SDVPP Chapter 74

It was rare for both of them to have nothing to do today, and Chi Han didn’t want to waste all that time sleeping.

“You sleep for a bit first. I’ll wake you when we get there.” Rong Xu reached over to adjust Chi Han’s U-shaped neck pillow, then started the car.

He had heard that there was a very efficacious temple nearby called Lianhua Temple, nestled on Chunshan to the north.

Chi Han hadn’t believed in gods or Buddhas before, but ever since he’d gone through the utterly surreal experience of transmigrating into a book, he felt like maybe he ought to pay his respects.

Besides, even setting Lianhua Temple aside, the scenery of Chunshan was said to be beautiful.

Especially now, with the mountain blanketed in snow.

Chi Han pulled down his eye mask and soon drifted off to sleep.

By the time they arrived, it had already been over an hour.

Rong Xu parked the car and woke him up.

“Put your scarf on properly. It’s windy out there.”

Chi Han blinked drowsily, clearly not fully awake. Rong Xu let out a sigh and carefully helped him tie the scarf snugly, making sure no wind could get in.

Chi Han gradually became more alert and took a sip of water. He got out of the car and stretched lazily, the warm sunlight shining down on him.

“Let’s go! We’re heading up the mountain first!”

It had been a long time since Chi Han had gone out for fun. In high spirits, he grabbed Rong Xu’s hand and pulled him toward the mountain path.

The two of them wore matching short puffer jackets and identical scarves. At a glance, they looked like a couple out on a sightseeing trip.

Their exceptionally good looks made other tourists along the way turn their heads again and again.

Surrounded by all those gazes, Chi Han instinctively pulled his hand, still holding Rong Xu’s, out of his pocket.

The jade dice tied around their fair wrists slipped out from their sleeves, swaying and tangling together with their steps.

Just the sight of it made people want to squeal with their hands over their mouths.

Rong Xu noticed Chi Han’s little show-off gesture, and his heart felt as sweet as if it had been filled with honey.

Both of them were tall and long-legged. In just two hours, they reached the mountaintop.

Lianhua Temple stood at the summit.

The quiet, elegant temple was wrapped in a blanket of silver-white snow. Even from a distance, the sound of its bell ringing could be heard.

Chi Han sniffled, catching the thick scent of incense that lingered heavily in the air. After rounding a bend in the path, he caught sight of Lianhua Temple, its brick walls flaking and weathered.

Everyone entering bore a solemn expression without even realizing it. Only a few children still laughed and played without a care.

Chi Han took a deep breath, his heart pounding in his chest. He turned to glance at Rong Xu and smiled. “Come on, let’s go in, too.”

Rong Xu gave him a deep look and interlocked their fingers tightly.

The monks at Lianhua Temple were either sweeping snow or burning incense and chanting sutras. Very few of them came out to make small talk.

Unlike the temples Chi Han had visited in his past life, which were always full of self-proclaimed “masters” who roped people in to “offer guidance” and then swindled incense money.

Right now, Chi Han was honestly a little scared that some master would suddenly pop out of nowhere, stare at him and say, “You, benefactor, seem to have come from a faraway place,” and then float away mysteriously after leaving behind some cryptic riddle.

But fortunately, although a few monks glanced at him in passing, they didn’t say anything. They just nodded slightly before continuing on their way.

Chi Han let out a sigh of relief and continued walking toward the rear courtyard.

He had heard before coming that there was a Wishing Forest back there.

The last time they made a wish in the snow, whether it was truly effective or not, Rong Xu’s leg really had recovered. This time, he wanted to repay that wish before formally making a new one.

Just as they passed through the front courtyard, a crisp chiming sound—ding ding dang dang—reached his ears. Chi Han looked up and saw countless wishing plaques swaying in the wind, the bells hanging beneath them jingling nonstop.

Against the backdrop of the snowy mountains and drifting mist beyond the mottled green wall, the scene had an almost otherworldly feel to it.

