Journey Through Realms: Fulfilling Last Wishes

Chapter 20: The White Lotus of the Demon Sect

An Ran and Shen Yu had been staying here for four days now and hadn’t gone out at all. Their daily routine consisted of eating, taking medicine, and either reading historical anecdotes or discussing what to eat next.

“Shen Yu gege, do you think I’ve gained weight? I can even pinch some fat on my waist,” An Ran asked unhappily, pinching her side.

“Really? I don’t think so. You look just the same as before. If anything, I think this is perfect,” Shen Yu replied, pulling An Ran closer to examine her carefully.

He thought she looked great with a bit of flesh—it made her more comfortable to hold. An Ran had been too thin before, and these few days of proper feeding had finally added some weight to her. There was no way he’d let her lose it again.

Why did I even ask Shen Yu? So foolish. Everyone says beauty is in the eye of the beholder. To Shen Yu, I must be the most beautiful person in the world right now. Asking him for a truthful answer is pointless.

An Ran thought to herself, feeling a bit exasperated.

She resolved to eat less from now on. She could already feel how hard it was to get up. It was all Shen Yu’s fault—most of the food prepared to nourish his recovery had ended up in her stomach instead.

“Forget it, I’m not asking you anymore. I’ll just eat less. Tonight, I’ll only have boiled vegetables,” An Ran said seriously.

“If you’re eating boiled vegetables, then I’ll eat the same. I’ve felt that the food has been a bit greasy these past few days anyway,” Shen Yu replied earnestly, as if An Ran had spoken a great truth and he should follow her lead.

Here we go again, An Ran thought, feeling helpless. Every time it was the same. Shen Yu was clearly the patient, yet he showed no awareness of his condition. If she ate boiled vegetables, he insisted on eating the same. He flat-out refused to touch the meals specially prepared for him. In the end, she had no choice but to share the same food with him, which resulted in her eating double portions and gaining weight while he stayed the same.

She didn’t know what to say anymore. Shen Yu’s concern and care for her were obvious, so she couldn’t refuse him outright. But the current situation left her feeling stuck.

How can I lose weight? How can I eat my fill and still slim down? An Ran pondered in distress.

“Shen Yu gege, let me prepare today’s meal for you. Wait here—I’ll make something delicious!” An Ran suddenly exclaimed, having thought of a healthy diet meal plan. She decided to start preparing nutritious, low-calorie meals from now on. Excited by her idea, she rushed off to the kitchen.

Watching her enthusiastic departure, Shen Yu sighed softly.

This girl is just so lively and full of energy.

“Shen Yi, how is the task progressing?” Shen Yu asked aloud, addressing the ceiling.

During the hasty rescue of An Ran, Shen Yu hadn’t brought any subordinates with him. After returning to Yongcheng, he had summoned his people to regroup.

A few days ago, Shen Yu had tasked Shen Yi with investigating the recent activities of Jianhai Manor. He wanted to understand why a typically reclusive faction had suddenly chosen to instigate conflicts in the martial world.

“Reporting to the young master, the people at Jianhai Manor have been very busy these days. It seems they are preparing for the arrival of an important figure. Qin Yuan is nowhere to be found, and Manor Master Qin has been handling internal affairs at the manor. Since few responded to their call to crusade against the Demon Sect, Manor Master Qin seems to be planning to act on his own. As for the exact purpose, I haven’t been able to uncover it yet,” Shen Yi reported.

Shen Yi found it strange. What gave Jianhai Manor the confidence to singlehandedly challenge their sect? Such a significant matter was known only to a select few, and the lower-ranked personnel merely followed orders without question. He had no clear leads for now.

“Qin Yuan has disappeared? Where could he have gone? Investigate this immediately. Continue monitoring Jianhai Manor and focus all efforts on locating Qin Yuan,” Shen Yu commanded.

Qin Yuan’s disappearance undoubtedly meant he was up to something important. If they could find him, it might be the breakthrough needed to uncover the truth.

“Yes, young master. I will relay the orders at once,” Shen Yi responded, bowing his head before vanishing.

Shen Yu nodded thoughtfully. Jianhai Manor was undoubtedly plotting something significant, given their willingness to confront them head-on. What could Jianhai Manor be after that made them so determined? Perhaps it was time to write to his unreliable father for answers.

Meanwhile, An Ran was busy in the kitchen. She started by requesting a chicken, some seasonal vegetables, and fish from the chef. Once everything was ready, she rolled up her sleeves and got to work.

She divided the chicken into three parts, setting aside the breast meat, and chopped the thighs and wings into smaller pieces. Next, she stir-fried spices, green onions, ginger, and garlic until fragrant, then added the fish and braised it on low heat after flipping it over. She boiled the chicken breast and prepared a dipping sauce for it. The thighs and wings were braised, and the remaining chicken bones were fried in oil.

After finishing all the cooking, An Ran froze for a moment. Wasn’t she supposed to make a diet-friendly meal? It seemed the only dish remotely connected to dieting was the boiled chicken breast.

Sigh, today’s attempt at a diet meal was clearly a failure. But since the food was already prepared, it would be wasteful not to eat it. Dinner could wait.

