It was high noon in China.
Upon waking, Shen Jing’s first instinct was to search for her phone under the pillow. She yawned lazily, leaning against the headboard, and scrolled through her call history: Zhuang Ming, outgoing call, two hours.
What could I possibly have talked about with Zhuang Ming for two hours while I was drunk? she wondered. Could that robot, Zhuang Ming, actually hold a conversation with ?
I probably didn’t think much of it. Maybe I just randomly pressed buttons, and neither of us hung up.
Shen Jing couldn’t rember anything from the previous night, not a single detail.
Old Master Shen was having lunch and watched her co downstairs. A car from the Zhou Family had brought her ho in the early hours; there was no need to guess who had arranged it.
As she was getting ready to leave for work, Old Master Shen called out to her.
"Still pestering him, huh?"
Shen Jing turned back into the house. Not understanding what Old Master Shen ant, she responded with a cheeky smile, "Pester what exactly?"
Old Master Shen snorted. "A hard piece of iron."
Shen Jing reached for a carton of milk and took a sip. "If you keep grinding at it, won’t it eventually wear smooth?"
Her utter nonsense made Old Master Shen so exasperated that he couldn’t help but laugh.
"Fill yourself up before you leave; don’t worry about being late."
Shen Jing waved goodbye. "Ninth Uncle is docking my pay by 600 yuan this month. He’s so black-hearted."
It was only a few days into the month, and she had already been late six tis. While 600 yuan wasn’t much, it was undeniable proof of her laziness. But she was competent at her job, so Old Master Shen had only instructed the company’s managent to give her a minor punishnt in this way.
In the six months Shen Jing had been with the company, she’d had plenty of clever ideas, and the projects she took on were generally profitable. Old Master Shen mulled it over for a few days. Although she had soone influential pulling strings for her, her performance review was good. So, he decided to overlook the connections and planned to promote her to keep her happy.
The promotion to a junior managerial role made her so overjoyed that the only person she treated to a al out was Xie Qinyang.
「It was early autumn.」
The weather turned cool.
She eventually heard the news of Zhou Luchen and Wenxin’s wedding. It wasn’t as grandly publicized as she had imagined.
All I can do is offer congratulations, Shen Jing thought.
Since I didn’t receive an invitation, I’ve saved a considerable sum. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have known how much was appropriate for a wedding gift for an ex.
The Double Ninth Festival arrived, signaling the change of seasons. The climate beca intensely dry, and her grandfather’s cough worsened. After nurous hospital visits and substantial expenses, the old man’s condition improved slightly, and he insisted on returning ho. At his age, with one foot already in the grave, recovery from even minor coughs and colds during autumn was particularly slow.
It beca even worse as winter set in.
Taking advantage of a lull in her work, Shen Jing spent a considerable sum on Prayer Lamps for her grandfather and grandmother. Then, taking only her laptop, she went on a spiritual retreat to a temple in the Western Suburbs.
It is said that sincerity brings divine acknowledgnt.
She abstained from at and desires for seven days.
Shen Jing devoutly knelt at each step as she ascended from the first to the thirteenth. She received the Prayer Lamp from the Abbot’s hands, entered the temple hall, and continued her prostrations.
She hadn’t brought winter clothes, and with the sudden change of season, Beijing had beco particularly cold. Shen Jing had no choice but to ask Uncle Liang to send her so.
It wasn’t Uncle Liang who ca, but Sun Qiyan.
Seeing the man standing at the foot of the temple steps, she felt a little flustered and hid her hands behind her back. "Are you in Beijing on business?"
Sun Qiyan lifted the bag he was holding. "I’ve brought you so clothes."
"Thank you for going to the trouble."
"I ca to see you," he said, a teasing glint in his eyes. "Everyone’s saying you’ve gone up the mountain to beco a nun. I had to co and see for myself whether you’re a nun with a shaven head or one who still has her hair."
Though he spoke jokingly, Sun Qiyan kept his gaze fixed on her eyes, trying to discern any trace of sorrow. Sun Qiyan had only learned that morning that Zhou Luchen was getting married; it was being whispered about in their circles. He feared...
He feared she’d be upset and had co just to check on her.
She appeared unexpectedly calm and serene, smiling sweetly as she nibbled on a pear. The temple’s incense smoke swirled around her. Occasionally, Pilgrims would pass by in small groups of two or three, either to offer incense or explore the mountain. Dressed in a plain, simple gray T-shirt, she seed almost to blend into the background, as if devoid of color.
Sun Qiyan withdrew his gaze and stepped up the stairs toward her.
"Let’s talk inside."
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