Senior sister, stop working and go home for dinner.

Chapter 135 3 Days of Sincerity for 1 Umbrella

Chen Anran said expressionlessly, "I did not agree."

Wei Qingyi explained softly from the side, "Master Huiming has an obsession that needs time to resolve."

Shen Zui, being astute as he was, immediately realized this was Huiming's wishful thinking. He chuckled and changed the subject: "Ah, now that the matter is resolved, the subsequent cleanup and reporting will be handled by our miscellaneous affairs department. You two have worked hard; shall I have someone take you back?"

"No need to trouble Shen Ke, our car is nearby." Chen Anran declined and walked away. Wei Qingyi said goodbye to Shen Zui and followed.

Without hesitation, Huiming followed closely behind with unsteady yet firm steps, maintaining a distance of about three to five steps, neither getting too close to disturb him nor losing him.

Shen Zui watched the three of them disappear into the night, stroked his chin, and sighed to Xiao Qi, "These days, you still have to be careful not to get harassed by monks."

Xiao Qi nodded in deep agreement.

……

The black GLS drove smoothly back to the city. Wei Qingyi was driving, and Chen Anran was sitting in the passenger seat, closing her eyes to regulate her breathing and channeling her spiritual energy to relieve the stagnation in her meridians caused by forcibly using the Arhat statue.

The car was quiet, with only the low rumble of the engine.

Through the rearview mirror, Wei Qingyi could see Huiming following on foot not far behind. He seemed to be using a trace of Buddhist power, his figure appearing and disappearing in the night, his speed barely keeping up with the slow-moving vehicle, but his swaying appearance made it seem as if he would collapse from exhaustion at any moment.

"If he keeps following like this, I'm afraid he won't make it back," Wei Qingyi said softly, her tone tinged with reluctance. Although she didn't agree with Huiming's insistence, forcing a Buddhist cultivator whose foundation had been damaged to grow stronger was tantamount to courting death.

Chen Anran didn't even open his eyes, and said calmly, "He has his own choices. If he can't keep up, he'll naturally give up."

However, Huiming's resilience exceeded their expectations. Even after the car entered the underground parking lot of Biyunxuan Community, that staggering yet determined figure still appeared at the entrance. After being stopped by the security guard, he silently found a large tree not far from the parking lot, sat down cross-legged, and faced the direction of the parking lot exit, beginning his wait like an ascetic monk.

Back in the top-floor duplex, Chen Anran stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, scanning downwards with his divine sense, and clearly "saw" the figure sitting motionless under the tree.

Wei Qingyi brought over a glass of warm water, looked downstairs, and sighed softly, "They are...sincere."

"Sincerity can sometimes be a demon in one's heart." Chen Anran took the water glass, her tone remaining calm. "Let's see how many days he can hold out."

For the next two days, Huiming truly "settled down" under that tree. He neither ate nor drank, nor spoke a word, but simply sat cross-legged. Occasionally, when residents or security guards asked him questions out of curiosity, he would simply put his palms together in a gesture of respect without answering.

Chen Anran ignored this, continuing his daily cultivation or going out with Wei Qingyi as usual. However, whenever they went out, Huiming would struggle to get up and silently follow behind, keeping his distance. When Chen Anran went to the dealership to get the license plates for his newly purchased GLS, Huiming would stand outside waiting; when Chen Anran accompanied Wei Qingyi to the school library to return books, Huiming would stand by the tree-lined path outside the library. This attracted frequent glances from passersby.

On the evening of the third day, dark clouds gathered in the sky, and rumbling thunder sounded, indicating that a heavy rain was imminent.

Looking at the gloomy sky outside the window and the still composed figure under the tree, Wei Qingyi frowned slightly: "Anran, there's a high chance of thunderstorms tonight. If he gets soaked in the rain in his current state, I'm afraid..."

Chen Anran was flipping through a newly purchased book on formations when he heard this, his fingers paused for a moment, but he didn't look up.

Large raindrops began to pelt down, quickly forming a curtain of rain, while a gale whipped the rain against the windows. People in the neighborhood rushed home, leaving the area downstairs deserted except for that figure who remained seated under the tree, unmoved by the torrential downpour. Buddhist practices typically grant the ability to repel water, but he seemed to have abandoned any attempt at trickery, letting the rain soak through his thin monk's robes.

The rain intensified, accompanied by thunder and lightning.

Chen Anran closed the book in her hand, stood up, and walked to the window.

Through the blurry rain, he could see Huiming's body trembling slightly in the rain, but his back remained straight, facing this direction, as if he were on a silent pilgrimage.

Wei Qingyi also came over and stood beside him without saying a word.

Silence spread amidst the sound of rain.

After a long while, Chen Anran let out a soft breath, seemingly helpless, yet also as if she had made some kind of decision.

He turned around, picked up a spare umbrella from the entryway, and walked towards the door.

"I'll be right back."

Wei Qingyi watched his retreating figure as he opened the door and left, a knowing glint in her eyes, and nodded gently.

Under the large tree at the parking lot exit, Huiming felt his consciousness gradually blurring in the cold and weakness, only his belief in pursuing the light kept him from collapsing. The icy rain washed over his body, seemingly washing away his past confusion as well.

Suddenly, the raindrops that were hitting me disappeared.

He raised his head slowly and laboriously.

The rain blurred his vision, but he could still make out the figure standing in front of him holding a black umbrella.

Chen Anran looked down at him, raindrops streaming down the edge of the umbrella. His expression was obscured by the rain and the darkness of the night.

"Buddha..." Huiming trembled, and his dim eyes suddenly burst with an unbelievable light. He struggled to stand up, but due to exhaustion and the cold, his body fell forward against his will.

A steady, strong hand grabbed his arm and supported him.

"Come upstairs with me. Don't die down there, you'll be an eyesore."

After saying that, Chen Anran let go of her hand, turned around, and walked towards the building entrance while holding the umbrella.

Huiming was stunned for a moment, then an overwhelming joy overwhelmed him. He gritted his teeth, used the last of his strength, and took a step with his stiff legs, staggering but with unwavering determination, following the figure behind him.

The elevator ascended smoothly, and Chen Anran stared expressionlessly at the changing floor numbers in front of her, saying nothing.

With a "ding," the elevator reached the top floor. As soon as the door opened, Chen Anran stepped out, and Huiming quickly followed, their soaked monk shoes leaving clear watermarks on the floor.

The door was ajar, and Chen Anran pushed it open and went inside.

Only a warm yellow floor lamp was on in the living room. Wei Qingyi was sitting on the sofa with a book open on her lap. She looked up when she heard the noise. Seeing Huiming, who was soaked to the bone, she didn't seem too surprised. She simply got up and went to the kitchen.

"Go to the bathroom and change out of your wet clothes." Chen Anran pointed towards the guest bathroom, her tone flat and emotionless. "There are clean towels and bathrobes inside."

Huiming was flattered and repeatedly bowed, saying, "Thank you so much, Buddha! This humble monk...this humble monk is unclean and may have defiled you..."

"Go quickly."