Sweet slice-of-life love story: Wife, Let's love again
Chapter 244 - 240: Halt

Chapter 244: Chapter 240: Halt

A persistent spring rain had fallen for five or six days, carrying with it the lingering chill of early spring and making people involuntarily put on an extra coat, yet it still felt somewhat cold.

After breakfast early in the morning, Qin Guanglin drove steadily and dropped He Fang off at the school gate. He watched her take out her umbrella and say goodbye before she turned and entered the school, gradually disappearing around a bend until he restarted the car and headed to the company.

"Good morning."

"Morning."

"Have you had breakfast, Teacher He? Would you like some?"

"No, thank you."

He Fang smiled warmly as she greeted the other teachers and then settled down at her desk to organize her work for the day.

Staying in a familiar environment for a long time made those dark memories seem illusory, as if they were just a dream.

Now it seemed not too bad.

Unconsciously, her mindset was influenced; she was less resistant to Qin Guanglin’s work than before, yet there was still a faint worry at the bottom of her heart.

She could only endure these years forcefully, get through all that she had experienced, to truly escape the shadow that loomed over her and find real liberation.

Psychological illness is the hardest to cure.

It can only be healed slowly over time.

"Teacher Hu, can I borrow your lesson plan to have a look?"

"Oh, I forgot yesterday..." Teacher Hu looked eagerly at He Fang.

"Here, just don’t copy it exactly."

"What do you mean copy? This is called referencing, referencing."

He Fang shook her head helplessly and turned to look out the window where tender yellow leaves hung on the trees, with the light rain silently drizzling down and students passing by with their umbrellas.

Her fingertips deftly twirled a ballpoint pen twice, a small smile appeared on her face as she lowered her head to continue marking the assignments on her desk.

Times are peaceful, and I am thinking of you.

...

On the outskirts of Luo City, there was a Datong Temple.

It had stood there since the Ming Dynasty, surviving numerous wars and repairs over the centuries, and was still thriving with worshippers.

The persistent rain meant not many people came to offer incense. Sun Wen sat on the threshold outside of the Mahavira Hall, legs crossed and nonchalantly smoking, waiting for Xu Wei to come out.

He didn’t believe in any of this, not even a bit.

If the deities inside really had divine powers, then they must be greedy for wealth, just like him—could they still be considered divine?

In the end, it was all about profit; no one was nobler than the other.

The cigarette slowly burned, the rising smoke making him squint his eyes. He looked around, took a deep drag from his cigarette, then threw the butt to the ground and crushed it, standing up to check why Xu Wei hadn’t come out yet.

The grand and majestic Mahavira Hall shone with golden light. Sparse visitors populated the vast hall with the divine statue standing solemnly, the tranquil space imbued with a solemn atmosphere.

A few monks tapping their wooden fish sat in the corners, with Xu Wei in a red robe kneeling in front, hands folded in prayer, the exalted divine statue watching over all beings above her.

The woman, who looked like a demon, seemed unexpectedly harmonious against the ancient temple’s backdrop with her quiet silhouette.

Sun Wen halted his advancing steps, not going inside the hall, instead, he pocketed his hands and casually strolled outside.

He had come to bid farewell to Xu Wei, as there was no more reason to stay in Luo City, neither people nor matters were related to him anymore; he was like a traveler merely passing through this city before going home.

Having known Xu Wei for a while, it was proper to say goodbye and have a couple of drinks before leaving, yet before he could speak, Xu Wei had pulled him into her car and brought him here.

The rich indeed had many eccentricities.

"Why do you linger at the gate instead of entering the hall to take a look?" A monk suddenly appearing beside him startled Sun Wen as he pondered, he frowned and said, "Patron? Are you speaking to me?"

"Indeed."

"What is it?"

"..." The stout monk, hands stilled in a greeting gesture, slightly raised his head, "I wonder why the patron would pass by the gate and not enter?"

"Can’t be bothered to go in... Can you stop speaking in such a roundabout way? It’s the 21st century, master."

Sun Wen found the monk’s gesture of a raised solitary palm annoying, his round face pretending to be all-important.

"..."

The fat monk’s mouth twitched slightly, maintaining a smile as he nodded faintly towards him.

"So what if I don’t go in?" Sun Wen turned to look back at the Mahavira Hall and said mockingly, "Is there some rule? Disrespectful to the divine? Must I go in and kneel?"

"No, no... The monk only saw the patron... ahem, I noticed something unusual about your face, recently you must be having some difficulties, I specifically came to tell you."

