When Wang Chen was fetching water by the river, the rain began to fall without warning. Without a second thought, she sprinted back to the village. It wasn't until she reached the courtyard that she remembered Qiu Yun was still at the grottoes. She wanted to take an umbrella and go look for her, but He Ying stopped her, saying she would go once the rain let up. He Ying was familiar with the area and could find someone in the rain much faster. Wang Chen realized she was right; Qiu Yun wouldn't be so foolish as to not seek shelter in a cave, so she decided to wait at home.
Summer rains came and went quickly. Forty minutes later, the downpour subsided. He Ying took an umbrella and went out to meet them. Before long, two umbrellas appeared in the light drizzle—one shared by He Ying and Qiu Yun, and the other held by Liang He, who was carrying both of their easels on his back.
Wang Chen hurried forward to take the equipment from Liang He. She saw that Qiu Yun was fine, but Liang He was soaked to the bone. She was about to ask how the two of them had ended up together when she heard Liang He let out an involuntary sneeze.
"Professor Liang, did you catch a cold?" she asked.
Qiu Yun immediately looked at Liang He with concern.
"I'm fine," Liang He said, smiling first at Wang Chen, then at Qiu Yun. Finally, he turned to He Ying. "I'll head back to change my clothes first. Thank you, He Ying."
"Don't mention it, it was nothing," He Ying replied.
"Then hurry back," Qiu Yun urged.
Liang He gave a wave and walked away.
After putting their easels away, Wang Chen turned back to see Qiu Yun staring blankly at the doorway. She had to call her twice before Qiu Yun turned around.
"What's wrong with you?" Wang Chen went over and pulled her along. "Did you get caught in the rain?"
"No." Qiu Yun shook her head.
"Were you hiding from the rain in the cave?" Wang Chen asked casually. "Did you run into Professor Liang?"
"Yes," Qiu Yun said vaguely. "He happened to come in to seek shelter too."
"Oh." Wang Chen looked at Qiu Yun’s expression and felt something was off. She touched Qiu Yun’s forehead. "Why are your face and lips so red? Did you catch a chill too?"
"I don't think so." Qiu Yun dodged her hand. "The weather is just a bit stuffy. I'm going inside to rest for a bit."
Qiu Yun collapsed onto the bed.
Just now... had she really just kissed Liang He?
Had... he kissed her first?
And he said... he said he liked her?
Was that a confession?
He said he liked her!
*Ahhhhhhh!* It happened so suddenly. One moment, weren't they both seriously studying the Buddhist statues?
*Ahhhhhhh!* Weren't guys from the eighties supposed to be simple, shy, and upright? How could he design a scenario to "accidentally" kiss her?
At this moment, she felt a mix of pleasant surprise, sweetness, shock, and utter confusion!
Qiu Yun grabbed a blanket, wrapped herself in it, and rolled back and forth on the *kang* bed several times. Only when she ran out of breath did she poke her nose out to gasp for air.
As soon as she closed her eyes, that scene played on a loop in her mind for the ten-thousandth time. That scene... She covered herself with the blanket again. Who was it that sang, *'The most beautiful thing isn't a rainy day'*—what came after that?
It didn't matter. Whose rainy day could be more beautiful than hers? Whose?!
This feeling was something even bungee jumping a hundred times couldn't process!
Regrettably, not long after Liang He finished his confession—while Qiu Yun was still in a daze—He Ying had arrived, umbrella in hand, shouting Qiu Yun’s name at the top of her lungs. In a panic, Qiu Yun had broken away from Liang He and answered. He Ying had followed the sound and entered the cave with a smile as if she’d found a treasure, but she froze for a split second upon seeing Liang He. However, the expression vanished instantly. She greeted them both and then led Qiu Yun away under her umbrella, while Liang He followed behind with his own.
Liang He’s expression had remained as calm as ever, but he had stayed silent the entire way back.
Wang Chen pushed the door open, only to see Qiu Yun wrapped tightly in her blanket, her two legs sticking out and shaking incessantly. Sensing something was wrong, Wang Chen rushed forward and yanked the quilt away. "Xiao Yun, why are you shaking like a sieve?!"
Startled, Qiu Yun saw it was Wang Chen and calmly pulled the blanket back over herself, looking annoyed at the interruption. "...I'm doing leg-slimming exercises."
***
That day, because of the sudden heavy rain, the sketching plans fell through. In the evening, everyone went to the village committee courtyard for dinner as usual. Director Huang had cooked a pot of sweet and sour dough drop soup for everyone. After finishing two steamed buns, Qiu Yun ran over to get some soup, and Liang He approached with an empty bowl at the same time.
He only leaned in slightly, and before he could even say a word, Qiu Yun felt her face heat up. She spoke first just to break the silence. "Did you change your clothes?"
"Yes." Liang He looked at her and wanted to smile.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." He remained very composed.
Qiu Yun had already served herself a bowl of soup and handed the ladle to Liang He. As he took it, his fingertips brushed against her hand.
Just a touch, only a tiny bit, but the skin there felt as if it were equipped with a radar, exceptionally sensitive.
