Chapter 163

Chapter 163: Main Text Concluded

On the day when he saw Fu Yunzhe off at the airport, Yu He never imagined that he and Fu Yunzhe would be parted for such a long time.

During countless nights, Yu He reviewed contracts alone in his study, paragraph by paragraph. He often experienced a sense of trance—

Realizing that there comes a day in life when one willingly undertakes tasks they don’t particularly enjoy but must do.

There was only desolation left in Yu He’s heart.

Staying in the country alone, doing things he disliked, dealing with people he disliked, he was tired of everything around him, but he had to become the new pillar of the Fu family. This was a commitment and perseverance deep in Yu He’s heart.

He really wanted to throw caution to the wind and go abroad to find Fu Yunzhe, but he couldn’t do that.

In life, there are more things that one ought to do than things one wants to do, and they are more important.

During this time, with the help of Fu Yao, Fu Rulan, Chen Sijian, and others, Yu He successfully stabilized the crumbling Fu family.

Fu Haishan’s plan to seize power failed once again.

The internal strife within the Fu family never ceased. As an outsider with a different surname, Yu He inevitably found it difficult to handle the internal affairs of the Fu family personally.

Yu He used his wits to seek help, turning to the eldest grandson of the younger generation—Fu Conglin.

Fu Haishan loved to stir up trouble, and while Yu He could not outsmart the cunning Fu Haishan, his grandson Fu Conglin was much easier to persuade.

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend," Yu He said to Fu Conglin: "After all, my surname is Yu. The Fu family's business should ultimately be taken over by those of you with the Fu surname."

With just a few words, he successfully convinced Fu Conglin to join his side.

From that point on, whenever Fu Haishan caused trouble for Yu He, Yu He would promptly toss the problems to his grandson, Fu Conglin. If Fu Conglin couldn’t solve them, he could only go back and seek help from the elders in his family. In this way, the trouble went full circle and ultimately landed back in Fu Haishan’s lap.

Over time, Fu Haishan naturally became much more well-behaved.

Fu Conglin is a straightforward person. When he disliked Yu He, he was truly hostile, but after working with Yu He for a while, he was moved by Yu He's righteousness and uninhibited personality, expressing regret that they hadn’t met sooner.

He introduced Yu He to his friends. A group of rich second-generation kids, having heard a fair share of badmouthing about Yu He from Fu Conglin, intentionally tried to get Yu He drunk. Fu Conglin, unable to stop them, took several rounds of drinks for Yu He before he himself fell first.

Yu He remained calm and composed, outdrinking a circle of rich second-generation kids all by himself. After a few rounds of drinks, they started calling Yu He "Brother He" instead of his name.

Overall, Fu Conglin is a very good business partner. He is ambitious but obedient, steadfast, and hardworking, capable of completing tasks on time, and, to put it bluntly, he is simple-minded.

Watching Fu Conglin is like looking at himself from a few years ago, naïve and wearing his heart on his sleeve.

Simple-minded people tend to have many friends, but Fu Conglin’s only flaw is his penchant for fun.

Yu He himself doesn’t play such power games, but he is more than happy to train Fu Conglin to do so, solving problems on his behalf.

However, with his grandfather and father above him, Fu Conglin has the ambition but lacks the pressure to be ambitious. Surprisingly, he would often be called out to play by a few friends when he was supposed to work late at night.

This made Yu He quite dissatisfied.

When it comes to playing, Yu He can outdo these rich second-generation kids.

From then on, Yu He hung out with Fu Conglin and these rich second-generation kids every day, becoming a regular at various entertainment venues.

Yu He could party from night till dawn, then turn around, go back to the Fu residence to sleep, leading a life of hedonistic indulgence. Meanwhile, these rich second-generation kids, who stayed up all night, still had to go to work during the day.

After half a month of this lifestyle, Yu He looked radiant and flawless, like a piece of fine jade, while the group of rich second-generation kids, led by Fu Conglin, were exhausted, their faces dark-circled and their vitality drained.

Even the healthiest body can’t withstand such prolonged day and night exhaustion. After this period, Fu Conglin no longer wanted to go out to play, and what’s even better was that his fair-weather friends also stopped calling him.

Poor Fu Conglin had thus become a money-making machine in Yu He’s hands.

