Chapter 47

“Nian Qi,” Ruan Qing said firmly, “we can’t destroy this. It needs to be taken out and handed to the authorities. If we have to, we’ll put a pause on the plan to fabricate your backstory. I’ll come up with something else, but not at the cost of destroying this document.”

“Nian Qi, you don’t understand what it means. I can’t—really, I can’t!”

Nian Qi didn’t know the details of that era, nor the history of the sacrifices, bravery, and sorrow that had marked it. But he wasn’t rigid in his thinking. After a moment’s pause, he asked, “If we don’t destroy it completely, could we cover up the parts that reveal he lived here alone?”

Ruan Qing hesitated, then asked, “Which parts?”

Nian Qi carefully reviewed the document, pointing out a few sections. Most of them weren’t in the main body but were in the added notes toward the end. Ruan Qing said, “Can you ensure the rest remains intact?”

Nian Qi replied, “You’ve seen my handiwork.” Indeed, his needlework was so precise it could have come from a master artisan. His hands were skilled enough to take lives and craft delicate work.

“This isn’t urgent,” he continued. “Let’s settle in for now.” He looked around the Sanqing Hall. It was spacious, with a scattering of worn-out meditation mats and small, low tables. It was clear that the Daoists once used this hall for their devotions. He brushed dust from one of the tables and motioned for Ruan Qing to sit.

Ruan Qing, remembering past mishaps, said, “Check if it’s sturdy first.”

Nian Qi glanced at her ankle, which was now swollen, but her main problem seemed to be the cold. “Take off your wet shoes and socks,” he advised. “I’ll start a fire to warm you up.”

He gathered a few worn meditation mats in the center of the hall and lit them with a lighter from Ruan Qing’s bag. Nearby, he found old flagpole stands, with their tattered banners, which he brought closer to hang her socks and shoes to dry. With a fire, the hall warmed up quickly. Ruan Qing sat by the flames, and as she warmed up, Nian Qi felt more at ease.

“Stay here by the fire while I check out the other rooms,” he said, stepping out.

Compared to Ruan Qing, Nian Qi had a better understanding of traditional architecture. The Wild Hermits’ Temple was modest, just a three-part courtyard. Past the main gate lay the Sanqing Hall, where worship and devotions took place. The middle courtyard housed a well and quarters for living, while the rear courtyard had a kitchen, a wood storage room, a dining area, and a storage room. The room Ruan Qing had first stayed in was, in fact, the dining hall.

Nian Qi inspected each room. The wood storage surprisingly held plenty of firewood, preserved dry over the years thanks to the sheltered walkways and cornered gates, which kept the rain out. He gathered some dry wood and brought it to the main hall to stoke the fire, making it burn more brightly. Ruan Qing’s face looked much better now.

He retrieved her bag from the dining hall and handed her some food. “Eat a little; it’ll help warm you up.”

Ruan Qing was indeed cold and hungry. They had last eaten some bread and sausage before the rain, but now hunger had returned, likely due to the cold draining her energy.

Nian Qi went outside briefly, returning with a few branches in his hand.

He stripped the branches of their bark, revealing clean, pale wood underneath, then skewered the bread and the flower buns Ruan Qing had brought from the village. He roasted them over the fire until the outside was slightly charred, releasing a delicious aroma, then handed them to Ruan Qing. She couldn’t help but drool a little—the need for food and warmth was overwhelming. Hygiene was the least of her worries now, so she dug right in. With the hot food filling her stomach, she finally felt revitalized.

“Keep warming yourself by the fire,” Nian Qi said, “I’ll go prepare a room where you can rest.” He added, “Even if the rain stops today, there’s no way anyone will reach us here. We’ll need to stay overnight.” Ruan Qing, understanding the situation, nodded. “I’ll leave it to you,” she replied, knowing that survival in the wild was entirely up to him.

He handed her back her phone and left again. It still had no signal. While waiting, Ruan Qing pulled out her hand-crank charger to recharge it. Knowing she might be in the mountains for some time, she had come prepared with both a power bank and a hand-crank charger. They were finally proving useful. After cranking until her hand was sore, a faint signal appeared, allowing a delayed message to come through. It was from Ruan Xiangyun, reassuring her that they were safe, which set her mind at ease. She continued charging the phone.

When Nian Qi returned, he said, “Come on, let’s move to a different spot.” He lifted her in his arms again, and this time Ruan Qing had the presence of mind to enjoy the “princess carry.” His arms were strong and steady, his shoulders broad, and she naturally wrapped her arms around him, noting the comfort in his hold. He carried her to the central courtyard, where there was a series of small quarters, resembling a shared dormitory. He chose one with a closed door, hoping it might still be intact. Inside, the room was relatively orderly and hadn’t been disturbed by wild animals.

