Chapter 146: Chapter 146

The spring light is delightful, the sky as clear as a wash, Shen Jianian, the abbot of Tanfu Temple, moved a low table under the veranda, knelt on a cushion and copied Buddhist scriptures.

Having written since breakfast, a thick stack had already piled up beside the table. A gentle breeze fluttered the xuan paper noisily, which she pressed down with a book.

Two stray cats curled beside her legs, one tabby and one ginger cat, having roamed the temple for years, had become one of the tourist attractions.

Shen Jianian had only played with them a couple of times, yet today they found her easily, lying beside her and flipping their bellies for a rub.

Shen Jianian finished a page, picked it up and placed it aside, resting the brush on the brush holder, then pressed her sore shoulder and neck.

At that moment, the sound of soles treading on gravel came from outside the courtyard gate.

This footstep... seems somewhat familiar.

Shen Jianian’s heart suddenly quickened, she lifted her gaze, a man stepped in, tall and upright, his black hair shimmering in the sunlight, deep eyes looking at her.

The unfamiliar arrival startled the small cat by Shen Jianian’s leg; the larger tabby cat jumped into the yard, baring its teeth at Fu Jichen.

Fu Jichen glanced at the small cat and made a shooing motion.

The cat meowed and leapt away.

Shen Jianian said, "Don’t chase it away, it’s very well-behaved."

Fu Jichen walked under the veranda, looking down at the person he hadn’t seen for a week, deep affection in his eyes, then his gaze shifted to the Buddhist scriptures on the table.

"Planning to become a nun?" Fu Jichen bent to sit on another cushion, his long legs had nowhere to go, one stretched out, one bent, resting his elbow on the table’s edge, flipping through the stack of scriptures, his tone somewhat playful.

"Don’t mess them up, they’re written in sequence." Shen Jianian pushed his hand, asked, "When did you return?"

"Three hours ago." Fu Jichen replied irritably, "Didn’t see you at home, only found out you came to Tanfu Temple, and a week ago too, why didn’t you tell me?"

Fu Jichen gazed at her, silent.

They talked every day, had she wanted to tell him, just a word would have been enough, but she deliberately hid it.

Realizing she was at fault, Shen Jianian smiled with hands on cheeks, apologizing, "I was wrong, I shouldn’t have hidden it from you."

Fu Jichen flicked her forehead with his finger, his eyes indulgently doting, "Sure you know I can’t do anything to you?" He paused, seeing her ink-stained fingers, "How long will you be copying, aren’t you going home with me?"

"I’ll go back today." Shen Jianian picked up the book weighing down the xuan paper, sorted the stack, "Let me deliver these to the abbot, then we’ll go home."

Fu Jichen picked up the small teapot on the table, shook it twice, it was empty.

"I drank it all." Shen Jianian said, preparing to get up and brew another pot of tea for him.

"Stay seated." Fu Jichen raised his hand to stop her, already standing, "Where’s the hot water, I’ll do it."

Shen Jianian pointed inside, "There’s a thermos and tea leaves on the table."

Fu Jichen carried the teapot inside, unconsciously scanning the surroundings, this was where Shen Jianian had stayed for a week.

A thick mattress covered the wooden bed, the dark blue quilt looked like it was brought from home, phone charging cord left by the pillow, a small suitcase stood by the bed. On the table lay a plastic-covered thermos, a box of tea leaves, and her phone.

Fu Jichen opened the tea box, held it to his nose, not a very good tea.

Feeling a bit thirsty, he didn’t mind, scooped some tea leaves into the teapot, picked up the thermos and poured hot water, rinsed the leaves once, poured out the water, then refilled the teapot with hot water.

Outside in the veranda, Shen Jianian leaned on her chin with one hand, held the brush in the other, the end touching her cheek, watching the cats sunbathing in the courtyard, recalling the scene when Fu Jichen scared the cat upon entering.

She smiled softly, casually writing two lines on the blank xuan paper.

Noticing Fu Jichen coming out from the chamber in her peripheral vision, Shen Jianian hurriedly turned the paper over, face down. Yet xuan paper is thin, the writing showed through the back easily, so she covered it with a pile of unused xuan paper.

Her frantic movements were all in Fu Jichen’s view, he didn’t ask what she was hiding, he placed the teapot on the round woven mat on the table.

Steam rose from the spout, the aroma of tea wafting gently.

Shen Jianian smelled the scent, as if reminded of something, told him, "The tea is from the temple, possibly old, you might not like it." He enjoyed collecting tea leaves, inferior ones might not suit his taste.

"I know." Fu Jichen had already smelled it.

He took a small teacup, went back inside to scald it with hot water, then returned, poured a cup of tea, took a sip, eyes and brows slightly relaxed.

Not because it tasted particularly good, but it quenched his thirst.

