Chapter 283: A Strange Feeling

"I will remember your teachings, Daoist Master." Chen Mo bowed respectfully again. "Mom, we should get going. Let’s not disturb the Daoist Master’s meditation."

The old Taoist priest fell silent, clearly ready for them to leave. Seeing this, Chen Xi knew that the "fortune-telling" session was over.

Although she was full of questions about the conversation between Chen Mo and the old Taoist, she quickly bowed. "Thank you so much, Daoist Master! W-we’ll be taking our leave now. Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to put this donation into the Merit Box!"

"Blessed Infinite Celestial Venerable. Please, feel free." The old Taoist master didn’t even raise his eyelids, remaining focused on his pipe. Wisps of blue smoke rose, blurring his ancient and profound face.

Chen Xi had achieved her main purpose of "divining a fated match" for her son and future daughter-in-law, so she saw no reason to linger.

She stepped forward with a smile. "Please get some rest, Daoist Master. We’re sorry to have disturbed you. We’ll come and pay our respects again another day."

Then she turned and waved to Chen Mo and Su Yuqing. "Let’s go, let’s go! You two, the Daoist Master has shown you such great favor today. You’d better make sure you live a good life together!"

She was grinning from ear to ear, having obviously heard only the "match made in heaven" part she wanted to. To her, the subsequent talk of trials and minor incidents was just icing on the cake. ’The Daoist Master himself said, "This bond is profound enough to withstand the long years,"’ she thought. ’So what’s there to worry about? And the money? To get his golden words of wisdom and a priceless Dream-Seeking Jade for that small sum... We struck it rich!’

The three of them slowly made their way down the same stone-slab path they had come up.

The mountain wind carried the soughing of the pines and the scent of incense and earth, bringing with it a purifying power. It was as if the clear sounds of nature were washing away the events of the day, leaving them hazy and indistinct.

Chen Mo walked in silence, carrying the small backpack they had brought in one hand and tightly holding Su Yuqing’s hand with the other.

She was still clutching the slightly cool Jade in her palm.

The shock and doubt in his heart had not dissipated. In fact, they became even more entrenched, fueled by the old Taoist’s cryptic pronouncements and skillful rhetoric.

But then he turned his head and looked at the girl beside him. Her eyes were downcast as her fingertips unconsciously traced the patterns on the jade. Her look of innocent devotion, reflected in his eyes, was like a pebble tossed into a calm lake, sending ripples spreading across its surface.

"Yuqing?" His voice was low as the pad of his thumb gently brushed the back of her cool hand. "What are you thinking about?"

Su Yuqing snapped back to reality, her head lifting to meet Chen Mo’s deep and gentle gaze.

The ineffable pang of heartache and longing that had surged within her from touching the Jade had yet to fade. Now, enveloped by his warm hand, an indescribable, bittersweet feeling stung her nose.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but didn’t know where to begin.

’That blurry image that flashed through my mind, did it get any clearer? No.’

’But that feeling of longing... it was so real.’

In the end, she simply turned the hand Chen Mo was holding slightly, pressing the smooth Jade in her palm more firmly between their skin to feel their shared warmth.

She shook her head and said softly, "It’s nothing... I just feel... this Jade is very comforting to touch. Like... like finding an old belonging I’d lost a long time ago."

She paused, her gaze falling on the jade pendant’s soft luster. "I get this... indescribable... feeling in my heart. It’s warm, but also a little... bittersweet."

Chen Mo felt his heart give a gentle squeeze at the turn of her hand and her soft, stuffy-nosed "bittersweet."

He tightened his grip on her hand, enveloping the Jade within his own warm palm as well.

"Don’t overthink it." His voice grew even softer, full of a comforting power, yet it also concealed a gravity that only he understood. "The Daoist Master is an enlightened man, and his words may hold a deeper meaning. Since this Jade was a gift for you, keep it safe. You can even wear it. Just think of it... as a protective amulet."

He had deliberately used a simple, easy-to-understand word like "amulet" to try and dispel the faint traces of confusion and unease from her brow.

"Mm!" Su Yuqing nodded vigorously, as if she’d found a logical explanation. The confused look on her face dissipated somewhat, replaced by a sweet smile.

She carefully placed the jade pendant into a pocket close to her body and pressed it gently through the fabric. The strange, gentle warmth seemed to seep through the cloth, right into her heart.

Chen Xi, who had been walking ahead the whole time, now slowed her pace to walk alongside the two of them.

Her face was still beaming with the joy of a "match made in heaven," but her eyes now held a touch of shrewdness and curiosity.

"Momo." Chen Xi lowered her voice and nudged her son with her elbow, her eyes darting to where Su Yuqing had tucked the jade pendant away. "What was that ’omen of fate’s return’ the Daoist Master was whispering to you about? It sounded so mysterious. And that old priest is so odd, giving away something so valuable for free? I could tell that jade is top-quality. It has to be worth at least this much!"

She secretly made a hand gesture for a large sum of money. "Do you think... he has some ulterior motive? Or... is he truly one of those otherworldly masters who cares nothing for fame and fortune?"

Seeing the gleam in his mother’s eyes—a mix of gossip, excitement, and a merchant’s instinct for appraisal—Chen Mo didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. But mostly, he felt a sense of relief. ’Just as I thought,’ he thought, ’Mom only heard the ’good news’ she wanted to hear. She dismissed the profound conversation that touched on my core secret as just a ’bizarre and mystical’ interlude.’

As for the Jade’s value, that had directly prodded her "valuation instinct."

"Mom," Chen Mo sighed helplessly, lowering his voice as well. "Enlightened men move in mysterious ways; we mere mortals shouldn’t try to guess their motives. Maybe the Daoist Master didn’t take any money because he genuinely wanted to form a positive connection with us. Or maybe he felt that this Jade... was meant for Yuqing. In any case, the result is good. He told you exactly what you wanted to hear, loud and clear, didn’t he?"

Sure enough, the moment Chen Xi heard "what you wanted to hear," her face lit up with a smile. All her conflicted feelings about the Jade’s value and her speculation about the Daoist Master’s motives were instantly tossed to the winds.

"Right, right, right! That’s the most important part!" she said, grinning from ear to ear. Gazing at Su Yuqing’s slender and lovely figure up ahead, she felt increasingly satisfied. "Oh, our Momo is so fortunate! And Qingqing is such a good girl! The Daoist Master’s words are golden—this match is destined by heaven! A short separation to test your character? Pfft, that’s nothing! Your relationship is so strong, it won’t be a problem at all!"

She had automatically filtered out all the "bad parts," leaving only the most perfect footnote for herself.

Hearing Auntie Chen Xi’s hearty laughter and her affirmation of their "heaven-destined match," the tips of Su Yuqing’s ears quietly turned red, but her heart felt as sweet as honey.

She subconsciously touched the jade pendant in her pocket again, feeling its presence.

The Daoist Master’s words, Chen Mo’s tenderness, and his mother’s approval all intertwined, filling her with sweet hopes for the future. For the moment, these feelings suppressed the faint, strange sensation the jade had given her.

"Alright, alright, stop dawdling!" Chen Xi reverted to her usual decisive self. With a grand wave of her hand, she led the way down the mountain with brisk steps. "Hurry down! I’m treating you two to a nice meal to celebrate!"