Baima Temple No. 59

  This time, no one showed any impatience, as if on vacation. Our group of four people ordered two dishes at the famous restaurant Cuifeng Tower in Luoyang: Yellow River carp and fish bone soup with steamed noodles. We also ordered clear broth pipa shrimp, jade duck tongue, and several mountain delicacies. All the dishes were ordered by Luo Dachun, and each one was delicious. I really enjoyed eating, but I had to pay attention to my manners, so I didn't dare take too much, just nibbling a little at a time, feeling anxious in my heart.

  Nie Qiuyuan, who had been silent all along, suddenly said: "Liu Yue, you are now dressed as a man, but your eating posture is still like that of a young girl, which easily attracts attention. I'll trouble you to learn how to eat like a man for the next few days, so as to avoid some unnecessary troubles."

  I thought it was right, secretly delighted, and hesitantly replied "I'll try", then gradually relaxed and happily started eating.

  "Haha, Liuyue you're really something, learning so quickly!

  Ruo Da Chun praised me and casually picked up a piece of fish with his chopsticks and put it in my bowl.

  Eat more, you've lost weight compared to before!"

  For a moment I was a bit dazed. These days have been too tense and busy, always feeling a little overwhelmed. But at this moment, several people sat around the small table, chatting and eating, with the sound of cups and bowls colliding, someone serving dishes, someone saying eat more, somehow suddenly making me think of my own home, thinking of my dad and mom, thinking of my mischievous cat that doesn't listen or catch mice but just likes to squat on my lap.

  Alas, as long as one is alive, no matter in which world they struggle, no matter if the path they've walked is paved with dog's blood, no matter if their future is bright or not, there will always be some warm moments, won't there?

  I put the delicious fish meat into my mouth and enjoy a small satisfaction that belongs to today.

  In the afternoon, White Horse Temple was bathed in warm sunlight, with cold air and a quiet atmosphere that was almost eerie. We walked slowly inside the temple, nobody speaking, each of us probably observing quietly in our own way. The event should have taken place in the main hall, but when we reached a corner of the side hall, another scene caught my attention.

  That was a red plum blossom, next to a small stone table and stool, blooming peacefully. The temple wasn't a garden, so there weren't any scenic rock formations or pavilions, this one stone table was probably for the use of devotees who came to burn incense to rest on, it was quite crude. But that one plum blossom looked good, always making people want to linger for a moment.

  Just then, a group of people were heard approaching, and it turned out to be Su Licheng, who was pale and looked ill, walking over with his entourage.

  Luo Dachun and Nie Qiuyuan went forward to talk, Lin Jiu waited at the original place, I saw them go to make official tone, so one person walked towards the plum tree, wanted to take a look at the flower.

  After all, it's an ancient red plum, feeling more upscale than modern ones.

  The fragrance can be smelled from a very far place, fresh and elegant, refreshing the heart. In some sense, plum blossoms are the most fragrant among all flowers, although their fragrance is not thick, but it spreads the farthest. In winter, when everything withers and dies, there are almost no insects that can help spread its pollen, so it has to desperately send out its fragrance as far as possible to attract those tiny spreaders in order to reproduce.

  It's a kind of flower that is not afraid of harsh environments and can survive tenaciously. No wonder I find it endearing.

  I sat down on the stone bench and gazed at several green-clad handsome men standing together chatting, each one so pleasing to the eye. Behind the handsome men was the main hall's gate, although it was far away, but everything that happened inside the hall could be seen clearly. So, my guesses from last night appeared like a movie in front of me.

  People were controlled, lost consciousness and fell to the ground. Some martial monks had deep internal strength and were not confused, at this time, a group of mysterious people rushed out and fought with the martial monks.

  Think about this inference, it's quite reasonable. I, who have never been artistic, was infected by the atmosphere and suddenly imagined that if I were the mastermind of the criminal, I would definitely choose to sit in this place, sniffing the fragrance of plum blossoms while admiring from a distance the scene I had directed with my own hands.

  The petals of the plum blossom fell down rustling, my gaze wandered with the direction of the falling petals, only to see the petals spread on the ground, layer upon layer, some had already withered, while others were freshly fallen. When my gaze fell on a small bunch of dry petals stuck in a small gap under the stone table, I suddenly felt like being struck by lightning, shocked to the extreme. I stood up abruptly.

  I couldn't believe my eyes.

  I was stunned for a moment, then squatted down and quickly brushed aside the newly fallen petals around me, gently digging out that small handful of petals from the gap between the stones. Probably because it happened to fall into the gap under the table, so this petal, although it had been withered for a long time, was not blown away by the wind. I don't know how my eyes were so good, because at a glance, I saw that this handful of petals was different from the naturally fallen ones.

