Chapter 7  

By midday, the little novice monk from earlier finally returned to the elegant guesthouse and led Yi Ling to a meditation room on the hillside.  

Jing’an Temple was built against the mountain, its surroundings serene, refined, and tranquil.

Piles of fallen leaves lay scattered on the ground, untouched by brooms. Stepping on them felt soft and cushioned, inducing a sense of relaxation.  

But as Yi Ling stood before the meditation room, her heart raced uncontrollably.  

“You two wait outside,” she instructed Mama Cao and Mallow, who had intended to follow her inside. “I’ll speak to the master alone.”  

Pushing open the door to the meditation room, she was greeted by a seven-panel floor screen that completely blocked her view of the interior.  

Closing the door behind her, Yi Ling scanned the room. The meditation chamber was excessively austere, with nothing but a long table and a cushion in front of the screen, alongside paintings of mountains and calligraphy hanging on the walls.  

On the long table sat a cup of steaming tea.  

Behind the screen, she could only make out the faint silhouette of Master Huiming.  

Her initial intention was to bow respectfully and state her purpose.  

But after tossing and turning all night without sleep, her heart burdened with heavy thoughts, Yi Ling’s steps faltered as she approached. Her legs grew weak, and she nearly collapsed onto the cushion.  

“Madam, please take a seat first.”  

As Yi Ling awkwardly steadied herself against the screen, a rich, worldly voice came from the other side.  

She could only smooth her skirt, sit down cautiously, and survey her surroundings before speaking. “Master, I apologize for disturbing your solitude. I have come uninvited because my life has been turned upside down, and I have no choice but to seek your guidance.”  

Master Huiming seemed to be carving something behind the screen; his movements were deliberate and focused.  

Yi Ling stared intently at the figure holding the carving knife. She waited a long time for him to speak but began to doubt if he was listening to her at all.  

“Master…”  

“Madam,” he interrupted without pausing his work, his tone even. “If one can transcend all things, one is like the Buddha himself, with a body and mind as clear as the bright moon, unmoved amidst the shifting sands of the world, containing all within the smallest speck.”
 
Yi Ling replayed his words in her mind repeatedly.  

By the time the tea before her had nearly cooled, her thoughts were in utter disarray.  

“Master, could you put it in simpler terms? ”She asked honestly. “I don’t understand.”  

There was a noticeable pause in Master Huiming’s movements. After a moment, he set down the object in his hands and turned slightly to face her through the screen.  

“Since you are here, you should find peace in the present,” he said. “As long as your heart remains steady, no external changes can disturb you.”  

This she understood.  

But it didn’t seem to help much.  

“The problem is not just the changes,” Yi Ling leaned forward unconsciously, lowering her voice.

“I often faint for no apparent reason. It feels as if I’m sealed within my own body—able to hear and think but unable to open my eyes or wake up. The best physicians in the capital are baffled.

What should I do?”  

“Madam, your current condition is beyond medicine’s help—it is an ailment of the heart.

Thoughts give rise to intentions, intentions to causes, and causes to consequences. The cycle of cause and effect is unbreakable.”  

Master Huiming spoke slowly. “Where the cause originates, the consequence will naturally arise.”  

These words gave Yi Ling a faint sense of clarity, as if a hidden path was beginning to reveal itself. Her mind drifted back to the day she first woke up.  

Cause and effect. Her current state, wasn’t it all thanks to Xie Hengzhi?  

If he was the “cause,” then how should she address the “effect”?  

She racked her brain but couldn’t find an answer. In the end, she had to seek further guidance from Master Huiming.  

“If I find the cause, what should I do then?”  

“There is nothing you need to do,” Master Huiming replied. “The existence of the cause is itself the effect.”  

Yi Ling, who had been muddled moments ago, suddenly felt a jolt of enlightenment, as if a veil had been lifted.  

She even startled herself into drinking the entire cup of tea before finally calming down.  

