Chapter 44 You Look at Me Very Closely
The light in the hall was dim.
Only the long-burning lamp in front of the Buddha was burning dimly, reflecting the golden body of the Buddha half bright and half dim.
There is a gilded incense burner on the altar.
The body of the incense burner is carved with intricate lotus patterns, and there is thick incense ash accumulated inside the incense burner - that is the remnant of incense burned by powerful people over the years.
The monk brought three sticks of sandalwood.
The incense body is wrapped in gold foil, and the end is dotted with cinnabar and a red seal.
Under Xie Siyan's suggestive gaze, Mu Jia lowered her head and took it. When her fingertips touched the fragrant body, she had the illusion that she had accepted some kind of contract.
"Hold the incense in your left hand and protect the fire with your right hand, Miss Mu."
The monk's voice came from my ear.
Xie Siyan stood quietly beside her, lowering his eyes to watch the monk fetch the fire-lighting equipment for her. With a "chi", the firelight illuminated half of his face.
Mu Jia leaned over to light the fire. The moment the sandalwood was lit, a wisp of green smoke rose straight up and lingered in front of the Buddha.
"Business is going well."
She raised her arm as she was told, and her wrist was suddenly gently held by Xie Siyan.
"Nothing else?"
His palm covered her wrist, and the warmth came through her skin, steadying her slightly trembling hand.
"For example, marriage."
Mu Jia's arms trembled, and he broke free from him, subconsciously kneeling on the mat.
As he leaned forward, he could smell the stale scent of cattails. The moment his forehead touched the ground, a crow's cry suddenly broke the silence outside the hall.
When she inserted the incense into the censer, she noticed that theirs was the only stick of incense in the censer.
It turns out that this is the so-called "first stick of incense".
It's not a matter of time.
But it's the status of the people.
——
The second incense stick was offered by Xie Sixian.
Chen Fu Ji walked out from the inner room, holding up his mobile phone and taking a video.
Mu Jia glanced at him, but the other party ignored him with a serious expression.
Xie Siyan was much more skilled than her. After completing the whole set of movements, he turned around and explained something to the monk. After a while, the monk left the hall.
Chen Fu Ji followed Xie Siyan out of the hall and put away his cell phone.
At the same time, Xie Ling, who was thousands of miles away, received the video and looked at Bai Yirou while biting his lip.
"So she just went to the Hanging Temple to burn incense," Bai Yirou looked at her phone, "Auntie wasn't in good health before the New Year, Si Yan was thoughtful."
Xie Ling just said "hmm" and said nothing more.
Behind the Hanging Temple is the Wuxiang Zen Temple.
The name comes from the sentence "All appearances are false" in the Diamond Sutra.
Deep in the Zen temple.
Several gray-robed monks knelt on faded cushions.
The sound of the wooden fish was intermittent, mixed with the snow falling from the eaves, and it made a hollow echo on the bluestone slabs.
Someone prepared vegetarian food for a few people and came over to ask.
Chen Fuji took the time to look at the two of them, and Xie Siyan said, "If you want vegetarian food, go eat it at the foot of the mountain."
Maybe the food here is not fresh.
Chen Fu Ji had no objection.
Mu Jia had no appetite at noon and didn't eat much. Now he was really hungry and had no other thoughts.
The three of them went down the mountain together.
Chen Fu Ji was driving in the front and Xie Siyan was sitting in the passenger seat.
He looked nonchalant, but was unusually silent when they were together. He didn't ask questions that didn't need to be asked, and he hadn't spoken to her since they met.
Half an hour later.
The car drove down the winding mountain road and stopped in front of a quiet vegetarian restaurant in the city center.
It should have been booked early in the morning.
Chen Fu Ji stepped forward first, showed the information, and soon someone led them in.
In the ancient and quaint box, the green bamboo curtain is half rolled up.
The dishes were quickly placed on an old sandalwood table when the three people entered.
