Chapter 138: Making a Comeback

The elderly monk held Fu Linsheng and sat down. Glancing sideways at Wang Mingcheng, he smiled and said, "It seems you’ve become too used to lecturing students. Even here, you can’t drop the teacher's demeanor, starting right off with a reprimand. Even someone as talkative as me can't bear to listen. You ought to tone it down."

Wang Mingcheng laughed heartily. "I suppose you're right. Since the master has spoken, I shall naturally keep my mouth shut. Enough said, enough said. Today is such a joyful occasion, the vegetarian dishes this evening must be sumptuous."

"Then you've guessed wrong. Today, I've only prepared pickled mustard greens and some salted vegetables that I pickled myself. Everyone says they taste wonderful." As he spoke, the elderly monk picked up a fresh cup, poured some water for Fu Linsheng, and helped him drink a little.

Wang Mingcheng remarked, "It's fine if we adults make do, but this child is at the age where he's growing rapidly. Eating these preserved vegetables really isn't suitable. It would be best to get him some steamed meat buns. Judging by how chubby he is, Old Fu must have been feeding him plenty of fish and meat."

The elderly monk replied, "At the feet of the Buddha, uttering such meat and blood! If you want to eat that, go down the mountain and get it yourself. You aren't welcome to it here."

Wang Mingcheng suggested, "You could learn from Monk Ji Gong."

"Everyone has their own way of conducting themselves and handling affairs. Ji Gong is Ji Gong, and I am myself. I have my own principles; why should I learn from him? Besides, even if I were to imitate him down to the exact detail, I might not necessarily achieve his level of attainment. There is only one Ji Gong in this world, just as there is only one Wang Mingcheng. Do you understand?"

"Yes, yes, what you say is true."

As the two bantered back and forth, Fu Xingsheng sat quietly, accepting the tea brought by a young novice monk, and remained silent throughout, unsure whether he had taken in any of their words.

After a short while, the young monk brought in some small pastries specially prepared for Fu Linsheng. He had grown exceptionally fond of them during his previous brief stay at the monastery. Knowing he was coming, the elderly monk had instructed the kitchen staff early on to prepare the little fellow's favorite treats.

The plate was filled entirely with things he loved: crystal cakes, osmanthus cakes, turnip cakes, and more. They were colorful and looked exquisite. The monastery had a very skilled young monk who could make anything as long as the ingredients were sufficient, and up here on the mountain, gathering fruits and vegetables was quite easy.

Seeing this, Fu Linsheng let out a gasp of delight, his dark, grape-like eyes sparkling.

"Old Grandpa, I love you!"

The elderly monk laughed heartily, took off the boy's shoes, and let him sit down beside him. He added more water to the boy's teacup, stroked his head, and his eyes brimmed with affection.

Watching this, Wang Mingcheng smiled and said, "It's rare to see the Master display such a joyful expression. Does this mean this little fellow has an affinity with Buddhism?"

"He indeed has a Buddhist affinity."

Wang Mingcheng looked at Fu Xingsheng. "Old Fu, did you hear that? Your boy has a karmic connection and innate wisdom with Buddhism. Why not let him follow the Master? Who knows, he might achieve great things in the future."

With a stern expression and dark eyes, Fu Xingsheng glanced at him and said, "Didn't the Master just say that everyone is a unique existence with their own destiny? Since that is the case, Xiaobao's life should be chosen by himself. If he truly wishes to become a monk in the future and be like the Master, I won't stop him."

"That sounds almost like a step-father."

Fu Xingsheng retorted, "Isn't this what you taught me?"

"What?"

"Respect."

Wang Mingcheng was left speechless.

Fu Xingsheng pressed on, "Could it be that you would forcefully dictate your children's future and coerce them into doing things they dislike?"

"Alright, alright, I know your learning capability is formidable, say no more. Come, come over here and accompany the Master to a game of chess."

With that, he stood up, pulled Fu Xingsheng over, and made him sit in his place.

Wang Mingcheng originally intended to clear away the existing board, but just as his hand reached out, Fu Xingsheng grabbed it and said, "Let's play from this position."

Wang Mingcheng looked at him. "We can, but this is already a dead end. Can you really bring it back to life for me?"

"Let's see."

The elderly monk stroked his beard and smiled, "Then let's give it a try."

Afterward, Wang Mingcheng pulled up a chair and sat nearby to watch.

Move by move, what was clearly a dead end was meticulously turned by Fu Xingsheng into a path of survival.

