Free Web NovelChapter 67: Chapter 66: First Encounter (Monthly Votes 10+)
Releasing animals is to form good relationships, accumulate merit and virtue, but if not done with care, it can lead to inadvertently harming the creatures, thus creating sin.
Mrs. Zhen agreed after hearing this, saying, "The releasing pool is right in front of the main hall, didn’t you see it when you came?"
Du Yunluo placed her hat on the table, blinked playfully, and said, "Mother forbids me from wandering around aimlessly."
"That’s my mistake then." Mrs. Zhen covered her mouth and laughed, pulling Du Yunluo to sit down, "Have some tea first to moisten your throat, I’ll arrange for Nanny Zhao to guide you there later. Yun Di, you go as well, there are a lot of people today, with your brother accompanying you, it’ll prevent Nannan from accidentally bumping into anyone."
Du Yundi responded.
Nanny Zhao left the side room, calling for two maids to lift the water buckets. ƒreewebɳovel.com
Jin Ling brought in the tea and arranged a platter of snacks.
Only then did Du Yunluo have the time to observe the side room.
Fa Yin Temple covers a large area and often has guests from noble families coming to worship, thus many side rooms were built in the western part of the central axis for guests to rest.
The size of the side room is appropriate, and although the furnishings aren’t as elaborate as those in a mansion, there is a distinctive Zen atmosphere.
On the wall hangs a picture of the Thousand-Hand Guanyin, with an offering table in front of it, the bronze incense burner lit with sandalwood, calming one’s mind with each breath.
Behind the house grows green bamboo, soaring as tall as four or five people, blocking much sunlight, making the room noticeably cooler.
Mrs. Zhen favored this environment so much that she remembered the Lishan Academy she hadn’t visited yet and got interested, asking Du Yundi about the size of his room and how the furniture was arranged, to which Du Yundi answered one by one.
Nanny Zhao entered, bowed her head, and said, "Madam, everything is ready, should Fifth Miss head over now or rest a little longer?"
Mrs. Zhen turned to look at Du Yunluo, seeing her eyes filled with excitement, didn’t hold her back: "Let’s go over now, the sooner you go, the sooner you’ll return, the meals in the temple are scheduled, do not delay."
Du Yunluo agreed repeatedly, grabbed her hat, and walked out first.
The aquatic life that the Du Family was releasing was packed into four large barrels, with fresh water added, making them very heavy. Two maids paired up to lift the water buckets and followed the masters.
Besides Jin Ling, Nanny Zhao assigned additional people to follow.
Exiting the courtyard of the side room, circling back to the central axis, bypassing the main hall from the side, they arrived at the releasing pool.
Du Yunluo walked neither too fast nor too slow, but her eyes were never idle, continuously scanning around, hoping to find that figure lingering in her mind.
However, the closer she got to the main hall, the more crowded it became, and despite her thorough searching, she found nothing.
There was no room to move at the edge of the releasing pool either.
The pilgrims noticed the maids behind carrying water buckets and made way.
Four barrels were laid out by the poolside, and when the lids were lifted, a carp leaped out, splashing water everywhere. Standing nearby, Du Yunluo’s sleeve was half-dampened by the fishy water.
Nanny Zhao saw this, immediately frowned, and scolded softly, "So careless, staining the girl’s clothes!"
The maid hung her head, not daring to respond.
Jin Ling took out a handkerchief and carefully wiped Du Yunluo.
Du Yunluo was about to say "It doesn’t matter," when out of the corner of her eye, she saw several young figures not far away, one of them standing with his back to her, the blue-gray long robe highlighting his tall and straight figure.
Even just a back view, Du Yunluo could recognize him at a glance.
That was Mu Lianxiao.
The Mu Lianxiao she had been searching for all day.
Beside her, she couldn’t hear what Jin Ling was muttering about, her eyes glued to Mu Lianxiao, unable to look away.
In a daze, she recalled the past.
