CH 27.2

5-7 minutes 18.03.2023

He walked to Meng Huan, creating a falling shadow, and arranged the ruffled hair on his forehead; his voice was gentle. “Huan Huan can go to rest first. This prince will try to come back earlier. Be good.”

“……”

The tone revealed a doting feeling of worrying about Meng Huan being alone.

Meng Huan’s back tingled. Not knowing what to say, he let out an “Mm.”

Surrounded by the crowd, Lin Bozhou left.

Meng Huan stood at the same spot, breathing a sigh of relief.

Fengzhi carefully examined his face. “Your Highness……”

“It’s okay.” Meng Huan shook his head and took a few steps. His legs were sore and weak, his bones shook, and there was a foreign body feeling within his body. When the surrounding area was quiet, it reminded him of everything he had just done in the spring pool.

An undressed Lin Bozhou was simply the embodiment of hormones, and every move made Meng Huan’s face flush. He received a stimulation he had never experienced in his eighteen years of life and was spurred on by his soft words…… to slip, step by step, into the abyss of indulgence.

He obviously had no feelings for him, but he couldn’t help but be enraptured by him.

…… I’m done.

Really make a mistake.

Meng Huan’s brow wrinkled, and the corners of his lips couldn’t help but skew downward.

Once certain things began, they would repeatedly happen again.

If he slept too much with Lin Bozhou and caught feelings, not to mention affecting his determination to run away in the future, if his sense of right and wrong was swept away, he wouldn’t be able to escape from the label of “little traitor.”

…… After all, Lin Bozhou was really good at it.

He was worthy of being the male lead in an 18+ rated novel.

A famous quote about abstinence came into his mind: Excess and indulgence is the root of all evils; quit sex for a wonderful life.

“……”

Meng Huan put his hands behind his back and spoke with a face full of melancholy. “Fengzhi.”

Fengzhi heard him moaning and groaning for a long time and asked tentatively, “Your Highness, what’s wrong?”

“Is there a temple nearby?”

“Yes. Your Highness is trying to—”

Meng Huan raised his hand. “I’m going to ask for a copy of the <<Clear Heart Mantra>>.”

“……”

—

Meng Huan’s determination was strong.

After eating, he asked his subordinates to lead the way to the nearest temple.

In fact, it was also a half-joking and half-serious idea. Now that Lin Bozhou was discussing official business, he was bored with idleness. Getting out of the house wasn’t easy, so he planned to walk around.

Lin Bozhou’s guards followed behind him, explicitly saying they were protecting his safety. Regardless, Meng Huan also did not bother to guess the exact intention.

In front of him was a temple with fairly grand specifications. Lin Bozhou’s private land was located in the capital. Although not in the capital’s prosperous inner city, it was also in an economically accessible area. The number of people living there was very large, and the temples built in the mountains and forests were beautiful.

Meng Huan marveled at the temple’s bodhi tree, Chanshi*, and tea room. These cultural heritages were now only visible to tourists, but in ancient times, it was people’s basic needs.

*Chanshi: honorific title for a Buddhist monk

After entering the temple, Meng Huan kowtowed to the Bodhisattva first.

“Buddha, I have sinned,” Meng Huan tried to confess. “I was bewitched by the beauty of a man. He…… is really too tempting, handsome, well-built, has a good voice, and his performance is also good…… I was not strong-minded and had a relationship with him that I shouldn’t have. I am now very ashamed, and I ask the Bodhisattva to give me the method to clear my mind.”

…… Feeling the pain in his knees when kneeling made Meng Huan more certain that it was necessary to come here.

As he muttered his broken thoughts, a voice rang out behind him. “Benefactor, it is late. Our temple is about to close its doors. May I ask how much longer you will stay?”

It was a monk dressed in plain clothes, holding a volume of sutras.

Meng Huan looked at the monk curiously and asked, “May I have a few sutras?”

“Of course. Benefactor, please come with me.” The monk was kind to the visitor and asked, “What sutras have you read regularly?”

“I have not read any. I have only now begun to study Buddhism.”

They chatted and walked to the inner courtyard.

The monk recommended a few books, and Meng Huan immediately donated a tael of silver. The monk immediately smiled. “Benefactor can often come on weekdays and discuss Buddhism with this poor monk*.”

*Humble term used by a monk of himself.

“Hehehe, okay.”

Meng Huan was in a happy mood. He was about to leave when the sound of talking came from behind his ears.

Thinking it was other visitors in the temple, Meng Huan didn’t care until a familiar “Young Master Meng” came from behind his ear.

Meng Huan turned his head and saw the prettily dressed Xu Ruolin and Lu Nanxing, who was fanning himself with a folding fan.

Meng Huan stopped in his tracks.

What came to mind was the memory of that night and what happened in the carriage. Meng Huan eyed him, closed his lips, and lowered his gaze.