Wise words to resolve marriage

"Miss?" Lin Wanrong exclaimed, "What happened to the young lady? Wasn't she visiting the young ladies in the city of Hangzhou? Why is she missing?"

Old maid Zhang anxiously said, "She returned around noon, had lunch, and then went out alone without mentioning where she was going. She left without even bringing a servant. The young lady always acts with utmost propriety and is never late in returning. Today, however, it's already this late, and she hasn't come back."

The young lady was nursed by Zhang since childhood, and she was deeply respectful. Zhang specially brought her back to Hangzhou for retirement. Their bond was profound, and now, with the sudden disappearance of the young lady, Zhang was on the verge of tears.

Lin Wanrong hurriedly said, "Zhang, don't worry. The young lady is intelligent and clever; nothing untoward will happen to her."

After a moment's thought, he deduced that the young lady had gone out on her own and probably wasn't in danger.

Lin Wanrong glanced at Xiao Cui and asked, "Xiao Cui, weren't you accompanying the young lady?"

Blushing, Xiao Cui replied, "The young lady told me yesterday not to serve her today, so I went out for a stroll."

Seeing Xiao Feng also blushing, Lin Wanrong suddenly remembered that these two must have gone on a date. But looking at Xiao Feng's appearance, this guy didn't take advantage of Xiao Cui, did he?

Lin Wanrong smirked. At such a critical moment, he still had such thoughts. Truly audacious.

He shook his head and said, "Zhang, the young lady has visited Hangzhou many times before. Think, where does she like to go or whom does she like to meet?"

Zhang thought for a moment and said, "Whenever the young lady came to Hangzhou before, she was always in a hurry, never went out for leisure, and I haven't heard of her meeting anyone. Only yesterday, the young lady seemed to be in a good mood. It was the first time she wanted to go out and enjoy the scenery in all these years."

Lin Wanrong sighed internally. This young lady is indeed a workaholic. If it weren't for him running into her on the way, she might not have gone out for a stroll even after a hundred visits to Hangzhou. With the annual meeting of the Jiangsu-Zhejiang Business Association scheduled for tomorrow, why did she choose this time to go missing?

With the young lady absent, Lin Wanrong was now the highest-ranking. All eyes were on him.

Judging from Zhang's words, Lin Wanrong concluded that the young lady went out voluntarily, so there shouldn't be any danger. However, the meticulous and cautious young lady had never been in such a situation before. What happened today?

Hangzhou was neither too big nor too small, making it difficult to find one person. Lin Wanrong made a quick decision, "Xiao Feng, you go north of the city. Si De, you go south. Xiao Cui and the maid stay here. I'll go to the Su Causeway. Two hours later, whether or not we find her, all return to this inn."

The three of them dispersed to search, and Lin Wanrong headed straight to the Su Causeway. According to Zhang, the only time the young lady had strolled in Hangzhou was yesterday along this causeway. If she had gone out voluntarily, it must be along this route.

It was already dusk when he left, and the Su Causeway was sparsely populated. The lively scenes of the day had disappeared. Walking on the causeway, the breeze from the lake brought a chill, making Lin Wanrong feel cold, a far cry from the mood of the previous morning.

A melodious and sonorous chime echoed from the distant shore, marking the time. This should be the famous Southern Screen Evening Bell among the West Lake's ten scenic views.

The foothills of Nanping Mountain were dotted with rock caves, and at dusk, temples, led by Jingci Temple, struck the evening bell. Resonating in both large and small caves, the sound traveled to the sky above West Lake, collided with the rocky ridge of Geling on the opposite bank made of igneous rock, and echoed back. This formed the renowned Southern Screen Evening Bell.

Lin Wanrong was extremely anxious at this moment. He had no inclination to listen to this bell. With his steps never ceasing, his gaze swept around.

Though the Su Causeway was long, its emptiness was evident. Lin Wanrong walked the entire way, but there was no sign of the young lady.

What's going on? Originally, the young lady should have led the way, but why, at this crucial moment, did the leader go missing? He sighed.

Passing through the six bridges along the Su Causeway, his heart grew colder as he walked. There wasn't even a ghostly figure, let alone a living person.

