The temperament she had developed in her previous life meant Ye Ximeng would not easily let herself suffer losses, but she also disliked complaining to others.
Although she had pinned a big black pot on Jiang Yufeng with just one sentence, it was mostly in jest and teasing.
Jiang Yufeng, holding the phone under the corridor, slightly furrowed his brows and asked, “Are you hurt?”
“Yes, I got stung.” And my phone screen shattered too.
Comparatively, the shattered phone screen obviously pained her more.
“Where are you? Do you need me to come over?”
Ye Ximeng blinked.
Jiang Yufeng’s reaction was a bit different from what she had expected.
This sudden concern made her previously gloomy mood seem not so gloomy anymore.
“No need, it’s not a big deal. Just a swollen bump, and I’ve already applied medicine,” Ye Ximeng said.
“Where are you? How did you encounter hornets?” Jiang Yufeng asked.
“I’m picking tea leaves. There was a hornet nest hidden deep, and I didn’t notice it.
When I return tonight, I’ll brew some new tea for you to try.”
On the other end of the phone, Jiang Yufeng’s suddenly tense expression finally relaxed at this moment.
He had thought Ye Ximeng had gone to some farm for leisure, like picking strawberries or mulberries, to pick some tea leaves and bring them back after drying them.
“Be careful. Call me if anything happens,” Jiang Yufeng said.
“Okay,” Ye Ximeng replied.
After hanging up, Ye Ximeng rested her chin in her hand and suddenly curved her eyes into a smile.
Aloofness and indifference were ultimately different.
She liked it.
Immediately afterward, she remembered something else.
This phone call was originally meant to discuss the incense shop with Jiang Yufeng.
But Jiang Yufeng didn’t bring it up, and she had also spaced out and forgotten.
She didn’t call again but directly typed a text message.
【The online shop didn’t make a mistake. The incense was bought from that online shop.】
【It’s a private custom incense shop that only serves regular customers and has a very good reputation.】
【Just leave a message for the shop owner asking for Goose Pear Bed-curtain Incense and Snowy Spring Letter, as well as how much you want.】
【Remember to say I referred you. The shop owner will give you a discounted price.】
Jiang Yufeng’s reply came quickly.
【Okay, I understand. Thank you.】
Ye Ximeng hugged her shattered-screen phone and looked up at the sky, her mood sweeping away the earlier gloom.
Even the subsequent tea picking became filled with renewed vigor.
Twenty to thirty tea trees, picked by over ten people.
Although the tea trees were taller and larger, the efficiency was still extremely high.
Before the afternoon Dharma assembly began, only the last tea tree remained unpicked.
Ye Ximeng thanked the monks who had helped, noting down the name of each monk who had come to assist, and promised that once the tea leaves were dried, she would give each of them a can to taste.
The monks all went to attend the Dharma assembly.
Ye Ximeng was not a monastic, nor even a lay practitioner.
Originally, her plan was that if she could finish picking the tea before the Dharma assembly, she would go listen to it, allowing the Dharma to nurture her spirit, and perhaps incidentally run into Jiang Yufeng.
Now, there was still one tea tree left unpicked.
But it didn’t affect anything.
She would go after finishing the picking.
Jiang Yufeng—she was determined to have him.
…
An hour later, Ye Ximeng finished picking all the tea trees.
She packed the white tea buds into bags, placed them on the six-wheeled pickup truck, and then checked the time.
The Dharma assembly was still ongoing. She set off for the front hall to find her fate for the next three years, while also letting the Buddha’s energy nurture her spirit.
Following the stone steps, Ye Ximeng soon arrived at the side of the main hall.
A heavy scent of sandalwood drifted into her nostrils.
She immediately recognized that the incense burning in the hall was her own creation.
Due to the special processing method and slight differences in the combination of ingredients, the Buddhist Incense she made had a richer and more delicate aroma compared to ordinary ones.
