Chapter Ninety-Three: Jealousy Creates Waves
Then the Prince of Jin said, "The Udumbara flower is a Buddhist flower, and its efficacy is extraordinary. It will surely grant your wish."
Shen Hua smiled gently and said, "Thank you for your kind words."
At this moment, Ruan Bi was less than two zhang away from them, her heart filled with mixed feelings. The Prince of Jin, with his sharp eyes and ears, still hadn't heard her footsteps. Even though her footsteps were very light, the young novice monk and Xiuzhi were still there. Faced with such beauty, he had indeed lost his senses.
At this moment, Master Bailian suddenly turned his head and looked over, then coughed lightly.
Shen Hua and Prince Jin turned around simultaneously, their expressions instantly changing upon seeing Ruan Bi approaching. Shen Hua's expression was subtle, like a clear blue sky suddenly clouded over; it was unclear whether she felt embarrassed, awkward, or a combination of both. As for Ruan Bi, her eyebrows were slightly raised, and her beard trembled slightly—she was probably smiling.
But what are you laughing at!
Ruan Bi acted as if she hadn't seen him, walked over without looking to the side, and bowed to Master Bai Lian: "Greetings, Master Bai Lian."
Master Bailian politely said, "Amitabha, Fifth Sister greets you. I heard that your master has suddenly gone into seclusion, is that true?"
This old monk, who had clearly never seen her before, not only guessed her identity but also acted as if he knew her intimately. He was no ordinary person. Ruan Bi's mind raced slightly, and she casually made up a story: "It's true. My master has comprehended the wondrous realm of the three giving birth to all things and is currently in seclusion, pondering the profound meaning of the unity of all things."
Master Bailian clasped his hands and said, “Amitabha, Fellow Daoist Ziying is making great progress every day, which is truly commendable. I believe that he will soon achieve complete integration, eliminate falsehood and seek truth, and attain the Great Dao.”
Ruan Bi bowed gracefully again and said, "Master's words are auspicious. I thank you on behalf of my master."
The Prince of Jin noticed that she hadn't even glanced at him since she appeared, which puzzled him. He looked at her with a puzzled expression.
Master Bailian nodded slightly and pointed to the Udumbara flower, saying, "Fifth Miss, you've come at the perfect time. This Udumbara flower was brought back from the Western Regions by this humble monk three years ago. Perhaps it was touched by the auspicious and miraculous energy, for it has formed buds a couple of days ago and should bloom soon. This flower is rare in the world, and those who see it will be blessed. Why don't you make a wish like Miss Shen?"
Ruan Bi turned her gaze to the plump, dark red plant. After a moment's hesitation, she finally found a few delicate flower stalks nestled among the dense leaves. Small white buds adorned the tips of the stalks, giving them a touch of elegance, but lacking the legendary celestial beauty. She shook her head and said softly, "I appreciate your kind intentions, Master. However, my wish is one that even a celestial being couldn't grant, let alone a small flowering tree." She had only one wish: to return to the 21st century, to continue being an independent and self-reliant professional woman, and to completely bid farewell to this era and its people. The calculations and struggles of her small world, the petty squabbles of daily life, had all become tiresome to her.
This remark piqued everyone's curiosity, and they all stared at her expectantly. However, only Master Bailian dared to speak up and ask, "May I ask what great wish Fifth Miss has? It seems even the Buddha Flower could not be fulfilled. Could you tell me about it?"
"My wish is like the rising sun, best left unsaid..." Ruan Bi gazed into the distance, looking wistfully into the distance.
Master Bailian said, "In that case, it is impractical. Judging from the young lady's appearance, she does not seem like someone who is ambitious but unrealistic."
Ruan Bi smiled slightly and said with a double meaning, "As the saying goes, you can know a person's face but not their heart. Master and I are just two sides of the same coin. What you see is only the surface."
The Prince of Jin frowned slightly, feeling that her words and actions today were quite strange.