"Miss, Miss—" Anyway, it was already late, and Lin Wanrong wasn't afraid of being heard. He shouted loudly, "Miss, Xiao Yuruo, Xiao Yuruo—"

Seeing that he had reached Lingyin Temple, yet there was still no sign of the young lady, Lin Wanrong was thoroughly desperate.

The sky had darkened, and Lingyin Temple was already sparsely populated with worshippers. Lin Wanrong, holding onto the last shred of hope, stopped a monk sweeping the floor and asked, "Excuse me, little monk, are there any female practitioners in your temple?"

"Amitabha." The monk hurriedly chanted a Buddhist mantra and said, "Guest, refrain from speaking nonsense. This temple is a pure land of Buddhism. Where would there be such impure things?"

Damn, are female practitioners impure things? Lin Wanrong couldn't fathom the thoughts of this monk. Just as he was about to leave, he heard the monk say, "There is a devout female Bodhisattva offering incense in the Hall of the Medicine King. I wonder if she is the person you are looking for?"

Someone else? Lin Wanrong suddenly became alert. After learning the direction of the Hall of the Medicine King, he rushed there anxiously. At the threshold of the main hall, he saw a woman kneeling respectfully in front of the five hundred arhats, bowing and offering incense, a picture of devoutness.

Dear God, Buddhas, thank you. I finally found her. Lin Wanrong sat down on the threshold, looking at the young lady. He didn't know what to say.

Hearing the movement behind her, Xiao Yuruo, unable to see clearly in the dusk, was startled and let out a scream.

Lin Wanrong was both angry and amused. With an unkind tone, he said, "Why scream? Hurry up and bow to your Bodhisattva."

The young lady, upon hearing his voice, exclaimed joyfully, "Lin San, why are you here?"

Lin Wanrong sighed, "Miss, this should be a question for me to ask you. Why are you here? Do you know how hard we've been looking for you after you left without a word?"

Miss, observing the sky, exclaimed, "Why is it so late?"

Lin Wanrong was dumbfounded. This girl, worshipping the Buddha, was it necessary to forget the time? She even forgot the hour?

However, this was the first time Miss had made such a mistake. Seeing Lin San searching for her, she knew that a considerable effort must have been made to find her. Her face blushed and she said, "I didn't expect it to be so late. I'm sorry for worrying you all."

Seeing Lin Wanrong silent, Miss knew she was truly at fault. She whispered, "Lin San, don't be angry. I won't do this again next time."

Lin Wanrong said, "Miss, it's okay to be a little late, but at least inform us in advance. If you want to worship, we can accompany you."

Miss lowered her head and said, "At noon, I couldn't find you, so I had to come by myself. I didn't expect to be delayed for so long."

Seeing Miss admitting her mistake, Lin Wanrong didn't say anything more. He walked up to her and said, "Miss, why are you in such high spirits today, coming to worship the Buddha again?"

Miss blushed and said, "Yesterday, the old Zen master asked me to come."

"Old Zen master? Which one?" Lin Wanrong asked.

Miss embarrassedly said, "The one who interpreted the divination for me yesterday."

"Why did he ask you to come?" Lin Wanrong wondered.

"The old Zen master said that yesterday's divination was a mystery, and no one could interpret it. Whether it's good or bad depends on how I handle it. He instructed me to worship all the Buddhas in Lingyin Temple to seek good karma." Miss's face turned rosy as she spoke softly.

Lin Wanrong thought, "This old Zen master is really a swindler. Miss is also easily fooled. This is just a scam for your incense money. Why would you believe it?"

Usually shrewd and capable, Miss became confused in matters related to her marriage. Lin Wanrong sighed, "Was yesterday's divination about marriage?"

Miss blushed and didn't want to answer, but seeing his serious expression, she softly said, "Yes."

Lin Wanrong didn't know what to say. He asked, "Do you still want to continue worshipping?"

Miss firmly said, "Of course. After worshipping the Great Hall and the Heavenly Kings Hall, I just entered the Medicine Master Hall. I have to worship all the Buddhas here."

Lin Wanrong was once again dumbfounded. These were five hundred Arhats; is she going to worship them one by one?

However, Miss was very devout. Kneeling on the cushion, she worshiped each one. Lin Wanrong bit his teeth and went over, saying, "Well, well, I'll worship a few for you. It can save some time."

After he finished speaking, he knelt down on the cushion beside Miss, and they worshipped together.

