Chapter 27 Like a Dream (Part 7) Absurd.
Ye Mu's breathing hitched slightly. "So, what did I reply?"
Zijing frowned and pondered, then gently shook her head. "I was standing a little far away, and I only saw that your lips moved for a long time, but you spoke too softly, so I really couldn't hear what you said."
She paused briefly, then continued, "Master Wen Kong was closer. I saw him stand there for quite a while after hearing the young lady's ramblings before leaving."
Ye Mu got up and strolled into the courtyard.
Freshly cut chives sprouted in the vegetable patch, their green sap oozing from the broken ends, mingling with the earthy scent. Her fingertips unconsciously traced the tender broken stem, morning dew dampening her sleeves, but she paid no heed, pondering repeatedly what she had said the night before.
Having been reborn in this life, she has yet to meet a man who captivates her heart. She is even curious about what she said. She admires her master, but he is a monk. No matter how reckless she is, she would never dare to make such a joke. Could it be that she really said she would throw the tassel at him in her delirium?
"Fourth Sister, breakfast is ready!" Zijing called from the kitchen.
"Okay, I'm coming!"
"Forget it," Ye Mu thought to himself, "Instead of speculating here, I'd better go to the fields after breakfast to find him and ask him for clarification. If he really said something presumptuous or foolish, I should apologize to his face."
After breakfast, I walked to the fields and saw Wen Kong squatting by a clear ditch, washing his hands. His monk sleeves were half-rolled up, revealing his thin wrists. The clear water flowed gently over his fingers, as if he were playing a stringless zither.
"Master."
Hearing the sound, Wen Kong looked up. Because his hands were submerged in water, he could not clasp them together, so he simply nodded slightly in greeting.
Ye Mu looked around and saw that Li Zhuangtou and the villagers had already packed up their farm tools and headed back to the village, presumably to go home for breakfast. Farmers usually start working before dawn and then go home for breakfast when the sun is high in the sky.
Ye Mu asked, "Is everything ready?"
"The medicine has been prepared according to the prescription, but its effects will not be apparent for another half month." Wen Kong stood up, water stains gradually spreading under the hem of his monk's robe. "This humble monk will come to check on you every day, so Fourth Miss, you don't need to worry."
Ye Mu gazed at the canal for a moment, then said, "Very well. But I have to return to the manor tomorrow after I finish handling a matter. My elder brother will be being sent to a post outside the capital soon, so I must go back to see him off. At that time, only Master will be left at the manor..."
"It's alright, you go ahead with your work." Wen Kong's hands were empty, water droplets trickling from his fingers into the soil. "Where is Benefactor Ye going to take up his post?"
"Suzhou Prefecture," Ye Mu said wistfully, "is so far away. Who knows when we'll meet again."
“Suzhou is a vital transportation hub, and its people are prosperous. You will surely be able to realize your ambitions there, Mr. Ye.”
“Master, you may not know this, but the Wusong River breached its banks this summer, with turbid waves surging and corpses now floating in the river. Brother, you are not going to take up a post and enjoy a salary, but to relieve the disaster and rebuild the ravaged land.”
Ye Muyou said, "I'm worried about my brother."
Wen Kong glanced at her; it seemed that the two cousins had a very good relationship.
“Amitabha,” Wen Kong said. “Although the natural disaster is severe, Benefactor Ye’s compassionate heart makes this journey a meritorious act.”
The two walked side by side along the edge of the field. The sun was getting hotter, and the warm sunlight spread across the rice paddies, illuminating the ridges of the field. Although it was autumn, there was no shade to block out the sun, so it was still hot.
Ye Mu held a silk handkerchief loosely over her eyebrows, the edges swaying gently with her movements.
“Master is truly oblivious to romance.” Ye Mu glanced sideways at the monk who remained half a step away from her. “If it were my older brother here, he would have already gone to the west side to shade me from the sun.”
Wen Kong's steps did not stop, his monk's shoes lightly tapping, "Fourth Miss should bask in the sun a little longer."
"What is the reason for this?" Ye Mu raised an eyebrow, and the "Mu" character on the corner of his handkerchief also raised its head. "Although I am not a delicate person, I still know how to cherish this body."
“Last night when I hugged you…” Wen Kong blurted out, then realized he had misspoke and changed his mind, “I could hear the dampness in your breath, perhaps you had accumulated cold and dampness in your lungs, sunlight is the best for that.”
