translated_Chapter 104

104: The Divination Says: Great Fortune

How could he not seduce Qiu Ci? Jing Yueming was a little annoyed.

He also knew that no matter how outstanding he was, he couldn’t keep Qiu Ci.

Qiu Ci told him this morning that if he wanted to leave, no one could stop him.

The water was running fast, and the mirror was splashed with water droplets.

In the lower-left corner of the mirror was a middle-aged man he’d seen at the airport entrance.

Maybe the airport was too crowded, and the two just happened to go the same way, but this person seemed slightly suspicious to Jing Yueming.

Just pay a little more attention. He was about to board the plane, and he hadn’t offended anyone.

He shouldn’t be targeted.

Before he left the restroom, he felt something cold and metallic press against his neck.

Jing Yueming stopped immediately. Any further, and his carotid artery would be punctured.

Several unremarkable middle-aged men surrounded him.

“Brothers, how much money do you want?” Jing Yueming could only hope they were after money. He had a bank card with him, Qiu Ci’s, and the money inside was enough for an ordinary person’s lifetime.

“Jing Yueming? Is that right?” one of them asked.

Another replied, “That’s right. Sorry for the trouble, but we need you to come with us.”

There was nothing he could do; they outnumbered him and had weapons. He would have to play along for now.

On a lush green mountain in Yunnan.

Two black figures walked along a dirt road, one wearing a dark gray Taoist robe, the other a windbreaker.

It was Huan Qing and Qiu Ci.

“So you just tricked your Jing Yueming into going to the Netherlands like that?”

“He’ll go anyway.”

“But when he gets there, won’t he still wait for you and mess up your plans?”

“After he gets off the plane, someone will pick him up. I’ve arranged a friend for him. The Netherlands is a nice place, suitable for traveling,” Qiu Ci replied.

Huan Qing pushed aside branches to clear the path: “You’ve made good arrangements.”

Jing Yueming was going ahead of time. Would he be happy with new friends? Maybe by next month, he’d accept it.

The longer he stayed with Qiu Ci, the more reluctant he’d be to leave.

The two walked for over an hour, finally seeing a Taoist temple halfway up the mountain: “We’re here,” Huan Qing said. “My Shishu’s Taoist name is Mingxin.”

“Okay, I’ll remember it.” Qiu Ci had contacted Huan Qing a few days earlier, wanting to find a place to seek a divination.

Huan Qing thought of a good place, his Shishu Mingxin, who cultivated in the mountains, asking them to bring two jars of pickled vegetables to calm his mind.

“Good, the benefactor’s mind is currently clouded. That place has beautiful scenery; it would be good to go there for a few days of purification,” Jingxin and Huan Qing also knew Qiu Ci’s plan.

The wooden door creaked open.

A Taoist priest in green robes was meditating in the courtyard.

The two waited quietly for over ten minutes before Mingxin finally spoke, “Sit.”

Huan Qing chuckled, “Shishu, my Shifu also asked me to bring you pickled vegetables. Take your time eating them. Oh, right, this is benefactor Qiu.”

Mingxin looked up at Qiu Ci: “A forest of distracting thoughts…” A cryptic evaluation. Just as Qiu Ci was pondering it, Mingxin suddenly stood up, “Is it salty enough? I’ve told her so many times, saltier, saltier, I like it salty.”

“It’s definitely salty. Look, the vegetables have absorbed all the brine,” Huan Qing said, taking out two canned jars.

The two’s train of thought jumped too quickly; Qiu Ci was a bit distracted, forgetting this was a Taoist temple.

Mingxin examined the pickled vegetables for a while before looking at Qiu Ci again: “Benefactor?”

Qiu Ci nodded: “Taoist Priest.”

“Come, I’ve made tea for you both.” Mingxin put away that earthly air, returning to the ethereal feeling he had when they first came in.

The three sat down to talk. Mingxin asked Qiu Ci, “Benefactor, are you… seeking death?”

