Song Fengwan was stunned by what Huai Sheng said. Her limbs were stiff as she climbed out of bed. Huai Sheng had already prepared a basin of hot water for her to wash up.

He was young, but he was very clean and efficient at doing things.

“Big Sister, wash up first.”

Being served by a five-year-old child, Song Fengwan felt embarrassed.

When she finished washing up, Huai Sheng ran in with two buns in his arms. They were wrapped in a plastic bag, and the inner side of the plastic bag was full of water vapor. “Eat this. I’ll pour you some water.”

“It’s fine. I’ll do it myself.” Song Fengwan hurriedly stopped him. “I can go to the dining hall to eat myself. You didn’t have to bring food for me.”

Huai Sheng blinked his eyes. “It’s past eight. The dining hall closes at seven-thirty. Third Uncle saved these for you.”

Song Fengwan was about to vomit blood. How could I have forgotten? I’m not at home. Everyone eats together, so there must be a time limit.

I actually overslept.

She lowered her head and munched on a vegetable bun. Huai Sheng sat opposite her and was smiling at her.

“Huai Sheng, how old are you?”

“I’ll be six after the new year. Big Sister, how old are you?”

“I’ll be eighteen after the new year.” But she would still have to wait until her birthday to truly be eighteen years old.

Huai Sheng giggled. Third Uncle’s wife…

… is so young.

If Third Uncle gets together with her, doesn’t he have to pretend to be younger?

***

Huai Sheng was called away halfway, saying that his master was calling him. Song Fengwan finished her buns and drank water beside the heating stove.

Not long later, Fu Chen walked in. His eyes indeed had slightly dark circles.

“Third Master.” Song Fengwan looked at him and thought that a child wouldn’t have lied to her. “Was my sleeping posture not very good last night…”

Fu Chen lifted his eyelids to look at her but didn’t speak.

“I heard it from Huai Sheng…”

Fu Chen had always been someone who wouldn’t make a move unless his opponent made a move. When he heard her mention Huai Sheng, he connected the dots and nodded. “Yeah, what’s wrong?”

“I heard that I caused you to be unable to sleep well last night.”

“It’s okay. You just kept grabbing my clothes and scratching my chest.” Fu Chen’s tone was gentle, but it made Song Fengwan’s face flush red.

“My sleeping posture is usually extremely good. If there’s a next time, you can push me away or wake me up.”

Fu Chen suddenly walked to her side. She held the cup and didn’t dare to move randomly.

He bent down and leaned closer. The breath he exhaled brought with it a hint of the chill of winter snow, causing the blood in her entire body to freeze…

“Next time?”

“Yeah.”

“You still want to sleep with me a few more times?”

Song Fengwan’s face was burning red as if she had a fever.

“I didn’t mean it that way. I…” Why does he always find strange points in my words?

“Finish drinking your water and pack up. We’re going down the mountain soon.” Fu Chen was purely teasing her and always gave her a way out.

When Fu Chen turned around, Song Fengwan hurriedly raised her hand and slapped her own mouth.

What a mouth I have.

***

After more than ten minutes, Song Fengwan saw Huai Sheng return to the room. Behind him was an old master in his sixties wearing gray clothes with Buddhist prayer beads hanging around his neck. His actions were very refined.

She had seen him at dinner last night. His Dharma name was Pudu.

He was the abbot of this monastery and Huai Sheng’s master.

“Quickly pack up and go down the mountain with your Third Uncle.” Master Pudu patted Huai Sheng’s head.

The little fellow seemed reluctant, but he still obediently went to pack up his things.

Master Pudu turned to look at Fu Chen. “Third Master, I’ll leave Huai Sheng to you.”

“Okay.” Fu Chen nodded.

“Please contact me if anything happens.”

Song Fengwan was slightly surprised. Huai Sheng is going to follow us down the mountain?

She turned to look at the little fellow.

He was kneeling on the bed and arranging his things. Actually, he had very few things. They were all just some clothes given to him by some pilgrims, and many of them didn’t fit him.

Fu Chen turned his head to look at Huai Sheng. “I’ll get someone to buy clothes and daily necessities for you later. Just bring what you want to take.”

After packing for a long time, he only took a few pieces of innerwear.

Knowing that Huai Sheng was going down the mountain, his senior and junior brothers gave him a lot of things, and Master Pudu personally sent the three of them down the mountain.

***

The snowy paths in the mountains had already been cleared. The tips of the pine trees were heavy with snow, and sparrows were fluttering on the branches. As the snow melted, the chill drilled straight into human bones.

Because of the snowstorm last night, Fu Chen’s car had snow on it. He got into the car, started the engine, and swept away the snow on the windshield…

Huai Sheng was bidding farewell to Master Pudu at the side.