Just as Qiu Yun was preparing to flee the scene, Liang He spoke. "Are you free tonight?"
"Huh?" Qiu Yun looked up.
"Today... I discussed it with Professor Lin. We’re leaving next Monday, so we’re going to hold a small bonfire party before we go," Liang He said, serving himself a large portion. There were two dough drops left in the ladle, which he naturally scooped into Qiu Yun’s bowl. "Consider it a thank-you to the village for their hospitality."
"Oh... okay." *So, tonight...?*
"So, there’s nothing much to do tonight..." At this point, Liang He couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle. "If you're free, come out."
"Come out... to do what?"
"Come out..." Liang He looked toward the distance, where the night sky was clear as if washed clean. "To bathe in the moonlight."
In truth, Liang He didn't know what interesting things there were to do at night in this materially impoverished village. But he couldn't help wanting to see Qiu Yun, even though it had only been two or three hours since the afternoon, and barely an hour since dinner. He thought that if they were in the city, perhaps he would invite her to a movie, or walk aimlessly around campus for a few laps. Or maybe he’d take her to "Utopia" to listen to music, browse a bookstore, see an exhibition, or gather a few friends to take her on a bike ride to the outskirts.
But this was Yunma Village; there was nothing here.
Yet, it seemed nothing else was needed when he saw Qiu Yun appearing gracefully in the moonlight, wearing a white dress.
"Xiao Yun," he called her.
"Mm," Qiu Yun answered softly. "Have you been waiting long?"
"No, I just got here too," Liang He said. He caught a faint scent of soapberry from her, as if she had just washed her hair.
"It rained today," Liang He said, his mind wandering. "There are no clouds tonight, and the moon is out."
"Yeah..." Qiu Yun also looked up. A crescent moon hung in the night sky. It was likely a waning moon, not a full one, but because the sky had been washed by the rain, the moon's silhouette was exceptionally clear, casting a faint, silvery glow upon the ground.
"I remember you saying you really like moonlit nights," Liang He said.
"Oh?"
"That time in the studio," he recalled. "You painted a picture—a lonely moon in the dark of night."
Qiu Yun knew which time he meant. It had been a full moon on the fifteenth, and she had been missing her old life—missing the year 2018 and her father. She had painted a dark night sky in the studio. Liang He had happened to be patrolling the studio and caught her shedding a tear.
That was only a few months ago, yet remembering it tonight, it felt extraordinarily distant. Her state of mind then compared to her feelings now felt like a lifetime ago.
"I said 'the moon is beautiful tonight' back then, and you asked me if I read Japanese," Liang He said, the corners of his mouth turning up in a slightly mischievous smile. "I told you then that I did. Actually... I knew what you meant by that question."
"This..." Qiu Yun’s thoughts were pulled back. She remembered that after she asked that, Liang He’s expression hadn't shifted at all, as if he had no idea.
She hadn't expected that he had known her little secret all along.
"The moon tonight is indeed..." Liang He stopped there, simply looking at Qiu Yun with a smile.
Silently, Qiu Yun’s face turned red.
"Later you said, 'What I say now is like the moon traversing the sky, pure and unobstructed, like a person with clear eyes,'" Liang He continued. "I was quite surprised at the time."
"What, I don't look like someone who can say such flowery things?" Qiu Yun teased him.
"At the time... a little bit," Liang He admitted candidly. "But what surprised me more was that I had just read that sentence that afternoon. I didn't expect you to say it that very night. It was such a coincidence."
"Really?" Qiu Yun also found it quite coincidental. Thinking back to that scene, she realized Liang He’s expression had been a bit too surprised, but she never would have thought of that reason back then. She let out a silent laugh, but as she laughed, she thought of the things she had been worried about then—which were still her worries now—and a faint shadow of sorrow clouded her brow.
"Does your grandfather like Buddhist scriptures too?" Liang He asked.
"Ah..." Qiu Yun was momentarily stunned.
"You said your grandfather taught you that quote."
"Oh," Qiu Yun breathed a sigh of relief. "My grandfather... his work required him to read some profound ancient texts. He would... occasionally dabble in Buddhist scriptures..."
In reality, it wasn't that at all. It was something Qiu Yun had learned in Liang He’s class thirty years in the future.
"What about you?" Qiu Yun asked. "Do you like Buddhist scriptures?"
"Yes." Liang He nodded. "My current research direction is in this field. Buddhism is profound, but also very interesting... it’s actually a very practical philosophy."
"To be honest, I'm not sure how deep the connection is between our painting and Buddhism," Qiu Yun said truthfully.
Liang He laughed and tapped her on the head. "You've sketched so many little Buddha statues, how can you still say that?"
"I haven't..." Qiu Yun dodged. "I only went into the grottoes to sketch today... but I haven't even..."
She bit her lip and stopped mid-sentence.
Liang He teased her, "Haven't even what?"
"You're doing it on purpose," Qiu Yun huffed softly.
Liang He felt that Qiu Yun had always been a blunt, thick-skinned person who sometimes went out of her way to make things awkward for him. He hadn't expected that after that thin veil between them was pierced, she would become so bashful.