In the past, too, a carp had wetted her sleeve, and Nanny Zhao had berated the servants, and the fishy smell bothered her, causing her to throw Jin Ling’s handkerchief aside, refusing further assistance, rushing back to the side room to wash and change.
The area was already crowded, and she, a delicate girl, was walking ahead, hearing Jin Ling catching up behind, she continued to walk without stopping, turning to tell Jin Ling not to follow.
Before finishing her words, she collided with someone, both falling into the releasing pool.
Not knowing how to swim, she instinctively grabbed onto someone beside her, and when she was brought back to the shore, wet through, Nanny Zhao and Jin Ling nearly fainted.
It was then Du Yunluo realized that the person she fell into the water with was Mu Lianxiao, whom she had once cried to avoid marrying.
Half a lifetime later, she understood that falling into the water wasn’t an accident, but people from the Lian Family had pushed them.
In this life, the marriage was already set, the Lian Family shouldn’t have people stationed nearby waiting to push them into the water to make it happen.
Instinctively, Du Yunluo brushed off Jin Ling’s hand and walked forward.
Step by step, the feeling from the dream swirled in her heart, fearing it was just another dream—a dream where she would use every bit of strength to run and chase but never get close to Mu Lianxiao.
Even if it’s only a dream, even just a dream, let it be like the dream, to give her a smile more dazzling than summer blossoms.
Du Yunluo silently prayed, hoping Mu Lianxiao would turn his head, allowing her to truly see him. freёwebnovel.com
Perhaps the heavens heard her prayers, as the pilgrims suddenly erupted into an uproar, drawing the attention of those young fellows.
With wide eyes, Du Yunluo gazed blankly at that familiar face, mirroring the eyebrows and lips and nose bridge in her memory; she stood there, unable to move her feet, nor her gaze.
"Miss!" A sudden shriek from Jin Ling came from the side.
Du Yunluo snapped back to reality, without knowing what happened, she just felt her arm had been heavily knocked, stumbling, her body leaning towards the releasing pool.
Falling into the water again?
This time alone?
With a splash, water splashed everywhere.
Du Yunluo sat down on the ground with a thump, without the suffocating feeling of entering the water; she heard many shouting voices and water sounds, suddenly realizing someone had fallen into the water, and it wasn’t her.
An agonizing pain pierced her ankle, as if someone had pulled her then released, causing her to stumble and twist her foot.
In front of her was the blue-gray hem; Du Yunluo’s heart tightened suddenly, she quickly raised her head, staring at the person before her in astonishment.
Her gaze collided directly into the bright eyes; Du Yunluo didn’t even notice her hat had fallen beside, exposing her emotions entirely.
This was the handsome youth she had longed for countless times, the closest she’d been to him in decades, within reach.
"You..." Startled by the unfamiliar girl staring so intensely, Mu Lianxiao couldn’t help but frown slightly, ready to say something, but upon hearing someone call "Fifth Sister" urgently nearby, recognized them immediately, and at the surprise, glancing back at Du Yunluo, less precaution and rejection lingered in his eyes, "Are you..."
Pressing against the ground with slight strength, seeing Mu Lianxiao crouching to look at her, she curled her lips slightly, controlling her trembling voice, "Du Family Yunluo."
Before the words even finished, tears were already streaming down her face.
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The author’s note isn’t visible on the client side, so here are some words from the writer.
Feeling very low today. I haven’t received a recommendation message since Friday, and I’ve been hoping it was just a backend issue. But upon changing ranks today, it’s confirmed that it’s a bare launch, without even a shred of promotion.
Of the five books, A Good End had the best public response and is the only one launched bare, and I don’t know why.
The first subscription for a new book is very important, impacting many subsequent things. Already bare for two weeks, launching bare is really...
Therefore, each subscription, every monthly vote, every reward from all of you matters deeply to me, truly, thank you all for your continued support, I’ll keep pushing forward.
No matter how late I write today, I will definitely release updates for votes over 20 this month.