Master Bailian smiled slightly and said meaningfully, "Amitabha, the Buddhist scriptures say: worldly affairs have no form, form arises from the mind. Where the mind is, there the form is. This humble monk sees that Fifth Sister has a great foundation, how can her appearance deceive you? It is just a momentary anger, a leaf blocking the view."
Ruan Bi felt embarrassed when he implied that she was blinded by anger. She said, "What you say is very true, Master. I will keep it in mind. I have been out for a while and I am afraid my family is worried. I will take my leave now." After saying that, she slightly curtsied and turned to leave.
Even the slow-witted Prince Jin understood that she was angry. He was very puzzled and reached out to stop her, but then felt it was inappropriate. He quickly glanced at Master Bailian. Master Bailian understood and smiled slightly, saying, "Fifth Miss, please wait. This humble monk will soon be traveling far away again, and I have a few words I would like to ask you to convey to your master."
"Please speak, Master."
Master Bailian said solemnly, "These words are of great importance, concerning Fellow Daoist Ziying's cultivation. Young lady, please come with me to the hermitage for a while, and let this humble monk explain in detail."
Ruan Bicai didn't believe he really had anything to tell Master Ziying, assuming it was the Prince of Jin's intention. After a moment's thought, she realized she couldn't possibly ignore him just because of a momentary jealousy. Besides, it was truly difficult for the two of them to meet again, so she nodded and said, "Alright."
The Prince of Jin, who had been anxiously watching from the side, secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
So the group left Shen Hua and her servant behind and headed towards the hermitage, all the way to the meditation room where they had met Prince Jin last time. Xiu Zhi and the young novice monk stayed outside, while Master Bai Lian, Prince Jin, and Ruan Bi went inside together. Last time, time had been too short for Ruan Bi to examine the room closely, but today, she noticed that the meditation room was quite large, square in shape, with two separate rooms, an inner and an outer one.
Master Bailian said with a smile, "Feiyang, I'm going to the inner room to meditate for a while. You can talk to Fifth Sister." After saying that, he went into the inner room and closed the door.
Only Ruan Bi and Prince Jin remained outside. One was still consumed by jealousy, while the other was puzzled. Neither spoke, and they exchanged glances. After a moment, Prince Jin asked, puzzled, "Why did you suddenly get angry?"
Ruan Bi couldn't very well say, "I'm angry because you glanced at Chen Hua a couple of times." She knew deep down she was being a bit silly, but she just felt uncomfortable. Avoiding his gaze, she looked out the window and said, "When did I get angry?"
The Prince of Jin pressed her shoulders, turning her to face him, and said with a smile, "Still trying to argue? You're clearly angry. Who made you angry? Tell me, and I'll teach him a lesson for you."
"The Shen family."
The Prince of Jin believed him and said with a smile, "This time, the whole city has been in an uproar. The Shen family has suffered a great loss and it's understandable that they feel resentful and say some unpleasant things. Just bear with it for now and let them get some verbal benefits."
"I don't want to acknowledge my ancestors or go to the Shen family," Ruan Bi said with a hint of irritation. She disliked the Shen family's attitude, especially the thought of being sisters with Shen Hua, which made her feel disgusted, like she had swallowed a fly, even though she didn't dislike Shen Hua.
Prince Jin dismissed it as mere complaining and said in a gentle tone, "I know, it's just a temporary measure. As long as the Shen family accepts you back, I will immediately ask the Empress Dowager to grant you a marriage. They will certainly not mistreat you because of my influence..."
“I don’t care how they treat me. I just don’t want to go back to the Shen family. I hate that whole family.”
She was always reasonable and had never been so stubborn before, which surprised the Prince of Jin. Then he thought about it again; because of her unknown origins, she had been ridiculed and ostracized since childhood, and it was normal for her to react so strongly, harboring resentment. So he said softly, "It won't be long, at most half a year."
"I don't want to stay here for even a minute longer."
