The Art of Teasing - Chapter 92
Chapter 92
Though it was tourist season, with many pilgrims and visitors coming and going, the temple's proximity to the city meant people found it more convenient to eat and sleep downtown. Tourists arrived in the morning and returned by evening. Once they left, the temple fell quiet.
The vast, open courtyard, the towering trees, the golden fallen leaves on the ground, the Daoist priest sweeping those leaves, the wisps of blue smoke curling up from the incense burner before the main hall—all of it created a scene of a different, more tranquil beauty.
Wen Zhengyu had the idea of moving to the mountains once both her grandfather and her maternal grandparents were no longer in this world. This trip was therefore also an investigation, a reconnaissance of sorts. At the very least, she needed to see if she could adapt to temple life, to see if living on a mountain in the future was something she could get used to. If she couldn't, she would abandon the idea early.
The food at the temple, though vegetarian fare, was a feast for the senses—color, aroma, and taste all perfectly present. They had several signature dishes they were quite proud of to serve the tourists. Even the common dishes were prepared with a distinctive flair.
Living at the temple meant less socializing and fewer obligations. After nightfall, silence settled over the complex. There was nothing to visit or see. Besides paging through scriptures, the only thing to do was go to bed early. Sleeping early meant waking early, while the sky was still dusky. She could watch the sunrise and the rosy clouds. After the sun had risen, she would go to the main hall and join the Daoist priests and lay practitioners for their morning liturgy. After the liturgy, she would go to the dining hall for breakfast.
By nine o'clock, the temple gates opened, and the tourists gradually began to arrive.
Wen Zhengyu didn't like going to the halls that were crowded with tourists. After breakfast, she would take Wen Jing and Ma Jun to walk around. The temple was covered in murals. Not only did the halls dedicated to various immortals have murals, but even the dining hall and the place that sold scriptures and incense candles were covered in paintings. Some were new, some were old. The new ones had been painted in recent years after the halls were renovated. The old murals were from a much more distant era, some already mottled and faded.
There was a Daoist priest at the temple named Yan, a married Daoist, who was skilled at painting murals. The majority of the temple's newer works in recent years were from his hand.
Technically, mural painting was a form of Gongbi meticulous brushwork, typically focused on human figures. The murals in the temple mostly depicted Daoist immortals, along with some scenes from scripture biographies and classical allusions. The brushwork was detailed, the figures lifelike and expressive, the lines fluid and elegant, flowing like clouds and water.
The gods, demons, monsters, and ghosts she painted on Mount Kunlun were far more bloody, always carrying a sense of intense tragedy. Her brushwork was bold and vivid, and whether it was a person or an animal, there was a sense of weightiness. The murals in the temple, in contrast, exuded an ethereal freedom, a sense of romantic grace all their own.
She often went to watch Daoist Priest Yan paint. When she had questions, she would ask him for guidance. Through repeated interactions, they grew familiar, and they frequently discussed painting techniques and the composition and arrangement of figures in a painting. Sometimes, when Yan was painting while standing on a ladder, making it inconvenient to go up and down, she would assist him, helping to mix the palettes, handing him paints and brushes, and so on.
Occasionally, she would also ask about things concerning ordination and leaving the secular life.
Daoist Priest Yan was an amiable man. Whatever she asked, he patiently explained to her.
Daoism, he explained, had two major branches: the Quanzhen school and the Zhengyi school. The Quanzhen school required leaving home, celibacy, a vegetarian diet, and living in a temple, similar to Buddhist monks and nuns. The Zhengyi school, on the other hand, was mostly composed of lay Daoists. These lay Daoists, also known as "married Daoists," could practice at home. Then there was another kind: the wandering Daoist who roamed the world seeking Dao and truth.
Daoist Priest Yan asked her if she wanted to leave home and become a Daoist nun.
She answered honestly: she had such a plan, once she had served and cared for the elders in her family until the end of their lives.
Daoist Priest Yan nodded. "Severing worldly ties."
Wen Zhengyu had the thought of leaving the secular world, but she knew it wasn't the time to consider these things. Who could say what things would be like many years from now? No one could say for sure whether worldly ties could be severed. Even leaving home didn't guarantee one could truly find peace.
