Chapter 501 - Buddha said 2 (2/2)

”First Young Master is someone who's going to be a monk,” said Yan Buba, ”Wait until your adulthood ceremony. Father will choose a good husband for you.”

Qian-er forcefully shook her head. ”I don't want that.”

---

Crouched down by the doorway, she waited there until he came.

”Miss Yan, what is it?” Ning Jinchen had his hands pressed together in prayer position. He asked her this question without emotion.

Qian-er looked at him. She had originally planned on erupting in anger, but as soon as she heard him saying the first two words, she couldn't stop herself from bursting into tears.

Standing in front of her, he instinctively reached out to ruffle her hair, but when his hand reached halfway, he took it back. ”Amitabha.”

”I hate your Buddha,” said Qian-er quietly, ”It's clearly a devil. It's a devil that destroy people's ability to feel emotions and the warmth they feel towards others.”

”Don't say such nonsense.” Ning Jinchen glanced at her. He wanted to walk around her and enter the rice store.

”Why are you avoiding me?” Qian-er tenaciously blocked his way by spreading out her hands to each side of the doorway. ”You clearly like to spend time with me. When we're together, you frequently smile. Since you like spending time with me, why are you avoiding me?”

Ning Jinchen froze in surprise. He liked spending time with her?

There was only blankness in his impressions. He didn't remember anything. He was pursuing religious practice, so his heart naturally only had Buddhism. There was nothing else. To him, the mortal world symbolized evil. It was a tribulation that he needed to overcome.

”Miss Yan, you've probably misunderstood,” said Ning Jinchen, ”Even when I'm by myself, I'll still smile. When I get through a mediation or gain understanding of a Buddhist scripture, I'll also smile.”

”It's not because you, Miss.”

Qian-er blankly looked at him. Her arms felt as if they had lost strength and drooped down.

Ning Jinchen slightly bowed at her and went around her to enter the rice shop.

---

In the following month, he didn't see Qian-er. He no longer heard her chattering voice by his ear. When he opened his eyes, he wouldn't see that she had plucked a bouquet of flowers and brought it over to him to get acknowledgement. He didn't see her smiling face.

Ning Jinchen remembered the old monk's words. Human emotion was an illusion. He had to see through it and reject the world of mortals.

However, even though the weather was very cold, he didn't dare to put on the cloak that she had embroidered for him. It felt as if the demon of temptation was lurking in that cloak. He wanted to stay far away from it.

”Buddha said...” Sitting on the large stone in the rice store's back courtyard, he started to recite a Buddhist scripture. Seeing a person in the previously empty courtyard, he got slightly distracted.

”Buddha said, ”Don't desire, don't demand, and don't long for something. Reject the illusions, expose the truth, and gain understanding.” Smiling, Qian-er made her way to him. Grabbing a handful of snow, she threw it towards him.

Translator Ramblings: Just want to say this is one of my favorite story arcs. It's so easy to like both of these characters and root for them.