Since she said he was doing it on purpose, he would make it even more obvious. "Doing what on purpose?"
"You're so annoying," Qiu Yun gave him a coy glare.
Liang He laughed inwardly, though he only let the corners of his mouth curl upward.
"Then tell me," Qiu Yun quickly changed the subject, "what have you learned from studying the scriptures?"
"I've been studying the *Diamond Sutra* lately," Liang He said. "Professor Chen gave me one of his handwritten copies."
"The *Diamond Sutra*..." Qiu Yun knew of the book. "It seems to have many chapters recording the words and deeds of the Buddha and his disciples. It’s a bit like the *Analects* of Buddhist scriptures."
"Yes, though they aren't called chapters here," Liang He corrected. "They are called 'sections.' The *Diamond Sutra* has thirty-two sections."
"So many sections," Qiu Yun remarked. "Do you have to memorize them all?"
Liang He smiled. "The version Professor Chen gave me is the Kumarajiva translation. Ancient writing is very concise; it’s only about five thousand words in total. There’s no need to memorize it; after transcribing it a few times, it stays in your heart."
"Can you do calligraphy?"
"Painting and calligraphy come from the same source; it’s not difficult."
Qiu Yun thought that made sense. "Then recite the first section for me. What does it say?" They were standing right in front of the kilometer-long Yungang Grottoes; it was the perfect setting. "Oh, wait—recite it for the Buddha. Let's see if you've been studying seriously or if you've remembered it wrong."
Liang He found her serious expression incredibly cute, so he played along. "I'll recite it for you, but it's in Classical Chinese; it might be boring to listen to. You might even shake your head, cover your ears, and say, 'I'm not listening, it's just a monk chanting.'"
"How could I?" Qiu Yun retorted, suddenly feeling like she’d caught him in a lie. "Is it because you can't even recite a single line?"
"How about this."
"How about what?" Qiu Yun waited with her arms crossed.
"I will write a section for you, then recite it and explain it to you," Liang He said slowly.
He spoke very deliberately, as if weighing every word. Qiu Yun listened to every syllable, a quiet sweetness welling up in her heart.
She intentionally pouted. "So stingy, only one section?"
"One section a year." Under the moonlight, the distant grottoes loomed faintly in the vast night. He looked at her and said seriously, "One section every year. A gift for you."
One section a year. Every year, one section.
Qiu Yun’s pouting lips instinctively wanted to turn upward, but a moment later, she thought of something and lowered her head, hiding the downturn of her mouth and her slightly reddening eyes.
She looked at the ground, where Liang He’s shadow overlapped with hers, and whispered, "Okay."
"And you?" Liang He asked.
"Me what?" She steadied her emotions and looked up.
"I'm giving you a hand-transcribed *Diamond Sutra*. What are you giving me?"
"..." Qiu Yun really hadn't expected this and stared at Liang He blankly.
Liang He couldn't help but tap her head again. "And you call me stingy? I wonder who is actually the stingy one. How about this," he said as an idea struck him. "Why don't you carve a seal for me every year to be stamped on the *Diamond Sutra* I give you?"
Exchanging words for a seal; stamping the seal upon the words.
A back-and-forth, where seal and text become one.
What a romantic promise.
Qiu Yun bit her lip and nodded. "Okay. But..."
"No lying in front of the Buddha," Liang He interrupted her, sounding a bit smug. "You just finished your seal carving class. There are no 'buts'."
Qiu Yun gazed at the man before her. Under the bright moonlight, his features were so clear and vivid. Even her own reflection in his eyes seemed to dance with the gentle ripples of his gaze.
Such a beautiful night...
She swallowed her dampening words and asked instead, "I was going to say, but what if I can't think of that many things related to Buddhism to carve...?"
Liang He smiled dismissively. "A leisure seal is fine too. Of course, things like 'May you be prosperous' or 'Happy New Year' won't do..."
Hearing him, Qiu Yun couldn't help but laugh. "Then would carving 'Liang He is so handsome,' 'Liang He is even handsomer,' or 'Liang He is handsome once again' be okay?"
He thought about it and raised an eyebrow. "That wouldn't be out of the question."
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
金刚经 | Diamond Sutra | A key Mahayana Buddhist scripture.
品 | Section / Chapter | The specific term for chapters in Buddhist sutras.
鸠摩罗什 | Kumarajiva | A famous Buddhist monk and translator.
疙瘩汤 | Dough drop soup | A traditional Northern Chinese soup with small bits of flour dough.
晒月亮 | Moon-bathing | A poetic term for spending time under the moonlight.
今晚月色真美 | The moon is beautiful tonight | A famous Japanese literary trope for "I love you" (attributed to Natsume Soseki).
闲章 | Leisure seal | A seal carved with poetic phrases or names rather than official titles.
篆刻 | Seal carving | The art of engraving seals; lidology.
云冈石窟 | Yungang Grottoes | Ancient Chinese Buddhist temple grottoes near Datong.
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If I Wait Thirty Years | Chapter 63 | A Moonlit Promise | Novela.app | Novela.app
