Qin Weixi glanced at him as he sat down, then turned and said, "..."
A secluded ancient temple, with wisps of incense smoke rising gently.
The three went to the temple, lit incense, and bowed sincerely to the gods and Buddhas, each making their own wishes.
As they were leaving the Buddhist temple, Tao Qingyun suggested that since it was almost noon, they should have a vegetarian meal before leaving. Qin Weixi, upon hearing him mention vegetarian food, suddenly remembered the old man selling wild fruits that they had met outside the ancient temple and decided to buy some.
Upon returning to the ancient temple, he saw the two people who had been standing outside the Buddha Hall earlier now standing on the open-air corridor on the second floor, smiling at him with their hands behind their backs.
Standing at the foot of the stone steps, Qin Weixi looked up at the two "young men" standing there in a daze beneath the layered buildings, as if he had returned to his own youth. If it weren't for what happened back then, his third brother, Qingyun, might have entered officialdom early and soared to great heights. Or perhaps he would still be traveling the world, traversing lakes, seas, mountains, and rivers. And his fourth brother, Yening, might have followed their father to fight on all sides, slaying generals and defeating enemies on the battlefield.
Everyone was making their way forward in peaceful times. The eldest brother, Luo Ling, had long since found a sweetheart and was living a harmonious life with his wife. The crown prince, the fifth brother, was also enjoying his success. She, along with Luo Xiaoxing and Afu, would enjoy the flowers in the garden, go for spring outings, and go boating in the summer.
But will she still walk alongside him? Or will he also be engaged to someone else long ago?
She was certain it wouldn't. And she would still walk beside him, through life and death.
Qin Weixi, having recovered from his reverie amidst the endless stream of worshippers, suddenly noticed a young novice monk in robes standing beside them.
As she approached, she overheard the young novice monk speaking to Tao Qingyun: "Benefactor, being too attached will surely harm your heart."
Tao Qingyun, unusually blushing, retorted angrily, "You little novice monk, you know how to talk!"
The man, who had been all smiles, suddenly turned pale. Just as Qin Weixi was about to go and see what was going on, she saw the young novice monk put his hands together, chant "Amitabha," and walk away without looking back, disappearing into the corridor in the blink of an eye.
She asked, "What happened?"
Chu Yening shook his head, looking equally puzzled.
Tao Qingyun, however, kept a straight face: "How would I know? You went to buy fruit and that little bald guy was staring at me from under the eaves, and I was staring back at him. In the blink of an eye, he came up to me and started spouting nonsense." With that, she stomped down the stone steps: "Hurry up, I'm starving."
After having eaten the temple's vegetarian meal, the three were preparing to leave the dining hall. As they walked along a narrow path shaded by ancient trees, they suddenly heard a series of mocking voices and muffled thuds coming from ahead.
The three quickly passed through the ancient trees, and Qin Weixi had already put her veil back on. Not far away, they saw six or seven idle young men of a local tyrant bullying a boy dressed in an indigo robe.
Several smiling but menacing young men were directing the servants, who were wielding sticks, to beat the boy in the blue shirt. They laughed and said, "Isn't it just that we have to tell you the answers to the exam? If you do, you'll suffer for it."
The boy smiled faintly amidst the sticks, glanced at the group with disdain, then wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and said, "If I'm injured today, how can I leave here and give you an answer?"
The group whispered among themselves, then gave a sinister laugh. One of the young men in brocade robes waved away the servant who was about to strike with a stick, and then kicked him hard: "Fine, I bet you won't dare to run away."
The young man glanced indifferently at the group of people surrounding him again, then slowly pushed himself up with one hand. In an instant, he grabbed the wooden stick from the servant beside him, slammed it at the young man in brocade, and then quickly fled down the mountain.
But perhaps due to the severity of his injuries, the boy was dragged back by several people in no time. The boy in brocade robes, perhaps enraged by the mockery, was now bleeding profusely from his head and tried to pick up heavy stones from both sides of the road to smash at the boy with a fierce look in his eyes.
In an instant, a piece of silver flew from a distance and struck him precisely on the back of the head, causing him to stop what he was doing in pain.
"who!"
The three people slowly emerged from under the ancient tree. Tao Qingyun waved a folding fan, a half-smile on her face: "It's true what they say, there are all kinds of birds in a big forest. I hate bullies who humiliate the weak the most. Unfortunately, I've run into one today."
The young man in brocade robes roared, and several servants wielding sticks surrounded him. He angrily said, "You hit me? Come out and apologize, and I'll spare your life for now." As he spoke, he glanced at the man and woman behind the man in blue robes.
The man, also dressed in brocade robes, stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes gleaming with a chilling light. The woman in the pale yellow silk dress wore a veil over her head, obscuring her features, but her graceful figure told him she was undoubtedly a beautiful young woman.
He then revealed a meaningful smile, his eyes fixed on the woman in the silk robe beside the man.
"If this is allowed..."
Before he could finish speaking, the man in the brocade robe with cold eyes suddenly produced a short dagger and flew straight at him, narrowly missing him by an inch, which would have made him childless.
He roared angrily, and the men behind him, seeing the blood streaming down the young man's thigh, surrounded him with murderous intent, along with their servants.
Chu Yening looked at the young man in brocade robes and said calmly, "Do you still want these eyes?"
Tao Qingyun smiled and said, "Old fox, it's been a long time since you've shown your skills. Do you remember when the two of us used to beat up those spoiled brats? One, two... seven toads. Now you're itching for a fight."
Before the young man in brocade could even process the meaning of those words, a leaf fell from his feet in the wind, and in the blink of an eye, the servants and his companions he had brought with him that day all clutched their chests and collapsed to the ground.
