You all chase after the innocent school beauty, then I'll choose the rebellious female school b

Perhaps fearing Lu Yuan's refusal, Jiang Yiqing quickly added, "I'll just go draw a fortune stick, it'll be quick and won't take you too long."

Lu Yuan frowned, a look of hesitation on his face.

Seeing this, Jiang Yiqing's eyes dimmed again, and she said dejectedly, "Okay... maybe you feel that our relationship is not suitable for us to be together, then I'll go by myself."

After saying that, she walked to the side of the road, stood on tiptoe and looked in the direction of oncoming traffic, obviously waiting for a taxi.

"Alright, I'll go with you, it's fine." Lu Yuan said calmly, "We're not doing anything shady, there's no need to make things so difficult."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yiqing turned around and revealed a beautiful smile. Her eyebrows and eyes curved, like the sun suddenly shining after a cloudy day. It suited her name very well. Yiqing, Yiqing, means that you can maintain a cheerful attitude like a sunny day no matter what difficulties you encounter.

Throughout the first month of the lunar calendar, Yuncheng hosts various temple fairs, with streets and alleys adorned with lanterns and decorations, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere.

When Lu Yuan was a child, he loved going to these kinds of events with his friends. Now, reminiscing about his childhood isn't such a bad thing.

On the drive to the temple fair, Lu Yuan couldn't help but ask, "Did you make plans with someone there?"

Jiang Yiqing, sitting in the passenger seat, shook her head: "No. I went alone. I just wanted to draw a fortune stick for my mother to pray for her safety."

"What do you mean?"

Lu Yuan keenly sensed that the information revealed in those words was not simple.

Jiang Yiqing looked sad, lowered her eyes, and lowered her voice: "Actually, I haven't told you... my mother is sick and has been undergoing treatment."

"..."

Lu Yuan fell silent. He really didn't know that.

Jiang Yiqing never talks about her family situation with others, but it is common knowledge that her family is of modest means.

"If you have any difficulties, you can talk to us, your friends."

Jiang Yiqing and Xu Lingjing are best friends and keep in close contact; now that they're in college, she's roommates with Ye Yixian. And whether in middle school or college, she's always been well-liked.

With such connections, if she encounters difficulties, she can simply ask for help and she won't be left without assistance.

"There will definitely be difficulties." Jiang Yiqing pursed her lips, her expression conflicted. "But we can manage. My mother is having surgery next month, and I heard that the amulets at the temple fair are particularly effective, so I plan to get one."

"So that's how it is..."

Lu Yuan nodded and fell into deep thought.

He thought back and realized he hadn't really seen Jiang Yiqing's family much. Did her family attend the high school parent-teacher conferences or the 100-day countdown rally?

It seemed to be her father or some other relative who came; in any case, I had never seen her mother.

"How long has your mother been sick?" Lu Yuan asked.

"It's been several years."

When Jiang Yiqing mentioned this, a look of sadness visibly appeared on her face.

"What illness?" Lu Yuan asked again.

"Stomach problems. I used to treat it with medication, which cost me a lot of money over the years, but it didn't get better. In fact, it got worse, and now I have to have surgery."

"Is that so..."

In everyone's memory, Jiang Yiqing was Xu Lingjing's best friend, and some people thought she was Xu Lingjing's follower.

In the past, Jiang Yiqing would always get a share of the food and drinks that Lu Yuan gave to Xu Lingjing, so it wasn't a big deal.

But upon closer reflection, if she weren't close to Xu Lingjing, she might not have been willing to buy those delicious treats.

Despite her glamorous appearance, Jiang Yiqing's life is not actually wealthy. She is just naturally beautiful and doesn't use any expensive cosmetics. For example, the foundation she uses now is a cheap, off-brand product that's a bit cakey.

She wasn't as poor as Ye Yixian used to be; she wasn't so poor that she couldn't afford to eat, but it was still difficult for her to enjoy any material comforts.

"Do you have enough money for the surgery?" Lu Yuan thought for a moment. At this point, the only thing he could do to help her was to give her money.

Jiang Yiqing understood what Lu Yuan meant and quickly shook her head: "It's enough, you don't need to spend money. Although our family is not rich, we are not so poor that we can't even come up with tens of thousands of yuan."

"All right."

Lu Yuan said nothing more and soon drove to the temple fair in the west of the city.

The place was packed with people, and the nearby parking lots were already full. They had to find a secluded spot to park and then walk into the temple fair.

The journey was filled with the sounds of gongs and drums, laughter and cheers, creating a lively atmosphere. Vendors lined the streets, selling all sorts of things, but mainly various toys, such as Monkey King masks, small windmills, and cartoon balloons—a dazzling array of goods.

There is a Yunjiang Temple here, which has a history of more than 200 years. It is considered a local historical site and is very popular. During festivals, a large number of tourists come here.

It's currently the Spring Festival, so there are especially many visitors, and almost every corner of the temple has become a popular spot for taking photos.

Jiang Yiqing first went to burn incense for Buddha and offered sincere prayers.

Lu Yuan stayed by her side the whole time, watching as Jiang Yiqing clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, and silently prayed for more than ten minutes. Of all the people present who were worshipping Buddha and praying, none were more devout than her.

You can imagine how much she cares about her mother and how much she hopes the surgery next month will go smoothly.

After she finished praying to Buddha, the two of them went to queue up together to ask for amulets for peace and safety.

There were so many people asking for amulets today that two long lines stretched all the way to the main entrance.

Getting a peace charm costs money, twenty yuan each, as the saying goes, Buddha saves all sentient beings.

While waiting in line, Lu Yuan chatted with Jiang Yiqing, asking her, "Why did you decide to come here to pray to Buddha and ask for a talisman?"

Jiang Yiqing smiled and said, "I heard that the amulets here are very effective, so I came to take a look."

She paused, then continued, "I know you don't believe in these things, and actually, I don't either. But I've done everything I can. All that's left is to pray. In the end, I just want peace of mind. I don't want anything to go wrong and me to regret not coming. Of course, it would be best if nothing happened at all."

"Yes, I understand."

Lu Yuan expressed his understanding.

It's not that I completely disbelieve it. After all, there are many things in this world that cannot be explained by science.

For example, rebirth.

Have you ever met a reincarnated person?

Never encountered this before?

You may have encountered this before, but they just haven't revealed it.

Are all those who made a fortune through stock trading and venture capital just lucky? Maybe one of them is a reincarnation from the future.

The two didn't chat the whole time while queuing; Lu Yuan spent most of the time looking down at his phone.

At first, Lu Yuan didn't intend to ask for a peace charm, but in the end he felt that since he had already queued for so long, it would be a waste not to take something with him, so he asked for five at once.

Jiang Yiqing was puzzled as to why he wanted so much.

Lu Yuan explained with a smile that he had given away his own, his parents', and Ye Yixian's and her brother's gifts—he hadn't missed a single one.

Upon hearing Ye Yixian's name, Jiang Yiqing's expression changed slightly, and she tentatively asked, "Did Ye Yixian come to your house for New Year's Eve dinner?"

"Yes, they stayed at my house yesterday."

Lu Yuan thought about what had happened in the past few days, and his smile was impossible to hide; he was filled with happiness.

Jiang Yiqing and Lu Yuan walked out together. Looking at the undisguised happy smile on Lu Yuan's face, she felt a mix of emotions and was somewhat dazed.

She was about to say something when suddenly her feet slipped...

He fell straight down.