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Chapter Twelve: "How Much Do You Like Me?"

  "It hurts..." she whispered softly.

  Ruan Jiang Lin didnt let go, and the hand that was pinching her chin even used a bit more force, causing her cold little face to scrunch up.

  "Whats with being so delicate, like a fragile package?"

  Jiang Yan was like a gentle water, drowning in him.

  He took her waist and said with a more serious tone: "Lets go to the hospital."

  Jiang Yan seemed to have sobered up a bit, and pulled him along, pouting: "Dont go, you promised me wed go up the mountain tomorrow morning."

  He smiled: "Sobered up?"

  Ruan Jiang was about to get up when Jiang Yan grabbed him and said, "Dont go, okay?"

  He stood by the window, his tall figure blocking out the light, Jiang Yans mind was also in a daze, and she couldnt see him clearly.

  Her fingers were soft, slowly sliding down from his wrist, hooking onto his ring finger.

  "Really not going to the hospital?"

  Burned like a little stove.

  Jiang Yan wasnt afraid of going to the hospital, she just heard that Ruan Jianglin was taking a flight back to Kyoto tomorrow afternoon.

  Since she didnt want to go, Ruan Jianglin didnt want to drag her along either. If he wanted to do something, he had to bear the consequences himself.

  Originally wanted to let her be, didnt want to interfere with her business, shook off her hand and was about to leave, if not for hearing her mutter a few more times, probably would have really left her alone.

  Ruan Jianglin didnt expect her to be so troublesome, causing trouble in his arms all night.

  Our second master Ruan is always serving people water and medicine. Shes burning all over, and when I hold her in my arms, I feel sticky everywhere.

  Jiang Yan was probably also afraid that Ruan Jiang would get tired of her and abandon her, so after causing a scene for a while, she didnt dare to make any more trouble.

  She has a cold personality, and as far as she can remember, from childhood to adulthood, she has never made such a fuss.

  She was originally still making trouble for Ruan Jianglin to tell her stories, but seeing his eyebrows furrowed, she didnt dare anymore, and closed her mouth, lying in his arms for a night.

  She was clearly asleep in his arms, but when she woke up the next day, she found herself lying alone on the bed.

  The sea breeze blew through the gauze window and fluttered in the air. She shivered for a few seconds, then retreated back into her quilt.

  The place where Ruan Jiang had sat beside him had already cooled down.

  She estimated that she had not fully recovered from her fever and originally wanted to stay in bed, but was afraid that if she stayed in bed, Ruan Jianglin would leave first.

  Qingsu was originally a coastal area and shouldnt have had any high mountains, but there is indeed one here, with a temple built on the summit.

  The people here are mostly simple-minded and have some superstitious beliefs in Buddhism.

  She also wants to go and pay her respects, I heard that the village has a Matchmakers tree, Auntie said that the Matchmakers tree there is very efficacious, many unmarried couples in her village will go and burn incense before getting married to pray for a smooth marriage and growing old together.

  Jiang Yan originally didnt believe in it, but she always felt that since they all lived at the foot of the mountain, they should go up and pay their respects, even if she wasnt seeking a romantic match.

  She thought, if Ruan Jiang were to find out about her thoughts, he would definitely laugh at her, laugh at her for being overly sentimental and superstitious.

  Ruan Jianglin waited for her in the car, originally she had planned to walk up.

  It can be seen that there are some dark circles under his eyes, and some stubble, which adds a bit of carelessness to him. He doesnt look like the ruthless and decisive big shot in the investment banking circle. Jiang Yan swallowed that thought again, thinking that she had already troubled him enough last night, and he rarely had such good patience with her.

  However, Jiang Yan was glad that she didnt hike up here. Ruan Jiang took more than an hour to drive up, and if she had walked, she thought her legs would have been crippled.

  The temperature on the mountain top was much lower than at the foot of the mountain, she wore two pieces and still felt cold. Ruan Jianglin saw her shivering like a sieve, so he wrapped his coat around her.