The man who was still standing under the tree, protecting the woman behind him, now had an extremely cold look in his eyes. He suddenly sneered at him: "Remember my face. If you go back and cause trouble or displease me, I'll keep your rat-like eyes in check!"
Tao Qingyun added, "Did you hear me? If you're bullying Baqiang, I'll gouge your eyes out!"
Seeing his companions lying on the ground, wounded and unable to get up, and noticing the noble air about the three men, he knew he had encountered some troublesome people today.
Therefore, he gritted his teeth and led everyone away in an instant, disappearing without a trace.
The young man in blue had been standing in the corner. Once the others had disappeared from sight, he picked up the dusty books and scrolls scattered on the ground. Then he bowed to the three men under the tree, saying, "Thank you all for your help."
Seeing that the three men did not speak, he continued, "My surname is Zhou, and I am from Fuzhou. If you would be so kind as to visit my humble abode, I, Yang, will serve you three cups of tea."
"From Fuzhou?"
Zhou Yi looked at the woman wearing a veil in front of him and asked a question. He was taken aback for a moment, but quickly replied, "That's right."
Qin Weixi lifted the veil and carefully examined the young man's features, finding them indeed resembling the bold and unrestrained man. Chu Yening and Tao Qingyun also understood the implication.
Chu Yening asked, "Do you have any relatives who serve as officials in the capital?"
Zhou Yi was taken aback again, but the three of them already understood.
Qin Weixi looked at his age and guessed what was going on. Under the veil, he smiled and said, "Your features resemble one of my uncles in the capital."
Zhou Yi hesitated for a moment before asking, "Uncle?" but his face showed great joy.
Tao Qingyun also laughed from the side: "Is Zhou Quan, the Vice Minister of Revenue, your uncle?"
Zhou Yi nodded.
Tao Qingyun suddenly exclaimed, "Ha! It's truly divine intervention; there's a will of Heaven at work. Did I save Lord Zhou's nephew today?"
Zhou Yi said, "Are the three benefactors and my uncle... close friends despite their age difference?"
Tao Qingyun asked, "He does resemble your uncle, both brave and resourceful."
Zhou Yi looked at the three smiling people and was about to repay their kindness for helping him today when the girl said, "I don't seek repayment today; I'm just passing through. Those shifty-eyed scoundrels shouldn't dare to make things difficult for you anymore. It's getting late; see you later."
Zhou Yi tried to persuade her to stay, but the girl and the man in brocade and green beside her had already gone down the mountain. The man in green remained where he was, looked him up and down, and said with a laugh, "Young man, do you know when we'll meet again? Study hard and we'll meet again in the capital one day!"
Seeing that the three had already walked through the winding path and forest and were getting further and further away, Zhou Yi, not wanting to delay, descended the mountain to send a letter to the capital. When Kang received the letter, she recalled the bright and clever young girl she had seen that day, now either in Chongqing or already on her way back to the capital, and she and Zhou Quan couldn't help but sigh with emotion. But that's another story.
Outside the ancient temple, Qin Weixi recounted to Chu Yening how Zhou Quan and his wife had schemed for years to repay the Qin family's debt of ten taels of silver. He realized that good causes and good results are all formed in a single thought, and the result is already predetermined when the cause arises.
The two stood on the shady path under the lush trees, looking back at the ancient temple with its swirling smoke and the throngs of pilgrims, as well as the energetic young man in blue robes who was chatting and laughing with the old man, tossing fruit between his hands.
Chu Yening turned around and took her hand, their fingers intertwined. He said, "Once this matter is settled, I will go wherever you want."
Qin Weixi smiled and said, "Anywhere is fine? You don't need your marquis status anymore?"
"Of all the things in the world, none can compare to you."
*
Perhaps due to the gradually cooling weather in this mountain town, Qin Weixi did not wake up until noon. At first, the group thought it was due to yesterday's journey on the mountain road, but in the end, Chu Yening forced his way into the "deep chamber" to check the high fever on her forehead and the flushed cheeks without any makeup, and hurriedly rode off to fetch the town's doctor.
By the third day, she was able to slowly get out of bed, but she still felt dizzy and lightheaded. Zijin spent a lot of money to occupy the inn's small kitchen so that she could personally brew the medicine, but for the past few days, it was that seemingly difficult person who patiently and tirelessly brewed the medicine and cooked the porridge over a low flame.
Tao Qingyun and Xue Zhao followed at a distance: "I can tell your lord suffered quite a bit during those years in the Northwest!"
He used to be the one who tamed others; no one dared to tame him, so how could this chosen one do such things?
Xue Zhao sighed.
Inside the room, Chu Yening would always watch her finish her medicine before leaving. But this day, he stared intently at her and placed the medicine bowl on the small table.
"Are you feeling better today?" he asked.
Qin Weixi's face was still somewhat pale, but he smiled and joked, "Perhaps we can walk the mountain path again and pay our respects to the gods?"
Chu Yening chuckled softly.
She then pointed to the medicine bowl on the table: "Give it to me."
However, Chu Yening seemed to ignore it and leisurely sat down on a wooden chair behind the small table.
Qin Weixi was taken aback, glared at him fiercely, then lifted the covers and got out of bed to retrieve it herself.
Chu Yening, who was sitting on the chair, suddenly said to her, "Qin Luo."
"What's up?" she responded instinctively, seemingly used to this form of address.
Chu Yening suddenly reached out and pulled her into his arms. In an instant, she leaned over and her body pressed against his front, and she sat comfortably on his long legs.
Qin Weixi glanced at the seated man, then turned back and asked, "Long-legged Immortal Lord, what is the reason for this?"
Chu Yening pulled her into his arms, gently rubbing the hand he had just taken from hers. His starry eyes then fixed on her pale face, and he said without hesitation, "It hurts my heart."
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