Chapter 67

Once Ruan Qing was sure that her Grandpa Qi was safe, her heart finally settled back into place. “Then hurry up and bring him home,” she urged. As long as he made it back safely, she wouldn’t have to bear any responsibility. But as long as he was out in the mountains, she’d feel accountable if anything happened to him.

Unexpectedly, Ruan Xiangyun replied, a bit exasperated, “He’s not coming back.”

Ruan Xiangyun continued, “Didn’t you ‘grant him permission’? He took you seriously. He’s decided he’ll stay at the temple to guard it on Xiao Nian’s behalf. He says he’ll only come down after the Daoist Association sends new priests and he’s seen to it that his master’s graves have been properly tended.”

Ruan Qing felt her stomach clench. “So…so…so…”

Ruan Xiangyun’s frustration had mostly subsided; he wasn’t about to hold a grudge against a junior. Deep down, he understood that this was his father’s lifelong fixation. He’d grown up hearing his father’s stories of becoming a disciple—no one knew his father’s obsession better than he did.

He reassured Ruan Qing, “Don’t worry about it. He’s just stubborn like this. He’s dreamed of that temple his whole life. Now he’s finally here, so it’s kind of like fulfilling a wish. I’ll arrange for someone to stay with him.”

“But isn’t there talk of wolves in those mountains?” Ruan Qing was deeply worried.

“Don’t worry. Your Grandpa Qi once fought wolves in his youth,” Ruan Xiangyun replied. “The wolves should be more afraid of him.”

In fact, martial traditions had always been strong in Ruan Qing’s hometown. The older generation knew at least a basic set of traditional martial forms. The younger generation wasn’t as dedicated, and daily practice had mostly faded, but in earlier times, it had been part of life.

Ruan Xiangyun sensed Ruan Qing’s concerns and reassured her before the poor signal cut off their call.

Ruan Qing remarked, “Actually, Uncle Xiangyun’s a pretty decent guy.” When he had spoken to her father, he was probably still steamed, which was understandable. If anyone’s father was provoked into running away by a young girl, anyone would be upset enough to vent.

“I felt his bones; they’re remarkably good,” Nian Qi said. “He’s got potential for martial arts. With the right training from a young age, he might’ve achieved something.”

By now, Ruan Qing knew Nian Qi himself was quite the expert in his world. In his eyes, if Grandpa Qi “could have achieved something,” that likely meant more than just some small success. Knocking down a national martial arts champion might not even be out of reach. After all, by modern standards, martial arts had entered a declining era, maybe even a ‘post-martial arts’ period.

As Ruan Qing’s worry turned into mild panic, she exclaimed, “Please, I’m begging you! Don’t tell him that!” If her Grandpa Qi learned he was “gifted in martial arts” but had only ever lacked a good teacher, he’d probably pass away with regret! He’d resent it all his life—and probably into his next!

After venting to Nian Qi about her Grandpa Qi, Ruan Qing called her dad to reassure him, “I got in touch with them. Grandpa Qi’s fine.”

“What’s going on? Did you upset your Grandpa Qi?” Ruan Aihua demanded. “Explain yourself!”

“No, no, not me,” Ruan Qing fibbed. “It’s just that, well, you know the temple, right? Yes, the one Grandpa Qi’s been searching for all his life. I went there, and just like that, with a little bit of my luck, he found it! I’m practically his lucky charm!”

“But you see, Grandpa Qi wasn’t exactly considerate. He wanted some young person to stay in the remote mountains to guard the temple, even though they weren’t willing,” Ruan Qing started to twist the story a bit. She glossed over who the “young person” was and why they were guarding the temple, focusing only on the outcome. “And, well, you know me—I sometimes speak out for justice. So I said, ‘Grandpa Qi, if you love the temple so much, you can’t just keep that young person trapped there forever! If you love it so much, why don’t you go instead?'”

“I knew it was you!” her father scolded, “How can you speak to an elder like that?”

Ruan Qing felt unfairly blamed. “I had no idea he’d actually go up into the mountains! But it’s fine now; Uncle Xiangyun said he’s doing great there. Besides, apart from no electricity, it’s practically like the village.”

She quickly used Uncle Xiangyun as her shield. “Uncle Xiangyun really said so! Grandpa Qi is having a great time. He’s growing vegetables, building a pigsty—he’s completely content. Uncle Xiangyun even told me not to worry!”

When he heard it was Uncle Xiangyun who confirmed Grandpa Qi’s safety, Ruan Aihua finally let some of his anger go, though not without giving Ruan Qing a good scolding before hanging up. She felt completely wronged; it wasn’t her fault at all—blame Grandpa Qi!

What she didn’t know was that Uncle Xiangyun, whom she’d just forgiven and even praised as a “decent person,” was about to pull another move that would earn him more than a little scorn. As we should all know from childhood, once a tattletale, always a tattletale!

That day, Ruan Qing and Nian Qi had traveled from Luo County to Yan City, and then from Yan City to the provincial capital, making for a long journey. But they were both young and showed no signs of exhaustion. Determined to help Nian Qi establish his identity, Ruan Qing’s enthusiasm never wavered.

The provincial capital was a second-tier city, which meant it was even more bustling than Jiangcheng. Nian Qi had thought Jiangcheng was already quite lively—after all, even Qi City couldn’t compare to it. He hadn’t expected the provincial capital to be this vibrant. They arrived at night, and the time they spent in traffic within the city on the way to their hotel was longer than their time on the intercity highway.