Ye Mu suddenly turned his head to look, and the sunlight swept across his ear, illuminating the faint blush clearly.
She was slightly surprised. Her master's observation was so meticulous that he could even hear her breathing clearly in her sleep.
However, since he had taken the lead, it suited Ye Mu's wishes perfectly. She asked casually, "Speaking of last night, thank you for your small favor, Master. However, I tend to talk nonsense at night. I wonder if I offended you?"
"It was nothing but a few words of rambling."
Ye Mu waited quietly for a moment, but saw that his eyes were lowered and he said nothing more.
Her heart was itching like a cat, and she was unwilling to give up so easily. "Even if it's just fragmented words, surely I can hear one or two of them clearly?"
Ye Mu took a half step closer and asked, "Master, please tell me, am I referring to cake, tea, or calligraphy and painting? I'd like to know what mundane things I'm thinking about in my dreams."
Wen Kong suddenly stopped, turned around and met Ye Mu's probing gaze. Those eyes, which were usually devoid of joy or sorrow, now seemed to be turbulent in a deep pool, locking onto her and questioning, "Don't you even know what you dreamed about?"
Ye Mu was caught off guard by his gaze and was momentarily stunned by the fierce look in his eyes. She had lived two lives, experienced the downfall of the Marquis's mansion and the separation of her family, but at this moment she was rooted to the spot by this simple question.
"I don't know, how would I know?"
She parted her lips slightly, speaking softer and softer, but found her throat gradually drying out, and she couldn't ask any more questions.
The two walked silently to the manor. Lunch was laid out in the west wing: a dish of stir-fried cabbage, half a bowl of bamboo shoot and fern soup, and two kinds of seasonal fruits.
Ye Mu felt increasingly humiliated. She had come to him to get to the bottom of things, but instead, he had left her speechless with just one sentence. Moreover, his question was strange. Does having a dream necessarily mean you'll remember what you said?
And he was so fierce! She was just talking in her sleep, what did she do to offend him?
Ye Mu suddenly put the bamboo chopsticks on the celadon bowl, and was about to speak again when he saw Wen Kong straighten his clothes and stand up. "Thank you for your hospitality. I have finished eating. I will return to the East Mountain Villa now and come again tomorrow."
After he was discharged from the hospital, Zijing rushed over from the kitchen, wiping her hands. She looked at the empty courtyard gate in surprise, "Master Wenkong has left already? Didn't you send a carriage to see him off?"
"What are you sending me?" Ye Mu suddenly felt a surge of anger. He avoided her like the plague. Even if she had said something offensive, she could have just apologized to him. Why did he have to hide from her like this and even scold her in the sunlight? "This damn monk, I will never call him master again."
This feeling of tightness in my chest persisted until the next day.
Before dawn, Ye Mu was already sitting by the window, doing her makeup in front of the mirror. The bronze mirror reflected the faint blue shadows under her eyes. Last night, she tossed and turned, thinking about the monk's elusive appearance, and her anger grew stronger, making her words sound like they could breathe fire.
"Miss, Master Wen Kong has arrived," Zijing said through the window as she swept the courtyard.
Ye Mu paused in her hand holding the comb, and said coldly, "Just say I haven't gotten up yet."
Zijing glanced at Wenkong, who was carrying a bamboo food box beside her, and smiled helplessly, "Master, Fourth Sister said she hasn't gotten up yet."
Wen Kong glanced at the window and handed the food box to her. "Then I'll trouble you, Benefactor Zijing, to give this Osmanthus and Poria Cake to Fourth Miss. I'll go to the fields first."
Osmanthus and Poria cocos cake? No wonder Ye Mu smelled a sweet fragrance wafting in through the window cracks just now.
"Wait a moment." Ye Mu lifted the curtain and stepped out, holding a comb, standing on the steps with her hands on her hips, asking him, "What do you mean by this? You left in a hurry yesterday, and this morning you rushed over to bring pastries?"
Ye Mu's hair was not yet tied up, her black hair hanging loosely on her pale yellow nightgown. She was without makeup, yet her skin appeared as white as snow. She pursed her lips in anger, clearly very upset. The exquisite curves beneath her nightgown rose and fell with her breath, and her voice sounded a little hoarse upon closer listening.
As soon as Wen Kong's gaze met his, he quickly looked away. "This humble monk did indeed need to return to the temple yesterday to organize the scriptures."
"You're clearly avoiding me." Ye Mu chased after him down the steps, clutching the front of her nightgown, completely ignoring the dew on her embroidered shoes. "What did I say the night before that made you avoid me like this?"
