Intimacy

Chapter 05

Da En Temple was built during the Wei Dynasty and flourished during the Tang Dynasty. With a history of over sixteen hundred years, it had produced countless eminent monks and abbots, its incense thriving and enduring through the ages.

Yu Xixi glanced out the window and, within a short moment, the vermilion walls of the temple came into view.

Sitting up straight, she cleared her throat and said, "Um, this is it. Could you pull over and drop me off here, please?" She paused for a moment, then added softly, "Thank you."

Qin Zheng's face remained cold, ignoring her. His dark eyes flicked over to see plenty of parking spots by the wall, so he steered the car towards them and brought it to a stop, turning off the engine.

Yu Xixi hesitated.

An old man smoking a cigarette leisurely strolled over, a handful of change in his right hand, and tapped the car window a few times. "Ten bucks for parking," he said.

She quickly leaned out and explained, "No, no, he's just dropping me off here. He's about to leave, not parking..."

Qin Zheng handed him the money.

The parking attendant turned and walked away.

Yu Xixi was dumbfounded.

Qin Zheng got out of the car, reached back to slam the door shut behind him. She sat in the car, unmoving. After a few seconds, she bit her lip and also jumped out of the car, somewhat annoyed. "I'm here to burn incense. Why did you follow me?"

He glanced back at her, his gaze cold. "Is this your temple?"

"..." @#￥%.

Yu Xixi felt a lump in her chest, unable to speak for a moment.

Qin Zheng didn't say much to her, bypassing her and heading straight ahead.

The sky overhead was gloomy, heavy with leaden clouds that seemed ready to burst into rain. She frowned, standing in place for a moment, watching his tall and straight figure stop in front of the ticket booth, a distinct and powerful presence amidst the surroundings.

Yu Xixi drifted off a little.

Suddenly, she inexplicably thought, if one day she went crazy and picked a fight with him, afterward, how severe would her injuries be?

She stared at him, but he suddenly turned around. In the air, their gazes met head-on.

The man's eyes were sharp and deep, devoid of much emotion.

Yu Xixi instinctively looked away, her face growing hot, feeling embarrassed as if she had been caught doing something wrong. Before long, she heard Qin Zheng's low voice saying, "It's going to rain soon. Stop dawdling."

His voice was not loud, calm and indifferent, with a hint of habitual command.

She hesitated for a few seconds before walking over.

She decided to treat it as normal interaction between friends. After all, just burning incense together, he was so upright and straightforward, why bother making things complicated?

---

There was a place at the entrance to get free incense. With a ticket, you could get one bundle of incense per ticket. Yu Xixi stepped forward, and the monk handing out incense gave her two bundles. With a bow, he smiled and said, "Good fortune."

Yu Xixi returned the gesture. "Good fortune." Then she took the incense and walked deeper into the temple.

Today was neither the first nor the fifteenth day of the lunar month, so there weren't many worshippers in the temple. The entire Da En Temple was very quiet, with only the faint chanting drifting in the air from the chanting hall.

Qin Zheng followed behind Yu Xixi, watching as she bowed and made offerings, occasionally murmuring words in front of the Buddha statues, looking quite devout.

He kept his hands in his pockets, his fingers rubbing the metal body of a lighter inside, his expression impassive.

Before long, Yu Xixi had finished paying respects to Guanyin and stood up with her hands resting on the cushion. Turning a corner, she walked out of the main hall from the left side. She smoothed her hair and glanced at Qin Zheng.

Since entering the temple, she worshipped her Buddha, and he walked his path, with no communication between them.

She felt the situation was awkward and thought for a moment before casually finding a topic. "You must have been to Da En Temple before, right?"

Qin Zheng said, "No."

Yu Xixi was genuinely stunned.

Da En Temple was famous inside and outside Yun City, and few locals had never been there. He was quite unique. So she had to say, "Da En Temple is very spiritual. It's said that the Bodhisattvas here fulfill all requests. It's not easy to burn incense here even on the first day of the lunar new year."

He nodded lightly, without much interest in what she said.

She observed his expression and frowned suddenly. "Don't you believe in any of this?"