There was a kang bed-stove, though no bedding remained—just some cotton scraps that had hardened over the years. Likely, the Daoist Zaojiao had worn them down over decades of solitary life. Nian Qi found some old clothes in a box, tore them into cloths, and used rainwater to wipe down the kang.^[1]A kang bed-stove is a traditional Chinese heated platform that combines a bed and a stove, using an internal fire to warm the surface for sleeping and sitting during cold winters.

Initially, he thought of lighting the bed-stove, but on inspection, he found the flue blocked, likely neglected as Zaojiao’s energy dwindled in his later years. There wasn’t time to clean it now, so he started a small fire in the center of the stone floor. He also waved a lit piece of wood over the kang’s surface to chase away any damp bugs or centipedes.

When everything was ready, he returned to fetch Ruan Qing, carrying her over to the kang. “Warm up here; it’s cozier.” The Sanqing Hall had been too high and large, with broken doors letting cold drafts in. This smaller quarters warmed up quickly with just a small fire. He brought her shoes and socks too, and said, “I’ll step out for a bit. You can dry your pants as well.” Ruan Qing replied, “Stop fussing for now. Warm up and rest a little—you’re soaked through.”

“Alright, I’ll warm up in front,” he said, stepping outside and closing the door.

With him gone, Ruan Qing finally removed her pants, which had gotten soaked and clung uncomfortably to her skin. After wringing them out, she hung them up by the fire to dry. As she warmed up, the rain finally stopped, and, surprisingly, light began filtering back in. It was daytime, but the heavy clouds had cast everything in darkness until now.

The window was made of glass. Of course, it was; by the time this temple was flourishing with people, the Republic era had already arrived, so glass would be expected. Sunlight filtered through the grimy glass, brightening the room considerably. The murky feeling that had weighed on Ruan Qing’s heart like floodwater started to lift, and she felt herself pulling free from the oppressive weight of history.

With light streaming in, she couldn’t exactly go without pants anymore. Thankfully, the pant legs were dry, and she slipped them on, checked her socks, and found them dry too. Once dressed, she stood up. Her injured ankle still hurt to walk on, but it wasn’t unbearable.

Ruan Qing opened the door and noticed that the outside temperature had changed. Although a hint of chill lingered, the sunlight was warm. After such a nightmarish storm, feeling the sun’s rays on her face gave her an almost surreal sense of peace. She called out, “Nian Qi?”

“Right here.” His response came almost instantly. He appeared on the roof of the main hall and immediately leaped down from above. The sun was already low in the west, casting a pale golden light. Against the backdrop of the towering old building and wild overgrown weeds, he leapt from above, his figure momentarily edged in gold.

Ruan Qing had felt drawn to men more than once in her life, each instance a bit different—sometimes a handsome face, a strong build, or raw masculinity would catch her interest. But this time, what made her heart race was different. It wasn’t his athletic leap or his fit form. If she tried to explain this to her girlfriends, she wasn’t sure they’d understand. 

She was already thinking of how to tell them about this brief, strange moment: “He appeared so quickly.” That was it. The second she called for him, he was there, right by her side. In the soft golden light, this peculiar, almost meaningless detail lodged itself firmly in her heart.

From the moment he jumped, she held her breath, watching him land, straighten, and walk over to her. His hair was matted, his beard unkempt, and his clothes were worn, yet his eyes were bright and full of life. When he finally reached her and asked, “What’s up?” she let out the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding, her heart still pounding. She knew exactly what she had just felt.

Ruan Qing had never been the type to hold back when it came to life, work, love, or men. If she liked someone, she pursued it. If the feeling faded, she ended it cleanly. When she was deceived, she called off her wedding without hesitation. So with Nian Qi, she wasn’t about to hold back either. In this golden evening light, her feelings for him had gone beyond fleeting attraction or mere physical desire. She no longer wanted just a casual fling with him. She decided then and there that she wanted to pursue him, to make him her boyfriend.

“I saw the rain had stopped and wanted to see what you were up to,” she said with a smile, looking directly into his eyes, her own alight with warmth. Nian Qi was momentarily taken aback by the intensity in her gaze. He knew Ruan Qing was a lively, passionate woman, but something was different in her eyes this time. They openly radiated a new warmth that made his heart skip a beat.

“Uh, I was up there checking how to clean up this courtyard,” he replied, trying to keep calm. “Now that we’ve found the temple, we won’t need that cave anymore, right?”

From Ruan Qing’s previous stories, he knew she had broken off an engagement two years ago. Yet every time she mentioned that guy, she still praised his steady, reliable nature. Nian Qi had taken careful note of that! Right now, he didn’t have wealth to compete with, but he could offer stability. He wouldn’t lose on reliability!