Chapter 698: Chapter 556: You... You Like Me, Don’t You?

At dawn, as the sky began to lighten, morning chants had just concluded in the main hall of Sikong Temple.

Xiao Mo packed up his medicine kit, preparing to descend the mountain to practice medicine.

"Senior Brother, are you heading down the mountain?"

As Xiao Mo passed through the front hall, Xujing, who was sweeping fallen leaves and incense ash, looked up. He clutched his broom and asked curiously.

"Mhm." Xiao Mo gently patted Xujing’s shaved head. "The Abbot is busy annotating some Buddhist Scripture these days and has no time to go down the mountain," he said in a warm tone, "so I’m going in his stead to practice medicine."

"So, Senior Brother... are you going with that pretty lady?" Xujing asked again.

Xiao Mo froze for a moment, then chuckled. "How did you know, you little rascal? Did the Abbot tell you?"

"Not at all." Xujing lifted his head proudly. "I guessed."

But soon, the pride in his eyes vanished, replaced by a hint of worry.

"Senior Brother Que Yin, that pretty lady has been coming to see you every day. I haven’t seen her myself, but Xu Le and Xu Chan both say she’s incredibly beautiful. Everyone’s been secretly wondering... if you’ve fallen for her."

"They also said you might break your vows and return to secular life—go down the mountain, get married, and have children." Xujing looked at Xiao Mo seriously. "Senior Brother, is it true?"

"Well, do you think it’s true?" Xiao Mo asked unhurriedly.

"I don’t believe it at all!"

Xujing replied.

"The Abbot, the Elders—they all say you have a profound connection to Buddhism and exceptional aptitude. That you’re a once-in-a-generation talent."

"In one of the great temples of the Western Regions, you could have become a Son of Buddha! I refuse to believe you’d let yourself be enchanted by that lady!"

"When you become the Abbot of Sikong Temple, I’ll be an Elder! We brothers will make Sikong Temple flourish and expand. Not just in this region, but all over the world, so that more people can hear the Buddhist Dharma!"

"Hahaha..." Xiao Mo couldn’t help but laugh, gently patting Xujing’s head. "You’ve got some lofty ambitions, you little rascal."

"I know, right?" Xujing grinned, but his smile quickly faded. He said seriously, "So, Senior Brother, you can’t get lost in worldly beauty and be led astray by a woman! Senior Brother Que Wu once said something very wise: ’Women only slow down the speed of our chanting!’"

"Alright, I understand." Xiao Mo patted his smooth scalp and replied with a smile. "I’ll do my best."

"Monk..."

The moment the words left Xiao Mo’s lips, a woman’s voice, as light and pleasant as a Silver Bell, drifted in from the entrance of Sikong Temple’s front hall.

Xujing quickly turned toward the voice. He saw a woman dressed in the simple linen blouse and trousers of a peasant girl, skipping joyfully into the temple with light, cheerful steps.

Her eyes curved into crescents when she smiled, and her every glance was radiant.

Her beautiful fox-like eyes overflowed with delight.

With every light step she took, the high ponytail at the back of her head swayed playfully from side to side, as vibrant as the first rays of the morning sun.

It was the simple, common attire of a peasant girl, plain and modest from head to toe, without a single adornment.

Yet on her, these simple clothes looked exceptionally beautiful, as if even the coarse fabric had absorbed some of her radiance.

"Hey, Monk, are we going to practice medicine or not? I was waiting at the gate for ages and you never came out."

Tushan Jing Ci stopped beside Xiao Mo, tilting her head slightly. Her beautiful, fox-like eyes held a hint of playful complaint.

"My apologies. Packing the medicine kit took a little longer than I expected."

Xiao Mo explained gently, then turned to Xujing.

"Xujing, this is the pretty lady you’ve all been chattering about."

"Miss Jing Ci, this is my junior brother, Xujing."

"Gr-Greetings, Benefactress..." Xujing quickly straightened his small frame, pressed his palms together, and gave a proper, formal bow.

Although Xujing was only eight or nine, he didn’t really have strong opinions about women.

’But he could guarantee that the lady standing before him was, without a doubt, the most beautiful benefactress he had ever seen!’

"A pleasure to meet you, little monk." Tushan Jing Ci nodded slightly, then quickly turned to Xiao Mo, urging, "It’s getting late, Master Que Yin. We should get going."

"Mhm." Xiao Mo gave Xujing a few last words of instruction before turning to leave the temple with Tushan Jing Ci.

Xiao Mo walked ahead, his posture erect, his steps steady and composed.

Tushan Jing Ci kept pace at his side, her fair, delicate hands clasped behind her back. Her steps were light, and she would occasionally turn to ask him something, her voice filled with an unconcealable cheerfulness.

Xiao Mo would simply answer in his warm, unhurried voice, offering a brief reply now and then.

Tushan Jing Ci would sometimes cover her mouth with her hand to stifle a giggle, and as she gazed at Xiao Mo’s profile, her beautiful, fox-like eyes filled with a tenderness she couldn’t hide.

The shadows of the trees danced and birds chirped. A mountain breeze swept past, casting their two shadows, one tall and one short, onto the stone steps. The silhouettes overlapped for a moment, then slowly drifted apart.

Xujing watched their departing figures, walking side by side. He couldn’t help but scratch the back of his bald head, a look of innocent confusion on his face.

’Xujing couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but he just felt that when his senior brother and the benefactress stood together, they seemed to be an exceptionally good match.’

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