"What?"

She raised a slender white finger, appearing mysterious and reverent, and whispered, "Gods, Buddhas, and such."

Qin Zheng glanced at her. Her fingernails were crimson, covered with a layer of fuzzy substance, quite enchanting. Still, he remained indifferent. "Hmm."

Qin Zheng didn't believe in any of it.

His work was demanding, and his mind was focused on the new recruits in the Special Forces. He didn't have the leisure to burn incense and worship Buddhas. Besides, the tranquil atmosphere of the temple didn't suit someone like him, accustomed to the battlefield.

At her words, Yu Xixi paused, her hand hovering near her face. Then she suddenly wrinkled her brow. "Then why did you follow me in?"

The continuous chanting in her ears suddenly stopped. In the space behind the Guanyin Hall, there was a large incense burner for burning incense and candles. In an instant, everything fell silent.

Qin Zheng took a few steps forward, stopped, and turned to look at her, his gaze deep.

Yu Xixi's expression showed genuine confusion. "I was asking you a question."

He still didn't answer, just looked at her for a moment before calmly walking away. He was tall, and she subconsciously tilted her head back, only to realize that they were too close.

She could even smell his scent, clean and masculine, filled with a strong presence of male pheromones.

"...," Yu Xixi took a step back.

The sky was gray, and the sun was hidden behind thick clouds, and Qin Zheng looked at her with a calm expression. After a while, he said calmly, "It's about to rain. Stop dawdling."

His voice was not loud, calm and flat, with a hint of habitual command.

She hesitated for a few seconds before walking over.

Might as well treat it as normal interaction between friends, she thought. After all, just burning incense together. He's so gentlemanly, why bother to overthink it?

---

There was a place to get free incense at the entrance, with a ticket. Yu Xixi took a few steps forward, and the monk handing out incense gave her two bundles, smiling and saying, "Good fortune."

Yu Xixi returned the greeting. "Good fortune." Then she took

the incense and walked deeper into the temple.

Today was neither the first nor the fifteenth of the lunar month, so there weren't many worshippers in the temple. The entire Da En Temple was very quiet, with only the faint chanting drifting in the air from the chanting hall.

Qin Zheng followed behind Yu Xixi, watching as she bowed and made offerings, occasionally murmuring words in front of the Buddha statues, looking quite devout.

He kept his hands in his pockets, his fingers rubbing the metal body of a lighter inside, his expression impassive.

Before long, Yu Xixi had finished paying respects to Guanyin and stood up with her hands resting on the cushion. Turning a corner, she walked out of the main hall from the left side. She smoothed her hair and glanced at Qin Zheng.

Since entering the temple, she worshipped her Buddha, and he walked his path, with no communication between them.

She felt the situation was awkward and thought for a moment before casually finding a topic. "You must have been to Da En Temple before, right?"

Qin Zheng said, "No."

Yu Xixi was genuinely stunned.

Da En Temple was famous inside and outside Yun City, and few locals had never been there. He was quite unique. So she had to say, "Da En Temple is very spiritual. It's said that the Bodhisattvas here fulfill all requests. It's not easy to burn incense here even on the first day of the lunar new year."

He nodded lightly, without much interest in what she said.

She observed his expression and frowned suddenly. "Don't you believe in any of this?"

"What?"

She raised a slender white finger, appearing mysterious and reverent, and whispered, "Gods, Buddhas, and such."

Qin Zheng glanced at her. Her fingernails were crimson, covered with a layer of fuzzy substance, quite enchanting. Still, he remained indifferent. "Hmm."

Qin Zheng didn't believe in any of it.

His work was demanding, and his mind was focused on the new recruits in the Special Forces. He didn't have the leisure to burn incense and worship Buddhas. Besides, the tranquil atmosphere of the temple didn't suit someone like him, accustomed to the battlefield.

At her words, Yu Xixi paused, her hand hovering near her face. Then she suddenly wrinkled her brow. "Then why did you follow me in?"

The continuous chanting in her ears suddenly stopped. In the space behind the Guanyin Hall, there was a large incense burner for burning incense and candles. In an instant, everything fell silent.

