Chapter 56: Bah, You Scoundrel
Chen Yan furrowed his brows in confusion. “Is it… still the same house?”
“Yes,” Boss Fang affirmed with certainty.
Chen Yan fell silent.
Again with Luo Qing?
Wait… what had that guy done to offend Boss Fang this time?
Hadn’t he just begged for peace yesterday, even compensating a hefty sum?
How had things changed overnight? Surely, Boss Fang hadn’t just discovered that Luo Qing had been wearing a different hat?
“Can I ask what happened?” Chen Yan questioned with a frown.
Boss Fang’s voice was muffled with frustration. “He tricked me. Everything I told you yesterday, he reneged on today.”
What kind of move was this?
Chen Yan was puzzled.
After some thought, he replied, “I need to consider it. I’ll get back to you later.”
With that, he ended the call and continued walking along the roadside, deep in thought.
Taking action against Luo Qing again? That didn’t weigh on Chen Yan’s conscience in the slightest.
That man was a deceitful scoundrel, his hands stained with countless schemes and betrayals. Just from his expertise in tampering with incense, it was obvious he had trapped more than a few victims in his ploys.
However, deciding how to strike required careful consideration.
Going after Falling Cloud Retreat again… seemed pointless.
That business was already tainted beyond repair. Attacking the store wouldn’t do much harm to Luo Qing personally.
As he strolled, lost in thought, he decided to make another trip to Falling Cloud Retreat—perhaps inspiration would strike upon arrival.
Just as he reached for his phone to call a ride, a notification popped up on WeChat.
It was from Lu Si Si?
That rabbit-like girl hadn’t contacted him in the past two days.
She had sent a selfie.
In the photo, she was riding a pirate ship at an amusement park, her smile as radiant as a blooming flower, eyes brimming with uncontainable joy.
Chen Yan’s expression softened involuntarily. He replied, “Riding the pirate ship?”
Lu Si Si responded instantly. “Yes! I finally mustered up the courage to try it. It was terrifying but fun!”
Chen Yan chuckled and typed, “What else did you ride?”
She sent more selfies—dodgems, the Ferris wheel, a rafting ride…
These were all things she had never dared to try before.
Well, this was understandable. Having been under the oppressive cloud of misfortune for eighteen years, she was now indulging in a kind of vengeful revelry.
“Did you try bungee jumping?”
“Nope. The amusement park here in Jin Ling Prefecture doesn’t have that,” she replied honestly.
Chen Yan thought back to their last meeting—the way she had suddenly rushed up to hug him, the unexpected kiss on his cheek.
On impulse, he sent a message: “Where are you now?”
“Watching a movie,” she replied almost immediately.
Then, as if afraid he might misunderstand, she quickly added, “I came alone.”
Chen Yan chuckled, seeing through her little act but choosing not to expose her. Instead, he asked, “What are you doing after the movie?”
This time, Lu Si Si didn’t reply right away. WeChat showed “Typing…” for quite a while before her response finally arrived.
“Can I see you after the movie?”
Chen Yan’s gaze softened. He took a deep breath before replying, “What time does it end?”
“It just finished!” she answered immediately.
—
They arranged to meet at the Grand Temple at Qi Xia Mountain.
Since he was already planning to scout Falling Cloud Retreat, and he had no intention of making a move today, spending a leisurely afternoon with Lu Si Si felt like a good idea.
She didn’t seem to mind meeting at a temple. Perhaps, in her mind, someone like Chen Yan—who dabbled in the mystical arts—frequenting temples was only natural.
Even in the afternoon, the temple was bustling with worshippers and devotees.
After meeting up, they entered the temple together.
Lu Si Si immediately dashed over to the incense stall, scanning her phone to exchange twenty yuan for a handful of coins, which she then stuffed into Chen Yan’s hands.
Inexperienced, Chen Yan was momentarily confused before following the flow—moving from the Main Hall to the Ancestor Hall, offering prayers to the Buddha and various Bodhisattvas.
Each time he knelt in worship, Lu Si Si stood beside him, her eyes smiling as she dropped coins into the donation boxes.
Though he had never been religious, his recent experiences had instilled in him a certain respect for such things. The world had no gods or Buddhas—but who knew what might exist beyond the mortal realm?
After they finished their circuit of prayers, Chen Yan looked at Lu Si Si curiously. “You didn’t pray? Don’t you believe in this?”
She stood close, her body leaning against him ever so slightly. In a soft voice, she said, “I used to pray all the time… Begging the gods to free me from my curse of misfortune…”
“I lost count of how many times I prayed, but it never worked. So I stopped believing.”
Chen Yan studied her for a moment before reaching out to ruffle her hair, deliberately messing it up as he grinned. “You don’t need to worry about that anymore! Come on, let’s go get some stinky tofu.”
As he walked ahead with a laugh, Lu Si Si gently smoothed out her hair, her expression soft with warmth.
Her eyes followed Chen Yan’s figure, glowing with a starlit tenderness.
[The gods mean nothing to me anymore…]
[Because in my heart, not even a thousand deities could compare to you.]
—
After leaving the Grand Temple, the two wandered over to the bustling Market Street near Falling Cloud Retreat.
Walking side by side, they simply ate their way through the stalls—stinky tofu, crispy grilled sausages, fried yogurt…
They both knew the food wasn’t particularly clean or nutritious.
But that wasn’t the point.
What mattered was the warmth of everyday life, the smoky aroma of street stalls, and the quiet joy of companionship.
