Contest (1)
Ten meters behind the Chaolai Pavilion lies the temple's back garden, covering two-thirds of the temple's area. Within the garden lies a rockery, where a waterfall descends into a pool several dozen meters deep, with an undercurrent beneath. Wen Jie had previously researched the temple's history and learned that the site originally occupied half of a gently sloping hillside. Many of the stone tablets and gatehouses discovered in various locations date back to this area, a vast number of them. This gives one an idea of the grandeur of Chaolai Temple long ago.
Today, the walls, gates, surrounding houses, and temples have all been renovated several times, and the book records them in great detail. However, regarding the lake behind Chaolai Pavilion, after searching through the entire book, there is only a single sentence: "Jingchi, dangerous. Since the founding of the country, eight people have drowned in the undercurrent." These few words carry a weighty weight. However, this record was created thirty years ago.
A plaque hung in the pavilion above the waterfall. As Wen Jie recalled these events, he slowly recognized the character on it. It should be pronounced "mirror." It was written strangely, the strokes twisting and turning, like the outline of a maze. The whole word lacked any mainstream aesthetic, more like the scribbling of a child just learning to write. But as Wen Jie studied it, he discerned a modern Chinese character: "mirror."
Wen Jie, secretly pleased with his own cleverness, swept the floor more diligently. The moon had just emerged, a gentle breeze blew, and the water gurgled. He had just finished his homework for the day, feeling refreshed. But then, he felt a chill running down his back. Unprepared, he turned around, his peaceful moment shattered by the shock.
"What are you doing?"
He saw Shuixi staring at him nonchalantly with the eyes of a dead man with no regrets.
Shuixi chuckled and shifted his gaze to the water, circling around Wenjie and moving to the front.
"Please help me fill up this lake."
"Fill the lake?" Wen Jie wondered what the lake had to do with him. What was getting in his way? "Me? I can't do it." He swept the leaves from the ground into the lake. The yellow sycamore leaf slowly drifted down onto the water.
"Put your hand out." Shuixi said with his back to Wenjie.
Wen Jie knew what he was going to do, but chose to ignore him. The broom in his hand deliberately kicked up dust from the path, pushing the dirt onto Shui Xi's trouser legs. Shui Xi's hand shot through the air like an arrow, stopping right in front of Wen Jie. Wen Jie felt the wind blow to his eyeballs, and a shiny object nearly blinded him.
"Where did you get so much gold? Did you steal it from Hui's family?"
Shuixi raised his hand as if to hit him, and Wenjie quickly put his hands together, closed his eyes and chanted scriptures.
"There's nothing in the world that money can't buy." Shuixi skipped the gold into the middle of the lake. "I know you can't do it, but I mean, you convince the abbot to fill the lake."
"Why?"
"Because it..." Shuixi turned around and smiled meaningfully, "It has caused great harm to people."
"Who was harmed?"
"Need I say more?"
"Although I should obey you, Shuixi, I think you shouldn't extend your hand so far." In fact, visitors to the temple loved to visit the back garden the most. Once, the abbot expressed his dissatisfaction. He was outspoken, and because he was young at the time, he thought the sound of the water was too loud. He said, "Why don't we fill up the lake?"
He was then struck on the head by his kindhearted master. He guessed that there were two reasons for his master's dislike: first, the lake was dangerous. Twenty years ago, when technology was mature and equipment was advanced, a group of people had filled the lake, which had caused chaos; second, his master loved this scenery; this was his home.
"I can do this with an order that you cannot refuse." Shuixi's ferocious face pulled up the corners of his mouth, and hatred was burning in his eyes. At first glance, it seemed that his enthusiasm was too much.
Wen Jie was panicking, but he forced himself to remain calm, tilting his head and smiling innocently. "Then why did you have to look for me?" He continued sweeping, but he could clearly feel his legs growing stiff. If Shuixi had attacked him, he would have truly deserved it. His entire body was stiff, and his tilted neck seemed unable to straighten. It was all because of that glance at someone else's phone that day. The terrifying image was imprinted in his mind and could not be shaken off. He had just imitated the movements of that evil spirit... That's how it was played in the movie. Scary enough, right?
