Chapter Twenty: Water Mirror Dust

  Upon hearing Gu Qingjin's words, Shui Jingchen was somewhat perplexed, but still responded with a polite smile and said: "Alright, from now on I will address the female donor as Donor Gu."

  Seeing the sudden appearance of Shuijingchen's smile, Gu Qingjin and Yuanyang were both stunned at the same time. Two people had a common thought in their minds: This monk's smile is also too good-looking! At this moment, Qingjin couldn't help but admit that Shuijingchen's one smile was really too enchanting. With an appearance as holy as a celestial being, this one smile made him look charming and elegant, even the peach blossoms all over the mountain seemed to lose their color under Shuijingchen's smile.

  ……………

  Since that day when he met Shuijingchen by chance in the back mountain, Gu Qingjin would occasionally meet Shuijingchen at the temple. The two people became more and more familiar with each other through several encounters and conversations. Later on, Gu Qingjin would even bring Yuanyang to listen to Shuijingchen's lectures to the disciples of Banruo Temple.

  Those dull and abstruse Buddhist teachings became full of fun in Shuijingchen's narrative, becoming simple and easy to understand. Even Gu Qingjin, a person without wisdom, felt that listening to Shuijingchen's lectures was a rare pleasure.

  Looking at the serious expression, explaining the meaning of the scriptures to the disciples below, Shuijing Chen's profile is also so good-looking, radiating an unspeakable quiet and peacefulness.

  "Miss, why does Master Shuijingchen look so good-looking!" The mandarin duck beside Gu Qingjin couldn't help but ask while watching Shuijingchen preach seriously.

  Gu Qingjin nodded in complete agreement, her heart involuntarily echoing the sentiment. How could a monk look so good? You say you're a monk, but you look so good that it's hard for people to live!

  Shuijingchen, who was explaining the scriptures to his disciples, felt the gaze poured on him and involuntarily looked over. He saw Gu Qingjin and her servant, smiled warmly at Gu Qingjin, nodded slightly, and continued to explain the scriptures seriously to his disciples beside him.

  Seeing Shuijingchen's smile, Gu Qingjin felt that regretful feeling again when she first met Shuijingchen in the back mountain. Why did Shuijingchen have to be a monk? It was really such a waste. At the same time, an idea boldly emerged from her heart - why not learn from the demons in Journey to the West and abduct Shuijingchen back home?

  After these two days of interaction, she really felt that Shuijing Chen and she were extremely compatible, and he was handsome, gentle, and warm. Why did she fall in love with someone like Long Hanshan, an ice block, in her previous life? Apart from being a noble prince, Long Hanshan had a quirky and uninteresting personality, cold as ice, rarely speaking, and having many wives of all ages. How could she have been so enchanted to insist on marrying him as his concubine in her past life?

  If it were before she traveled back in time, a man like Long Han Yan would be a workaholic and a womanizer, so why did she fall for him? In modern society, she was the kind of woman who would break up with her boyfriend if he cheated on her, but when she went back in time, she was willing to become Long Han Yan's concubine just to marry him. The more she thought about it, the more she felt that she must have been possessed by some kind of demon at the time, or else why would she have fallen for Long Han Yan so inexplicably? And even if she did like him, shouldn't she have liked someone like Shui Jing Chen instead, who was gentle and handsome, and got along well with her? He was the perfect husband candidate for this era!

  Thinking so, she was even more certain that her past life self must have been possessed by a demon.

  "What are you thinking about?"

  "How can I get the water mirror dust back home?" Gu Qingjin subconsciously spoke out her thoughts.

  "Does Master Gu want to take this poor monk... away... home for what?"

  "Of course it's being a husband..." Gu Qingjin suddenly realized something and stopped, looking up to see Shui Jingchen's calm and serene face, as holy and pure as the sky.

  "Water mirror dust? Have you finished speaking?" Qing Jin withdrew her mind and spoke lightly.

  "Did Master Gu want to take me...to...abduct me back? Is Master Gu trying to get me to go to the Anji Marquis's estate for a Buddhist ceremony?" Shuijingchen asked with an unperturbed and puzzled expression.

  Upon hearing Shui Jingchen's words, Gu Qingjin looked at the sacred and heavenly face in front of her, and suddenly her emotions cooled down and settled. The thoughts she had just now were completely gone. Such a clean and untainted person, her previous thoughts had unknowingly tarnished the person in front of her. She felt a rare sense of shame at this moment. This kind of Shui Jingchen was suitable for being in a temple, where people could worship and look up to him.

  How could she, for her own selfish desires, drag him into the secular world? If she really wanted to do so, first and foremost, the issue of status would be a major obstacle between them. Shuijing Chen was a Buddhist disciple, and his reputation as a brilliant Zen master came from his extraordinary insight into the Buddhist scriptures. It could be said that all his achievements came from Buddhism, from his profound understanding of the scriptures and his innate comprehension of them. She wanted to drag him into the secular world for her own selfish desires, but once he entered the secular world, he would no longer be a disciple of Master Kongwu of Banzhou Temple, nor a brilliant Zen master, but just an ordinary monk who had left home and then returned to secular life without any background. How could her grandmother possibly agree to marry her off to such a man with nothing?

  She's already past the age of romanticizing about love, and for him to be with her would be even more difficult than her marrying Long Hanshan in a past life. And someone as clean and pure as he is, how could she bear to drag him down into the mundane world, making him face the scorn and disdain of others? Sighing softly, most importantly, she's only ten years old now, which is still far from the age of marriage!

  Thinking of this, she remembered that her time at the Banruo Temple was also limited. It's time to return to the Anji Hou Mansion. She and Shuijingchen are not people from the same world after all. It's better not to have too much entanglement. Having been used to a carefree life for so long, she should return to her original life, lest she covet things that don't belong to her.

  Thinking of this, Qingjin raised her head and spoke to Shuijingchen in a serious tone: "By the way, I drew a divination slip from Kongwu Dashi that day, but before I could even interpret it, Kongwu Dashi disappeared. Can... you help me interpret the slip?" The swan beside her handed over the slip at the right moment.

  Shuijing Chen didn't understand why Gu Qingjin suddenly changed the subject and became distant, since that day when they met on the back mountain, Gu Qingjin had become familiar with him and was very casual in front of him. Seeing Gu Qingjin being so serious and distant, he was stunned for a moment, but quickly returned to his usual calm demeanor without asking any questions, quietly observing the divination slips in Yuanyang's hand.

  Qing Jin looked at him with a holy and peaceful aura, untainted by worldly desires, truly a rare gem in the mortal world, a noble son without equal. Unfortunately, this noble son was a high-ranking Buddhist monk.

  After a slight inclination, Shuijingchen raised his head and asked Qingjin: "What does the master of Gu Shi want to ask for with this signature?"

  "This divination is for our Anji Marquis's household, seeking the fortune of our marquis's household from now on."

  "In this way, Mr. Gu can rest assured that this is a superior auspicious sign, and in the near future, the mansion will surely flourish like a brocade."

  "Thank you, I... As a young woman, my days at the Banruo Temple are also numbered. It's time for me to return home..." Gu Qingjin said with some melancholy.

  "When Master Gu returns home, I will have someone send the scriptures he previously copied and presented to the Buddha. I have personally consecrated this scripture, and after Master Gu takes it back, placing it in his home's small Buddhist shrine will ensure peace and safety for his household!" said Shuijing with a calm and peaceful expression.