MNL Chapter 23
by VolareChapter 23: A Tilted Umbrella, Thinking You’d Like It This Way.
Considering it might rain soon, they took the umbrella anyway. It was a bit old, with a missing piece on the handle.
When Shen Yan paid at the end, he secretly left a few hundred yuan inside the driver’s car. Xu Jing saw this and wasn’t surprised, because Shen Yan had always been like that.
For example, sometimes Cha Fei’ang would go ask Shen Yan math questions. Shen Yan would be asleep, but even though he’d wake up with a cold face, he’d still take the problem. Or, another time, when he was walking home, he followed the sound of a cat to the storage room. The cat was meowing miserably, and someone was squatting in front of it. Judging by the figure and clothing, it was definitely Shen Yan. Xu Jing’s first reaction was that he was abusing the cat, and he was about to stop him when the meowing slowly subsided. After the person left, he saw a white cat lying on the ground, a mouse trap kicked to the side. The cat’s paw was wrapped in thick bandages, and its tail had a pretty bow.
Sometimes Xu Jing felt that Shen Yan was like the king in a novel he’d read before. The king looked tall and mighty, fierce and terrifying, but he loved his people like his own children and would sit quietly in a hidden corner, lost in thought.
Kind and lonely.
“Little girl—” Shen Yan drawled, a half-smile on his face, as he waved the umbrella in front of Xu Jing.
Never mind, he took back what he just thought.
This guy was just asking for a beating.
At this moment, black clouds were gathering in the sky, and the day had already grown dim. No wonder there were so many ants on the ground, scurrying into their holes.
“When you go out, don’t you check the weather?”
Shen Yan glanced at the sky and replied unhurriedly, “If we had come in the morning, we would already be home by now.”
“…”
How did it sound like it was his fault?
The river surface rippled. Shen Yan wiped a raindrop off the back of his hand, casually leaning closer as he opened the umbrella, and whispered, “Whose fault is it?”
“Don’t get so close to me.”
“It’s just one umbrella.”
Xu Jing gave an “oh” and said, “Then still don’t get so close to me.”
Shen Yan said in a provocative tone, “Little girl, you’re so demanding.”
“Try calling me that again.”
Shen Yan laughed dismissively. “What do you want to do?”
Xu Jing said coldly, “I’ll shut your mouth.”
Shen Yan’s smile deepened. “With what? Your mouth?”
As soon as those words were spoken, both of them froze for a few seconds. Shen Yan, realizing what he’d said, felt a little awkward and cleared his throat, saying, “Let’s go.”
Qiyuan Mountain was considered a minor tourist attraction, but there was no entrance fee. The mountain was high and the path steep. Years ago, when the local economy wasn’t developed, someone fell halfway up the mountain and disappeared without a trace. Not long after that, the government funded repairs to the area. Visitors parked their cars at the foot of the mountain and took the specially opened road to reach the summit.
But it was too high.
Xu Jing looked at the mountain in front of him and his phone with no signal, wondering if he really had a problem with his brain. Why wasn’t he sleeping soundly at home, instead of running to a place like this with him?
“I thought you didn’t believe in it at the time, so what changed your mind?”
Shen Yan didn’t reply, but pointed ahead. Xu Jing looked and saw a wooden sign with four bold characters: “Believers will not regret.”
“If one day I can really find him,” Shen Yan turned his head and said, “you will be a great benefactor to me.”
They were clearly good words, but Xu Jing wasn’t happy after hearing them. The last three words seemed to be cursed, constantly echoing in his ears, impossible to get rid of.
If Shen Yan really found that person one day, would their current life change as a result? If that person was in another city, would Shen Yan leave with him without hesitation? But then again, Shen Yan was a man, and so was that person. Even if they met, what would they do, what could they do?
For some reason, Xu Jing felt a strange hostility towards that person in his heart. Honestly, he didn’t want Shen Yan to find that person, preferably never meeting him at all.
What a great benefactor.
He didn’t want to be that.
Very few people were hiking in this kind of weather. They didn’t encounter anyone along the way. It was quiet all around, with only a few raindrops falling on the ground, on the rocks, and on the withered leaves, like a symphony played on a piano.
“Why are you walking so far away from me?” Xu Jing snapped out of his thoughts and felt the person beside him reach out and pull him closer. The umbrella tilted slightly, and a laugh entered his ear. “Do you think I’ll eat you?”
Warm breath brushed against his earlobe, leaving a blush. Xu Jing’s head was spinning. What was he thinking just now? What was that thought that had barely surfaced, that he didn’t dare to continue thinking about? What would Shen Yan and that guy do?
Xu Jing suddenly thought of what Shen Yan had just said, shutting his mouth with his mouth. Wasn’t that kissing?
Would Shen Yan kiss that guy?
Several streaks of silver light flashed across the sky, followed by two loud rumbles of thunder. Whether it was because the thunder was too sudden or his thoughts were too shocking, Xu Jing was startled. He felt a strong sense of guilt for some reason.
The vague thoughts in his mind were like small flames. When he felt Shen Yan’s arm tighten around him, Xu Jing almost jumped up as if he’d been burned.