He hadn't expected that Shuixi, who had always been so selfless, would be different this time. The next day, when he woke up, it was still dark. In the dim light outside, Wen Jie saw a faint figure by the window. For a moment, he suspected he hadn't woken up, but he knew he was wide awake. Who was it? He wondered if it was the faceless figure who often appeared in his dreams. Probably not. The real world didn't have so many fantastic stories.
He calmly opened the door, and the man by the window turned his head, their eyes meeting. Wen Jie suddenly felt a pang of regret, but he really couldn't do anything about filling the lake.
"You haven't been waiting here all night."
"I really won't help." There was no trace of joking in Shuixi's eyes. It was obvious that he was obsessed with this matter.
"I don't understand why you're so upset about our temple's lake. Do you think we can solve this problem with just a few words? I don't know whether you think too highly of yourself or me." Wen Jie finished speaking, glanced at Shui Xi's expression, and felt guilty. He added, "If it's something else I can do, I will do my best to help you no matter what."
Just as he finished speaking, a crow cried out from the treetops and flew away, flapping its wings. A few sycamore leaves fluttered down, and Wen Jie heard the sound of them landing. The silence between the two of them made Wen Jie feel a little uneasy. He instinctively looked up at the man in front of him and found that his gaze was softer than before.
Shuixi smiled calmly and said softly before turning around, "I understand."
There seemed to be something wrong with his figure. Wen Jie wanted to catch up and ask, but he still couldn't move his feet.
A few days later, he heard from his master that unusual activity had been detected in the deep waters near the Mirror Pond, and that a massive earthquake might be occurring, originating from within this small pond. His master said that the waterway might be altered, and the lake might be filled. Wen Jie thought, Shuixi had just mentioned this, and now force majeure had occurred here, according to Shuixi's wishes. Since he had such great abilities, was it necessary for him to come all this way?
As expected, the higher-ups sent people to survey the Mirror Pond and verify its condition. Wen Jie watched from the side, sweeping the floor, occasionally following their instructions to fetch tools. He desperately hoped his master would return to take charge and stop the sabotage. Two men, equipped with high-end diving equipment, descended from the center of the pool. After more than ten minutes, a signal reached shore that they were safe. A small leader, who had been waiting on shore, struck up a conversation with Wen Jie.
"There's an undercurrent beneath this place, you know?"
"I know. I read it in a book." Wen Jie thought he would then mention that the water had killed people, but he didn't expect the man to smoke a cigarette and seemed to have other intentions.
"I heard this place used to be a bandit's den, with a lot of gold, silver, and jewelry hidden. Just over a decade ago, someone dug out a box of gold."
"Smoking is not allowed here. Please put out your cigarette."
The man looked the young monk up and down, took a deep drag, and stubbed out his cigarette on the bluestone, leaving a black streak. Unhappy with the young monk, he scoffed and went to ask his colleagues about their work. He felt that these monks were all scammers, with too many rules.
A message came from underwater. Not long after, two people emerged from the water. After climbing ashore, they panted and reported word by word: "There is indeed an undercurrent. We almost got swept in. It's pitch black and we can't see anything. It's much more dangerous down there than we thought."
"I don't think this lake can be filled. Even if we find a way to do it, it's a huge project that won't be completed for three to five years."
"I don't know what they're thinking. We haven't heard of anything happening in all these years, and now they're saying an undersea earthquake will force water here and cause a flood. Isn't that just nonsense?"
"Don't talk nonsense. We just need to report the truth. How can you make the decision?"
"However, we still need to go down a few more times to take more photos and ask the neighboring group to borrow their underwater robot."
This trouble seemed endless. Wen Jie wondered why Master hadn't returned to take charge. That evening, he inquired, and Master explained that he had a few more meetings to attend and asked him to cooperate. Perhaps Master couldn't do anything with a written order. He wasn't sure if Shuixi was behind this.
The group hadn't come for days, but that evening, just as Wenjie was closing, a car pulled up in front. The two divers from the previous trip greeted them affably, saying they wanted to continue their exploration work. Last time, they had temporarily closed the temple to visitors, making their work easier. This time, they said they'd come at night specifically to avoid disrupting the temple's normal operations.
