Chapter Five: Jiao Jiao, You Wouldn’t Want to Make Eye Contact With People Either, Right? (1/2)
After being freshly washed by the rain, the sky was exceptionally clear blue while the grass gave off a fresh, dewy scent. The afternoon sun was pleasantly warm. Taking advantage of this rare opportunity of leisure, the servants could be found huddling themselves in groups of two or three while they indulged in this rare lunch break.
Clang—
The heavy, old hollow iron gate suddenly creaked, swinging open, making way for a car that was now slowly driving its way out of the manor. After a few seconds, it eventually gradually disappeared into the shades of the trees.
A gust of wind swept by, sending waves of green across the mountains and making the birds take flight into the air.
Even inside the car, Wen Zhijiao could still hear the incessant chirping of both birds and insects alike from outside. She couldn’t help but rub her arms. She didn’t like this huge estate at all. What was so great about living in a mansion that was deeply tucked away in the middle of the mountain anyway? Aside from requiring constant effort to keep mosquitoes, insects, snakes, and rats at bay all year round, it also took at least forty minutes to drive to the city. Not to mention, the area also looked so especially haunted at night.
While she had been staying here for several years, the only enlightenment that she had received from living here was that there was no way for her to run away.
Wen Zhijiao sighed deeply. Closing her eyes, she pretended to take a nap. Even so, her mind was still in a chaotic mess. For some reason, she couldn’t help but feel extremely anxious while her palms started to sweat slightly from the pressure of the situation. What should she say when she gets out of the car? How would she find her way to the temple? What should she do when faced with strangers? What expression should she wear? How would she approach the so-called master? How would she transfer money without being caught? And how could she make Jiang Yuancheng believe in all of this…?
A series of questions had begun to crowd inside her mind. Perhaps it was because she had been sitting in the car for too long, but she felt her stomach churning and a slight sourness rising in the back of her throat. She covered her mouth. Her heart had started to twitch and contract at irregular intervals while her eyelashes fluttered nervously.
Wen Zhijiao placed her hand over her chest as she tried to steady her breathing.
It’s okay, Wen Zhijiao. Didn’t you just do fine when you went to the class reunion earlier? You’re not an idiot.
But those people yesterday were idiots, and the people you’ll be meeting today are complete strangers.
And so what? They have grown so greasy that you could hardly recognize any of them—what’s the difference between your classmates and those strangers?
Two conflicting voices argued inside her head.
Wen Zhijiao buried both of her hands into her soft, seaweed-like curls, as if running her fingers through her hair would cool down her fevered mind. The next moment, the car suddenly stopped. It immediately caused her body to lurch forward and then fall back, the shock immediately pulling her out of her thoughts.
“Apologies, Miss Wen. The car before us suddenly stopped,” the driver quickly explained.
Right after the driver said those words to her, he wasted no time and unbuckled the seat belt attached to his body. Opening the car door, he immediately confronted the culprit before them. “Hey! You! What the hell are you doing? Why did you suddenly stop in front of us—”
“What are you screaming so loudly for?” Someone suddenly interrupted him, and it was with a high-pitched masculine voice. “It’s not our fault that the car in front of us suddenly stopped too! We even got rear-ended1“Rear-ended” refers to a type of car accident where one vehicle crashes into the back of another vehicle. This typically happens when the vehicle in front suddenly stops or slows down, and the following vehicle doesn’t have enough time to react, resulting in a collision.!”
As the two argued back and forth, the cars behind them also started honking their horns in frustration, simply adding to the noise and chaos that were already brewing.
Wen Zhijiao rolled down the window slightly, preparing to call the driver to come back, but before she could even call for him, her attention was immediately snatched away. Someone suddenly stepped out of the car that was right in the very front of the traffic queue. It was a young man dressed in a white shirt that had its sleeves rolled up. From behind, he appeared broad-shouldered and long-legged, with slightly long black hair that reached his neck. Not even bothering to spare a glance at that cat that had just rear-ended him, he walked straight ahead. When he reached the front of his car, he suddenly bent down and retrieved something.
It wasn’t even a few seconds before the young man finally stood up again. Unlike earlier, he was now holding an orange cat who looked completely terrified with its stiff body and tail tucked against its belly.
The two drivers who had been busy arguing also saw this scene, and they immediately stopped their shouting when they realized what had actually just happened.
Sure enough, the young man suddenly turned around, turning to them, with the cat still nestled in his arms.
He walked toward them. With the sunlight coming from behind him, his face had inevitably been obscured by shadows as he sincerely expressed his apologies for the inconvenience that he had accidentally caused.
