Chapter 9

A sneaky figure jumped on the roof of the bus. The bus driver started the engine, and the wheels rolled on the road. Mingyun held on to the rails. Her teeth bit into the linen bag. The wind flapping her hair kept her cool despite the heat. Too bad the air wasn't refreshing with the smell of oil and foul smoke mixed in.

Due to her heightened senses, she blocked her sense of smell and was relieved afterwards. This was the downside of the current world. It was polluted.

Just a few minutes into the journey, someone eventually noticed Mingyun's figure on top of the bus and waved to the driver.

"Uncle stop!" The onlooker raised both hands and pointed at the top of the bus.

The driver thought he would ride, so he stopped the bus and opened the door for him.

The man quickly told the driver about Mingyun.

"How could you let a girl ride on the roof? Don't you know it's dangerous? Quickly let her get down!"

The driver refuted, "You're talking nonsense. I'm not insane to have my license confiscated."

"Then how did she get there?" The man pointed at Mingyun.

Mingyun wanted to close the man's mouth for being nosy. However, the bus driver had already gotten off and also discovered her.

The bus driver recognized her immediately and reprimanded her: "What are you doing? Come down! You're going to get me arrested!" The driver was angry but worried at the same time.

The other passengers also got off to join the two and advised Mingyun to come down.

Mingyun, with no choice, jumped down. She lowered her head, too embarrassed.

Her movements made them gawk. One had to know even the knees and feet would falter a little bit, but Mingyun landed smoothly without a hitch.

"You could fall off and be seriously injured. What makes you think it was a good idea?"

"Young lady, just pay the fare and ride honestly. Don't do those reckless things like those on the net."

"Young people these days are quite courageous."

"But I don't have anymore money," Mingyun replied, her voice so soft that it tickled their hearts.

"How old are you? Where are your parents? Are you running away from home?" There were barrages of questions coming from the passengers.

Her conspicuous attire and unusual traveling bags made them suspicious of her origins.

Mingyun fished out the identification card and showed it to them.

They inspected her age and her parents names, and she was even more confused. Abbot Cheng? An abbot from the temple? Oh, so that's why she looked this way! They nodded in their hearts.

"Could you be an orphan?" A smarter person asked, and the others also came to a realization.

Mingyun shook her head. "Master said they'll pick me up when I'm 18."

All immediately gave her looks of pity.

"Nevermind that, come with me. I'll pay your fare." An elder held her hand and pulled her closer.

"Really?" Mingyun replied, her eyes shining brightly.

The elder nodded. The others also had this idea, and they each smiled at her.

The bus driver scratched his head after making sure she wasn't harmed. He might be fined if an accident happened. "You could just explain your matters clearly!"

"I already said it. But Mister didn't let me get on," Mingyun answered and pursed her lips. If it wasn't spending the entire fortune on a small piece of paper. She would have no worries about paying the little fare. There are still hundreds of li, and she needs to think of another way to earn money.

"Forget it, just get on." The driver invited the passengers inside again.

Mingyun was pulled inside and sat on a vacant seat.

The journey was boring, and some passengers asked about her situation.

Mingyun answered with enthusiasm.

The warm atmosphere continued until the last bus stop.

"Where are you heading to?" The driver beckoned her over, quite worried about letting her go.

"The capital." Mingyun halted and answered.

"It's good that you met me. I'll transfer post tomorrow. My manager asked me to drive to the capital. Follow me and you don't need to pay the fare. Just help me watch out for the passengers slipping without pay," the driver suggested.

Mingyun nodded like a chicken pecking. She never thought that driver would offer her a good deal. But she remembered her meals and cautiously asked, "Mister, are there free meals?"

He could see some tail swinging behind him and laughed, "If you perform well, I'll add a meat dish."

"Leave it to me, Mister!" She patted her chest to give him reassurance.

"Alright, stay here and watch over the bus. I'll buy us some food." The driver closed the door.

"Alright." Mingyun waved goodbye.

A few minutes passed, and the sound of the door's opening entered her ears. The driver carried two bags and handed one to her.

Mingyun opened the box, and the steaming aroma of the meal made her gulp. She stared at the piece of braised pork and pickled vegetables topping the rice and immediately dug in.

Smacking her lips, a sigh of satisfaction escaped as she took bite after bite. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the aftertaste.

Watching her eat with relish, the driver was stimulated and also devoured his share. He never thought a simple meal he bought with a couple yuan would bring great joy. He had eaten this combo meal many times; there was nothing quite special. His wife could even cook better, but somehow he finished the meal with satisfaction.

The two spent the night inside the bus. The unfolded suitcase took out bedding from a small compartment and laid it on the passenger chairs. Mingyun also found a cozy place and fell asleep.

The morning came, and the bus driver tidied up his things and got back to business.

Mingyun welcomed the passengers and became a doorman, collecting fees. She was clumsy at first and kept making mistakes in giving out changes; it took a while for her to adapt. The ride went smoothly except for several arguments that sparked among the passengers, which Mingyun handled with her fist. Her violence made the culprits shut up and behave honestly. The driver was also worried in case she might get hurt, but it was unnecessary when he witnessed her lift the young man by the collar with a single hand.

