Chapter 28

Chapter 28

It was rare to get such an auspicious sign.

After retrieving the prayer slip, Jiang Jining put it away carefully. Remembering an ancient prayer tree he had seen on his way, he asked the young monk who had brought him to lead the way. He got a red prayer plaque and wrote on it:

May everything go well.

— Jiang Jining.

"You have a really good name," the young monk remarked as he handed Jiang Jining the red cord. "Water is the origin of the five elements, the source of life. No wonder you have a special connection to the Dragon King Temple."

Jiang Jining smiled and hung the prayer plaque.

His parents had put considerable thought into naming him.

His birth chart indicated a deficiency in the water element, so they incorporated water into his name to make up for that innate lack and harmonize the yin-yang and five elements.

However...

His arrival in this world was also tied to water. He'd been around water since he was little, always accompanied by it. Now, it seemed misfortune and fortune were intertwined.

Before he knew it, time had passed. Jiang Jining rose from beneath the tree and went to meet Ji Huan. Seeing him still alone with just an umbrella and empty hands, she asked, "Didn't find anything you liked? We can look around some more."

Jiang Jining said he had visited a local temple.

"What did you pray for?" Ji Huan instinctively asked with a smile, "For love?"

Jiang Jining said no.

Seeing how sure he looked, Ji Huan knew he likely hadn't prayed for that. She smiled softly and changed the subject, "Let's go to the restaurant."

Their driver took them there.

After lunch, Jiang Jining returned to the villa for a nap.

Ji Huan went to the factory herself to inspect the progress, planning to finish her work so she could set aside two or three days to show him around.

However, the plan fell through!

Early the next morning, someone knocked on Jiang Jining's door. He had just freshened up and, with nothing to do so early, was grooming himself like a proper, clean little cat. When he opened the door, his hair was still loose. "What is..."

The door was pushed halfway open, then clicked shut again.

He was pulled into a full embrace.

The scent of agarwood filled his nose. His nose identified the person before his eyes could. Jiang Jining looked up, stunned, "You—"

"Done with overtime."

Fu Yuze took Jiang Jining's hands and wrapped them around his own waist.

Leaning against the doorframe, he held Jiang Jining in his arms like a stuffed toy, burying his face in the soft, fragrant hair. "We're not going with them today. It's just the two of us having fun."

Jiang Jining still hadn't fully processed it. "...Then, do you want to sleep for a while first?"

He must have come straight from getting off work in the middle of the night.

Fu Yuze looked at him and said, "Yes."

Jiang Jining immediately broke free, pulled him aside, pushed down on the handle, and shoved him out. After a moment's thought, he said, "I think the third floor has some empty rooms. Go find one and get some sleep."

Fu Yuze: "..."

Was his attempt at intimacy really that subtle?

Fu Yuze immediately looked past Jiang Jining at the pristine, soft bed behind him, with a corner of the covers turned down, seemingly still carrying his warm body heat. "Can't I sleep here?"

"No, you cannot." Jiang Jining stood firm on his principles. To the man who had flown in on his own, he could only offer this assurance: "I won't go out with sister-in-law and the others later. I'll wait for you to sleep well."

Fu Yuze pulled over the small suitcase from the corner, resigned to his fate. "You little heartless thing."

"That's not true at all."

Watching his tall, broad back as he left, still in his formal suit and carrying the suitcase, Jiang Jining leaned against the doorframe and laughed.

So teasing someone could be this fun.

Fu Yuze had come to be with him!

The joy finally dawned on Jiang Jining. While pinning up his hair, he unconsciously glanced a few more times in the mirror, checking if it was neat.

Leaving the courtyard, he ran into Ji Huan.

Jiang Jining proactively brought up the matter.

"Then have a good time together." Ji Huan raised an eyebrow, saying, "I saw Yuze going upstairs earlier and thought my eyes were playing tricks on me."

Jiang Jining suddenly remembered their relationship wasn't public yet and tried his best not to let his attitude seem overly partial. "Sister-in-law, then I won't be going with everyone today."

