Everyone's been reborn, so who would bother finding a wife on their own?

Chapter 289 Cutting Down the Peach Blossoms

After leaving Jiming Temple, walk down the mountain road, turn a few corners, and suddenly the view opens up before you.

Xuanwu Lake lies at the foot of the mountain, a vast expanse of water that shimmers in the afternoon sunlight.

The lakeside is lined with weeping willows, their long branches drooping down, their tips touching the water's surface, creating ripples when the wind blows.

It's the weekend, and there are quite a few people by the lake.

There were young parents pushing strollers, elderly couples walking slowly hand in hand, tourists taking photos, and children riding bicycles through the crowd, their bells ringing.

Several duck boats, yellow and green, floated on the lake, swaying slowly.

Further away, someone was paddling a paddleboard, cutting a thin ripple on the surface of the water, which looked like scattered gold.

Xiao Yunqing stood by the lake, the wind blowing her stray hairs onto her face.

The hem of her skirt swayed gently at her feet.

She looked at the lake, her eyes shining.

Song Huan walked beside her, hands in her pockets, then suddenly turned around and looked at her with a grin.

"Little Cloud, do you know what Jiming Temple is for?"

Xiao Yunqing turned to look at him, "Are you praying for a good marriage?"

"wrong."

Song Huan shook her head and said seriously, "Jiming Temple is for severing karmic ties."

Xiao Yunqing was taken aback. "There's such a saying?"

"yes."

Song Huan leaned against the lakeside railing, legs crossed, "Jiming Temple enshrines Acala, who specifically cuts off unwanted romantic advances and severs karmic ties. So you know why I didn't pray just now, right?"

Xiao Yunqing understood.

She glared at him, her lips slightly pouting. "Are you saying I'm a bad match?"

Song Huan shrugged. "I didn't say that."

That's exactly what you mean!

Xiao Yunqing's voice rose half an octave, "You just said I was your crush, and now you're talking about cutting off peach blossoms at Jiming Temple, so you're basically saying I'm a rotten peach blossom!"

Song Huan smiled but remained silent.

Xiao Yunqing was so angry that she raised her hand to hit him, but he dodged to the side.

After Song Huan finished laughing, she looked at her and suddenly asked, "But you did pray."

Xiao Yunqing's hand froze in mid-air.

Aren't you afraid that one day you'll leave me?

A gust of wind blew, scattering stray hairs across her face.

The willow branches by the lake swayed, and the light on the water's surface shattered and then gathered again.

Xiao Yunqing looked at him.

His eyes were bright, reflecting the light of the lake and her image.

She still had a smile on her face, but that smile was different from before.

Xiao Yunqing lowered her hand.

I looked down at the tips of my shoes.

After a while, she looked up at the lake.

The wind blew by, making her voice a little slurred.

"I'm not afraid."

Her voice was very soft.

"Song Huan, do you know?"

She paused for a moment.

"You are the man I trust most besides my father. We grew up together, went to school together, and have long become indispensable parts of each other's lives."

She gazed at the distant lake, where a duck boat slowly glided by, and the children on board were laughing, their voices drifting over from afar.

"So I believe in you. Even though you always tease me and complain about me, you're still good to me and tolerant of my little temper tantrums. But... if one day I really leave, it must be because you did something extremely, extremely hurtful to me!"

"Unforgivable! I'll leave you and make you experience what it's like to lose me! So you'd better not make me cry again!"

She turned around and looked at him intently.

The sunlight fell on her face, making her eyes shine brightly.

There was a seriousness in it that he rarely saw.

Song Huan looked at her.

His Adam's apple bobbed, and he swallowed.

He suddenly wanted to slap himself. Why did he have to bring this up of the first place?

Then he laughed, that smug laugh that came back, "Just kidding, why are you taking it so seriously?"

Xiao Yunqing's eyes widened.

"I'm not kidding, I'm serious!"

She walked up to him and grabbed his ear.

He pinched his earlobe with his fingers and twisted it.

"All you do is bully me all the time, one day I'll leave you!"

Song Huan tilted her head, grinning, "Then I'll post it online."

Xiao Yunqing paused for a moment. "What are you sending?"

"They say you abandoned your husband and children."

"Who abandoned their husband and children!"

"you."

"Get out of here!"

Xiao Yunqing released his grip, turned around, and strode forward.

Her ponytail swung behind her as she walked quickly.

Song Huan rubbed her ears and followed.

I walked beside her, shoulder to shoulder.

She moved half a step to the side, and he moved closer again.

She moved away, and he moved closer.

She stopped moving.

The two walked slowly along the lake.

Willow branches sway in the wind, and dappled sunlight dances on the ground.

Reaching a boardwalk that extends into the lake, Xiao Yunqing stopped, placed her hands on the railing, and leaned out to look at the water.

The water was very clear; you could see the pebbles and small fish swimming around at the bottom.

A red koi carp emerged from under the bridge, flicked its tail, and then darted back inside.

Xiao Yunqing pointed to the fish, "Look."

Song Huan stood next to her and looked down as well.

The two shadows were reflected on the water, side by side.

A gust of wind blew by, and the shadow swayed.

They continued walking.

We walked across a stone arch bridge and past a lotus pond.