"Can you see at night?" Wen Jie asked casually. He realized he had lost his composure and wanted to make amends, but the other person didn't notice. They looked at each other, and he weighed the bag in his hand and said, "We have tools."
Wen Jie had no choice but to give way and lead them to the edge of the pond. The shorter one among them said, "Master, there's no need to wait for us here. Go back and rest. You can leave after we're done."
"Thank you." Wen Jie asked before leaving, "Have you two heard of Shuixi?"
The two men, one tall and one short, looked at each other. The tall one replied, "I've never heard of him. Who is he? This is the first time I've heard such a strange name."
Wen Jie thanked them again and said goodbye, then returned to his room, ready to sleep. But as he closed his eyes, he felt a nagging uneasiness. He felt strange. He'd heard that day that there were five of them working together: two in the water, and three on shore, monitoring the underwater conditions. So why were two of them in the water together today? What if something happened to them down there? His suspicions grew, and he decided to call their boss to inquire.
"Who are you talking about? We didn't send anyone today. Did you make a mistake?" Wen Jie didn't answer immediately. The other party seemed to be drinking and immediately hung up the phone. He called again, but the call went unanswered. Now, Wen Jie was at least certain that these two people had other motives in mind. He opened a drawer, grabbed a flashlight, and decided to check. When he reached the door, it seemed like it wouldn't lock, but it had been locked from the outside.
"Shuixi, is that you?" If it was him, it would be too terrifying. Wen Jie heard his own voice trembling. But the more scared he was, the more he wanted to find out. Only when he figured out the reason for his fear would he feel at ease. He turned the lock, but the door didn't budge. This obviously didn't make sense. Could it be that someone had blocked the door from the outside with something? Fortunately, there was a window. He unbolted the window latch and pulled it inward, but it still didn't budge.
Is this a ghost? Wen Jie calmed down for a moment, picked up a brick that was used to support the bed and smashed the glass. Cracks gradually appeared on the glass. He pushed with his hands, but the glass didn't move at all, as good as new. He smashed it again, and a force rebounded, knocking him over. He saw the brick was about to hit his face. He raised one hand to block it, and heard a series of "clattering" sounds. When he looked over, the glass had broken into pieces and fell to the ground and the windowsill, and the brick was lying at his feet. His face hurt a little, and he reached out to touch it. He didn't know what had scratched his face.
He was afraid of being trapped by the invisible object any longer, so he quickly climbed out the window. His movements were clumsy, and he felt awkward, afraid of being seen. He looked around, but didn't see any sign of a living creature. He saw the broom leaning in front of the door, and for a moment he felt relieved. It turned out to be the one causing the trouble! He took two steps, and felt something was wrong. The door opened inwards, so even if the broom was in front of the door, it shouldn't be stuck in the door and unable to be opened. So what was going on with the window?
Wen Jie couldn't afford to stay here for long because he had more pressing matters to attend to. As he walked, he pondered the strange incident, and for some reason, he became increasingly certain that the broom was to blame.
As he reached the shore where the two men had entered the water, he saw something that made him nervous again. The two ropes were stretched straight and shaking violently.
"How are you guys?" Wen Jie shouted into the water, but the sound of the waterfall beside him was so loud that it drowned out his voice. He squatted down, and just as he grasped the rope, the force grazed his hand. Two tool kits were lying at his feet. Wen Jie rummaged through them and found a light. He twisted it twice, and a beam of light shone directly underwater. Although it was difficult to see clearly, he could clearly see the two people on the other end of the rope, being beaten by the current like dead fish. Better to call in some help, Wen Jie thought, but he didn't know if they could hold on.
He took off his coat, wrapped it around his hands, grabbed one of the ropes again, and pulled with all his might. Seeing some success, he was about to hang the rope on a stone pillar next to him, but at this moment, a stronger force pulled at the other end under the water. Wen Jie didn't think of letting go, and was dragged into the water before he could react.
The water still held the warmth of summer, and Wen Jie wasn't nervous at first. Luckily, he'd practiced swimming several times in his youth, so he was now quite adept at handling the water. The headlight, with its powerful underwater penetration, drew Wen Jie deeper, fascinated by the two men. He could see them struggling in the undercurrent, unable to escape. They repeatedly pulled items from their waist bags. These items were quickly swept away by the current into the black hole behind them.
