CH-062

Chapter 62: Do Not Open the Door for Night Prayers

Whom Roy's identity represented was self-evident.

Whether it was fear of his father or fear of those in power, Leslie could not say no.

Shu Li watched Leslie board the carriage, feeling as if a stone had finally been lifted from his heart. That feeling was like a lost child finally finding their way home, bringing both relief and a subtle ache—he knew that Leslie's home was not a warm one.

But Leslie only lacked the love and care he wanted; his basic living conditions should be met.

When they met again later, Shu Li hadn't seen any signs of abuse on him.

It should be fine.

Shu Li thought to himself, unconsciously comforting himself. Otherwise, thinking any further would make him feel like he was condoning his own inaction, as if he were standing by and doing nothing.

After the carriage drove away, Shu Li sighed, "It should be fine."

Finnian stood beside him, hearing Shu Li's sighs, and couldn't help but ask in confusion, "What's wrong?"

"Because the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."

Finnian was taken aback: "?"

Shu Li looked down at Finnian and said, "I'm just worried that Leslie might be suffering."

Finnian thought that Shu Li was sometimes very sensible, but once he started worrying, he became relentless. He asked in confusion, "He's an aristocrat. When winter comes, he has countless amounts of food and firewood. You're not even sure you can survive this winter yourself, yet you're worried about him?"

Shu Li suddenly became alert: "..."

Life must be too comfortable!

Shu Li also noticed a hint of strangeness in Finnian and stared at him intently.

Finnian felt a bit flustered inside and couldn't help stammering, "What's wrong?"

Shu Li said, "I've noticed that when he's around, you seem to care about him a lot. When he's not, you don't seem as concerned?"

Finnian immediately felt so guilty that he couldn't speak.

Shu Li watched Finnian's unease and couldn't help but laugh, "Are you deliberately saying the opposite?"

He had actually thought before that Finnian sometimes showed a competitive spirit and would deliberately act obedient in front of others. But later, seeing Finnian speak up for Leslie without hesitation, Shu Li was certain that they had an excellent relationship.

Finnian looked at Shu Li's smile, opened his mouth to retort, but didn't want to ruin his image in front of Shu Li. Finally, he closed his eyes, still feeling that his image was important, and resignedly said, "Whatever you say it is." Anyway, that annoying guy had gone home, and they probably wouldn't meet again.

Shu Li couldn't help but smile more, thinking to himself, what a tsundere child.

Finnian watched this smile, and his own worries faded away.

But before he could push his luck, the plucked little Naxi fox started "yipping" and rubbing against Shu Li's calf.

Shu Li didn't know what was wrong with Naxi, so he just held and soothed him.

Seeing him happily snuggled in Shu Li's arms, Finnian realized there was another bad fox here. He glanced at Naxi's wagging tail and, taking advantage of his inattention, plucked a bit of his fur.

Little Naxi felt a pain in his tail and quickly looked back, but because he was held by Shu Li, his tail was in his blind spot, and he couldn't see anything.

His head couldn't help but move around in Shu Li's arms.

Shu Li thought the little fox wanted to get down, so he put Naxi on the ground. But he started chasing his own tail like a cat, finally lying on the ground looking at his white fur scattered around, "Yipping" pitifully.

"?"

Was he worried about going bald because he saw his fur falling out?

But most animals shed fur easily.

Shu Li quickly noticed the gloating Finnian nearby and immediately knew the truth, unable to help saying, "Don't bully Naxi."

Finnian knew Shu Li didn't like excuses, so he obediently admitted it, saying, "I understand."

After agreeing, he immediately said to Shu Li, "Father Alis, I have something to tell you."

If Father Alis knew today that he actually had the ability to control objects, he would consider him and wouldn't let him take risks. If he hadn't arrived in time, Finnian didn't know how he could imagine that scene.

Perhaps he shouldn't have hidden his ability in the first place.

Next, rather than speaking, it was better to demonstrate directly—

The candlelight in the church seemed to respond to Finnian's summons, each flame separating a bit of its light. Those wisps of light gathered into a round, smooth fireball, floating slowly in the air, then approaching Finnian and Shu Li.

Shu Li's mind started racing.

In terms of color, it was clearly the outer flame of a candle.

But theoretically, due to gravity, convection occurs when flames burn. So, a naturally burning flame cannot naturally form a symmetrical sphere.

This probably wasn't fire, right?

That's right, this wasn't fire.