Ordinary people might not notice the difference, but the senior monks who had long been immersed in Buddhist Incense could naturally discern the distinction.
Just like those accustomed to drinking alcohol can tell which wine goes down more smoothly.
Ye Ximeng stood still at one side of the hall’s entrance.
The Dharma assembly was solemn, with the sound of monks chanting Buddhist scriptures in her ears.
She did not venture further inside, intending to simply let the Buddhist teachings permeate her in this corner of the hall.
Her gaze swept across the hall, first landing on several gilded Buddha statues.
Then, she saw Abbot Du’e and also Jiang Yufeng.
Jiang Yufeng was seated among the lay practitioners, in a very prominent position.
At this moment, Jiang Yufeng was quietly listening to the teachings, his expression cool and solemn.
Ye Ximeng stared at Jiang Yufeng for a long time.
Unblinkingly.
She had once heard that when someone stares at another person for a prolonged time, that person will inevitably sense it and look back.
She used to think this statement made perfect sense.
Until today…
She had been staring at Jiang Yufeng for about five minutes.
Her eyes were starting to ache.
Yet Jiang Yufeng hadn’t so much as glanced in her direction!
Who on earth had fed her such nonsense?
The Dharma assembly wouldn’t end until 4:30, and she certainly couldn’t stay that long. The freshly picked white tea leaves needed to be processed into dry tea and couldn’t be delayed for too long.
Moreover, Buddhist Dharma assemblies were particularly solemn and dignified occasions.
She definitely couldn’t rush over to Jiang Yufeng’s side and greet him noisily.
Inside the hall, the sacred chants lingered softly.
Ye Ximeng stood in that corner of the entrance for nearly half an hour.
Listening to the Buddhist teachings, inhaling the scent of the incense, and occasionally stealing glances at Jiang Yufeng.
Ye Ximeng felt that she probably lacked any deep connection to Buddhism.
After just half an hour of listening, she was already feeling somewhat drowsy.
If it weren’t for Jiang Yufeng keeping her anchored…
Ye Ximeng sighed.
Annoying.
For over half an hour, Jiang Yufeng hadn’t glanced her way even once.
Ye Ximeng blinked hard, dispelling the faint haze of drowsiness.
In truth, there wasn’t much dejection in her expression.
There would be plenty of time ahead, and opportunities would abound.
She simply withdrew from the hall, deciding not to attend the rest of the Dharma assembly.
…
Jiang Yufeng, Gu Xingze, and Bai Haoyu were not only lay practitioners but also representatives of the Beijing Buddhist College.
Their seats were very prominent.
Just before the Dharma assembly was about to begin, Gu Xingze had fixed his gaze on the seating area for female lay practitioners.
In his own words, he was searching for his goddess.
That female lay practitioner whom Jiang Yufeng and Bai Haoyu had only seen from behind near the lay practitioners’ quarters.
Bai Haoyu was also very curious about that female lay practitioner and helped in the search.
The two even tried to involve Jiang Yufeng, but he paid them no mind, sitting quietly on his cushion with an aura that was cool, clear, and untouched by worldly dust.
Unfortunately, by the time the Dharma assembly began, Gu Xingze and Bai Haoyu still hadn’t found her.
Gu Xingze thought he had missed his goddess, and his subsequent low spirits needed no elaboration.
When the Dharma assembly was nearing its two-hour mark, Jiang Yufeng unconsciously glanced toward the outside of the hall.
It was just that fleeting glance that allowed him to spot a familiar figure from behind.
Jet-black hair, smooth as satin, was braided into small plaits on either side while the rest cascaded loosely down the middle.
This was the third time today he had seen this figure from behind.
Gu Xingze’s long-sought goddess.
Normally, Jiang Yufeng wasn’t one to meddle in others’ affairs.
But glancing at Gu Xingze beside him, who was hanging his head in quiet disappointment after missing his goddess once again…
In the end, he nudged Gu Xingze and gestured toward the entrance of the main hall.