Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Jia Lian, accompanied by his sisters Aqi and Aqin and a few other trusted confidants, set off from the Iron Threshold Temple and arrived at the gate of the Muni Monastery in less than half an hour.

Attracted by the silver, he easily met the head nun of Muni-in.

Hearing that Jia Lian wanted to hire twenty or thirty nuns from their temple to perform Buddhist rites for two days, with generous compensation, the abbess was naturally delighted and immediately agreed, allowing him to choose from all the nuns in the temple…

Although Jia Lian's main purpose was not this, since he wanted to deceive others, he had to make the act complete.

Then he discovered that there were actually several pretty nuns in the Buddhist temple!

They randomly selected about twenty people, agreed to send carriages to pick them up at noon the next day, and that was the end of the business.

Jia Lian then mentioned that he wanted to have a divination performed for his deceased father to determine his fate. He also mentioned that he had met Miaoyu's master when he was in Suzhou, and was deeply impressed by her profound Buddhist teachings. He also knew that she was proficient in "the method of innate divine calculation," so he specifically wanted to invite her to perform a spirit reading and divination.

Master Jingci then understood. She thought to herself, "Why did such a distinguished person have to make a special trip so late at night when we could just ask a few female Buddhist disciples to perform the ritual?"

It turns out that the distinguished person had suffered from constipation and was feeling uneasy, so he came to ask for advice on good or bad fortune.

So, Abbess Jingci tactfully told Jia Lian that although Miaoyu's master was staying at her humble abode, she was currently ill and probably unable to serve him. Then she offered herself up, saying that she was also proficient in some divination methods and that it would be just as good if she were to take over.

Jia Lian, you son of a bitch.

Although Master Jingci was somewhat embarrassed, adhering to the principle that the customer is always right, she quickly took the initiative to push Miaoyu forward.

Jia Lian then said, "That's the only way."

……

Muni-in has a well-established process for serving distinguished individuals.

Under the instructions of the abbess, a Buddhist altar was quickly prepared for Jia Lian, an inner hall decorated with Buddhist and Taoist atmosphere.

Jia Lian then sat inside and waited.

Outside, an old nun from the Muni Monastery, already quite displeased to see Miaoyu arrive late, was further angered to see her arrive empty-handed, without even the basic tools for "spirit writing." She immediately began to reprimand her.

Miaoyu's expression turned very unpleasant, and she replied without any politeness, "In that case, I will go back, and you can invite someone else."

It was Master Jingci who stepped in and smoothed things over.

Master Jingci was well-versed in human nature and knew that even those who made a living in Buddhism had their own ways of doing things. Not everyone believed in their pretentious and mysterious ways; some important people might actually be drawn to Miaoyu's "unfathomable" demeanor.

Moreover, the person inside was a young gentleman. With Miaoyu's ethereal and otherworldly aura, she might not need any real skills; she could easily captivate the nobleman with her appearance alone. So, he smiled and invited Miaoyu in.

If it were Miaoyu's previous temperament, she would never have compromised if someone offended her.

Now that we've come this far, how can I feel at ease if I don't go in and take a look? So I could only pretend to be generous for once, snort, and accompany Abbess Jingci into the Buddhist hall.

As soon as she entered the inner room, she caught a glimpse of the tall and imposing figure kneeling on the prayer mat. Miaoyu stopped in her tracks, her body trembling slightly.

"Esteemed benefactor, Master Miaoyu has arrived."

With a recommendation from Abbess Jingci, Jia Lian turned his head.

It was him, it really was him, that despicable thief...

Jia Lian also glanced at Miaoyu, his eyes lighting up slightly.

As expected, girls change a lot as they grow up, becoming more and more beautiful. So she stood up, stepped forward, and bowed, saying, "Disciple greets the Fairy Maiden."

In Abbess Jingci's eyes, Jia Lian's reaction further convinced her that he was a genuine Buddhist. Otherwise, upon seeing a beautiful woman like Miaoyu, he would never have been able to so quickly adjust his mindset and address her as a fairy.

She had seen far too many scions of noble families, some of whom were quite unsavory. When they saw her few handsome disciples, they would either gleam with lust or look around in bewilderment. How could Jia Lian be so calm and composed?