"Nothing important to say."
"If it's not important, why avoid answering?" Ye Mu looked up at him intently. "To whom did I throw that tassel?"
She was too close, so Wen Kong had to look at her. "Since you already know what you were dreaming about after throwing away the tassel, why do you need to ask me?"
Her scent enveloped him first, subtle and delicate, like the warm fragrance she exuded when she nestled against his chest that night. Her breath brushed against his neck, and his palms unconsciously burned as they had when he cradled her knees that night—so inappropriate, so absurd.
The bamboo food box handle dug deeply into his palm. He had never experienced such a difficult moment since he entered the Buddhist order at the age of ten. He didn't know why his heart was pounding, and he wished he could sit cross-legged on the ground and silently recite the Heart Sutra to calm himself down.
All conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, shadows, dew, and lightning; thus should they be viewed. [1]
Wen Kong wanted to push her away. He knew she was slender and that with just a little effort, he could push away her alluring fragrance and shut out the ant-like itching sensation.
In the end, he simply stepped back half a step and handed the food box to Zijing.
"If I remembered clearly, why would I bother asking Master?" Ye Mu covered her face with her sleeve and sneezed lightly. She insisted on following him and, emboldened by her anger, asked, "Could it be that I said I gave it to you? Is that why you're avoiding me like this?"
Wen Kong turned to look at her, not understanding why she persisted in asking, not understanding why he didn't answer even though he knew the answer, and even more not understanding why he lied as soon as he opened his mouth, "No, you're telling yourself."
"It's for myself?" Ye Mu exclaimed in surprise, her almond-shaped eyes widening. "Master, are you lying to me? Zijing said I've said quite a bit, and besides, what's wrong with saying it outright?"
“Amitabha, this humble monk said it was just ordinary dream talk.” Wen Kong’s gaze swept over her reddened nose, then he lowered his eyes. “The autumn dew is seeping into your body, and Fourth Miss’s clothes are too thin. You should quickly go back to your room and put on some more clothes.”
Ye Mu's brows furrowed slightly, her lips parted as she was about to ask more questions, when suddenly a long, drawn-out cry came from outside the courtyard wall: "Needles and thread, velvet flowers, wooden combs and bronze mirrors, young ladies and wives, come and see! The peddler's load stops whenever he calls!"
It's the peddler Zhou Laosan here!
"Ah Jing, Master, something important has come up! Quickly help me keep him here, I'll go inside and change my clothes and come right away." Ye Mu rushed into the house.
Standing alone in the courtyard, Wen Kong recalled his lie from just now, and felt as if his heart was being burned by karmic fire.
Reciting the Buddha's name without respect breeds contempt, and contempt hinders the root of wisdom.
The verse he had just given Ye Mu the day before, which was originally meant to be a Zen koan for himself, has backfired on him. Why did he lie? This was the first time in his life that he had lied with his eyes wide open, but as soon as the words left his mouth, they became a sin.
There was a rustling sound from inside the room, followed by the clatter of a wooden stool overturning. A soft "ouch" drifted out of the window. Wen Kong subconsciously looked up. Autumn days are late, and the light of day had not yet fully broken in. A flickering candle still burned in the room, casting shadows on the window paper. Her hair was disheveled. She bent over to steady herself on the stool, and then heard another low cry of pain. She didn't know where she had bumped into again.
Wen Kong lowered her eyes. It seemed that her eyesight was not very good when she was in the dark. That night in the carriage, she kept staring at him, probably because of her limited vision.
Now, neither advancing nor retreating is an option, so Wen Kong stood frozen in place, reflecting on his actions.
He was well-versed in Buddhism, knowing the Tripitaka and the twelve divisions of scriptures by heart. He observed the body as such, the six senses as illusory, and the fragrance, stench, cold and warmth. To him, all phenomena were already like seeing one phenomenon. He should have responded to things as they came and let them go. Why was he so sensitive to the fragrance on Ye Mu's body?
It seems that it wasn't just the fragrance; he couldn't ignore all aspects of her.
Just like when he came to this village, he didn't even know why he was already on his way.
Was it only because she was his apprentice? Or was it because of her kindness and gentleness towards him since childhood that he took special care of her?
The Dharma is as vast as the ocean, yet hearing of emptiness cannot dispel the predicament in one's heart at this moment.
