As they watched the thugs disappear into the distance, Mile remarked, "I've seen those guys before. They've been sneaking around the temple for days."
"Oh," A-lai said, his mind racing. *Could they be after the temple's relics? If that's the case, their days are numbered. They're on my turf now—let's see how they handle it.*
Misheng and Mile, seeing that Fangfang's shirt was torn and revealing her skin, quickly lowered their heads and chanted, "Amitabha."
A-lai, noticing their reaction, quickly took off his own shirt and handed it to Fangfang to wear.
He asked curiously, "What are you two doing out here?"
Misheng whispered into A-lai's ear, "Last night, someone snuck into the hidden room in the annex."
Mile, speaking more loudly, added, "Abbot Liaocheng has requested that you come to the temple. There's something important."
Fangfang, already upset, snapped, "Why does your abbot always need A-lai? I've told you before, A-lai is a lay disciple, not a real monk from your temple. We need to go home and tend to his wounds first."
Suddenly remembering something, A-lai exclaimed, "Let's check on my device!"
They hurried to the trap and saw a gray rabbit struggling with its legs in the air. Mile rushed forward to catch it.
"Stop! Let me do it!" A-lai shouted.
But it was too late.
Mile let out a yelp as he touched the copper wire, and his body was thrown several meters back.
A-lai quickly turned off the device and instructed Fangfang to carefully pack it up. Then he told Mile to grab the rabbit, but Mile hesitated, muttering about how powerful the device was. Misheng, however, caught the rabbit and muttered a prayer, "Amitabha, forgive us."
The four quickly returned to A-lai's courtyard, where Grandfather Lei was alarmed to see A-lai covered in blood. He anxiously asked what had happened.
Fangfang, crying, said, "Grandpa, it's my fault again. A-lai got hurt protecting me—his arm might be broken again."
Fangfang didn't waste time explaining further. She quickly fetched the knife wound medicine and prepared some saltwater in the kitchen. As she unwrapped the bandage on A-lai's arm to clean the wound, she was stunned.
The two cuts on A-lai's arm had already closed up and didn't even need stitches.
Fangfang murmured, "Your arm is tougher than the machete?"
A-lai, seeing her confusion, explained, "Don't you remember? When I broke this arm, they put a titanium alloy plate in during surgery. You told me that yourself. Of course, it's strong—otherwise, my arm would've been cut clean off."
Fangfang shook her head, puzzled, "But it doesn't make sense. Those machetes should've left your arm in shreds. How did the wounds heal so quickly?"
A-lai, equally baffled, replied, "I don't know either. I just felt a sharp pain, then it was like thousands of tiny ants were rushing to the wound. Maybe this is what they call the resilience of life. It's like I've developed some kind of superpower."
Grandfather Lei, relieved that A-lai was okay, took the rabbit to the kitchen.
A-lai said, "Fangfang, help Grandpa boil some water."
Fangfang glanced at Misheng and Mile, then turned to A-lai with a serious expression and said, "You're not going anywhere today! You're staying home, and I'll help you study." With that, she headed to the kitchen.
Misheng and Mile exchanged glances.
Once Fangfang was out of earshot, A-lai whispered, "You guys head back and stick to the plan. At midnight, have someone meet me at the temple's back gate."
Misheng and Mile nodded, "Amitabha, we will."
Soon after, a large bowl of fragrant rabbit meat was served at the table.
Grandpa Lei poured himself a small cup of wine.
A-lai kept piling rabbit meat onto Fangfang's plate.
Fangfang, overcome with emotion, started crying, her tears falling into her rice.
A-lai tried to comfort her, "Why are you crying? I'm fine, aren't I? If even lightning couldn't kill me, what could a few thugs do?"
Fangfang, sobbing, replied, "Am I a jinx? You saved me at the hospital, or I'd be crippled. You saved me at the restaurant, or I'd have been humiliated. And now, you've saved me again, or I'd have been assaulted by those thugs."
A-lai chuckled, "Didn't Grandpa tell you? Protecting women is a man's duty."
Grandfather Lei nodded, taking a sip of wine. "Don't be sad, Fangfang. You're a good girl—smart and hardworking. You even skipped grades and got into university at a younger age than A-lai. That's really impressive. A-lai's playful nature is my fault for spoiling him. Just help him out when you can."
Grandpa Lei took another deep drink.
Fangfang wiped away her tears and promised, "Don't worry, Grandpa. I won't forget, and I won't abandon A-lai. I'm planning to get a PhD and one day repay A-lai for everything he's done. As long as A-lai doesn't reject me, I'll help him get into a good university."
Grandfather Lei smiled knowingly and downed his wine before refilling his cup.
A-lai quickly tried to stop him, "Grandpa, you've had enough for tonight."
Grandfather Lei, still smiling, said, "It's a rare occasion that I'm so happy tonight. Don't worry about me."
Fangfang, suddenly excited, said, "A-lai, I'm happy too. I want to drink with Grandpa tonight!"
A-lai, who had never touched alcohol due to Elder Liaokong's teachings, hesitated. But seeing the determined look in Fangfang's eyes, he nodded.
Fangfang poured two cups of wine, respectfully offering one to Grandfather Lei first.
Grandfather Lei chuckled, grinning from ear to ear.
Fangfang then raised her cup to A-lai and said, "A-lai, we must drink this cup in two sips."
A-lai drank half, and then Fangfang switched their cups. A-lai, feigning confusion, asked, "What's this about? Is there some kind of rule to this?"
Fangfang, her face blushing, boldly replied, "If you don't like it, we can switch back."
A-lai, understanding her intentions, smiled playfully, "I see there's a lot to learn about drinking etiquette. Amitabha, I shall obey." He then drained the cup, showing the empty bottom.
Fangfang, pleased, turned to Grandfather Lei and said, "I trust my judgment. A-lai is destined to be a true man of honor."
The three of them continued drinking and chatting. By the time they finished eating, Grandfather Lei was a little tipsy and quietly slipped away to his room.
Although A-lai hadn't drunk much, he felt no effect from the alcohol. Instead, he noticed a warm sensation spreading from his feet, palms, armpits, and body, as if his pores were releasing heat.
Fangfang, however, was slightly tipsy, her face flushed like a peach blossom. Her eyes sparkled with a blend of innocence and allure as she gazed at A-lai's carefree smile. She whispered, "A-lai, as long as you don't reject me, I'll never abandon you. Even if you abandon me, I'll never abandon you."
A-lai, remembering the plan he had set with Misheng and Mile, knew he needed to get to bed soon. He quickly made tea for Fangfang, adding some sugar and stirring it to cool it down. He took a sip to check the temperature, finding it pleasantly warm and sweet.
Fangfang, her mind still clear despite the alcohol, watched A-lai's every move intently.
A-lai handed her the warm tea, and she drank it all in one go. Suddenly, she threw her arms around him and kissed him deeply on the cheek.
The saying is true: "When a man chases a woman, there's a mountain between them; when a woman chases a man, it's like a thin veil." Relationships between men and women can be that simple.
A-lai wasn't naive. He knew exactly what Fangfang was thinking. After saving her life three times, she had no way to repay him except by offering herself. *But is this what I really want? Does she truly love me from the depths of her heart?*