Dong Mei felt her cracked heart crack another piece away. She hadn't even done much. She had only taken Li Hua to a temple. How did that work to strengthen their relationship?
"Brother-," she called but a sleeved arm blocked her mouth again. Cang Mang was standing a bit close to her, but she hadn't noticed when he got to her.
"But the same cannot be said for you," Cang Mang said and sighed without melancholy, "it's best you read whatever misfortune you will have."
Li Hua blushed, "Bai Yang-."
"Tch!" Bai Yangwei stopped her by holding her chin between his two fingers, "how many times must I remind you how to call me?"
Li hua blushed even more then said in a small voice, "Bai Gege!"
Bai Yangwei smiled, "is it a brother or a husband?"
Li Hua blushed and directly hid her face against his chest.
Bai Yangwei laughed and held her in his arms tighter, "Ah'Hua, my idea, what do you think about it?"
Dong Mei directly blocked off her ears. She didn't want to listen to any more with the direction in which things were developing.
She interrupted, "brother Bai, it's- don't embarrass sister Hua like this. And- and her reputation. If you go on saying such words, it will damage her reputation."
"If there's a rumor where the names of the two are together, Bai Yang Wei would take full responsibility," Cang Mang commented, "good sister Dong Mei doesn't need to worry. Besides, it's only the four of us here. There's no need to worry about a rumor since none of us is against Li Hua. Right? Good sister Dong Mei?"
There was clear mockery in his voice every time he said 'good sister' but Dong Mei was not hearing it. Her eyes were glued to the couple that looked like they were about to ascend.
Although Li Hua didn't give him an immediate answer, Bai Yang Wei was in no rush. He contently took her hand in his and started to walk out of the temple.
Just like every time Dong Mei watched him leave, Bai Yang Wei's silhouette blurred out in the sun, making him disappear in the light as though a dream. It was a bright happy dream but Dong Mei was not happy.
"Come," Cang Mang pulled her hand, distracting her from the scene and headed towards the monk, "old monk please read this misfortune and we will be out of your way."
The old monk looked at them with more and more irritation and seemed to grumble within.
Dong Mei seemed to come back to her mind and pulled her hand out of Cang Mang's.
She knew what he was doing. He was trying to keep her away from the love birds. Protecting them so that they would be happy together without her interference.
But she wouldn't fulfill him. She had every intention of going out to find the two and wake them from their dream.
She turned to leave.
"This is what you want," the old monk suddenly said, "I must say I haven't admired your tenacity one bit."
Dong Mei turned back and watched the polished green jade gleam beautifully. The monk held it by a dark red string, swinging lightly. She paused her plans to leave there.
Cang Mang looked at the jade as well then switched his sights to Dong Mei. She seemed to be in her thoughts.
That was the jade that the monk had given Li Hua in the book. Even with just a simple description, Dong Mei would identify it from a mile a way. And she wanted it. She went ahead to reach towards it.
"But this will be completely useless for you," the monk threw the jade on the ground and it so easily shattered into tiny pieces, "so go, I have nothing for you."
Dong Mei looked at the pieces on the ground and her out stretched hand involuntarily retracted. Her interpretation became that the monk would rather lose the gem than let it fall into her hands. But what was so bad about her hands? She only wanted to use it to improve her luck and get brother Bai. So what was so bad about her hands?
Dong Mei frowned, her anger rising suddenly, "what do you mean by this?" She asked calmly.
"What meaning are you looking to find?" The old monk asked back.
Dong Mei thrashed the sleeves of her dress, "don't try to play chess with me old scum!"
"Yes, she's not good at any board games," Cang Mang chipped in.
"Shut up," she shot at him.
Cang Mang immediately zipped his lips.
She turned back to the monk and raised her voice, "what do you mean by destroying it? I had forgotten about it and was walking away but you had to bring it up then destroy it. What do you mean by that?"
The monk frowned, "I may be seated, but I am not without ways. So watch your mouth, child!"
"Dong Mei, you're normally big headed. But this time, simply leave the temple," Cang Mang advised.
"SHUT UP!" Dong Mei shot out loudly without looking in Cang Mang's direction.
She then stomped towards the monk and angrily grabbed his beads and thrashed them to the floor.
"If you didn't want to face my anger then why provoke me?" She shouted out the question, "all this time of rudely chasing me away, you choose the moment when I was freely walking away to speak. So unless you answer me, we will know who is the child and who is the dying old man."
"Dong Mei, don't be too much," Cang Mang said, "you've already gathered enough misfortune."
The old monk looked at his beads on the floor and sighed. He had felt justified in his anger but since the girl mentioned the provocation, he realized what he had done.
"All these years of self cultivation, and such little insight. Truly a time of waste," he said to no one in particular.
He suddenly stood from his seat and managed to a full height similar to Dong Mei, "if you want fate, I have given you fate. But in this lifetime, don't come back."