Yu He used to despise capitalists, but now he found that being a capitalist was indeed very enjoyable, just like a wicked witch. He didn’t have to go out and fight; he could just sit back, create illusions, and manipulate people’s minds.

Yu He’s growth speed frightened everyone.

Perhaps there are people in this world whose existence is meant to prove to others the reality of geniuses.

If Yu He is determined to do something, he would even dare to reach for the moon.

Yu He has an impressive tolerance for alcohol, which has served him well in the business world.

With Chen Sijian’s guidance, Yu He has secured numerous deals, accumulating more and more wealth.

On this particular night, after concluding a business deal, Yu He vomited three times before finally outdrinking his tenacious opponent.

During the car ride home, Chen Sijian provided support as Yu He, dizzy from the ride, vomited once again.

There was a time when Yu He couldn’t even recall how many digits were in his bank account; now, he’s attending drinking parties for three consecutive days, all for a slight financial gain in a contract.

Chen Sijian, witnessing all of this, genuinely felt distressed for him.

But after all, people need to grow up; isn’t everyone brought up this way?

“Why push yourself to such extremes,” Chen Sijian couldn’t help but express his concern, handing over a bottle of water, “The sales of the commodity housing in the east of the city are excellent. Once they pass the inspection, the return on investment could multiply. Repaying the bank loan is just a matter of time. You don’t have to be so hard on yourself.”

Leaning against a tree in front of the Fu residence, Yu He took the water and rinsed his mouth, “Brother, it’s not about the money.”

Chen Sijian sighed, “I know. You want to pay off the loan as soon as possible and go abroad to find him.”

Yu He knew exactly who Chen Sijian was referring to by ‘him’. Everyone knew, but no one dared to mention it in front of Yu He.

The name ‘Fu Yunzheng’ had become a taboo for Yu He, a hidden pain he didn’t want to remember.

Yu He turned to smile at Chen Sijian, choosing to remain silent.

Chen Sijian looked at him earnestly, hesitated for a moment, but couldn’t hold back, “Yu He, you don’t have to live like him.”

Yu He unconsciously gripped the tree trunk tighter, instinctively denying, “I’m not.”

Chen Sijian didn’t argue with Yu He, merely stating, “The Fu family is not your responsibility, neither is redeeming the Fu residence. If Fu Yunzheng wakes up and sees you like this, he won’t feel good about it either.”

Yu He had just finished vomiting, the corners of his eyes were red, and his gaze was damp.

Standing under the bright moonlight, Yu He still looked as beautiful as he did in the past, with eyes like stars and features as if painted, resembling a fairy descending from the moon palace.

In literary works, when deities descend to the mortal realm, it’s referred to as ‘undergoing tribulations’, showing that even sublime gods must endure hardships on Earth.

The mortal world is fraught with so much suffering; it doesn’t matter whether you can bear it or not, it just flows down like moonlight.

Yet, the moonlight is neither so heavy nor so painful.

Yu He sighed softly, "What if he never wakes up?"

His lover, in a coma, is on the other side of the ocean, and Yu He can’t go to see him.

The name 'Fu Yunzheng' is like a dagger piercing through all of Yu He’s defenses; he dares not listen, he dares not think.

Seeing him in such a state might be even worse than not seeing him at all. Yu He cannot believe that the unresponsive body lying on the hospital bed is Fu Yunzheng.

The soul of Fu Yunzheng has gone on a journey, and it’s uncertain when it will return.

But he will come back eventually.

It may take a long time, but he will surely return.

*

Two years later, the investigation into the accident is drawing to a close, and the compensation process is finally complete.

Upon confirming that the falling chandelier incident was not related to Fu Yunzheng, Yu He’s travel restrictions were finally lifted.

The day before he got his passport back, Yu He hurriedly sold a 400-carat rough diamond at a low price, accumulating a total of five hundred million in his bank account, and promptly submitted the paperwork to lift the mortgage to the bank.

The bank clerk, after some operations on the computer, looked up at Yu He, sweating profusely, "Mr. Yu, a few days ago, a user deposited one hundred million as an intention-to-purchase deposit, expressing a wish to buy your house.”

Yu He was stunned, “...”

It was almost as if someone was playing a cruel joke on Yu He; it took all of his self-control to swallow back the curse words on the tip of his tongue.