Because without fuel, it couldn't keep burning; it should have gone out quickly.

"So, this isn't real fire?"

"Can you touch it?"

Finnian quickly threw the fireball that had floated in front of him far away, his voice also tightening, "Of course not."

Sometimes he truly felt that Father Alis didn't seem very clever. His full heart of worry and tension was turned upside down by Shu Li's naive words, like a sheep rolling around on the ground.

The fireball quickly dispersed, returning to the candlelight.

Shu Li watched the fireball return to its place, eager to ponder the scientific principles behind it.

Unfortunately, it wasn't his field of expertise; he really couldn't figure it out.

So, he simply looked at Finnian and said, "So, are you telling me this because you've encountered some trouble you need my help to solve?"

This question caught Finnian off guard; he hadn't expected the other person's reaction to be so calm and gentle. He subconsciously couldn't help raising his hand, waving it, and asked in a low voice, "You... don't you think I'm very scary?"

Shu Li chuckled, "What's scary about that? What's scary is if you were sick and talking nonsense."

This sentence left Finnian stunned in place, as if something was blocking his heart.

He had prepared for countless reactions from the priest—retreat, estrangement, even terror—but he had never prepared for such a gentle response.

His fingers curled unconsciously, and his palms were sweaty.

Over the years, Finnian had certainly made mistakes more than once.

The first mistake was when he was a child, wanting to show his ability to his good friends. But when all the objects floated up, the look in his friends' eyes wasn't just fear, but disgust and avoidance.

Amidst these faces, Finnian clearly heard them say, "Demon."

No one told him what the right thing to do was.

But he knew that if he were called a demon, he would ruin not just himself, but his entire family.

So, in his panic, he learned to lie, "It wasn't me, I don't know how this happened."

Like the other kids, he also ran away from the path behind the back hill.

He had thought just now that if Father Alis showed even the slightest unnatural expression, Finnian would immediately start lying to excuse himself and run far away, just like when he was a child.

But now, for the first time, he felt that not everyone would run away from him.

Just this thought suddenly made his nose inexplicably sore, and his eyes quickly grew hot.

He didn't know what this emotion was.

It was hard to say if it was emotion or gratitude, but rather a kind of discomfort and bitterness after panic, and an indescribable grievance and helplessness.

It was as if that suppressed emotion had finally erupted at this moment.

He hadn't dared to tell his parents about it back then, because they had repeatedly warned him not to show his abilities casually outside. The trouble he had caused could only be hastily covered up and then thrown into the depths of his memory.

But now, revisiting this memory, he realized he had never truly left the shadow of that incident. The sadness, fear, regret, and helplessness of that time had spread from his heart to his limbs, making him shiver as if from cold.

He quickly lowered his head, not wanting Shu Li to see the tears welling up in his eyes, just turning his face away and muttering softly, "...I don't need your help. The only reason I'm telling you this is just in case. When you need to solve a problem in the future, think of me first."

"I'm not the kind of person who needs to hide behind others."

He raised his head, his voice louder, "Father Alis, do you understand?"

Shu Li could see that Finnian had made a great determination to say these words.

From all the time he had spent with him, Shu Li could see Finnian's sharpness and intelligence, and also saw that he was used to packaging his emotions and thoughts in a sensible way. Like Leslie, his childhood was incomplete, growing up amidst misunderstanding and rejection. But now, saying these words was a great act of trust.

Shu Li looked at his face, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned.

Finnian frowned, "What are you laughing at?"

Shu Li said, "I feel like I might need Finnian's help a lot in the future."

Finnian had been waiting for this sentence and immediately puffed out his chest, "Come to me anytime!"

After Shu Li agreed, he suddenly felt that Finnian's ability seemed familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before. But he remembered that it seemed to be the ability of Nero in the book.

Wasn't Nero the culprit who wiped out the entire family of Leslie's secret crush?

Shu Li instinctively jumped in surprise, stunned for a moment, then quickly fell silent: "..."

Finnian: "?"

Shu Li asked softly, "...Do you have another name?"

This question came suddenly.

Finnian found it very strange; this was the second person to ask him this. "My dad said he wanted to change my name to Nero when I turn twelve?" He looked at Shu Li curiously and said, "Which name do you like better?"

"Finnian! Definitely Finnian!"

Finnian couldn't help but feel happy, "I think so too, I'm used to this name. Suddenly changing it would feel weird. If you don't like it, then I won't change it."

