Journey Through Realms: Fulfilling Last Wishes

Chapter 14: The Innocent Little Lotus of the Demon Sect

“Ran Ran, the food is here! You must be starving. Let me feed you,” Shen Yu said as he brought in a small table laden with food, noticing An Ran staring off into space.

“No need to feed me, Shen Yu. You must be hungry too—let’s just eat together,” An Ran replied quickly, feeling embarrassed. She wasn’t a child anymore, so the idea of being fed felt awkward.

“I’m fine. I’m a man, I can handle hunger. But you, with your injured arm, how will you hold chopsticks? Don’t worry, no one will see,” Shen Yu said matter-of-factly as he picked up a spoon and brought a bite of lotus seed porridge to her mouth.

The aroma of the porridge reached An Ran, and her stomach growled loudly, betraying her. Unable to resist, she opened her mouth and took the bite. After the first taste, she no longer resisted, and the two fell into a rhythm. Shen Yu intuitively knew what she wanted next, and An Ran would only have to glance at something before it was brought to her.

They were perfectly in sync, and before long, An Ran had eaten most of her meal.

“Shen Yu, I’m full. I don’t want to eat anymore,” An Ran said, gently pushing away the next offering.

“You’ve hardly eaten anything. At least have a few more bites,” Shen Yu urged, worried that she hadn’t eaten enough.

At that moment, the tavern attendant entered with a tray.

“Master, the medicine you ordered is ready. Where should I place it?” He asked, then hesitated upon seeing the intimate scene between Shen Yu and An Ran.

An Ran, mortified, immediately pulled the blanket over her face.

I thought Shen Yu said no one would see us! How embarrassing!

“Just put it on the table over there and leave,” Shen Yu said calmly, even as he casually fed himself the bite he had been about to give An Ran.

“Yes, sir,” the attendant said quickly and left the room.

“He’s gone now, Ran Ran. You can put the blanket down and eat a few more bites,” Shen Yu said, tugging lightly at the blanket.

“No! I’m done! Take the food away. I’m full and want to rest,” An Ran insisted, her embarrassment having killed her appetite.

“Alright, alright. I won’t force you. Rest now, and I won’t disturb you anymore,” Shen Yu said as he cleared the table and walked out.

As soon as she heard the door close, An Ran slowly lowered the blanket and took a deep breath.

“That was suffocating… I can’t believe I covered my face like that! Never again!”

Despite the embarrassment, An Ran couldn’t help but think about how attentive Shen Yu had been. He was so considerate.

I thought being fed would be awkward, but it was actually kind of nice. And the food was delicious, especially the lotus seed porridge. I’d eat more if it weren’t for that attendant interrupting…

With these thoughts lingering, An Ran slowly drifted off to sleep.

When she woke up again, the room was pitch black.

“Shen Yu, why didn’t you light the lamps?” An Ran called out into the darkness, noticing a shadowy figure sitting by the table.

“Ran Ran, you’re awake. I didn’t light them because you were still sleeping. I’ll light them now,” Shen Yu replied, his voice groggy but instantly alert.

He quickly lit a firestarter and began lighting the candles around the room. Soon, the room was bathed in a soft, warm glow. With the room illuminated, An Ran could see Shen Yu had changed his clothes and even redone his hair. The change in his appearance gave off a completely different vibe—he seemed more imposing, like a different person altogether.

“Ran Ran, did you sleep well? If you’re still tired, you can rest a bit longer. If not, I’ll go fetch your dinner,” Shen Yu said, noticing her staring at him. He wondered if she was still half-asleep.

“I’m awake, Shen Yu. Go get the food. I’m hungry,” An Ran replied, now fully alert and very aware of her hunger.

An Ran watched Shen Yu bustling around and felt a bit lost in thought. When Shen Yu offered to get food, she nodded, signaling that she was awake and hungry.

“Ran Ran, you’re hungry? I’ll go get the food right away,” Shen Yu said with a smile, leaving the room to fetch the meal.

He had already prepared everything earlier but waited for An Ran to wake up to ensure she’d eat it while it was still warm.

Shen Yu is much more thoughtful than the reports suggested, An Ran thought as she waited. If he treated the original An Ran this well, she probably wouldn’t have left him. He’s definitely better than Qin Yuan, who only says sweet words but backs away when it matters.

Over the past couple of days, she had come to realize that Shen Yu was someone dependable—someone who took care of everything, even the hard and dirty work, without complaint. Despite his slightly rough way of speaking, he was far more genuine than she’d expected.

She reflected on how things might have been different for the original An Ran had she stayed with Shen Yu. Perhaps she would have been happy with him, not meeting the tragic end of her family.

Shen Yu returned with a tray of food, interrupting An Ran’s thoughts.