Qin Zheng took a few steps forward, stopped, and turned to look at her, his gaze deep.

Yu Xixi's expression showed genuine confusion. "I was asking you a question."

He still didn't answer, just looked at her for a moment before calmly walking away. He was tall, and she subconsciously tilted her head back, only to realize that they were too close.

She could even smell his scent, clean and masculine, filled with a strong presence of male pheromones.

"...," Yu Xixi took a step back.

The sky was gray, and the sun was hidden behind thick clouds, and Qin Zheng looked at her with a calm expression. After a while, he said calmly, "It's about to rain. Stop dawdling."

His voice was not loud, calm and flat, with a hint of habitual command.

She hesitated for a few seconds before walking over.

Might as well treat it as normal interaction between friends, she thought. After all, just burning incense together. He's so gentlemanly, why bother to overthink it?

---

There was a place to get free incense at the entrance, with a ticket. Yu Xixi took a few steps forward, and the monk handing out incense gave her two bundles, smiling and saying, "Good fortune."

Yu Xixi returned the greeting. "Good fortune." Then she took the incense and walked deeper into the temple.

Today was neither the first nor the fifteenth of the lunar month, so there weren't many worshippers in the temple. The entire Da En Temple was very quiet, with only the faint chanting drifting in the air from the chanting hall.

Qin Zheng followed behind Yu Xixi, watching as she bowed and made offerings, occasionally murmuring words in front of the Buddha statues, looking quite devout.

He kept his hands in his pockets, his fingers rubbing the metal body of a lighter inside, his expression impassive.

Before long, Yu Xixi had finished paying respects to Guanyin and stood up with her hands resting on the cushion. Turning a corner, she walked out of the main hall from the left side. She smoothed her hair and glanced at Qin Zheng.

Since entering the temple, she worshipped her Buddha, and he walked his path, with no communication between them.

She felt the situation was awkward and thought for a moment before casually finding a topic. "You must have been to Da En Temple before, right?"

Qin Zheng said, "No."

Yu Xixi was genuinely stunned.

Da En Temple was famous inside and outside Yun City, and few locals had never been there. He was quite unique. So she had to say, "Da En Temple is very spiritual. It's said that the Bodhisattvas here fulfill all requests. It's not easy to burn incense here even on the first day of the lunar new year."

He nodded lightly, without much interest in what she said.

She observed his expression and frowned suddenly. "Don't you believe in any of this?"

"What?"

She raised a slender white finger, appearing mysterious and reverent, and whispered, "Gods, Buddhas, and such."

Qin Zheng glanced at her. Her fingernails were crimson, covered with a layer of fuzzy substance, quite enchanting. Still, he remained indifferent. "Hmm."

Qin Zheng didn't believe in any of it.

His work was demanding, and his mind was focused on the new recruits in the Special Forces. He didn't have the leisure to burn incense and worship Buddhas. Besides, the tranquil atmosphere of the temple didn't suit someone like him, accustomed to the battlefield.

At her words, Yu Xixi paused, her hand hovering near her face. Then she suddenly wrinkled her brow. "Then why did you follow me in?"

The continuous chanting in her ears suddenly stopped. In the space behind the Guanyin Hall, there was a large incense burner for burning incense and candles. In an instant, everything fell silent.

Qin Zheng took a few steps forward, stopped, and turned to look at her, his gaze deep.

Yu Xixi's expression showed genuine confusion. "I was asking you a question."

He still didn't answer, just looked at her for a moment before calmly walking away. He was tall, and she subconsciously tilted her head back, only to realize that they were too close.

She could even smell his scent, clean and masculine, filled with a strong presence of male pheromones.

"...," Yu Xixi took a step back.

The sky was gray, and the sun was hidden behind thick clouds, and Qin Zheng looked at her with a calm expression. After a while, he said calmly, "It's about to rain. Stop dawdling."

His voice was not loud,

calm and flat, with a hint of habitual command.

She hesitated for a few seconds before walking over.

Might as well treat it as normal interaction between friends, she thought. After all, just burning incense together. He's so gentlemanly, why bother to overthink it?