Taking advantage of Shen Jianian not paying attention, he pulled out the bottom sheet from a stack of Xuan paper: "What were you writing just now that you hid it as soon as I arrived?"

"Hey, give it back!" Shen Jianian hadn’t expected his surprise move, reaching out to snatch it back.

Fu Jichen lifted his arm and made a feint, causing her to miss, while he turned another direction and held the Xuan paper high, examining the neat and proper small cursive handwriting in the light outside the eaves.

His thin lips moved slightly, reading aloud: "Even if Mr. Fu’s feelings are deep, they still cause the civet cat’s liver and intestines to break."

Shen Jianian’s face turned bright red, collapsing back onto the meditation cushion, too embarrassed to look at his face, fingers picking at wood shavings under the low table.

After a moment, Fu Jichen raised an eyebrow, lowered the sheet of paper as thin as a cicada’s wings, and looked at the flushed Shen Jianian, about to smile but not quite: "Does Mr. Fu refer to me? Are you saying I appear affectionate but am actually heartless, only making people heartbroken?"

Shen Jianian grabbed the Xuan paper on the table, crumpled it into a ball, and threw it at him: "Who asked you to rummage through someone else’s things without permission?"

Fu Jichen held a teacup in one hand, didn’t dodge at all, the paper ball hit his chest directly and then fell onto his lap.

Shen Jianian was both embarrassed and angry, but somehow couldn’t deal with him.

After finishing a cup of tea, Fu Jichen gently put down the teacup and picked up the paper ball that fell on his lap, slowly unrolling it, flattening it on the table with his hand, the paper full of creases, yet still showing the words clearly.

"Which famous poet wrote this poem? It’s really wronging me." Fu Jichen sighed.

Shen Jianian only found it interesting, spontaneously writing the scene of him chasing away the cat. Hearing him read it slowly, it seemed profoundly meaningful, as if she had compared herself to the "civet cat" in the poem.

In all honesty, she really didn’t think that much.

Indeed, Fu Jichen misunderstood, his fingers stroking the empty teacup, his dark eyes like a net spread open, trapping her: "You’re not that stray cat, and I won’t make you heartbroken."

For a moment, Shen Jianian felt her heart burning, ultimately not refuting, saying those two lines of poetry actually meant nothing else.

"I’m going to find the Abbot." Shen Jianian propped herself on the table edge to stand up, took the stack of copied Buddhist Scriptures on the table, returned to the house and retrieved others written a few days ago, piling them together, "You wait for me here, I’ll be back soon."

After drinking the second cup of tea, Fu Jichen said: "I’ll go with you."

Shen Jianian paused but did not refuse him.

"Then wait for me a while longer." She thought for a moment, then handed him the Buddhist Scriptures in her hand, "Please hold these for me, I’ll tidy up first."

Shen Jianian returned to the guest room and tidied up the things she had brought, packed them into a suitcase. Once she finished seeing the Abbot, she would come back, grab the suitcase and leave.

Having tidied up, Shen Jianian led Fu Jichen through the bamboo forest, the stone path was rather narrow, allowing only one person to pass through. Shen Jianian was in front, Fu Jichen followed behind.

She turned her head to talk to him: "Isn’t the scenery beautiful? You didn’t get to explore last time you visited."

Fu Jichen smelled the fresh scent of bamboo leaves, heard the chirping birds, felt the wind blowing through the forest, feeling quite fresh and pleasant, greatly agreeing with her words: "It truly is suitable for relaxing."

Shen Jianian stepped over one stone slab after another: "During the few days I stayed at the temple, my heart felt truly calm."

"And then, wanting to become a nun?"

Amidst the joking conversation, the two arrived at the Abbot’s courtyard, Shen Jianian stopped, saying to the man beside her: "Don’t go in, the Abbot doesn’t like to be disturbed by outsiders."

Fu Jichen put one hand in his pants pocket, standing at the door waiting for her.

Shen Jianian knocked on the door, stated her name, gained permission, pushed open one of the wooden doors, stepped inside, handed over the copied Buddhist Scriptures to the Abbot, along with the scripture book taken from him.

"Does this remove the threat to his life?" She asked cautiously.

The Abbot looked at her and shook his head.

Shen Jianian truly didn’t understand: "Is it still not enough? I can write more."

"It’s enough." The Abbot simply spoke more bluntly, "If I tell you, you would live half of your life in fear, with unsolvable palpitations, would you still not regret it?"

Half a life in fear, unsolvable palpitations.

Such heavy eight words.

Shen Jianian felt as if a thorn was stuck in her heart, with every heartbeat, the thorn pierced deeper, her face gradually losing color, pale as paper.

She looked at the Abbot, her eyes resolute, saying: "No regret." As long as his life-threatening situation was resolved, it didn’t matter what happened to her.

The Abbot sighed silently, waved his hand: "Go back, don’t come again in the future."