“Yes.”

Huan Qing took a sip of the light tea, then opened the teapot lid to see what kind of tea it was.

Mingxin smiled and shook his head, “Then why come to a Taoist temple? Taoism not only emphasizes living but also seeks longevity.”

“It’s for another matter.”

“Then there’s no rush. Benefactor Qiu, may I ask you a question?”

“It’s okay. I… I’m just fighting with myself in my heart.”

Mingxin frowned, “Do you know the reason, and… are you sticking to your own ideas?”

“Yes, this matter has tormented me for a long time. I know I can’t get out of it, so I’ve made my choice.”

“Alright, Benefactor Qiu, please tell me what you’re here to do.”

“I want to… seek a divination.”

“Is it related to this matter of yours?”

“Yes, and no. I want to seek a divination for someone else.”

Mingxin finished the tea in his cup: “Good.”

With that, Huan Qing helped him tidy up and prepare to cast the divination.

After washing his hands, Qiu Ci went to a room inside the Taoist temple.

Tortoise shells hung on the wall. By the candlelight, Qiu Ci could see divination blocks on the table.

“Benefactor, who is this person to you?”

Qiu Ci was silent for several seconds: “My… lover.”

“Name, date of birth, what do you seek to know?”

Qiu Ci answered in turn: “Qiu Ci, born in the year of Ji Si… lover Jing Yueming, born in the year of Wu Chen. I want to ask, will he live a solitary life in the future?”

As the divination blocks were cast, Qiu Ci’s heart beat faster. He naturally hoped that Jing Yueming would be safe and happy. If the answer wasn’t that, he might really be reluctant to let Jing Yueming go.

Jing Yueming was too lonely as a child; he needed to be taken care of in the future.

“Earth Heaven Peace, Qian above Kun below, yin and yang interact, all things come into being.” Mingxin shook his head and chuckled: “Solitary? The divination clearly says ‘small goes, great comes, auspicious, smooth.’ That sweetheart of yours, ah, not only has no sign of solitude, but on the contrary, he is blessed by heaven and earth, accompanied by a good person, year after year, never apart.”

There were so many infatuated people in the world; he was just one of them. A dying person asking about his lover’s marriage, “great fortune” was not really great fortune.

Qiu Ci smiled, “That’s good, then I can rest assured.” At least, Jing Yueming wouldn’t be alone in the future. It might be that person, or it might be someone else. In any case, health, success, and family happiness were the best.

“Thank you, Taoist Priest Mingxin.”

Mingxin bowed to him in return: “Since the benefactor still has some days before leaving, stay with us for a while.”

“That’s troublesome, but I was planning to purify myself for a few days anyway.”

“I’ll go tidy up a room.”

After Mingxin left, Huan Qing, who had been silent for a long time, finally spoke: “Aren’t you even a little disappointed?”

“Why should I be disappointed?”

“If you die, the person you like will have to be happy with someone else for the rest of his life.”

Qiu Ci looked outside. It rained a lot in the South. Raindrops started falling outside the window without warning: “My goal is for him to be happy, and that’s already very good.” Qiu Ci looked into the distance. If Jing Yueming had boarded the plane, then he would see 南 in a little over ten hours.

The two were about the same age, had their own hobbies, and would be able to respect each other. Their personalities were also very good.

They were a good match.

Even if it wasn’t 南, it would still be good. Jing Yueming would forget him and start a new life.

Qiu Ci had been extremely worried, so he came to seek this divination.

Jing Yueming’s four hundred letters were a love letter with an ending.

It was okay to have some regrets in his youth. Many years later, he could tell his grandson, “When I was in school, I had a very intense relationship. Looking back, it was really a time of youthful passion.”

The grandson would shake the old man’s rocking chair: “Tell me about it, tell me about it.”

The old man would smile and talk about that sour fruit under the humid, lonely conditions.

Time was running out. If there was enough time, he could go to sweep Qiu Shi’s grave.