At dusk.
With heavy steps, Shi Chan arrived at the entrance of the Holy Monk Temple. He stood silently outside the half-closed door for a long time, his expression, which had been full of struggle, gradually becoming firm. Then he pushed open the door and went inside.
The first thing that catches the eye is that slender figure sitting cross-legged. When she hears the door open, she turns around with a bright smile and calls out, "Shi Chan, you're back?"
The resolute expression on Shi Chan's face wavered instantly, and the various emotions in his eyes intertwined, making him even more conflicted and unpredictable.
"What's wrong, Shi Chan?" Liu Li vaguely noticed that something was wrong with Shi Chan's expression. The smile on her lips disappeared little by little, and her brows furrowed slightly.
"It's nothing," Shi Chan replied gently, a warm smile playing on his lips. He walked slowly towards Liu Li and sat down beside her.
Liuli pouted and said unhappily, "Shichan, how many times have I told you to go inside and get a futon?"
Shi Chan did not respond to Liuli's words. He simply looked down at the shallow pit in front of him, at the damp soil in the pit, and remained silent for a long time.
He told her that the wooden house was fully furnished, and asked her to marry him so that she could settle down in the town and never have to worry about the troubles outside.
He should plead with her to give him some time to go out and help the righteous disciples resist the demonic calamity, so that he could do his part for the common people and not feel so uneasy.
Shi Chan's silence made Liuli's heart sink. She frowned and looked at Shi Chan, asking in a low voice, "Shi Chan, what exactly happened?"
Zen Master remained silent and motionless, showing absolutely no reaction.
"Shi Chan?" So Liuli had to raise her voice and call out again.
"Huh?" Shi Chan suddenly came to his senses. He quickly turned to look at Liu Li and asked, "What did you say, Liu Li?"
Liuli pursed her lips and asked again, "What happened? What's wrong with you?"
Shi Chan opened his mouth but then stopped, ultimately not revealing that Shi Ning had been there. After a moment of silence, he smiled and said, "It's nothing, I just suddenly remembered something from my childhood."
Liuli remembered the fair-skinned, red-lipped monk she had seen in the memory illusion, and her eyes softened. She tilted her head and asked with a smile, "What is it?"
Shi Chan chuckled, “Ever since my master carried me up the mountain, I’ve learned all the scriptures and Buddhist knowledge in no time. The only exception is the Seven Treasures of Buddhism; I only remember six of them. My fellow disciples reminded me that one of the Seven Treasures is lapis lazuli, and I would argue with them, saying that lapis lazuli isn’t a gemstone. Because of this, my fellow disciples often tease me. They even showed me a piece of lapis lazuli, but I still stubbornly believe that lapis lazuli isn’t a gemstone; it is…”
A smile spread across Liuli's face, her eyebrows curving into crescent moons. Shichan paused, then asked, "What is it?"
Shi Chan's gaze softened, and he said softly, "She is a woman, a woman who is very close to me."
Liuli chuckled, patted Shichan on the shoulder, and said with a smile, "At least you still have a conscience and remember me."
Shi Chan smiled gently and fell silent again.
After a long silence, Liuli stretched and said lazily, "It's getting late, Shichan, we should go back. We can't keep having the mayor's wife call us for dinner."
"Okay." Perhaps due to the long silence, Shi Chan's voice was a little hoarse.
Liuli was the first to stand up and take the futon she had been sitting on into the Buddhist hall.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
