Chapter 16016 Because of Love
Chapter 16
A cold winter wind blew, stirring up the scattered snow on the ground and brushing against Yingji's face, bringing a chill. Her red gauze skirt trembled in the wind, revealing her smooth legs as she fell into the snow.
Yingji looked at Xue Zhongyu, and suddenly many unbearable memories emerged in her mind. Betrayal, despair, and heartache, those strong emotions suddenly hit her.
So much time had passed, she thought she had forgotten it, but when she saw Xue Zhongyu again, she seemed to be back in that cold winter when she lost everything.
"Aying..." Xue Zhongyu moved his lips, immediately took off his outer robe, ran towards Yingji, and put the robe on her to protect her from the wind and cold, and to cover her exposed legs.
Yingji came back to her senses from her memory and almost screamed, "Don't touch me!"
She struggled to turn the feather cover from the snow into a crane cloak and threw it away. She got up and strode away without looking back.
The cold wind blew the snow on the ground up like fine sand, and her slender figure revealed a sense of determination as she left.
Kong Fan frowned and watched Ying Ji walk away. Only after her figure disappeared in the wind and snow did Kong Fan look at Xue Zhongyu and said softly, "Donor Wang Chen."
Kong Fan and Xue Zhongyu have known each other for a long time, though Kong Fan doesn't know his real name. Xue Zhongyu calls himself Wang Chen and begs Kong Fan to accept him as his disciple. However, he is deeply tied to his children and worldly ties, and for the time being, he has no connection with Buddhism, so Kong Fan doesn't accept him into the order.
Although he did not accept him into the Buddhist sect, the two became friends and met occasionally. Every time they met, Kong Fan tried his best to comfort him and hope that he could escape from his pain.
Xue Zhongyu gave a bitter laugh and said, "You're right. My obsession is too deep to enter Buddhism."
He turned his head to look at Kong Fan and asked sadly, "I have done something wrong and there is no way to make amends. I can't sleep or eat, and I want to jump into the Soul-Extinguishing Well to seek relief. But I..."
He turned his head to look in the direction where Yingji left, and his tall and slender body slowly slid down and knelt in the snow.
"But I can't bear to do it."
I can't bear to die, I can't bear to leave her.
Kong Fan looked at Ying Ji's footprints in the distance. The snow fell heavier and heavier, gradually covering her footprints.
"It's cold, have a cup of hot tea." Kong Fan said.
Xue Zhongyu let out a long sigh and forced a smile. He stood up and led Kong Fan into the courtyard.
There was a kettle on the stove, and the water in it had already boiled and was gurgling.
The two sat facing each other, Xue Zhongyu rolled up his sleeves and picked up the kettle to make a pot of tea. The boiling water poured over the fresh tea leaves, and the fragrance of tea immediately oozed out.
Xue Zhongyu poured a cup of tea for Kong Fan first, then poured himself some tea and asked, "I haven't asked you yet, why did Aying come with you?"
Kong Fan lowered his eyes, looked at the tea leaf floating in the teacup, and said softly, "She is my concubine."
Xue Zhongyu froze, the tea spilling out of the cup and onto the table. Coming to his senses, Xue Zhongyu quickly put the teapot down.
He said, "I heard that the concubines in your palace can leave the palace at any time. Is she... unwilling to leave the palace?"
Kong Fan smiled without saying anything, agreeing.
Xue Zhongyu forced a smile and nodded, "That's right. She has no ability at all. If she doesn't find someone to rely on, she won't be able to survive."
Kong Fan suddenly retorted, "She is not completely incapable, nor does she have to rely on others to survive."
Xue Zhongyu shook his head: "How could someone like you understand her miserable existence?"
Kong Fan really didn't understand, but he knew that living a life of compromise was not a good thing.
He stopped fiddling with the Buddhist beads, looked up at Xue Zhongyu, and began to test him on Buddhist scriptures.
This was the homework Kong Fan left for Xue Zhongyu when he wanted to enter Buddhism.
Xue Zhongyu became serious and answered earnestly.
Kong Fan had always treated him gently and kindly. Whenever he tested him, it was only one or two questions. Even if he didn't answer them well, he would just smile and patiently explain them to him.
However, Kong Fan asked questions one after another today, each question was harder than the last, which made Xue Zhongyu extremely anxious.
In the end, Xue Zhongyu had to admit defeat with a wry smile, saying that he had indeed not read the scriptures carefully and failed to understand their true meaning.
