Bathing
To succeed, one must dare to dream and think. This is Gu Sidu's life motto. Only by boldly pursuing his goals can he truly grasp the people and things he desires.
So, when he finished his imperial examinations and was praised and rewarded by the emperor, the first thing he did was to pick out his favorite items from the emperor's gifts and offer them to the Bodhisattva.
He knew that Jiang Yufan was a fake bodhisattva, just as she had described, so it was perfect that she could accept some worldly things, and he could give away his own. If Jiang Yufan didn't accept them, so be it; she would definitely accept them. If she still didn't accept them, then he would think of another way.
Gu Sidu already knew how to make Jiang Yufan give in: by showing his sincerity, he could soften Jiang Yufan's heart.
Gu Sidu presented Jiang Yufan with a beautiful coral bracelet. This coral bracelet wasn't particularly rare, but coral is one of the seven treasures of Buddhism, and wearing it is believed to bring good fortune and attract positive relationships.
What's most precious and valuable is that Gu Sidu wanted to use this to imply that Jiang Yufan would make many friends and that she needed to meet new people, and that Gu Sidu was the true person Jiang Yufan needed to look up to.
Bodhisattvas are always gentle and kind, but do they ever have worries? Can a person be contained in the eyes of a Bodhisattva when they don't look up?
Gu Sidu arrived happily and full of anticipation, but his timing was unfortunate; Jiang Yufan's room was quiet and empty.
There was no word on where Jiang Yufan was going today. Gu Sidu had someone report Jiang Yufan's whereabouts every day, what she did, how much she ate, whether she was happy, or whether she had any worries. He had firsthand information, so he shouldn't have come back empty-handed.
The Bodhisattva is still in this courtyard.
Gu Sidu carefully held the coral in his heart and searched the courtyard thoroughly. Sure enough, he heard the sound of water behind the small room.
He followed the sound and finally stopped at its source. It was very hot inside. He bent down, licked his fingers, and quietly opened the window paper. This was no small matter; he immediately tightened his throat and froze on the spot.
The steam rising from the room added a touch of mystery, making it seem like a fairyland. In the hazy light, Gu Sidu could clearly see Jiang Yufan sitting in a wooden tub taking a bath.
He arrived at an inopportune time, just as the Buddhist nun he had invited back was slightly frowning, burning incense and bathing.
I ordered the agarwood he had given me.
Gu Sidu's desire seemed to reach its peak. This was his Bodhisattva, using his incense to wash away the filth of the mortal world, leaving him spotless. Gu Sidu didn't turn his gaze away. He had never seen such beauty before, surpassing any scene in the world he had ever visited. He was reluctant to leave.
The Buddhist nun's skin was as white as snow, almost blending into the white porcelain vase behind her. That kind of whiteness was beyond human understanding, but rather a body formed ruthlessly like snow. The water in the wooden tub spread and pattered on the Buddhist nun's chest, slowly and gently, as if afraid of leaving a red mark on her body and damaging this naturally formed white jade.
Looking again at the Buddhist nun, her cheeks were flushed, and beads of sweat glistened on her forehead, like beautiful jade from the foot of Kunlun Mountain adhering to her temples and brow. Although the Buddhist nun was in the world, her face was still in the human realm, feeling the sorrows of humanity and trying to alleviate human suffering with her own body.
Gu Sidu's thoughts had already drifted into the room. He dared not imagine that the incense he had given to the Bodhisattva would be lit, suspended in mid-air, and slowly cover the Bodhisattva's body, seeping into every inch of the skin.
It was as if he were embracing a Bodhisattva.
As Gu Sidu thought of this, he murmured a satisfied sigh, his thoughts immersed in a cloud-shrouded mountain landscape. In that moment, Gu Sidu felt as if he were in Wushan, looking up and seeing the Goddess of Wushan. The clouds drifting in the morning and the rain falling at dusk all moistened his heart.
The ancients were right. Gu Sidu gripped the window tightly and took a slow breath.
However, the force with which those hands gripped the window was a little too strong, startling the people inside.
The Buddhist nun inside the house opened her eyes and glared angrily, asking, "Who's outside?"
"Daoyun, Daoyun, where are you?"
If he made any more noise, he would attract the attention of those who had come before. Gu Sidu didn't want anyone to see the Bodhisattva like this, so he came to his senses, cleared his throat, and said, "Bodhisattva, it's me."
There was the sound of water coming from inside the room. Gu Sidu dared not look any longer. After a while, he heard Jiang Yufan's voice: "Come in."
Stepping back into the room, the swirling mist slowly dissipated, and Gu Sidu saw Jiang Yufan wearing a robe, standing behind a screen, separated from him by vast distances.
"What is it?"
What did you see outside just now?
Gu Sidu recalled how he had tried to hook the Bodhisattva's hand earlier, only to have it easily dodged. If he were to say he had seen something, he would surely displease the Bodhisattva. It was his own wild imagination; he had only glimpsed a glimpse of the Bodhisattva's naked face and had already conjured up unspeakable thoughts. The problem lay with him, not with the Bodhisattva.
He shook his head and said, "Even if the Bodhisattva lowers her eyes, I dare not raise them."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yufan didn't say much. She was only annoyed that there was only one undergarment in the room, making it inappropriate for her to meet Gu Sidu. She hoped that Gu Sidu would speak quickly and then leave so that she could feel more at ease.
