Chapter 038
Chapter 38: Buddha’s Chosen Rite of Disrobing Salvation
On the third day of Yao Xiao Man’s “paid leave” in the Auspicious Cloud Residence, Lin Qing Xuan came again.
He carried a tray of medicine, his steps light as a cat, and appeared at Xiao Man’s bedside without a sound.
His face was the same cool, compassionate look as always, lashes lowered, with a hint of Buddhist calm.
Xiao Man’s heart gave a heavy thump, and she squeezed her eyes shut, pretending she had already slept like a log.
Playing dead was her last bit of stubborn pride.
Sadly, the wound did not cooperate.
The bruise low on her belly suddenly twinged, and pain made the corner of her mouth twitch.
That tiny movement did not escape Lin Qing Xuan’s eyes.
He sat on the round stool by the bed, and the room fell so quiet you could only hear breathing.
Xiao Man felt her heartbeat bouncing up to her throat.
What was he going to do?
What was he going to do this time?
Lin Qing Xuan did not speak. He reached out and neatly lifted the gauze covering her wound.
His fingertips were cool, carrying a clean herbal scent.
A cotton swab dipped in emerald ointment touched the hurt on her lower belly.
His movements were so gentle it was hard to believe, like a feather brushing by.
Xiao Man’s tense body slowly relaxed.
Fine, for the sake of his excellent service attitude, let him fuss over her.
Top VIP patient treatment is too good to waste.
She settled in to enjoy it, until he opened his mouth.
He began to chant: “Thus have I heard. At one time, the Buddha was at Jetavana Anathapindika’s Park in Shravasti with the Great Assembly of Monks, one thousand two hundred fifty in all…”
He applied medicine while reciting the Diamond Sutra. His voice was clear and cool, every syllable rounded and precise, each word like jade beads tempered in ice, striking against Xiao Man’s eardrums.
With his holy, abstinent, handsome face, he really looked like a realized High Monk from the Western Heaven, come down to save the world.
Xiao Man almost forgot to breathe.
She endured it.
It was only chanting, right? She could treat it like a free audiobook.
But for every line he chanted, she roared back a line in her heart.
He chanted: “At mealtime, the World Honored One put on his robe, took his bowl, and entered the Great City of Shravasti to beg for food.”
[Eat, eat, eat, all you know is eating! Why don’t you bring me more tasty things to eat!]
He chanted: “After he had begged through the city in order and returned, he finished his meal, put away his robe and bowl, washed his feet, and sat down.”
[Big Brother, purify your own Heart Demon if you want, but why chant at me! I am not a demon!]
Xiao Man bared her teeth from the pain, her mind locked in a fierce inner battle.
I am a patient!
I am not a demon!
This isn’t a beautiful Buddha voice lingering; it is a damn demonic noise poured straight into my ears!
No way, she could not let him keep chanting.
To fight this life-draining sutra, Xiao Man had a flash of inspiration, her mind spinning fast.
She decided to stream some good stuff in her head to wash her eyes and use mental noise to counter the chanting.
Come on, give Sister something strong!
[An eight pack dance student sweating like rain in the practice room!]
[A broad-shouldered, narrow-waisted athlete flying free on the basketball court!]
[A pure yet tempting puppy-like bad boy smiling at her with wet hair!]
One after another, they spun like a merry-go-round through Xiao Man’s mind.
All those sutras and rules got kicked out of the clouds.
She even added BGM to her imagined short clips.
The corner of Xiao Man’s mouth lifted on its own, curving into a very pleased smile.
Right when she was enjoying herself and about to mentally place an order for the next cutie, a cool voice drifted down from above: “Are you coveting me again?”
Lin Qing Xuan had stopped chanting. He was looking down with lowered lashes, his gaze carrying both curiosity and understanding.
Xiao Man’s pupils shook.
[Oh crap!]
[Did this dog of a man install a daydream translator? He can sense even this?]
[I was picturing a bad boy with eight pack abs slaying the world! Who wants your bland Tang Monk’s Flesh!]
She raged inside, but on her face she wore an innocent look of “the wind is too loud, I can’t hear you.”
Her eyes blinked like a pure little white rabbit.
Lin Qing Xuan looked as if he could see through all her thoughts.
He calmly covered her wound with fresh gauze, then closed the scripture and set it aside with a smooth motion.
He said, “The Heart Sutra says that form is emptiness.”
He paused, his gaze falling straight on her forcedly calm face, and his thin lips parted.
He added, “Since you want to see abs, you might as well look at mine.”
As soon as the words fell, his long fingers rested on his own belt.
He moved at ease and naturally, and he looked ready to untie it.
Xiao Man jolted, every hair on her body standing up.
Ignoring the stabbing pain, she sprang up, yanked the quilt tight, and wrapped herself from head to toe into a snug cocoon.
Only a pair of terrified eyes peeked out as she blurted, stammering, face red enough to drip blood: “Y-you… what are you doing! Are you saving all beings or seducing all beings?! Does Buddha know how improper you are!”
Outside, a fingertip poked a tiny hole through the window paper.
Xiu He covered her mouth, eyes round as saucers as she stared at the explosive scene inside, almost screaming.
Eldest Grandson Young Master… was going to take off his clothes?
In front of that girl Xiao Man?
Good heavens!
If this news reached the Old Madam’s ears, what then!
Xiu He stopped peeping, lifted her skirt, and sprinted like mad toward the Old Madam’s Pine Crane Hall.
She ran so fast that her hairpin went crooked.
She burst into the room and shouted, panting hard, cheeks flushed: “Old Madam! Old Madam! Something terrible! No, something wonderful!”
The Old Madam, who had been fingering her Prayer Beads with eyes closed, was startled. She opened her eyes with a hint of displeasure and said, “What is it, all this fuss!”
Xiu He, gripping the doorframe and gulping air, blurted: “Eldest Grandson Young Master… he… he… is at the Auspicious Cloud Residence, performing the Rite of Disrobing Salvation!”
The Old Madam’s hand jerked. Her glossy Zitan Prayer Beads snapped onto the table with a crisp smack. A sharp light flashed in her eyes, and there was not a trace of quiet detachment left.
She was energized at once as she ordered: “Quick! Fetch the new pair of Mandarin Duck Pillows from the storeroom and deliver them to the Auspicious Cloud Residence right now!”
That night, Xiao Man had another dream.
In the dream, the cold, ascetic “Buddha’s Chosen” from the day completely broke his image.
He did not chant anymore. He turned into a man obsessed with untying belts.
Moonlight slipped through the lattice and fell across him.
He stepped toward her one slow step at a time. Those eyes, usually as calm as a still lake, now burned with two dark flames.
He bent to her ear and spoke in a hoarse, tempting voice: “Xiao Man, is this the muscle man you wanted?”
Xiao Man lowered her head on instinct.
Hiss… she sucked in a breath.
This Buddha’s Chosen had a great body.
A well carved chest, clear eight pack abs, deep Adonis lines… harder than her little life struggling in this deep household.
That body was full of power, completely different from his thin, gentle look in the daytime.
What a pity.
Her whole body hurt like she had been taken apart and put back together, and she could not move at all.
She could only watch that “beauty” sway before her eyes, unable to enjoy a thing.
Such a waste of a perfect spring night.
In the dream, Xiao Man hammered the bed in fury.
What a waste!
Truly, what a waste!