"You really should repent of your actions, read the scriptures thoroughly and comprehend the Buddhist path. Instead of indulging in illicit love." Kong Fan was startled by a sudden sharp pain in his calf. He immediately stood up, turned around and left, with the sleeves of his snow-white monk's robe fluttering.
Xue Zhongyu watched Kong Fan's retreating figure in bewilderment. He averted his gaze and sighed deeply. His face, once full of vigor and boundless handsomeness, was now shrouded in a cloud of sorrow. He became melancholy and gloomy.
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Kong Fan found Ying Ji on a ginkgo tree.
She sat lazily on a branch, a jug of wine in her hand, drinking it headfirst. The cold wind mixed with snowflakes blew mercilessly at her, blowing her red gauze skirt into a flutter.
Kong Fan stepped on the snow, making a rustling sound. He stood under the ginkgo tree and looked up at Ying Ji.
Yingji downed the liquor in her mouth, looked down at Kongfan, and smiled at him. She pointed to her leg and said slowly, "I accidentally hit it on the tree. It wasn't intentional."
The heavy snow was still falling, and a speck of snow had already fallen on Yingji's bare shoulders. Her loose black hair was stained with snow and damp.
Kong Fan's eyes swept over Ying Ji's legs, which were sticking out of her gauze skirt. His legs were smooth and bare. Kong Fan frowned and said, "You'll catch a cold like this."
Yingji's tone was not very concerned, and she said slowly: "I have a fever."
Kong Fan frowned even more tightly and said, "Come down. Go back inside."
Yingji ignored him, raised her head and took another sip of the liquor.
Kong Fan sighed, unable to bear the sight of her being so hurt by love. He raised his hand, and Ying Ji's figure swayed, falling from the ginkgo tree.
Kong Fan's force was gentle, and Ying Ji should have landed safely. However, she had an injury on her leg, and as soon as her left foot touched the ground, she lost her balance and stumbled.
Kong Fan hurriedly reached out to help, but the wine jug in Ying Ji's hand tilted, spilling some wine onto the sleeve of Kong Fan's monk's robe.
Kong Fan watched helplessly as the wine stains slowly seeped into the monk's robe.
Yingji lifted her skirt, exposing her left leg so Kongfan could see the scratch on her calf. She turned her head, her delicate eyes gazing at Kongfan, her soft red lips pursed. She said nothing, just staring at him tenderly.
"Why don't you treat the wound?" Kong Fan asked.
"Kong Fan said that pain is also a kind of practice. I want to try it." Ying Ji curved her lips and smiled charmingly.
"Has Yingji realized any Buddhist principles?" Kong Fan asked helplessly.
"Yeah. I understand." Yingji nodded and said seriously, "It hurts now that I understand."
She repeated, "It really hurts."
Kong Fan looked away. He didn't bother to fix the wine stain on his sleeve. Instead, he squatted down, his palm close to Yingji's calf. A warm, pale golden glow slowly enveloped the scrapes on Yingji's calf, until every tiny scar on her leg was completely healed.
Kong Fan stood up and looked at her with a frown: "Let's go."
Yingji shook her head: "I can't walk."
She reached for Kong Fan's hand and placed the back of his hand against her forehead. Kong Fan didn't know what she wanted to do at first, and as soon as the back of his hand touched her skin, he immediately wanted to withdraw.
Before he stepped back, he felt something burning hot on the back of his hand.
She really has a fever.
Kong Fan sighed heavily, shook his head disapprovingly, and said in a slightly harsher tone, "Why bother drinking in the snow when it's freezing cold?"
Yingji said nothing and wanted to drink again.
Kong Fan grabbed her wrist and stopped her.
"If you don't want to drink it, then don't drink it." Yingji threw the wine pot casually. With a "pop" sound, the wine pot broke, and the wine inside spilled out, soaking into the snow and mixing with the snow water.
She put on a submissive expression and said pitifully to Kong Fan, "I really can't walk. Kong Fan, carry me."
Kong Fan remained silent and did not agree.
Yingji was tired of standing, so she sat down directly on the snow.
Kong Fan pulled her up.
"Could you wear more clothes?" Kong Fan said, his voice filled with rebuke. She clearly had a fever, yet she was sitting in the snow in a thin gauze dress? She was a mortal, how could she not take care of herself?
