Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Killed by a Falling Beam While Making a Wish Before the Buddha In the midst of my hectic career, Friday heralded the arrival of a pleasant weekend. It allowed everyone crushed beneath the weight of work to kindle a faint spark of hope in their hearts. I buried my head in a mountain of documents and trivial tasks, spinning endlessly within the confines of the office like a tireless top. At last, I reached a stopping point in my work. I glanced at the time and saw that there were only twenty minutes left until the end of the workday. Unable to resist slacking off during that brief stretch of time, I pulled out my phone and began chatting animatedly with my childhood friend, Chen Qi, on WeChat. “Qibao, which direction do you think I should face when praying to the Buddha if I want a man with extraordinary bedroom skills who’s as passionate as a wolfdog? I’m practically losing hope in love…” My fingers flew across the screen as I poured out all my longing and helplessness in one breath. “Yuanbao, that’s a pretty high standard! Young people these days are under so much pressure that ten minutes is already pretty good. You should just make do and ‘eat’ what you can. It’s better than starving!” Chen Qi’s reply was quite blunt, carrying a teasing note. “Ugh~ Qibao, I don’t even feel like going on weekend dates anymore. It’s terrifying! I feel like life has lost all meaning.” I let out a helpless sigh and continued typing these depressing words onto the screen. “Isn’t Mingyue Mountain close to you? I saw in a video a couple of days ago that Mingyue Temple on Mingyue Mountain is unveiling a Maitreya Buddha Statue this weekend. Go pay your respects. Maybe you’ll really meet the wolfdog boyfriend of your dreams!” Chen Qi seemed to have suddenly thought of something and excitedly offered me the suggestion. “Qibao, I’m heading out. It’s time to clock out, and I’m shutting down my phone! Have a great weekend!” I checked the time. Since the workday had ended, I hurriedly brought the conversation to a close. “I’m so jealous of your easy job. Bye-bye—we’ll chat again when we have time,” Chen Qi replied. I quickly tidied my desk, arranged the documents in perfect order, returned the office supplies to their proper places, picked up my bag, and walked out of the office building with light, brisk steps. The air outside on Friday seemed to carry the scent of freedom. I took a deep breath, feeling exceptionally refreshed. After thinking it over, I decided to buy some of my favorite ingredients at the supermarket. The supermarket was bustling with people. I wove between the shelves, carefully selecting fresh ingredients. I planned to go home and enjoy hot pot by myself, catch up on some shows, take a hot bath, and sleep wonderfully, making the most of this rare leisure time. On Saturday, sunlight filtered through the gap in the curtains and gently spilled across my face. I stretched lazily in the warmth of my blankets before slowly opening my eyes. Waking up naturally like this was so blissful it was intoxicating—a rare pleasure in the life of a corporate drudge. There was no need to hurry out of bed. I picked up my phone and leisurely opened a short-video app, searching for temples on Mingyue Mountain. I carefully checked the official account’s information: adult tickets were 150 yuan each, and Mingyue Mountain was open from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. It was nine in the morning. If traffic wasn’t too bad, the drive would take about forty minutes. Without the slightest hesitation, I placed an order for today’s admission ticket, then got up to wash and freshen up. Afterward, I carefully applied sunscreen and put on a black-and-white athletic outfit suitable for climbing a mountain. I ate two sandwiches, drank a glass of milk, and set off for Mingyue Mountain full of energy. Along the way, the scenery outside the window unfolded like a painting. Mingyue Mountain had gentle slopes and was formed by five undulating mountain ranges stretching into the distance. Seen from afar, it resembled a sleeping giant dragon lying quietly upon the earth. Mingyue Temple stood atop the easternmost peak. Bathed in sunlight, it radiated endless charm. Most of the vegetation on Mingyue Mountain consisted of pine trees, which remained evergreen throughout the four seasons. No matter when one visited, the mountain was lush and green, leaving visitors feeling refreshed and at ease. When I reached the foot of the mountain, the parking lot was already packed with cars, perhaps because I had arrived relatively late. There weren’t many people around, however. I followed the man-made mountain stairs and climbed upward step by step. Along the way, fresh air rushed toward me, while the pleasant songs of birds echoed beside my ears. Immersed in this picturesque beauty, I cast all my troubles and fatigue into the farthest reaches of the sky. In less than an hour, I reached the temple at the summit. The area around the temple was packed with tourists who had come from far and wide. The crowds were noisy and lively. Everyone chatted excitedly, their faces alight with anticipation. I had no choice but to wait quietly in line at the edge of the crowd, preparing to donate incense money and worship the newly constructed Maitreya Buddha at the temple. Fortunately, the temple had taken the large number of visitors into consideration and placed a full row of kneeling mats in the main hall—six of them in all. So although quite a few people were ahead of me, my turn came in less than two hours. I followed the example of the other tourists and carefully picked up three sticks of incense, lighting them in the offering burner. Thin coils of smoke rose into the air, carrying my sincerity and hopes. I knelt on both knees atop a kneeling mat, raised the incense before me, closed my eyes, and silently prayed, “Great Maitreya Buddha, this is our first meeting. I heard that people can tell you their wishes, so since I’ve come all this way and paid for admission, I won’t be shy. My wish is extremely worldly and shallow. I want a man who can sleep with me until I’m thoroughly satisfied, leaving me unable to stop. Please don’t laugh at me. It’s just that I’ve reached this age without ever having enjoyed anything truly good, and my thirst for knowledge is incredibly strong!” After finishing my silent prayer, I gathered my strength and bent deeply at the waist, bowing three times with all my might, conveying every bit of my sincerity to the Buddha. I didn’t know whether my wish had been too long, but when I opened my eyes, I discovered that the other five people had already risen and were leaving one after another. I hurriedly stood up and inserted the incense into the ashes in the burner before the Buddha statue. The moment my incense entered the burner, the temple beam directly above my head suddenly came crashing straight down at me. It all happened so suddenly that I didn’t even notice anything was wrong before the beam slammed into me and knocked me to the ground. Pain exploded across the top of my head, as though countless needles were stabbing me furiously. The agony was sharp and violent. Before I could even figure out what had happened, everything went black, and I fainted dead away.