CHAPTER 881: CHAPTER 881: A CHANCE ENCOUNTER AT QINGSHAN TEMPLE

"Lazybones, get up!"

On the phone, Zhao Qianyue’s voice came through. Unbeknownst to her, Lin Fan was currently resting his head on his arm, enjoying Chu Shiyuan’s morning wake-up service. Her well-trained tongue was exceptionally agile—though it didn’t go so far as to blow his mind, his Iron Pestle was certainly like a Sky Pillar.

"You’re already at the door, so why are you calling? You might as well come in and have a seat."

Lin Fan squinted his eyes, looking at Chu Shiyuan’s beautiful face. She didn’t need makeup—she was a top-notch beauty. Especially the allure unique to a young woman was something one could hardly resist. If not for her period, he would definitely seize the moment right there.

At the moment, with no place for his Sky Pillar to find relief, if Zhao Qianyue were to come up, they could have some morning exercise.

"Do you think I’m stupid? If I go upstairs, I might not be able to come back down. Hurry up and get downstairs—today we’re going to my mom’s retreat spot. You’d better curb those wild thoughts..."

After three consecutive days of this, Zhao Qianyue was well aware of how energetic Lin Fan could be in the morning, so she just waited in the car and refused to go up: "We’ll talk more about it tonight!"

"Aren’t you afraid I’ll visit the temple and, after seeing through the world with my mother-in-law, become a monk?"

Lin Fan, squeezing Chu Shiyuan’s plumpness, sat up straight. It seemed like the morning exercise was a wash.

"If you could give up women, I’d give up air altogether. Hurry up and come out—my mom specifically invited you for tea. If you’re late, the consequences could be severe, and you might lose your manhood!"

After saying this, Zhao Qianyue hung up the call, while Lin Fan cuddled with Chu Shiyuan a bit longer, then got up and went downstairs after a quick wash. He opened the passenger side door and got into the car, where he saw Zhao Qianyue in an off-shoulder, strap dress with high heels.

"Why are you wearing high heels to climb a mountain? You don’t expect me to carry you up, right? I can only promise to lift you onto a bed, not up a mountain!"

"Can’t you think about anything else? All you ever think about is the bed!"

Rolling her eyes, Zhao Qianyue stepped on the gas, and the car sped away, leaving the county and heading towards the mountain area.

"My mom said it’s a place for retreat—I’d better avoid going there, so you have to climb the mountain yourself."

"Mother-in-law wants me to climb the mountain alone? Isn’t that a plot to rob and kill me?"

Lin Fan’s teasing only got another eye-roll from Zhao Qianyue: "I warn you, don’t joke about my mom, or I will definitely flip out on you."

"Alright, alright, no more joking. Let’s talk seriously."

Lin Fan pulled Zhao Qianyue’s hand and said, "Why did your mom suddenly decide to embrace a spiritual retreat? Did this start when you were a kid?"

"No, my mom used to be a Buddhist but only went to the temple on the 1st and 15th to burn incense and pray. It was eight years ago when she suddenly went to the temple and stayed for eight years. She didn’t let my dad visit casually, nor did she let me see her freely, saying she was wholeheartedly practicing Buddhism. Though she’s still a lay disciple now, she doesn’t come home for holidays."

Zhao Qianyue puckered her lips; her mother’s sudden change took some joy away from the family. Hearing this, Lin Fan frowned, as the timing coincided exactly with the mining accident eight years ago. Could her sudden dedication to Buddhism be connected to that accident?

The car drove south and ultimately stopped beside a reservoir, near the temple halfway up the mountain. The grand architecture was visible even from the foot of the mountain.

"Alright, I’ll drop you off here. Now you’ll have to hike up the mountain by yourself. My mom doesn’t actually stay in the temple—there’s a small path 300 meters from the temple gate on the right. My dad built a house there for her retreat. Don’t take the wrong path."

Pinching Lin Fan’s cheek, Zhao Qianyue said, "You better remember my mom doesn’t smile easily. Tuck away your playboy antics, or you may not be able to leave the mountain!"

"Not be able to leave the mountain!"

Lin Fan looked at Zhao Qianyue quizzically, "Does your mom know Kung Fu?"

"My mom doesn’t, but her two maids are no pushovers. If it comes to a fight, even those two girls of yours might not be enough for them, so you better be careful."

Zhao Qianyue gave a mysterious smile, piquing Lin Fan’s curiosity.

The Zhao Family, the local bigwigs, had been rooted in Red Flag County since Zhao Chuanchun’s grandfather’s generation, but no one ever knew the mystery of his wife, nor why he was so afraid of her. Now with two more maids, Lin Fan felt something was fishy about this trip, but having come this far, all he could do was step up the stairs and start his climb.

"Oh gosh, they say looking at a mountain can kill a horse!"

Half an hour of climbing and only halfway up, Lin Fan, who hadn’t exercised in a long time, was already sweating. Just then, a pavilion on the roadside caught his eye, and sitting inside was a beautiful young woman looking at him flirtatiously.

"County Magistrate Lin, you finally made it. I’ve been waiting for you so that, below, it’s already wet!"