Wang Mingcheng couldn't stop praising him from the sidelines, occasionally standing up and then sitting back down. In the end, the game ended in a draw, yet such a draw was tantamount to a victory for Fu Xingsheng.

The elderly monk laughed heartily and said, "Not bad at all. I haven't seen you in a few days, and now I must look at you with new eyes. Your chess skills are getting higher and higher."

Fu Xingsheng replied, "It was because you, Master, yielded three points to me that I had the chance to carve out a path of survival for myself. Otherwise, I would have lost long ago."

The elderly monk glanced at him, turned his head toward the little fellow who was playing with the chess pieces beside them, and smiled, "To grant convenience to others is to grant convenience to oneself. In the final analysis, the path of survival is something one creates for oneself. If you understand this, then everywhere you go in your future life will be a path of survival."

As his voice trailed off, the stack of chess pieces the little fellow had piled up collapsed with a clatter.

He wasn't upset at all; rather, he was quite happy, and immediately started gathering them to stack them up again.

The four of them sat in the Scripture Depository for a long time until the vegetarian meal was ready, at which point they all headed to the dining hall together.

The elderly monk was very fond of the little fellow. Knowing he was coming, he had naturally instructed the kitchen to prepare some fine, fresh ingredients and specifically made a separate portion of vegetarian food for him. Although it was entirely meatless, it was so deliciously prepared that it tasted just as good as any meal with meat.

Fu Linsheng loved the vegetarian food here; the flavor was top-notch.

He sat beside the elderly monk, eating happily. Halfway through, he turned to look at the elderly monk, picked out some vegetables from his own small bowl to place into the monk's, and said, "Grandpa, you eat too."

"Good child."

As for the adult men, they truly had only salted vegetables and pickled mustard greens.

They were all prepared personally by the elderly monk. Though they tasted quite good, no matter how one looked at it, it felt a bit pitiful.

Wang Mingcheng looked at the two dishes before him, unsure whether to cry or laugh. In the end, he laughed, picked up a piece of salted vegetable, dropped it into Fu Xingsheng's bowl, and said, "Haven't tasted the Master's cooking in a long time, have you? Eat more. Eating more helps you grow wise and increases your spiritual cultivation."

As he spoke, he picked up another chopstick full to put into Fu Xingsheng's bowl, only to have it blocked by Fu Xingsheng's chopsticks. Fu Xingsheng said, "If I want to eat, I can use my own hands; I don't need you to serve me food. Take everything in this bowl away as well; I don't eat food that others have touched."

"Since when did you become so particular?"

"I have always been particular."

"Is that so? I used to think you were only particular about one person, and casual about everything else."

Fu Xingsheng glanced sideways, giving him a deep look.

Wang Mingcheng grinned broadly, his smile brilliant. After exchanging a glance, he withdrew his chopsticks, casually scooped the vegetables back into his own bowl, and beamed with satisfaction.

After the meal, the elderly monk personally led the father and son to their guest room, which was situated just a few steps away from his own quarters.

Wang Mingcheng had already returned to his own room.

The elderly monk sat down at the table while Fu Linsheng watched Peppa Pig on a mobile phone.

The elderly monk asked, "How long do you plan to stay this time? You're usually so busy. If you don't have the time, you can leave Xiaobao with me; I've grown quite fond of this child."

"I'll be staying for a period to find some peace of mind."

The elderly monk raised his eyes to look at him, smiled, and said, "That's good too. Then you can join me in Zen meditation every day. There is too much slaughter in your heart, but you have an affinity with Buddhism. If the opportunity arises, I would actually like you to follow me in cultivation."

Fu Xingsheng lowered his eyes and remained silent.

The elderly monk did not press him further. "I know the obsession in your heart is hard to let go. Whenever you are willing, it won't be too late to come find me. The gates of the Buddha are always open for you."

"Thank you, Master."

He finished his cup of tea and stood up to leave.

Fu Linsheng grabbed the elderly monk's sleeve, tugged at it, and said, "Grandpa, can I sleep with you tonight?"

Before the elderly monk could speak, Fu Xingsheng agreed on his behalf, "Go ahead."

Fu Linsheng was overjoyed. He bounced up, clutched the elderly monk's sleeve, and smiled so widely his eyes vanished.

Seeing this, the elderly monk's heart inevitably softened. He tapped the boy on the head and said, "Little rascal."