Ji Huan readily agreed.

It was a free day today. Many people had risen early. As they were about to leave, they saw Jiang Jining still sitting in the courtyard. Someone gently reminded him, and he patiently explained again that he had other plans.

"Little President Fu? He's really a rare sight."

"Ningning, you and Little President Fu are friends? I thought you were really President Ji's brother!"

"Well, you're both like celestial beings descended to earth, right? Haha..."

"Alright then, we're off."

Jiang Jining waved goodbye to everyone.

By the time the sun was high, Fu Yuze came downstairs to find the vast courtyard empty except for Jiang Jining. He sat down and took his small hand. "Everyone's gone?"

Jiang Jining nodded. "Do you want to eat something?"

Fu Yuze hummed in agreement, then lifted Jiang Jining's fair, tender arm, pretending to bite it.

"What are you doing..."

Jiang Jining was startled.

Quick as lightning, he picked up a honey bun from the table and stuffed it into Fu Yuze's mouth. "If... if you're hungry, have something to eat."

The bun was left from the morning, still relatively soft and fluffy.

Fu Yuze ate the bun Jiang Jining had used to silence him, wiped his hands, and then whisked Jiang Jining into the car. "Sister-in-law said you went to a temple to burn incense yesterday?"

Jiang Jining was surprised by his inside scoop.

Ji Huan had filled him in on everything. Jiang Jining knew immediately who had pressed for details and said in advance, "I didn’t pray for a relationship."

Fu Yuze smiled and said, "I know."

When he asked Ji Huan how Jiang Jining's trip was going, she mentioned it offhand, and only then did he learn that Jiang Jining, who previously had no interest in going out, would be interested in temples and Taoist temples.

Whether or not he'd prayed for romance was anyone's guess.

Since they were already there, there was no reason to leave with regrets.

Nan City had a nationally famous Yue Lao Hall, where incense burned year-round, its spiritual aura was powerful, and it was renowned for granting wishes. Among the worshippers were many young people, often visiting in pairs.

The main hall was halfway up the mountain.

True to the saying 'since we're already here, sincerity brings blessings,' most young people hiked up on foot.

At the foot of the mountain entrance, Jiang Jining stared at the seemingly endless steps in dismay, almost writing "I’m delicate, I’m weak, I can’t walk" all over his pretty face.

"Really not going?" Fu Yuze asked him.

Jiang Jining hadn't even spoken when a middle-aged man carrying a child passed by. Afraid he'd look just as pathetic later, Jiang Jining said in advance, "I really have no energy..."

"Alright."

Fu Yuze took him to the cable car ticket office.

Jiang Jining was surprised to learn this was even an option. But when he saw the rickety-looking cable car, he clung tightly to Fu Yuze’s arm the moment they boarded and asked in all seriousness, "Will we fall?"

Fu Yuze wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "Possibly."

"This is the price for not making an effort and not relying on yourself to walk up."

Jiang Jining quickly snuggled into his chest.

Feeling the chest he was pressed against tremble slightly, Jiang Jining realized he’d been teased. Looking ahead, even a child not even waist-high in another cable car wasn't being coddled by their parents, clearly filled with excitement and joy.

Jiang Jining looked at Fu Yuze. "You’re teasing me again."

"My bad."

Fu Yuze played meek.

A soft, apologetic kiss landed on Jiang Jining’s cheek.

Jiang Jining was clever this time: "...If you’re apologizing, just apologize. This is clearly still taking advantage of me."

Fu Yuze began apologizing sincerely again. It wasn't that big a deal anyway. After Fu Yuze held his shoulder and chatted with him for a bit, Jiang Jining soon curved his lips and leaned against him, easy to placate.

A sudden flash of white light caught the corner of his eye.

After coming back to his senses, Jiang Jining asked, "What was that?"

Fu Yuze: "A camera flash."