  Looking down from the mountain, a large fog makes people feel a little intimidated, as if they cant see the bottom.

  Its probably because there are fewer people visiting Qing Su, this big temple is almost empty, and I havent seen even two monks, its a bit too deserted.

  Its not easy to see a nun, and as soon as she comes up, she asks Jiangyan for incense money.

  She didnt have it on her, a pair of eyes stared straight at Ruan Jianglin.

  He was generous, so generous that the nun kept saying he was sincere and his heart was pure.

  The nun led them in to burn incense. Ruan Jianglin said he didnt believe in these things, and Jiangyan hastily covered his mouth.

  She thinks Ruan Jianglin shouldnt say such things, and even if he doesnt believe it, he cant just say it in front of someones house.

  He was waiting outside, and Jiang Yan went in alone.

  The temple is very simple, if it werent for a large Buddha statue, Jiangyan would have suspected that it was a humble abode.

  She piously lit incense and kowtowed.

  She made two wishes. She always felt that she couldnt be more greedy than others, otherwise the Buddha would not bless her, so she had one less wish than others.

  I wish she is physically healthy, she is a person who values her life, so its natural to grant this wish.

  The second thought was to wish herself overnight wealth, but when she turned around to look at Ruan Jianglin, she steeled her heart and wished this wish on Ruan Jianglin instead.

  I hope he is safe and sound, she is not greedy.

  The nun said she was very devout and the Buddha would certainly bless her.

  She thought, Ruan Jiang had donated so much incense money, he was pious enough, unfortunately he didnt believe and didnt worship.

  She asked about the nuns road, she wanted to take a look at the Moon Old Tree that Ah Po said, and she coaxed Ruan Jianglin to go together.

  Ruan Jiang had originally not planned to go, but then thought that since she was dragging her illness and still wanted to come, he would give her face and accompany her.

  The old man under the moon and the old woman said that the tree was as tall as the sky, it seemed to have already reached into the clouds, Im afraid its been a hundred years.

  There are many red strips tied to its branches, with the wishes of people who have come and gone written on them. Some are new, some are old, and the old ones are already tattered and covered in dust.

  Ruan Jiang hadnt expected that she would actually come to see the matchmaking tree, and earlier when he saw her coaxing and deceiving him, he thought she had come to take a look at something extraordinary.

  He casually glanced at a piece of cloth with the words "Willing to get ones hearts desire, white-haired and never parting."

  He couldnt help but let out a snort of laughter, "Still believe in these?"

  His hands were also stained with ash from the cloth strip, and Jiangyan handed him a paper towel to wipe it off.

  Jiang Yan asked a monk for a red cloth strip. Ruan Jiang didnt see what she wrote, but it was probably something that could be understood by the clever.

  She wrote very slowly, stroke by stroke, but always felt dissatisfied because she couldnt write brush calligraphy. The monk said he would help her write it, but she wanted to do it herself.

  She asked Ruan Jianglin to help her hang it up. He was tall and stood high, with a cigarette in his mouth, the ash falling on his collar.

  They thanked the monk and when they went down the mountain, the thick fog had already dispersed more than half.

  The scenery in the mountains can be vaguely seen, and autumn has entered, with many fallen leaves in the forest.

  In the distance, mountains and rivers have entered autumn, as if the autumn fairy who fell into the world was scattered throughout the valley, quiet and distant.

  "Ruan Jianglin, do you know what I wrote?" she asked with raised eyebrows.

  Ruan Jianglin knew it all along, but when he said it out loud, it seemed pointless.

  He stopped the car, turned sideways to look at her, and occasionally tapped his fingers on the steering wheel.

  "Jiang Yan, how much do you like me?" he asked, with a hint of smile in his eyes.

  Jiang Yan said unclearly, because this feeling has been going on for too long, too intense, too thick, and can no longer be expressed in words.

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