After returning to Floating Mist Temple, Qi Gu stayed in touch with Lin Hanzhi on WeChat.
Though Lin Hanzhi was busy with work, he never missed a single message, whether it needed sending or not. He still found every spare moment to chat with Qi Gu, and would plaintively complain about the cafeteria food, the goldfish at home, and his empty house.
[Gugu: But isn't Steward Yi at home?]
[Hanzhi: He never talks.]
[Gugu: You didn't seem to mind that before.]
Qi Gu privately thought that Lin Hanzhi could not even remember Steward Yi's name. He hardly seemed like someone who needed to communicate with him.
[Hanzhi: The house just feels so empty. Once I finish up with work in a few days, can I stay at your place for a while?]
[Hanzhi: Please, please (puppy rubbing his paws together)]
Qi Gu found the sticker shamefully adorable and immediately agreed: [Okay.]
After some thought, he wondered whether a one-word reply was too cold, and whether Lin Hanzhi might think he was not actually all that welcome. He hesitated and agonized for a minute before finally typing again: [I'll be waiting.]
Unfortunately, just as Lin Hanzhi finally finished everything and could come over, Huang Hongyuan begged Qi Gu to visit his hometown and help out.
Huang Hongyuan was capable at his job, had earned Floating Mist Temple a great deal of money, and had brought it plenty of pilgrims. Naturally, Qi Gu had to agree to his request.
In the end, Qi Gu and Lin Hanzhi boarded a high-speed train bound for the little town amid the yellow earth where Huang Hongyuan came from. Qi Gu had originally thought Lin Hanzhi would be unhappy, but when they met at the station, Lin Hanzhi noticed that their familiar third wheel, Mu Xingchen,