Chapter 75: Unexpected Encounter

Cheng Ling looked toward Qin Qing. His wife, Yun Rui, noticed and, following his gaze, also spotted Qin Qing.

Qin Qing didn’t shy away. She approached them with composure.

“Dear guests, is there anything you need help with?”

Cheng Ling glanced at her, then at Zhang Haochen standing beside her, and shook his head.

He placed the three sticks of incense into the large incense burner.

Qin Qing said, “Then I won’t disturb you two. Please, take your time.”

Before leaving, she added, “You don’t look well. The Taoist temple has a free clinic run by Daoist priests. There’s no consultation or medicine fee. If you need it, do take a look.”

And with that, she truly left.

Whether such a kind-hearted person had the karmic luck to meet this fate, she didn’t know.

—

The temple was filled with curling incense smoke, and the longer Cheng Ling stayed, the more uncomfortable he felt.

He pressed a fist to his mouth and nose, coughing nonstop.

Yun Rui quickly patted his back to soothe him and helped him sit down on the stone steps nearby.

“I told you to wear a mask. What were you being so stubborn for?” she said, rummaging through her bag to pull one out for him.

Cheng Ling coughed for a long time, even bringing up streaks of blood.

He quietly accepted the wet wipes she handed him, wiped his mouth and hands, and calmly put the mask on.

He used to panic whenever he coughed up blood. Now, he was used to it.

He had accepted that he was dying.

Or rather, he had convinced himself to accept it.

At least this allowed him to spend his final days with some peace, instead of constantly fearing the unknown moment when death would arrive.

Still, he missed the world.

He didn’t want to waste his remaining days in a hospital, surrounded by machines and tubes, where he took more medicine than food.

To him, that was no different from being dead.

Even in his final moments, Cheng Ling wanted to remain immersed in the vibrance of the world.

He wanted to spend this last stretch of time feeling the world.

Even though the dust in the air and odd smells made things worse, he still didn’t want to wear a mask.

He had worn enough of them. And in his current frail, emaciated state, tormented by illness, no one would recognize him anyway.

He wanted to live like an ordinary person. He wanted to breathe the air of the world directly, not through a filter.

Yun Rui sat down beside him, poured steaming hot water from a thermos, and handed it to him.

“Just now I was worried some fan recognized you. Good thing it was a false alarm.”

“If they recognize me, so be it.”

Yun Rui said, “I don’t want that. I want your fans to remember you as the dazzling singer on stage, the music prodigy who took the scene by storm, the light in a generation’s heart.”

“Heh…” Cheng Ling chuckled. “So that’s why you post old photos of me on my Weibo from time to time?”

“I’ve hoarded so many of your photos. I can post one a week without repeating for a long time!” Yun Rui hugged his arm and leaned her cheek on his shoulder. “Cheng Ling.”

“Yeah?”

“There will be many people who remember you. The best version of you,” Yun Rui said. “Even if I’m no longer in this world, I’ll make sure they remember you.”

Cheng Ling didn’t speak. He gently patted her hand.

The two leaned on each other in silence, watching the people come and go in front of the main hall.

Cheng Ling never used to be able to place himself freely among crowds. It wouldn’t take long before fans recognized him. If he didn’t leave quickly, a stampede could happen.

Over time, it felt like there was an invisible membrane separating him from the world.

It was better like this.

He could go to morning markets and haggle with vendors over a few cents. He could wander aimlessly on the streets. Or sit here on these stone steps, watching all kinds of visitors in the Taoist temple—it was truly interesting.

For instance, two girls who looked like college students, clearly first-timers in a religious setting.

Their eyes darted around with wonder. Everything looked new and strange to them.

They held candles and incense, probably duped by shady vendors at the foot of the mountain. The temple now offered free incense and prohibited bringing your own.

They queued up with others to receive incense from a young Daoist priest, but midway, they saw an auntie performing an elaborate incense-offering and prayer ritual.

That woman was likely a devout believer. Her actions were precise, full of devotion and ceremonial flair.

The two girls exchanged glances, their eyes speaking volumes—Isn’t offering incense just lighting it and placing it in the burner? Isn’t praying just kneeling and bowing? Why are there so many steps?

They were getting cold feet.

Just then, a sudden chanting sound echoed from inside the hall. The solemn atmosphere instantly drove off these curious, non-believing girls.

They immediately fled the line, covering their faces as they ran out the door.

Cheng Ling couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

Yun Rui asked, “What are you laughing at?”

Cheng Ling whispered the story to her.

Yun Rui was speechless. “You’re this happy watching people make fools of themselves?”

Cheng Ling replied, “You didn’t see how lively their little expressions were. So full of energy.”

A Daoist walked by carrying a tray of elaborately shaped candles.

They were meant for worshippers who wanted to light longevity lamps in the temple.

Yun Rui stood up. “I want to offer one too.”