Returning home, Yu He was puzzled, trying to figure out who would want to buy the Fu residence.

"They say it’s an overseas Chinese, without a wife or children.”

Fu Conglin reported the information he had gathered to Yu He, "Very mysterious, no one knows his actual name; they just call him 'Qingshan Jushi’. He follows Taoism, often visits Qianshan Xianxia Guan to offer incense, and wants to buy a residence nearby to make it convenient to travel up and down the mountain.”

Yu He frowned, "No wonder he is so rich yet wants to buy a second-hand house.”

Fu Conglin agreed, "Exactly, it’s just that Xianxia Guan is not for sale. Otherwise, he probably would have bought Xianxia Guan.”

Yu He was utterly annoyed.

Having finally retrieved his passport, Yu He couldn’t wait to go abroad for Fu Yunzhe’s treatment. However, he couldn’t neglect the matter of lifting the mortgage on the house either.

The hermit Qingshan had only paid the intention money, and during the bank’s auction process, Yu He, as the property owner, had the right to object. But the whole procedure was complicated and cumbersome. Apart from persuading Qingshan to give up the purchase, Yu He had no choice but to engage in a war of attrition with him.

Yu He’s heart had already flown abroad; he had no mind to haggle over these issues.

After much deliberation, Yu He still booked a flight for the next day.

Whatever will be, will be. Finding Fu Yunzhe was more important.

Yu He couldn’t bear to wait a second longer.

“How about finding a mediator to talk to him?” Yu He leaned back in his leather chair, tilting his head back, “I’m leaving the country tomorrow. I really don’t have time to deal with him.”

Fu Conglin pondered, “It might not be easy. The guy is pretty mysterious; not many people know him. We've told the bank about your urgency to go abroad and asked if they could postpone the process, but the other party is very firm and not easy to talk to.”

Yu He finally couldn’t help but curse: “Damn his hard-to-talk attitude, serves him right for being a bachelor!”

Fu Conglin picked up his suit jacket and headed out, “How about this, I’ll go back and try to track him down, aiming to talk to him face to face.”

Yu He saw Fu Conglin to the door: “You haven’t even found out where he lives?”

Fu Conglin shook his head, “Couldn’t find anything. The guy has a strong background; we can only get very limited information on him. The only sure thing is that he often goes to Xixia Temple to offer incense. I got most of this information from the Taoist priest selling lotus lanterns.”

“Xixia Temple…” Yu He stood at the door of the villa, looking towards Guanyun Mountain not far away: “I’ve lived here for so long, yet I’ve never been to Xixia Temple.”

It’s said that the incense at Xixia Temple is very effective. Yu He and Fu Yunzhe had countless opportunities to go there when they were together, but every time they planned to, something would come up and delay them.

Yu He always thought, since Xixia Temple was just at the top of the mountain and so close, they would eventually have a chance to visit.

The last time they talked about going was during the plum rain season in Yunsu.

Due to the heavy rain, the road up the mountain was impassable. Yu He had developed a rash all over his body due to the wet weather. Before the rain could stop, Fu Yunzhe had taken Yu He on a plane for a vacation in Inner Mongolia.

Little did he know, a turn around would equate to a lapse of three years.

*

The incense at Xixia Temple burns vigorously.

Before going abroad, Yu He still wanted to try his luck here, to see if he could encounter Qingshan the hermit and have a face-to-face discussion with him.

The Taoist temple was nestled deep in the mountains, yet it was far from quiet.

In front of the Sanqing Hall, the giant bronze cauldron was filled with incense sticks, emitting a strong fragrance.

Pilgrims lit their incense sticks and worshipped, with the smoke rising straight up, disappearing into the clouds. The tallest incense stick was nearly two meters in length, as if the higher the incense burned, the more likely one’s prayers would reach the heavens and be granted.

What was being burned was incense, but what was being consumed were the worldly desires of all beings.

"Follow the Dao and embrace simplicity," the temple preached. Those with desires in their hearts should not seek refuge in the Taoist temple, yet the pilgrims did not mind. They were there to express their wishes; whether or not the deities were willing to listen was of lesser importance.

Birds glided across the horizon, and the sound of cicadas and flowing water carried a Daoist charm, even more so than the pilgrims.

Under an ancient tree wrapped in red ribbons, Yu He found the stall selling lotus lanterns.

