The Chewu Temple was built during the Qing Dynasty. Originally, its walls were made of earthen bricks—a mixture of straw and yellow mud. After centuries of wind and frost, the surfaces had long since aged and peeled away.
It wasn’t until recent years, with the significant increase in the villagers’ disposable income, that the temple was demolished and rebuilt on its original site. Leading the donations was Lin Xinyuan’s second uncle, transforming the century-old structure into what it was today.
With red walls, green tiles, and a glazed roof, the new temple featured a traditional two-courtyard layout. Its footprint had expanded several times over, making it worlds apart from its predecessor. Despite the pandemic preventing some villagers from returning home, there was still a large crowd gathered to offer sacrifices today.
From a distance, the girl could already hear the crackle of firecrackers mingled with the noisy chatter of the crowd. As she drew closer, Lin Xinyuan followed the sound and looked over—
On a high metal rack beside the open space in front of the temple, long red “ribbons” were hanging, swaying in the breeze. They were rapidly shortening at a visible speed as they exploded. Pi-li-pa-la! The air was filled with the sound of bursts and flying red debris, which drifted down like a red carpet being laid across the ground.
Smoke billowed, and the scent of gunpowder lingered at the tip of her nose, bringing with it a sense of… tradition.
Above the main entrance, the plaque bore three bright yellow characters: “Chewu Temple,” looking solemn and majestic.
The group passed through the red-painted gates, wound around the carved screen wall of the front hall, and made their way to the back hall. Upon entering, two statues on a high platform facing the entrance immediately caught their eyes. Both had crimson faces and black beards, radiating an imposing authority—these were the two Lords Che and Wu enshrined here. Surrounding them were several smaller statues clustered on either side.
Many people were already holding incense and bowing, whispering to themselves. They were likely praying for blessings, family health, or the removal of illness and misfortune.
Her grandfather and the others began setting out the offerings—lighting candles, inserting incense, burning spirit money, and pouring wine. In contrast, the younger generation—Lin Xinyuan and her cousins—didn’t quite know what to do and simply stood by, watching quietly.
Once everything was arranged, Grandfather called his grandson, Tang Chengmin, to go outside and set off the rest of the firecrackers. Meanwhile, Mother Lin ensured the spirit money was burned completely. Once only embers remained in the brazier, she poured the ceremonial wine over them. With that, the pre-worship rituals were complete.
At the signal from their elders, the girl and the siblings took turns kneeling on the cushions. Most of them simply kowtowed three times and stood up.
Qin Nanfeng, however, did not treat it as a perfunctory task. He bowed three times but did not rise immediately. Instead, he slowly closed his eyes, pressing his palms together in a posture of sincere devotion.
The young man’s features were refined; his thin lips were slightly pursed, and those aggressive, star-like eyes were now gently shut. His expression was calm, his face as still as water—at that moment, he seemed to possess a trace of divinity.
Standing off to the side, Lin Xinyuan had just gotten up and immediately looked for Qin Nanfeng, only to witness this very scene.
He… is actually quite handsome…
The thought flickered through her heart. Her apricot eyes involuntarily brightened, and her face flushed slightly as she bit her lip. It wasn’t until she realized he was standing up that she snapped out of it, feeling a wave of frustration followed by intense shame.
She guiltily stole a glance at her family. Seeing that their attention wasn’t on her, she breathed a secret sigh of relief.
Lin Xinyuan… how… how can you be so thirsty? …It’s not that I’m thirsty. It’s all this guy’s fault for being so devastatingly handsome. Why can’t he be a bit uglier? Then I wouldn’t… be like this. And no one else would look at him…
While her mind wandered through these chaotic thoughts, she maintained a calm facade and hurried over to the handsome young man who had just stood up.
“Brother Feng…”
On the way home, Lin Xinyuan and Qin Nanfeng held hands, walking side-by-side at the very back of the group.
Unable to suppress her curiosity any longer, she asked, “Brother Feng, what did you wish for in the temple just now?”
The girl’s eyes were beautiful—bright, clear, and carrying a hint of “cluelessness” that made her look incredibly dorky and cute.
“Why are you asking that?” Qin Nanfeng smiled and pinched her cheek, causing Lin Xinyuan to let out a dissatisfied whimper.
She indignantly patted away his restless hand. “Stop pinching my face, it hurts a little!”