During the period he had stayed at the monastery previously, he had also slept with the elderly monk. Perhaps because the elderly monk had such a benevolent demeanor, the little fellow had grown very attached to him and wasn't shy at all. Right then, completely ignoring his own biological father, he happily trotted off with the elderly monk.

Fu Xingsheng escorted them to the doorway, watched them enter the room, and then stepped back, closing the door.

All was quiet and still. He sat on the bed, closed his eyes for a moment, picked up a book from the bedside table, and began to read.

Early the next morning, he rose, changed into a monk's robe from the monastery, washed up, and headed over to the elderly monk's quarters early to report for morning chanting in the Grand Hall alongside the other young monks. Fu Linsheng sat beside the elderly monk, wearing a miniature version of the monk's robe tailor-made just for him. The size was a perfect fit, making him look utterly adorable.

Having lived here before, he was acquainted with all the monks and got along quite well with them. Everyone adored him; he was the darling of the entire place.

While under Fu Xingsheng's care, he often slept in and had grown accustomed to it. Waking up far too early proved a bit too much for him to handle. During the morning chanting session, he openly dozed off right beside the elderly monk, collapsing into the monk's arms several times.

This provoked ripples of amusement among the assembly.

Once the morning session ended, he bounced back with energy. Stretching his arms and legs, he ran off to find Master Yan to learn martial arts.

Meanwhile, Fu Xingsheng accompanied the elderly monk to the Scripture Depository to sort, transcribe, and air out the ancient scriptures. Wang Mingcheng followed closely behind. Along the way, eyeing Fu Xingsheng's attire, Wang Mingcheng joked, "Old Fu, if you shaved your head bald, you'd undoubtedly be the most handsome monk in the entire country."

"Is that so? I think if you shaved yours, you'd make a fine one too."

"I'll pass. With a complete family and a wife so deeply devoted, what would she do if I were to become a monk? I'd worry she'd come camp outside the monastery every day and disrupt the Master's peace. I couldn't do it. Besides, the Master wouldn't accept me anyway. Back when I hit rock bottom in life and wanted to take vows, he wouldn't take me, and he certainly wouldn't now. Am I right, Master?"

The elderly monk smiled without answering and continued walking forward.

Upon entering the Scripture Depository, Wang Mingcheng fell silent, picked up the copy of the Diamond Sutra he had been reading yesterday, and resumed browsing.

After assigning tasks, the elderly monk retired to the adjoining tea room to rest.

Fu Xingsheng went up to the second floor, systematically arranged the scriptures that the elderly monk had requested to be aired, and carried them out in three trips.

The weather was fine today, making it a good time to rid the books of mildew.

Wang Mingcheng sat facing the doorway with a pot of tea at his elbow, sipping tea, reading his book, and periodically watching Fu Xingsheng patiently and carefully place the books.

His movements were very slow and extremely careful because the books were aged and prone to damage if handled roughly.

The sunlight bathed him, seemingly helping to chase away the dampness and mildew as well.

The corners of Wang Mingcheng's lips curved slightly. Indeed, one could sense that he had changed a great deal. This was a positive development; transformation always required taking things step by step. His progress was considered quite fast, and seeing such changes in him brought a sense of relief.

It also helped that he had a little "warmth-bringer" by his side, casting warmth even upon this cold-hearted father.

A truly formidable weapon.

At that moment, a phone buzzed. Checking the screen, he saw it was his wife. He glanced back at Fu Xingsheng, remained seated, answered the call, and deliberately raised his voice. "Wife."

The place was so quiet that even a slight elevation in his voice sounded exceptionally loud.

Behind the folding screen, the elderly monk gave a cough to remind him, "Take it outside."

Wang Mingcheng immediately lowered his voice. "Understood."

He stepped outside, chose a spot closest to Fu Xingsheng, and began chatting with his wife.

"Miss me? I miss you too. I'll be back in a couple of days."

The two of them exchanged sweet Nothings for a good while before finally hanging up.

Fu Xingsheng remained unmoved, acting as though he had heard nothing at all, entirely focused on his task of placing each book properly and carefully inspecting their pages.

Once all the books were set out, he opened the pages, turning them every half hour to ensure they were thoroughly dried by the sun.

Afterward, he pulled up a small stool to sit nearby, his attention still firmly fixed on the books.

Wang Mingcheng poured a cup of tea and brought it over. "Have a sip."