“Master, are you saying that to change my situation, I must rely on the very person who started it all? Is this what you meant earlier by the ‘noble person’?”  

Master Huiming said nothing more. He simply stood, pressed his palms together, and bowed toward Yi Ling.  

“Madam, please take your leave.”  

In the presence of such a revered master, Yi Ling dared not show disrespect. Since she had been dismissed, she stood and prepared to leave.  

But as she reached the door, she couldn’t resist turning back. “Master, one last question.”  

She glanced down at her own body, unsure how to phrase it. “The person who originally…”  

Master Huiming responded calmly, “They will find their rightful place.”  

---

When Yi Ling left the meditation room, her face was pale, and her expression dazed, as if her soul had been drained.  

Mallow and Mama Cao rushed to support her, alarmed.  

“Madam, what’s wrong? What did the master say? Why do you look like this?”  

Yi Ling felt weak and had no desire to speak. She simply gazed up at the sky with an expression of utter despair.  

Moments later, her vision began to blur, and she struggled to catch her breath.  

The sensation was all too familiar. If nothing unexpected happened, she was about to faint again.  

Yi Ling sighed helplessly, her voice faint. “Let’s go home.”  

Mallow and Mama Cao, seeing her condition, dared not press her further. They supported her on either side, fearful that she might collapse on the bustling grounds of Jing’an Temple.  

She had just taken two steps when another wave of dizziness hit, and the world before Yi Ling’s eyes darkened for a moment. She nearly fell off the steps.

She steadied herself, took a deep breath, and with the last of her strength, ordered, “Call Xie Hengzhi back. Immediately, call him back!”

---

As the sunset cast its golden glow, a palace lantern hung beneath the eaves of the green-tiled roof, quietly lighting up in the lingering rays of the sun.

It was supposed to be a peaceful evening as the lights began to shine, but the entire Xie residence was enveloped in a heavy, oppressive atmosphere.

When Yi Ling fainted earlier, the household followed her instructions and went to the palace to summon Xie Hengzhi.

Yet, it was already getting dark, and despite repeated attempts to summon him, Xie Hengzhi’s whereabouts remained unknown.

As for Yi Ling herself, she lay stiffly on the bed. Medicine had been administered, and needles had been applied, but she remained unconscious.

Dr. Huang paced back and forth beneath the eaves, tugging at his beard repeatedly, unable to come up with any solutions.

Just as he was deep in thought, footsteps were heard from the front door.

Xie Hengzhi had finally returned!

Dr. Huang eagerly went out to meet him, hastily cupping his hands and about to urgently explain the situation.

However, Xie Hengzhi seemed to have ignored him, continuing to walk toward the room while listening to a subordinate report something in a low voice.

Although the conversation was quiet, their expressions were meticulous and focused, showing no signs of distraction.

Dr. Huang couldn’t interject, so he had no choice but to follow Xie Hengzhi into the bedroom.

As soon as they entered, Xie Hengzhi finally spoke.

“How is my wife?”

Dr. Huang, momentarily stunned, didn’t immediately realize Xie Hengzhi was speaking to him.

After a brief pause, he frowned and said, “My skills are lacking; I’ve failed you, sir.”

Xie Hengzhi said nothing and walked to the bed, lifting the curtain to peer at Yi Ling.

Earlier, Dr. Huang had administered acupuncture, and the room had been lit with a couple more lamps, making it exceptionally bright.

The woman on the bed was lying gracefully, her long, thick eyelashes fluttering with each breath.

Her complexion was bright and flawless, as though she were peacefully in a sweet dream—there was no sign of her having fainted at all.

Xie Hengzhi’s gaze swept over Yi Ling, then he gently lowered the curtain and turned to walk toward the window.

“What exactly is wrong with my wife?”

Dr. Huang did not immediately respond. He lowered his gaze, pondering quickly in his mind, weighing the pros and cons.

