Journey Through Realms: Fulfilling Last Wishes

Chapter 6 The Innocent Little Lotus of the Demon Sect

By the time the sun was high in the sky, Anran finally woke up lazily. She could have slept a bit more, but her stomach was growling, urging her to wake up.

Just after waking up, Anran was a little disoriented and couldn’t immediately recall where she was. Slowly, her thoughts began to return, and she remembered that she was bound to a system and currently performing tasks.

Fully awake, Anran called out to the door.

“Qiu Yue? Qiu Yue?”

A voice responded from outside, followed by the sound of the door opening. Without even looking, Anran knew it must be Qiu Yue coming in.

Indeed, it was Qiu Yue. She approached the bed, looked at Anran, and said, “Miss, you’re awake. Do you want to get up now?”

As soon as Anran saw Qiu Yue, she noticed that Qiu Yue didn’t look very well. Before she could ask, Qiu Yue inquired if she was ready to get up.

Anran immediately nodded and said, “Yes, yes, I want to get up.” She also asked, “By the way, what time is it?”

As Qiu Yue helped Anran wash up, she replied, “Miss, it’s already the hour of Si (9 to 11 a.m.).” She had been waiting here for an hour already and didn’t expect Anran to sleep so long.

“Is it already the hour of Si? That’s so late!” Anran exclaimed in surprise. It was indeed late, but that wasn’t important. What she should think about now was what to do to pass the time.

Not knowing much about the place herself, Anran decided it was best to ask a local.

After giving it some thought, she found her idea quite reasonable and then asked, “Qiu Yue, are there any interesting places around here? It doesn’t have to be too lively, as long as it has good scenery.”

After all, being on a mountain meant there wouldn’t be any bustling markets or inns, so enjoying some scenery would be nice.

While combing Anran’s hair, Qiu Yue thought for a moment and replied, “There is. There’s a large lake behind the mountain, surrounded by lush trees. The scenery is beautiful. Whenever guests visit, they often go there to admire the view.”

As soon as Anran heard there was a lake, she immediately thought of fishing.

Smiling, she asked, “Can we go boating? Can we fish?”

Hearing the word ‘fishing’, Qiu Yue felt a sense of predictability—this country bumpkin really is all about food. But she still smiled and replied, “You can fish, but boating is not allowed. The guests who come to the back of the mountain usually just enjoy the scenery.”

Anran nodded.

“Fishing is good enough. Let’s head there after breakfast.”

Just as she finished speaking, breakfast had already been served. After Qiu Yue finished combing her hair, Anran sat down at the table and began eating.

Qiu Yue watched Anran’s actions, feeling both helpless and a bit resigned. Yesterday, even the young master had shown concern for her. It would be best for her not to say too much, lest she cause trouble and end up being kicked out of the manor.

After finishing her meal, Anran grabbed the fishing rod that Qiu Yue had prepared for her and set out for the lake to fish.

The weather was nice today—the sun wasn’t too harsh, and there was a slight breeze. It was the perfect day for fishing. The more Anran thought about it, the better her mood became, and she started humming a tune—”Today, the common folk, today are really happy!”

Humming wasn’t enough. Soon, she was bouncing along as she walked, her steps light and joyful.

The servants they passed on the way all gave her strange looks. Many didn’t recognize her, finding her odd for skipping and hopping about so carefreely. Others recognized her as the woman the young master had picked up a few days ago. No one greeted her. Though, they all quietly moved aside as she passed.

Anran meandered her way to the large lake that Qiu Yue had mentioned. The scenery was indeed beautiful—trees were scattered around in an elegant pattern, and being autumn, the ground was covered in golden leaves, creating an indescribable beauty.

Anran found a spot under the shade of a tree and rested for a moment before asking Qiu Yue, “Qiu Yue, where do you think there might be more fish? Let’s find a good spot to fish.”

Qiu Yue was taken aback by the question, replying blankly, “I’ve never fished before, so I don’t know where the fish might be.”

Anran nodded and said, “I figured you wouldn’t know, but that’s okay. I’ve always had good luck, so I’ll pick a spot myself. I’m sure we’ll catch lots of fish, and tonight we can have a feast with all kinds of fish! Just thinking about it makes me so happy.”

With that, she dashed to the lakeside to scout for the best fishing spot.

After a bit of research, she decided to settle in the central area, where she could see the entire lake. Pleased with her choice, Anran happily set up her fishing gear and began casting her line.

An hour passed, and the once-confident Anran was deflated. She hadn’t caught a single fish and was starting to doubt whether there were any fish in the lake at all.

Just as she turned to ask Qiu Yue, she noticed a short distance away that Qin Yuan and several other well-dressed young men had also set up their fishing spots nearby.

When did they arrive? I didn’t even notice, Anran thought to herself.

Then she asked Qiu Yue, “Qiu Yue, are there no fish here? Why haven’t I caught a single one?”

Before Qiu Yue could respond, Qin Yuan’s fishing rod twitched, and soon, a large fish was reeled in by him. Anran was stunned by the sight.

