, no matter how far the distance, there is always a moment when the end is reached. Zhao Chan did not dare to lower his head to look at the eldest daughter of the Wen family, for he was afraid that he would not be able to accept the outcome he would see.

Looking at Zhao Chan's pale lips, Zhao Hua stepped forward with concern and took Zhao Chan's arm. "Junior brother, are you alright?" Zhao Hua looked down and saw Wen Su lying peacefully in the coffin. Zhao Hua's hand tightened suddenly on Zhao Chan's arm. "Junior brother, Miss Wen, she..."

Upon hearing Zhao Hua's voice, Zhao Chan looked down and saw the person he had been longing for day and night right before him, but they were now separated from him forever.

They were so close, yet they felt so far apart.

"Junior brother, junior brother, are you alright?" Zhao Hua's anxious voice rang out.

"Buddha's disciple, what's wrong with the Buddha's disciple?"

"Why did the Buddhist disciple faint?"

"Junior brother, don't scare your senior brother." Zhao Hua looked anxiously at Zhao Chan, who had suddenly fainted in his arms.

"Amitabha, Zhaohua, take Zhaochan down with you." Xu Huai's voice rang out from the side. Amitabha, fate cannot be defied, in the end, there is no escaping it.

"Yes." With the help of the other disciples, Zhao Hua carried Zhao Chan away.

"Master Xuhuai, what happened to the Buddhist disciple...?" Old Master Wen asked in confusion, "Why did he suddenly faint?"

"This child has been frail since childhood and cannot stand for long periods of time. Please forgive him, Master Wen," Xu Huai said, trying to evade the question.

"I see. If the Buddha needs it, the Wen family has a century-old ginseng that can be used to nourish the Buddha's body," said Old Master Wen with concern.

"Thank you, Master Wen. You're welcome. The child is fine," Xu Huai said with a smile.

"It's good that nothing happened, it's good that nothing happened."

Night falls.

In the stillness of the night, the moon hangs in the sky, casting its shadow on the ground, making the scene appear even more desolate and lonely, reflecting endless sorrow.

Zhao Chan stood before Wen Su's coffin. He had planned to go find her after returning to secular life, but he never expected that she would meet him in such a way. How could she be so cruel?

Zhao Chan closed his eyes, silently chanting Buddhist scriptures for salvation. Tears welled up from the corners of his eyes, flowing down his cheeks to his jawline, and finally dripped onto the ground.

The Buddha said: Love, hate, greed, and anger are all prisons.

But now he is willing to confine himself in a cage, just to bring Wen Su back.

"Miss Wen, it's been a long time since we last met. This humble monk has missed you dearly." Zhao Chan opened his mouth and said softly, though he had a thousand words in his heart but didn't know how to express them.

"After you left, I thought about it for a long time. I always felt sorry for you. I felt guilty and missed you. If I had agreed when you asked me to return to secular life, would the ending have been different?" Zhao Chan murmured to himself.

Wen Su, who was in the coffin, heard Zhao Chan's words as soon as she regained consciousness. She gently twisted her body. This fake death medicine was really effective, just like the real thing.

“Miss Wen, I’ve made up my mind. If it’s possible, I’m willing to marry you. Please wake up, okay?” Zhao Chan said in a hoarse voice, her eyes red.

Wen Su's lips unconsciously curled up. Oh my, she was so charming that one after another they were crying and wanting to marry her. Poor thing.

As Zhao Chan continued to analyze his own heart, Wen Su's voice came from inside the coffin, teasingly saying, "You can't go back on your word."

Zhao Chan froze for a moment, then suddenly felt a chill. He looked up in disbelief and saw Wen Su sitting up in the coffin, smiling at him. Zhao Chan quickly began reciting Buddhist scriptures. This Miss Wen was truly audacious; her ghost had actually appeared in the temple! If Buddha discovered her, she would be annihilated!

He quickly performed a ritual to help her pass on to the afterlife before Buddha discovered it, lest her soul be scattered.

Wen Su looked at Zhao Chan, who was solemnly reciting Buddhist scriptures, and chuckled softly. He was adorably silly. Having rested, she jumped down from the coffin, walked to Zhao Chan's side, and gently touched his face. Zhao Chan froze. Oh no, there really was a ghost. Miss Wen must have been murdered; otherwise, how could her soul appear in the temple? Amitabha, Amitabha.

"Hey, how long are you going to keep chanting?" Wen Su said, somewhat speechless. A monk being afraid of ghosts is really absurd.

The more Zhao Chan read, the more he felt something was wrong. No, how could it be so real?

He slowly opened his eyes and met Wen Su's eyes. She smiled and said, "I took what you just said seriously. If you're lying to me, I'll kill you."

Zhao Chan was not intimidated. He looked back at Wen Su and said, "A beautiful and virtuous lady is the object of a gentleman's desire. I, Zhao Chan, could not have her."

——

"You want to return to secular life? I don't agree." Xu Huai said in shock. What could have triggered his obedient disciple to want to return to secular life?

"Master, Zhao Chan's mind is made up." Unable to bear seeing the disappointment in her master's eyes, Zhao Chan lowered her head and said firmly.