Shu Li nodded with a calm smile on the surface, but inside, he breathed a sigh of relief.

So the focus he should have been paying attention to wasn't Bishop Holm, but here.

He had successfully prevented the fate of good friends Finnian and Leslie becoming enemies.

Celebratory!

*

The night of the Harvest Festival was so long.

Shu Li felt as if all his strength had been drained. He had just taken off his outer robe and hadn't had time to sit down when there were two soft knocks on the door.

Shu Li's eyelids twitched instinctively, "..."

Bishop Holm's low but gentle voice sounded from outside the door, "Father Alis, you're not asleep yet, are you? Let's talk again."

This made Shu Li instinctively wary.

In fact, the last time Bishop Holm had come to the church to chat with him, they had parted on bad terms.

At that time, Shu Li thought Bishop Holm wanted to discuss his previous answers. Because he had also had teachers like this before. After answering, some teachers were willing to spend private time discussing the omissions in the previous content and pointing out the key points of the answers. Even if it was just criticism, it was still guidance.

So Shu Li had gone with a teachable attitude.

As a result, Bishop Holm's first sentence was, "The church intends to upgrade the Savoy parish to the ninth diocese."

The bishop asked him what he thought.

For Shu Li, this was good news.

"Will I still be staying here then?"

This was the only question Shu Li cared about.

Bishop Holm nodded and said, "Of course."

Shu Li felt reassured and said sincerely, "Then I have no thoughts. I will definitely assist the new bishop well."

As soon as he finished speaking, Bishop Holm suddenly became angry, "You're hopeless!"

Shu Li was stunned by the criticism, not knowing why he was suddenly angry, or whether he could directly ask. But reason told him that such a question would be tactless.

So, Shu Li quickly started looking for fault in himself, "Is it because my previous answers weren't good enough?"

After all, people get angry not just from immediate stress, but also because previous emotions have accumulated to a critical point, leading to an outburst.

As soon as Shu Li finished speaking, he saw in the other's eyes a look of anger, hating iron for not becoming steel. "Do I have to spell everything out for you to understand what to say and do? I've already made the opportunity so clear."

"So—" Shu Li was startled, "Do you mean my previous answers were bad, and you want to remove me from my position?"

"..."

Bishop Holm's brow furrowed, his voice suddenly rising, "Get out of here now!" That voice was like a whip cracking in the air, shaking the cross on the wall slightly.

Shu Li immediately slipped out.

He had forgotten all about this matter, only to find that the old man had come to find him again before going to bed at night.

Shu Li opened the door, "Please come in."

Bishop Holm walked in, his steps not heavy, but with a steady, unrefusable demeanor. His tone was slightly gentler than before, "I was a bit hot-headed tonight, so what I said was unintentional. Don't take it too much to heart."

Shu Li said, "Of course."

Troubling things never stay on his mind.

Bishop Holm saw that Shu Li's expression indeed showed no abnormality, and felt relieved inside, saying, "Your character is still very good." He had originally thought it would be quite difficult to get closer to a younger person, especially since he had lost his temper with him several times. Unexpectedly, Shu Li was always consistent with him.

Shu Li didn't take this polite talk to heart. Seeing that he had sat down, he figured they would still chat for a while, so he thought for a moment and took out the roasted barley he had prepared earlier, saying, "Bishop Holm, would you like some barley tea?"

Barley tea contains no caffeine, theophylline, or tannins, so it won't affect sleep.

Bishop Holm asked strangely, "Do you have money to buy tea? Did the Carson City wedding earn you that much?"

"I made it myself, using roasted or fried barley. It tastes very good."

Shu Li wasn't boasting about himself; he really thought it tasted quite good, and even little Naxi drank it as a beverage. However, the little fox had a cat's tongue and couldn't eat hot food.

"Can that be called tea?" Bishop Holm questioned.

Shu Li smiled, "The word 'tea' doesn't just refer to the beverage itself, but also to a method of preparation."

"So-called tea originally referred to beverages made from tea leaves, a type of herb. This method then led to an extension; other drinks brewed with herbs can also be called tea. For example, tea brewed with flowers is called flower tea, like chamomile tea; tea brewed with other herbs is called herbal tea, like peppermint tea and lemongrass tea. So, why can't barley be made into tea?"

"You really know a lot."

