Chapter 18 part 1
The ring looked old. Berlin couldn’t identify the material; its color was somewhat dull, not resembling expensive materials like silver or platinum.
It was unknown how long the ring had been buried there, yet it showed no rust at all. Berlin pulled up his sleeve and vigorously rubbed it clean. He then tentatively tested it with his back molars—
A light bite, no feeling.
A slightly harder bite: “Crunch.”
“!!!”
Berlin’s face crumpled in pain. He whimpered, clutching his impacted tooth and groaning for a moment, but his eyes suddenly lit up.
Han Yuzhe: “…”
Sometimes, he really didn’t understand what was going on in Berlin’s head.
Were all humans this incomprehensible, or was Berlin just exceptionally so? Han Yuzhe wasn’t sure.
His observations and research had only focused on Berlin, lacking a control group, making it impossible to draw accurate conclusions.
Han Yuzhe remained silent for a moment before finally asking, “You chipped your tooth, and you’re laughing?”
Berlin recovered, holding the ring up to the sunlight, examining it from left to right.
The ring was undamaged; Berlin’s tooth still throbbed, but there wasn’t a single dent.
He smiled happily, his eyes curving: “You don’t understand. TV dramas and novels often have this kind of plot, where the protagonist accidentally stumbles upon something and discovers a rare treasure… This kind of deep mountain and old forest is a hotspot for adventures!”
Han Yuzhe looked at him, sighing softly with a hint of amusement: “You believe TV dramas? TV dramas are all lies.”
Berlin looked up at Han Yuzhe silently for a while: “Yeah, the Dracula series is still being remade, Disney animation studios’ films about demons always do well at the box office, and we’ll probably keep seeing demon stories in theaters in the future. Those definitely aren’t real! After all, movies and animations are all lies.”
Han Yuzhe: “…”
Forget it, he couldn’t win an argument with him.
As long as Berlin was happy.
Seeing Berlin about to put the ring on his finger, Han Yuzhe suddenly spoke: “I’ve checked; there’s no road up this mountain. Not everyone is as physically fit and familiar with the terrain as that monk. It’s likely no one has been here for a long time.”
He didn’t finish, but Berlin understood. Han Yuzhe was guessing the ring might belong to the little monk.
Berlin hadn’t initially considered this, mainly because the little monk didn’t seem like the type to wear jewelry, except for prayer beads.
However, to be safe, Berlin nodded: “You’re right, I’ll go check.”
He dashed back, nearly slipping in the process—
Berlin nimbly maintained his balance using a rather awkward angle and posture, arms outstretched, thinking thankfully that his daily training hadn’t been in vain; his core strength was as reliable as ever.
“Little Monk!”
He waved enthusiastically from afar. The little monk, who was sweeping snow, paused, propped his broom up, and looked at him, slightly dazed.
Little Monk: “Why are you back? Didn’t you eat enough?”
Berlin: “…”
How was it that, after only meeting once, he had already given the little monk the impression of being someone who only cared about food?
He leaned on his knees, catching his breath, smiling and holding up the ring: “Little Monk, did you drop this ring?”
The little monk looked, inspecting it for less than two seconds before shaking his head without hesitation: “I never wear rings.”
Berlin’s smile widened: “Then has anyone else been up this mountain recently?”
Little Monk shook his head: “No. Only I live on this mountain.”
Berlin, who had been happy, was taken aback. He thought back to the bland noodle soup: “Then where do you get your food?”
“I eat the vegetables I grow, and in winter, I eat what I’ve stored. I make my own noodles.” The little monk’s tone was steady. “What’s wrong?”
Berlin didn’t speak immediately: “…”
This mountain was beautiful. The little monk’s videos were pure and unfiltered; it truly was a paradise, a hidden utopia.
A short stay would leave wonderful memories, but wouldn’t it be lonely living here for a long time?
You see, once they stopped talking, only the wind remained.
Han Yuzhe’s faint urging voice came: “Berlin, hurry up, we should go back. Don’t you want to eat Xiaolongbao? That silly wolf should be waiting for you.”
Berlin and Wu Hengyao were the best dining companions in the team, eating together every day and happily squinting their eyes in the moment of gustatory satisfaction.
“Okay!” Berlin shouted back without turning around. He recalled that during their noodle meal, he had found it tasteless, and the little monk’s face had been expressionless the entire time; they were merely fulfilling the physiological need of satiety, without deriving the enjoyment that should come with fine food.
A bitter taste filled Berlin’s mouth: Eating this kind of thing every day, the little monk is just barely an adult, even if his mind is mature, wouldn’t it make him depressed over time? It’s easy to become world-weary.
These thoughts only took a few seconds to run through his mind, and he spoke rapidly and urgently: “Buddha doesn’t forbid eating spicy food, right? Have you ever eaten spicy strips?”
Little Monk: “…No.”
Berlin’s speech was as fast as a machine gun, speaking and gesturing at the same time: “Sour cabbage vermicelli! My favorite! Second only to Zhang’s Master’s braised beef noodles, I pour hot water over a pack whenever I’m hungry; it’s amazing!”
Little Monk: “…”
The usually calm and composed little monk pursed his lips in astonishment.
He looked at Berlin with slight bewilderment and silent confusion.
The person in front of him was beaming, his smile brighter than the midday sun, as if nothing could sadden him, and the simplest things brought him joy.
The little monk didn’t understand how he could be so carefree, but he could clearly feel that the other person was trying to share this happiness with him.
The other party was still chattering rapidly: “I can bring you food; there are many ways to cook vegetarian dishes. Besides tofu-based vegetarian chicken, there are all sorts of snacks. Let me see, have you ever eaten small fried pastries? Potato chips? There’s tomato flavor, oh, and curry chicken flavor, black pepper beef flavor… Don’t worry, they taste like meat, but they’re made of potatoes! Isn’t that amazing, haha!”
The little monk looked at him, focusing on the first sentence. He looked surprised: “You’re coming back?”
Berlin answered without hesitation: “Yes.”
He looked at the little monk and chuckled, revealing a row of neat, cute teeth: “You don’t want me to come back?”
The little monk was silent and didn’t answer.
Berlin tilted his head, examining him, a sly glint in his beautiful eyes, and said confidently: “No objection means you want me to come, I understand.”
The little monk didn’t refute, only whispering: “…You asked if I’d eaten them. I haven’t.”
Berlin paused.