Seeing Jiang Jining’s curiosity, after getting off the cable car, Fu Yuze didn’t take him to the main hall first. Instead, he went to the nearly empty viewing room by the signpost, spending fifty yuan to buy two photos.

Jiang Jining kept studying the two of them in the cable car.

The fill light at the photography spot was somewhat outdated, with a real vintage feel to it, the date, time, and location clearly marked below.

"Like it?" Fu Yuze asked, seeing him reluctant to put it down.

Jiang Jining nodded.

Fu Yuze slipped an arm around him to block the passersby. "We can take more photos in the future."

Jiang Jining was about to nod but closed his mouth instead.

Better not.

Promises about things he couldn't do... he shouldn't make them lightly.

Approaching eleven o’clock, the crowd around them grew, most preparing to take the cable car down. It was getting packed, and not even a weekday could dampen visitors’ enthusiasm for climbing to the hall to pray for blessings.

The temple complex had many halls.

The two followed a clockwise direction to worship, making sure they did the full ritual.

After drawing a fortune stick and receiving the slip, the attendant monk glanced at Fu Yuze and said, "The one in your hand is the only 'Qian Wang'—the best possible fortune—in the past three days."

Stick... Stick King?

Jiang Jining was curious too and came over.

Seeing him come to Fu Yuze’s side, the monk smiled and added, "Congratulations."

Even after leaving the hall, Jiang Jining kept asking, "What does it mean?"

"It's a lucky one," Fu Yuze suddenly asked him, "What about yours?"

Jiang Jining lowered his eyes and put his hands behind his back, saying, "Let’s go queue first. The line for the cable car is getting longer..."

"Why hide it?" Fu Yuze asked without thinking, "Is the meaning not good?"

Jiang Jining quickly said, "It’s not bad."

"Then let me see it." Fu Yuze was the persistent one this time. Jiang Jining reluctantly took it out and showed him.

It was also an auspicious fortune.

It spoke of both trials and rewards, but promised a beautiful outcome.

The interpretation read: Though this path is arduous, brightness emerges from darkness; do not shun hardship.

Jiang Jining felt the fortune slip hit a little too close to home. It touched on a private guilt, so he was reluctant to show it to Fu Yuze.

"It’s quite good."

Fu Yuze hadn’t believed in these things before.

Today, he came with sincere intentions, feeling fulfilled. He gave Jiang Jining's cheek a comforting pinch and exchanged his own slip, giving it to him.

Jiang Jining took it and looked.

At the very top of the pink fortune slip were the words "Qian Wang."

The verse read: The phoenix perches on the parasol tree, the unicorn roams the purple court; a match made in heaven, no need to seek another good match henceforth.

Jiang Jining felt a jolt, and when he looked up, he met Fu Yuze's smiling eyes. He immediately asked, "...Do you usually believe in these things?"

"Now I do."

Fu Yuze was completely unapologetic.

Jiang Jining averted his gaze, having noticed something, and took the initiative to pull him along. "There's a Three-Life Stone on those stone steps over there, and they sell red locks too. We should go buy one."

Fu Yuze went along willingly.

When it came time to write, Jiang Jining said he wasn't used to hard-tipped pens and asked Fu Yuze to write for him. "Write whatever you like. Our hearts are as one. I'll hang it up."

Fu Yuze complied.

Jiang Jining stood right beside him.

He had thought Fu Yuze might write something like "one life, one love," and was lost in his own tender thoughts. In the blink of an eye, that slender hand wrote the words: Jiang Jining, may all your wishes and dreams come true.

"Hang it up." Fu Yuze signed his own name, took Jiang Jining's hand, and together they hung the red lock. He then clasped Jiang Jining's hands together. "Close your eyes and silently repeat it in your heart."

Jiang Jining did so.

When he opened his eyes, he found himself in the familiar, broad embrace from behind.

Not far away, the Matchmaker Temple was bustling, its incense smoke thick. On the long stone steps, wave after wave of visitors continued to ascend, in a continuous stream.