After the group finished their discussion, Zemian Zun let Mo Yuan and Fu Zhu leave first, keeping only Shi Yu behind.
The moment they left, the system popped up a notification.
“Task completed. No additional rewards. Task reward: Cloudmist King Ring.”
Before Shi Yu could even look at the item description, Zemian Zun spoke earnestly.
“Shi Yu, what are your plans now?”
A good question, and one that I am not entirely clear on myself.
Shi Yu was waiting anxiously for the system’s instructions; he would naturally have to wait for the next task to be released before he could answer.
Following Shi Yu’s urgent prayers, the familiar mechanical voice finally sounded.
“Task activated: Please go to the Dream Lake King City and clear the name of the Queen.”
Upon hearing this mission, Shi Yu recalled the original host’s tragic past, and his mood involuntarily sank.
“Master, your disciple wishes to return to Dream Lake King City.”
Hearing the slight, choked tone in his voice, Zemian Zun sighed softly.
“Shi Yu, you must understand that the prince who was there before is already dead. This path of yours is destined to be perilous!”
“The disciple understands. However, my mother died under false charges and still bears a sullied reputation. I truly cannot ignore this.”
Shi Yu’s thin, porcelain-like eye corners were tinged with a faint red, and his trembling voice carried a hint of sorrow.
“Since that is the case, take Mo Yuan and Fu Zhu with you. Your mother’s life was far too bitter. If you can clear her name, perhaps you can grant her some peace in death.”
As Zemian Zun spoke, he recalled the past. In his memory, the young, blooming girl was full of kindness even when ostracized by her clan, and she remained persistent in her pursuit of love despite enduring endless storms. It was only a pity she had entrusted her heart to the wrong person.
Shi Yu had actually realized long ago what his master felt for his mother.
The master always liked to stare into his eyes, a gaze that seemed to look through him to see a person from the past, filled with nostalgia and longing.
If his mother had chosen his master, perhaps none of this would have happened, but regrets, in the end, remain just that: regrets.
“Master, rest assured, the disciple will certainly uncover the truth and restore my mother’s innocence.”
Shi Yu’s gaze was as firm as a boulder, and his tone was resonant and resolute.
Zemian Zun pulled himself from his memories and looked at his child, feeling a sense of relief.
“This master believes in you. If you need any help, you can send word to Lingxi Mountain. Go!”
Shi Yu bowed respectfully and exited.
Zemian Zun took out a yellowing portrait from the side, his fingers gently tracing the figure in the image, pouring into it infinite longing and pity.
“A-Yan, Shi Yu has grown up. I will protect him well for you.”
When Shi Yu returned to his residence, he saw from afar a large puppy crouching at his door, listlessly toying with the weeds on the ground.
When Mo Yuan noticed someone standing before him, his bright eyes blinked, and he looked up at the person.
“A-Yu, why have you only just returned? I have been waiting for you for ages.”
“Did you need something?”
Shi Yu looked at the expectant puppy, asking softly in a flat tone.
“Tomorrow is A-Yu’s eighteenth birthday. I specially came to invite A-Yu to go down the mountain and have some fun.”
Mo Yuan reached out to grip Shi Yu’s wrist, using the leverage to pull himself up.
“A-Yu has been on Lingxi Mountain for so many years and has never been down to explore. We will go down together tomorrow. This senior brother will definitely treat you to the best food and drink.”
Shi Yu looked at the energetic puppy before him. Although he didn’t particularly like crowds, he thought about it and finally agreed.
“Fine.”
Shi Yu’s voice remained cool, but this answer made Mo Yuan ecstatic.
“Then A-Yu must wait for me tomorrow.”
Mo Yuan’s peach-blossom eyes, filled with affection, were swimming with a sheen of surprise.
“Hmm.”
No one can refuse an enthusiastic puppy, not even a kitten.
After Mo Yuan left Shi Yu’s place, he walked as if he were floating on air, his head swaying from side to side.
He spent the whole night thinking about the plan for their outing, unable to sleep even while lying in bed, tossing and turning.
As dawn broke, Mo Yuan immediately got up, dressed, and washed, rushing out with lightning speed.