“Oh…” Qin Nanfeng acted as if he had reached a sudden realization. He leaned into her ear and whispered in a flirtatious tone, “Then how about I touch you somewhere else tonight…?”
He even began to ponder it seriously. “Mhm… I wouldn’t mind…”
Hearing this, Lin Xinyuan’s eyes widened like a lamb spotting a wolf. She lost her nerve instantly, managing only a weak insult: “You… disgusting…”
She lowered her gaze, her mind involuntarily flashing back to what happened that night. She was suddenly too bashful to look him in the eye.
Stinky blondie… disgusting, disgusting…
Her mind was filled with those ambiguous images. The memory of his burning touch felt so real it made her heart tremble. That sensation… was far too intense. Merely thinking of that skin-to-skin contact made her feel weak and tingly all over. She couldn’t handle it.
The more she thought, the deeper the blush on her face became. Her heart held a sliver of anticipation, but it was mostly fear. She shrunk back like a quail, trying to pull away from him. But her small hand was held firmly in his powerful grip; it didn’t hurt, but it was impossible to break free.
On the verge of tears, she bit her lip and said in a soft, weak voice, “What are you doing… let me go…”
Qin Nanfeng laughed. “You’ve got the guts to call your man ‘disgusting,’ and you think I’ll just let you go?”
“It’s your fault for—”
“Hmm?”
Looking at Qin Nanfeng’s “gentle” smile, Lin Xinyuan felt an ominous premonition. The retort she was about to spit out died in her throat. Finally, she could only turn her head away aggrievedly. “Oh…”
Seeing this, Qin Nanfeng nodded in satisfaction. He spent the rest of the walk either rubbing her head or pinching her nose and her “baby fat” cheeks. Lin Xinyuan was fuming, but she didn’t dare speak up!
“I’ll ask you again: are you going to let your boyfriend pinch your face?”
Lin Xinyuan felt a surge of indignation. She was unwilling to agree to such an embarrassing request. But a strange feeling welled up, and ultimately, she succumbed.
“Mgh… okay…”
As Qin Nanfeng gently squeezed her cheek, her face was a mix of shyness and resentment. Truthfully, deep down, she was happy that he was so intimate with her. She just couldn’t control her embarrassment—especially since this guy loved saying such scandalous things to tease her.
Back when she was a boy, she had been thin-skinned, but she was never this sensitive. Now, even a slight provocation from Qin Nanfeng made her lose her composure completely.
Perhaps it was the influence of the hormones, but Lin Xinyuan felt it was more likely… the shackles of her past experience as a male. It was one thing to become a girl—it was normal to like a boy, right?
But the person she liked just happened to be this “bastard blondie” who used to backstab her and even “stole her corner” (stole her ex-girlfriend)! Perhaps because of this history, she had zero resistance against his teasing. There was always a strange feeling of being “humiliated” by the “blondie.”
The texture of the girl’s skin was soft and delicate, making it hard for Qin Nanfeng to stop. For a fleeting second, a trace of “tyrannical” desire surfaced in his mind, but he forced it back down.
Xinyuan…
Qin Nanfeng’s gaze darkened. His Adam’s apple bobbed slightly, and his throat felt inexplicably parched. He really needed a drink of water. After a while, he finally seemed to have had his fill of touching her and relented.
Feeling that “wicked” hand finally pull away, Lin Xinyuan acted like a bullied child. She covered her slightly sore cheek with one hand and walked with her head down, pouting in silence.
He only knows how to bully me… It felt like every time she asked him a question, she ended up getting teased. What a total rogue.
“So… what exactly did you wish for…?”
Unwilling to give up, her curiosity won out again. She asked once more, though her tone was muffled and sulky. She wanted to know more about him.
Thinking of this, the image of his devout, tranquil expression in the temple resurfaced in her mind. In that moment, she felt he truly looked like a god! At least, that’s how he was in her heart.
Brother Feng’s radiance was so dazzling… she wanted to capture every single bit of it for herself. She wouldn’t let a single ray shine on any of those “random people.”
“I can’t tell you, Xinyuan. If I say it out loud, it won’t come true.”
“Ah…” Her face was written with disappointment.
“I’ll tell you in the future, okay?”
“Oh, okay…” Though she was still a bit sad, she nodded obediently. After all, being disobedient… would be annoying. She couldn’t let Brother Feng get tired of her.
Seeing her submissive appearance, Qin Nanfeng smiled on the surface, but his heart felt bitter.
I hope that time never comes…
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