When Yahui emerged from the bar, Director Gong still had some matters to attend to, so it was Mingzheng who saw her out. On the street corner in front of the bar, Mingzheng entreated her, “Let’s return to secular life and get married. That way, you won’t need to live in Xining all alone.”
Yahui gazed at Mingzheng, then looked up at the sky and said, “Mingzheng, my shifu is still lying warm in the morgue.” She was silent for a moment, then continued, “As for whether we should return to secular life and get married, I need to go to the morgue and ask my shifu. Let’s see what she thinks.”
At this point, Yahui fell silent again. She glanced at the passersby, then added, “As long as my shifu approves, I would be willing to return to secular life with you, even if you were a heretic or an infidel.”
Mingzheng stood there, his face pale.
Yahui walked away. She turned and leisurely headed toward Zhongguancun Avenue and then the school, which was still on winter break. As she proceeded, she silently counted prayer beads as methodically as the pace at which she was walking. Only after she had gone a considerable distance did she hear Mingzheng cry out, “You’ll regret this! I guarantee you’ll regret it! If you don’t return to secular life, you’ll eventually die in that godforsaken Xining, where birds don’t even take a shit …”
Yahui briefly slowed down, but didn’t stop.