161: Chapter 161 When the Plums Ripen: Childhood Sweetheart Male Lead 39

Arriving at the foot of Honglu Temple, there was still a stretch of mountain road to walk.

Along the way up the mountain, Nan Li's spirits were still not very high.

But treating it just as a walk to get some fresh air, blown by the cold mountain wind, her mood was not as depressed as it was yesterday.

Lin Xi linked her arm with hers, chatting chirpily all the way.

According to Old Madam, this trip to Honglu Temple should be helpful to the relationship between Nan Li and Meng Zhu.

But Lin Xi racked her brains and still couldn't figure out what help coming to a temple to worship Buddha could be.

Therefore, she was still somewhat curious inside, though she didn't show it on the surface, only trying various ways to make Nan Li happy.

As the distance grew closer, Nan Li couldn't help but recall the scene of her last visit to Honglu Temple, and instantly her heart became somewhat complicated.

This time, the two of them did not head straight for Mahavira Hall.

Thinking that Nan Li had mentioned Meng Zhu drawing a fortune stick here, as soon as Lin Xi entered the temple gate, she pulled Nan Li and headed straight for the Guanyin Hall.

"Go, go, go, the first stop must be right here!"

She pressed Nan Li onto a straw mat, insisting that Nan Li also draw a fortune stick, and whispered in her ear.

"Listen well, don't think about praying for marriage; just sincerely pray for the relationship between you and Meng Zhu in your heart. The Bodhisattva is kind-hearted and certainly won't mind these small differences."

Nan Li was left half-laughing and half-crying by her words, but looking at the solemn statue of Guanyin before her, she still closed her eyes and silently and sincerely prayed in her heart.

Accompanied by a crisp sound of bamboo fortune sticks shaking.

With a snap, a bamboo fortune stick fell to the ground.

Nan Li just wanted to pick it up, but Lin Xi snatched it away.

Nan Li only glanced hastily, seeing the handwriting on it clearly.

Medium-Ping fortune stick, the ninety-ninth fortune stick.

Seeing this scene, she was momentarily stunned.

She remembered clearly that the one Meng Zhu drew last time was also the ninety-ninth fortune stick, exactly the same.

When Nan Li came back to her senses, she found that Lin Xi had already run enthusiastically towards the side hall like a gust of wind to have the fortune interpreted.

"Hey, Xixi, wait for me!"

Nan Li hurriedly got up and chased after her.

She thought to herself that this fortune stick actually didn't need to be interpreted at all; she knew the content of the fortune verse.

The fortune verse said that the other half was separated by mountains and seas, in a very far place.

They had not yet met and still needed to wait for the right timing.

Nan Li couldn't help thinking again.

This time with Xiujie brother, she really was separated by mountains and seas.

Yet what this fortune verse spoke of was not necessarily Xiujie brother.

Because last time, Xiujie brother was clearly by her side, yet he drew the exact same fortune stick.

But when Nan Li crossed the threshold of the side hall, she heard the Incense Master's cheerful congratulations coming from inside, which momentarily left her startled.

"This female donor, congratulations! If this fortune stick is used to pray for an official career and wealth, it can only be considered a Medium-Ping fortune stick, but if it is used to pray for marriage, then it is a rare and supreme fortune stick!"

At this, Nan Li, who had just entered the door, was completely dumbfounded.

She remembered that Xiujie brother also prayed for marriage last time; it was clearly the same fortune stick, but the Incense Master certainly didn't say it like that back then.

She walked a little closer in a daze, and next, she heard those familiar fortune verses from the Incense Master's mouth.

"This fortune verse is: Crossing distant dark waves to visit the phoenix and simurgh, searching for spring all day leaning against the balustrade, most difficult in the human world is to meet each other, separated only by a railing in front of the courtyard."

Sure enough, Nan Li still didn't make a sound, only gradually walking closer, her brows tightening involuntarily.

The Incense Master didn't notice her and was still patiently explaining to Lin Xi.

"This means that you don't need to travel far to other places to find a good match; you just need to calm your mind and wait for the right timing. Although you cannot be together immediately, between the two of you, there is actually only a thin layer of window paper separating you. No matter how far apart you are, you have actually never truly separated."

