To put it bluntly, it’s about having a good time.
The itinerary includes some self-indulgence: first, a nice round of sightseeing in Tokyo, then a visit to Mount Fuji, and finally heading to Hokkaido to soak in the onsen for a couple of days...
This arrangement is like dieting for three months and then having a big feast to reward yourself... Chen Yan found this arrangement quite ridiculous.
From the root, Chen Yan thought: these wealthy people come here deliberately to endure hardships, engage in some pure Zen cultivation, live an ascetic life for a while, and after that, they indulge in luxury for a few days—this is pure nonsense, isn’t it?
After lunch, the students had packed up, shedding the long robes of the Zen Meditation Academy, and changed into their casual clothes.
Seeing everyone waiting for their vehicles outside the temple, they arrived in plain long robes, but now they were all decked out in designer clothes, exuding luxury beyond measure...
The only difference was... Chen Yan was staying an additional two days!
Chen Yan wasn’t particularly interested in sightseeing in Tokyo. The bustling city with its shopping and gourmet food held little appeal to him, especially considering he would be accompanied by a group of pretentious rich people. Speaking to them was tiring!
Only the Hokkaido onsen trip held some interest for him.
According to the original plan, he was supposed to go to Tokyo with them, but after spending a day in this temple, he found the quiet and peaceful environment quite aligned with his current mindset—especially since he had been practicing maintaining a "just right" calm state recently, he grew increasingly averse to noisy, busy environments.
Suddenly, an unexpected turn of events occurred. The main group left the temple early to spend several days playing in Tokyo... He lost interest.
Anyway, this temple was already Chu Keqing’s property, so Chen Yan asked Chu Keqing if he could stay a few more days and leave from here, directly meeting the main group in Hokkaido later.
Chu Keqing naturally agreed to Chen Yan’s request immediately and even helped him change his flight ticket.
Chen Yan saw off the Zen Meditation Class at the temple gate, casually finding an excuse to say he was staying behind to handle academy matters.
The students, upon hearing that Teacher Xiao Chen wouldn’t be going with them, whether sincerely or not, at least superficially expressed regret and cheerfully promised to meet in Hokkaido.
Chen Yan responded to these polite students with equal politeness.
He pulled Chuyi aside and reminded him: once you’re in Tokyo, don’t go to those places with debauchery! Remember, you have two demonesses waiting for you at home!
After seeing off the convoy, Chen Yan returned to the temple.
After the main group left, only two temple staff remained—whether they were clergy, Chen Yan didn’t know, but they were Chu Keqing’s employees, after all.
Chu Keqing had arranged everything for living here, so Chen Yan didn’t have to worry. Especially one of the staff members could speak simple Dragon Country Language—probably specially hired by Chu Keqing when she bought this place—so Chen Yan felt less troubled by communication issues.
Chen Yan returned to his room, changed into comfortable clothes and hiking shoes, and then headed up the mountain, without using any spell, just casually climbing, enjoying the process, until he reached the top.
The afternoon sun was still high, and the mist in the mountains had long dispersed. Amidst the lush greenery, Chen Yan stood at the peak, feeling refreshed.
Around four in the afternoon, Chen Yan descended the mountain and returned to the temple. As he walked back to the small building in the backyard, he suddenly froze.
The sliding door on the first floor of the wooden building was open, and someone was sitting in a chair inside the hall.
Her long hair reached her shoulders, dressed in a plain robe, glasses perched on her nose, adding a touch of allure. Her eyes behind the lenses quietly watched Chen Yan, a look of amused aloofness—who else could it be but Chu Keqing?
Chen Yan’s face looked peculiar: "Why are you back again?"
"Naturally to serve by the senior’s side." Chu Keqing walked toward Chen Yan with a smile.
Chen Yan raised an eyebrow: "You’re not managing the Zen Meditation Class? You’re the head of the academy, aren’t you?"
"There are instructors with them. And... after holding back for so long, once they’re in Tokyo, it’s bound to be full of revelry. They might even go to places men prefer. I’d find it meaningless and inconvenient to follow them. So I saw them off and came back here."
Chu Keqing smiled, pursing her lips: "I’ll accompany the senior here for the next few days. Then we’ll set off for Hokkaido together. Surely the senior won’t mind, right?"
Chen Yan sighed: "This place is your property, you’re the host, I’m the guest, how could I mind?"
Chu Keqing was already beside Chen Yan, bending down, gently patting his knees and trouser legs. She looked up and said softly: "The senior went up the mountain, and his clothes got some grass juice and dew on them."
Chen Yan felt uneasy under her touch, sidestepped a step back, and took a deep breath: "Alright, my pants are dirty, I’ll go change into clean ones. Um, well..."
Before Chen Yan could finish, Chu Keqing smiled warmly: "I’ll wait here while the senior changes clothes. I’ve arranged some local specialties for tonight, and brought two bottles of Japanese craft sake. I’ll accompany the senior for a drink."