The Monk That Wanted To Renounce Asceticism

Just as Fangzheng was fretting, Tian Xin slowly said, “Shall I tell you a story?”

Fangzheng nodded slightly.

Tian Xin said, “I know a boy. His name is Ding Mu, a very dull name.” Upon saying that, Tian Xin glanced at Fangzheng.

Fangzheng did not say a word as he pretended not to understand.

Tian Xin continued. “I remember that when we were in university, he and I were the first two to report to school. He was first, and I was second. He was very tall, and standing in front of me, he almost blocked my whole view. When he finished writing his name, it was my turn. I was shocked to discover that we were both students from the arts faculty! I gasped. He turned back and looked at me, smiling foolishly before shyly leaving.

“In the end, when a teacher-in-charge convened us for a class meeting, we met again. We looked at each other in surprise and found it amusing. We were actually fated.

“The same faculty and the same class. We were probably the most familiar with each other out of everyone in the class. Hence, we became desk mates, read books, skipped class, and went hiking together…

“Later on, I confessed to him.”

Fangzheng looked at Tian Xin in surprise. He never expected this girl would have confessed first. He thought that most of the time, it was the man who took the initiative… Fangzheng decisively remembered this rule. He wanted to accumulate some experience in finding a wife for the future when he renounced asceticism.

As Tian Xin continued speaking, scenes began to flash in Fangzheng’s mind.

On the school field in the morning, the young boy and girl were having a morning run together. In order to be taller than the boy, the girl continuously adjusted her position. Her goal was to make her shadow longer than the other party so that she could regain some confidence in her height.

Before class ended at noon, the boy and the girl sneaked out of the back door.

After class ended in the afternoon, the man and a woman—one tall, one short, one wearing baggy pants the other wearing a skirt—quickly ran into the canteen with their lunch boxes. Then, they scanned through all the dishes in the canteen. They picked out delicious food and ordered more.

However, every time they sat down, the boy would hand the tomato-fried egg on his plate to the girl. He said that he didn’t like tomatoes, but if he didn’t, why did he order this dish?

The girl always gave the braised pork to the boy, saying that she didn’t like it either.

The two of them smiled at each other and lowered their heads to eat. However, in the end, the girl would always eat half of the boy’s meal. She sadly realized that she could eat more than a boy…

In the evening study room, the two of them loved to sit in a corner. One read novels, while the other drew. They didn’t say a word, but they stayed by each other’s side and enjoyed the silence that belonged to the two of them.

Time passed quickly in university. The girl watched as couples broke up one after another in university, and her heart was shrouded in a dark shadow. The girl and the boy separated—she went to the south, while the boy went back to the southwest. She heard that the children in the southwest tend not to leave. They would usually settle down there, getting married and having children after finding a job there.

She wanted to follow him, but she couldn’t in the short term.

However, when she got off the train, she saw the boy holding a luggage bag, standing outside the train door, looking at her and smiling at her.

She asked, “Why didn’t you return home?”

He said, “I don’t know. I wanted to go home, so I followed you.”

She rolled her eyes at him, brought him home, and introduced him to her parents.

Her parents neither agreed to it, nor did they object. They just let him stay.

Together, the two revised, applied for jobs, and attended interviews…

Initially, she thought that the two of them could spend the rest of their lives together, but on that day, her parents returned to their hometown. He went to work, while she remained alone at home. She didn’t know what happened, but there was suddenly a fire that blocked the door. Unable to get out, she could only hide behind the protective window and scream desperately, hoping that someone would come and save her.

The surrounding neighbors wanted to help put out the fire, but the fire was too huge and could not be extinguished. The door was knocked open, but the fire blasted out. No one could enter.

She felt despair and thought she was doomed… Under the thick smoke, she gradually lost consciousness.

In her haze, she saw a person rushing in with a wet blanket covering him. The other party wrapped her in a wet blanket, then carried the unconscious her out.

She did not know what happened, but as they ran, she felt her body being thrown up into the air. Following that, she heard someone scream. There was also a shout. “Catch her!”

“It’s collapsing! Oh no!”

“Move away the cars. The firefighters are here!”

…

She had no idea what happened after that. When she woke up, she saw her parents crying by the side, but the boy was nowhere to be seen. She asked, “Where is he?”

Her parents said that he was gone.

In denial, she called, but no one answered. She asked others, but no one spoke.

It was only when she was discharged from the hospital that she realized that the person who had saved her was Ding Mu. Ding Mu had climbed in from a house that didn’t have an anti-theft screen installed. When Ding Mu carried Tian Xin to the window, the building collapsed. In that critical moment, Ding Mu had thrown her to a soft bed downstairs piled with plenty of blankets that had been prepared by others long ago. As for him, he was buried in the rubble.

By the time the firefighters arrived, put out the fire, and found him, it was already…

“I personally sent him back. Furthermore, he was cremated by me,” Tian Xin said as she stared intently at Fangzheng.

Fangzheng felt a little guilty. This wasn’t a resemblance, but a mission of the door. Unfortunately, he couldn’t tell her that.

After hearing Tian Xin’s story, Fangzheng felt mixed emotions. At that moment, he was even more at a loss for words.

Pretend that he was Ding Mu? To make her happy?

However, was there a need to fake happiness? Tian Xin was a strong girl. Although she was sad, she did not feel hopeless. Although she was in pain, she was not pessimistic. She still had love in her heart because she still wore a copper ring on her hand. Ding Mu had bought it from a roadside stall for her as a joke gift. However, after Ding Mu left, she treated it as a wedding ring and solemnly wore it on her ring finger to show to the public that she was already married.

Lying to such a girl was shameful.

But to admit it? He couldn’t bear to hurt her when he looked at the glimmer of hope in Tian Xin’s eyes. Regardless of how he acted, he wouldn’t be able to stay forever. He was just a transient passerby and should have the self-awareness of one.

When Fangzheng heard that, he knew what he had to do. He stood up and said, “You’re welcome. Heaven must have arranged for us to meet for a reason. I hope that you will be happy in the future.”

Tian Xin pursed her lips into a smile and said, “Of course! Blockhead has always been by my side. I have to lead a happy life. I want him to see me smile happily in heaven.”

Fangzheng nodded.

Tian Xin suddenly reached out a hand to Fangzheng and said, “Tomorrow is my wedding. Can I invite you?”