A Dream in the Zen Room

This was the second time I'd cried for no reason. The first time was at the low wall next to the stable. But I hadn't cried last time. This time, I cried for real. The tears flowed like a flood, and I couldn't stop them.

This time, her tears truly dampened her spirit. She wasn't one to cry easily, and she hated such inexplicable emotions. If last time was just a coincidence, this time, she couldn't deceive herself into thinking it was the incense that made her eyes sore and tearful. Even she felt it was inappropriate.

There must be some secret hidden here, a secret about the original owner.

"Ayan, what's wrong with you?"

After burning incense, Xiao Lin followed the abbot in front and turned around to look for Su Manyan. He saw that her eyes were red, she was sniffing, and she was rubbing her eyes with her sleeves, as if she had just cried.

He really couldn't understand why someone dared to bully Su Manyan just because he and Su Manyan were separated for a short while. They simply didn't take him seriously.

Su Manyan waved his hands and said it was okay.

"But someone bullied you?" Xiao Lin didn't believe it, bent down and asked with a frown.

"No, no, no one is bullying me. Maybe it's because the incense is too strong and my eyes are a little sore. It will be fine after I get used to it." Su Manyan did not tell the truth. She herself did not understand the situation. If Xiao Lin suspected her identity because of this and found out that she was a member of the prince's party, what should she do?

Xiao Lin had no choice but to believe this statement for now.

The old abbot leading the way observed this incident and said cheerfully, "Ci'en Temple is a very famous temple in the capital, with a constant stream of pilgrims every year, and the incense never stops burning. It's normal for your eyes to be uncomfortable from the smoke, but it will be gone after a while. Empress Shuyi used to copy books and recite scriptures here, and the Emperor often visited here, too. During those years, this place was even more prosperous."

"How many years ago did Queen Shuyi come here?" Xiao Lin asked, twirling his fingertips.

"About twenty years ago. Speaking of which, I was still a young boy at that time, and I received many favors from Empress Shuyi."

"Oh? Abbot, you mean that you were familiar with Empress Shuyi?"

"I can't say I'm familiar with her, but Queen Shuyi is gentle and kind, and treats people with kindness. It's a great honor to be able to talk to such a person, not to mention that she is the mother of a country and has a noble status. It's a pity..."

The old abbot sighed and shook his head at the end of his speech, and the unfinished words were naturally filled with sadness and regret.

Seeing this, Xiao Lin patted the old abbot on the shoulder and remained silent, as if to mourn together.

Before they knew it, they had reached their destination.

The Zen room was hidden in the quietest corner of the temple, with green tiles and wooden eaves, and prayer flags swaying slowly from the beams. In the corner of the courtyard stood an old well, its curb carved with a faint lotus pattern.

"Donor, we have arrived at the meditation room. Please rest here. I will take my leave first."

Su Manyan and the others had been traveling all day, and it was already getting dark. After eating their vegetarian meal, Xiao Lin went to the temple to burn incense and worship Buddha.

Su Manyan stayed in her room. She opened the carved wooden window and in the twilight, she could see the dark green mountains in the distance and hear the faint sound of the temple bells.

She stood like this for a long time, supporting her chin with her arm, listening to the soft ringing of the copper bells on the eaves and smelling the soothing scent in the house, and fell asleep unknowingly.

In my dream, I first saw a young woman, dressed in a gorgeous silk dress, playing wildly in a huge garden. Sometimes she would climb a tree to rob a bird's nest, sometimes she would chase a cat, laughing heartily and carefree. She was always accompanied by a gentle woman. I couldn't see her face clearly, but I could feel the kindness in her eyes even through the dream. When she saw her climbing a tree, she would gently scold her, but she didn't actually stop her.

Then the scene shifted, and the young woman was dressed in a red wedding gown, her face covered by a red veil. It was time for her wedding night. Her vision was blurred by the veil, and she could only make out a figure standing before her, wearing a pair of red wedding shoes. The figure reeked of alcohol, but his voice was clear: "Don't worry, Princess. This prince will treat you well and protect you for the rest of your life."

These words were like a hook, drawing the girl's tears to her eyes, her shoulders shaking with sobs. Su Manyan watched from the side, her heart aching, but she couldn't see the groom's appearance clearly.

The dreams that followed became chaotic, with fragmented images like crumpled paper, and upside-down and torn shadows everywhere, which made people feel uneasy.

The dream grew terrifying, like a nightmare haunting her, trapping her in darkness. She ran desperately, trying to escape, but all around her was darkness, endless and boundless. She ran for a long time but saw no end. Instead, it felt like she was going in circles, about to be swallowed by the darkness...

She was like a wrecked boat, like a frost-bitten leaf, silent and lost in the chaos. She stood on a high city wall, the wind stinging her face. One more step forward, and it seemed she would be free...

"Ayan! Ayan! Wake up!"

The gentle male voice overlapped with her dream, stopping her in her tracks and pulling her down from the tall building.

She was rescued...

Su Manyan was shaken awake, her eyes snapping open, gasping for air. Like drifting wood, she clutched the collar of the person beside her, desperately trying to figure out where to go, as if she were about to drown.

Su Manyan panted for a long time. After the palpitations caused by the nightmare subsided, her mind gradually became clear. She then realized that the person in front of her was Xiao Lin.

"Ayan?"

Xiao Lin called her name softly, reached out, and patted the back of her hand, which was covered with blue veins from exerting force, to soothe her anxiety.

Su Manyan shook his head and said in a low voice, "It's okay."

Xiao Lin naturally didn't believe it, but he just frowned and explained: "I just passed by and saw your window was wide open. I called you a few times but you didn't respond, so I pushed the door open and came in. I didn't expect you to fall asleep on the table like this."

