Chapter 56 Fishing

A mischievous glint slowly returned to Xue Yao’s eyes as the throbbing in her head eased a little. She stretched lazily beneath the blanket until both arms were fully extended above her head, letting out a long yawn that almost brought tears to her eyes. Feeling completely comfortable, she instinctively reached toward the spot beside her, expecting to feel a familiar ball of soft feathers.

"...Honghong?" She frowned where her fingers felt nothing but the blanket.

The last traces of sleep disappeared. She frowned and patted the bed again, this time more carefully, before looking around the room in confusion.

"...Honghong?"

There was still no answer.

Her eyes slowly swept across the room before returning to the empty space beside her. Yesterday, Honghong had been lying there unconscious. There was no way that little glutton would wake up before her... unless something had happened.

Her heart skipped a beat.

Without another thought, Xue Yao threw the blanket aside and hurried out of bed. The moment both feet touched the floor, a sharp pain shot through her head, making her stagger forward. She quickly grabbed the edge of the bed to steady herself while pressing her other hand tightly against her forehead.

"Ah..."

The room spun so violently that she had to squeeze her eyes shut. She stood there for a few moments, taking slow, careful breaths until the dizziness finally eased enough for her to straighten up again.

"Damn those old wolves..." she muttered, rubbing her forehead. "They almost dug through my entire life, and now they’ve left me with a headache that feels like someone is hammering nails into my skull."

The more she thought about yesterday, the more annoyed she became.

"If I don’t get revenge one day, my surname isn’t Bai."

Still holding her aching head, she slowly walked toward the door and pushed it open.

Warm sunlight immediately poured over her, making her squint.

"Why is it so bright..." She raised a hand to shield her eyes, looking as though the morning sun had personally offended her.

"I hate the sun, I hate everyone, I hate this stupid headache..." She grumbled as she slowly walked down the steps. "I hate this courtyard, I hate this palace, I hate this life, I don’t even want to stay here anymore."

As she complained, her thoughts naturally drifted to the owner of the palace.

"And that grumpy wolf still owes me an explanation," she muttered with a small pout. "He disappeared when I needed him most, then suddenly came back acting like some great hero. Just wait until my head stops hurting. I’m definitely going to settle this account with him."

Before she could complain any further, a gentle splash broke the quiet morning.

"Hm?"

She turned toward the sound.

The clear pond reflected the bright blue sky as a golden fish leaped gracefully out of the water. Its scales glittered beneath the sunlight before it dropped back into the pond with a soft splash, sending ripples spreading across the surface. A moment later, another fish jumped, followed by a third swimming lazily beneath the lotus leaves.

Xue Yao stopped walking.

Her eyes followed the fish as they glided through the crystal-clear water, and her throat unconsciously bobbed.

"...Those look delicious."

Just like that, every complaint she had been muttering disappeared from her mind.

Her eyes immediately began searching the courtyard.

"No stick..." She frowned, then she proceeded to look behind a nearby rock. "No net..." Her eyes burned with disappointment.

She walked over to one of the trees and peeked behind the trunk. "Nothing useful..."

Then, a sly smile slowly spread across her face. "Good thing I came prepared."

With a flick of her wrist, her trusted drumstick appeared in her hand.

She weighed it in her palm for a moment before giving a satisfied nod. "Perfect."

Holding the drumstick like an experienced hunter, she quietly crouched beside the pond and fixed her eyes on the golden fish swimming beneath the surface. Her gaze followed them patiently as she judged their movements, waiting for the perfect chance.

"Come on..." She muttered under her breath. "I’ll only catch one."

She licked her lips and grinned. "Lie Lang has so many. He’ll never notice if one accidentally disappears."

Xue Yao narrowed her eyes until only a thin slit remained, her entire attention fixed on the pond. Beneath the lotus leaves, a golden fish swam lazily through the clear water, completely unaware that someone had already decided its fate.

"Just one..." she whispered to herself. "I only need one."

The fish drifted closer and closer. Xue Yao tightened her grip on the drumstick, holding her breath as she carefully followed its movements. The moment it entered her range, her eyes lit up.

Whoosh!

The drumstick flew through the air with surprising accuracy before plunging into the pond with a loud splash. Water sprayed in every direction, but before the fish could react, Xue Yao had already lunged forward. Both hands shot into the water, and when she pulled them back out, a large golden fish was flapping wildly between her palms.

"Hahaha! Got you!"

The fish thrashed desperately, its tail slapping against her arm over and over again.

"You still want to run?" Xue Yao grinned as she tightened her grip. "Too late. Into the pot you go."

She dropped it into a large iron pot she had taken out of her system space.

Splash!

The fish landed with another loud splash, startling the rest of the school. Golden shadows scattered in every direction as the remaining fish darted deeper into the pond.

Xue Yao frowned.

"So you’re running now?" She rolled up her sleeves with a determined look. "I refuse to believe I can’t outsmart a few fish."

For the next several minutes, the peaceful courtyard was anything but peaceful.

"There you are!"

Splash!

"Hahaha! Number two!"

Another splash echoed through the courtyard.

"Stop hiding behind the lotus leaves!"

"Come back here!"

"You almost got away!"

Every few moments another fish was thrown into the pot, followed by another loud splash and another triumphant laugh. By the time the pond finally became quiet again, six golden fish were crowded inside the iron pot, bumping into one another as they continued struggling.