The Master paused, looked at Lin Xi, and said with a smile:

"Judging from this fortune verse, this good match of yours is most likely someone who has accompanied you for many years, or someone you have known since childhood, a childhood sweetheart. You only need to take a brave step forward to achieve your wish."

Lin Xi's eyes widened in shock, feeling that this temple was simply miraculous, how could it be so accurate.

But Nan Li on the side could no longer hold it in; she stepped forward quickly and blurted out.

"But Master, that is not what you said last time!"

Hearing the sound, the Incense Master turned his head, looked at Nan Li twice, his eyes suddenly lighting up, and asked:

"Amitabha, this fortune stick... did you draw it?"

Nan Li pursed her lips and nodded.

The Incense Master smiled knowingly and said:

"So it is you. I still remember you; last time, you came together with The Old Matriarch of the Meng Family."

The doubts in Nan Li's heart grew larger and larger, and she stubbornly pursued the questioning.

"Then why are the contents of the two interpretations completely different for the same fortune stick? Which time was wrong?"

The Master put his hands together in greeting and answered calmly.

"Naturally, it was the last time."

"At that time, I saw at a glance that the young man's beloved was precisely you, female donor."

The Incense Master's memory seemed to return to that day.

"But you seemed still somewhat ignorant at the time, and that young man signaled me behind your back, telling me not to tell the truth."

Nan Li felt as if she had been struck by lightning, standing frozen on the spot.

The Incense Master looked at her kindly.

"Although this poor monk is a Buddhist monk and should not tell falsehoods, as the saying goes, it is better to tear down ten temples than to destroy a single marriage. This poor monk is naturally also willing to fulfill his painstaking efforts and tell this well-intentioned lie."

"Now it seems that your heart has already awakened to love, and presumably good things are near."

Hearing this, Nan Li experienced mixed feelings in her heart.

Shock, bitterness, sweetness, sudden realization...

Various surging emotions instantly submerged her, making her temporarily not know what to do at a loss, and her eye sockets involuntarily misted over.

So that was how it was; Xiujie brother had already liked her at least back then.

Looking at Nan Li's appearance, the Incense Master only smiled comfortingly.

"Female donor does not need to overthink; just let everything take its natural course."

Lin Xi was extremely excited at this moment.

She understood, but she never expected that the fortune stick Meng Zhu drew last time was actually identical to the one Nan Li drew today!

And she even less expected that behind this there was even such a hidden, deeply affectionate scene of making the Master lie.

All of this seemed simply magical to her.

"Gosh, Li Li, you guys are simply too miraculous!"

Lin Xi pulled Nan Li towards the outside of the hall, and as they went out, her mouth was still continuously marveling at the fate between the two of them.

Walking out of the side hall, a mountain wind blew against their faces.

The chilly air entered her lungs, yet Nan Li felt a blaze of heat in her heart, but on the surface she gradually calmed down.

The mist was pushed aside, dispersing the haze of the past few days.

She finally confirmed that Meng Zhu indeed liked her.

It was herself who was too slow-witted, making Xiujie brother wait and wait.

At this, Nan Li's attitude towards this trip to Honglu Temple also changed.

She faintly began to get excited.

She grabbed Lin Xi's hand back, a bright light flashing in the depths of her eyes.

"Let's go, Xixi."

"Where to?"

"We are going to Mahavira Hall to pray for blessings and worship the Buddha."

Once this state of mind changed, the feeling of the outing instantly changed as well.

Lin Xi was dumbfounded, bluntly calling it quite a face-changing act.

[Discovered it, she is finally happy]

[Such a crafty Incense Master, the content of the last interpretation could actually make sense]

[To tell the truth, this is just a movie, otherwise such a coincidence would be impossible]

[You guys don't understand this; Meng Zhu and Nan Li are now the male and female leads, the plot evolution will tend towards matchmaking them]

[The floor above is correct, if Meng Zhu were a supporting male character, this kind of plot definitely wouldn't exist]

[So now that Nan Li is sure Meng Zhu loves her deeply, will she confess as soon as she returns to the country?]

[Quite possible, the CP we ship is going to make it]

...

On the other side, Meng Zhu had long anticipated what happened on Nan Li's side.

For movies with replaced protagonists, problems usually lie with the actors themselves.

As for things like the Heavenly Dao plot, they never drag their feet.