Cheng Ling wanted to stop her—it wasn’t necessary. But when he raised his hand, he didn’t manage to catch hers. If this kind of thing gave her hope…

After a while, Yun Rui returned and said, “I lit the most expensive one. It’s huge. The immortals in heaven will definitely see our lamp. Too bad each person can only offer one. Otherwise, I’d play the odds and offer so many that they have to pick ours.”

Cheng Ling patted her hand. “Alright, you win. Clever as ever.”

He stood and held out his hand. “Come on. It’s still early. Let’s walk around. I heard this Taoist temple has two Cat Daoists, super spiritual. Let’s try our luck.”

That said, they wandered the temple without any specific destination.

Suddenly, something soft and round bumped into Cheng Ling’s leg. He looked down—it was a big orange cat, round like a ball.

It looked dazed after bumping into him, meowed a few times in protest, and next to it lay a piece of freeze-dried chicken breast.

Just as Cheng Ling bent down to pet it, the orange ball flipped upright, grabbed its treat, and continued running. Hot on its tail was a tabby cat appearing out of nowhere.

Cheng Ling pulled Yun Rui along to chase after them. “Let’s go, let’s go! The legendary Cat Daoists are fighting. We’ve got to see this!”

The two cats ran into a rear hall and disappeared. That hall seemed less frequented by tourists.

Inside were two female Daoists and a child.

One of them was the same Daoist who had spoken to them earlier.

Now, she stood with the child in front of an offering table. One tall, one small, both stared up at the fruit offerings.

Same posture. Same hopeful expressions.

Cheng Ling heard her say, “I don’t know why, but the fruit on this table looks especially good—like those super expensive kinds they sell at the supermarket.”

Another female Daoist said, “Of course. These were brought by devotees to offer to the Grandmaster. They’ve been carefully chosen.”

“Carefully chosen? That plate of green-skinned tangerines in the back looks all wrinkly.”

“Oh, those are from the temple itself.”

“You’re giving the Grandmaster wrinkly tangerines?”

“The Grandmaster is magnanimous. He looks at sincerity.”

The Daoist with the child seemed thoughtful. “The Grandmaster is magnanimous…”

The other Daoist looked exasperated. “I’ll ask the Grandmaster if he’s in a good mood today, see if he’ll accept a few of your offering fruits.”

She pulled out a pair of divination blocks from somewhere under the table, knelt on a prayer mat, and began chanting softly: “Disciple humbly asks the Grandmaster if it is permitted to take a few of the offering fruits?”

She raised her hands and tossed the blocks.

Clack—they landed on the ground in two separate halves.

Everyone in the hall gathered to see the result.

Even Cheng Ling tiptoed to look.

“One yin, one yang—Holy Cup. The Patriarch actually agreed!” The Daoist priest who was casting the divining blocks raised his hand. “Don’t move yet, let me ask again. It only counts if we get three Holy Cups in a row. Maybe the Patriarch wasn’t paying attention to what I said the first time.”

The female Daoist priest holding a child sneered, “You’re so stingy. Senior Brother Wu Tun even offered to treat me to a meal today.”

The other Daoist priest continued casting the divination blocks, and as it turned out—three consecutive Holy Cups.

The female Daoist got up and placed the divination blocks back on the altar.

“Looks like the Patriarch really does want to treat you.”

“Hahaha! See how generous the Patriarch is, and you were trying to stop me.” Saying that, she picked up the child. “Come, let’s choose one. Since the Patriarch is so generous, there’s no need for us to be polite.”

Cheng Ling found it all quite amusing. So it could be done like this, too.

The gluttonous young Daoist priest was sneaking offerings from the Patriarch’s altar fruit—yet somehow still doing it with a sense of ritual.

And truly, the Patriarch was indulgent, like an elder doting on the younger generation.

Just as he was thinking this, he saw Yun Rui step forward.

He quickly stopped her. “What are you doing?”

Yun Rui replied, “The fruit that’s been offered to the Patriarch might have some magical effects, like those ginseng fruits in Journey to the West. I’m going to ask those two Daoist priests for one.”

Cheng Ling held her hand. The way Yun Rui was acting made his heart ache.

“Don’t go. It can’t be that magical. Besides, those young Daoist priests were sneaking fruit—if you go in, they’ll know they’ve been caught. How embarrassing. Come on, I heard the vegetarian dishes here are great. This place’s dining hall has gone viral online—let’s try it.”

Only then did Yun Rui let herself be dragged away reluctantly.

They wandered around for a bit more before following the signs inside the Taoist temple to the now-famous dining hall.

The queue extended all the way outside.

They paid at the front, then slowly moved along with the line.

Cheng Ling spotted the female Daoist priest with the child again, seated at a window-side table. Seated with her were the divination priest from earlier and two elder Daoist priests.

Several large plates of plump white dumplings were laid out on the table.

A similarly plump Daoist priest sat beside the female Daoist, smiling warmly as he introduced the dishes. “These are eggplant dumplings, these are daylily and wood ear mushroom, and these are pickled cabbage with glass noodles. Try them all.”