Daoist Priest Yan told her: "Purity and stillness through non-action; the Dao follows what is natural. If the mind is still, practicing anywhere is the same—even at home, it's fine. If the mind is not still, even hiding deep in the mountains will bring no peace."
At least, right now, she could not achieve a still mind.
When watching the sunrise, sometimes the thought of watching it together with Ye Ling would flash through her mind.
This thought—it really was just a momentary flicker, and then it would drift out of her mind's eye.
The Old Madam called to ask when she was returning.
She found life at the temple quite comfortable and requested permission from the Old Madam to stay a few more days.
The Old Madam asked her: "Don't want the business anymore?"
It was just after the Mid-Autumn Festival, so the art studio had little business. As for the catering company and food company, she only needed to check the accounts at the end of the month. The temple had an internet connection; all her daily business matters could be handled online.
The Old Madam couldn't dissuade her, so she allowed her to stay a few more days.
After Wen Zhengyu had left, Ye Ling stood in the pavilion for a long time, thinking for a long time.
Her mind was a mess. For a moment, she couldn't sort out her thoughts. She didn't know what to do or how to get closer to Wen Zhengyu without causing her aversion or making her feel offended.
She still had to rush back to the capital, so she had no choice but to deliver the mansion key to Lian Xin.
Lian Xin was very surprised. "Why are you giving the key to me?"
Ye Ling said, "She's being difficult. She wouldn't accept it."
Lian Xin had witnessed Wen Zhengyu's stubbornness before. It had taken him half a day's arguing just to get her to sign to accept the mansion, and it only worked because the Old Madam had spoken. He nodded and said, "Alright. Later, I'll have Grandma give it to her."
Through Ye Che, they had finally managed to tear a large hole in the Second Branch's defenses. Ye Che and Second Brother Ye were beyond saving. Under these circumstances, the Ye family had shown the resolve of a warrior cutting off his own hand or sacrificing a chariot to save the commander.
For so many years, it had been a life-or-death deadlock with the Second Branch. If they didn't completely defeat the Second Branch, she and her brother would never have a single day of peace.
She and her brother held half the shares of the Ye family's industries. But the industries weren't in their hands. That half ownership had been nothing but an empty title for over a year. As shareholders, they had the right to audit the accounts. However, the Second Branch provided false accounts. Financial reports showed losses. Money? There was none to give.
Neither she nor her brother had ever been involved in the management of the Ye family industries. They hadn't even seen the account books. Naturally, whatever problems existed within had no connection to them. As shareholders, discovering that the business operators were engaged in illegal activities and collusion between officials and businessmen—naturally, they had to report it. But reporting was one thing; someone had to accept the case. How the investigation proceeded, and to what extent, still depended on who was involved.
Money—she could earn that. As for the Ye family industries, she would rather destroy them entirely than leave a single cent to the Second Branch, not give them any chance to rise again.
The positions vacated by those uncles and cousins of hers, along with their industries, naturally had people willing to take them over. She wanted the Second Branch to fall, but behind them lay a massive chain of interests. That chain wanted to protect the Second Branch, while other interest chains wanted to tear a hole in the one behind them.
Positions of real power and importance—whoever's people sat in them, the connections and implications involved were significant.
Second Brother Ye had retreated, but Third Brother Ye and Fourth Brother Ye were still in their posts. That was why Second Brother Ye dared to come to the studio to threaten her.
Now, Third Brother Ye had been dragged into the water. There was no escape for him. His position, naturally, had become a bone of contention for many parties.
Matters concerning the political arena were for her brother to handle. Other matters, she could only rely on herself to manage.
Ye Ling truly hadn't expected Wen Zhengyu's connections to actually reach the Discipline Inspection Commission. With Elder Qi helping to bridge such a line, she naturally had to move and act upon it. She went to visit that old friend of Elder Qi's. The old gentleman was surnamed Wu; he and Elder Qi had been friends for decades and were in very close contact. He had known Wen Zhengyu since she was very young. Old Master Wu said: "The first time I saw Lao Qi leading her out by the hand, she was only this tall, probably around five years old. The little girl especially loved sweets, and always loved giving candy and pastries. This habit hasn't changed even now. Last time she came to the capital to buy paintings, she stopped by and brought me two boxes of lotus root cakes. I wanted to ask her to stay for a meal, but she said she had no time, said a friend was waiting for her outside, put down the pastries, and hurried off."