“You…”
“Hmm?”
“Don’t hold the umbrella like that!”
Hearing this, Shen Yan’s fingers on the umbrella handle twitched. The scar across his knuckles also curved. He looked at how he was holding the umbrella. It was normal, there was nothing wrong with it.
Xu Jing’s reaction made Shen Yan a bit strange.
“Then how do you think I should hold it?”
Xu Jing was silent for a moment and then started to regret it. So what if they were a little close? Why react so strongly? It just made it seem like he had ulterior motives, that he was overthinking things.
Shen Yan seemed eager to know the answer, and added, “Show me how.”
Xu Jing simply went for broke. “I’ll do it.”
This meant he wanted Shen Yan to let go, but unexpectedly, Shen Yan’s usually quick reactions were slow at this moment.
As if he was waiting for him.
Delicate skin touched the jagged scar, creating a unique sensation.
“Why don’t you take it away?!”
Shen Yan looked at their overlapping hands, his expression half puzzled, half profound, his tone indescribable. He said, “I thought you liked it this way.”
Xu Jing: “…”
The rain was getting heavier and heavier. Both of them were adults, and it was barely enough to share one umbrella. After walking for more than ten minutes, they accidentally came to a temple.
However, it was empty. Except for a golden Buddha statue, there was nothing else. But the surroundings were clean and tidy, and the offerings were fresh, so someone must come here to clean often.
Xu Jing looked around, pausing slightly as his gaze swept over Shen Yan. Shen Yan was wearing a pure white shirt today, with a casual T-shirt underneath, and the loose legs of his pants were rolled up neatly.
Half of Shen Yan’s body was wet. The shirt clung to his body, and the muscles on his arms were slightly raised, forming a few nice curves.
It was already pouring rain outside, but he hadn’t felt much rain when he came in. Looking at it now, it was because the umbrella had always been tilted towards him.
“I don’t think this rain will stop anytime soon, or else—” Shen Yan paused. He felt uncomfortable with the wet shirt clinging to his body. He had just taken half of the shirt off when he noticed Xu Jing looking him up and down, giving him an indescribable feeling.
“What are you looking at?”
“Nothing.” Xu Jing looked away and said, “Or else what?”
“Sit here for a while.”
Xu Jing casually glanced around, his delicate eyebrows furrowed tightly, clearly unwilling.
Although he had sat down last time, that was on the lawn. The ground here looked clean, but there might still be dirty things. Compared to that, he’d rather stand and be tired.
When Shen Yan saw this, he immediately folded the shirt he had taken off and placed it in front of Xu Jing, saying, “Sit.”
Xu Jing said, “No.”
“Why?”
“It’ll get your clothes dirty.”
“It’s okay.”
“No.”
“…”
Just as the atmosphere was getting a bit tense, a monk suddenly walked in from outside. The person walked very quietly, to put it bluntly, it was as if a strand of soul was floating in, and the appearance was silent.
He wore a blue-gray gown, and his actions were too regulated, but his eyes were dull and dull, as if he could not see anything.
It was really a bit strange, Shen Yan and Xu Jing were both slightly stunned.
The monk looked at the front with a calm face, and walked straight to the table as if they did not exist. He slowly pulled out two incense sticks from the oil paper bag on the side, then dipped them in the furnace, bent over while half-covering his hands, although he was expressionless, there was still a strong sense of sincerity and respect between his eyebrows.
Xu Jing gently walked to Shen Yan’s side and whispered, “Can’t he see us?”
Soon, a voice came from the front in reply, “Can see.”
The voice was like a bronze bell ringing outside the temple, thick and powerful, which was extremely inconsistent with this person’s appearance.
The monk inserted the incense into the furnace, and soon a faint sandalwood fragrance came out of it. He stood for a moment, then turned his head and said to Xu Jing, “My eyes are very good, and my ears are very sharp.”
Xu Jing: “…”
Shen Yan stared at him strangely, “Where is this?”
“This is Guichan Temple, and my residence is in the back.” The monk gave a salute and calmly said, “Burning incense and worshiping Buddha requires concentration, and there must be no distractions. If the heart is not sincere, the things you think about will naturally not be known by God, and you will not be able to get what you want.”
The monk’s eyes turned back and forth between Shen Yan and Xu Jing, and said, “Are you here to ask for marriage?”
Xu Jing almost cursed.
Is this monk’s brain broken? Two men are here to ask for what kind of marriage.
Shen Yan was very calm, and said, “No, I want to find someone.”
After the words fell, the monk just nodded and did not respond, and said, “The road is wet and slippery today, you might as well come again tomorrow.”
Seeing that the monk was about to turn around and leave, Xu Jing quickly grabbed him first, “Wait.”
At the same time, he looked back at Shen Yan, and the other party understood and stepped forward to stop him, and smiled, “Master, we have a few questions to ask you.”
Looking closely, this monk was actually born extremely well, with sword eyebrows and a high nose, and there was no trace of flaws on his face. He really had a bit of the kind of spotless and unblemished person who came out of the painting.
Seeing this, the monk still didn’t have any extra reaction, and only said, “Then come with me.”