"I have come today to bring good news to the Bodhisattva." Gu Sidu said tactfully, "The Emperor praised me for my performance in the imperial examination and bestowed many gifts upon me. Among them, I just saw a string of coral beads and thought I would give it to the Bodhisattva to express my gratitude for the guidance and advice the Bodhisattva has given me these past few days."
It turns out they've brought something.
Jiang Yufan's heart quietly calmed down. Gu Sidu meant well, and probably came here on the advice of a servant. She couldn't refuse such a kindness. Thankfully, she hadn't considered whether Gu Sidu was simply there to take advantage of her.
Jiang Yufan felt guilty about her own guarded thoughts, and because of this little bit of guilt, she couldn't refuse.
"Thank you for your kindness, Lord Gu. I will accept the gifts."
A hand emerged from behind the screen, revealing only a section of the fair and rounded wrist; the rest was completely concealed. Upon seeing this, Gu Sidu immediately stepped forward and took the coral bracelet from the Bodhisattva. Instead of placing the bracelet in the Bodhisattva's outstretched palm, he took it upon himself to slip it directly onto the Bodhisattva's hand.
The bracelet was the perfect size, sliding down Jiang Yufan's wrist a little further. The bright red beads made Jiang Yufan's wrist look even more delicate and fair. It seemed that what slid down Jiang Yufan's hand was no longer a coral bracelet.
Gu Sidu tightened his throat again.
Jiang Yufan was also surprised by Gu Sidu's actions. She was slightly taken aback. Her outstretched palm seemed to still retain the warmth of Gu Sidu's touch on her skin. Her fingertips pointed upwards, gently touching the lingering fragrance in the air. This scene truly resembled that of a compassionate bodhisattva.
Jiang Yufan blushed behind the screen.
“Bodhisattva, whether you are real or not, I believe you are real at this moment. Perhaps you have forgotten your past life and are deliberately trying to experience tribulations in the human world, which is why you have those painful experiences. You don’t need to worry about how much money I spent on you. I invited you back so that my official career would go more smoothly and I could have a place to display my talents. But now I have achieved my wish.”
Jiang Yufan listened intently, tilting her head slightly.
"I don't know if this news is true or false, but there are signs. Perhaps I'm going to be promoted. But I don't dare to tell the Bodhisattva until this is settled, for fear of embarrassing myself in front of the Bodhisattva in the future. The Emperor not only rewarded me, but I will also go to the palace to enjoy the flowers and attend the banquet in a few days."
"When I get the chance, I will meet more officials who are dedicated to serving the people, and my talents will be seen by more people. If I can get to know the Grand Secretary in the court, I can be spared the pain of wasting my talents under this position for the rest of my life."
"Who is the Grand Secretary?" Jiang Yufan didn't understand these things in the court, but she knew that the higher one went, the more one needed to discern the people one encountered.
“It’s Lord Jiang Yaoguang, who was promoted a few years ago.” Gu Sidu wanted to say that this Lord Jiang even shared the same surname as the Bodhisattva, but then he thought that the Bodhisattva might not want to hear these things, and he didn’t want to dredge up the Bodhisattva’s sad memories.
Gu Sidu was extremely careful, avoiding all of Jiang Yufan's taboos. He felt that there was nothing wrong with what he said, but he heard a noise behind the screen. Soon, Gu Sidu saw a Bodhisattva in plain white clothes rush out from behind the screen, looking clean but angry.
He didn't know what he had done to offend the Bodhisattva, but he knew that because of his words, the Bodhisattva was extremely angry, and even his clothes slipped off his shoulders.
"We can't slide any further!" Gu Sidu's eyes narrowed, and he reached out to pull Jiang Yufan's clothes up for him as she walked over.
"You are not allowed to associate with him!"
Jiang Yufan's words came at the same time, causing Gu Sidu to be stunned for a moment.
He didn't know why the Bodhisattva was so angry. He swallowed hard and said, "This Lord Jiang must be a good person. He cherishes talent. Not all high-ranking officials are bad."
"I'm not joking. If you befriend him, I'll pack my things and go back to Chenxiang Temple right now!" Jiang Yufan said resolutely and firmly. She gritted her teeth and as she said these words, tears streamed down her face and landed on Gu Sidu's hand.
Gu Sidu felt a sense of panic. It seemed he had angered the Bodhisattva again, and this time it seemed even more serious, as the Bodhisattva shed tears.
He hadn't yet agreed to the Bodhisattva's request, hadn't even tried to coax her into staying, saying that it was fine not to befriend her, as long as the Bodhisattva was happy, as long as the Bodhisattva stayed, Gu Sidu would agree to anything. But before he could express these thoughts, the door was pushed open again.
Immediately following was Daoyun's scream of alarm.
"Gu Sidu!!!" Dao Yun never expected Gu Sidu to be so bold. Looking at the scene before her and the tears on the Buddha's face, she immediately concluded that it was Gu Sidu's fault.
She placed the clothes the Buddhist nun wanted to change into on the table, drew her sword, and once again held it to Gu Sidu's neck.
"You lecherous scoundrel, release our Buddhist nun at once!"
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