In Yunshui, Tianqi, there was a prominent family, the Song. The Song family head, late in life, had a son whom he cherished greatly, naming him Song An.
Song An was handsome, growing more beautiful with age. Not only was he born good-looking, but he was also exceptionally intelligent. He composed poetry at five and essays at seven.
One might say heaven is fair, right?
Just as the Song family believed this favored child would surely bring glory to the family, Song An suddenly fell ill. Countless doctors and medicines were employed, but there was no improvement.
The entire Song family was consumed by sorrow. Song An's mother believed it was the work of evil spirits and invited a Daoist from Baiyun Temple.
Due to the Song family's generous annual donations, Daoist Master Daoguang himself came to their home. Daoguang deduced that Song An's illness was a case of extreme intelligence leading to harm. To resolve it, he needed to cultivate at a Daoist temple.
The Song family naturally refused, but fearing their child wouldn't survive this tribulation, they devised a compromise: Song An would become a lay disciple under Daoguang.
Daoguang also predicted that Song An's path of love would be arduous. Upon returning to the temple, he hoped that through self-cultivation, Song An's Daoist heart would be solidified, making him view romantic love lightly.
Autumn passed, spring came, and ten more years went by.
Song An had grown into a handsome young man. A simple hairpin and a plain blue robe could not conceal his extraordinary demeanor.
This day, Daoguang looked at his increasingly outstanding disciple before him, a hint of pride in his eyes.
"Mingyang, tomorrow this master will set off for Xichen to preach the Dao. This time, I wish to take you and your senior brother Mingjue with me. Go pack your luggage and inform your family."
"Yes, Master." The clear, cool voice held an undeniable hint of excitement.
After all, he was young. For various reasons, the Song family and Daoist Master Daoguang had never allowed him to travel far. How could he not be joyful at the prospect of being taken to Xichen to preach the Dao?
He bade farewell to his family, packed his belongings, and set off on the road to Xichen with his master and senior brother. The sights and sounds along the way broadened the horizons of this young man who had never traveled far from home.
The group of three traveled, stopping along the way, for over half a month before finally arriving in Xichen, Tianqi's neighboring country.
Xichen was ruled by a female emperor, and women held a slightly higher status; otherwise, it was not much different from other countries.
The three master and disciples were received by the abbot of the Xichen Royal Daoist Temple.
In the following days, Daoist Master Daoguang discussed the Dao daily, inevitably neglecting his two disciples. Song An and his senior brother Mingjue were both only eighteen or nineteen, naturally still somewhat playful. Being in a foreign country, they naturally wanted to experience different customs and traditions.
This day, while Daoist Master Daoguang was preaching, the two secretly left the temple.
Walking on the street, the two suppressed their discomfort.
When Song An once again received a fragrant pouch, he whispered, "Senior Brother, the women of Xichen are really bold. We're dressed as Daoists!"
"Mingyang, keep your eyes straight, your mind focused. Everything is fleeting. Let's go quickly!" Mingjue wasn't doing much better; this scene was unlike anything he had ever witnessed.
Mingjue pulled him, weaving through the crowd, even employing his illusionary footwork.
Song An only felt a pain in his shoulder, followed by a woman's cry of pain.
Song An called out, "Senior Brother, stop, we've bumped into someone!"
Song An turned around and saw a woman fallen on the ground.
"Are you alright, miss?" Song An stepped forward and extended his hand.
"You're blind..." The woman turned, her voice abruptly stopping.
Time seemed to stand still.
Song An recalled that moment, feeling his senior brother was right: everything was fleeting. The crowds passing by, the noisy sounds, all were fleeting. In heaven and earth, only he and she remained.
He had never seen such a beautiful woman. The woman was also dressed in blue, but unlike his simple attire, her clothing was luxurious, every detail exuding exquisite refinement.
Mingjue stepped forward and nudged his shoulder. "Hey, are you alright?"
Song An came back to his senses, looked at the woman, and asked again, "Miss, are you alright?"
The young woman's eyes were lively. Without any shyness, she placed her hand in his, using his strength to stand up.
It was then that he realized how soft a woman's hand could be.
"Of course I'm not alright! My shoulder hurts now, and my palm is cut!" The woman's voice carried a hint of petulance, but Song An didn't find her unreasonable at all, only apologetic.
"Then I'll take you to a clinic, miss."
The woman smiled, "No need. Just treat me to a meal. My money was stolen, and I've been hungry for ages."
Mingjue said, "No, we came out behind Master's back. There's not enough time. Here's some money, go eat by yourself."
The woman's face instantly turned cold. "What? You hurt me, shouldn't you apologize?"
Song An looked at his senior brother awkwardly. "Senior Brother, perhaps... it won't take much time."
The woman said proudly, "That's more like it. Let's go, I know a restaurant that's especially delicious."
The three of them arrived at a splendid restaurant, and the woman rattled off a string of dish names.
Song An frowned, "Miss, can you eat all that?"
The young woman, who clearly came from a wealthy family, frowned and asked, "Is that a lot?"
This was, after all, an apology. Song An also came from a wealthy background, so he naturally wasn't short on money.
When the dishes arrived, the young woman picked up her chopsticks and ate quickly. But she ate very gracefully, without any trace of rudeness.
"Come, you treated me to a meal, so you're my friend now. Let's have a drink."
The two young Daoists naturally quickly refused.
"How boring." The young woman didn't insist further.
After finishing the meal, when it came to settling the bill, something awkward happened.
Song An's money pouch was nowhere to be found.
Song An looked at Mingjue. "Senior Brother, can you pay first? I'll pay you back when we get back."
Mingjue took out his own money pouch, counted, and found he didn't have enough.
"...Senior Brother didn't expect to dine out today, so..."
At this point, the restaurant owner realized that the three had no money.
"Dressed so neatly, trying to skip out on the bill! Do you know what happened to the last person who tried to skip out?" The owner shouted loudly.
The young woman asked foolishly, "What happened?"
The owner pointed to a one-legged beggar outside the door. "See him?"
The young woman gasped, pointing at the owner. "You're too cruel! It's just money, and you want a leg!"
The owner snorted. "Less talk! Pay up!"
The three looked at each other awkwardly, then the young woman's eyes lit up.
She raised her hand and removed her earrings and hairpins, slamming them onto the counter.
"Here! These are enough!"
The owner was also a connoisseur. He picked up the earrings and hairpins, examined them, and smiled contentedly. "Honored guests, welcome again next time!"
Seeing his face change so quickly, all three were a bit surprised.
The young woman waved her hand. "Never again! Let's go!"
The three left the restaurant, and the two young Daoists felt somewhat embarrassed.
Song An apologized, "I'm so sorry. It was supposed to be my treat, but..."
The young woman smiled, "It's alright. I ordered those dishes, so it's only right that I pay."
Mingjue looked at the sky. A good scolding when they returned was inevitable.
"Junior Brother, we should head back."
Song An looked at the woman and said, "Miss, when we meet again, I will definitely treat you."
Mingjue pulled Song An. "Junior Brother, let's go. Master will surely find out!"
Song An was forced to follow his senior brother's steps. "Miss! Three days from now, at this same time, still here, I'll return your money!"
The woman waved and shouted loudly, "What's your name?"
"My name is Song An!"
"I'm Zilian, remember that!"
Unexpectedly, their second meeting didn't even wait three days.
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