Although they were a distance away, the mountain was quiet, so she could clearly hear their conversation.

“Master, you’re really not abandoning me on purpose?” Huai Sheng lowered his head. The moment he went down the mountain, his eyes were red.

“I’ve already told you. Nowadays, even being a monk requires education. If you want to be the abbot, how can you be uneducated?”

“Is that so?”

“Some of the kids who came up the mountain these past few years even have postgraduate degrees. Without any knowledge at all, how are you going to manage them in the future? You will be joked about by others.”

Huai Sheng nodded silently.

Seeing that Fu Chen was ready, Master Pudu took out a palm-sized cloth bag and handed it to Huai Sheng. “I don’t have much money. Keep this for your pocket money. You can’t let others laugh at you when you’re in the city. Buy whatever you want to eat.”

Huai Sheng’s eyes were red, but he didn’t take it.

Master Pudu sighed and stuffed the cloth bag into his arms. “Be good and don’t let me worry about you.”

“I don’t want it!” Huai Sheng was also stubborn and stuffed the cloth bag back to him.

“Are you trying to make me angry? Or do you not care for such a little amount of money?” Master Pudu pulled a long face.

“Master…”

“Keep it well.” Master Pudu touched his head. “You’ll be coming back soon for the new year. It’ll come very quickly.”

Huai Sheng lowered his head and nodded.

“When you’re at someone else’s house, you have to be obedient and help out…” Master Pudu gave him a few reminders before patting his head. “Alright, go quickly. Don’t make them wait.”

Huai Sheng touched his pocket, took out a White Rabbit Creamy Candy, and placed it in Master Pudu’s hand. “You’ve given me all the good stuff. You’ve never eaten this candy before. Last time, a grandma gave it to me, but I couldn’t bear to eat it yet.”

“What haven’t I eaten before? Keep it for yourself.”

“No, it’s for you.” Huai Sheng was very stubborn.

“I have high blood sugar and can’t eat sweet things. Why don’t I have half of it, and you have the other half?”

Huai Sheng nodded.

Song Fengwan then saw Master Pudu open up the candy wrapper and bring it to Huai Sheng’s lips to let him eat half of it before putting the other half into his mouth.

After Huai Sheng got into the car, Master Pudu stood still and watched. He didn’t leave even after the car left.

Meanwhile, Huai Sheng had a sulky face as he sat in the backseat with Song Fengwan.

He had his head lowered and ignored Song Fengwan no matter what she said.

When the car was about to leave the mountains, he suddenly burst into tears.

Fu Chen’s fingers trembled. Is this little monk trying to scare me to death?

“Huai Sheng, stop crying. You…” Song Fengwan was also shocked.

“Big Sister—” Huai Sheng threw himself into Song Fengwan’s arms and was crying so hard that he was out of breath.

Song Fengwan didn’t know how to comfort him. She wanted to touch his hair, but she realized that she couldn’t find a single strand of hair on his head.

She could only pat him on the back. “It’s okay. There are many school holidays. You can come back as long as it’s a holiday.”

“I feel terrible, and my heart is so bitter. The candy isn’t even sweet—”

“It’s okay. It’s okay. Look at me. I’m also studying alone outside, and I’m also staying temporarily at Third Master’s house. It’ll be okay. Don’t be afraid.”

“I still feel terrible.”

The two of them hugged.

Fu Chen’s fingers casually tapped on the steering wheel.

Staying temporarily?

I somehow have this feeling that my house is a shelter.

When he went to meet Master Pudu in the morning, Master Pudu had taken the initiative to say that he wanted to send Huai Sheng down the mountain to go to school. He knew that Fu Chen had a wide network and wanted to ask Fu Chen to find a boarding school for Huai Sheng.

After pondering for a while, Fu Chen said to let Huai Sheng stay in his house and told Master Pudu that he didn’t have to worry about the school fees with the nine years of compulsory education now. Even so, Master Pudu still gave him money, saying that it was for accommodation and food.

***

Fu Chen originally wanted to bring Huai Sheng to buy some things first. But halfway through the car ride, he received a call from Shi Fang. There was an urgent matter requiring his attention at the company.

“I need to go to the company first. Should I send you two home first, or should I let you two wait for me in the office, and then we’ll make a trip to the mall together before going back?” Fu Chen looked at the back through the rearview mirror.

“Let’s go to the mall. I’ll take him shopping.” Song Fengwan held Huai Sheng’s hand.

They already looked as close as siblings.

“You two?” Fu Chen seemed worried.

“Isn’t there a mall right beside your company? I’ll take him to shop around first. You can come look for us when you’re done,” Song Fengwan suggested. “We won’t go anywhere else.”

“Okay.” Fu Chen nodded.

Fu Chen drove them to the entrance of the mall, watched them enter, and then drove to his company.

