Lu Zheng did not know whether Ao Qian could stay in Tonglin County for ten years. He himself did not mind, but he worried that the Jade Dragon King and his wife would find it unbearable.
Bi Xin Yu and Mo Lan had gathered with the other women before, but whether Lu Zheng was present or not made a great difference.
When Lu Zheng was there, both Shen Ying and Liu Qingyan, as hostesses, seemed to have a pillar of support. Their entire demeanour changed.
Not to mention the seasonal fruits and exquisite delicacies. Bi Xin Yu guessed that even the imperial palace of Great Jing could hardly surpass this.
Everyone ate and drank merrily, and the conversation soon returned to the dishes Lu Zheng had prepared.
“The dish is called Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. To earn such a name, the story must be true. I wonder which eminent monk abandoned his restraint to bestow this glorious name upon the dish?” Lin Jing’er teased.
“Don’t monks abstain from meat?”
“Some monks eat the ‘three pure meats’. Since the ingredients come willingly, they can naturally be enjoyed.”
“Zen masters have always cultivated the mind. Yet this single pot of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall truly possesses a rich, tempting aroma that could move even a high monk!”
“I really want to find a monk, preferably one who is strictly vegetarian.”
“Hee hee, speaking of which, isn’t there Master Guangyue at the neighbouring Jiming Temple? He once tried to persuade Young Master Lu to travel the world with him.”
“What? How dare he think Young Master Lu would agree?” Bi Xin Yu and Mo Lan had not heard about this before.
“Exactly, so after being knocked on the head several times, he stopped mentioning it. Instead, he settled at Jiming Temple in the neighbouring Pingtan County and became Young Master Lu’s neighbour.”
“Tsk tsk!” Mo Lan’s eyes flickered. She gave a half-smile that was not quite a smile, and when she looked at Lu Zheng there was a trace of something very odd… pity?
“Does Master Guangyue eat meat?”
“No idea.”
“I’ll go test him next time.”
“Be careful. Although that monk is no match for Young Master Lu, he is still strong. He comes from Rizhao Temple as a formal disciple and is now the abbot of Jiming Temple.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not weak either.” Bi Xin Yu stuck out her tongue, licked the tip of her nose, and curled her lips into a seductive arc.
Liu Qingyan moved over, took Bi Xin Yu’s hand and said, “Xin Yu, don’t make trouble. Guangyue once fought side by side with my husband. He is not an enemy.”
Bi Xin Yu leaned close to Liu Qingyan and giggled softly, “My dear sister, your little sister is helping you. That monk refuses to leave Young Master Lu’s side. His ambition is obvious. He clearly harbours improper thoughts towards your husband!”
Liu Qingyan’s beautiful face flushed red. She could not help swatting Bi Xin Yu. “What improper thoughts? Guangyue is simply honouring his vow.”
She then explained the contest of dharma and the bet between Guangyue and Lu Zheng. After Lu Zheng had utterly crushed Guangyue, the monk settled down at Jiming Temple.
“Tch, boring…” Mo Lan pouted.
“Heh, men…” Bi Xin Yu yawned lazily.
Seeing how listless the pair looked, Liu Qingyan finally understood why the two of them got along so well. On the surface they seemed like a pair of playful female rivals.
Liu Qingyan blinked, then suddenly realised that compared to their suspicion of Lu Zheng and Guangyue, the relationship between these two women was far stranger…
A shiver ran through her. She shook her head quickly and banished the images from her mind.
“What are you thinking about?” Bi Xin Yu asked.
“Nothing.” Liu Qingyan answered hurriedly, then stood up smoothly with no hint of guilt and returned to Lu Zheng’s side.
…
After a grand lunch, everyone went their separate ways in the afternoon.
Lu Zheng did not join the various excitements. He simply spent the whole afternoon at the mahjong table. In a ten-wen copper stake game, he lost more than one tael of silver over the course of the afternoon.
…
After the ten-day holiday gathering, things quietened down in the ancient world. Lu Zheng finally had time to return to the modern world and spend time with Lin Wan.
He passed through the rental flat, changed his clothes, and was about to head home when he saw Lin Wan walking out of their door dragging a suitcase.
“Going on a business trip?” Lu Zheng asked in surprise.
Seeing Lu Zheng appear, Lin Wan’s bright eyes lit up and the corners of her mouth curved upwards.
“Yes.” Lin Wan nodded. “Not far, just to Ning City in Zhejiang Province, to help trace the specific flow of some funds.”
“If nothing unexpected happens, I should be back in two or three days,” Lin Wan added.
Ning City in Zhejiang was indeed close. If it were not a group operation, Lin Wan could have come home every night.
“I see…”
After thinking for a moment, Lu Zheng said, “Do you have to come back? When you’re done I can come to you. We could spend the weekend at Xiangshan Film and Television City.”
He had been away for a month. There was nothing much to do in Haicheng, and Xiangshan had a famous film city.
“Sounds good!” Lin Wan was delighted.
Lu Zheng smiled. “Who knows, we might even bump into celebrities and get some autographs.”
Lin Wan laughed at that. “What, you’re a fanboy?”
“Of course!” Lu Zheng nodded seriously. “The only web novels I read are entertainment industry ones. From the White Lady, Thirteenth Aunt, Nie Xiaoqian, and Dongfang Bubai in Hong Kong, to Zhao Ling’er, Tang Xuejian, Zixuan, and Situ, I’ve read them all.”
Lin Wan raised an eyebrow. “You actually missed the most beautiful A-Ke and Zhou Zhiruo. Very unprofessional.”
Lu Zheng, “…”
“But I reckon you won’t see any of them at the film city,” Lin Wan said, showing no sign of jealousy. “Nowadays almost all the beauties at film cities look indistinguishable.”
Lu Zheng rubbed his chin. “Really? Then I must go and test my eyesight… ow, why are you stepping on me?”
Lin Wan dragged her suitcase gracefully to the lift and pressed the down button. “Call me when I’m free from work. Drive over then, and we’ll drive back together.”
“Alright.” Lu Zheng nodded. “By the way, aren’t you driving?”
“No need. The unit is sending a car. They’ll pick me up soon.”
The lift doors opened. Lu Zheng and Lin Wan naturally embraced, and he saw her into the lift.
“I’m off. Rest well these few days. Wait for my call.”
“Got it!”
…
With Lin Wan away on business, Lu Zheng naturally refused to waste time in the modern world. He decisively returned to the rental flat and crossed back to ancient times.
“My dear husband, didn’t you say you were going away for a few days to cultivate the new technique you obtained?”
Seeing Lu Zheng return so soon after leaving, Liu Qingyan asked curiously.
“I thought about it. I was away for a whole month. It wouldn’t be right to leave again just days after coming back,” Lu Zheng said with a smile as he wrapped his arms around Liu Qingyan’s waist. “So I’ve decided to stay with you a little longer.”
The moment his hands touched her waist, Liu Qingyan felt herself soften, and her heart was deeply touched.
“No, stop. I’m just heading to the medical hall,” Liu Qingyan quickly wriggled free. “And this afternoon Cai Niang and Xin Yu are coming over. We agreed to go to Yuling Garden together to listen to opera.”
At this point, anticipation flickered in Liu Qingyan’s eyes as she looked at Lu Zheng. “Will you come with us, husband?”
Lu Zheng readily agreed. “Of course. It’s been a while since I last went to Yuling Garden. Are there any new plays?”
Liu Qingyan replied, “A famous troupe from Yizhou is performing in the county. Their rendition of ‘Ballad of the Secluded Boudoir’ is said to be marvellous.”
“Ballad of the Secluded Boudoir? Alright, let’s go listen.”
