Fortunately, the elder of the Pei family only glanced for less than half a second before shifting his gaze away as if nothing had happened.
“Two benefactors, are you here to offer incense or seek a fortune?” The old man’s voice was neither too loud nor too soft, carrying the unique tranquility of a monastic.
As if he were now merely an old monk on duty at the Samantabhadra Hall of Qingtan Temple.
Pei Shuyi’s heart settled halfway.
“To offer incense,” Jiang Congli said.
The two walked to the incense burner and each lit three sticks of incense.
Pei Shuyi closed her eyes, silently praying to the Bodhisattva.
Jiang Congli watched her profile for a few seconds before closing his eyes.
After completing the ritual prayers for the Jiang family, he quietly added one last thought in his heart.
Pei Shuyi opened her eyes first, inserted her incense into the burner, and took a step back.
Jiang Congli then opened his eyes, inserted his incense, and stepped back to stand beside her.
The old man watched their figures standing side by side, his gaze shifting between the two before he suddenly spoke.
“Two benefactors, would you like me to divine a fortune for you?”
Pei Shuyi was taken aback.
This elder rarely agreed to divine fortunes for others. She remembered someone from the old residence saying that people traveled thousands of miles to seek him out, offering hefty sums, yet he might not even agree to meet them.
Now that he was offering to divine a fortune voluntarily, Pei Shuyi felt unexpectedly honored.
Jiang Congli glanced at Pei Shuyi. “We can.”
The old man nodded slightly, took a fortune stick tube from the altar, and handed it to Pei Shuyi.
“Benefactor, please.”
Pei Shuyi took the tube, knelt on the prayer mat, closed her eyes, and shook it three times.
A stick jumped out of the tube and landed on the mat in front of her.
She picked it up, glanced at the fortune written on it, and her brows twitched slightly.
The old man took the stick, looked at it, then glanced at her.
“What are you seeking, benefactor?”
Pei Shuyi paused. “Marriage.”
The old man nodded and read the fortune aloud: “Clouds part, the moon appears. A perfect match. Upper fortune.”
He looked at Jiang Congli. “This benefactor, would you like to seek a fortune as well?”
Jiang Congli took the tube, did not kneel, and shook it once while standing.
A stick fell out.
The old man picked it up, glanced at it, and the corners of his mouth curved upward.
“Mutual affection. The best fortune.”
He placed the two sticks side by side on the altar and looked at Pei Shuyi and Jiang Congli.
“When these two fortunes are viewed together, it’s quite interesting. ‘Clouds part, the moon appears’ suggests that clouds and mist once obscured the view, making things unclear. ‘Mutual affection’ indicates shared feelings, but…”
The old man paused, looking at Pei Shuyi.
“It depends on whether both parties are determined enough. If determination is strong, the clouds will disperse, and the moon will appear. If determination is lacking, the clouds will gather again.”
“In matters of marriage, the Bodhisattva can only point the way. The path must be walked by oneself.”
Pei Shuyi stared at the two fortunes placed side by side on the altar and remained silent for a few seconds. “Thank you, Master.”
Jiang Congli walked to the entrance of the hall, took out his wallet from his pocket, removed all the cash inside, and placed it into the donation box.
“Let’s go.” Jiang Congli walked back and extended his hand toward Pei Shuyi.
Pei Shuyi looked at his hand and placed hers in it.
The man led her out of the hall.
On the way down the mountain, Jiang Congli still held her hand.
His pace was much slower than when they had ascended, and he glanced at her every few steps.
At the entrance of the Samantabhadra Hall, the old man stood inside the threshold, watching the two figures descending along the stone steps.
A man and a woman, shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand.
He watched for a long time, until the two figures disappeared among the treetops, before finally withdrawing his gaze.
He turned and walked into the temple hall, picking up the two fortune slips from the offering table and reading them once more.
“Clouds part, the moon appears; two hearts in mutual affection,” he recited to himself, then smiled.
He placed the slips back where they were, walked to the incense burner, and added three sticks of incense.
The smoke of the incense curled upward, blurring the face of the Buddha statue.
The old man clasped his hands together, closed his eyes, and softly spoke a few words.
“That girl has suffered for so many years. Finally, there’s someone by her side who truly cares for her. Nephew Pei, you can rest easy down there.”
After passing the steep slope, the stone-paved path became level.
The two still held hands, neither taking the initiative to let go.
They visited two more temple halls, and by the time they returned, it was nearly noon.
Pei Shuyi was led all the way back to the courtyard when she suddenly stopped in her tracks.
Jiang Congli stopped as well, following her gaze—
There stood a person at the courtyard gate.
A young man, around thirty years old, wearing a dark jacket, his posture upright and his stance straight.
His facial features were sharply defined—high brow bones, a straight nose, and lips slightly pressed together. He carried an air of disciplined efficiency.
He too noticed the two at the gate, his gaze falling on Pei Shuyi, and finally on her hand clasped with Jiang Congli’s.
Pei Shuyi froze.
“Brother Rong Xu?” Her voice held uncertainty, as if confirming whether she had recognized the right person.
The man curved his lips into a gentle smile, creating a strange contrast with the sharp aura surrounding him.
“Shuyi.”
He called her name, his voice not loud but very gentle.
Pei Shuyi immediately let go of Jiang Congli’s hand.
Jiang Congli’s fingers curled slightly; the moment she released his hand, he unconsciously tightened his grip, clutching only air.
Pei Shuyi walked toward the man, first with quick steps, then breaking into a light run.
She stopped in front of him, looking up at his face. Her expression was one Jiang Congli had never seen before—her eyes bright as if lit with fire, her entire being suddenly illuminated.
“How did you get here? When did you arrive? How did you find this place?”
Her questions came one after another, her tone urgent and rapid, filled with undisguised joy.
Rong Xu looked at her, his gaze sweeping from head to toe, then reached out and gently patted the top of her head, like an older brother would to a younger sister.
“Pei… your brother asked me to come. He said you just woke up not long ago and wanted me to help you recuperate.”
Pei Shuyi didn’t shy away from his pat, smiling with eyes curved like a teenage girl.
Jiang Congli stood a few steps away, watching the scene, feeling a slight sting in his eyes.
The warmth of her hand still lingered in his palm.
But her hand was no longer in his; she stood before another man, smiling so happily.
Jiang Congli remained where he was, his expression unchanged.
As if sensing an unfriendly presence, Rong Xu shifted his gaze from Pei Shuyi to Jiang Congli.
The two men looked at each other across the courtyard.
“And who is this?” he asked Pei Shuyi.
Pei Shuyi turned around, glanced at Jiang Congli, the smile still on her face. “He’s a neighbor and friend who lives next door to me, Mr. Jiang.”
The neighbor next door.
Jiang Congli silently repeated these words in his mind.