Fu Xingsheng accepted it with a word of thanks, took a small sip to moisten his throat. Standing beside him, Wang Mingcheng asked, "Aren't you going to tell me how things have been between you and Lin Wanbai over the past half-year?"

He pressed his lips together, not answering immediately. Lowering his head to take another sip of water, he remained silent for a long moment before finally speaking: "She doesn't love me, and she never will."

"How so?"

Fu Xingsheng smiled faintly. "I've known it all along, and you knew it too."

"You can't put it that way. When she liked you back then, it wasn't just because of the persona you built, nor could it solely be because you understood psychology and knew how her mind worked. Those were all just icing on the cake; there had to be an initial attraction for what you did to matter. Otherwise, why was Fu Yanchuan so wonderful, yet she didn't like him and chose you instead? You shouldn't belittle yourself. You have your own charm, your own attractive qualities. If you can't even like yourself, who else could?"

"Indeed, no one likes me. No one likes the real me."

"I think Fu Xingsheng is very handsome and very much a man."

Fu Xingsheng turned his head to look at him and chuckled softly. "Is that so? But I recall that you used to be terrified of me."

"Nonsense, when were I ever afraid of you?"

"You know it in your heart."

Wang Mingcheng gave an awkward laugh and then patted his shoulder firmly. "Ah hahahaha hahahaha..."

The days that followed remained sunny and clear, with magnificent sunshine. Fu Xingsheng spent his days airing the books.

Wang Mingcheng descended the mountain after three days. After all, he was a family man, and his wife called him four or five times a day; the affection between the couple was profound.

After his departure, the monastery grew even more serene. No one remained to deliberately flaunt their romantic bliss in Fu Xingsheng's ears or chatter endlessly.

However, Fu Xingsheng's peace did not last long before Fu Linsheng began to pester him, turning into a veritable encyclopedia of "ten thousand whys." The more fluently the boy spoke, the more questions he had. Curious about everything, he had transformed into a little bundle of inquiries.

Though Fu Xingsheng rarely responded, the boy persisted relentlessly with his questions, enough to drive someone mad with annoyance.

Life flowed on peacefully. Occasionally, Fu Xingsheng would head up to the back mountain to wander around. Having learned a bit about medicinal herbs from Shao Xian, and knowing that Mount Pinghua was vast, deep, and held all sorts of treasures in its depths, he went up to explore.

One day, he hiked all the way to the summit in a single breath—the highest peak, taking a full day to reach it.

Standing atop the peak, he looked out into the distance. White clouds encircled the surroundings like a fairyland. At that moment, he felt as though he were standing above the layers of clouds; looking up brought him face-to-face with the sky, where the sun hung, casting a gentle, comforting warmth upon him.

As the seasons shifted, the temperature plummeted, and the mountain began to turn cold these past few days.

A tear had formed in his monk's robe, and the mountain breeze blew past, carrying a hint of fine mist. Gazing into the distance, he fancied he could see Lin Wanbai's smiling face.

No matter the time or place, Lin Wanbai remained always in his heart and mind, never leaving for a single moment. He missed her—he missed her desperately.

The elderly monk had told him to let go of his obsession, but this was an obsession he had clung to for so many years; how could he let it go? How could he possibly put it down?

Perhaps only in death could he finally let go.

Upon returning to the monastery, night had completely fallen. His journey down the mountain had been fraught with danger.

Because of his bad foot, he had walked very slowly and with extreme caution.

Seeing him return safely, the elderly monk finally exhaled a sigh of relief and said earnestly, "Don't do anything so reckless and thoughtless again in the future."

Fu Xingsheng nodded. "I am truly sorry for causing you worry, Master."

"I was alright; Xiaobao was the one who was truly worried. He cried several times, and right now he's cried himself to exhaustion and fallen asleep by accident. The child is very attached to you."

"He cried?"

"He did."

Fu Xingsheng went inside to check. Sure enough, tear traces still hung on the boy's long, thick eyelashes.

At that moment, he felt a strange sense of importance.

Lowering his head, he pressed a kiss onto the little fellow's chubby cheek.

Returning to his guest room, no sooner had he sat down than his phone rang. The caller was Le Sen.

"What is it?"

"Elder Fu is failing fast, and Fu Yanchuan has returned. He has brought back all the other members of the Fu family, and they have now gathered and moved into Xibei."

"Mm, I know."

"Judging by the momentum, Fu Yanchuan seems poised for a comeback."

Fu Xingsheng chuckled softly. "Good."