He even startled the cranes that were not yet awake in front of his door, causing them to flap their wings repeatedly, as if protesting his behavior.
But the puppy sprinted all the way to the kitten’s door, only to feel it was too early and he should not disturb the kitten’s sleep.
Consequently, when Shi Yu opened his door, he once again saw the pathetic-looking puppy.
“Why are you crouching here for no reason?”
Shi Yu looked at Mo Yuan, whose actions were identical to the day before, unable to comprehend his behavior.
Did this patch of grass offend him? Did he have to come over and pull weeds the moment he woke up?
Hearing the voice, Mo Yuan’s fingertips trembled, and he quickly stood up. But having crouched for too long, his legs had fallen asleep, and without paying attention, he tipped to the side.
Seeing this, Shi Yu reached out to catch him. Only after successfully catching him did he realize he was actually holding Mo Yuan in his arms.
Looking into those affectionate, captivating peach-blossom eyes, a strange emotion flickered in the depths of Shi Yu’s eyes.
Mo Yuan subconsciously lifted a leg, trying to steady himself, but his body tilted, pinning Shi Yu against the door frame. The hot breath he exhaled brushed directly against Shi Yu’s cold, aloof face.
“Mo Yuan, move!”
Shi Yu gradually realized the intimate posture they were in, his eyes darkening with a hint of world-ending danger.
“A-Yu, I did not mean to, believe me.”
Mo Yuan was so scared by Shi Yu that he blurted out nonsense. However, his Adam’s apple bobbed slightly, and he did not relax his grip, continuing to pin Shi Yu tightly against the frame.
“Mo Yuan, I can beat you now.”
Shi Yu did not want to waste words and planned to use force to resolve the situation.
Hearing this, Mo Yuan immediately let go with one hand and held onto the door frame to stand upright.
“I am sorry, I am sorry, is that enough?”
“Remember to exercise more. Your legs went numb from crouching for such a short time; you weakling.”
Seeing him let go, Shi Yu immediately moved a few steps away, and still feeling unsatisfied, he scoffed.
“A-Yu, you cannot be so heartless. I only crouched at your door for half the day to wait for you.”
Mo Yuan shook his legs, trying to soothe the soreness, yet his mind kept replaying the intimate position he had just held A-Yu in.
I really want to pin the little kitten on the bed and gobble him up so he knows how sinister people can be.
Ugh, disgusting. That is too twisted.
While Mo Yuan was lost in his complex psychological activities, Shi Yu had already tidied himself up and was ready to leave.
Looking at the goofy, smiling puppy in front of him, Shi Yu felt it might be necessary to take him for an intelligence test.
“If you do not leave now, we are not going.”
Shi Yu’s words fell flatly, and he walked away regardless of the dazed Mo Yuan.
Mo Yuan reacted immediately. “Let us go, we will leave right now.”
“A-Yu is in for a treat today. I heard the town below is holding a Sky Lantern Festival these few days; it is going to be incredibly lively.”
“A-Yu would definitely like a kitten-shaped lantern. I just do not know if they have any.”
“If they do not, it is fine. Senior brother will make you one.”
“The ones I make will definitely look better than theirs; A-Yu will surely like it.”
Along the way, Mo Yuan kept talking continuously, but Shi Yu unexpectedly felt that the loneliness of the past five years had vanished; having someone like this by his side was not bad at all.
The two of them tasted all kinds of delicacies in the Lingxi Town below the mountain; even Shi Yu revealed a rare look of satisfaction.
As the sky grew dark, the surrounding lanterns began to glow in a competition of brilliance. The streets of the ancient town were illuminated by shimmering lights, resembling a dreamlike fairyland.
“A-Yu, what to do? I have searched through all these streets and could not find a kitten lantern.”
Mo Yuan sighed, staring at Shi Yu’s face with disappointment; he had checked every nearby stall and found nothing.
Shi Yu did not care about the lantern, but looking at the increasingly crowded street and the people gradually pressing in on him, he felt a bit irritated.
Suddenly, he was bumped from behind. His body tipped forward, only to collide into a warm embrace.