Miss stood up, feeling both anxious and embarrassed. She said, "What are you doing? Who wants to worship with you, you bad person?"

Lin Wanrong looked at the two cushions side by side, suddenly enlightened. "Oh, what has this become? Taking advantage without realizing it, it's entirely a matter of personal style." He smiled awkwardly and said, "It's okay, it's okay, three bows count as one. It hasn't been completed yet."

Miss, hearing him speak more, was more upset. She urgently covered her cheeks with both hands and shyly said, "You infuriated me. Get out, quickly get out."

Lin Wanrong, helpless, walked out of the temple gate, shaking his head. This woman, she is just too sensitive; bowing together is not a big deal. It's just a piece of meat.

I don't know how long it took, and Miss finally came out, her face still a bit rosy. She held the marriage divination she had sought yesterday, as if she had finally found a place for her marriage.

"Lin San, let's go." Miss gently stroked her hair and said.

After this episode, the moon was already hanging over the treetops. Miss walked on the Su Causeway, her expression deep and mysterious, as if lost in thought.

Seeing that she was still not in a very good mood, Lin Wanrong said, "Miss, you have worshiped all the Buddhas, and the divination should have turned into good fortune. You should be happy."

Miss said with a sigh, "The old Zen master said so, but I'm not sure."

A single marriage divination caused the usually shrewd and capable Miss to become like this. Lin Wanrong smiled and said, "Miss, if you trust me, let me interpret it for you."

Miss glanced at him, hummed softly, and said, "What can you interpret?"

Lin Wanrong did not hesitate, took the divination from Miss's hand, and although she called him a "rascal," she did not snatch it back. Evidently, she also wanted to hear his interpretation.

Lin Wanrong pretended to look at the divination, exclaimed, "Your divination is very good."

Miss wondered, "What's so good about it?"

Lin Wanrong smiled, "Joyful and happy, secretly exploring. Like a reflection in the mirror, an illusion in the sky. It implies that your husband has already appeared, but it's just not clear yet. Carving stones to fill the sea, casting pearls at sparrows, seeing but not seeing, it becomes a delay. It means that you shouldn't aim too high, cherish the person in front of you. Whether you meet or not, whether you encounter or not, the moon sinks to the bottom of the sea, and people are in a dream. The last sentence is the most important. You and this husband are not a mere encounter, not a mere meeting. If you don't carefully observe, you may not even know you have fate. Although this divination is cryptic, it can be summarized in four sentences: the marriage fate in the mirror is not empty, meeting under the moonlit Youtai. Don't assume Feng Tang is old, the general still holds a strong bow."

Miss, hearing both shy and happy, said, "You are making up stories. Where did you get these last four sentences?" Even though she said so, the joy on her face was hard to conceal.

Lin Wanrong saw her expression and knew that his interpretation was right on point. He laughed and said, "Is this divination mysterious? You can interpret it however you want. In one sentence, success depends on one's efforts."

Miss's mood lightened a lot. Unable to resist covering her lips with a smile, she looked at him and said softly, "You are a smooth talker. I think you should become a divination master in Lingyin Temple. You have learned all these tricks to deceive people."

Seeing Miss return to her usual self, Lin Wanrong breathed a sigh of relief. This psychological therapist job was really exhausting.

Both of them were in a good mood. A curved full moon hung in the sky, casting a faint brilliance on the lake, resembling a sparkling galaxy. The lake was calm, and the reflection of the full moon on the water

 looked like a bright silver plate, evoking endless thoughts.

Miss looked at the beautiful scenery on the lake and softly recited, "Autumn boat ascends the turbulent waves, immortal mountain towers reflect in the dusty mirror. Is this the autumn moon over Pinghu? It's truly beautiful."

Lin Wanrong, having only heard of Pinghu Autumn Moon, nodded and replied, "I don't know."

Miss looked at him, smiled charmingly, and said, "Pinghu Autumn Moon is just a metaphor, with no fixed location. Wherever the moonlit night is beautiful, that is Pinghu Autumn Moon."

So that's how it is. Lin Wanrong nodded and said, "That's good. Where the heart is, beauty will follow."

Miss laughed softly, "You are someone who has learned some twisted theories. You use these words to deceive people."

With this smile, she displayed her fair skin and rosy lips, her eyes gleaming in the silver moonlight, exceptionally charming.