After the mind-reading and gossip-eating incident, officials in the imperial city were demoted one a

Ye Yaoyao had used up a lot of energy climbing the mountain today. After finishing her meal, she went to get more food with her empty bowl. The old monk serving the food had changed, and he gave her a second look.

"Master, I can finish it." Ye Yaoyao looked at him earnestly.

The old monk smiled kindly at her and generously gave her a lot of money.

"Thank you, Master. I won't waste it."

Ye Yaoyao's big eyes curved into crescent shapes as she smiled gratefully and thanked the old monk.

The mountains were desolate, and the climb was tiring. After dinner, the pilgrims went to bed early.

The following day, at the last moment of the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), as dawn broke, the melodious and profound sound of bells awakened the pilgrims.

Each sound carries a profound historical flavor, echoing gently in every corner of the ancient temple.

Ye Yaoyao was woken up by Ye Xiyao, her eyes still blurry with sleep.

"Little sister, if you're sleepy, you can sleep a little longer."

"No, I'm getting up." Ye Yaoyao patted her cheeks to wake herself up.

After finishing their vegetarian meal, the worshippers went to the main hall to pray to Buddha, and the sound of chanting sutras rose and fell.

When Ye Yaoyao arrived at the main hall, it was already full of people.

Liu Yunshu sat cross-legged on the futon, listening devoutly to the master's sermon. Ye Yaoyao sat beside him and listened for a while, but then felt sleepy. She looked around and quietly left the main hall.

The monks were all doing their morning prayers at this time, and even a young monk was nowhere to be found.

Most young people go out and about, but Ye Yaoyao wanted to find a monk to guide her mother. She hoped to find a master along the way.

The further we walked, the more remote the area became, until we came to a vibrant vegetable garden. The lush green vegetables were full of life under the sunlight, and the gourds hanging down from the trellis were all round and plump.

There is a well nearby, with the wellhead made of bluestone. The edges of the stones have been worn smooth and rounded, and are covered with marks of varying depths. These are the marks of countless ropes rubbing against each other, and also the traces of time.

The moss on the well wall wasn't very thick, indicating that someone was taking care of it.

Ye Yaoyao leaned down and looked into the well. The well water was clear and transparent, like a mirror, and her face was clearly reflected in the water.

"This well, like this temple, is a thousand years old and has never dried up in all these years."

A gentle voice sounded from behind.

Ye Yaoyao turned around to look at the person who had come. He was a middle-aged man with long hair tied up, a thin face, and deep and peaceful eyes. He was wearing a gray monk's robe, which made him look even more otherworldly.

When the man saw the girl's face, his refined and calm expression faltered for a moment, and he looked at her carefully for a few moments.

Seeing the buckets on his shoulder, Ye Yaoyao moved aside.

"Uncle, are you the one who takes care of this vegetable garden?"

"Yes, I practice here, my Dharma name is Huiyuan Jushi." The man kept his gaze fixed on her and nodded slightly.

The man skillfully filled two buckets with water, his movements agile, carrying the water as if walking on flat ground, steadily moving through the vegetable garden.

[This person seems rather unusual.] Ye Yaoyao pondered, resting her chin on her hand.

[Host, would you like to check his information?]

"No need. He's practically a monk; we might never see him again!"

She's not a peeping tom; she doesn't need to check up on everyone.

Ye Yaoyao went to the vegetable garden to help pull weeds and water the plants, chatting with him in the process.

"Master Huiyuan, could you please tell me which monk is the most highly respected in the temple?"

Ye Yaoyao kept working with her hands while looking at the Hermit of Regretful Fate.

“Abbot Zhichan is the most virtuous and respected. Little girl, if you want to find the abbot, you should go to the main hall.”

Layman Huiyuan answered patiently.

“I came from there, but the abbot wasn’t there.”

Having learned that the abbot of Taiyou Temple wore a brown robe embroidered with lotus patterns, Ye Yaoyao looked around the main hall but didn't see him, and shook her head regretfully.

“Distinguished guests have arrived at the temple, and they are probably meeting with important guests.” Layman Huiyuan stopped to watch her weed. “Young lady, there are many people who want to see the abbot. Go out of the vegetable garden and head west.”

"Thank you so much, layman." Ye Yaoyao said with a look of surprise and delight.

"Little girl, what's your name?"

"My name is Ye Yaoyao."

"The peach tree is young and tender, its blossoms are bright and beautiful, what a lovely name." The man looked at her a few more times and couldn't help but say:

"You look like your father."

Ye Yaoyao looked at him in surprise.

"Ah! Layman, my father's name is Ye Mian, do you know him?"

Uncle Mei must have mistaken someone for someone else. Ye Mian has an ordinary appearance; all four of them look like their mothers, none of them resemble him.

"Ye Mian? Vice Minister of the Chancellery."

"Yes, it's him. You know him! But I look like my mother. You must be mistaken."

Ye Yaoyao thought to herself:

[This handsome older man must have been a government official before! But why are his eyesight so poor?]

Layman Huiyuan chuckled, "I haven't been down the mountain for ten years, I must have misremembered. Go find the abbot!"

"Thank you, layman."

Ye Yaoyao bowed to him in gratitude and happily left the vegetable garden.

Watching Ye Yaoyao's retreating figure, the Repentant Hermit murmured to himself, a complex emotion in his eyes:

"Wow, it's been over ten years already."

Ye Yaoyao walked westward with the gentle breeze until she saw a pavilion.

The pavilion was surrounded by lush green vines, and birds perched on the vines, chirping merrily. Their melodious voices added a touch of tranquility to this secluded spot.

Inside, two people were playing chess. The kind-faced old monk, the same master who had served her food, was now intently focused on the chessboard.

So that was the abbot!

Ye Yaoyao quietly walked over.

[Who's the other one? Just looking at his back is mesmerizing; I wonder what kind of stunningly handsome person he is. I really want to see his face.]

Ye Yaoyao cupped her face in her hands, gazing adoringly at the man's retreating figure.

The man had his back to her, so she couldn't see his face. He was dressed in a silver suit and his posture was both elegant and casual.

His back was smooth and straight, and his silhouette resembled a ray of serene radiance, detached from the world.

With her hair tied up high, even just her back view exudes an irresistible charm, making her seem like an ethereal being.

[Host, you're drooling.] The system never expected that its host could be captivated by a mere silhouette.

[System, find out who he is immediately? I'm giving you one minute... no, thirty seconds. I need to see all his information.]

At this moment, Ye Yaoyao seemed to be possessed by a domineering CEO, so eager to investigate someone's identity.

The man's right hand, holding the black piece, paused for a moment before continuing to rest on the board.

[Host, nothing found.] The system's somewhat listless voice came through.

[Can't find it? What's going on? There are still people the system can't find!]

Ye Yaoyao was extremely shocked. Her brows furrowed as she looked at the person in front of her. She felt a ticklish, anxious feeling in her heart, as if a kitten was scratching at her.

[Maybe we need to see the front view?] The system suspects that there might be another bug.

"She always messes things up at crucial moments," Ye Yaoyao complained.

[Host, weren't you looking for the abbot? We'll see about the handsome man later.]

[Hmm! We need to take care of business first, but I also want to see handsome men.]

Ye Yaoyao stood quietly beside the two of them.