They finally reached the hotel, which Ruan Qing had booked in advance. Naturally, a big city offered better accommodations compared to the small hotels in Luo County. Both the exterior and lobby were more luxurious and sophisticated. Inside the room, the difference was even more obvious. Nian Qi wasn’t yet familiar with the different types of rooms, but this one was clearly no standard room like they’d stayed in before. In ancient terms, it would probably be like the “top suite.” The furnishings, decor, and bedding were visibly of much higher quality and better taste.

Ruan Qing looked around and nodded in approval. “Not bad,” she remarked, clearly satisfied.

Nian Qi’s heart skipped a beat. Last night had taken all his self-control; he’d even resorted to pressing her acupoint to make her sleep so he wouldn’t have to hold her, afraid he wouldn’t be able to restrain himself. But tonight…everything about this place felt different. The soft lighting hidden in the ceiling, the tasteful artwork on the walls, the fluffy bedding and pillows—it was easy to imagine setting the air conditioner to the perfect warmth, lying close together, and basking in the cozy softness of each other’s presence.

In short, to Nian Qi, everything in this room seemed just right.

So, today… could it finally be possible? How convenient; Ruan Qing had also been thinking about this. She wanted to see for herself what exactly was going on with Nian Qi, to personally gauge his condition. Once she understood, she could help him find the right hospital and the correct treatment. Everything was working out perfectly.

The two of them were in sync, naturally creating a heightened atmosphere. They had been thirsting for each other’s presence for a long time, and even the smallest brush of their fingertips was enough to spark a fire. It was effortless for Nian Qi to grip her waist and lift her up, his strength sending warmth through her body. Ruan Qing’s unreserved passion made Nian Qi feel as though he were being scorched by flames. Just as they were on the brink of igniting that explosive spark…

Ruan Qing’s phone rang.

In a moment like this, who would care about answering the phone? She was about to hang up when she saw the entire screen taken over by… her father, Ruan Aihua’s giant face. He even flashed a “V” sign.

Ruan Qing: “…”

If there’s anything that can completely extinguish a young person’s fervent desires, it’s a sudden picture of their parents. Nothing is a more effective “fire extinguisher” than the sight of one’s parents’ faces.

The second Ruan Qing saw her father’s close-up, any excitement she felt instantly deflated. She struggled to push Nian Qi away and reluctantly answered the call. “Hello? What is it now?”

Ruan Aihua’s voice was calm, characteristic of someone who’d worked within the system and navigated the business world for decades. “Ruan Qing, where are you now?” he asked.

“Me? Ah, I’m… I’m…” Just as she was speaking, Nian Qi bit the back of her neck. Ruan Qing closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and, with forced calm, pushed him away. “Out… I’m out somewhere.”

“Out where?” he persisted.

Ruan Qing planted her foot on Nian Qi’s chest to hold him back and replied, “Ah, hmm, in… the provincial capital.”

“And what about the man?”

The air suddenly froze. Both Ruan Qing and Nian Qi went stiff.

“What man?” Ruan Qing waved her hand frantically, signaling for Nian Qi to move away.

Ruan Aihua chuckled. “The man you brought out of the mountain Taoist temple.”

In her mind, Ruan Qing could only think: Are you kidding me?

Closing her eyes in resignation, she asked, “Just tell me—who told you?”

Was it Grandpa Qi or Uncle Xiangyun? She was going to remember who ratted her out for sure.

Her guess was right on the mark. The one who reported her was indeed Ruan Xiangyun.

When they’d reached the temple to find Grandpa Qi, he refused to leave and seemed to be thriving in the mountain lifestyle, looking entirely content to live alone. Ruan Xiangyun knew he couldn’t convince his father to return, so he decided to join in instead. Since this place would eventually be developed, they might as well start preparing for the future, so when researchers and planners arrived, there’d be a decent place for them to stay.

A group of them began working, building pig pens and clearing chimneys, even gathering clay from a stream to repair the stoves so they could eventually set up a heated kang bed-stove. Just as the activity was reaching a peak, they got a phone signal, and a call came in—from Ruan Aihua.

Ruan Aihua already had a rough idea about Grandpa Qi’s reason for leaving and figured it was all Ruan Qing’s fault, so he’d called specifically to apologize on her behalf. Grandpa Qi and Ruan Xiangyun didn’t hold a grudge against Ruan Qing and didn’t feel an apology from Ruan Aihua was necessary.

But the whole temple and its rugged atmosphere had captured Ruan Xiangyun’s attention entirely. Yet, distracted as he was, part of him thought of Ruan Qing and hesitated before mentioning it to Ruan Aihua, stammering, “There’s… something I think you should know.”

A family’s daughter had gotten lost in the mountains, and while most of the blame fell on Ruan Qing herself, as the hosts, they still bore some responsibility. Luckily, nothing happened, so there was no need to mention it. But Ruan Qing had brought a man out of the mountains—and left with him! Given she was an adult, Ruan Xiangyun, as her elder, couldn’t just pretend he didn’t know and conceal it from her father.

And so, he reported the existence of Nian Qi to Ruan Aihua.

(Ruan Qing: Thanks, Uncle Xiangyun. Really, I appreciate it.)