Those objects glowed golden, some white. Wen Jie wasn't surprised, convinced they were "treasures" like gold, jade, and pearls. Seeing this, he immediately understood why the two had come so late at night, and why they were traveling alone. Regardless, saving people was paramount. He had to get to shore first and find someone nearby for help.
Wen Jie turned and swam upstream. After a few movements, he realized he was sinking, getting closer and closer to the two men. The water temperature dropped sharply, and he immediately felt his body heat being drained away, his limbs losing control. It was over, was this the end of me? He paddled in vain, but the undercurrent carried him deeper.
The light above his head reached the water surface. Wen Jie could even see the moon in the sky, but he had never felt so far away from it.
But why did he see Shuixi? Shuixi was standing under the moon, above the water. Not on the shore, but on the water, looking down at him who was slowly sinking.
"Shuixi, save me!" Wen Jie cried out. He knew he couldn't make any sound; it was his heart that was crying for help. It was impossible. It was a pity that he hadn't been able to repay his life-saving grace until now.
In Shanyou Fusuli, Ming Yan came to ask Hui Zifeng for the third time how Shuixi was doing. Hui Zifeng put down his sketchpad and pen, and now, as if concerned about the patient he was caring for, he looked at Shuixi's increasingly pale face, frowning, "Should we call an ambulance?"
After hearing this, Ming Yan immediately went to get his phone and came back. "We should have done this from the beginning. I really don't understand why we had to wait until now. He was clearly feeling better yesterday. Ming Yan fed him some water and soup, and even joked with him. But today, he got worse again. He was walking perfectly fine when he suddenly collapsed to the ground.
The phone was still dead, when Shuixi awoke from her dream with a startled cry. She sat up, and water, coming from nowhere, splashed all over the floor. Shuixi looked at the water and said embarrassedly, "I'm sorry, I knocked over the basin."
Beside the bed was a basin of water, used to wipe Shuixi's sweat and wash towels. The basin turned around on the ground and stopped at Mingyan's feet. Mingyan was still waiting for the call to be connected when Shuixi lifted the quilt and got out of bed to clean up the water on the ground. Hui Zifeng sat there motionless, lost in thought, constantly thinking whether the water had been knocked over the basin first, or whether the water had been poured down from above and then knocked over the basin. The time was too short for him to see clearly, and the more he recalled, the more confused his memory became. Seeing Shuixi get out of bed, Mingyan quickly hung up the phone and went to stop him.
An iron horse-shaped flower-viewing sword was pressed against his chin. Shuixi stopped what he was doing and stared at it.
"Get up and sit on the bed." Ming Yan ordered. Shui Xi obeyed.
Most of the bed was wet, but his body was dry.
"You were fine when I told you to go to the hospital, but now you've collapsed and are bedridden. What's wrong with you?" Ming Yan was clearly displeased. He pointed the Tiema Guanhua sword at Hui Zifeng. Shui Xi nervously tried to block it, but her eyes, looking at Ming Yan, were filled with a touch of fear and flattery, as if there was something else going on. "And you, Hui Zifeng, what the hell are you two doing? Are you a fugitive?"
Shuixi looked at Hui Zifeng, waiting for him to speak first. Hui Zifeng turned his head away, not intending to respond. Shuixi squinted at her with his shoulders crossed, muttering, "You have a really big imagination."
Shuixi was hit on the shoulder. It wasn't heavy, but it was enough to hurt. He shouted exaggeratedly, "Boss, I just took a few days off. I will work hard to do the work I owe you and pay you back double. Don't be so cruel!"
Sure enough, he was hit again, but this time it was much lighter. Shuixi's cries were also much quieter.
"You must give me an explanation. What happened these past few days? Even Hui Zifeng came to take care of you. You refused to eat or take medicine. Are you a god? Are you pretending? Are you heartbroken?" Ming Yan ignored everything else and touched Shui Xi's forehead. It was very cold. He asked uncertainly, "Are you feeling better now? Your body temperature is a little cold."
Ming Yan wanted to confirm it again, but Shui Xi dodged her hand. She suddenly understood the remaining emotion in Shui Xi's eyes.