Mentioning Wen Zhengyu made Old Master Wu want to laugh. He said, "She even sent mooncakes this year, said they were produced in her maternal grandmother's factory, just arrived yesterday."
Ye Ling was that friend waiting outside. Wen Zhengyu had grown up among the elderly since childhood, following her grandfather, grandmother, and master. She knew many old gentlemen; her affinity with the elderly was good, this she knew. Last year, she had accompanied Wen Zhengyu to the capital to buy paintings. Wen Zhengyu had stopped by to visit several old friends of her master and grandfather. Time had been tight; it was just dropping off local specialties, not even staying half an hour before coming out. Those specialties—the two of them had passed by a specialty store and bought them together. She had carried the basket and followed behind Wen Zhengyu, who had personally chosen them. At the time, she had only been focused on watching Wen Zhengyu and hadn't noticed anything else.
Old Master Wu then asked her a few more questions about Wen Zhengyu and Qi Qianshu's recent situations, and about her family affairs. When other guests arrived to visit Old Master Wu, she took her leave.
Leaving Old Master Wu's home, Ye Ling pulled out her phone and looked up a photo of Wen Zhengyu. The photo was taken at the studio's opening. She had printed one out to put by her bedside; the rest were saved on her phone. Ye Ling navigated to her contacts and scrolled to Wen Zhengyu's number. After a moment of hesitation, she exited the contacts screen.
From Old Master Wu's attitude when mentioning Wen Zhengyu, and from their interactions, she could tell that, to Wen Zhengyu, this Old Master Wu was merely her master's old friend, an "Uncle Wu" she had known since childhood. The two boxes of lotus root cakes and the Mid-Autumn Festival gift were merely the respect and consideration of a junior for an elder; they contained no other utilitarian elements.
If she called Wen Zhengyu, what could she even say? She had been swept up into the arena of worldly strife and profit, where all human interactions were based on self-interest. Why should she disturb another's purity?
Worldly affairs were burdensome. Every day she was busily rushing about. Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, Mid-Autumn arrived. She received a text message from Wen Zhengyu: "Wishing you a happy Mid-Autumn Festival."
Ye Ling stared at the text message for a long time, unable to figure out its meaning. Was it merely a holiday greeting? Or did it contain some other implication? Was it an attempt to ease things? Or was it just contact as business partners?
She typed out "Happy Mid-Autumn" and then deleted it. Just those three words were clearly perfunctory. Reply with something else? If Wen Zhengyu was just treating this as business correspondence, she should naturally reply in a businesslike manner. If it was an attempt to ease relations or held any element of personal feeling, the reply should be different.
Ye Ling pondered for a long while, unable to figure out how to reply. The last time she met Wen Zhengyu, their relationship had already become very stiff. If she replied incorrectly this time, who knows what she might inadvertently do to upset Wen Zhengyu again.
Her brother called. After she finished the call, she was busy. When she was finally done, it was late at night. By the time she remembered the text message again, it was past midnight.
Half-drunk, Ye Ling looked at the text message on her phone for a long time, thinking Wen Zhengyu was probably already asleep, and put her phone back down.
She thought she would see Wen Zhengyu in a couple of days anyway. She could talk to her then.
When she arrived at the studio, Wen Zhengyu had already left.
She had been so busy, hadn't come to the studio for so long, and Wen Zhengyu had still set aside mooncakes for her. But because no one was in her office, and Wen Zhengyu was often not at the studio either, she had left the mooncakes at the front desk, asking them to pass them along when they saw her.
On the mooncake box was a small card in Wen Zhengyu's handwriting: "Happy Mid-Autumn, wishing you prosperity." The signature was Wen Zhengyu.
Ye Ling carried the mooncakes back to her office, holding the small card, staring at it for a long time. This was just Wen Zhengyu's way; she was always perfectly precise in the proper courtesies. From the card, it was impossible to tell if her anger had subsided or not.