The plump priest also brought over two small stainless steel bowls filled with dark sauces.

“I mixed two kinds—one’s on the sweeter side, the other’s saltier. See which one you like better.”

The female Daoist wasn’t shy at all, eating three bowls’ worth, sampling every variety.

“Delicious!”

Cheng Ling thought so too.

It wasn’t necessarily the dumplings—it was the way she ate that made it all look especially appetizing. Ever since falling ill, his appetite had never fully recovered. But now, he actually felt a craving stir.

He figured this female Daoist priest must have a high status in the temple.

With the keen eye he’d honed at entertainment industry banquets, he could clearly tell that the elder priests at the table deferred to her.

None of them picked up their chopsticks until she had sampled each dish.

He couldn’t help but wonder who she really was.

Just then, Yun Rui’s phone rang, and she stepped away to take the call. Cheng Ling stayed in line alone and eventually reached the food counter.

“I’ll have two orders of dumplings—any kind is fine.”

The one serving was a female volunteer in a Daoist robe. She smiled apologetically.

“There are no dumplings in the dining hall today. How about some braised eggplant? The eggplant’s really good today.”

No sooner had she finished speaking than someone behind Cheng Ling called out impatiently, “Dumplings! I’ll have a serving of dumplings!”

The volunteer repeated the same polite refusal.

But the person behind wasn’t buying it.

“I saw it just now—someone was eating them. Look, that table over there!”

“Sorry, that table belongs to the Daoist priests.”

“Hey, what’s this? The Daoist priests get their own special meals?”

The volunteer, who had been all smiles before, immediately darkened at the accusation.

“No dumplings. Choose from what’s available.”

Cheng Ling didn’t argue. He accepted the recommended dish and went to find a seat.

Seeing that his wife hadn’t returned yet, he stepped outside to look for her, and found her still under the tree outside the dining hall, on the phone.

As he got closer, he realized she was talking to her agent.

“The final payment for my last film should be coming soon, right? You mentioned before you’d checked out the Daliang Mountains? Yes, let’s keep building Hope Primary Schools, and do it in Cheng Ling’s name.”

“Sis, I know what I’m doing. Having that much money by myself is useless. It means more if more people remember him than if I hoard the money alone.”

“Don’t try to talk me out of it. I can’t follow him, so I have to find something to keep going for. Carrying out what he wanted to do—that’s my hope. Maybe someday I’ll find a new purpose, but right now, I can’t.”

“And that script you’re negotiating for me—wasn’t the lead role settled? I’ve read it. The theme fits perfectly with one of his songs. Ask if we can use it as an insert or end theme. I don’t mind lowering my pay.”

“Okay. I trust you. No pressure—if it works, great… I’ll stop here. He’s still waiting for me to eat.”

Before Yun Rui could turn back, Cheng Ling had already walked away, returning to the table he had claimed.

He knew that since his illness, Yun Rui had been carrying an enormous burden.

There were things he could help with.

But matters of life and death—that was the one chasm they could never cross.

All he could do was watch as she struggled in the swamp of despair, until he died and the swamp swallowed her whole.

If there truly were gods, Cheng Ling asked for nothing else—only that the gods let Yun Rui love him a little less.

Yun Rui soon returned. Cheng Ling pretended nothing had happened and told her about the drama over the dumplings at the serving line.

As if it were nothing more than a joke.

To their surprise, the volunteer’s recommended dishes were genuinely delicious.

Just ordinary vegetables and fruits, yet they had a taste unlike anything they’d had before.

Cheng Ling unconsciously went back for seconds.

Seeing that, Yun Rui said, “I think I saw on their WeChat account that you can book a stay. Let me check if there’s a room available. If there is, let’s stay a couple more days. This food really is something else.”

Cheng Ling thought that sounded good.

With the decision made, they continued strolling around the Taoist temple after their meal.

When they reached the higher ground, the entire temple complex came into view.

The wide panorama cleared all the heaviness from their chests.

Cheng Ling instinctively took off his mask and breathed deeply several times.

Yun Rui suddenly jabbed him a few times.

“Look.”

“What?”

Cheng Ling followed the direction of her finger and saw that from their vantage point, they could see into a courtyard where a fruit tree with a thick canopy stood. It was too far to tell what kind of tree it was, but the whole tree shimmered with golden fruit.

A wooden ladder had been propped up beside the tree, and several young Daoists were moving about its branches picking fruit.

Below the tree stood a supervisor, arms akimbo, directing the Daoists in the tree.

Even from a distance, the nervousness of the young Daoists was palpable.

And the supervisor was unmistakable.

It was the same female Daoist priest with the child—who was now mimicking her, standing with hands on hips.

Yun Rui was speechless.

“Don’t they have anything else for her to do? Every time we see her, she’s either sneaking food, eating out in the open, or on her way to eat. Can’t she be busy with something not related to eating for once?”

Cheng Ling chuckled.

“She’s probably one of those young but high-ranking figures in the temple. Look how she’s got all those Daoists running around at her command.”