"First one knocked out again... Chess really isn't for me."
Lin Zhishui's lips twitched. He killed the game through Task Manager, tossed his mouse aside, and gave up on it once again. "Trash auto battler. Wasting my youth, draining my energy, eating up my time, ruining my mood..."
He would have been better off spending that time practicing calligraphy and painting at his shop.
Who knew? Someone from the traditional Chinese culture scene might come calling that afternoon, drawn by his reputation and ready to spend money.
Who knew? An old customer he hadn't seen in ages might suddenly show up with a gift to brighten his day.
Lin Zhishui checked the time and decided to head back to his calligraphy and painting shop to practice. It was only a little past two, so he still had several hours for ink painting. He could pick up some fruit on his way home, too.
-Little Snake had been eating rather a lot of fruit lately. Maybe writing her novel was taxing her brain, and she needed fruit to replenish her mental energy.
Half an hour later.
With his shoulder bag slung over his back, Lin Zhishui arrived outside his shop beneath the somewhat dazzling sun.
"Huh?"
A short-haired girl in a blue-and-white high school uniform stood in the sunlight outside the shop. She was slender and handsome, with a slightly androgynous look. Standing quietly five meters from the entrance, she held a small plastic bag and stared at the little pine tree by the door, seemingly lost in thought.
"Cheng Qiyue?"
Lin Zhishui was taken aback.
There really was a customer waiting for him, but he hadn't expected it to be this high school girl.
He had only spoken to Cheng Qiyue's father, Cheng Buxiu, that morning, and now she had come to see him that afternoon?
Still, Cheng Qiyue seemed weighed down by worries, even a little uneasy. There wasn't much to look at in a tree, either. Clearly, her mind was elsewhere.
According to Cheng Buxiu, the gas explosion that morning had killed several members of the Cheng Family on the spot and left several others seriously injured. Even the family head had fallen unconscious. Could she be... worried about that?
That made sense. No matter how calm and mature she seemed, she was still only a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old high school girl. Anyone would feel unsettled after such a sudden disaster.
Besides, some of her relatives had died, others were seriously injured, and even the family head remained unconscious. It was only natural for her to feel anxious.
Ah, poor kid.
Lin Zhishui walked over and said softly, "Miss Cheng."
Only then did Cheng Qiyue snap out of her daze. Turning around, she greeted him respectfully. "Senior Lin."
"It's been a month since we last met. You seem to have grown quite a bit." Lin Zhishui smiled as gently as he could.
He didn't want to say anything like "my condolences." It would be better to tell her, in a roundabout way, that she had grown, offering her warmth and affirmation.
After all, losing a loved one and suffering that inner pain could make a person grow up quickly.
"You're too kind."
Cheng Qiyue managed a faint smile.
She had indeed reached the pinnacle of the first heavenly pass. She simply hadn't prepared a Heaven-Praying Altar yet, so she hadn't truly broken through. With a Heaven-Praying Altar, however, she could enter the second heavenly pass at any moment.
But she had only reached the second heavenly pass at thirty-seven, and even that had required Senior Lin's help. Naturally, she didn't think she was particularly impressive.
"Hardships and setbacks are a path everyone must walk in life. I hope you can come to terms with it."
Lin Zhishui smiled, then turned to unlock the shop door and asked casually, "Come in. How are things going with your family?"
"My help?"
Lin Zhishui paused, then caught on. He shook his head slightly. "It was only a piece of calligraphy. As long as it helped, that's enough. You don't need to make much of it."
He didn't dare take credit, either.
After all, he had only reminded Cheng Buxiu to deal with matters calmly and think about the piece of calligraphy he had given him before taking action.
A gas leak that caused such a serious explosion could very well result in criminal liability if it wasn't handled properly.
And the character "retreat" meant taking a step back at the right moment to find a wider horizon, rather than rushing into aggressive action.
Presumably, Cheng Buxiu had remembered that character while dealing with the situation and made the right decisions, barely managing to calm things down.
But it was only a piece of calligraphy. It hardly counted as much help.
"Well..."