“Sorry about the accident. In return, I’ll pay for the full cost of the damages. You can contact this number for the details.” His voice was naturally cheerful, almost with a smile in it. “I didn’t mean to cause the traffic jam. I hope you can understand. After all, a pig’s life is still a life, right?”
Gu Ye then suddenly grabbed the orange cat by the scruff of its neck and gave it a gentle shake, causing the excessive skin in its belly to jiggle. After apologizing, he opened the car door and tossed the cat inside before driving around the corner to clear the road.
Stray cats were quite common on the street, but this was the very first time that they encountered a stray pig…?
While Gu Ye was dialing on the phone, he suddenly pulled out a wet wipe from its container. Pressing the cat down to make it still, he then began to carefully wipe its whole body clean with his other hand.
“Guanhe, I’m running a bit late, so I decided to bring a little present for you.” He raised his phoenix eyes. Looking out the window, he happened to catch sight of the car with a crumpled front suddenly driving by. “Don’t be so quiet. After all, we’re brothers! Why would I lie to you? And I swear that I’m not trying to blackmail you. If you don’t believe me—”
Gu Ye grinned as he spoke. His narrowed eyes seemed to always be full of affection and mirth. He was still glancing out the window when a car suddenly drove past again. This time, the backseat window was slightly open, inevitably revealing a young woman sitting inside. Since there was an opening, the wind was able to sweep inside the car, making her long black hair gently flutter in the breeze. At that moment, she suddenly turned her head, the crescent-shaped, emotionless eyes beneath her delicate, arched brows then immediately colliding with his.
His eyes slowly widened, his lips slightly parting in surprise. The next second, the cat he was holding suddenly lashed out, letting out a sharp cry as it sank its teeth into his hand. With a burst of energy, the cat then immediately leapt itself onto the back seat before arching its back at him while taking on a defensive stance.
Gu Ye finally came back to his senses.
The car had already driven away, and their eye contact had only lasted no more than a second. It was just a pair of eyes.
But why did it feel so strange?
Gu Ye lightly placed a hand over his chest, feeling a bit dazed, while his eyes were still slightly glazed from the encounter. In the next second, he shook off the feeling. Fastening his seatbelt, he then returned his attention to the phone. “Ah, nothing happened. I think I just… experienced something like a love at first sight feeling.”
“Wait! Did you really believe me? Of course, it’s fake! Hahahahaha!” He suddenly bursted into a fit of laughter. There was a mischievous glint reflecting in his eyes. “Who else would fall for something like that besides Pei Ye?”
The car’s engines started up again before slowly driving away.
The small traffic jam at the intersection had finally cleared, and the cars were now moving again without any obstruction. Next to the intersection road stood a huge building that had a large screen mounted to it. On the screen, an advertisement for an energy drink could be seen playing on loop. It featured various exciting highlights from the World F1 Grand Prix that the brand had sponsored while the crowds’s cheers and screams from the event could be heard echoing in the background.
“The grand champion of this year’s National F1 Grand Prix is… Pei Ye of the Red Bull Racing Team! This is his third Grand Prix Championship, and he is also now the youngest Grand Prix winner in history. Congratulations to him! In addition, he’s also currently ranked 12th in the F1 World Championship standings!”
The camera quickly cut to the racer, who was holding his helmet in his arms with a national flag painted on his face. His broad shoulders filled out his racing uniform perfectly, accentuating his defined physique under the suit. Upon noticing the camera, he immediately raised his arms and waved at them in excitement. The camera then proceeded to zoom in, his handsome face immediately coming into a closer view. While he already looked quite impressive, the striking combination of his silver-white hair and the series of earrings along his ear made his smile even more radiant.
“How does it feel to return home for the sake of participating in this competition this time around? Do you feel welcomed?”
“Very much so. It’s welcoming. It feels so welcoming that I almost don’t want to leave this country again.”
“Then may I ask how long you plan to stay in this country after the competition?”
“Until my family kicks me out, I guess.”
Still holding his helmet, Pei Ye smiled once more, his sharp teeth pressing against his lips, while there was a touch of youthful arrogance and pride in his eyes that was typical of someone his age. The large screen was able to capture this certain scene; and for a moment, the whole atmosphere erupted into cheers and screams. Suddenly, there were confettis and ribbons being thrown around, cascading down, as if celebrating his victory. On the screen, his grin grew even wider.
Two female voices suddenly spoke out; and soon after, a finger was suddenly pressed on the screen, immediately pausing the video.
“Wow, he really is handsome.”
“Right? Isn’t he?”
