Chapter 173: Sweet and Sour Love

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

On the Bodhi Mountain stands a temple, flourishing with incense, attracting countless couples.

In front of the temple, there’s a centuries-old Bodhi tree adorned with many plaques of love bonds, also known as the Bodhi Tree. Gu Ci stands beneath the ancient tree, gazing at each plaque, most of them seeking a lifetime of togetherness.

“Do you believe?” Gu Ci asks.

Lu Zhiyuan shakes his head, “I don’t.”

He only believes in himself. If he wanted Gu Ci, he’d strive for her. Seeking gods and Buddhas was laughable; how could divine beings understand the thoughts and troubles of mortals?

Gu Ci had also figured it out. There was a strong sense of ‘my fate is in my own hands’ about Lu Zhiyuan. He didn’t believe in gods or Buddhas, let alone fate. Lu Zhiyuan looked down at Gu Ci, “Do you believe?”

“Sincere hearts yield results!” Gu Ci chuckles lightly, “I want to make a request.”

Lu Zhiyuan is displeased, not wanting her to make a request. Growing old together with Gu Ci, but who was Lu Zhiyuan? He was him, but also the Third Master. Hanging under this Bodhi Tree, he was averse to the idea.

“A protective charm!” Gu Ci smiles, “I want to request a protective charm for Ziyu.”

Lu Zhiyuan chuckled, “Asking for a protective charm under the Bodhi Tree, you are quite unique.”

Gu Ci smiled gently, donated some money for incense, and bought a plaque of love. She wrote a few lines, hoping for Ziyu to have a smooth life, free from illness and calamity. She devoutly hung it on the Bodhi Tree, beseeching the heavens to hear her prayer.

“You truly love Ziyu deeply,” Lu Zhiyuan commented with a hint of discomfort. Why does that little boy get Gu Ci’s love?

Gu Ci chuckled but didn’t answer.

Inside the temple, there was a place that served vegetarian meals. It was rumored that after obtaining a plaque of love, one should partake in a vegetarian meal within the temple premises to enhance the efficacy. While waiting for the meal, Lu Zhiyuan went to the restroom. Gu Ci waited for a while, not seeing him come out. With a slight raise of her brows, she quietly walked to a corner and looked at the Bodhi Tree.

As expected, she saw Lu Zhiyuan holding a wooden plaque, writing something, and tiptoeing to hang it on the tree. He even clasped his hands together, murmuring words, lost in thought.

A gust of autumn wind passes, causing the wooden plaques on the Bodhi tree to sway gently, like an ancient and devout hymn, responding to the wishes of the fervent lovers beneath it.

Gu Ci gazed at his side profile, her heart pounding like a deer. In this moment, she was not influenced by memories of their past lives. In her eyes and heart, there was only Lu Zhiyuan, the contradictory but devoted Lu Zhiyuan.

What about not believing in gods and Buddhas?

When Lu Zhiyuan returned to his seat, Gu Ci had prepared tea, and the vegetarian meal had arrived. It consists of tofu, greens, and mushrooms simple in flavor yet not unpleasant.

While they dined, Lu Zhiyuan posted a social media update, geotagged on Bodhi Mountain. The photo captured Gu Ci’s silhouette among the ginkgo trees, and he captioned it with just an image, no words.

After the meal, passing by the Bodhi Tree, she suddenly took Lu Zhiyuan’s hand, “Lu Zhiyuan, I really like you.”

The Bodhi tree had stood for hundreds of years, lush with leaves, adorned with love plaques and protective charms. Sunlight filtered through the branches, casting mottled shadows in her eyes. Lu Zhiyuan lowered his head and kissed her.

Gu Ci, do you know?

I really like you too!

The wooden plaques in the Bodhi Tree swayed gently as if it heard the innermost voices of lovers.

Descending the mountain, Gu Ci grew tired. Playfully, she asked Lu Zhiyuan to carry her on his back. He didn’t refuse; his physical strength allowed him to effortlessly carry her without panting.

“Where is the final race in December held?”

“In Country F.” The race location was determined long ago. Their team, Imperial Racing, was in tight competition with Ferrari Racing for the championship. Due to Lu Zhiyuan’s decision to skip one race, he was two points behind Ferrari’s top driver in individual rankings, securing the second spot. To win the overall championship for the year, he must secure first place in the upcoming race.

“I’ll take Ziyu to cheer you on!”

Lu Zhiyuan considered the race’s timing; it was during the day. Last time, Gu Ci watched Third Master race in Lavis. The thought makes him feel somewhat uneasy. That should have been her first race watching him.

“I’ll definitely win the championship!” Lu Zhiyuan declared.

Gu Ci wanted to say that the championship wasn’t crucial; safety was. But thinking of Lu Zhiyuan’s competitiveness, she smiled and said, “Sure, I’ll be waiting to see you lift the trophy.”

Remembering last night’s unhappiness, Lu Zhiyuan asked, “Do you want me to retire?”

With her on his back, descending the steps as the sun sets and casts their intertwined shadows, she asked, puzzled, “Why would you retire? You love racing so much. Until you reach the pinnacle, why retire?”

Lu Zhiyuan’s lips curled up. Gu Ci’s words were like a divine needle that removed the melancholy from his heart.

“Do you have an injury or something?” Gu Ci asked nervously.

“I’m fine.”

“Oh…” Gu Ci mused to herself. Why would he consider retiring when he’s perfectly fine? “Racing is the most important thing in your life. Don’t give up easily.”

Her warm breath was right by his ear. Lu Zhiyuan stopped in his tracks, furrowing his brows slightly. “Gu Ci…”

“Yeah?”

Lu Zhiyuan took a deep breath and grumbled, “How stubborn!”

Gu Ci was speechless.

Lu Zhiyuan was frustrated that she was being stubborn. Racing was an important part of his life, but back in Lavis, he gave it up for her. Nothing was more important than her.

In her mind, did only Third Master have the courage to charge forward for her?

Before 6 o’clock, Lu Zhiyuan dropped Gu Ci off at the Blue Fields Villa, seemingly controlling the timing so she wouldn’t have dinner alone with Third Master. Gu Ci understood his intentions and didn’t say anything. She could empathize; if someone were interested in Lu Zhiyuan, she’d think she’d lost her mind to give them an opportunity for a private dinner.

On his way back to the Global Sporting Center, Lu Zhiyuan sneered, “Third Master, she’s my woman. You better be smart and not go see her.”

He knew Third Master could hear him.

At a traffic light, precisely at 6 o’clock, a seamless switch occurs between Third Master and Lu Zhiyuan.

Third Master sneers coldly, “Childish!”

If he really wanted to invite Gu Ci out or do anything, what could Lu Zhiyuan do?

During Gu Ci’s date with Lu Zhiyuan today, Third Master had been watching the whole time. His sensory connection with Lu Zhiyuan meant they shared emotions, joys, sorrows, and more. This unfamiliar experience was the first of its kind and caught Third Master off guard.

Before, no matter what Lu Zhiyuan did, Third Master observed like a detached bystander. Although their memories were shared, their senses weren’t. Today, something seemed off.

His mind was like a precise, unfeeling machine that systematically handled everything. But this unexpected event of shared emotions was like a malfunctioning processor that refused to function.

He didn’t want to know Lu Zhiyuan’s emotions or feelings, and this irritated Third Master greatly.

For over a decade, they coexisted without issues. What went wrong?

Gu Ci was in a good mood. Ziyu had prepared dinner and was now looking at her with a beaming smile. “Mom, you didn’t wait for me to finish school. It turns out you went on a date with Dad..”

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