The Monk That Wanted To Renounce Asceticism

“I’m guessing she will make a call today to spare her. Our spammers have already lowered City-Toppling Beauty’s ratings to 3.8 out of 10. Heh heh, 3.8! This is already a flop among flops. Furthermore, I have already discussed with a few cinemas. They do not wish to be part of our war, but if City-Toppling Beauty’s performance remains bad for three consecutive days, they will reduce the number of showings of City-Toppling Beauty even if they do not stop airing it. It might even end up being aired only at midnight! I believe Li Xueying has already learned her lesson with this. As for us, as long as we quash her with public opinion for three days, she will be over! With our wealth, she has no way of putting up any resistance. She thinks that good wine needs no bush? In this present day and age, even good wine needs bushes!” said the bald fatty, CEO Si.

CEO Li nodded and said, “That’s right. However, it would be quite a letdown if she were to surrender today. I still want to see Queen Snow Eagle maintain her pride.”

“Pride? I hope she can still remain prideful,” said CEO Feng.

…

“This idiot actually doesn’t care about me at all!” Li Xueying grumbled subconsciously when she walked out of the temple hall and discovered that Fangzheng was not outside.

“If my master didn’t care about you, he would not have prayed for you an entire day.” A voice sounded from above.

Li Xueying looked up and saw Red Boy sitting on the bodhi tree. He had a bamboo shoot in his hand as he placed it into his mouth. The way he chewed on it noisily made it look delicious.

Li Xueying’s heart pained for the Frost Bamboo again before she asked out of curiosity, “Did your master really pray for me an entire day?”

“Yes. He did not even eat. By the end of it, he was starving like a grandson. He even finished all the leftovers late at night.”

“Amitabha. My dear disciple, what did you just say?” At that moment, Fangzheng walked over and smiled at Red Boy.

Red Boy’s heart palpitated as he quickly jumped off the tree. He ignored Li Xueying’s scream of worry that he would injure himself, and he said hurriedly, “Master, I was saying how brilliant and wise you were. You were freaking cool that day.”

“Really?” Fangzheng pricked up his brows as he beamed. His smile made Red Boy’s heart and liver quiver. He hurriedly ran over to tug at Li Xueying. “If you do not believe me, ask Patron Li.”

Li Xueying looked at Red Boy before looking at Fangzheng. Thinking back to the words ‘starving like a grandson’, she was immediately amused by the duo. She said with a laugh, “I can bear witness that Jingxin is not lying.”

Red Boy gave Li Xueying a grateful look before looking at Fangzheng with a look that said: “Master, look at how obedient I am.”

Fangzheng walked over and rapped him on the head. “I’ll let this matter pass. If there’s another time, I’ll be reciting some scriptures for you.”

Red Boy trembled as he quickly took his leave. The best choice he had was to put distance between himself and danger before Fangzheng regretted being merciful.

“Your disciple really fears you, doesn’t he?” Li Xueying was at a loss for words. Upon hearing that Fangzheng had prayed for her an entire day, she felt upheavals through her heart. All her negative emotions dissipated as she began teasing Fangzheng.

Fangzheng sighed. “This child lacked a good education from a young age. He’s really naughty. If This Penniless Monk isn’t a little fiercer and mightier, he will run over our heads.”

“Eh… You, fierce and mighty?” Li Xueying was amused. Fangzheng looked nothing like that. Instead, he looked rather moderate, neither fat nor thin.

Fangzheng said matter-of-factly, “Of course!”

“Heh heh, alright. You are fierce and mighty.” Li Xueying just treated it as Fangzheng’s joke and brushed it aside.

“Are you feeling better?” asked Fangzheng.

“Yes, I’ve thought things through. Regardless of the outcome, I’m not a failure as a person at the very least. There are always a bunch of friends who show me concern when the time comes,” said Li Xueying proudly.

Fangzheng pricked up his brows. “Amitabha. Patron, you are quite a tsundere¹ .”

“Pfft! Why does every word you say sound like a joke?” Li Xueying said as she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. In any case, Fangzheng’s serious delivery of words like that was able to add joy out of nowhere.

Fangzheng said helplessly, “This Penniless Monk was just being honest.”

“Alright, just treat it as though I’m a tsundere.” When Li Xueying said this, she looked up at the bodhi tree. “I heard that this bodhi tree once froze to death before it was revived. Is that true?”

Fangzheng nodded.

Li Xueying asked, “Will I be worse than a tree?”

“It’s just a movie. Is it that important?”

“The investors pulled out midway. The subsequent funding was provided by me. If I win, I gain both fame and fortune. If I lose, I’ll be left with nothing,” said Li Xueying calmly. It was as though she had let everything go.

“Amitabha.” Fangzheng did not say anything else.

“Venerable One, do you think I will win?”

Fangzheng was taken aback. To be honest, he had no idea if Li Xueying would win. Although he had spent his merit, the System was quite a scam at times, so…

At that moment, the System suddenly said, “The light from providence has been augmented. It will begin showing its effects at midnight today.”

Fangzheng immediately heaved a sigh of relief before smiling at Li Xueying. “Goodness begets goodness. No matter how huge the storm is, it will eventually pass. Tomorrow, there will be clear skies!”

“What do you mean by that?” Li Xueying was dumbfounded.

Fangzheng only smiled without a word since:

“The secrets of heaven are not not to be leaked. You can give guidance, but you cannot reveal anything. If not, bear the consequences yourself,” said the System.

Fangzheng long knew this already. Therefore Fangzheng never went straight to the point. Either he said half-truths while concealing the rest or he lead people into dreams.

“You…” Li Xueying felt exasperated seeing a silent Fangzheng. Hence she just waved her hands and said, “Alright, if you want to keep silent, so be it. Thank you for your well wishes. I just made a wish with Bodhisattva. If I survive this storm, I’ll build you a Guan Yin Hall.”

Li Xueying had already walked off while saying so, so unfortunately, she did not see a particular ignominious abbot reveal a happy smile.

Li Xueying received another call when she reached the foot of the mountain. It was from Li Jun.

“Sister Xueying, I heard you are in trouble. Do you need any help?” asked Li Jun with a laugh.

“So it’s you, CEO Li. We aren’t that familiar with each other, so please call me by my full name. As for the trouble you mentioned, I’m unaware of it. If there is any, it’s my business, so what has that got to do with you?”

Li Jun’s voice immediately turned cold. “Sister Xueying, don’t reject me so directly. A total of three days. Yesterday was the first. It was quite a tragic show. Today is the second day. It doesn’t seem like it’s turning for the better. Tell me, what happens if the day after tomorrow is still as terrible. Man… Someone might go bankrupt. Hehe.”

“Again, that’s my business, so what has it got to do with you?” retorted Li Xueying.

“Of course it has something to do with me. If someone makes me unhappy, I’ll make them come to my doorstep to apologize. Also, I have a new film that is lacking a main lead,” said Li Jun.

Li Xueying continued her cold tone. “Your unhappiness and your filming is your business. What has that got to do with me?”