By the morning of the fifth day, the bus had arrived at the periphery of the Capital. She really wanted to kiss the cement floor with joy. It took her many troubles to get here.

The driver had some reluctance to part after getting used to her company, but he still bid her goodbye and best wishes for her and gave her some yuan.

Three days before Abbot Cheng's deadline, Mingyun set foot at the Capital's entrance, where a huge, imposing gate stood tall. Stone pillars engraved with Chinese characters and painted with gold, and several statues of beasts from myths shaped and crafted vividly, are placed in two corners. Several uniformed men carrying guns patrolled, guarded, and inspected everyone on the line.

Mingyun queued, and it took half an hour for her turn. She presented her identification card, and a piercing look from one man gave her a fright. Brother Du said to be careful; forging IDs is illegal, punishable by a large fine, and banned from the Capital forever. She took this gamble just to fulfill the Master's wish.

The minute of routine inspection was dreadful for Mingyun, and when she was allowed to go in, she sighed heavily, letting go of her anxiety.

Walking for a few minutes, Mingyun asked around; it took her until noon to find a stall selling a bowl of wontons. The street was filled with the same kinds of businesses, and the steam coming from cooking permeated the place. Her nose picked up a variety of tempting aromas, making the wontons in her hands pale in comparison. She promised herself to make lots of money someday and treat herself to a more luxurious meal.

Barely full, she began to wander around, constantly observing the males she encountered. She really wanted to just take their clothes off and be done with it, but the two officers' words rang in her mind. Ask nicely! Ask nicely! But what if asking nicely doesn't work?

She tried her attempts, and she was molested by some, got glares from others, and was threatened to be reported to the police by the rest. Mingyun walked in a daze until she arrived at a park and sat on the bench while crying inside.

It wasn't until then that the sound of a blunt object hitting the ground disturbed her. She turned her head and saw a bunch of men surrounding one person just a few steps away. On the ground were shards of broken bottles with spilled contents. A smell of alcohol permeated the place. Mingyun wrinkled her nose.

It was a good thing that the man was not injured. She could not see his face, only his back. He had a cotton jacket on and track pants with a pair of white shoes. The cap on his head had fallen to the ground. His hair was a mess. He was clearly at a disadvantage, but the man didn't run away and confronted them.

Mingyun took a few more looks, feeling him very familiar, as if she had known him for a long time.

After a short interval, the man, being unable to defend all sides, was kicked to the ground.

Mingyun's heart throbbed at the sight.

The man quickly got back up and defended himself against them.

Mingyun couldn't endure it anymore and ran towards them. Her speed left behind afterimages. The bully nearest only felt something hit his stomach, and he was sent flying several meters away from his buddies.

His buddies were in a daze and received equal treatment from Mingyun for reuniting with the fallen comrade. A series of groans and screams were elicited from the group as they felt their butts hit the hard ground.

"Despicable villains are bullying people with numbers. Why don't you be more honorable and fight one by one? Pei!" Mingyun's gaze was set ablaze. The men only felt their scalps numbed, clutched their behinds, and ran off with their tails tucked between their legs.

But one couldn't help but grit his teeth and say, "Useless coward hiding behind a girl. I'll come back next time and make sure you're..." He couldn't finish his sentence when a black object hit his face.

A warm liquid trickled down. The man touched it and saw blood. The pain eventually came flooding in and made him faint.

The other buddies noticed a black tai chi shoe bounce on the ground and realized what happened. They quickly lifted the unconscious man and left completely, lest the ruthless girl use her other shoe.

Mingyun sneered, looking at their backs, and dusted her hands. "You clearly could have run and shouted for help."

"I never wanted to owe anyone. I still have a hundred yuan; take it. When we meet again, I'll pay the rest," an austere voice laced with somber vibrato like aged wine asserted.

Mingyun visibly froze. Her heart beat fast. The memory of the cold night came like a huge wave, drowning her. The warm ground turned to frost, and snowflakes fell. A vast whiteness stretching miles appeared in her eyes, with scattered bloody flowers painting it morbid. The sounds of wails, swords clashing, and his voice calling her dear name with tenderness Mingyun slowly turned around and saw the man. His stern phoenix eyes were as unfathomable as the ocean, his nose had a well-defined angle, and his supple bow-shaped lips kissed her many times. The subtle, clean scent of green bamboo was invading her pores. She greedily inhaled his fragrance and slowly took steps towards him. Her eyes became misty as the years of his absence came crushingly close. She missed his presence, his cooking, his nagging, the small bamboo house he built, and the times when he blew her wounds. She missed him so much.

She opened her arms and pulled him into a hug, letting hot tears fall on his shoulder. Her skin came into contact with his. The warm temperature made her heart feel relieved. She never liked him cold; the coldness only reminded her of his death. She embraced him tighter, trying to mend their bones together, never to separate again, and wishing this moment to last forever.

"Haoran, I'm glad we meet again," she whispered in his ear.

The soft voice made him shiver.