A young Taoist monk, around sixteen or seventeen, dressed in a greyish-blue Taoist robe, manned the stall. Yu He wondered if this was the Taoist monk Fu Conglin had mentioned, the one who knew Qingshan the hermit.

Yu He picked up a colorful glass lantern and asked, “How much is this?”

The young Taoist monk brought his hands together in a salute, slightly bowing as he replied, “Greetings, kind sir. This lantern is 188 yuan.”

After paying, Yu He inquired, “Taoist monk, I would like to ask about someone.”

The young Taoist monk asked, “Who are you looking for?”

Yu He got straight to the point, “Has a hermit named Qingshan been coming here frequently? I am here to find him.”

The young Taoist monk showed no surprise, “You're also looking for him? He hasn’t come today.”

Yu He was here to try his luck; not meeting Qingshan wasn’t a disappointment. He simply replied, “That’s really unfortunate. When does he usually come?”

“Hard to say. I’ve been at Xixia Temple for four years, and I've only seen him frequently recently.” The young Taoist monk handed Yu He a red ribbon and a pen, diligently doing his job in selling the lotus lantern, “Write your wish on the ribbon, hang it on the ancient tree, and place the glass lotus lantern in the rear hall. Our temple is very efficacious. May the Three Pure Ones bless you and make your wishes come true.”

Yu He took the ribbon, not knowing what to write. He wasn’t here to make a wish, and he didn’t know what to wish for.

With too many desires in my heart, I find myself at a loss as to which one to pursue first.

As Yu He picked up his brush, he intended to write "A Safe and Secure Home" on the silk fabric, hoping that Qing Shan Ju Shi would receive the guidance from the Three Pure Ones and quickly abandon the idea of purchasing the Fu residence.

Just as the brush touched the fabric, a bell tolled in the distance.

The sound of the bell was deep, serene, and resonated through the universe, bringing a sense of clarity and emptiness to one's spiritual platform upon hearing it.

Amidst the tolling of the bell, Yu He suddenly found himself yearning for Fu Yunzheng.

Mansions, estates, and villas are not Yu He's obsessions. His only obsession is Fu Yunzheng. Without Fu Yunzheng, Yu He needs these material possessions to solidify his memories and send his longing thoughts across the distance.

He fears that one day he will forget Fu Yunzheng.

Over the past two years, Yu He has deliberately avoided thinking about Fu Yunzheng because as soon as he does, his longing becomes like an overflowing body of water, spilling out from the depths of his heart.

They have not seen each other for two years. Does Fu Yunzheng have consciousness while in a coma? Does he dream of him?

As time goes by, Yu He mentions Fu Yunzheng less and less, and he even becomes unwilling to hear others mention this name.

Many people have become indifferent to Yu He's longing for Fu Yunzheng over time, thinking that money, power, and status have diverted Yu He's attention, and believing that Fu Yunzheng is no longer as important in his heart.

After all, being in different places is a tremendous test of love, and what Yu He is facing is a lover who remains unconscious.

It's not that Yu He doesn't want to mention him; he is afraid to.

When the yearning reaches its peak, even hearing the name Fu Yunzheng can make him restless and cause his heart to ache unbearably.

Holding the brush in his hand, with words in his heart and a clean piece of red silk in front of him, Yu He has not written a single word.

There are thousands of words in my heart, and there's so much I want to say to Fu Yunzheng that I can't finish writing no matter how I try.

Yu He closes his eyes and makes a wish:

"I hope to go abroad smoothly to see Fu Yunzheng, I hope he wakes up safe and sound, and I hope he continues to love me as always.

I miss him so much."

The business of the lotus lanterns is thriving. In the brief moment that Yu He made his wish, several more new red ribbons were hung on the ancient tree.

Strips of silk ribbons, both new and old, hang down, fluttering and intertwining in the wind, carrying the endless hopes and prayers of people.

If making a wish could really make a difference, why would there be so many unresolved grievances in this world?

The one who always answers Yu He’s prayers isn’t in the Sanqing Temple, nor is he in the Qixia Monastery. He is far across the ocean, and it’s uncertain when he will wake up.

With his beloved separated by thousands of mountains and rivers, Yu He’s soul finds no place to rest.

If the Three Pure Ones truly have divine powers and the heavens are just, why let trials and tribulations arise?