A moment later, Ye Mu came out after changing his clothes and saw Wen Kong still standing in the courtyard, unaware of his strangeness. "Perfect timing, Master, let's go and meet Zhou Laosan together."
Outside the courtyard gate, the peddler Zhou Laosan had already put down his load and was greeting several wives and girls from the village with a smile. His load was a treasure chest; one end contained various needles and threads, rouge and powder, combs and mirrors, while the other end contained clay figurines for children, bells, and some scraps of fashionable silk.
Ye Mu's gaze swept carefully over the goods, and Zi Jing leaned closer and whispered, "Fourth Sister, I just tested him, and Zhou Laosan said he has never been to fire-resistant wallpaper before."
That's strange.
There were no villagers from Yongzhou in the village, and the peddler had never sold this paper. So where did the anonymously used Yongzhou fire-paper come from?
"Miss, are you looking for Yongzhou paper?" Zhou Laosan, a shrewd businessman, noticed her pearl-embroidered shoes and distinguished air, and quickly smiled and stepped forward. "Ahu will be returning from Yongzhou in a few days, and I'll send a letter to ask him to bring some of the finest fire-resistant paper. But..."
He sized up Ye Mu. "Miss, you look unfamiliar. You're not from the estate, are you? Where will I find you then?"
"What nonsense is Zhou Laosan spouting!" Zhao's wife, who was picking out rouge, said upon hearing this, "This is the fourth young lady of the Marquis's manor, the rightful mistress of our estate."
Zhou Laosan was so frightened that he bowed repeatedly, "Oh dear, I was blind and offended such an important person, please forgive me, Fourth Miss!"
Ye Mu waved his hand to stop him, "Who is this Ah Hu you just mentioned?"
"Replying to the young lady," Zhou Laosan hurriedly said, "he is a young man from the neighboring village. He has a hard life. His father died early, and he has an old mother and an older sister. A few years ago, his sister was sold to a wealthy family in the city as a maid. Now she has been assigned an accountant, and their lives have finally improved."
"What is Ah Hu doing in Yongzhou?" Ye Mu casually picked up a small bamboo cricket cage and looked at it.
“He went with a distant cousin.” Seeing her interest in things from the south, Zhou Laosan became even more talkative. “I heard that cousin runs a paper-mounting workshop in Yongzhou, specializing in lanterns. Ah Hu went there as an apprentice, with food and lodging provided. It’s much better than toiling for a living in this dirt here. That boy is filial; he always comes back before the beginning of winter to celebrate his mother’s birthday, without fail.”
Ye Mu frowned. "He only comes back once a year?"
“Of course,” Zhou Laosan sighed, “Yongzhou is a place with high mountains and long rivers. A round trip would take at least a month or two, and the travel expenses are not cheap. Being able to come back once a year is already a great achievement.”
When the surrounding farm women saw that the Fourth Sister had something to ask, they all bought some things and went to chat under the tree.
Watching them walk away, Ye Mu took a few steps closer and asked, "Have any villagers in this area ever bought wallpaper from you?"
Old Zhou shook his head. "This wallpaper is rough and doesn't absorb ink. The farmers in our area can't use it, and I don't usually buy any of those."
Ye Mu gently fiddled with the small door of the cricket cage with his fingertips, making a "click-clack" sound. "Where did you get all these rare creatures from the south?"
Zhou Laosan chuckled, “Young lady, you have a discerning eye. I have a cousin who makes a living on the canal. He carries small items on cargo ships traveling north and south. Unlike those big merchants, he only earns a meager living. However, the fire-resistant wallpaper you mentioned is far inferior to the bamboo paper produced locally. Few people buy it, and it's not even available on the cargo ships. If you really want it, I'm afraid you can only ask someone like Ah Hu, who has relatives or friends in Yongzhou, to bring some back for you.”
"I don't really need it, I'm just asking." Ye Mu instructed Zijing to fetch some copper coins. "Take this money and buy yourself a bowl of tea."
Zhou Laosan accepted the reward money and bowed repeatedly to express his gratitude.
Ye Mu pondered Zhou Laosan's words. Ah Hu's family was the most suspicious, but he was away from home all year round, with only his elderly mother at home and his sister already married. They had no dealings with the Marquis's mansion, so what grudge could they possibly have? Why would he write such vicious words?
Zijing quickly set out breakfast on the table in the courtyard: a dish of pickled vegetables drizzled with sesame oil, a bowl of tender, yellow egg custard, and a bowl of salted vegetable and shredded pork porridge cooked until the rice grains were bursting open, all steaming and exuding a fragrant aroma.