Previously, at Zhang Yunhua's birthday banquet, she had seen Old Master Cai attending in person. Now, for Old Master Cai's birthday banquet, Zhang Yunhua would also go. Likely, Wen Zhengyu would accompany her.
When she arrived, she didn't see a trace of Wen Zhengyu, nor Zhang Yunhua. Instead, she heard that Qi Wei and Wen Zhengyu were in a romantic relationship, which was being talked about with great conviction. Apparently, Qi Wei herself had admitted it.
That mouth of Qi Wei's—what she said was always a mix of true and false. Believing five out of ten sentences was already quite good. Gossip? Not much of it was credible.
When Wen Zhengyu arrived, she was also surrounded by a crowd, quite a few of whom were suitors, some deliberately acting ambiguous. She noticed Wen Zhengyu's gaze specifically sweeping over the people around her, then, as if nothing were the matter, nodded slightly in her direction before walking away. She was wearing a little cocktail dress, had rarely worn high heels, and accompanied Zhang Yunhua. Her bearing and appearance made it impossible to look away.
Zheng Yu sidled up to her and teased, "CEO Ye, stop looking. That one there, the famous flower has an owner already."
Ye Ling raised an eyebrow. "Qi Wei?"
Zheng Yu said, "Who else? I heard they are family friends, that it was a 'hero saves the beauty' kind of bond."
Mentioning that incident made Ye Ling's mood somewhat uneasy. If she hadn't lost her temper at Wen Zhengyu that day, Wen Zhengyu most likely would have told her about the car trouble, and she would have been on guard. She came back to her senses and saw Zheng Yu looking at her with a faint, mocking smile, as if watching a joke. Come to think of it, she had known Zheng Yu for almost ten years. Zheng Yu had also had some intentions towards her in that direction, but after circling around for so long, they had never gotten together. She said, "Don't gloat. Things between her and Qi Wei aren't like that."
Zheng Yu asked her, "Oh, you know, do you? That confident? Look, they're together now."
Following the direction Zheng Yu pointed, Ye Ling saw Wen Zhengyu and Qi Wei pressed close together, chatting and laughing, looking very intimate. She thought again of the nine-tailed fox Wen Zhengyu had drawn on Qi Wei's palm, and Wen Zhengyu's painting. Although she clearly knew it was unlikely, she couldn't help but feel a little blockage in her heart.
She saw Wen Zhengyu lean in close to Qi Wei's ear, unsure if whispering secrets or just being mischievous.
Ye Ling thought, with the two of them acting like that, it would be strange if there weren't rumors.
Her originally fine mood suddenly soured. At least, Wen Zhengyu was truly much closer to Qi Wei than to her.
Seeing the two of them so close, unwilling to force herself to endure the discomfort just to go over and be teased, she left after the banquet ended.
She hadn't been back to the company for half a month, so a mountain of things needed her attention. Unless necessary, she handled her official duties at the studio, waiting for Wen Zhengyu. As a result, she didn't see Wen Zhengyu for nearly a week. She timed her arrival to coincide with the start of the workday, waiting until the end of the day, yet never saw Wen Zhengyu come to the studio. She asked the front desk, who told her Wen Zhengyu hadn't been to the studio for several days.
She knew Wen Zhengyu had moved back to the Old Family Mansion. It was close to here, just a ten-minute drive. Logically, no matter how busy Wen Zhengyu was, she should, on her way home, have dropped by the studio to take a look. Was she sick? If Wen Zhengyu were sick, she would have likely heard some news; it wouldn't be this quiet. On a business trip? Right after Mid-Autumn, the studio had no business requiring her to travel. She had received an email from Wen Zhengyu recently, copied to her and Wen Li—nothing out of the ordinary there.
She called Wen Zhengyu. The call connected quickly.
Hearing Wen Zhengyu's voice, Ye Ling breathed a silent sigh of relief. She asked about Wen Zhengyu being away from the studio for so many days. Wen Zhengyu told her she was on a mountain, painting.
They chatted for a few sentences, then hung up.