Fu Yunzheng never does evil, yet he hasn’t received any good fortune in return. His injuries have always been fraught with danger, showing that luck really doesn’t depend on praying or not praying.

Even if he were to kowtow until his head bled and his knees were bruised here, could he really invoke divine intervention and bring Fu Yunzheng back to him?

Instead of praying to gods and buddhas here, it would be more realistic to change his plane ticket to tonight and go see Fu Yunzheng as soon as possible.

Feeling lost, Yu He turned around and left, leaving the Sanqing Temple behind him.

The young Taoist monk grabbed Yu He: “You forgot to take the lotus lantern!”

Yu He turned back, picked up a glazed lamp, and looked at the flickering flame on the lampwick, unsure of whom he was asking, “Is this lotus lantern really effective?”

“Of course it is!” The young Taoist pointed to the red ribbons hanging from the ancient tree: “Everyone hung these up with their own hands. Don’t believe me? Look for yourself! The Qing Shan Ju Shi you’re looking for came back this time to repay a vow. This shows that our Taoist temple is truly efficacious!”

Yu He clenched the red silk in his hand: “What did he wish for? Did he want to buy the residence at the foot of Guan Yun Mountain?”

The young Taoist scratched his head: “I don’t know, but he offered a safety lamp in the rear hall, and it’s been there for eight years! Look at what others have wished for. Maybe you’ll get lucky and the Three Pure Ones will happen to hear you.”

Beneath the ancient tree, the mountain breeze gently caresses, and thousands of red ribbons sway in the wind.

Yu He reached out and grabbed one of them.

Just at that moment, the lock buckle of the red ribbon tied to the tree came off, the silk ribbon broke, and it gently fell into the palm of Yu He's hand.

With a slight stir of his thoughts, Yu He singled out this ribbon from the thousands.

There were only four words written on the red silk:

"If there are flowers, they are worth picking."

Yu He’s breath hitched, and his eyes stung with pain as he was pricked by the familiar handwriting of the Kuai Xue Shi Qing style.

Turning over the red silk, on the back was written the character ‘峥’ (Zheng), and the date was exactly the year when Yu He first met Fu Yunzheng!

Yu He’s heart pounded, the past events vividly came to mind, clearly emerging before his eyes.

He lowered his head, his brush flowing smoothly, as the slender and graceful Shou Jin style characters were inscribed onto the broad red silk, also forming four words:

“Flowers bloom on the roadside.”

Flowers bloom on the roadside, perhaps it’s time to slowly return.

Boss Fu, please come back soon, I miss you so much.

Yu He stared blankly at the words on the red silk, lost in thought for a moment, before turning around and hanging the two strips together.

One old and one new, the two red ribbons hung down, gently colliding in the wind.

Yu He looked at the two red ribbons, and in his heart, he found himself believing in fate again.

The Sanqing deity of this Qixia Monastery really has some abilities; amidst the full tree of red ribbons, the one left by Fu Yunzheng that year ended up in Yu He’s palm.

Their fate was not exhausted yet!

Yu He suddenly gained a lot of confidence, and he asked the young Taoist monk, “Where can I get a divination done here?”

The young Taoist monk said, “It depends on what you want to ask about—academics, marriage, official career, business, or fortune?”

Yu He answered, “Finding someone.”

The young Taoist monk lowered his head to tidy up the red ribbons that were blown about by the wind, “Are you looking for Qing Shan Ju Shi? There’s no need for divination for that; he comes here often recently. Just wait a bit longer, and he will stand under this tree.”

Yu He said, “I’m not…”

The young Taoist monk looked at Yu He in confusion, and as he raised his head, he saw the person standing behind Yu He.

“I told you our Taoist temple is very efficacious!”

With a joyous expression on his face, the young Taoist monk happily said to Yu He, “Aren’t you looking for Qing Shan Ju Shi? He is here, turn around.”

Yu He turned around, and amidst the vast expanse of heaven and earth, separated by thousands of red ribbons, he saw Fu Yunzheng.

In an instant, the world fell silent, the sea of people vanished, and all things were reborn.

Time flowed like water, countless years swiftly passed by, yet the incense at Qixia Monastery remained as prosperous as ever.

After a long journey through myriad miles of wind, Yu He finally found his cloud.

——End of Main Text——