“Zhaochan, you are my most talented disciple. You have been studying for so many years. Are you really going to give up?” Xu Huai said in disbelief.

He had always thought that someone like Zhaochan would never experience normal human emotions, and that he should have lived forever in a temple, forever revered by all the people of the world as a Buddhist disciple.

“Master, Zhao Chan now has someone who needs protecting more.” Zhao Chan looked into Xu Huai’s eyes and said firmly, word by word.

“Zhaochan, I know that Miss Wen’s death has affected you, but one must always look forward. Even if you return to secular life, the dead cannot be brought back to life,” Xu Huai advised.

“Master, she is still alive. This time, I want to go with her. I don’t want to regret it anymore,” Zhao Chan said sincerely to Xu Huai.

Xu Huai opened his mouth, but in the end said nothing. He simply turned around and weakly waved his hand at Zhao Chan, signaling him to leave.

Looking at his master's hunched back, Zhao Chan felt a pang of reluctance. In the end, he could only whisper, "This disciple takes his leave."

He knew that it wasn't easy for his master to raise him from childhood and to nurture him and his senior brothers. However, in order to meet his master's expectations, he had lived according to his master's wishes for so many years.

Although he doesn't have normal human emotions, he is still a person, and this time, he wants to live for himself.

In his heart, his master was already his father. Although he had left the monastic life, he would still respect his master as if he were his father and would often come back to visit him.

After Zhao Chan left, Xu Huai turned around, his expression dark and unfathomable, appearing even more eerie in the candlelight.

——

"Have you thought it through? Are you really going to leave with me?" Wen Su asked again, uncertainly. She had asked this question a thousand times, but she still couldn't believe that Zhao Chan would abandon everything and leave with her.

He answered decisively, "Yes." Just like the countless times he had answered her before, without the slightest hesitation.

“Okay, let’s go together then.” Wen Su thought to herself that she would find a place to settle Zhao Chan down first, and after she had settled all the matters of the Wen family, she would take Zhao Chan to enjoy some time alone.

They will travel to every inch of the land of Yin, visiting every place. Even if Zhao Chan doesn't understand what love is, it doesn't matter; she has a lifetime to teach him slowly.

"Susu, I don't understand what love is," Zhao Chan said, distressed. He didn't have normal human emotions, so his reactions were always indifferent. Would Wen Su think he wasn't normal and therefore dislike him?

"It's alright, I'll teach you slowly," Wen Su said gently, looking at Zhao Chan.

"Then tell me first, what is love in your eyes?" Zhao Chan asked curiously. He only felt that he could not leave Wen Su, but he didn't know if this could be considered love.

"Love is about tolerance, tolerating each other's little mistakes, and cherishing each other, treating each other with sincerity, not deceiving, not abandoning, not giving up, and facing everything together." Wen Su told Zhao Chan about her understanding of love.

"Love must be sincere, without deception, abandonment, or giving up." Zhao Chan murmured to himself, repeating the sentence many times. He looked at Wen Su with bright eyes and said, "I understand, Su Su, I think I understand a little."

Wen Su smiled and poked his dimple, saying, "Okay, but it's alright. I'll slowly teach you what love is, and slowly teach you joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness. Zhao Chan, don't listen to them saying you're not normal. You're just an uncut gem. Once I slowly polish you, you'll definitely shine." Wen Su comforted him warmly.

Zhao Chan was taken aback for a moment after hearing her words, then nodded and said, "Okay, as long as you teach me, I will learn well."

Over the years, only Wen Su told himself that he was a normal person, just an unpolished gem. His master and fellow disciples never said that. They said that he had no emotions, was different from ordinary people, and was the most suitable genius to study Buddhist scriptures.

However, he yearns to experience joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness; he longs to be an ordinary person. He doesn't want to be in a world where he is all alone; he also wants to be part of a colorful world.

He had been alone for so long that he had forgotten that although he was a Buddhist, he was a human being, not a god.

Everything went smoothly, just as Zhao Chan had imagined. He left Hanshan Temple with Wen Su, and neither his master nor his senior brother stopped him. His master never appeared, but his senior brother came to see him several times.

When he was about to leave, he went over to say goodbye to his master. He had thought his master was very busy, but Wen Su told himself that his master might be angry.

Sighing, Zhao Chan, who couldn't comprehend the emotions of ordinary people, realized that his master was angry. He had thought his master had gone into seclusion again recently.

"Susu, do you love me?" Zhao Chan asked uncertainly. Today, he saw two worshippers offering incense, pouring out their hearts to each other, and they both said "I love you" to one another.

Zhao Chan thought about it carefully. Wen Su had never said she loved him, and he had never said he loved Wen Su, which led to the current problem.

Wen Su had no idea where he had heard these strange questions, but she patiently answered, "I love you, and I will always be with you."

"Wen Su, I love you too. Although I don't understand what love is, I just feel that I love you." Zhao Chan said happily. He only felt his heart was a little light, but he didn't know that this was the feeling of happiness.

Looking at Zhao Chan's silly appearance, Wen Su laughed along. Living like this for the rest of her life didn't seem so bad.

However, things didn't go as planned, and the ending was exactly like that.