Unconventional [Rebirth] - Chapter 75

Rong Anchen remembered when two monks moved near the great Rong estate. They had come from a nearby mountain that had suffered a landslide, seeking temporary refuge.

In the dilapidated temple on that mountain lived a young monk in his teens and an elderly monk in his sixties. The young monk had a peculiar name: Gashi.

When they first arrived, the monks were so poor they could barely afford a meal. Rong Anchen and Rong Jingtang, both young and kind-hearted at the time, would bring food every day to share with him. They were drawn to him because Gashi was incredibly beautiful—more beautiful than the little girl next door.

Little Jingtang (A-Jing) once joked that it would be wonderful if Brother Gashi and Uncle Anchen could be together forever. No one took it seriously then.

The boys eventually met the elder monk, Yuanjing. He was a man of gentle temper but stubborn principles. He forbade Gashi from eating anything but vegetarian food and strictly prohibited him from “moving his heart” toward worldly emotions.

From outside the room, the two boys would often eavesdrop. While other children were being scolded or beaten by their parents, Gashi would simply press his palms together, lower his eyes, and kneel quietly before his master, listening to the rhythmic tap of the wooden fish. The brothers, unable to sit still for long, would eventually run off to play, leaving the solemn atmosphere behind.

Time slipped away. A-Jing reached eight years old, and Rong Anchen turned thirteen. Due to family circumstances, A-Jing was to be sent away to a place called Qing City.

On their last day together, they played “House.” A-Jing played the child, Rong Anchen played the father, and Gashi—despite his solemn monastic robes—played the mother. During the game, fueled by A-Jing’s rowdy encouragement, Rong Anchen “bullied” Gashi by stealing many kisses, claiming it was just part of the game. Little Gashi’s face turned bright red, but he did not push him away.

That afternoon, A-Jing was taken away. Later that same day, the elder monk invited Rong Anchen to their small hut.

While there, Rong Anchen watched in horror as the main Rong estate erupted in flames. Screams echoed through the air. He tried to rush out, but Gashi locked the door, standing guard with a resolute gaze while the elder monk’s low chanting filled the room. When the fire was finally brought under control, Gashi carried the dazed boy to bed.

“You and your master… you both knew this would happen, didn’t you?” the young Rong Anchen asked tonelessly.

Gashi paused, stroking the boy’s head. “A-Chen, it was your parents who entrusted us to bring you out safely.”

The next morning, Rong Anchen’s parents (who had survived the initial chaos) arrived at the hut. They handed the elder monk a plain, unassuming object: the Gamo-suo, the heirloom passed down through the Rong generations.

“The boy is in your hands,” the elder monk said, pushing Gashi forward. “My time is short. I have one final task. Please look after this child; when he turns eighteen, tell him to go to Mount Putuo.”

As the monk walked away, no one saw the single tear that fell from his eye, instantly absorbed by the dry bluestone floor.

Gashi moved into the Rong household under the guise of the “Second Young Master.” He was treated with the highest prestige. Per his master’s final wish, he attended school alongside Rong Anchen.

Every meal included special vegetarian dishes for Gashi. Though they all ate together, Rong Anchen and Gashi grew exceptionally close.

Years passed. Rong Anchen turned fifteen, Gashi seventeen, and a more somber, reserved Rong Jingtang returned from Qing City at thirteen. On A-Jing’s birthday, the three discussed the future.

“Uncle, what if the person you like is a boy?” Jingtang asked suddenly.

Rong Anchen, having only a vague concept of such things, replied, “If they’re good-looking, just marry them and bring them home.”

Jingtang smiled and fell silent. Rong Anchen then turned to Gashi with sparkling eyes. “Brother Gashi, why don’t I just marry you then?” Gashi only smiled, and Rong Anchen laughed it off, returning to his homework.

But the seed was sown. At school, Rong Anchen found he had no interest in the beautiful girls; he only had eyes for Gashi. On his sixteenth birthday, he crept into Gashi’s room. “Brother Gashi, I like you so much. Do you like me too?”

Gashi, now eighteen and far more world-weary, looked into the boy’s bright eyes in the dim light. After a long silence, he set down his book and whispered, “Yes.”

Life became a dream for Rong Anchen until a health class opened his eyes to the realities of physical desire. Feeling shy and confused after a “nocturnal dream,” he sought advice from the now-steady and observant A-Jing.

A-Jing handed him a small bottle. “What is this?”

“An aphrodisiac,” Jingtang replied calmly. He gave a small, knowing smile. “Uncle, Brother Gashi is a very responsible man.”

Empowered by the drug and the logic that Gashi would “take responsibility” if things went further, Rong Anchen dissolved the medicine in Gashi’s water.

Gashi hesitated for a split second before drinking the entire cup while staring directly at the nervous boy. When Rong Anchen tried to flee the room in a panic, Gashi’s voice—now dark and husky—stopped him.

“Stay right here.”

Rong Anchen froze. Gashi’s tone was the same as always, but his intuition screamed that the monk was not in a good mood. He sat on the edge of the bed, terrified, watching the clock tick by. He eventually grew sleepy and stood up to leave, thinking A-Jing had tricked him with fake medicine.

“You’re leaving already?” Gashi set down his book.

Rong Anchen blinked, looking pathetic and dejected.

“I assume,” Gashi said, standing up and locking the door with a click, “that you knew exactly what was in that cup.”

As Gashi approached, Rong Anchen backed away until he tripped over the rug and fell onto the bed. Gashi leaned over him, his breath hot against the boy’s skin. He looked at Rong Anchen’s face for a long moment, let out a low sigh, and slowly leaned down to kiss him.