One by one, people were hanging up their written plaques on the massive banyan tree branches, then clasping their hands reverently in prayer.

Rong Xu went to buy a wishing plaque and handed it to Chi Han. As Chi Han looked up at the banyan tree, Rong Xu suddenly said softly, “This twin tree must be a few hundred years old.”

Twin tree?

Chi Han was taken aback. He stared at it closely for a long time before finally realizing that it really was two trees tightly entwined to form a single massive trunk, which made people instinctively think it was just one.

“Amazing…”

Chi Han couldn’t help murmuring softly.

As if something had just occurred to him, Rong Xu turned around and went back to buy another wishing plaque.

Chi Han blinked and asked with a smile, “Thought of a wish?”

Rong Xu’s lowered lashes trembled slightly, hiding all the emotion in his eyes. He picked up the pen, paused in thought for a moment, then began to write.

“I originally thought there wasn’t anything left I needed to ask for. But just now, I suddenly remembered there’s still one thing—something I can’t control,” Rong Xu said as he capped the pen, his smile calm and gentle. “Aside from this, there’s nothing else I’d want to ask for.”

“Come on, let’s hang them up together.”

Chi Han held his own wishing plaque in his hand, his eyes constantly drifting toward Rong Xu’s side. Truth be told, he did want to know what Rong Xu had wished for.

If it were something he could do, he would give it everything he had to make it happen.

But Rong Xu kept his hand tightly over the plaque, not letting Chi Han see a single word.

Using his long arms, Rong Xu hung both of their plaques on a higher branch. The wind was strong at the mountaintop, and the plaques fluttered wildly. The bells hanging beneath them quickly twisted together, entangling so tightly that they couldn’t be separated.

Chi Han stared up for a long time but still couldn’t figure out what Rong Xu had written, so he had to give up for now.

Rong Xu gazed silently at the plaques, now wound even tighter together, countless thoughts churning in his eyes.

After a while, he gave a faint smile. When he turned back around, his expression was no different from usual.

Chi Han pressed his palms together and bowed reverently.

After standing there for a bit, the two of them began walking toward the exit of the temple. Rong Xu held Chi Han’s hand. When he felt how cold his fingers were, he rubbed them firmly. “You really believe in this kind of thing?”

Chi Han blinked. “Huh?”

He scratched the tip of his nose, thinking it over. “Not exactly… I didn’t believe before, but now I guess I kind of do. Why, you don’t?”

Didn’t believe, and still made a wish.

Rong Xu looked up at the distant mountains, his voice calm and light: “I believe.”

Because of you, I believe.

Rong Xu had never believed in vague, intangible things like this. He had always been the type to seize whatever he wanted, by any means necessary. But ever since meeting Chi Han, even if there was only the slightest possibility, he was willing to believe.

When they reached the temple gates, Chi Han patted his pockets and pretended he had lost his mask. Without hesitation, Rong Xu grabbed his hand and turned back with him.

“Hey, no need, no need. Could you go get me some water? I’m thirsty.”

Chi Han quickly tugged Rong Xu back, stuffing the thermos hanging on his arm into Rong Xu’s hands, then spun around and dashed back toward Lianhua Temple.

“I want hot water! The scalding kind!”

Rong Xu: “……”

As soon as Chi Han entered the temple gate, he ran straight toward the rear courtyard. This was his only chance to find out what Rong Xu had written on his wish plaque.

Rong Xu’s thoughts were too deeply buried. If he didn’t want to speak, no one could know what he was truly thinking.

Even Chi Han didn’t know whether his guesses were right or not.

Right now, the wind atop the mountain had just died down. Chi Han, panting for breath, ran to the banyan tree branch from earlier and looked up.

The plaque was hung high, and the writing was small. He had to squint and read it out bit by bit.

“If there are… gods, I wish that in every lifetime, I will leave a day after Chi Han… and arrive a year before him…”

Chi Han tilted his head up. By the time he read the last word, he could barely see anymore. His eyes had welled up with tears, the ache in his chest unbearable.