  The base of the petal is broken off quite unnaturally, and although it has withered and curled up, the breakage is still smooth and flat. This is not because it withered and fell off naturally from the calyx, but was cut off piece by piece with a sharp blade.

  My heart skipped a beat. Could it be that this person was really just like I had imagined, sitting under the red plum blossom, appreciating everything happening in the great hall while using the small knife in his hand to cut off the petals of the plum blossoms one by one?

  I can even see him with a faint cold smile at the corner of his mouth, gazing far into the distance.

  The kind of person who would do this, I can think of only one.

  Long live Chairman Mao!

  I couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat. If the person who planned this was really that terrifying individual, then behind him might be that terrifying organization.

  That organization that wants my sweetheart's life!

  I suddenly looked up at a distance, Nie Qiuyuan was facing away from me. His jet-black hair was tied up, wrapped in a bun, his posture was straight and upright, looking refreshing and handsome. My heart felt a wave of panic. I must tell him about this discovery, I must remind him to be careful, let him understand that this is not an ordinary case, it may be related to his personal safety.

  My fingers trembled as I slowly put that small handful of strange flower petals into a sachet. Now, I yearn to see the night, and I yearn for it to come sooner so I can tell him about this matter and let him think of a way to remind Nie Qiuyuan.

  It's a matter of great importance. I've made up my mind, if I don't see her tonight, tomorrow I'll risk everything being exposed and still try to make it happen.

  Law directly told Nie Qiuyuan to be careful, perhaps Ren Pingsheng was not far from us.

  Just then, I raised my head and found that in the corridor beside the distant wing of the building, a red figure was standing still, gazing at me quietly. The red figure suddenly lifted its arm and beckoned to me.

  I was taken aback for a moment, but the red shadow beckoned even more urgently. I turned my head to look at Nie Qiuyuan and Luo Dachun's figures, who were deeply engrossed in conversation with Su Lixian. I hesitated for a moment, then stood up and walked towards the red shadow.

  I can see very clearly that it's Ruo Yujuan. Although I dislike her and she is also very suspicious, however, I still want to figure out what she wants to do.

  I approached her, but found that the usually calm and composed female captor's face was a mess of anxiety. She quickly and quietly said: "Hurry up and follow me, Mr. Nie and Mr. Luo are in danger! If we don't go now, it'll be too late!"

  I frowned and said: "Why don't you just go tell them directly?"

  "No way!"; Yu Wan said hastily, "They're already targets where they are now! The only one who can help now is you!"

  Seeing me hesitate, the woman gritted her teeth and put aside all her reserve, saying loudly: "From that day on, I saw Lord Luo and fell in love at first sight. Ye Gongzhu, your feelings are clear to me too, so why can't you understand my desire to save his life?"

  It turned out that she had understood everything all along, and she had known I was a woman long ago.

  "Datang Chang'an Evening News"; "Just a casual interview";

  Reporter: Ah, isn't that Author-san? Now that we've met, let's do a casual interview. Hello Author-san, why are you looking so serious and solemn? It doesn't really suit you!

  Author: Ah, it's you! Hello. Oh dear, today is the deadline for subscribing to next year's publications. At our unit, we subscribe collectively and the fees are deducted directly from our salaries, so it doesn't feel like spending money at all, just like getting something for free. That's why collective subscription is the way to go.

  Reporter: (My god!) Author, have you always lived in self-deception like this?

  Author: Stop messing around. I've been thinking for a long time and my head is hurting. Now I'm dizzy. I see colleagues subscribing to various professional journals, and suddenly I feel very incompetent. But those professional ones are really hard to read, and I don't have the time (I wonder if they actually read them). And if I subscribe to "Story Time" like last year among my high-end colleagues, it would seem too lowly. So I'm hesitant. I think I should subscribe to a poetry journal, which can't even be bought at newsstands, and then also subscribe to "Harvest" or something, and another one that none of them can understand - "Russian Central Asian Cultural Studies".

  Reporter: (Sweat! Is this a subscription or a scam?) Haven't you ever thought of subscribing to the "Great Tang Chang'an Evening News"?

  Author: Oh dear, look at me, I had a brain fart and forgot to order this.

  Reporter: So what did you order in the end?

  Author: "The Garden of World Fashion" and "Bai Tai's Kitchen".

  Reporter: (I'm going... Every time I finish interviewing the author, I regret it. What kind of logic is this?! Professional ethics... Keeping a smile!) Dear reader friends, next year's newspaper subscription work has begun, don't forget to subscribe to "Datang Chang'an Evening News"!