Proofread by Claire.KK
“It is a day’s walk from the village to the Imperial Capital. We ...”
Gu Yusheng was delightful. Although he tried not to behave so obviously, he still could not help curving his mouth. Xie Mengxuan stood on the crossroad. She first looked at the left and then right. The left road led to the Imperial Capital whereas the right road led to the Hanshan Temple.
Xie Mengxuan tried to be patient and said softly: “I want to go to the Hanshan Temple first.”
Gu Yusheng was astonished and frowned. “What are you going to do?”
Xie Mengxuan looked at him with surprise, whispering, “Don’t you know that, Brother Gu?”
Gu Yusheng was shocked, and he glanced at Uncle Luo, then he smiled and asked: “What should I know?”
Xie Mengxuan gently patted the sachet hanging from the waist and pulled it down into the arms.
“Xuan’er, what is this?” Gu Yusheng looked at it and asked.
Xie Mengxuan shook his head and smiled. “Nothing, let’s go.”
Then Xie Mengxuan went down the path. Gu Yusheng still disagreed with her, and tried to stop Xie Mengxuan. “Xuan’er, we should not waste time going to the Hanshan Temple if it is not a must. We’d better return to the Imperial Capital first.
He could not wait to go to the Imperial Capital but Xie Mengxuan would like to go to the Hanshan Temple. Xie lowered her gaze: “I need to go to the Hanshan Temple first, ’cause something important must be confirmed.
She spoke out resolutely. So Gu Yusheng had no choice but to nod his head. “Well... is there really no problem?”
Xie Mengxuan did not answer. Whereas, Uncle Luo sighed, “Let’s go.”
Uncle Luo agreed to go anyway. Although Gu Yusheng was somewhat puzzled, he still nodded to show his compromise.
Then they rushed to the Hanshan Temple. They stood under the ladder below the temple. Xie Mengxuan sighed at that moment, and then Xie Mengxuan slowly stepped up the stairs, following with Uncle Luo and Gu Yusheng.
When she came to the main hall of the temple, Xie Mengxuan stood in front of the cattail ha.s.sock. She put her palms together and prayed and worshiped for three times. Then she knelt down, closed her eyes and prayed piously.
Uncle Luo also knelt down on the cattail ha.s.sock. But Gu Yusheng stood on the side, frowning with impatience.
In a few moments. Xie Mengxuan stood up, and then took the cylinders which was full of divination sticks and began to shake. The stick was shaken quickly in the bucket, and finally one fell out.
She bent down to pick it up and looked at it. Then she gave it to the Buddhist who glanced at it and said, “Dear benefactor, please go with me to see the abbot.”
“Okay.” Xie Mengxuan answered.
Gu Yusheng stepped forward and said: “Xuan’er, please don’t waste your precious time on these meaningless things.”
Xie Mengxuan frowned slightly. “I wonder Geng Zhishan is alive or not. I’m worried about him. So I prayed and drew divination sticks for him. And by the way, to consult something about us.”
She took it for granted, but Gu Yusheng’s eyes were full of confusion. He wondered why she believed such things.
Without waiting for him to think much, Xie Mengxuan has followed the Buddhist to the inner hall.
“Uncle Luo, why don’t you stop her?” Gu Yusheng and Uncle Luo came to the small yard in the temple, the scenery was very beautiful, but he wasn’t in the mood for appreciating it.
Uncle Locke was still wearing a stony face, he turned and looked back. He lowered his voice: “You are too impatient.”
Gu Yusheng could not help rolling his eyes heavenward. “A long delay means trouble. We’d better bring the matter to an early conclusion. Since she regarded Geng Zhishan as her sweetheart, was our plan to be a failure after all?”
At this time, he wasn’t as grace as before. Uncle Luo stared at him with a ferocious face.
Gu Yusheng had an eye contact with Uncle Luo. He said angrily with a deep voice: “Uncle Luo, you’d better help me. It’s not good for you and me if it comes to nothing.”
They both knew what he meant. But Uncle Luo didn’t care for his intimidation. He turned his back to him and raised his head: “Everything will be fine if you keep the secret of your ident.i.ty.”
Gu Yusheng couldn’t be relaxed anyway. “However, the Xie Family has always spoiled her. If she insists on her own opinion, they will be in favor of her.”
He was also telling the truth that Xie Mengxuan will utilize her marriage as a stepping stone for the family. And similarly, Xie Family would change some decisions because of a lifetime happiness of her.
Uncle Luo stared at him with cold eyes which scared Gu Yusheng to shiver. He slowly said: “She would be doubtful for your impatience. If you act calmly, she will trust you gradually.”
Gu Yusheng opened his eyes wide. “Do you mean that she didn’t trust me?”
Uncle Luo thought of the performance of Xie Mengxuan. “Maybe, I am not certain. But she trusted you with a grain of salt.”
“I didn’t notice.” Gu Yusheng murmured with astonishment.
Uncle Luo’s lip curled down and he felt that their training for him had not been successful all over the years.
Uncle Luo pointed out: “Behave yourself. Try to pretend to be a real Gu Yusheng. Then everything will be better.”
What Uncle Luo said reminded him of something. He was lost in thought.
Uncle Luo looked around and said meaningfully, “It is really not the usual place.”
Gu Yusheng was stunned for a moment. Then he nodded and echoed, “Huh? It is true that this temple is a place that people like in the Imperial Capital. It is said that the fortune-telling here works. But I am surprised that she would believe in that.”
He commented so. But the disdain in Uncle Luo’s eyes was more obvious. His lips curled down. “Do you think she just came here to worship Buddha?”
“Didn’t she?”
“Do remember your mission.”
Uncle Luo was so patient today that he gave hints to him for several times.”
Gu Yusheng suddenly looked around and said, “Do you mean...?
Then he was ready to find Xie Mengxuan when he realize what happened.”
Uncle Luo stood motionless. “You forgot again, but it didn’t work out if you were impatient.”
He then stopped reluctantly with annoyance.
Uncle Luo took him to take for a walk in the garden, slowly his eagerness faded down, and the look on his face returned to normal.
In the hall of the temple, Xie Mengxuan sat at the table with a cup of tea in his hand.
She touched the teacup gently and watched the tea leaves float on the water, and then she took a sip for a while.
It was so bitter that she frowned and slowly swallowed it, looking up at the abbot who sat opposite her and drank tea with a smile.
“Dear abbot, the taste of the tea is the same as it used to be.”Xie Mengxuan smiled and said. The abbot put down the teacup and looked up slowly. “I was in relief for your safety.”
As the abbot said, he reached out and took the divination sticks. “What do you want to know today, benefactor Xie.
Xie Mengxuan whispered, “To ask about the matter of life and death.”
“Who is it?”
“A friend of mine.”
“What are his birth time and the eight characters of a horoscope?”
Xie Mengxuan got stunned for his question for a moment, and then smiled bitterly. “I don’t know.”
There was conspicuous disappointment in her eyes, and the abbot put the stick in front of her. “Are you gonna believe in such thing.”
“I’m just intranquil.” Xie Mengxuan answered softly.
The abbot sighed and leisurely said: “Several months ago, you were chased and forced to jump down the cliff. But it was too late for some people and me to look for you. Fortunately, when message came back, you were saved.”
After that, Xie Mengxuan stood up and said with eager, “You mean there’s been news coming back all the time.”