Bishop Holm had originally wanted to refuse, since he wasn't here to eat. His main concern was that Shu Li might become distant after their previous disagreement. Bishop Holm cared about this quite a bit. But he happened to remember that Shu Li was indeed quite skilled at making some novel foods, so he agreed.

Brewing a cup of barley tea would take some time.

So, Shu Li went to get some fruits and vegetables from the garden, washed them, and put them on the table. "If we wait until autumn, when the weather turns cold, having a stove-side tea ceremony would be very nice."

"Stove-side tea ceremony?"

Shu Li explained, "It's when you drink hot tea while eating baked pastries and fruits. You can also collect some chestnuts or other nuts from the forest. It's both fragrant and warm."

Little Naxi had also wanted to sleep, but seeing people eating inside the house, he smelled the food, slipped into the room, jumped onto Shu Li's lap, sat in his arms, and looked up at him, asking to be fed.

Shu Li casually fed him a piece of crispy apple.

Bishop Holm stared at such a clever and adorable white fox, clicking his tongue in wonder, saying, "It avoids me but sticks so closely to you?"

"Well, I did raise it myself?"

Shu Li thought it was only natural that Naxi was familiar with him.

If Naxi wasn't naturally affectionate towards him, Shu Li wouldn't bother with him.

Bishop Holm then asked, "Where did you buy it? Such a docile white fox isn't common. It must have been trained from a young age to be friendly towards people. Wild foxes usually keep their distance."

Only after Bishop Holm said this did Shu Li realize that he had never considered whether little Naxi might have had an owner himself. "But he only gets close to me. He's not exactly a domesticated little fox, is he?"

Bishop Holm stared at the little fox and said, "Then maybe he has a spiritual nature?"

He suddenly remembered something, paused, and said, "I wonder if you've heard the legend of the fox offering seeds that has been around for over ten years? It happens during the Harvest Festival. Foxes imitate humans and offer seeds."

"Finnian mentioned that seeing this sight brings good luck. But I don't know the details."

Bishop Holm was particularly eager to talk about this. "I've seen it! The leading fox was also a little white fox. As it walked, other small animals offered it gifts, and the white fox would dance in place. It was truly magical."

"Since that time, I've come to the Savoy parish's Harvest Festival every year."

"Oh—"

Shu Li suddenly understood a bit why Bishop Holm had met Nero. He had initially thought Nero had deliberately approached Bishop Holm. Now it seemed like it was just an extraordinary coincidence.

The bishop said regretfully, "But I've been disappointed every year since. I didn't see it this year either. I had hoped to pray for a good harvest next year."

Shu Li felt like he was listening to a magical fairy tale and couldn't help but find it interesting, "Being able to make farmland have a good harvest is pretty impressive, isn't it?"

Little Naxi listened, also wagging his tail.

Bishop Holm stared at the little fox, suddenly struck by an idea, "Could it be the parent of this little fox?"

Although he had witnessed Finnian's ability, Shu Li was still a materialist at heart. He didn't take such legends seriously at all, just listening for fun. "If it were his parents, they would have taken Naxi back long ago. He's still so young, has he even reached adulthood?" Shu Li casually rubbed Naxi's little belly.

Watching little Naxi lie down holding Shu Li's hand, Bishop Holm felt this fox wasn't very clever, maybe even a bit foolish, "..."

Just then, the barley tea finished boiling. Shu Li poured a cup for Bishop Holm—the sweet, fragrant aroma of barley spread out.

Bishop Holm cautiously took a sip, and a unique, mellow fragrance spread on his tongue. As a wave of warmth followed his esophagus into his stomach, he couldn't help but relax.

He smiled, "Not bad, not bad."

After this sentence fell, the atmosphere in the entire room completely relaxed.

Bishop Holm's topic also opened up.

"Actually, I quite like chatting with young people," Bishop Holm said. "It makes me feel younger too."

He paused, "You're the first young priest in these past few years who hasn't avoided me when seeing me. Most people, knowing I'm a visiting bishop, are so afraid of making a mistake in front of me that they don't dare show their faces. Even more so, you've angered me multiple times."

"...?"

Shu Li didn't remember ever angering Bishop Holm.

"You do have a good character," Bishop Holm affirmed. "Especially since you're quite smart. I like smart people. Your only current flaw is being too devout."

Hearing the last sentence, Shu Li knew Bishop Holm was saying the opposite, and immediately felt that his professional performance was still affirmed.