"Isn't it pretty?" Yingji clutched the hem of her skirt and spun slowly. Amidst the heavy snow, she looked like a strange red butterfly.
She turned around and smiled at Kong Fan: "Men all like my body and wish I had nothing to wear."
She is like a stubborn stone, unable to be enlightened or changed.
Kong Fan shook his head and turned his back in front of her.
"Come up."
Yingji contentedly hooked her arms around Kongfan's neck, climbed onto his back, and was carried on his back.
Kong Fan carried Ying Ji back to the courtyard, but Xue Zhongyu was not there.
Kong Fan put Yingji on the bed, glanced at her pale face, leaned over and pulled the quilt over her.
"I'll make you some medicine to ward off the cold. You just go to sleep."
Yingji curved her lips and said yes, then added: "The medicine is too bitter, I want candied fruit to accompany it."
Kong Fan did not respond.
Yingji drifted off to sleep, her brows always furrowed as she fell asleep. Kongfan prepared some medicine and brought it in to wake her up.
Yingji half opened her eyes and drank the medicine in a daze, then immediately closed her eyes and continued to sleep.
Kong Fan took back the empty bowl, and in his other hand he held the candied fruit that he had not yet given her.
He placed the candied fruit on her bedside table and quietly left with the empty bowl.
When Yingji woke up again, she was hungry. She sniffed and smelled the unique sticky aroma of rice porridge.
"Kong Fan?"
Kong Fan came in through the door and brought a bedside table and placed it on the bed. Ying Ji propped herself up and sat up, watching Kong Fan go out and come back in.
When he came in again, he brought a bowl of rice porridge with red dates, and two side dishes - tofu with green onions and a plate of green seasonal vegetables.
"You did it?" Ying Ji was surprised. She couldn't believe that Kong Fan, who was always spotless and worshipped by people, would be squatting in front of the stove, making a fire and cooking.
Yingji picked up the chopsticks to taste it, and it tasted surprisingly good.
She picked up a piece of tofu with chopsticks and handed it to Kong Fan, who quickly took a step back to avoid her.
Yingji raised a smile at the corner of her eyes, and really enjoyed seeing Kongfan avoiding her.
"Have a good rest after you finish eating." Kong Fan turned and left.
Yingji put the tender white tofu into her mouth, and when she turned her head, she found the candied fruit on the small table beside the bed.
Yingji pinched a piece to taste, and the subtle sweetness quickly spread between her lips and teeth.
Yingji was a little dazed - such a strange smell.
For the next two days, Yingji ate and slept alternately, resting and recuperating. Kong Fan brought her meals and medicine three times a day. After she finished eating, he collected her food and left, leaving her alone to recover.
It was not until the third day that Yingji got out of bed and went out.
She pushed open the door and saw the world outside covered in silver. Kong Fan was sitting alone under a ginkgo tree, sewing.
Yingji leaned against the door with her arms folded, watching him thread the needle through the fabric again and again. He lowered his brows in concentration, and his whole person exuded a gentle and peaceful air.
After Kong Fan cut the thread, Ying Ji smiled and said softly, "Is the monk going to get some fancy clothes too?"
Kong Fan looked over. "Are you feeling better?"
Yingji walked into the courtyard and bent down beside him to look at the clothes he was sewing.
Kong Fan handed her the red cotton coat.
Yingji looked at him doubtfully. When their eyes met, Yingji's heart moved and she asked in surprise, "Is it for me?"
Kong Fan nodded.
Yingji took it and found it heavy in her hand. She examined it carefully with some surprise.
It's so thick, it must be stuffed with a lot of cotton.
Yingji hadn't worn such thick clothes for many years.
A long time ago, she always liked to wear thick robes, wrapping herself tightly and even wanting to hide her face.
Yingji put on her cotton coat, and her shoulders suddenly felt heavy. She adjusted it with some discomfort.
Xue Zhongyu hid in the distance, looking at Yingji sadly.
Kong Fan glanced at Xue Zhongyu, then turned to look at Ying Ji, and said in a deep voice: "Don't torture yourself because of love anymore. Don't be trapped in an illicit relationship and suffer in vain."
Yingji was fiddling with her cotton coat curiously. Upon hearing this, she turned her head sharply and found Xue Zhongyu in the corner.
"Torture yourself out of love? How is that possible?" She scoffed. "I hate him more than I hate him. This piece of trash."
Kong Fan was stunned.
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