Zhao Pei got up early and went to Master Liao Wu's courtyard with He Hui to listen to his lecture. Master Liao Wu was already in his seventies, but he was still in good spirits. Zhao Pei listened respectfully, but halfway through she saw You An running in and talking to Master Liao Wu. She guessed that something had happened in the temple and Master Liao Wu had to make the decision.
Liao Wu was a little embarrassed, and he didn't want to leave Zhao Pei and He Hui here, so he asked You An to invite Zhi Tong to continue to preach for them. You An went there happily, but it was Ji Jijiang who came in after a while.
He looked very unhappy and had something on his mind.
Seeing Zhao Pei and He Hui kneeling on the mat, he stammered, "I just came out from Master Zhitong. He was not feeling well and went to sleep. You... Let's go somewhere else."
Zhao Pei saw that he looked very unnatural, and asked hesitantly, "What's wrong? Master Zhitong is not feeling well? You'an has already gone to call him, so let's go find You'an as soon as possible."
Ji Jiang smiled faintly: "I have called him back. Brother He, how about we play a game of chess? Zhao Pei, would you like to watch the game?"
He didn't care about Zhao Pei and He Hui's nonsense, and immediately pulled them out of the room without waiting for them to express their opinions. He Hui shook his head helplessly, but Zhao Pei's heart was filled with doubts. Ji Jijiang's reaction... was a bit strange. But he couldn't tell what was wrong.
Youan saw the three people walking away, and stopped at the corner with a pout. He muttered with dissatisfaction on his face: "Really... Why did they leave? They haven't seen Uncle Zhitong yet." Then he turned around and looked up at the silent Zhitong and said: "Uncle, shall we go find them?"
Zhitong smiled faintly and shook his head: "Forget it." After saying that, his eyes drifted away. After a long silence, he slowly retracted his gaze and touched Youan's head.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
A few days later, Zhao Pei received a package from the Yangzhou Inn. When she opened it, she found several men's and women's clothes, as well as some daily necessities. She also wrote a letter asking Zhao Pei to stay well in Yaoguang Temple, and she would come back with Zhao Pei after the first snow.
Zhao Pei was a little worried about her. After all, it was not safe for two young women in their prime to wander around in an unfamiliar place. After thinking for a while, He Huixian suggested that he go to Yangzhou alone to look for them, so that he could have someone to take care of them.
Zhao Pei agreed immediately, and after noon she helped him pack his bags and sent him on his way. Ji Jijiang stood beside him expressionlessly, muttering in disappointment: "Why don't we go to Yangzhou together? There's nothing good about staying in Yaoguang Temple."
Zhao Pei smiled: "If Ji Jiang wants to go to Yangzhou, he should catch up with He Hui before he goes far. I... I don't know why I feel that Yaoguang Temple is particularly intimate and quiet, and I don't want to go anywhere else." In fact, she didn't want to go to Yangzhou. Just like she didn't want to go to Jiankang, she would always think of some sad things and sad people.
Ji Jiang hunched his shoulders and went back to the house first, muttering as he walked: "It's safer for me to watch you here."
Ten days passed in a blink of an eye, and the days were unexpectedly quiet and dull. Every day, she quietly followed Le Wu and Master Zhi Hui in chanting scriptures, played a few games with Ji Jijiang, and listened to You An's stories about him. Zhao Pei never thought that she would have such a carefree life today. What was even more incredible was that she was an imperial concubine after all, but Xiao Yi had not shown any sign of movement for more than a month. Zhao Pei smiled bitterly and shook her head. He had said long ago that he would do as she wished.
The days were getting colder, and the clothes Hanzhen sent came in handy. I opened the window that day and saw a little rain, but when I looked closely, I saw some snowflakes mixed in. It was the real change of seasons.
She put on a sandalwood-colored cloak and left the house. The cold wind blew outside. Zhao Pei tightened her collar and didn't know where to go. She just wanted to see the mist, rain, frost and snow in the temple, so she subconsciously walked towards the pond in the temple. Her heart was empty, as if she would become depressed every time the weather was so sad. She was not originally such a person.
In fact, Zhao Pei didn’t know why she wanted to go to the pond. There was an idea pulling her subconsciously.
She walked silently to the pond. The rain and snow were getting heavier. Zhao Pei had forgotten to bring an umbrella, and now she was half wet and chilly. She was afraid of catching a cold, so she was about to go back quickly, but suddenly she saw a person standing by the pond.
Zhao Pei's eyes were immediately attracted by him. The man was wearing a light white long gown, with wide sleeves that blurred the corners in the wind and rain. He wore a straw hat that covered most of his face, but one could still faintly see his detached temperament. The man didn't seem to notice Zhao Pei's presence, staring at the unsettled water surface without saying a word, watching the ripples caused by the rain spreading in circles.
A very familiar and sad thought suddenly came to Zhao Pei's mind, and she couldn't help but think of a person. His figure overlapped with the figure of the person in front of her, and they were incredibly similar. (To be continued)