The White Horse Temple has been built for over two hundred years. The ginkgo tree in the backyard has a canopy and a thick trunk.
It took about ten men holding hands to barely surround him.
The branches were covered with strips of red silk, each with a bell hanging from its end.
The shadows of the trees swayed, the red ribbons fluttered, and the bells rang out with a series of clear sounds.
Chu Huaixu and Song Ting were drinking tea and eating snacks at the stone table under the ginkgo tree.
"I just heard an old lady say that praying to this ginkgo tree for blessings is very effective. Should we try it after we finish eating?"
While seemingly seeking opinions, he had already brought two pieces of red silk and two writing brushes, looking expectantly at Song Ting.
He came here specifically for this purpose, so why wouldn't he make a wish?
Song Ting naturally let him do whatever he wanted, and obediently took the things.
His only thoughts and desires were for the person beside him, and he wrote down his wish on the red silk almost without hesitation.
When he looked up, Chu Huaixu was also smiling at him.
On the fiery red silk in her hand, written in a flamboyant style, were the words: "I wish to be with my beloved through life and death."
A man of such high status as him would never normally think of death; he must truly love Song Ting to say such a thing.
The latter stared at the strip of silk for a long time, until Chu Huaixu urged him to do so, before handing his own strip to the boy.
His handwriting was terrible, crooked and messy: 【May the young master be safe and happy, free from illness and disaster.】
"Huh?" Chu Huaixu was somewhat displeased. "That's it?"
Song Ting nodded seriously: "Yes, as long as you are safe, I am willing to do anything."
"Are you really not going to write anything else?" Chu Huaixu asked him, his eyes hinting.
Song Ting naturally understood what he meant, but still just shook her head: "That's all."
"You're so clueless about romance." Chu Huaixu was even more displeased and reached out to pull his face away.
"Did I bring you all this way just so you could make such a wish? I am the most beloved grandson of the Emperor. I can live peacefully without your prayers."
Song Ting simply smiled slightly at his pulling motion.
“That’s different,” he said.
"What's different?" Chu Huaixu looked still dissatisfied, giving him a resentful glance.
But she couldn't help but smile, finally understanding the boy's unspoken meaning.
The ginkgo tree is very large, with many branches, but it cannot contain the wishes of the world. The branches are already densely covered with silk cloth.
Chu Huaixu circled the tree trunk but couldn't find a place to start.
"There seems to be room on that branch," Song Ting pointed in a direction.
Following his gesture, Chu Huaixu also noticed.
“You have a sharp eye.” He tugged at Song Ting. “But it seems too tall.”
The branch was quite high up; you definitely couldn't reach it by simply reaching out. It was indeed too high.
"How about I use my lightness skill to fly up there? But wouldn't that be disrespectful to Buddha?"
After thinking for a moment, Song said, "This servant will carry the young master up."
Chu Huaixu immediately laughed: "What are you saying? If anyone should be hugging, it should be me hugging you."
His intention was that Song Ting had never practiced martial arts, so he might have an advantage in that regard.
But Song Ting stubbornly insisted, "This servant will hold you."
It doesn't really matter who hugs whom, and Chu Huaixu didn't argue with him about it, so he opened his arms and let him hug him.
When Song Ting was picked up, the boy was thin and small, with no flesh on his body, just skin and bones.
He wasn't tall either, even shorter than Chu Huaixu.
But thanks to the good rice and water he had been given over the years, the boy had grown taller and stronger, and his arms had become more powerful.
They were actually able to lift him up steadily.
Chu Huaixu's first reaction was relief. Then came a strange shyness.
In this sacred Buddhist site, beneath the prayer tree, his mind involuntarily drifted to thoughts of intimate matters.
It's truly... a bit embarrassing. But Song Ting's strength is really impressive right now.
—No, I can't think about it anymore.
Chu Huaixu told himself this, and then focused his attention on the tree.
"Going a little higher, it still seems like I can't reach it."
"Just a little further up, we're almost there..."
"arrive!"
Song Ting had a very steady arm strength. He carried Chu Huaixu for so long without his arm shaking. Only after Chu Huaixu tied the two pieces of silk cloth did Song Ting put him down steadily.
Only a few drops of sweat glistened on his forehead.
Am I very heavy?
“It’s not heavy.” Song Ting shook his head vigorously. “This servant can carry you. Young master should eat more.”
His lips were pursed, but his dark eyes were bright, reflecting Chu Huaixu's image.
The boy touched the corner of his lips: "Laugh if you want to, why hold it in?"
Song Ting pursed her lips even tighter, but a smile leaked out from her eyes.
Are you happy today?
"Um."
Chu Huaixu was also happy, and he quickly pecked the boy on the cheek:
"As long as you're happy, that's all that matters. Follow me, and I guarantee you'll be happy every day."
As soon as she finished speaking, Song Ting's face turned visibly red, and she lowered her head, not daring to look at Chu Huaixu.
The latter didn't react at first, and was still thinking how this person was so easily teased. He had only said the most ordinary thing, but it made him blush.
Upon reflection, it quickly became clear—
He used his folding fan to lift Song Ting's chin, and laughed with a mocking smile: "What are you thinking about?"
He's usually a bit dull and absent-minded, but he's also quite prone to overthinking.
But he himself was no different.
It can only be said that the two of them exemplify the old saying, "Every pot has its own lid."
It was his destiny to find Song Ting, and it was their destiny to be together.
"Amitabha." Master Liaochen, who had just finished a Dharma assembly, had appeared behind them at some point.
Chu Huaixu and Song Ting turned around and returned a Buddhist salute: "Master."
According to rumors, Liao Chen is already a hundred years old, but judging from his appearance and demeanor, one cannot tell his age at all.
Only those eyes possessed a tranquil peace that only comes from having seen all the vicissitudes of life.
Judging from his appearance alone, he certainly has the air of a highly accomplished monk.
“This benefactor is destined to be with Buddhism. Would you be willing to travel with this humble monk?” He nodded, his gaze fixed on Chu Huaixu.
Before the latter could respond, Song Ting had already shielded him behind her: "Young master is a noble person, he cannot go with you!"
He looked exactly like a loyal hound protecting its master, ready to pounce and bite the old monk's neck at any moment.
Chu Huaixu couldn't help but laugh, looking over Master Liaochen's shoulder:
“Amitabha, thank you for your kindness, Master, but Huaixu is just an ordinary person who cannot let go of worldly desires. I am afraid I will have to disappoint you.”
Liao Chen did not give up immediately: "Benefactor, you are destined for calamity. Only by staying away from the secular world can you avoid disaster."
Song Ting frowned, her gaze fixed on the old monk.
He had a lot to say, but suddenly he couldn't speak, and even his heart skipped a beat.
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