Seeing that Ye Mu was still standing there in deep thought, she gently advised, "Miss, you've been busy all morning and haven't even had a bowl of hot soup. You must be starving. Please sit down and have something to eat."
He then handed a pair of bamboo chopsticks to Wen Kong, who was standing quietly to the side, and asked, "Master, would you like to have some vegetarian food with us?"
Wen Kong waved his hand, "This humble monk has already had breakfast at the other courtyard."
He listened for a while, wondering what Ye Mu was investigating. He originally didn't want to say much, but seeing her brows furrowed and her not eating, he finally asked, "Why are you asking about that fire wallpaper?"
Ye Mu then suddenly remembered that he was still beside her, and hurriedly took out the carefully kept piece of yellow hemp paper from his sleeve and handed it over, "Master, please take a look at this."
She gestured for Wen Kong to examine the handwriting on the paper, and then recounted in detail the cause and effect of the disaster at the farm and the rumors that were spreading.
Wen Kong listened intently, and seeing that she was only focused on talking, he gently placed the bamboo chopsticks into her hand, saying, "Eat and talk at the same time, so they don't get cold."
After Ye Mu finished explaining the whole story, he looked down and realized that he had unknowingly eaten two bowls of porridge.
Seeing that her bowl was empty, Wen Kong pushed the bamboo food box he had brought to the center of the stone table, lifted the lid, and revealed a few pieces of soft, white poria cocos cake. "Try another piece of pastry."
That night, when he held her, he felt she was too light.
Although he had never held another woman and had no idea how much a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl should weigh, he inexplicably felt that she was too light, like a wisp of smoke that would easily dissipate in the wind.
He thought that she might have been overworked over the years. He had heard from the old lady that she was very good at bookkeeping, and seeing how she handled the affairs of the estate in the past two days, he realized that she was very organized. She was so young, yet she had to do so many social and administrative tasks. He figured she must have just been eating three meals a day in a hurry.
Wen Kong remembered that she loved pastries, so in the morning she went to the kitchen and asked the wood-burning aunt to make her some soft pastries.
When he taught her to write as a child, she always liked to keep a small dish of pastries on the table. Whenever he reviewed the calligraphy, she would sit quietly to the side, eating small bites, her cheeks puffing out.
"I can't eat anymore." Ye Mu declined Wen Kong's offer, waved his hand, and pointed to the paper on the table. "According to what that peddler just said, only Ah Hu could have access to this paper. But what grudge does his family have against the Marquis's mansion? It's really puzzling."
Wen Kong pondered for a moment, "I am thinking that these rumors may not be directed at the entire Marquis's mansion."
Ye Mu was taken aback. "Tell me about it."
“Yesterday, I spoke with the head of the Li family and learned that this farm was only transferred to the third branch of the family for management this year. And then the insect plague and rumors followed one after another. If we think about it more deeply, perhaps this is not a coincidence.”
Ye Mu nodded, "To be honest, Master, I've thought about it too..."
Her gaze swept over several farm workers outside the courtyard wall who were tidying up their farm tools. She leaned down and whispered, "Maybe it was my second aunt who did it. After all, it's too much of a coincidence that something happened right after the farm came into my mother's hands."
"But upon closer reflection, something doesn't seem right." Ye Mu then shook his head, casually took the Poria cocos cake that Wen Kong handed him, and took a small bite. "Although my second aunt is ruthless, she is also extremely shrewd. Spreading rumors about the 'misconduct of the Marquis's Mansion' would only drag her down with her, wouldn't it? If the Marquis's Mansion's reputation is ruined, what good will it do for the second branch of the family?"
She took another bite of pastry as she spoke, "Such a foolish and self-defeating thing doesn't seem like something she would do."
When Ye Mu went to get the second piece of cake, her fingertips suddenly stopped in place. She was surprised to find that she had unknowingly finished the whole piece of Poria cocos cake while talking to Wen Kong.
This is terrible! Being around Wen Kong makes you gain weight easily!
In my past life in the temple, whenever I sat and talked with him in the meditation room, the vegetarian snacks in my hand would always be gone without me realizing it. When I was pregnant, he fed me five or six meals a day.
At that time, he also watched silently, letting her taste one piece after another. When Ye Mu realized it herself, she would often pinch her increasingly round cheeks in annoyance and sulk.
"Why didn't you remind me?" Ye Mu said irritably. "I never eat after meals, it's all your fault."