Lu Si Si was a girl whose gentleness reached an extreme. No matter what Chen Yan said or did, she would always respond with a sweet smile, her voice as soft as the spring breeze: “Alright.”
The items they had bought were already far too many, more than the two of them could ever consume, yet as they continued walking, Chen Yan would pause at the sight of fresh delicacies and turn back to ask, “Shall we try this one?”
And as always, Lu Si Si would nod with a gentle smile. “Alright.”
Even when Chen Yan’s childish nature surfaced—like when they passed by a toy shop, and he picked up a shoddy plastic imitation of a legendary staff, twirling it through the air in an embarrassingly juvenile display—Lu Si Si only looked at him with unwavering fondness in her eyes.
Unknowingly, the two of them reached the street corner, where a shop named Guangsheng Hall stood by the roadside.
Chen Yan had visited this place just days ago. The talisman papers, cinnabar, and brush he had used to craft the rat-summoning seals that had duped Luo Qing—all were purchased here. This establishment was a competitor to Falling Cloud Retreat, another talisman and feng shui shop, yet its scale was nothing to scoff at. From mystical sigils and protective charms to geomancy and fortune-telling, the shop catered to all matters of spiritual arts.
For someone like Chen Yan, steeped in the ways of cultivation, passing by such a place was like encountering a fellow practitioner. It was instinctive to take a look inside, and naturally, he brought Lu Si Si along with him.
Yet the moment they crossed the threshold, the curtain in the back of the store was pulled aside, and from within stepped a woman.
Chen Yan’s gaze swept over her casually, only to find himself momentarily dazed.
The first thought that crossed his mind—
[A stunning, mature beauty… and glasses? Damn, what a world… a true leader-class figure…]
Her face was delicate, no larger than the span of a palm, with a finely pointed chin. The spectacles perched upon her nose did nothing to obscure her beauty; if anything, they added an inexplicable allure.
A woman like her—any man who laid eyes upon her would be momentarily captivated.
There are those who are born with an air of innate charm. In the past, people called it sensuality; today, they would simply say she exuded natural allure.
Lu Si Si, with the keen instincts unique to women, sensed the shift in Chen Yan’s gaze. Following his line of sight, she took in the vision before her—and her heart wavered.
Not without reason. She, who could see her own feet without effort, had encountered an opponent who, even on tiptoe, could not.
It was a predator’s instinct, a warning call of an apex rival.
Chen Yan, however, only looked twice before retracting his gaze.
This was his principle.
A first glance—instinct. A second—confirming his instincts were not mistaken.
But a third? That would be indulgence.
He chuckled and patted the somewhat conflicted Lu Si Si on the head, pulling her along to leave. But before they could step away, a voice sounded from behind the mature beauty.
“Elder Zi, please wait.”
From beyond the curtain, a middle-aged man in a traditional long jacket emerged.
The moment the words “Elder Zi” reached Chen Yan’s ears, his mind sharpened.
He paused his steps, choosing instead to stand at the counter with Lu Si Si, pretending to examine the trinkets—paired heart locks and auspicious charms—on display.
“Elder Zi, the talisman paper you brought indeed originates from our shop. But you know how bustling this street is—though my business can’t compare to your Falling Cloud Retreat, our sales remain steady. It’s simply impossible to trace the exact buyer.”
The moment he heard this, Chen Yan’s heart stirred—
Falling Cloud Retreat!
The woman named Elder Zi simply smiled, her expression calm as she nodded. “Understood. I was only asking in passing. Thank you, Shopkeeper Zhou.”
“Haha, no trouble at all. Should Elder Zi ever require more supplies, I hope you will continue to support my business.”
The shopkeeper’s words were polite, yet his tone carried a clear disinterest. He did not linger to see the woman off, instead turning on his heel and disappearing back into the shop’s depths.
Elder Zi seemed to smile faintly but was not offended. In the end, they were competitors—neighbors along the same street, vying for the same clientele. Given her close ties with Falling Cloud Retreat, it was no wonder she was unwelcome here.
Standing outside the shop, she let her gaze drift across the bustling crowd, releasing a quiet sigh.
It was not vengeance she sought.
Rather, the rune left behind intrigued her—one that did not exist in her teachings. As someone who had been immersed in these arts since childhood, she could not help but be drawn in, compelled to investigate.
But since no leads could be found… she would let it be.
Just as she turned to leave, her peripheral vision caught sight of a young couple inside the store.
The boy was tall and slender, his features refined. The girl, delicate and charming, gazed at him with eyes full of light—
She barely leaned into him, her presence gentle, her heart entirely fixated upon him.
Meanwhile, the boy appeared thoroughly absorbed in the talismans before him, ignorant of the girl’s deep affection.
At that moment, Elder Zi found herself sighing inwardly.
[Ah, youth…]
Years ago, she too had been like that young girl—eyes filled with only one person, her world revolving around them…
Her age was no longer young, yet she could not help but indulge in a rare moment of sentimentality, allowing herself to observe the boy a second longer.
Then, she invoked her Qi Observation Technique, drawing upon her inner light to glimpse his fortune.
What she saw darkened her expression instantly.
The girl’s gaze was so deeply devoted, yet the boy’s fate indicated an entanglement of peach blossoms—a clear sign of romantic entanglements unfolding one after another.
[Tch… a little scoundrel.]
Any previous thought she had of bestowing him with a small blessing dissipated at once.
Shaking her head, she turned and walked away.
Only after she had vanished into the crowd did Chen Yan furrow his brows slightly.
[Just now… I sensed a shift in my Qi.]
[That Elder Zi… was she using Qi Observation to read my fate?]
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