The tofu stewed with matsutake mushrooms is as white as the first snow, the seasonal vegetables wrapped in lotus leaves are green and juicy, and the amber mushroom soup is served in a coarse earthenware bowl with two wolfberries floating in it.
Chen Fuji took the ebony chopsticks and lightly picked at the tofu. He was the first to taste it without any restrictions. He said: "Master Xie also likes to eat vegetarian food now."
He doesn't look like a member of the Xie family in appearance and character, and has a ruffian air about him that comes from a common background.
Xie Siyan raised his eyelids and picked up some food for Mu Jia, "Try this." He turned his wrist and the spoon landed steadily in Mu Jia's bowl, "Newly picked chicken mushrooms after the rain." After saying that, he naturally filled a bowl for himself, and then said:
"Meat and fish are greasy. Sometimes I also need to have some light porridge and side dishes."
Chen Fu Ji smiled and said nothing else, just ate in silence.
During the meal, Xie Siyan asked again, "Has Xie Ling come to see you?"
Chen Fu Ji was stunned.
Suddenly he felt that this girl today meant a lot to him.
He flew over to accompany her during the holidays, and reluctantly said that he wanted to come and pray for Madam Xie, and was the first to light some incense.
Now I am talking about this in front of people, without any hesitation...
He hummed, and without beating around the bush, "I looked for it. I replied as you asked."
After finishing the meal, it was already seven or eight o'clock in the evening.
Chen Fu Ji found an excuse to leave.
Mu Jia answered the phone nearby, "Yeah, I was outside... I met an old classmate, Zhou Yi, whom you've met. I think he'll be back a little later tonight..."
She told most of the lies she had told in her life in one breath, and when she turned around, she saw Xie Siyan staring at her.
He was wearing a dark grey suit, which was now unbuttoned, and the shirt underneath was neatly ironed with only a few wrinkles. He was leaning against the car body, looking down from above.
He has an elegant temperament and a noble status.
He has the demeanor of a noble young man from a superior class.
Mu Jia looked around, "Where's Mr. Chen?"
"He went back first." Xie Siyan fiddled with his lighter. "Send me back?"
"I'll give you a ride..." Mu Jia didn't understand.
Xie Siyan loosened his collar and got in the car. "I'm staying in a hotel today."
This is to send him back to the hotel.
Then what?
…
What will happen is self-evident.
Mu Jia felt like he was on a pirate ship. He had used his connections to bring himself here to burn the first incense stick and have a meal... and then coaxed himself into letting down his guard. Now the other person just left and asked him to take him back to the hotel.
Mu Jia hesitated, "Xie Siyan, how about you send me back first..."
Xie Siyan glanced at her and said, "This place is quite far from your home."
One is in the east of the city, the other is in the west. Now they are still at the foot of the mountain. When he came here, it took him almost forty minutes to drive here.
It's still evening rush hour.
"Then let me get off and take a taxi..."
Mu Jia wanted to open the car door.
Already locked.
Xie Siyan said coldly behind her, "I'm here...would you like to get a taxi?"
The meaning is becoming increasingly clear.
Mu Jia turned her head and pushed away his leaning body, "Stop making trouble..."
Not to mention whether she is willing or not.
If she didn't go home tonight, Chen Lifang and Mu Zhisheng would definitely interrogate her thoroughly tomorrow.
She had rarely lied to her parents in her life, but since he came, not a single word of truth had come out of her mouth...
"That twintail..." Something suddenly popped into her mind.
In a flash, he put his hands in front of his chest and said, "Xie Siyan, you already have someone by your side, why are you still pestering me?"
Xie Siyan stopped and looked at her with narrowed eyes.
There was a moment of silence in the car.
Just when Mu Jia thought he had ruined the atmosphere and gave up, he chuckled and said in a gentle voice:
"You look at me quite closely."
Mu Jia's face suddenly turned red.
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