CHAPTER 124: CHAPTER 124: THE EMERGENCE AND EXTINCTION OF FATE

"I’ll have a wife, and a child too..."

Adrian Desmond recited these words, a self-mocking smile on his lips. He did have a wife in the legal sense, and she was indeed pregnant—just not with his child.

A waiter carrying a tray of wine glasses walked by. Adrian took a glass from the tray and drank a large gulp. George, noticing Adrian’s dejected appearance, said, "Owen is hilarious. It’s just a son, right? If I wanted one, I could have ten or eight."

"Adrian, I saw how much you liked kids earlier. How about I take you to find a woman and have a child tonight? Haha..."

George winked at Adrian. Adrian looked at him, actually quite envious of men like George, who could have relationships with women that were purely physical, without any emotional investment. With Sienna, it had been physical, but his heart had also become involved, which was why he was in such pain now.

"My wife is very jealous. If she found out I was having a fling with another woman, she’d make a huge scene. You go have fun on your own. Don’t drag me into these things in the future."

George stared at the man before him in shock and asked, "If you never find Mai in your entire life, you’re not going to become a monk for the rest of your life, are you?"

"George, if I really can’t find Mai for the rest of my life, it’ll be your jinxing mouth that cursed me!" Adrian coldly glanced at George. Startled, George shrank behind Jule. His wretched mouth was always getting him into trouble.

"Hehe, I didn’t say anything just now."

"...There are plenty of fish in the sea; don’t be too stubborn, Adrian," Dan Taylor advised. "Jule, don’t you think so?"

Jule was obviously lost in thought, in a daze. Seeing Jule like this, Dan Taylor slapped him hard. "Hey, come back to your senses!"

"What’s going on?" Jule returned to his senses and looked at the people staring at him. He felt inexplicably uneasy, especially when he looked at Adrian.

"What have you been up to lately? You’re always so distracted. Did you sleep with someone else’s wife, and now her husband is after you?" Dan Taylor joked.

Jule’s face changed drastically. He pushed Dan Taylor hard, causing him to stagger. "What nonsense are you talking about!"

"I was just making a casual remark. Why are you reacting so strongly? Don’t tell me I actually guessed right?"

"I’m not in a good mood. I don’t have time for your nonsense!" Jule turned and strode away.

Dan Taylor and George watched Jule leave in a rage, then looked at each other. George said, "I think Jule really did sleep with someone else’s wife... Whose wife do you think it was?"

George stroked his chin, his smile full of meaning. "This could be big news."

"Stop talking. Didn’t you see how angry he was?"

George was talkative and loved to hear himself speak. "It’s my mouth; I’ll say what I please. What business is it of yours?"

George was the son of a newspaper tycoon in Abyanabad. Later, he operated a gossip magazine himself. Relying on his access to high society, he loved to expose sensational scandals of wealthy families. He had even revealed that the King of Abyanabad liked to pick his toes and was nearly assassinated by someone sent by the King.

In any case, George’s mouth had offended countless people.

If one day George ended up dead in the street, his mouth would surely be to blame.

「...」

During little George’s one-month celebration, Adrian Desmond was filled with envy, jealousy, and resentment. Once these emotions fermented, he drank too much and had to be helped out by Walter Klein.

In the car, Adrian’s stomach churned uncomfortably. He asked Walter to stop the car, then got out and vomited. A warm breeze drifted by, and Adrian felt a little better.

"Sixth Master, I’ll go buy you some hangover medicine."

"No need." He waved his hand.

"I want to take a walk in the square." With that, he strode towards the square.

Today was a workday, so there were very few people in the square. Most were stay-at-home mothers with their children, some flying kites, others feeding pigeons. The mothers carefully watched over their wildly playing children, and the square was filled with the sound of children’s laughter.

The pigeons in the square were accustomed to being fed by people, so they weren’t afraid of humans. When Adrian walked over, pigeons gathered around him, cooing. When they saw he had no food, they lost interest and dispersed.

Adrian found a bench and sat down to sober up.

His gaze swept over each child, imagining what his son would look like at one year old, three years old, five years old...

My woman is the most beautiful woman in the world, Adrian thought, so my child must also be the most beautiful child in the world.

But where are they?

"Owen is really funny," Adrian muttered sourly. "If my son hadn’t disappeared, he would have been the star of today’s one-month celebration... What’s so great about you, Owen? You think you’re the only one with a son? I, Adrian Desmond, also have a son!"

"..."

"When I find my son, I’ll hold him and show him off to everyone, make all of you jealous," Adrian said childishly.

A portly monk came into his line of sight. He wore grey monk’s robes, his head shaven clean, and carried a cloth bag. In one hand, he held an alms bowl, and in the other, a string of prayer beads. He sat down next to Adrian and began to meditate.

Adrian turned to look at the monk beside him, staring at him for a while. The monk’s heart was as steady as a rock, undisturbed by Adrian’s gaze.

"Master, my wife and son are missing. Do you think I can find them in this lifetime?" Adrian asked.

The Master’s eyelids flickered, but he didn’t answer.

"Today, I attended my friend’s son’s one-month celebration. Today should also be my son’s one-month celebration, but I don’t know where he is. If he were by my side, my son’s celebration would have been even grander..."

"Master, tell me, can I find them?"

"..."

"How long will it take for me to find them?"

"..."

"Please tell me, how can I find them?" Adrian began to grow agitated. "...Master, I’m terrified I won’t find them in this lifetime. Mai is truly determined to leave me this time..."

"..."

"Master, please say something."

Only then did the Master open his eyes. He looked at Adrian’s face, sighed, and said,

"He comes, fate gathers;

He leaves, fate disperses.

You search for him, fate arises;

You don’t search for him, fate ends.

Finding is fate arising; not finding is fate’s end.

The paths we’ve walked, the people we’ve met—each has its cause, each its karmic tie. Perform good deeds, and when affinities converge, you will meet."

"..."

"Amitabha!" The Master stood up, picked up his alms bowl, chanted the Buddha’s name, and departed.

"Wait!"

Adrian chased after him, took a large wad of cash from his wallet, and placed it in the alms bowl. "Master, what did you mean by that?"

"Amitabha!"

The Master chanted the Buddha’s name again but offered no further explanation, departing with serene composure.