Qiu Yue, equally surprised, awkwardly replied, “There should be fish, Miss. Maybe this spot just doesn’t have any.”

Anran nodded in agreement.

“Yes, that must be it. No worries, let’s just move to another spot.”

With that, she moved closer to where Qin Yuan was, hoping to catch some of his luck.

However, it didn’t seem to help. Another half an hour passed, and still nothing. Anran was losing her calm.

Despite her lack of success, Qin Yuan continued to catch one fish after another. Anran sat there, thinking for a while before ultimately deciding not to approach Qin Yuan for advice on how to catch fish.

After all, in typical novel plots, getting too involved with the protagonist usually leads to trouble. It was safer to keep her distance and wait for her childhood friend to come and take her back to the demon sect tomorrow.

With this in mind, Anran stood up and said to Qiu Yue, “Let’s go back. My fishing skills are obviously limited. It’s a waste of time. Oh, my dream of a fish feast!”

Shaking her head, she walked off.

Qin Yuan noticed Anran leaving and was a little surprised. He had seen her watching him and thought she would come over to ask for advice. But then, she just left, even though she seemed to have considered approaching him.

As he thought about it, he muttered to himself, “How interesting.”

Dong Zhu, standing nearby, didn’t hear him clearly and asked, “Young master, what did you say?”

Qin Yuan glanced at him and said, “Take the fish I caught to the kitchen and have them prepare a full fish feast for Miss Anran. I heard her mention earlier that she wanted one, and since she couldn’t catch any fish, she went back frustrated. A fish feast should cheer her up.”

Dong Zhu nodded and replied, “Yes, I’ll instruct them on my way back.”

One of Qin Yuan’s friends, who had been fishing with him, overheard and teased, “Our young master Qin sure knows how to care for a beauty. Couldn’t bear to see her leave without catching anything, huh?”

The others laughed along with the joke, casting playful glances at Qin Yuan.

Qin Yuan ignored them, stood up, and said, “I’ve caught enough for today. Let’s head back.”

He had only come here because of Anran, and now that she was gone, there was no point in staying. His friends broke into laughter again.

A man in a blue robe commented, “Qin Yuan, you do have a fiancée. You shouldn’t get too close to other women, or you’ll make Qiqi sad if she finds out.”

When Qin Yuan heard the mention of Qiqi, his expression softened.

“I know, I don’t need your reminder. Mind your own business. Whatever happens between Qiqi and me has nothing to do with you.”

With that, he strode off.

Another man in black said, “You should be more careful. It’s better for both you and Qiqi.”

He patted the blue-robed man on the shoulder before walking off. The blue-robed man stiffened, then hurriedly followed the black-clad man.

Later that evening, when Anran sat down for dinner, she was surprised to see that it was indeed a full fish feast—fish soup, sashimi, braised fish, fish balls, and fish patties. It was quite the spread.

Seeing Anran’s confusion, Qiu Yue explained, “This was specially arranged by the young master for you.”

Anran was shocked.

“The young master is so thoughtful. Well then, I’ll eat more to thank him!”

She immediately began devouring the food with enthusiasm.

“Mmm, the chef’s skills are amazing. I ate too much again. Qiu Yue, let’s go for a walk,” Anran said, stretching and feeling satisfied.

Qiu Yue nodded and replied, “Miss, you did eat quite a lot. You should take a walk to digest.”

Anran leisurely strolled through the garden. Compared to yesterday, everything felt less novel, but she still walked several laps, worried she wouldn’t be able to sleep later if she didn’t digest her meal.

After walking for about ten laps, she finally gave up and headed back. Once Anran had washed up and was settled in, Qiu Yue excused herself and left the room.

As soon as she stepped out, she saw Dong Zhu waiting outside. Without him having to say anything, Qiu Yue quickly followed him.

When they reached the door of the study, Dong Zhu stepped forward and knocked. “Young master, Qiu Yue is here.”

Qin Yuan looked up at the time and thought, She’s sleeping pretty early.

He responded, “Come in.”

The two entered and bowed.

“Greetings, young master.”

Qin Yuan nodded, and Qiu Yue, understanding the cue, immediately began reporting on Anran’s activities for the day.

“Miss Anran woke up at the hour of Si. After breakfast, she went fishing, but didn’t catch anything. She was a bit frustrated when she came back, but didn’t lose her temper. She spent some time painting fish in the study. When she saw the fish feast at dinner, her mood improved significantly, but she ate too much and had to take a long walk in the garden to digest. After that, she went to bed.”

Qin Yuan smiled faintly and nodded. “Alright, I got it. You can go now.”

Qiu Yue nodded and quickly left the room.

Qin Yuan, looking over the information he had gathered about Anran, muttered to himself, “A village girl from the Cang Mountains, yet she lies so unconvincingly. How can someone unfamiliar with this place live so freely? What kind of identity does she have?”

He then turned to Dong Zhu and said, “Tell Ying Wu to hurry up with the investigation. If there’s no news in three days, let him go to the punishment chamber and accept his punishment.”

Dong Zhu immediately responded, “Yes, I’ll pass the orders right away.”

Without looking at him, Qin Yuan waved him off.