He didn't know whether to be happy or sad, because Shu Li essentially still felt somewhat out of place with the church, and didn't know how long this charade of being favored by the Lord could last. However, he was quite enjoying his current comfort.

Not only did he have his own plot of land, but he also had a pet and a group of familiar neighbors and friends.

Regardless, Shu Li humbly accepted the compliment, "Thank you for your words."

Holm raised an eyebrow, "I wasn't complimenting you."

Shu Li smiled, "I know, I know."

Tsunderes are all like this.

Bishop Holm saw that Shu Li didn't seem to be listening, and was about to lecture him, but Shu Li handed him a fruit leather, saying, "You can also try this fruit leather. It's made from dried fruit puree."

He had been stockpiling all the snacks, pickles, and dried goods needed for winter since summer.

This kind of fruit leather was actually a traditional delicacy from Russia centuries ago, simply made from fruit and white sugar. If stored properly, keeping it for two or three months wasn't too difficult.

So far, he was just experimenting. But when there are more fruits in autumn, Shu Li can make more snacks.

Bishop Holm tasted it. The flavor was sweet and sour, and although the texture felt a bit grainy from the fruit puree, it was generally soft and chewy. Especially, it was perfect to eat while holding hot tea.

After eating just one piece, Bishop Holm couldn't continue lecturing. He suddenly felt inspired, "Indeed, night is when one is most susceptible to temptation and most likely to make mistakes."

Shu Li then poured him another cup of hot tea and said, "Can you tell me a story?"

Bishop Holm glanced at him, hesitated for a moment, then said indifferently, "The story isn't about me, but about a friend of mine. He was also a young man who had just become a priest back then."

"I understand, I understand." Shu Li nodded repeatedly.

Seeing that Shu Li wasn't suspicious, Bishop Holm said, "It's nothing really. Who doesn't start as a priest wanting to save the suffering? If someone knocks on the door for a night prayer, it's very common to feel soft-hearted and open the door for them. You do that too, right?"

"..."

Shu Li was someone who finished work on time. "Yes... it's just that I have too few believers, I haven't had the chance to do it."

Hearing Shu Li's words, Bishop Holm slapped his thigh and immediately said, "Right?! Especially if the other person is so young, delicate, and struggling with life. If they come crying to you, you simply can't handle it."

"..."

Shu Li increasingly felt that Bishop Holm might have made a big mistake when he was young, and his curiosity grew stronger and stronger.

Had the bishop been holding this in for a long time and finally had a chance to talk about it?

So, Shu Li chimed in, "Even for experienced priests, not just new ones, the desire to help those in need is as strong as wanting water when thirsty and food when hungry. It's very normal."

"No, no, no, no, no! Don't, absolutely don't open the door for troubled souls at night."

Bishop Holm quickly stopped Shu Li's assumption and said seriously, "You can't tell at that time whether they are truly someone in need or a demon trying to tempt you."

"..."

"This is advice from experience. You must remember it."

Bishop Holm was so serious that Shu Li couldn't argue at all, because if he argued rationally, he would probably be lectured for twenty minutes. Shu Li certainly didn't want to cause that trouble.

Especially since the atmosphere was finally relaxed.

Bishop Holm had specifically found a reason to chat in order to ease his relationship with Shu Li. With food and drink, he sat for a full hour. Only when he felt sleepy did he leave satisfied.

Shu Li also patted the drowsy Naxi in his arms, telling him to go back to his nest and sleep. But as he put the reluctant little fox into his outdoor nest, his gaze suddenly fixed.

On the path in front of the church, in the shadows not far away, stood a thin child.

That was... Leslie?

Shu Li's heart jumped, and he instinctively spoke, "Why are you here?"

Leslie seemed not to hear, just pursed his lips, looking at him through the night. After a long while, he said softly, "...Can I go into the church?"

"Did you leave something behind?"

Shu Li looked around, "Where is everyone else? Are you alone?"

Leslie lowered his eyes, hesitated for a moment, then looked up at him as if mustering courage, "I heard that even non-believers can ask the Lord for help... is that true?"

At that moment, a gentle night breeze swept by, everything was quiet, even the rustling in Naxi's nest was clear.

It was almost eleven o'clock, right?

But because he was also thinking about how he could help Leslie.

Now that he was coming to him for help, Shu Li certainly wouldn't refuse.

This thought had just flashed through his mind when Shu Li had already turned towards the church and said softly, "Come on in."