Ye Ling felt something was a little off, but couldn't quite put her finger on what. Wen Zhengyu's voice was normal, even her tone was the same as usual. Too few words? Wen Zhengyu usually wasn't very talkative either.
In the evening, Lian Xin hosted a dinner. Qi Wei was also there, along with several other peers who had good relations with the Lian family.
She and Qi Wei had no real dealings, nor any grudges. Their relationship was limited to mere acquaintance, and they had no common topics to chat about.
During casual conversation, Ye Ling couldn't tell if it was intentional or not. Qi Wei first glanced at her, then asked Lian Xin, "Is the little worrier still on the mountain?"
The tax collector next to her asked, "The little worrier? Who is that?"
Qi Wei said, "Grandma's little worrier."
The tax collector said, "Doesn't look like a worrier to me."
Qi Wei laughed and said, "Grandma mentions her and sighs three times with every sentence. She's worried herself into high spirits…"
Lian Xin interrupted Qi Wei, "Hey, hey, enough with the jokes."
Qi Wei was a little puzzled and asked, "What's so nice about living in a Daoist temple?" After speaking, she glanced at Ye Ling again.
Peeling a crab without looking up, Lian Xi said, "Peace and quiet, of course. A couple of days ago, she sent photos in the group chat. Early morning, sky barely light, sun not even out, just a sliver of dawn—she went out to watch the sunrise. Have to say, the scenery was really beautiful. The vegetarian food is good too; she said it tastes great and told us to come up on the weekend to eat. I think she's living quite comfortably on the mountain. It's just Grandma who isn't used to it; she says the house has been much colder these past few days without her." He then turned and asked Lian Xin, "Want to go eat vegetarian food on the weekend?"
Lian Xin said, "Her taste is bland, so she likes vegetarian food. You, a person who can't live without meat—why are you joining the fun? On the weekend, we're going to a farmhouse for roast lamb."
Lian Xi said, "Ah, that's a good idea." He then invited everyone, including asking Ye Ling if she was free.
Ye Ling asked, "How long has Zhengyu been on the mountain?"
Lian Xi thought for a moment and said, "Almost a week now, right? I think she went up the mountain the day after Grandpa Cai's birthday." He calculated the time. "It's been a full week. Seems like she's gotten quite used to living there."
Qi Wei keenly noticed Ye Ling's expression was somewhat off. She asked, "CEO Ye, what's wrong? Why doesn't your face look so good?"
Ye Ling said it was nothing and changed the subject.
Lian Xin, hearing this, felt a stir in his mind. He glanced at Ye Ling but didn't ask further questions.
After the meal, everyone dispersed. Lian Xin deliberately walked a few steps slower, waiting for Ye Ling. He asked, "Is there some reason Yu'er went to the temple?"
Ye Ling hesitated slightly and said, "I heard her mention before that she had thoughts about renouncing the secular world. I just took it as casual talk."
Lian Xin's voice couldn't help but rise a few notches. "What? Renouncing? Don't be ridiculous!" Then he thought again—wait, that wasn't right. If she wasn't thinking of ordination, why stay so long at a Daoist temple? He asked, "Is that true or not?"
Ye Ling answered that she didn't know, then asked Lian Xin which temple Wen Zhengyu was staying at.
Lian Xin hadn't paid much attention. He called Lian Xi back over to ask before finding out.
Watching Ye Ling's car drive into the distance, Lian Xi looked completely bewildered. He asked Lian Xin, "Who exactly is Yu'er a couple with?"
Things were so obvious, yet Lian Xi still couldn't see it.
Lian Xin felt his family's "little worriers" were truly not limited to just one.
That Qi Wei was a creature who thrived on chaos, and she still went to the Old Madam's place every day. That old-and-young pair of friends, who knows how many pitfalls they had dug in their meddling. Lian Xin said to Lian Xi, "A grown man like you, why are you prying into Yu'er's gossip?"
Lian Xi said, "Just showing concern, that's all. Finally, someone's come to take the lightning strikes. Grandma has finally stopped focusing her scolding on me, liberating this long-suffering laborer of the people."
Lian Xin didn't want to say another word to Lian Xi.
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