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Following the address Wu Aizhen had given over the phone, Yamaguchi Mingchuan’s driver brought them to her residential compound without much trouble. After the driver left, Yamaguchi Mingchuan took in the surroundings. The compound was quite pleasant, with pools and a variety of trees planted between the buildings, lending it a quiet, secluded feel. Wu … Read more

That evening, Wu Aizhen wrote a long, vivid and emotional letter to Zheng Meiqin. The next morning, she made a copy of the recording of the Little Shramanera chanting the Great Compassion Mantra and sent it, together with the letter and several issues of Buddhist magazines, to Zheng Meiqin. Then she went to the supermarket … Read more

Keiko and Yamaguchi Mingchuan would arrive in three days. Wu Aizhen considered what still needed handling before then. First, there was the matter between Zheng Meiqin and Mi Lang—she had promised Mi Lang she would mediate and could not go back on her word. Second, as a special correspondent for Buddha Voice magazine, she wanted … Read more

When Wu Aizhen opened the door, a wave of dark, damp air rushed to meet her. It had been raining continuously in City A for the past few days, and the apartment had long been uninhabited. Setting down her luggage, Wu Aizhen scanned the entire place. Everything remained exactly as it was when she left; … Read more

Wu Aizhen began to feel a strange cold all over her body, as though she had fallen into an ice cellar. Her mind grew heavy and dull. She was dimly aware that she was in a vehicle and that it was moving, but very soon even that awareness seemed separated from her by a lifetime. … Read more

In the morning, when Wu Aizhen appeared before Brother Nima’s restaurant in a white sun hat, white athletic clothes, and white sneakers, everyone else had already arrived. The “Demon King” still wore a black casual outfit, but it was a shade lighter than the day before and was subtly striped; though the style was nearly … Read more

One week later, Wu Aizhen appeared on the streets of Linzhi in Tibet. Linzhi was said to be a relatively low-altitude region of Tibet. She had long wanted to visit Tibet, but because her lung function had been poor since childhood, altitude sickness had always deterred her. This time, after growing cold toward romantic love … Read more

Little Shramanera had been away on business for two weeks and had called only three times. That month, his company was launching a children’s Chinese classics reading program, and with summer break under way, they were running a pilot in City B. Normally, when he traveled, he phoned almost every day, especially at night. But … Read more

The next afternoon, Wu Aizhen and Ren Qingfei went to Lake Center Park in City A, the largest aquatic park in the city. In a grove of green trees within the park there was a small ceramics workshop where visitors could design their own pottery. The first time they came here, the two of them … Read more

Little Shramanera came back a little after one in the afternoon. Wu Aizhen was in the study writing an article for Women magazine. She heard him slam the door shut with a bang, and a moment later he burst in excitedly, pulled Wu Aizhen up from her chair, and spun her around twice in his … Read more