An Ran called for a waiter to help her carry the dishes and rice to the room. There was no way she could carry it all by herself. The waiter quickly stepped forward, eager to assist. Over the past few days, he had noticed how much the innkeeper went out of his way to serve these two guests. Their identities were undoubtedly extraordinary.

The waiter saw this as a chance to curry favor—maybe even earn a tip. If not, at least he could make a good impression, which might eventually lead to better opportunities, like a cushy doorman job similar to Wang Xiaobao’s.

An Ran didn’t notice the waiter’s hidden agenda and walked carefully ahead, focused on not spilling the food she had painstakingly prepared.

“An Ran, so you’re here! I finally found you,” came Qin Yuan’s voice as he stepped into the inn and spotted An Ran heading upstairs with food. He seemed puzzled and called out to her.

Surprised to see Qin Yuan, An Ran glanced back briefly. What was he doing here? Surely, he must be up to something—whenever he appeared, there was always a scheme in play. However, she didn’t acknowledge him further and continued upstairs. Shen Yu was waiting for her to eat together, and she saw no reason to let Qin Yuan delay her meal.

The waiter, seeing An Ran ignore Qin Yuan, also chose to follow her up without stopping. Qin Yuan, frustrated by An Ran’s disregard, wanted to rush forward to stop her but hesitated. This was Shen Yu’s territory, and he knew better than to act recklessly.

The waiter downstairs noticed Qin Yuan’s agitation and immediately stepped in to block him, preventing him from advancing further.

“An Ran, you’ve sunk so low as to carry food yourself, yet you still refuse to leave with me. Shen Yu is gravely poisoned and won’t live much longer. Isn’t it better to be with me than with someone about to die?” Qin Yuan shouted from behind the waiter.

Hearing Qin Yuan’s words, An Ran’s temper flared. She turned back, her gaze cold.

“You’re truly ridiculous. Who told you my Shen Yu gege was on the verge of death? Slandering others like this comes with consequences,” she said icily.

This man was trouble. His sudden appearance had thrown a wrench into everything. It had taken so much effort to convince Shen Yu that the poison could be cured, but Qin Yuan’s shouting would undoubtedly make him suspicious. What if she couldn’t keep the truth hidden? Gu Lao’s preparations weren’t ready yet, and she had hoped to resolve the issue unexpectedly. Now things were complicated, and it was all Qin Yuan’s fault.

“Someone, beat him out of here with sticks and don’t let him in again!” An Ran ordered angrily, directing her command to the waiter blocking Qin Yuan.

With that, she turned and quickly went upstairs to check on Shen Yu. Was he already suspicious? She picked up her pace, worried.

“Shen Yu gege, the food’s here! I put all my effort into making it, so you better enjoy it,” An Ran said with a lighthearted tone as she pushed the door open.

“Really? Then I’ll have to make sure I enjoy every bite of Ranran’s cooking,” Shen Yu replied with a smile, walking slowly to the table.

“Yes, eat plenty! Once you’re fully recovered, Shen Yu gege can take me out to explore Yongcheng’s vibrant streets,” An Ran added, casually implying that Shen Yu’s recovery was a certainty, showing no concern that the poison might be incurable.

“Ranran, if you want to go, we can go after dinner. I’ve mostly recovered, though I might not be able to carry you this time. By the way, I think there was some commotion downstairs earlier,” Shen Yu said, suggesting a post-dinner outing while subtly inquiring about the argument he had overheard.

Oh no, he brought it up. Should I tell the truth? Sigh, better to be honest.

“That was Qin Yuan causing a scene downstairs. I had him thrown out. Let’s not talk about that annoying person—let’s focus on eating instead,” An Ran said, hoping to brush off the subject quickly.

But Shen Yu wasn’t so easily fooled.

“I heard something about someone being ‘on the verge of death.’ Was he insulting you, or was he talking about me?” Shen Yu asked directly, making it clear he had overheard enough to suspect something.

“Well, since you heard it, you should know he was talking about you. I don’t know why he’s so certain you’re dying. Didn’t Gu Lao say there’s no issue? Maybe Qin Yuan just can’t stand to see us happy and is cursing us. Let’s not take him seriously,” An Ran replied, mixing truth with half-lies to muddle the situation.

“Maybe, but it’s worth investigating. I just received news that Jianhai Manor intends to attack us alone. They must either be insane or have some leverage. Qin Yuan might be the key. If he’s so certain about my condition, it means he knows the poison well. This rare poison must have come from someone, and if we can uncover that person, we’ll know who’s behind all this and how to guard against them,” Shen Yu explained, analyzing the severity of the situation.

“Let’s finish eating first and rest a bit. We haven’t gone out in a long time,” An Ran said, dropping the subject and encouraging Shen Yu to eat more. The priority was restoring his health to prepare for whatever lay ahead.

The two then began their meal, with An Ran adding food to Shen Yu’s plate and occasionally feeding him bites herself. Meanwhile, outside the inn, Qin Yuan was left humiliated after being beaten out. He glared at the inn’s signboard in anger before limping away.

An Ran dared to have him thrown out—clearly, Shen Yu had corrupted her! But Shen Yu was as good as dead, so there was no point in stooping to the level of a dying man.

With that thought, Qin Yuan found a nearby inn to stay in, determined to monitor Shen Yu’s movements closely.