"Indeed," Kyle Kinston interjected, "Let’s pray."
Mabel Quinn looked surprised, while Alice Conley eagerly handed incense sticks to Kyle.
Kyle took the incense, lit it, and faced the Buddha statue, closing his eyes, bowing three times. His expression during those three bows was indescribably devout, leaving Mabel inexplicably moved as she watched.
It was as if whatever he was praying for in front of the Buddha was something of utmost importance to him, hence such an expression.
What on earth was he praying for? She couldn’t help but wonder.
After the three bows, Kyle opened his eyes again, gazed intently at the Buddha statue in front of him, and then inserted the incense into the large incense burner ahead.
"Let’s go," Kyle said, holding Mabel’s hand as they walked toward another hall.
Alice followed behind, still savoring the scene of Kyle praying before the Buddha earlier, his aura and demeanor leaving a striking impression.
"Kyle, perhaps we should pray at another Buddha statue later," Alice suggested. This update ıs available on NoveI[F]ire.net
Before Kyle could reply, Dorian Howards had already grabbed Alice, saying, "Come, come, I also quite like praying to Buddhas, why not let me pray more? Let’s visit another hall to pray."
As he spoke, he pulled Alice in the opposite direction.
"Hey, what are you doing? Mabel and I haven’t finished praying," Alice said, keeping her voice low because they were in the temple.
"Kyle will take care of Mabel here. If you really want to fuss over someone, why not put a little more thought on me?" Dorian said.
Alice felt almost defeated.
When Dorian finally dragged her to a place where they couldn’t see Mabel and Kyle anymore, Alice finally felt her hand was free.
"What do you mean by this, anyway? We came to pray together, why did you drag me away?" Alice asked irritatedly.
"Are you planning on being a third wheel?" Dorian replied coolly, then added sarcastically, "The very bright kind, that doesn’t mind wasting electricity."
Alice was momentarily taken aback, then said, "I don’t make a habit of being a third wheel."
"In any case, just keep me company for now. It’s rare for Mabel to come out these days, let Kyle show her around," Dorian said.
Alice didn’t object, accepting the fact, and wandered around the temple with Dorian. She had actually done quite a bit of research, so she was familiar with what Buddha statues were in each hall and their stories.
Dorian, being well-read, was able to casually talk about many of the stories even without preparation. Therefore, the two of them exchanged comments, making it not dull, and they even became quite engrossed when discussing certain stories.
The conversation left them thirsty, and Dorian bought two bottles of drinks, handing one to Alice. In her eagerness to drink, some water accidentally spilled from the corner of her mouth.
"Careful not to choke, drinking water like a child," Dorian chuckled, pulling out a tissue to wipe the water from Alice’s cheek.
In that moment, Alice felt a fleeting sense of deja vu. This man with a sunny smile was gently wiping her face, just like that time before, when she had impatiently eaten cake and gotten cream on her cheek. He had smiled and said, "Eating cake like a child," while gently wiping it away for her.