“Ran Ran, I didn’t know what you’d want, so I made a little of everything. If you don’t like it, I’ll make something else,” he said, looking a bit worried that she might not enjoy the meal.

“Wait… did you make all of this yourself, Shen Yu?” An Ran asked, surprised. She hadn’t expected him to be able to cook, and the dishes looked pretty decent.

“Yes. Try it first, and don’t worry about getting up—I’ll feed you,” Shen Yu said quickly as he saw her trying to sit up.

He didn’t mention that he had once burned down two kitchens while learning to cook just because she had once said she wanted to eat something he made himself.

“Alright, thank you, Shen Yu. But did you eat anything yet?” An Ran asked, realizing he probably hadn’t.

“I’ve eaten. Don’t worry about me,” Shen Yu said with a smile, pleased that An Ran was concerned about him.

“Still, you should eat a little more with me. It’s no fun eating alone. Come on, eat with me,” An Ran said sweetly, knowing full well he hadn’t eaten. She didn’t push the issue but coaxed him gently.

“Alright, I’ll join you, but you need to eat more. This meal is for you,” Shen Yu agreed, not wanting to refuse her kindness.

“Deal! Now let’s get started—I’m starving!” An Ran urged, eager to dig in.

“Can’t let my Ran Ran go hungry,” Shen Yu teased as he began feeding her again.

The meal went smoothly, with the two of them eating slowly but finishing off the four dishes by the end. Afterward, Shen Yu wiped a bit of rice from the corner of An Ran’s mouth before stepping out to clear the dishes.

I’m so full! I didn’t expect Shen Yu to be such a good cook. If he ever quits the martial world, he could easily run a successful tavern, An Ran thought, feeling satisfied. It’s a shame I haven’t made much progress on my mission yet. 225 hasn’t been helpful at all… I’ll need to rely on myself to figure everything out.

“Ran Ran, time to take your medicine. You didn’t have any this morning, so you can’t skip it tonight,” Shen Yu said as he returned, holding a bowl of herbal medicine.

An Ran’s face fell immediately.

“Do I have to, Shen Yu? The medicine is so bitter, I can’t bear it,” she said, pouting slightly and hoping to avoid it.

“I know it’s bitter, but if you don’t take it, your wounds won’t heal properly. Tomorrow, I’ll have it made into pills for you, but tonight you need to drink this. I’ve also prepared a sweet soup with lotus seeds and silver ear fungus, so you can drink that after,” Shen Yu coaxed, already prepared for her resistance.

“Alright… but I’ll drink it myself. No need for you to spoon-feed me the medicine,” An Ran agreed, accepting her fate but wanting at least a little independence.

“Alright, you can drink it yourself,” Shen Yu said, passing the bowl to her.

With a determined expression, An Ran downed the medicine in two swift gulps, surprising Shen Yu with her boldness. But the moment it was over, her face twisted in disgust.

“Shen Yu! Sweet soup, please! It’s too bitter!” An Ran pleaded, her face contorted from the taste.

Shen Yu quickly handed her the sweet soup, worried she might burst into tears from the bitterness. An Ran eagerly gulped down the soup, which was just as delicious as she had hoped. The silver ear fungus melted in her mouth, and the sweetness was perfectly balanced, making her forget all about the bitter medicine.

“Shen Yu, you’re amazing! This sweet soup is perfect,” An Ran exclaimed, not holding back her praise.

“I’m glad you like it. I’ll get you another bowl,” Shen Yu said, feeling proud of his efforts as he got up to serve her more.

“Yes, please! Thank you, Shen Yu,” An Ran beamed, eager for more.

Shen Yu smiled as he walked out to get more soup.

Life is pretty good, An Ran thought. If it weren’t for this mission, everything would be perfect. Then again, if it weren’t for the mission, I wouldn’t have met Shen Yu… It’s strange how fate works.

Shen Yu returned quickly with another bowl of sweet soup. As An Ran sipped, a thought occurred to her.

“Shen Yu, how long can we stay here?” She asked, a hint of worry creeping into her voice. This place was likely still within the reach of Jianhai Manor’s influence, and she didn’t want to linger too long and risk getting caught.

“We’ll stay until your injuries heal. Don’t worry—I’ll take care of everything. You just need to focus on resting and getting better,” Shen Yu reassured her, his calm confidence putting her at ease.

“I trust you, Shen Yu,” An Ran said softly, feeling a weight lift off her shoulders.

“Good. Now get some sleep. I’ll handle the rest,” Shen Yu said as he took the empty bowl from her and tucked her in.

Feeling sleepy, An Ran obediently lay down and closed her eyes. Shen Yu adjusted her blanket, making sure she was comfortable before quietly leaving the room.