The lighting in the Sea God Pavilion dining room was soft and warm. A breeze from Sea God Lake drifted through the half-open windows, carrying a faint floral fragrance.
Tang Wulin was immersed in a fierce battle with his food. Two "mountains of bones" had already piled up on the plate before him. Ya Li sat beside him, gently swirling a glass of fruit wine. Although her gaze rested on Tang Wulin, her thoughts seemed to have wandered far away.
"Wulin..." Ya Li suddenly spoke, her gentle voice carrying a barely perceptible trace of melancholy.
"Mm? What is it, Godmother?" With a piece of meat stuffed in his mouth, Tang Wulin raised his head and mumbled. His cheeks bulged like a little hamster hoarding food.
Seeing his endearingly goofy expression, Ya Li couldn't help chuckling. Then she sighed and dropped a bombshell. "Help me think of a way to get that fellow Yun Ming to accept Leng Yaozhu."
"Pfft—!!"
The mouthful of soup Tang Wulin had just taken instantly sprayed out in a rain of mist.
He coughed violently, his face flushing crimson. Both hands clamped onto the edge of the table as though he had just heard something straight out of a fantastical tale.
"G-Godmother, what did you just say?" Tang Wulin stared at Ya Li, his eyes wide with disbelief. "You mean... get Pavilion Master Yun Ming to accept Leng Yaozhu? The Tower Master of the Spirit Pagoda?"
Rather than getting angry at his loss of composure, Ya Li pulled out a tissue and gently wiped the corner of his mouth. Her tone was as casual as if they were discussing the weather. "Yes. I know it sounds absurd, but I've been thinking about it a lot lately."
She set down the tissue and gazed into the pitch-black