Cheng Qiyue hesitated, then said quietly, "That piece of calligraphy may mean little to you, but to our Cheng Family, it was a lifeline... In any case, thank you for what you did."
After everything she had experienced that day, seeing with her own eyes that great power which shattered space, and witnessing lofty figures like Senior Xiao Sui and the ancestor willingly flatter and curry favor with Senior Lin... she simply couldn't imagine the heights of his power and standing.
To Senior Lin, who could probably write pieces imbued with such great power at will and didn't even care about Immortal Peaches, the Cheng Family's modest gratitude and repayment naturally mattered even less.
But whether or not he cared, she couldn't truly disregard such kindness.
"A lifeline?"
Lin Zhishui gave her a somewhat odd look, then asked, "Did you come here specifically to thank me on behalf of your father and the Cheng Family?"
"Um... not exactly." Cheng Qiyue hesitated and shook her head before adding, "But I truly am grateful that you helped our Cheng Family."
She had come to deliver the Lesser Immortal Peaches.
Faced with such immense kindness, how could she, a mere junior of the family, be qualified to offer thanks in person on behalf of her family and father?
Had Senior Xiao Sui not said that Senior Lin preferred a quiet life, and had the ancestor not expressly forbidden them from disturbing him, the family head and elders would probably have come already, filling the floor on their knees.
"It's all right. No need to stand on ceremony."
Lin Zhishui finally understood and couldn't help shaking his head with a smile.
A moment ago, he had wondered whether the girl was laying it on a little thick.
It was only a piece of calligraphy, useful at most as a reminder. Was it really worth calling it the Cheng Family's lifeline?
Now it seemed the Cheng Family probably hadn't intended to thank him at all. The girl had simply decided that on her own.
After all, idol worship could blind people and rob them of their good sense.
Out of respect and admiration for a master calligrapher, this young fan would naturally magnify the significance of that piece of calligraphy-the character "retreat"-endlessly in her mind, believing her father had made the right decision because it had reminded him what to do.
But he had some self-awareness. It was just one character. What the hell could it do?
"Your family head is out of danger now, isn't he?" Lin Zhishui asked casually out of concern.
"Nothing escapes your foresight, Senior." Cheng Qiyue nodded.
Lin Zhishui smiled.
That counts as foresight?
I could guess just from seeing that you're in a fairly decent mood.
Still, if the girl had come on her own specifically to thank him, could it be...
Lin Zhishui glanced at the plastic bag in Cheng Qiyue's hand and asked with a smile, "Is that a gift for me?"
"Yes. You already knew?"
Not at all surprised, Cheng Qiyue nodded and handed him the plastic bag. "These three Lesser Immortal Peaches are for you. I should be heading back now. My family is still waiting for me."
Lesser Immortal Peaches? Only three?
Taken aback, Lin Zhishui accepted the bag and casually opened it for a look. Sure enough, there were only three smooth-skinned peaches inside, still somewhat green. They weren't particularly large and didn't look very tasty.
Peaches that aren't even ripe, and she only bought three?
Then he reconsidered and suddenly understood.
Perhaps... her family had cut off her allowance because she had spent money recklessly on calligraphy last time. Unable to afford a proper gift, she had picked up a few peaches on her way here to thank him.
No wonder she planned to leave as soon as she brought out the gift. She was probably embarrassed, too.
Still, it was a heartfelt gift from a fan.
So Lin Zhishui smiled warmly, reached out to pat her shoulder, and said softly, "They may only be a few little Immortal Peaches, but it's the thought that counts. To me, they're hardly inferior to the Queen Mother's great Immortal Peaches."
Look at that emotional intelligence. What more needs to be said?
"Senior Lin..."
Cheng Qiyue couldn't help feeling touched.
Senior Lin was indeed just as Senior Xiao Sui had described. He thought nothing of a mere handful of Lesser Immortal Peaches and even said it was the thought that counted. Yet because of the heartfelt gesture behind them, he considered them scarcely inferior to the great Immortal Peaches that ripened once every nine thousand years.
What an admirable air of a true master!
PS: (Remember to tap the hearts on the characters after reading~~)
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