The hand belonged to a young Taoist priestess dressed in a blue Taoist robe with a square scarf over her head. At that moment, she was currently staying inside a temple. In the center, a statue of the founder2The founder of Taoism is traditionally considered to be Laozi (or Lao Tzu), a philosopher and writer believed to have lived in ancient China around the 6th century BCE. quietly stood, which was just located next to the placement of her desk. On the other side was a collection of densely packed fortune sticks3签文 (qiānwén) refers to fortune sticks or divination sticks used in Chinese culture, particularly in religious or spiritual contexts, such as in Taoist temples or Buddhist practices. When one wants to seek guidance and answers, they can simply draw out this stick from a container. that had been neatly arranged. Outside the door, a tree could be seen completely covered with wish tags4心愿牌 (xīn yuàn pái) translates to “wish tags” or “wish cards.” These are small cards or pieces of paper on which individuals write their wishes, hopes, or prayers. They are commonly found in temples, shrines, or other places of worship, where people hang them on trees or boards as a way to express their desires and seek blessings. hanging over its branches.
Another young priestess who had been engaging in a conversation with her sat next to her, their shoulders slightly touching.
Around them, worshippers simply came and went, either drawing fortunes or making wishes at the temple.
Just as the first priestess who had paused the video earlier was about to put her phone away, a deep voice suddenly came from behind her. “What are you looking at so intently?”
Startled, the two young Taoist priestesses jumped from the sudden voice. But before they could even further react, the person who spoke had already moved from behind them to stand in front. When they looked up, they immediately saw a young man standing before them. Tall and slender in stature, the young man was dressed in a very crisp coat. His features were refined, and his manner was very aristocratic. On his left hand, a string of luxurious prayer beads could be seen neatly wrapped around his fingers, while he looked down at her with an air of quiet authority.
The young Taoist priestess who had been talking earlier immediately paid her respect and stood up. Lowering her head, she then clasped her hand5“拱手” (gǒngshǒu): a traditional gesture of respect or greeting in Chinese culture, often associated with Taoism or other formal settings. The gesture involves placing one hand over the other in front of the chest, which is a way of showing humility and respect. It’s akin to bowing or saluting, commonly done when greeting someone of higher status or offering a formal acknowledgment. together in humility before apologizing for her mistakes, “Senior Dao, I swear that I won’t slack off again!”
The other priestess, who had been playing with her phone, quickly followed suit.
The young man smiled faintly while still maintaining his indifferent demeanor. “Don’t worry. It’s not like before. I’m just here to take a look around.”
As soon as he finished speaking, two security guards in suits and headphones approached him from behind, informing him of their report. “We have scouted the area. There are no issues with security, and the area has been cleared. So far, we haven’t seen any suspicious individuals. The third floor has also been prepared.”
“Good.” The young man nodded before glancing at the priestesses again. “I came to deliver a message. The Master requested for you to clean the Eight Treasures6 “Eight Treasures” (八宝) can refer to a symbolic group of auspicious items often associated with good fortune, prosperity, and spiritual power. In this context, the “Eight Treasures area” could be a section of the temple or a shrine dedicated to these symbols or items. area again right before you do your evening prayers7晚课 (wǎn kè) refers to a ritual or religious service performed in the evening, often as part of the daily routine of temple life. It typically involves chanting scriptures, offering incense, meditation, and other practices intended to cultivate inner peace, connect with Taoist deities, or honor spiritual teachings..”
The two priestesses nodded repeatedly.
The young man instructed the security guard to wait outside before walking deeper into the futon area. He cleared his hands. Holding a fortune stick cylindrical tube8签筒 (qiān tǒng) indicates the container that holds the fortune sticks. in his hand, he began to draw lots9Basically, what he was doing here is Kao chim/求籤 or “Lottery Poetry.” So they draw fortune by shaking the cylindrical container that is filled with fortune sticks until one stick falls out, which then corresponds to a specific fortune or guidance written on a piece of paper or interpreted by a temple priest..
The two priestesses stared at one another before exchanging whispers.
“Why do you call him ‘Senior Dao?’ Who is he? Is he a fellow Taoist who has chosen to leave the order and return to secular life?”
“His name is Xie Guanhe. He used to practice here in the temple with his mother when he was little. His mother is the Lay practitioner10“静心居士” translates to “Lay Practitioner of Calmness” or “Lay Person of Tranquility,” indicating someone who embodies a tranquil heart and practices spiritual cultivation in their daily life. Jingxin. That’s why we all call him Senior Dao.”
“Huh? Is it even allowed for a mother and son to join a temple and become monks together?”
“How about you first give it a thought? Think about who’s usually allowed access to the third floor of our temple? And what family with the last name Xie has been in the news lately?”
T/N: Wow, that took a long time. There were a lot of footnotes, so that kinda slowed me more. Anyways I still tried to update as fast as I can. Hopefully this chapter isn’t that messy. And also yey! We get to meet the other male leads *cough* hihi…
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