“The so-called half-month deadline isn’t for you to wait for my response—it’s for me to strive to keep you interested in me.”
The rain on Qingtan Mountain arrives without warning.
So does Jiang Congli’s wife.
“Congli, hurry to Qingtan Temple—your fated wife has finally appeared!”
Inside the temple’s guest room, an elderly woman clutched her phone to her ear, her voice hushed yet urgent and bright, her eyes darting toward the door from time to time:
“That girl is fair-skinned and graceful, with looks and temperament second to none. If you miss her, you’ll never find another like her in this lifetime. Hurry up the mountain, do you hear me?”
On the other end of the line, the man sighed silently. “Grandmother, don’t make a fuss. Stay put for now—I’m driving over right away.”
The old woman paid him no mind. Just as she was about to urge him again, a soft, gentle sound of footsteps drifted in from outside the door.
She swiftly ended the call, moving with a nimbleness that belied her age of over eighty.
The next moment, a plain cloth curtain was gently lifted by a slender, fair hand.
Pei Shuyi stepped inside, dressed in a pristine white gown. The lightweight fabric clung to her figure, accentuating her slender and graceful form, as if she could be held with a single embrace.
The mountain daylight filtered through the window lattice and fell upon her face. Though she wore not a trace of makeup, she outshone countless others adorned with heavy cosmetics.
“Granny, I’ve brought you clean clothes. Please change into them when you have a moment.” She held a wooden tray in both hands, on which lay a set of clean, soft, plain-colored cotton garments.
Old Mrs. Jiang looked up and stared straight at her, examining her from head to toe with growing satisfaction. The joy in her eyes was almost overflowing:
“Thank you so much, young lady. This is my first time visiting this temple, and I’m unfamiliar with the mountain. I was feeling quite anxious. Could you please stay a little longer?”
“My grandson will be here soon. Would you mind waiting until he arrives before leaving?”
Pei Shuyi curved the corners of her lips slightly, revealing faint dimples, and agreed readily.
She had nothing pressing to attend to at the temple today, so staying to keep the elderly woman company was no trouble at all.
Overjoyed, Old Mrs. Jiang took advantage of turning around to change clothes to secretly pull out her hidden phone and quickly typed out a message:
【Come quickly! Your destined one is right here in my room!】
…
Half an hour earlier.
Pei Shuyi had finished reciting scriptures with the temple elders in the early morning and was wandering aimlessly when she happened to stroll to the entrance of Qingtan Temple.
The rain on Qingtan Mountain arrives without warning.
In just three to five seconds, a torrential downpour began.
It was at this moment that an elderly woman with graying hair hurried through the temple gate. Soaked to the bone by the rain and holding up the hem of her skirt, she appeared disheveled yet retained an air of grace.
Pei Shuyi had just borrowed an umbrella from a young novice monk. Seeing the situation, she walked over, holding the umbrella aloft:
“Granny, are you alone?”
Old Mrs. Jiang looked up at the sound, revealing a well-maintained face. Though her makeup had been washed away by the rain, the dignified elegance in her features remained unmistakable.
She wiped her temple and replied in Mandarin with a Hong Kong accent: “I came to offer incense. I didn’t expect the rain to come so suddenly.”
Pei Shuyi glanced at the empty stone steps outside the mountain gate—no car, no one in sight.
The elderly woman had come up the mountain alone.
Without asking further questions, she tilted the umbrella toward the old woman. “Let’s go inside to take shelter first. This rain won’t stop anytime soon. There are guest rooms in the temple—I’ll have someone boil some hot water. Please change out of your wet clothes to avoid catching a cold.”
Having lived most of her life in Hong Kong, the elderly lady had encountered all sorts of people—flattering, respectful, cautious, and those who curried favor with the powerful. She could see through anyone’s intentions at a glance.
But the gaze of the young girl before her was clear and transparent, allowing one to see straight into her heart.
“Are you here to offer incense too?” the old lady asked.
Pei Shuyi curved her lips slightly. “I live on the mountain.”
Hearing this, the old lady felt an even stronger sense of connection with this young woman.
Walking side by side toward the temple, Pei Shuyi’s umbrella was small, and the hem of her moon-white dress was soon soaked by the rain, clinging to her slender calves.
She led the old lady to a side room, then fetched a clean, plain-colored monk’s robe for her to change into.
Seizing the opportunity, the old lady sent a message to her grandson. After changing, her thoughts drifted back to her grandson, and she began making conversation, afraid the young girl might find it dull and leave.
“Young lady, what is your surname?”
“It’s nothing special—just Shu,” Pei Shuyi replied as she brewed tea by the table, her movements unhurried and graceful. From boiling water and warming the cups to adding tea leaves and pouring water, every step flowed seamlessly, a pleasure to watch.
At the temple, few knew her as Pei Shuyi. To outsiders, she went by the surname “Shu” and the given name “Yi.”
“Shu?” The old lady pondered for a moment, unable to recall any prominent Shu families in Beijing or Hong Kong. She asked casually, “Which Shu family?”
Pei Shuyi poured the tea into a cup and handed it over with both hands. “Grandma, I’m Shu Yi. I don’t belong to any particular family.”
The old lady took the teacup, took a sip, and raised an eyebrow slightly.
The tea was brewed perfectly, with just the right water temperature and timing.
Setting down the cup, the old lady said, “Thank you for your help today. If there’s anything you need, you can ask this old lady.”
Pei Shuyi smiled. “There’s nothing I need, Grandma.”
…
Outside, the rain grew heavier.
Amid the downpour, an understated luxury car stopped at the stone steps outside the temple gate. Just as the driver was about to open the door, the rear door swung open on its own.
The driver quickly stepped forward with an umbrella, but Jiang Congli had already bent down and stepped out.
The gate of Qingtan Temple swung open before him. He stepped inside, his gaze sweeping across the empty courtyard.
A temple attendant approached, palms pressed together. “Patron Jiang—”
“Which room is the old lady in?” Jiang Congli interrupted directly.
The attendant paused, instinctively pointing toward the rear courtyard. “In the eastern Tranquil Heart Room…”
Before he could finish, Jiang Congli was already walking away.
Jiang Congli strode through the corridor, the sound of his leather shoes tapping against the floor echoing clearly through the rain.
The old lady visited Qingtan Temple every year, so Jiang Congli was intimately familiar with the mountain paths and the temple’s layout.
The door to the eastern room was slightly ajar.
He pushed it open.
Expecting to hear his grandmother’s complaints about his tardiness, he was instead met with an entirely different scene.
The room was bathed in soft light, with wisps of incense curling in the air.
The old lady lay curled on the daybed, breathing evenly, already asleep.
Beside the daybed, a woman stood with her back to him, leaning slightly forward as she tucked a blanket over his grandmother.
Pei Shuyi wore a light-colored long dress with a thin cardigan over it. Her long hair was loosely tied at the back of her head with a wooden hairpin, revealing a slender, pale nape.
Jiang Congli’s gaze lingered on her silhouette.
Her figure was slender, with graceful shoulders and a waist that curved into a soft, resilient arc. The hollow of her waist was faintly visible beneath the fabric of her dress.
The hem of her skirt gently fell with her movements, outlining her slender waist and the softly undulating curve of her back.
The sound of rain was too loud, swallowing all surrounding noise, so Pei Shuyi did not notice him.
She was intently tucking the blanket around Old Mrs. Jiang.
Jiang Congli stood at the doorway, also in no hurry to enter.
It wasn’t until Pei Shuyi had finished arranging everything, stood up, and was about to leave—
The next moment she turned, she unexpectedly met those deep, penetrating eyes.