Su Manyan let go of her hand, and seeing Xiao Lin staring at her face with an expression of wanting to say something but stopping herself, she raised her hand and touched it, and felt another wet spot.

She cried again. This was the second time since she came to the temple.

She was like a girl in a dream, tears streaming down her face.

Xiao Lin said nothing, only pulling a handkerchief from his sleeve and half-kneeling on the ground, he carefully wiped away her tears. The handkerchief was plain, with a faint scent of soapberry. He wiped the corners of her eyes very gently, afraid to hurt her. Su Manyan froze, watching his long black hair brush past his shoulders. Suddenly, she remembered the vague silhouette of the wedding night in her dream. The same gentle expression, the same cautious movements, inexplicably reunited.

Su Manyan was genuinely curious. Who were the couple in her dream? How could they have so moved her? Could it be that the original owner, Ayan, was related to the groom?

There's too much fog.

She waved her hand and gently pushed Xiao Lin away, feeling that this was inappropriate.

Xiao Lin, who was suddenly pushed away, was full of confusion and a little aggrieved in his eyes.

Su Manyan quickly explained: "My legs are just a little numb."

Xiao Lin had no choice but to stand up and hand the handkerchief to Su Manyan, indicating that she should wipe herself.

Seeing Xiao Lin's natural expression, Su Manyan turned around to pour water for herself and couldn't help asking, "Your Highness, don't you want to ask something?"

The figure of the other person pouring water paused, then returned to normal: "What do you want to ask? Is Ayan satisfied with the environment here? Is Ayan feeling cold after sleeping with the window open? Or is the numbness in Ayan's legs gone?"

"You know that's not what I meant." Su Manyan said anxiously.

Xiao Lin pressed the water cup into her hand, his fingertips carelessly touching hers with a touch of warmth. "What are you curious about?" He looked into her eyes and said seriously, "If you want to tell me, you will tell me. If you don't want to, why would I force you?"

"It's not that I don't want to tell you, it's just... I don't understand it myself. If I figure it out, I'll tell you, okay?" Su Manyan herself was also confused and had no idea what was going on. She was afraid that Xiao Lin would be angry.

Fortunately, Xiao Lin was very gentle. He patted her back and comforted her, "Okay. Tell me if you need anything. If you are bullied, tell me too."

Su Manyan finally felt relieved and nodded, drinking the water obediently. Her eyes were swollen like walnuts, looking both pitiful and a little funny.

She felt at ease. The man before her always pleased her. He never pressed her on anything she didn't want to say, and never forced her to do anything she didn't want to do.

A gentleman is as gentle as water, and her mood becomes warm again, in the hot water in the cup, in this hot spring called Xiao Lin

Xiao Lin left only after seeing that Su Manyan's mood had stabilized a bit. The two agreed to walk around the temple together tomorrow, burn incense and worship Buddha to calm their minds.

The next morning, the two of them tacitly agreed not to mention the events of the previous night. As they arrived at the main hall, they heard the sound of monks reverently chanting sutras from inside. Their deep voices, reciting incomprehensible Sanskrit, were enough to purify the soul of anyone who listened.

The pilgrims were numerous every day, including many wealthy young men and women. This time, Xiao Lin had come under the alias Lin Xiao, claiming to be the second son of a wealthy merchant from Jiangnan. With the Spring Festival approaching, he had brought his family to the capital to reunite with his eldest brother and was visiting the renowned Ci'en Temple today.

Today he was wearing a light green brocade robe with white brocade trim at the collar and cuffs. The fresh and bright color made Xiao Lin look less dull and more lively.

This was the first time Su Manyan saw Xiao Lin wearing such elegant light-colored clothes outside. He looked like a bright young master from a wealthy family. Su Manyan couldn't help but take a few more glances at him.

Xiao Lin certainly didn't notice. He held a folding fan in his hand to hide the smile on his lips. He deliberately turned around twice in front of her, raised his sleeves to straighten his collar, and stood sideways for her to see. He looked as if he wanted her to see enough at once.

If he could attract Su Manyan, he would naturally attract the attention of others. The old abbot yesterday saw Xiao Lin dressed differently from yesterday and exclaimed, "The young master from Jiangnan is indeed very impressive."

Just as the two of them had walked a few steps in the prayer corridor, several elegantly dressed ladies looked at Xiao Lin from afar, their eyes filled with shyness. From time to time, they would lower their heads and huddle together to whisper. Their gazes fell on Xiao Lin, sticky and sticky. Even though Su Manyan was not a stingy person, she felt a little uncomfortable being surrounded and stared at like this.

She curled her lips and was about to tell Xiao Lin to change places, but when she turned around, she saw Xiao Lin with a smile on his face, looking calm and at ease, as if he didn't notice those gazes at all.

Su Manyan muttered to himself: Why is this guy still happy?

Just as they were about to leave, they heard soft footsteps behind them. A young lady from a wealthy family, wearing a light yellow blouse, blushed as she stepped past Su Manyan and stood in front of Xiao Lin. Her delicate hands held a small, peach-colored handkerchief. She lowered her head with a shy smile and gently dropped it onto Xiao Lin's chest. Then, lifting the hem of her skirt, she trotted off.

Xiao Lin was taken aback by this sudden display of affection. In keeping with his innate upbringing and gentlemanly manners, he subconsciously grabbed the handkerchief that was floating in the air. When he felt the soft touch of the handkerchief, he was immediately terrified and looked at Su Manyan.

Su Manyan was standing next to him, with no expression on her face, her eyes coldly cast on the handkerchief in his hand.