"Ha?"

Sun Wen laughed in annoyance, "How my life is going, don’t I know myself? You need to come and tell me again?"

The chubby Monk spun on his heels and walked away, clearly beyond communication.

"Hey... aren’t you going to tell me how to solve it?" Sun Wen called out from behind.

"Of course, there is a way." The chubby Monk turned back with a smile, placing one palm against his chest as he earnestly examined Sun Wen’s face for a moment, "Benefactor, your brows are tightly furrowed, and there’s a faint dark aura around your forehead. Though it’s not intense, it tends to gather. In the coming months, I fear your work might encounter significant obstacles..."

"Just tell me how to solve it. Burn some incense?"

Sun Wen couldn’t bother to expose him; he was already jobless, so there was nothing left to lose. If it had been a couple of months earlier, he might have been duped.

"Offering incense to the Buddha is essential, but given the benefactor’s situation, you also need to request a Lotus Lamp to place in front of the Buddha. We will pray day and night for your blessing, and the Buddha will surely protect you, dispersing the disaster."

"So, I buy a lamp, and then the Buddha will bless me?"

"It’s not ’buy’; it’s ’request.’"

"Does requesting cost money?"

"Requesting is naturally free of charge, but you’ll still have to cover the material and labor costs yourself."

"Heh," Sun Wen chuckled. "Did you figure out that I’m out of money?"

"..."

"What are you talking about?" Xu Wei emerged from the temple door and immediately noticed the two, one tall and one chubby, talking.

"It’s nothing." Sun Wen, losing interest in engaging with the charlatan, strode over with long steps.

The chubby Monk followed at a trot, muttering, "Benefactor, don’t joke. One should not speak rashly in front of the Buddha..."

They had just seen these two pulling up in a Maserati at the temple square. Nobody would believe he was broke.

"He said I’ve got a disaster coming up, and then to..."

"Break it." Xu Wei pulled out a small stack of red banknotes from her bag, without even counting but estimating to be around a thousand, and handed it to the chubby Monk.

"..."

"..."

Upon getting into the car, Sun Wen was still resentful about the chubby Monk’s smiling face.

"You really do have money."

"Are you just finding out?" Xu Wei laughed.

"With that money, you might as well give it to me to dispel some bullshit disaster, or should I shave my head and chant prayers behind you every day?"

"Do you even know how to chant?"

Sun Wen fell silent.

The car slowly moved forward, and Sun Wen turned to glance back at the temple gate, sighing, "I don’t know why you rich people like throwing money at these places."

"What else did you think made me so wealthy?" Xu Wei retorted.

"From praying to the Buddha?" Sun Wen said dismissively. "If praying could bring money, I’d spend twenty hours a day bowing to it."

Xu Wei drove on in silence, smiling as she headed back to Luo City downtown, parking directly under her apartment building.

The black marble flooring exuded a profound elegance, the polished tiles reflected like mirrors, the luxurious crystal chandeliers, the exquisite rosewood desk...

Sun Wen’s gaze swept across the room, finally resting on Xu Wei who had already laid down on the bed, and then he said, "I came today... to say goodbye."

One really can’t compare people’s lives; some live in high towers, others in deep ditches, some shine brightly, others are covered in rust. Such is fate.

"Goodbye?"

Xu Wei narrowed her eyes, staring at him for a moment. "We haven’t been in touch for so long, and now you suddenly say goodbye?"

"Yes, I’m leaving, leaving Luo City."

"Where are you going?"

"Going home."

"...Not coming back?"

"I can’t come back." Sun Wen said calmly, shaking his head.

After nearly a month of reflecting at home, he had accepted his reality. He had to go back eventually.

Big cities aren’t easy to stay in, and half a lifetime of struggles wouldn’t change anything.

Without people, money, or a job, Luo City held no more reason for him to stay.

Taking two steps forward, Sun Wen caught a glimpse of a corner of plastic packaging by the bedside out of the corner of his eye and instinctively looked towards the trash can beside it. The remaining two rubber items inside suddenly made him feel nauseous.

Friendship was just an illusion; they had always just been fellow travelers.

Seeing Sun Wen’s expression, Xu Wei followed his gaze and couldn’t help laughing, "You’re all tough on the outside but weak inside, I’ve missed you for a long time. Let’s talk about saying goodbye later, come here first."

"..."

But Sun Wen had lost interest, and after a moment of silence, he turned and said, "I’m leaving."

"Wait."