A top star in the Chinese entertainment industry, but also a Taoist priest.

To sum up dinner in one sentence, Bai Mengyan's cooking was even worse than Zhang Ruonan's lunch.

She confidently declared she would demonstrate her skill in making scrambled eggs with tomatoes, but the resulting dish was a dark reddish-black color and looked extremely questionable.

Shouzhuo mustered up his courage and took a bite. His composure crumbled on the spot, and he couldn't recover for a long time.

Ruonan has made considerable progress, though it's also possible that the contrast creates beauty; her stir-fried vegetables and reheated chicken were eaten quite a bit.

Chen Shouyi and his apprentice continued to encourage her to make progress, which helped her regain a lot of face that she had lost at noon.

As for the braised beef and other cold dishes that Shouzhuo bought from the foot of the mountain, they unsurprisingly became the most popular dishes at the table. The master and apprentice frequently reached for the two plates of cold dishes with their chopsticks, showing perfect tacit understanding.

After tasting her own creation, Bai Mengyan remained silent for a long time before sincerely declaring that she would never touch a spatula again.

Zhang Ruonan patted her on the shoulder and comforted her, saying that she had also had a mishap at noon, but things were much better in the evening.

Bai Mengyan looked at her with emotion, and the two started chatting away again.

The main topic of conversation was the scenery of the Taoist temple.

Ruonan took a walk around the courtyard in the afternoon and felt much more relaxed just being there. The mountain breeze and the sound of the pines were so pleasant, it was so much better than those trendy tourist spots in the city.

Bai Mengyan nodded repeatedly, exclaiming that even the air here was sweet. She felt that it would be so comfortable to take a vacation here, and that she could live ten more years.

Chen Shouyi smiled without saying a word, saying, "If you really had to live in the mountains for a month, without food delivery, shopping malls, or milk tea, you'd be crying and begging to go back to the city."

He had heard this sentiment countless times; every pilgrim who came to the Taoist temple for the first time said the same thing, but to actually stay on the mountain for a full week was a testament to one's strong willpower.

After dinner, Shouzhuo cleaned up the dishes, quickly finished his evening class, and then slipped back to his room to play games.

Chen Shouyi greeted the two girls and returned to his cultivation room as usual.

I meditated and regulated my breathing for an hour, and then received a video call from Yao Mei right on time.

Yao Mei had just finished filming and excitedly said that she would be finishing filming soon and would be able to come see him soon. They chatted for more than half an hour before reluctantly hanging up.

Meanwhile, Zhang Ruonan and Bai Mengyan also returned to their room.

The two had already gotten a general idea of ​​each other's situation during their afternoon stroll.

Ruonan is from Wenzhou. She used to study in Hangzhou and worked part-time as a Taobao model. She was cheated out of her payment and then met the Taoist priest, and in a daze, she became his assistant.

Bai Mengyan is from Yizhou. She has worked as a noodle model and filmed micro-movies. She also had her fortune told by a Taoist priest at a Taoist temple before, and they have kept in touch ever since.

They were both models, around the same age, and had a lot in common. By the end of the afternoon, they were already as familiar as if they had known each other for a long time.

Both of them had finished showering by now.

Zhang Ruonan changed into a loose white cotton T-shirt and light gray lounge shorts, revealing a section of her fair calves.

Her hair was just dried and still a little damp, draped over her shoulders, making her look simple and unassuming, just like her usual plain self.

Bai Mengyan was wearing the pajamas that Chen Shouyi had prepared for Ruonan. She hadn't brought her own, so Ruonan gave her the set.

The sleeves of her pajamas were too big; she had to roll them up twice to reveal her wrists. The pant legs were also too long, feeling fuzzy under her feet.

Her face was flushed after washing, and her eyes and brows were less boisterous and more gentle than usual.

The air conditioning wasn't on in the room, the windows were open, and the night breeze blew in from the pine forest, carrying a crisp, refreshing scent of grass and trees.

The two moved the rattan chairs to the window, each lying side by side with their feet on a low stool.

The night in the mountains was very quiet, with only the sound of distant pine trees and the occasional chirping of insects, and moonlight shining in through the window.

Bai Mengyan curled her legs up, her bare feet resting on the armrest of the rattan chair, her toes unconsciously twitching.

Zhang Ruonan put her feet on the low stool, crossed her legs, and gently wiggled her toes.

The refreshing feeling after a shower, combined with the cool mountain breeze, makes you feel so comfortable that you don't want to move.

Bai Mengyan looked up at the stars outside the window for a while, then turned her head to look at Zhang Ruonan:

"Ruonan, weren't you scared when you slept here alone last night? It's so dark in the mountains at night, and the trees rustled when the wind blew."

Zhang Ruonan thought for a moment: "I was a little nervous at first, but then I remembered that the Taoist priest was in the next courtyard."

I don't know why, but I unconsciously relax when I'm with him. And it's really quiet here; I slept quite well last night.

Bai Mengyan sat up abruptly, causing the rocking chair to sway violently. She turned to look at Zhang Ruonan:

"You feel that way too?"

"Huh?" Zhang Ruonan tilted her head, a little confused by her sudden excitement.

"It's so relaxing being around the Taoist priest!" Bai Mengyan put her legs down.

"I thought it was just me. Every time I went to talk to him, I felt so comfortable sitting there that I didn't want to leave."

I always thought it was because Taoist temples were quiet, but later I found that I didn't have that feeling when I went to other Taoist temples or Buddhist temples.

Zhang Ruonan blinked: "If that's the case, then that's true."

The first time I met the Taoist priest in Songjiang, he stood next to me. At that time, I had just been swindled out of money and had an argument with someone.

I was initially quite upset, but I calmed down quickly. I thought I felt relieved because he helped me.

"Yes, yes, yes," Bai Mengyan nodded vigorously, "It's that feeling of special reassurance, and have you noticed that it gets more pronounced the closer you are to him?"

Zhang Ruonan recalled the few days she spent following Liang Yin in Shanghai, and the flight she took with the Taoist priest yesterday, and slowly nodded:

"It seems so. When we were in Shanghai, we were far apart, so I didn't feel anything special. But since we came back together yesterday, it's become more and more obvious."

The two looked at each other and fell into thought.

Bai Mengyan frowned, stared at the ceiling for a long time, and then suddenly clapped her hands:

"I see!"

"What do you know?"

Bai Mengyan leaned closer, lowered her voice, and gave him an expression as if she had discovered a great secret:

"Think about it, he's a Taoist priest, right? He burns incense, chants scriptures, and performs rituals in the main hall every day, so he must be covered in the smell. That's why he always has a fragrance on him, and smelling it can make you relax."

Zhang Ruonan looked at her speechlessly: "The Taoist priest doesn't smell like sandalwood either."

I feel it's more like... well, the natural scent of grass or pine, but just the fragrance alone isn't enough to completely relax me, is it?

"Oh, right." Bai Mengyan tilted her head and thought about it seriously. "But I feel that he smells more like a green apple, fresh and pleasant."

The two looked at each other again, neither able to come to a conclusion.

After a moment of silence, Bai Mengyan leaned back in her chair decisively: "Ruonan, you're his assistant, why don't you ask him tomorrow?"

Zhang Ruonan smiled and shook her head: "Why don't you go ask?"

"I'm embarrassed," Bai Mengyan chuckled twice, "What if he thinks I'm a lovesick fool?"

"I don't dare to ask, I'm afraid he'll think I'm a lovesick fool."

"Haha, that's true," Bai Mengyan scratched her head, "I'm too embarrassed to ask such a question."