The Prince of Jin finally realized something was wrong. He looked at her closely and saw that she was frowning and looking depressed, as if she had something else on her mind. Although he was a shrewd and perceptive man, how could he guess what a woman was thinking? He never imagined that just because he glanced at Shen Hua a few more times, she would be unhappy.
Unable to fathom her thoughts, he only knew that she didn't want to return to the Shen family, and not wanting to return meant she didn't want to marry him. Thinking of all the painstaking arrangements he'd made, putting pressure on the Shen and Ruan families, and even getting Master Baiyun to mediate, only to have her show no gratitude and even throw a tantrum, a surge of anger rose within him. He released his grip on her shoulder, his expression and voice slightly cold, and asked, "Then what do you mean?"
His face darkened, and the atmosphere in the room immediately became somber.
Ruan Bi realized she had gone too far, but was too embarrassed to admit her mistake, so she just remained silent.
Now Prince Jin also started to have wild thoughts, and asked angrily, "Why did you become a different person after you went to the Princess's residence?"
Ruan Bi naturally understood the meaning of those words and quickly said, "You're overthinking it."
The Prince of Jin snorted and said, "It's fine if I overthink things, but I'm afraid you might have inappropriate thoughts."
Seeing that he doubted her, Ruan Bi said unhappily, "What do you mean by having thoughts you shouldn't have?"
“I made myself very clear to you that day at the Tiangong Embroidery Workshop.” After a pause, Prince Jin said coldly, “Do you think your aunt and Xiaobai can protect you? That’s wishful thinking. I advise you to give up on that idea as soon as possible. If you insist on going your own way and refuse to return to the Shen family, then you can prepare to become my concubine.”
Seeing how he thought so poorly of her, Ruan Bi felt wronged and angry. "Are you threatening me?"
"Threat? Do you need a threat? I'm just letting you know."
“Then I’ll tell you too,” Ruan Bi said, emphasizing each word, “I will never be anyone’s concubine.”
Both of them were furious, glaring at each other angrily, neither willing to back down.
A moment later, a burst of laughter erupted from the inner room, followed by Master Bailian's voice: "Clearly one is in love, and the other is interested, yet they insist on guessing each other's intentions. It seems fate is destined to bring them together. Fei Yang, Fei Yang, it's all your fault for glancing at Miss Chen a few too many times. Fifth Miss, Fifth Miss, why did you go to the Chang Gong Mansion?"
They had been speaking in hushed tones, and Ruan Bi was surprised to find that the old monk had such keen hearing. She blushed with embarrassment.
The Prince of Jin suddenly realized his mistake, and his anger subsided. He said in a low voice, "You're really stupid. She's just a little girl."
"She's only two months younger than me."
“You are different,” the Prince of Jin said, patting her head. “Don’t overthink things.”
Ruan Bi was really embarrassed, so she lowered her head and didn't dare to look at him.
After a moment, he said, "If you really don't want to go back to the Shen family, I'll think of another way."
"Um."
The Prince of Jin looked at her, her head slightly bowed, her slender neck accentuated by her dark hair, as white as snow. He thought of how she usually seemed indifferent, yet today she was jealous because he had glanced at Chen Hua a few times; it was clear she cared deeply for him. His heart overflowed with joy, and he couldn't help but pull her into his arms.
Ruan Bi thought of the old monk in the inner room, quickly pushed him away, and gave him a look that seemed both angry and pleased: "I have to go back."
The Prince of Jin still took her in his arms without disturbing her, and held her for a while before letting go.
Ruan Bi straightened her clothes, opened the door, and went out.
No sooner had she left than Master Bailian emerged from the inner room, his face beaming with smiles and exuding an air of harmony.
The Prince of Jin glanced at him and asked bluntly, "Old monk, what is your purpose in bringing me to see Shen Hua today?"
Master Bailian laughed and said, "Don't blame this humble monk, it was Master Mao who instructed me."
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