He had been pleased for days when invited to the Xie residence for consultation. Cultivating a relationship with Xie Hengzhi, even a little, would make future dealings in the capital far more convenient.

But who knew he would encounter such a situation? If this drags on, his family’s reputation might be ruined.

Having made up his mind, Dr. Huang didn’t beat around the bush.

“Sir, regarding Madam’s condition, I dare not hide anything. The truth is, Madam is not ill at all.

After she fell into the water and regained consciousness, her body fully recovered. As for these frequent fainting spells, I boldly speculate…”

He trembled, speaking carefully, “Perhaps Madam is merely seeking your companionship and attention.”

Having bluntly stated that the wife of Xie Hengzhi was playing such a trick, Dr. Huang was actually filled with trepidation.

He raised his eyes, cautiously studying Xie Hengzhi’s expression.

To his surprise, Xie Hengzhi did not appear shocked.

Instead, he turned his head, casting Dr. Huang a cold glance.

“My wife is a lady from a prestigious family in Jiangzhou, known for her brilliance and elegance. She would never stoop to such vulgar tricks.”

Xie Hengzhi clasped his hands behind his back, turning to face Dr. Huang.

“On the other hand, Dr. Huang, who is renowned for his medical skills, now finds himself at a loss in the face of a challenging illness, and this is how you choose to make excuses for yourself?”

Dr. Huang could only feel helpless, close to tears.

Xie Hengzhi didn’t believe Yi Ling was faking illness for attention but also seemed to doubt his competence and implied that he was slandering the patient.

“Sir, I assure you that everything I said is the truth. If you don’t believe me, feel free to consult someone else and see if I’m just talking nonsense.”

“Leave.”

Xie Hengzhi didn’t comment further, not intending to hear any more from Dr. Huang.

Dr. Huang, unable to express his grievances, could only bow deeply to Xie Hengzhi before turning to leave.

Just as he was about to exit, there was a rustling sound from the bed.

Dr. Huang paused, and both he and Xie Hengzhi turned to look.

Yi Ling had somehow woken up and was sitting on the edge of the bed, lifting the curtain and staring intently at Xie Hengzhi.

Her expression was complex, and her cheeks were visibly flushed, especially her eyes, which seemed to hold countless unspeakable emotions.

“You…”

The moment Yi Ling spoke, the room fell even quieter.

The three of them, each with their own thoughts, remained silent.

After a long pause, it was Dr. Huang who finally broke the silence.

He once again bowed deeply to Xie Hengzhi, his voice filled with relief as he said, “Sir, can you believe just a little of what I said?”

Without waiting for Xie Hengzhi’s response, he straightened up and walked out with dignity.

Yi Ling, who had been in a daze, saw Dr. Huang about to leave and quickly sprang to her feet. “Dr. Huang, don’t go! Dr. Huang! Dr. Huang!”

Dr. Huang, who had been walking away with his head held high, froze when he heard Yi Ling calling him. In a flash, he hurriedly rushed out, as if fleeing in panic.

Once Dr. Huang’s figure disappeared completely, Yi Ling numbly shifted her gaze, having to face Xie Hengzhi.

There was no more room for struggle.

Just before she had fainted, she had imagined that if someone else had woken her, she would have misunderstood the words of Master Huiming.

But now, it seemed everything was as she had understood.

Xie Hengzhi was both the “cause” and the “effect.” Only he could wake her from her slumber.

No wonder, over the past couple of days, each time she fainted, it was after Xie Hengzhi had left.

And whenever she regained consciousness, it was always when he returned to the residence.

At this moment, Yi Ling’s ears were buzzing, her mind filled with Master Huiming’s words.

Gradually, her vision blurred, and she even saw the words “noble person” on Xie Hengzhi’s face.

She never could have imagined that in this life, the “noble person” who would save her life would not be anyone else, but this cold-hearted 

The “noble person” looked at her with a chilly smile, mocking her: “Stop calling. It seems I’m more useful than he is.”