Finally, we walked along a road lined with sycamore trees on both sides.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, falling on the ground and onto his and her shoulders.

Xiao Yunqing suddenly stopped.

She stood under a sycamore tree, looking up at the leaves.

"Song Huan".

"Um?"

"Nanjiang is so beautiful, let's settle down here after we graduate."

Song Huan stood next to her and also looked up at her.

The sycamore leaves are still green, with slightly yellowed edges.

This road should be very beautiful in late autumn.

The trees are covered in golden leaves, and the ground is carpeted with fallen leaves.

"OK."

He said, "I'll buy a big villa then, as our wedding home!"

"Beautiful you, who would want to marry you!"

Xiao Yunqing smiled and continued walking forward.

Song Huan followed with a smile.

The two walked slowly away, their shadows trailing behind them, very close together.

……

The miserable Lin Yue had been walking on the streets of Nanjiang for almost two hours.

The September sun was still scorching, making the back of one's neck feel hot.

She was wearing a white T-shirt and jeans, with faded canvas shoes on her feet, and clutching a map of Nanjiang that she had bought from the school's print shop, looking at it as she walked.

She drew several circles on the map with a red pen.

Nearby milk tea shops, restaurants, convenience stores, and supermarkets.

Every time she entered a store, she would put on a smiling face and ask if they were hiring part-time workers.

Some said they were full, some said they weren't taking students, and some looked her up and down and said they only wanted long-term hires.

The owner of another bubble tea shop glanced at her and said, "You're so pretty, it's a waste of your talent to work here," and then sent her away.

By the time we left the last shop, the sun was already setting.

Lin Yue's current location can no longer be described as being near the school; she herself has no idea where she has gone.

Sigh... It's so hard to find a job.

Lin Yue sighed inwardly, stood on the street, folded the map, and stuffed it into her pocket.

My legs are sore, and my heels are chafed and painful.

She sat down on the steps by the roadside, took off her shoes, and looked at her heels.

It's rubbed raw and the skin is almost broken.

She put on her shoes, tied her shoelaces, stood up, and continued walking.

Suddenly, she stopped.

Because at the end of this street there is a sign with neon lights, red, green and blue, flashing on and off.

The four characters "天下KTV" stood out prominently in the evening sky.

Lin Yue gripped the meal card in her pocket.

I wish I could withdraw the money from my meal card; I don't have much money left.

My mother's medical bills are due again next month.

She took a deep breath and walked into the alley.

A job posting was pasted on the glass door of the KTV, with red background and black lettering: "Hiring waitresses, female, 18-25 years old, good appearance and temperament, salary negotiable."

waiter.

Lin Yue thought for a moment, then pushed open the door. A blast of cold air hit her, mixed with the smell of smoke and alcohol.

A woman in her thirties was sitting at the front desk. She had big, wavy hair, wore a black dress, and had two large hoop earrings.

I was applying nail polish when I heard the door open and looked up.

Lin Yue walked to the front desk. "Hello, I saw a job posting for waitresses on the door..."

Sister Peach looked her up and down.

She has a round face, fair skin, large eyes, and slightly upturned corners.

He's tall, well-proportioned, with a slim waist and long legs.

He was wearing an ordinary white T-shirt and jeans, but his face was the most striking one anywhere.

Sister Peach screwed the nail polish bottle on and leaned back in her chair.

"student?"

Lin Yue nodded.

How old are you?

"eighteen."

"What's your name?"

"Lin Yue".

Sister Peach was stunned for a moment, then suddenly turned her head to look at her, staring at her for several seconds.

"Is there something wrong?" Lin Yue asked nervously.

Sister Peach didn't say anything. Then she opened the drawer, took out a note, and placed it on the counter.

The paper strips were folded neatly, with the edges pressed flat.

There was also a printed photo next to it, a screenshot from a surveillance camera. The image quality wasn't very clear, but you could make out a boy's profile.

He was wearing a white T-shirt, his hands in his pockets, and his head was down.

Lin Yue looked down and then froze.

The note had two words written on it.

Lin Yue.

It's Song Huan's handwriting.

She recognized the handwriting.

In junior high school, she sat behind him at the desk and watched him write and draw in his textbooks every day.

Sister Peach looked at her and asked, "You know this person, right?"

Lin Yue didn't speak, but nodded.

"He came on the night school started."

Sister Peach leaned back in her chair, speaking slowly and deliberately, "Leave this note and your contact information here. Tell me that if a girl named Lin Yue comes here looking for work, she should call him, and he will help her resolve any difficulties so she can pursue her dream of becoming an actress."

Lin Yue's eyes immediately reddened.

She lowered her head and stared at the note.

He's been here before... How would he know I'm short of money?

How did he know I wanted to be an actor?

I haven't told him anything... not even in junior high, how would he know?

Lin Yue clutched the note tightly in her hand.

She stood there for a long time.

"Thanks."

Lin Yue said softly, then turned around, pushed open the door, and went out.

The streetlights were on in the alley.

The dim light shone on the stone pavement.

She leaned against the wall, her head tilted back.

Tears streamed down her cheeks, dripping onto her collar.

You're an idiot, just as idiotic as you were in junior high.