The breakfast was thus happily concluded.
Jiang Yufeng actually didn’t eat much.
The seafood porridge was exquisite, but the portion wasn’t large.
When he went to get the seafood porridge, he saw that all the porridge in the pot had been ladled out, and the bottom of the pot was scraped clean.
It must have been prepared according to Ye Ximeng’s own appetite.
But then there was this unexpected guest—him.
He saw Ye Ximeng stand up, seemingly ready to clean up the dishes.
Thinking of her scalded hand, he stood up and said, “I’ll wash the bowls.”
Ye Ximeng readily agreed. She cooked breakfast, so he washed the dishes—no problem.
In her mind, another label of goodwill for Jiang Yufeng was added: perceptive.
Jiang Yufeng naturally didn’t know Ye Ximeng’s thoughts.
He picked up the cloth, turned on the tap.
There were only two bowls and one pot, so washing them wasn’t difficult.
After washing the dishes, he tidied up the kitchen and wiped down the countertop.
Looking at his work, Jiang Yufeng actually felt a faint sense of accomplishment.
A very strange sense of accomplishment.
He had done many things far more important than washing dishes, yet he didn’t always feel this sense of accomplishment.
It was truly odd.
When he returned to the living room, Jiang Yufeng saw Ye Ximeng making incense seals.
It seemed the previous incense had finished burning, and she was lighting new incense.
As someone who also loved incense, Jiang Yufeng quietly watched from the side.
He saw Ye Ximeng scoop out the gray-black incense ash after burning with an incense shovel, leaving only the pure white ash in the incense burner.
Then she used incense sticks to arrange the ash, pressed it with an ash press, and swept away the remaining ash with an incense brush…
He was familiar with the steps of making incense seals and had watched Chen Miaoyin or others do it more than once.
But somehow, he felt Ye Ximeng’s movements while making incense seals were more beautiful than anyone else’s.
Not just beautiful in motion, but also… an indescribable artistic conception.
Lazy, casual, yet not perfunctory, as if she was completely immersed in it.
Even he, watching from the side, was infected by this immersion and enjoyment.
Three light “ding” sounds came from beside him.
It was Ye Ximeng filling the incense powder and tapping the seal mold to lift it.
Ye Ximeng’s hands were steady. The seal mold was lifted, and the lotus-shaped incense powder formed steadily in the ash.
The incense powder was lit.
Jiang Yufeng closed his eyes, quietly waiting for the fragrance to drift over.
The scent of plum blossoms, mixed with the coolness of frost and snow, like snow falling among plum blossoms.
It was still the “Spring Message in Snow” from earlier.
Seeing Ye Ximeng stop her movements, Jiang Yufeng said, “There’s a Dharma assembly at Pudu Temple today. I’m on the guest list and will be going soon.”
After a pause, he continued, “I’ll come over for dinner tonight.
If Zhang Yi asks during lunch, you can tell her honestly.”
Ye Ximeng looked up and said, “I actually have something to do during lunch too, so I’ll probably eat out.
I’ll tell Mom so she doesn’t have Zhang Yi bring lunch.”
…
Shortly after Jiang Yufeng left, Ye Ximeng also left the wedding villa in Qianshui Bay.
Her excuse about having something to do during lunch wasn’t just a pretext—she really had something to do.
And this matter could even be somewhat connected to the Dharma assembly Jiang Yufeng was attending.
She took a taxi to a detached residential house in the eastern suburbs of Jing City.
This was her rented place.
Old-fashioned flat-roofed tile houses: one she converted into an incense-making studio, and one for storing incense materials.
The place wasn’t large, but it was sufficient.
She knew about today’s Dharma assembly at Pudu Temple.
Abbot Du’e of Pudu Temple was her benefactor and a senior she deeply respected.
This was true in her past life, and it remained true in this life.
Early this morning, around six o’clock, Abbot Du’e sent her a voice message asking her to deliver the Buddhist Incense to Pudu Temple before 1 p.m., as it would be needed for the Dharma assembly.
He also mentioned that the tea leaves in the white tea grove behind the temple were ready for picking again.
After delivering the incense, she could take the opportunity to pick some tea leaves. The Dharma assembly would start at 2 p.m., and if she was interested, she could also attend.
It was still quite early now. Ye Ximeng loaded the packaged Buddhist Incense into her Wuling Mini 5×5 pickup truck and set off for Pudu Temple to deliver the incense.
…
Ye Ximeng drove her six-wheeled pickup truck through the back gate of Pudu Temple.
After handing over the Buddhist Incense to the monk in charge of procurement, she parked her vehicle and walked toward the monastic quarters in the northern part of the temple.
She was neither ordained nor a lay practitioner, but thanks to Abbot Du’e’s care and her role as a supplier of Buddhist Incense for Pudu Temple, she had her own private room in the monastic quarters—a single room, not shared with anyone else.
The temple was filled with the lingering scent of sandalwood incense, and the northern courtyard where the monastic quarters were located was particularly serene and tranquil. Walking through it seemed to bring a sense of inner peace.
Ye Ximeng entered her room, freshened up slightly, changed into a dark blue-black haiqing robe, and then went to find Abbot Du’e.
In the neighboring courtyard for male lay practitioners, Jiang Yufeng, Gu Xingze, and Bai Haoyu had just changed into their haiqing robes and stepped out.
Jiang Yufeng had arrived earlier than Ye Ximeng. After arriving, he sat quietly in his room, making up for the morning chanting session he had missed that day.
By the time he finished, Gu Xingze and Bai Haoyu had also arrived.
Just as Jiang Yufeng closed the wooden door of his room, he heard Gu Xingze’s voice, deliberately lowered but unable to conceal his excitement.
“Yufeng, Haoyu, look over there!”
Jiang Yufeng turned curiously, following the direction Gu Xingze pointed.
What he saw was a slender figure in a haiqing robe, walking farther and farther away.
At that moment, Ye Ximeng seemed to notice something and slightly turned her head.
In an instant, Jiang Yufeng caught a glimpse of a slender, fair neck and a well-defined jawline, partially obscured by stray hair. He didn’t get a clear look at her face and didn’t recognize her as Ye Ximeng.
He only instinctively felt that she must be a very beautiful female lay practitioner.
Gu Xingze clutched his chest and exclaimed excitedly, “I feel like my heart has been struck by Cupid’s arrow. Yufeng, do you believe in love at first sight?”
Jiang Yufeng’s eyes remained cool and indifferent as he retorted, “You fell in love at first sight just from seeing her back?”
“I saw her face just now! She’s a stunning beauty, the kind that could outshine celebrities! I’m going to pursue her!” Gu Xingze declared with conviction.
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