All three of them didn’t notice that on the other side of the road, there was a tightly covered-up woman who was only exposing her eyes full of hatred and viciousness.

After watching Fu Chen leave, she hesitated for a moment before jogging into the mall.

***

Shi Fang was already waiting at the parking garage. When he saw Fu Chen drive over, he immediately went over.

Fu Chen got out of the car and turned to look at him. “What happened to your face? Did someone hit you?”

Shi Fang was handsome. But at this moment, his right cheek was bruised, and blood was seeping out of the corner of his mouth. He clearly had been beaten up.

Although Fu Chen would usually scold him, he was one of his people. If he was beaten up by someone, Fu Chen would definitely demand an explanation.

“I’m fine.” Shi Fang touched his face.

“Speak. Who did it?” Fu Chen stared at him.

Being stared at by Fu Chen, Shi Fang had no choice but to stammer, “Old Jiang.”

Fu Chen walked toward the elevator. “You can’t beat an injured person?”

“Third Master, you can’t compare it like that. He was in the military, and I only learned martial arts halfway through my life. I can’t beat him.

“We’re staying together, and he was injured, so as his roommate, I cared for him a little and ordered him some takeout. He didn’t close the door himself, and when I went in to call him, I got f*cking punched before I even touched him.

“I feel so aggrieved. He even asked me what I wanted to do to him.

“F*ck. What can I do to him?” Shi Fang couldn’t stop talking as soon as he opened his mouth.

“After all, we’ve worked together for many years, and I cared for him because of our friendship of being roommates and colleagues. He said afterward, ‘Sorry, I thought you were a thief’.

“Look at this. Is that the attitude of apologizing? It’s so self-righteous.”

…

Fu Chen felt that his head was hurting. To think that Qian Jiang could tolerate him for so long. It must have been hard on him.

***

Song Fengwan held Huai Sheng’s hand as they walked around the mall. It was the weekend, and it was already past ten in the morning, so there were many people here. Seeing a young monk, they all couldn’t help taking a few glances at him.

“Big Sister, do I look weird? Why is everyone staring at me?” Huai Sheng sipped the cup of bubble tea in his hands.

“No, you’re too cute.” Song Fengwan first bought him a small hat.

It was a cold day, and his little head could even reflect light in the snow.

“Big Sister, this is very expensive.”

“It’s not expensive. Just treat it as a gift from me.” Song Fengwan usually didn’t spend much, and her parents had given her a lot of pocket money, so it was definitely enough to buy some things for him.

But Song Fengwan didn’t know how to buy children’s clothing. After shopping for a long time, she bought two sets of clothes and a pair of shoes for him according to her own aesthetics and got him to change into them.

When she went to pay the bill, she realized that there was something wrong with the bill.

“Isn’t this size wrong? The size is too big, and the shoe size is two sizes too big.” Song Fengwan pointed at the receipt the shop assistant printed.

“The little kid just told us that he wanted them all to be two sizes bigger. I thought you knew.”

Song Fengwan hurried to the changing room.

She didn’t know that Huai Sheng’s changing room wasn’t locked. She wanted to knock on the door, but she suddenly pushed the door open.

Huai Sheng was only wearing underwear. Seeing her enter, he hurriedly covered his private part. “Big Sister, you’re acting like a hooligan!”

“I…” Song Fengwan hurriedly retreated and closed the door for him. “Why didn’t you close the door?”

Huai Sheng lowered his voice. “I don’t know how to use this door.”

Song Fengwan sighed. After all, she had never taken care of a child before, so how could she think of everything? “Oh right, didn’t the clothes fit you well when you tried them on just now? Are they too small? Did you ask the shop assistant to change them to a larger size?”

“No, I want to wear them for two more years. I’ll be growing these few years, so I won’t be able to wear the clothes and shoes soon. It’s too wasteful,” Huai Sheng said matter-of-factly.

When Song Fengwan heard this, her heart ached terribly. “When the clothes become too small, we can donate them to others, and they won’t be wasted. If they don’t fit you well, you won’t be able to keep warm in the winter. If you catch a cold, you’ll have to spend money to treat your illness. Won’t that be wasting even more money?”

Huai Sheng felt that her words did make some sense.

After being tricked by Song Fengwan, he changed the size of the clothes back to the one before.

While waiting for Fu Chen, Song Fengwan treated him to dessert.

Huai Sheng had never eaten food like this before. Seeing that he liked it, Song Fengwan got up and prepared to take two home. Before she reached the food ordering area, a woman stopped her. The woman was wearing a black down jacket, a pair of sunglasses, and a mask, so her face couldn’t be seen clearly.

Song Fengwan frowned.

The woman directly took off her sunglasses and mask.

It was Cheng Lan.