The monk and the Taoist exchanged a glance. Then, the monk said, "Your worldly ties are not yet severed. Even if you are a commoner, we cannot keep you. We only accept monks and Taoists here."
Gong Ye frowned deeply, unable to refute their words.
Besides completing missions and searching for his daughter, his remaining life was filled with emptiness, seemingly without a destination.
What should he do?
Returning to the Gong family meant facing an empty mansion, with only memories for company.
He also couldn't live with his daughter forever, as it would only cause trouble in her life.
Gong Ye sat dejectedly under a tree, gazing at the scattered stars in the sky, lost in thought.
The monk and the Taoist sat down on either side of him.
The monk asked, "Speak, why have you come this time?"
Gong Ye lowered his head and said faintly, "The mission is complete, and I feel the rest of my days are meaningless, with nothing left to do.
To avoid upsetting my daughter, I certainly can't die, so I wanted to find a place to end my remaining days."
His life had been ruined, and after completing his mission, he had nothing left.
It was only because he had a daughter that he had abandoned the thought of dying.
Otherwise, who could bear to be forever separated from a loved one by a grave?
The monk said, "Buddhism emphasizes cause and effect. Donor, your ties with family in this life are thin; it is merely that the缘分 has run its course.
However, you have deep merit. If your merit is perfected in this life, perhaps you can renew your ties in the next."
Gong Ye merely smiled and said nothing. His life had been a mess; who could still hope for the next life?
The Taoist said, "Life is like brewing tea. Tea tastes better when it has fully unfurled, and people are better off when they have come to terms with things. In a nutshell, look forward."
Gong Ye savored the Taoist's words, but his heart felt like a tangled knot.
The Taoist continued, "Having experienced countless near-death moments, who do you think of at the critical juncture? None other than those who are still alive.
As for the deceased, no one truly disappears unless they are no longer remembered by anyone in the world. That is true oblivion. Life is full of passers-by; why cling to a thousand knots?"
Gong Ye fell into deep thought.
Every time he faced death, he thought of his daughter.
Looking forward, he saw his daughter and his grandson.
And whom he missed day and night were his deceased wife and departed family.
The Taoist added, "The two most unprofitable things in life are dwelling on past regrets and guilt, and having a negative attitude towards the future."
The monk stroked his beard and chuckled as he interjected, "You should not have come here, but to the place you care about most. This place will not take you in, because your heart is not here."
Gong Ye clutched his chest and murmured, "Heart?"
His heart had died twenty years ago, and his only remaining attachments were his daughter; all others were dead.
So, where would he go?
The monk and the Taoist calmly rose and, with their hands behind their backs, walked into the room.
Whether he understood or not was irrelevant to them.
Life is one's own path; no one can truly comprehend your struggles. You must be a mountain for yourself!
As the night deepened, Gong Ye sat there in a daze. Lights were extinguished, casting shadows all around.
The wind howled fiercely at night, rustling the swaying tree branches. The hazy moonlight cast a cold, desolate glow.
And within his heart, an answer had begun to form.
The next day.
The old Ling family mansion.
Gong Zhi Jing was immersed in happiness, her brows furrowed with joy, her cheeks flushed and exceptionally charming.
She wore a phoenix coronet and embroidered robes, her makeup elegantly delicate yet radiantly beautiful.
Ling Yu Chen, clad in ancient groom's attire, stood tall with a jade crown atop his head. His sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, coupled with his softened expression, made him exceptionally captivating.
He was like the ancient description of a graceful and elegant figure.
Together, they were a perfect match, like a pair of jade figurines.
They didn't need elaborate poses; simply standing there created a beautiful scene.
Ling Yu Chen's eyes were filled with Gong Zhi Jing, and Gong Zhi Jing's eyes were filled with Ling Yu Chen.
Their gazes intertwined with tender affection, and their expressions conveyed only each other.
Countless stunning images were captured, freezing this moment of beauty and happiness.
Dozens of photos were taken for the first set of styling, from indoors to outdoors.
Then, they moved on to the next styling.
The elaborate clothes were cumbersome to change, as was the heavy headdress.
Yet, Gong Zhi Jing was still enjoying herself immensely.
Changing her style took another hour and more.
She had chosen five ancient-style looks, and this was only the second one.
An entire morning might only be enough for two sets, during which she also had to nurse and hold her baby.
By the time the second set was finished, Gong Zhi Jing was exhausted, her face aching from smiling.
It was already noon.
The rest had to be done in the afternoon. Gong Zhi Jing, who had been growing weary, felt her fatigue vanish instantly upon seeing the photographs.
The photographer's skill was excellent, and the scenery, styling, and outfits were all superb, exceeding her expectations.
She flipped through the photos, her heart filled with delight.
"They're so beautiful; today's hard work wasn't in vain."
Ling Yu Chen chuckled, "How could it be in vain? The photographer, makeup artist, and stylist are all the best, so the results naturally will be too."
Gong Zhi Jing smiled radiantly, her eyes curved as she said to Ling Yu Chen beside her, "Thank you, husband."
Everything had been arranged by Ling Yu Chen, so she didn't have to worry about anything or exert herself.
She only needed to look beautiful as she got styled and took photos.
Gong Zhi Jing's happiness was genuine.
If she was happy, Ling Yu Chen would naturally be happy, making all his efforts worthwhile.
After looking through the photos repeatedly, Gong Zhi Jing reluctantly put down the tablet.
Ling Yu Chen said, "Alright, get a good night's sleep at noon, and we'll continue in the afternoon. But if you feel tired, we can shoot tomorrow. The photographer and the others will be on standby."
"Let's continue in the afternoon; I want to finish it all at once."
While she had the enthusiasm, she wanted to finish it quickly. Otherwise, if she became lazy, she wouldn't know when it would be completed.
Knowing everyone was tired, during lunch, no one spoke much, allowing the meal to finish faster.
The sooner they finished eating, the sooner they could rest.
However, they couldn't go to sleep immediately after eating; there was time for digestion.
Gong Zhi Jing took out her phone and called Gong Ye.
It had been several days, and there was no news.
They had agreed to return together, but after he left, there was no word, and his phone was unreachable.
The call rang for a long time without any sign of being answered.
Gong Zhi Jing had already given up hope and was about to hang up.
Unexpectedly, the call was connected.
She quickly said, "Hello, Dad, are you busy?"
Wind howled on Gong Ye's end, his voice intermittent, the signal seemingly poor.
"In a few days... I'll return."
"Where are you now? Why is your voice so unclear?"