"Even if Master is no longer here, Ling’an Temple is still this monk’s home," the monk said solemnly.
Assistant Chen frowned slightly, unsure of how to begin speaking to the monk, who was also looking at Assistant Chen, though with a persistent look of confusion on his face.
After a long while, Assistant Chen continued, "Haven’t you ever thought of leaving this place?"
Without a moment’s thought, the monk shook his head, "No."
Since the monk could remember, he had been living in this place. Although Ling’an Temple was dilapidated, it was, to him, his and his Master’s home. Even without his Master, it was still his home.
"But living here by yourself is too difficult now," Assistant Chen hesitated for a long while, but still couldn’t help saying: "Why don’t you come live at my place? I’m alone as well, and the two of us can look after each other."
Assistant Chen blurted it out all at once, his heartbeat pounding wildly as if he had made a great decision.
But the monk furrowed his brows and did not agree; he had never left this place, nor had he ever thought of leaving.
Seeing this, Assistant Chen realized the likelihood of him leaving with her was slim, and felt somewhat deflated.
When Master Wangchen was buried, Shen Yi and Ye Wanwan came to help.
By the time the funeral was over, Shen Yi found the monk and told him about his plans to refurbish Ling’an Temple.
The monk refused Shen Yi, "It has always been this way since Master was here, and it will continue to be this way. There’s nothing wrong with it."
Shen Yi thought about it, didn’t say much more; perhaps everything was already destined.
However, Master Wangchen’s passing did not sever Shen Yi’s connection with Ling’an Temple.
The monk did not leave Ling’an Temple with Assistant Chen. Shen Yi still came to the temple to offer incense and prayers from time to time, only now he had one more person to pray for—Master Wangchen.
Ye Wanwan underwent numerous checkups in two consecutive months and did not have any health problems; it was as if her spell of unconsciousness during the New Year was just an accident.
But Ye Wanwan’s unconsciousness was a significant scare.
Because of his rebirth, Shen Yi was already convinced of the existence of gods and Buddhas in this world, especially when Ye Wanwan was unconscious and the doctors were at a loss, yet she awakened after he prayed for her at the temple. This made him even more certain that Ye Wanwan’s spell of unconsciousness was not due to physical reasons.
So, Shen Yi later stopped focusing on the hospital’s results, but the elders from both families were still concerned. They would often call to inquire about Ye Wanwan and even urge her to have regular check-ups at the hospital.
And Ye Wanwan was the only one who truly knew why she had been unconscious. But to ease the elders’ minds, she submitted herself to one check-up after another without complaint.
Ye Wanwan thought, in her last life she nearly wore them out with worry—this life, she should let them worry a little less.
Time blinked by, and before they knew it, the end of August had arrived, and tomorrow was September 1st, also Zhouzhou’s very first day of school.
At this moment, Ye Wanwan was packing Zhouzhou’s little backpack, and while doing so, she couldn’t help reflecting, "What if Zhouzhou can’t adapt?"
"He might not adapt at first, but all children go through this stage," Shen Yi sat beside Ye Wanwan, watching her repeatedly organize the backpack.