He glanced at Miaoyu and thought to himself that she was still young; she probably hadn't expected the visiting pilgrim to be so handsome and charming.

Not wanting Miaoyu to lose her composure and be looked down upon, Abbess Jingci boasted to Jia Lian about Miaoyu's abilities. Only after seeing Miaoyu regain her confidence did she quietly withdraw.

Since this distinguished person is seeking guidance from Buddhism, it must involve some private matters that are not for outsiders to know.

At first, Abbess Jingci was worried whether Miaoyu's Taoist skills were enough to subdue Jia Lian, or whether Miaoyu might offend Jia Lian by acting out. After waiting for a while and seeing that there was nothing unusual coming from inside, Abbess Jingci was relieved.

Looking at Aqi and Aqin, who were guarding Jia Lian closely at the door, Abbess Jingci thought to herself, "As expected of a noble family, even their two maids are such beautiful women." Thus, the last bit of worry in her heart disappeared.

He left the two old nuns there to look after things and went back to rest.

Inside the inner hall, Miaoyu silently walked to the prayer mat on the north side and knelt down, sitting opposite Jia Lian across the low incense table. She neither looked up nor spoke. As the nun who had been lighting incense left, the room suddenly fell silent.

Under the watchful gaze of the towering Buddha statue, only two incense burners and a few candlesticks burned silently.

Jia Lian was delighted. As the saying goes, "to admire a beauty under the lamp," and this was a woman like Miaoyu, who was ranked among the top in the Twelve Beauties of Jinling for her beauty.

Did you enjoy it? Absolutely.

After a long while, perhaps noticing Jia Lian's inappropriate gaze, Miaoyu finally raised her head and glared at Jia Lian with her eyes, which were filled with hidden tears and anger.

"Pah, you lecherous scoundrel."

Upon hearing this, Jia Lian suddenly chuckled softly.

He thought that no matter how clever Master Jingci was, she probably couldn't have imagined that the first thing the virtuous nun she invited to entertain her important client would say was this.

This is like the opening remarks a master should make when a devout believer faces him.

Seeing Jia Lian smile, Miaoyu was even more furious, wishing she could pick up the incense burner in front of her and smash it at Jia Lian. But then she immediately worried, what if the burning incense burned his handsome face? Wouldn't that be a terrible sin?

With no other options and being mocked by the other party, Miaoyu could only cover her face and weep.

The hardships and grievances she felt—including the upheaval in her family, her master's critical illness, and being forced to live under someone else's roof—overwhelmed her with uncontrollable emotions when she saw Jia Lian, the heart thief, making it impossible for her not to cry.

After seeing this, Jia Lian felt embarrassed and stopped laughing.

Well, another proud and spoiled girl who needs to be coaxed.

So he stood up, walked around the incense table, and went to Miaoyu.

Miaoyu immediately became alert, leaning back and asking, "What do you want to do?"

Jia Lian remained silent, and slowly knelt on the prayer mat where Miaoyu was kneeling.

There wasn't enough space, so Miaoyu subconsciously stepped back a little, and Jia Lian took the opportunity to move in.

Embarrassed, Miaoyu tried to abandon the prayer mat and flee.

"Don't move."

Jia Lian reached out and held Miaoyu's shoulders, looking at her with a serious expression, as if he wanted to wipe something dirty off her face.

Miaoyu froze the moment Jia Lian's warm hand touched her shoulder. A feeling she had relived countless times in her dreams, now truly experiencing, surged into her heart once more.

A surge of heat began to flow.

Jia Lian had only wanted to test the girl's feelings for him, but he was taken aback by her blank reaction.

It seems like her romantic feelings are getting a little too obvious.

But this is good, it saves a lot of trouble.

"you……"

"Don't speak, just look at me."

Noticing that Miaoyu was starting to react and showing signs of disobedience, Jia Lian released her shoulders and instead cupped her face in his hands.

Just as Miaoyu was worried that her makeup had been ruined and she was anxiously wondering if she would look ugly..., she saw Jia Lian cup her face in his hands and pull his well-defined lips, which exuded a warm and intoxicating scent...

Whether it's accepting fate or struggling, it all seems futile.

Miaoyu vaguely saw the direction that fate was guiding her towards in this life.

……