"Mr. Fu, will you be returning then?"

"Once the old man dies, of course I will go back."

...

In the Xibei District of North City.

After Lin Zhouye flatly rejected Lin Jingyu's proposal, Lin Wanbai did not waste another word trying to persuade him; instead, she turned straight to find Han Chen.

Obtaining his number from Lu Mian, she called him directly.

When Han Chen received the call, he was in the middle of a meeting with Zuo Yushan. Seeing the phone ring, a look of delight flashed across his face, but he quickly reined it in, gritted his teeth, rejected the call, and fired back a text message: [Not convenient right now, will call back shortly.]

Zuo Yushan caught the change in his expression, crossed his legs, draped an arm over the back of Han Chen's chair, and said nothing for the moment, simply returning his focus to the matter at hand.

By the time everyone unanimously agreed on a decision, finalized the arrangements, and the meeting was adjourned, an hour had passed.

Eagerly, Han Chen packed up his things, ready to step outside and return the call.

Zuo Yushan shoved him back down into his chair with one hand. "I heard Lin Wanbai was rescued and has safely returned to the Lin family. Is that true?"

"Yes, I already told you about that earlier."

"Whose call was that just now?" Zuo Yushan asked with a beaming smile.

Han Chen coughed, making no attempt to hide it. "It was Xiaobai."

"Given our relationship, do you even need to step outside to make a call? Take it right here. I've never met her in person; I'm genuinely curious what kind of woman she is to have you so preoccupied, and able to make so many men fight over her."

Han Chen smiled. "Actually, there's nothing particularly special about her. I was just repaying a favor; she helped me out quite a bit in the past."

Zuo Yushan rested his head on one hand and raised his chin. "Call her back. Invite her out for a meal, and count me in so we can be introduced."

Under this subtle coercion, Han Chen made the call.

Lin Wanbai answered promptly, as if she had been waiting by the phone. "Sorry about earlier; I didn't know you were busy and rashly called you. I hope I didn't disturb you?"

"Not at all. Why did you suddenly call?"

"Oh, I heard from Zhixia that you helped a lot with my rescue, and I wanted to treat you to dinner."

"There's no need. You probably don't remember, but you've helped me immensely in the past as well."

"Oh, so you don't want to have dinner with me then."

Han Chen hastily denied it. "No, of course not. Alright then, but let me treat."

"No, I'm treating. It's settled. There's no time like the present, let's make it tonight. I'll send you the location for six o'clock."

With that, she hung up, added him on WeChat using his phone number, and sent him the address.

Lin Zhouye had a business dinner tonight and was expected to be busy until very late before returning.

After consulting with Lin Jingyu, Lin Wanbai took Lu Mian's car to the restaurant.

She had booked a private establishment. Lin Jingyu had made the arrangements; she knew the place, and the proprietress was reliable.

Arriving ten minutes early, Lin Wanbai carefully reviewed the menu, picking and choosing to add a few more dishes.

Shortly after she finalized the order, Han Chen and Zuo Yushan arrived.

The proprietress led them in. Seeing Zuo Yushan, Lin Wanbai was momentarily startled—she hadn't expected anyone else to be there—but she maintained her poise, stood up, and greeted him politely.

Zuo Yushan's gaze carried a hint of aggression. He swept her up and down with his eyes, smiled, extended a hand, and said, "I've heard so much about you. Truly, seeing you in the flesh beats hearing about you; you really are quite different from those flirtatious hussies."

Hearing this vocabulary, Lin Wanbai's mouth twitched slightly. She smiled, said nothing more, and instead looked toward Han Chen.

She could more or less tell that this man must be Han Chen's boss, certainly standing a head taller in hierarchy than Han Chen himself.

Han Chen introduced, "This is my boss, Zuo Yushan. Rather than saying I helped you, it's more accurate to say Brother Shan helped you."

As the boss of the Tianhe Society, Lin Wanbai was well aware of who he was.

She said sincerely, "Thank you, Brother Shan."

"Xiaochen is being modest. I didn't lift a single finger in your affair; he handled every bit of it. If you want to thank someone, thank him."

"I am grateful to both of you."

Smiling, Lin Wanbai asked the proprietress to bring out the wine.

The proprietress had decanted the red wine in advance, and it was brought out at just the right temperature to drink.

Han Chen demurred, "We don't really need wine."

"We do. I must toast you both to express my gratitude. Besides, I have a favor I'd like to ask of you today as well, so this wine is a must."