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Shen Chuwei was mainly craving meat; if she didn’t get to eat some tonight, she would feel so distressed that she couldn’t even fall asleep.

That’s why she thought of sneaking out to catch some wild game to satisfy her craving.

This was the Back Mountain, where sunlight rarely penetrated during the day, so the snow hadn’t melted.

She trudged through the snow into the deeper parts of the forest, arriving under a tree. She pulled out a rope from her bosom, tied a slipknot, and placed it on the ground. Then she reached into her sleeve pocket, took out a green vegetable, and put it into the trap.

After all that, she walked backward with the rope to a large tree, and then squatted down to wait for rabbits.

Shen Chuwei had always been lucky. Before long, a grey wild rabbit came hopping over and began nibbling on the little cabbage in the trap.

Seizing the moment, Shen Chuwei pulled the rope taut. By the time the rabbit realized something was amiss and tried to run, it was too late; its foot was trapped in the rope, and it began to struggle frantically on the ground.

"There’ll be roasted rabbit to eat."

Shen Chuwei reeled in the rope, grabbed the rabbit by its ears, and happily walked towards the riverbank, when a gentle voice came from behind her,

"Donor, what are you doing?"

Shen Chuwei stopped in her tracks and looked back, only to see a person standing behind her, holding a lantern. In the light, she saw the face of a young monk—the one who had given her hot water.

She lifted the rabbit in her hands and said, "I’m going to roast the rabbit to eat."

Then she added, "I’ll roast it outside, not inside the Temple, so that should be fine, right?"

The young monk asked with confusion, "Donor, are you hungry?"

Shen Chuwei had barely touched her evening meal and was, of course, hungry by now; she nodded enthusiastically.

Upon hearing this, the young monk took out a paper-wrapped Steamed Bun from his sleeve pocket and offered it to Shen Chuwei, "I have a Steamed Bun here; the donor can use it to fill the stomach."

Shen Chuwei looked at the paper package in front of her and immediately understood the young monk’s intention; he wanted her to eat the Steamed Bun and let the wild rabbit go.

The young monk was as compassionate as Tripitaka. ~

"But I want to eat meat," she said, not willing to satisfy herself with a cold Steamed Bun.

The young monk paused for a moment, stepped forward, pressed his palms together, and continued, "Donor, although this is outside the Temple, we should not witness bloodshed."

From ancient times, Temples had many rules.

Shen Chuwei, hearing this, couldn’t really say anything; she looked down at the rabbit in her hands, "Alright then."

As she loosened her grip, the rabbit hit the ground and quickly fled as if fearing that moving too slowly would turn it into a meal.

Seeing this, the young monk sighed with relief.

Shen Chuwei shifted her gaze; unable to eat the roasted rabbit, she could only settle for instant noodles.

"Young monk, I won’t eat the Steamed Bun; how about getting me some hot water instead?" she suggested.

The young monk nodded, "Donor, please follow me."

Shen Chuwei followed the monk back the way they had come, waited until he locked the door, and then continued on her way.

Nearby there was a small Pavilion, hung with lanterns casting a faint glow.

Sitting in the Pavilion waiting for the young monk, Shen Chuwei took out a tub of instant noodles from her bosom, tore open the packaging, and meticulously added the seasoning, the only thing missing was hot water.

The young monk was quite swift; he soon came over carrying a hot water pot.

"Donor, sorry to keep you waiting," said the young monk as he placed the pot on the table, and then set the lantern there too, brightening the surroundings a bit more.

"You’re pretty fast," Shen Chuwei said eagerly, reaching for the hot water pot only for the young monk to beat her to it. She raised her head with a puzzled look toward him.

"It’s too dark here; let me do it," the monk said as he picked up the pot, opened the lid, and slowly poured the hot water into the tub.

He poured at a cautious pace, worried he might pour too much.

Shen Chuwei, knowing that the monk was concerned about her burning her hand, watched as the hot water covered the noodle disc and hastily called out, "Young monk, that’s enough."

The young monk promptly stopped pouring and capped the bottle, setting the water pot aside.

Shen Chuwei quickly covered the tub, pressing it down with her thick sleeves to help the noodles cook faster.

The young monk didn’t say much; he just sat quietly across from her, curiously watching Shen Chuwei’s actions.

Shen Chuwei glanced at the young monk across from her. Seeing him sitting so properly, she casually asked, "Why did you think of becoming a monk?"

The young monk’s reply was concise, "My family is no longer here; the Master took me in."

Shen Chuwei stared at the young monk’s bald head, feeling it was a shame—such a handsome young guy had renounced secular life and entered the monastic life.

"Actually, being a monk is quite good; aside from not taking a wife, there is no trouble."

The young monk answered her question with his own, "Why did the donor venture out alone?"

"Because you can’t eat meat in the Temple," Shen Chuwei was sneaking food after all; she couldn’t very well say she had sneaked out without Xiao Jinyan’s knowledge.

Upon hearing this, the young monk paused briefly before a barely noticeable smile formed on his face. In a gentle voice, he reminded her, "The path behind the back door is slippery at night; it is best for the donor not to go that way."

Shen Chuwei knew the young monk meant well; she nodded, "I can’t kill living beings near the Temple anyways, so even if I go there, I won’t be able to eat meat. I won’t go again."

As they chatted, the instant noodles were ready.

Shen Chuwei couldn’t wait to lift the lid, took a fork, and began eating the steaming noodles.

Xiao Jinyan was reading in his room, noticed Shen Chuwei had been gone for quite some time without returning, and he put down his book. He walked to the door and pulled it open, asking Weichi, who was standing outside, "Where is Lady Shen?"

Weichi was responsible for the safety of the Crown Prince; Lady Shen was the Crown Prince’s woman, so he didn’t dare to look at her even though he found her somewhat familiar.

"I saw Lady Shen walking that way," he said, pointing down the stone path.

Xiao Jinyan, puzzled, walked out, and following the stone path, he questioned the stationed Guards and found the nearby Pavilion.

Seeing the two figures seated in the Pavilion through the dim light, he immediately recognized Shen Chuwei sitting there eating something.

Sitting opposite Shen Chuwei was a monk, and the two seemed to be conversing about something.

So she hadn’t come back all this time because she was secretly eating here.

Doesn’t that monk realize he’s renounced secular life?

Xiao Jinyan approached the Pavilion with a sullen expression.

The young monk asked, "Is it because the vegetarian food does not suit the donor’s taste?"

It was barely half an hour since dinner; Shen Chuwei’s eating behavior clearly indicated she was hungry, which was why the young monk asked that question.

With noodles in her mouth, Shen Chuwei’s speech was unclear, "Mm, the vegetarian meal is too bland; it nearly turned flavorless in my mouth. Meat just tastes so much better."

The young monk hadn’t eaten meat since he became a monk and had forgotten the taste of it. Seeing Shen Chuwei’s gluttonous appearance, he laughed.

"The Temple has such rules. Once the donor leaves the Temple, she will be free to eat and drink as she pleases."

"I know, I’ll just bear with it," said Shen Chuwei while eating. But in reality, enduring was the hardest part—agonizingly so.

"Lady Shen."

A cool and slightly deep voice reached them. The voice was too familiar; even without looking, she knew it was Xiao Jinyan.

She even forgot to chew, with two strands of noodle still hanging from her mouth as she turned her head towards the entrance. Under the lantern light stood a slender figure, its stunning face bathed in the pale yellow glow, eyes slightly shadowed.

Is he angry now?