𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐒𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓━━━J. Cheng

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻

007—Loquats

[First Name] blew the seed out of her mouth and swallowed the fruit while she stood up in attention. She stared at the few shadows emerging for a moment before her eyes lit up, they were back. "Ah, it's them." The boats were approaching the shores, her gaze immediately landed on Lan Xichen who was riding the boat in the front. Lan Wangji was also in the same boat.

But then, a frown somehow managed to make its way to her mouth when she counted the boats. "The people earlier told me that they borrowed all the boats but, there's only ten or so... Did they really meet something else out there?" she paused for a moment. And then, she held the basket of loquats in her arm tighter, and then, she leaped towards the nearest boat. And then to the other. Jumping from one place to another is an easy task for cultivators who learned martial arts. Finally, she landed on the boat that was the nearest to the Lan brother's boat.

It just so happens that the boat belonged to a certain young master of Jiang Sect. He was startled when the boat suddenly wobbled roughly. And so, he glanced at the person who landed at the front part of the boat, eyes widening. A smile on her face, a basket of loquats in her arms, and her white robes fluttered beautifully as she took another leap toward her cousins' boat. [First Name] was completely ignorant of the young master, who was somehow, rendered speechless.

Lan Xichen smiled at the girl who just arrived, "[First Name], you came." She nodded, she wanted to cup her hand with the other to greet but she remembered the basket in her arms. It would fall if she did that so she simply lowered her head. "Mhm. I wanted to help but there were no more boats so I just ended up waiting." She then held the basket with a hand towards Lan Xichen and then glanced at the other Lan. "Here, some loquats. Wangji-xiong, want some?" Lan Xichen took one and smiled.

Lan Wangji turned and looked at her then at the basket. His lips curled into a frown and flicked his sleeve then left for another boat. [First Name] blinked cluelessly.

She stared at the air for a moment and then turned to look at Lan Xichen once again, a worried expression on her face. "... Xichen-xiong, is he angry at me or something?" he lightly laughed and shook his head, "No, no. It's not like that. Something happened earlier so, well... Don't mind him, he's not angry at you. Thank you for these, [First Name]."

Hearing that, [First Name] sighed in relief. She then smiled, "I bought a lot earlier." Suddenly, she recalled something and started looking around, glancing at each disciple from the other boats one by one, silently searching for someone. She turned and saw that certain someone, on the nearest boat, dazing out. She cleared her throat and looked down at the basket while silently hesitating for a moment. Lan Xichen, who had been watching her followed her gaze and chuckled lowly.

"Do you want to give some to the Young Master of Jiang Sect too?"

[First Name] flinched and held the basket closer as she turned her head to Lan Xichen with a panicked expression. "No, no. Why would I?" He didn't press any further and only smiled, "If you say so then." But he caught her stealing glances at Jiang Cheng once again.

"..."

[First Name] cleared her throat awkwardly and tried to change the topic. "W-Well, anyways... Did you guys take care of the water ghouls?" He slowly shook his head, "We couldn't fully exterminate them. There was a waterborne abyss in the middle of the lake." [First Name] narrowed her eyes, and with a frown, "What? It's impossible for a waterborne abyss to grow out of here. Why would there be one here?" she paused for a moment before her brows furrowed, "Unless it was chased from somewhere else?"

Lan Xichen helplessly nods, "Mhn."

"Do you know where it possibly came from?"

He silently gave an answer. He raised his head and pointed a finger towards the clear blue sky. Specifically, the burning yellow sun.