"Forget it. You're an adult now, you should be responsible for yourself." Ming Yan put Tiema Guanhua behind him, "There's something I think I need to know."
"What?" Shuixi asked this question with a numb expression, and he didn't seem to care, but he still continued to ask.
"A few days ago, I saw a girl wearing one of my clothes on the street..." Ming Yan carefully observed Shui Xi's expression, only to be disappointed. Shui Xi had lost all her energy and energy, looking lifeless and ready to fall asleep. "It's the one you took from my closet, remember? I saw her in your room, on this bed..."
Hui Zifeng, showing a rare interest in gossip, quietly leaned over to listen. Ming Yan hadn't lowered his voice, so he could hear clearly even without getting close.
Seeing Shuixi's increasingly confused expression, Mingyan felt a growing sense of victory. She continued, "Naked, is that your girlfriend? Even Lao Hui doesn't know about this, so why are you hiding it? Is it because of her?"
"You saw her?" Shuixi was truly unbelievable. How could it be? "Do you remember what she looked like?"
Ming Yan thought this was to verify whether the person she saw was the same person. "You saw it too, right, Lao Hui?"
Hui Zifeng shook his head, "I didn't see it, actually."
"That's good." Shuixi blurted out.
"You really have a girlfriend, right? What happened to you? Did she dump you?" Ming Yan deliberately wanted to stab him in the heart.
Shuixi glared at her unhappily, "Have you seen what she looks like? Tell me about it."
"My dress is absolutely one of a kind. How could you have made a mistake? Why don't you tell me who you gave my dress to? You're so bold! If I call the police, you'll go to jail for ten years."
She had been thinking about this incident, but she couldn't remember what the girl looked like. Those eyes should have been very impressive. At that time, she thought they were really the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen and would remember them for the rest of her life, but now she couldn't remember even a trace of them.
After hearing Ming Yan's words, Shui Xi first looked at Hui Zi Feng, who slowly turned away and lowered his head. Knowing he couldn't rely on him, Shui Xi silently lowered his body, landing on his knees with a thud, drawing Hui Zi Feng's attention. He clasped his hands together and bowed his head, begging, "Boss, please be magnanimous and forgive me. I won't do it again."
That was a lot of noise, wasn't it? Although Ming Yan had witnessed him kneeling and begging for mercy so undignifiedly many times, she was still convinced that this person must be the unruly and handsome prince from before. Ming Yan sighed, twirling the iron horse in his hand, and said magnanimously, "Okay, I'll forgive you. I hope you will be more careful about your behavior and words in the future. Remember, I'm your boss, not your friend, or someone you can hate."
"I understand, boss." Shuixi said obediently.
"Get up." Ming Yan's iron horse opened with a snap, frightening Shui Xi so much that she dodged backwards, blinking at Ming Yan's condescending expression. "Don't kneel so often in the future. I can't bear it. It will shorten my lifespan."
"Maybe I'm possessed by an evil spirit. Let's go to the temple tomorrow to burn some incense and pray. Do you want to go?"
No one answered him. Ming Yan thought to himself, maybe it was really as he said, things in this world are sometimes very strange. Ming Yan stared at Shui Xi with sharp eyes until he walked out the door. Shui Xi chased after him, lying on the door and shouting, "Boss, I don't have a girlfriend, and there has definitely never been a naked woman in my room. Believe me!"
Ming Yan didn't respond. Shui Xi sat back on the bed and found that Hui Zifeng was now interrogating him. Shui Xi cooperated, "Please, please speak."
"She won't believe you if you say that."
Oh? Is it your turn to care about this? Shuixi didn't say it, but she thought so in her heart, but didn't show it on her face.
"You like Ming Yan." This is a declarative sentence.
"No." Shui Xi denied calmly, "I'm just trying to find a place for myself to stay under someone's roof."
Hearing this answer, Hui Zifeng was speechless. However, this guy had never been so humble and humble when he was in their house. He always acted like an experienced businessman in dealing. After leaving Ming Yan's shop, he received a call from home. Hui Zifeng looked up at Shuixi's window, interrupted his mother's chatter, and said, "Mom, there is something I want to tell you and Dad. Shuixi has two hearts for me."
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