"But you ate very well."
...it's really choking.
But this taste... Ye Mu pursed his lips, the sweet and lingering fragrance lingering on his lips and teeth. This taste was so familiar, he clearly had tasted it in the mansion, but he couldn't remember which cook had made it, yet it tasted so similar to the one in the temple.
"Would you like another one?" Wen Kong asked gently as he saw her slender fingers lightly touching the corner of her lips, as if savoring the memory.
"No, no!" Ye Mu suddenly withdrew her hand, angrily saying, "What are you up to, you monk? You want me to bask in the sun more, and you're telling me to put in more effort. If this continues, I'm afraid I'll become dark and fat! I really can't stay with you for long!"
Zijing was clearing away the dishes and said with a smile, "This servant thinks that you are most relaxed when you are with Master Wenkong. At home, you are frowning at the account books all day long, and when you come to the manor, you are worried about the insect infestation. You even eat a few bites of food hastily. But when Master Wenkong comes, you can finish two bowls of porridge and even eat some snacks in peace."
She stacked the bowls of porridge. "It seems that when we get back to our residence, we should invite Master Wenkong to come and visit us more often."
"Where would he have time?" Ye Mu teased. "You have no idea that on the day of the Beginning of Autumn, I couldn't even squeeze into the entrance of Baoxiang Temple. The place was packed with worshippers, all there to see Master Wenkong. He's going back to the capital, and he's long forgotten who the fourth young lady of the Marquis's mansion is."
Women are most likely to hold grudges.
Wen Kong coughed twice and changed the subject, "Since the suspicion falls on Ah Hu, why don't we go to his house? If it really was his family who did it, we'll surely find some clues."
With serious business at hand, Ye Mu put aside his thoughts, and the two of them got up and headed towards the ridge of the field.
The continuous application of pesticides has yielded results. The previously fallen and withered rice seedlings have stood up again, and although the newly sprouted green shoots are still tender, they are full of vitality under the autumn sun.
Li Laowu was leading people to inspect Wen Kong's experimental fields when he saw them arrive. He quickly wiped his sweat and greeted them, saying, "Fourth Miss, Master, look at this situation. If we let it bask in the sun for a few more days, I guarantee that it will recover seventy or eighty percent before the autumn harvest."
Zhao Tieniu chimed in, “That’s right! And Master Wen’s experimental plot is truly amazing. The seedlings are much more vigorous than those in the surrounding fields, and the leaves are thicker. This morning, we saw stem borers peeking out in the other fields, but this plot is spotless, not a single insect can be found.”
He scratched his head, unable to come up with any more elegant words, and just kept giving a thumbs up, saying, "It's great."
Feeling a little relieved, Ye Mu had the leisure to joke with Wen Kong on the way to Zhoujia Village. He imitated Zhao Tieniu by giving him a thumbs up, his eyes curving into crescent moons, "Master Wen Kong, you're the best!"
Wen Kong was unusually flustered by her antics. He pursed his lips and remained silent, but his ears turned slightly red, and he quickened his pace noticeably.
Ye Mu ran to catch up, "Master, slow down, wait for me."
Wen Kong suddenly stopped, and Ye Mu bumped into his broad back. She gasped softly, stood in front of him, and rubbed her temples. "Master is really something. One minute he's walking so fast, and the next he stops abruptly. They say a girl's temper changes faster than a book, but I think Master's pace is just as unpredictable."
Wen Kong stared at her silently for a long time. Just as Ye Mu suspected there was something on her face and was about to wipe it away, she suddenly heard him ask, "Who are the Five Lords of Mo Shang?"
"The Five Gentlemen of Ink?"
Ye Mu was taken aback by his abrupt question, then a mischievous smile appeared in her eyes. "Why is Master asking this? Those are the most renowned courtesans of Fuyou Pavilion, namely the Master of the Qin, the Master of Chess, the Master of Painting, the Master of Dance, and the Master of Wine. Could it be that Master is also..."
Seeing that she was about to tease him again, Wen Kong quickly interrupted, "That night in your sleep, you said you wanted to give the tassels to them."
He gazed at her forehead, which didn't turn red, before looking down at her choked smile. Seeing her flustered expression, he chuckled and said, "It seems your leisure time and interests are much richer than I thought."
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Author's note: Thank you for reading and collecting! [Thumbs up] "All conditioned phenomena" comes from the Diamond Sutra (full name: Diamond Prajna Paramita Sutra).
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