In that moment, he suddenly remembered what Rong Xu had said that morning—how he hoped they would be together in every lifetime, and that in each one, he would be the first to come find Chi Han.

No wonder Rong Xu had said there wasn’t anything he had originally wanted to ask for, but then suddenly changed his mind.

Chi Han bit down hard on his lower lip, feeling as if even his heart and lungs were aching.

In every lifetime, Rong Xu wished to leave a day after him… and arrive a year before him.

Rong Xu couldn’t bear to let him suffer the pain of waiting, so he hoped that in every life, he could prepare everything in advance to welcome him, then stay by his side until the very end, and send him off with dignity.

This person was really…

Chi Han scrubbed his face hard, wiping away the mist in his eyes.

The hand in his pocket clenched tightly, trembling from the strength of his grip.

Step by step, he walked out of the temple. The moment he looked up, he saw Rong Xu, who had been waiting for a long time.

Rong Xu stood there, his expression calm, holding a Doraemon thermos that clashed completely with his refined air. The sight was both ridiculous and endearing.

When he saw Chi Han, Rong Xu’s furrowed brow finally relaxed. He stepped forward a few paces.

“What took you so long? Did you find the mask?” Rong Xu reached out to straighten the scarf that had been jostled askew from Chi Han’s running, smiling gently as he added, “Want some water? The scalding kind you asked for.”

The moment he saw Rong Xu, all the emotions Chi Han had been holding back suddenly burst forth. He reached out, grabbed a handful of Rong Xu’s clothes, and buried himself in his chest, his whole body trembling violently.

When the muffled sob finally escaped from the embrace, Rong Xu realized in shock that Chi Han was crying.

His heart instantly clenched tight. He quickly wrapped his arms around him, aching with worry, and asked softly, “What’s wrong? Did someone bully you?”

The moment he imagined Chi Han being harassed by someone inside, Rong Xu’s face turned frosty, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. But his voice remained gentle.

“Don’t cry. Be careful, the wind’s strong—you’ll hurt your face. If something happened in there, just tell me. Chi Han… be good, okay? Listen to me.”

Chi Han was no longer trembling as badly as before, but he still refused to lift his head, clinging tightly to Rong Xu.

Chi Han didn’t want to talk, and Rong Xu couldn’t do anything about it. He could only hold him close, his expression dark as he gazed toward the temple, his eyes filled with menace.

Just moments ago, he had been in there making a wish—and now he felt the impulse to tear Lianhua Temple out by the roots.

He was a complete madman to begin with. Did he really care about offending the gods?

Several minutes later, Chi Han finally loosened his grip a bit and muttered, “What do I do? I think I got your clothes dirty.”

Rong Xu didn’t care about that at all. He pulled back slightly and lowered his head to carefully study Chi Han’s expression.

His eyes were red from crying, his nose pink, too—he looked utterly aggrieved.

With the wind blowing so hard at the mountaintop, the tear stains across his face had all turned into flushed marks.

Rong Xu hurriedly helped him wipe them away, his voice low and steady: “What exactly happened in there just now?”

Chi Han avoided his gaze, too embarrassed to admit that he’d cried like that over reading someone else’s wish plaque.

It was too stupid. He couldn’t bring himself to say it.

Chi Han stammered, unable to form a proper answer, only repeating that no one had bullied him in there.

Rong Xu restrained his expression and first led Chi Han down the mountain.

On the way home, he took out his phone and sent a message to his assistant:

[Check the surveillance footage from Lianhua Temple around 11 a.m. today. See if anyone came into contact with Chi Han. If you can’t find anything, go ask the abbot directly. If no one’s willing to talk, then there’s no need for that temple to exist anymore.]

Rong Xu turned his face slightly, glancing at Chi Han in the passenger seat, slumped against the window with his mask on, looking drowsy. Every now and then, he still sniffled quietly.

Rong Xu reached out and started the car, lips pressed into a firm line, while the dark thoughts in his bones ran rampant.

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