Chapter 29: A Secret Escape

Yu pulled Zian along, weaving through the garden paths as the sounds of laughter and shouting faded behind them.

"Where are we going, Yu?" Zian asked, slightly out of breath.

"You'll see!" Yu grinned mischievously.

After a short run, they reached the secluded area near the small lake—the same place where Yu had shown Zian the baby birds before. The water shimmered under the afternoon sun, reflecting the swaying trees around it.

Zian folded his arms. "Yu, we sneaked away in the middle of the game. That's not fair to the others."

Yu waved a hand dismissively. "They'll be fine. Besides, Mao was already bossing everyone around. I bet she's the one making all the rules now!"

Zian sighed but couldn't help a small smile. "You really don't like following rules, do you?"

Yu smirked. "Rules are boring." Then, with a sudden glint in his eyes, he leaned forward. "Let's do something fun!"

Zian narrowed his eyes. "I don't like the sound of that."

Yu ignored him and pointed toward the lake. "Let's catch some fish!"

Zian blinked. "Fish? How?"

Yu stepped forward, rolling up his sleeves. "Easy. We just need to be fast!" He crouched near the water's edge, eyes locked on a small fish swimming close to the shore. "Watch this!"

With a swift movement, Yu plunged his hands into the water—only to come up empty-handed. The fish darted away.

Zian chuckled. "Wow, great technique, Yu. Very effective."

Yu pouted. "It's harder than it looks, okay?"

Zian knelt beside him. "Maybe if we use something to trap them, it'll work better."

Yu hummed in thought. "We could use my scarf."

Zian looked at him, unimpressed. "And then you'll have a soaking wet scarf all day."

Yu grinned. "So? It'll dry!"

Just as they were about to try again, they heard voices approaching.

"Yu! Zian!"

They both turned to see Mao and Lui running toward them.

Mao put her hands on her hips. "I knew you two would sneak off somewhere!"

Lui panted. "Yeah! You left in the middle of the game!"

Yu stood up, smirking. "We got bored. So we came here to do something better!"

Mao raised an eyebrow. "Better? What's better than playing with us?"

Yu pointed to the water. "Fishing!"

Mao frowned. "You're going to catch fish with your bare hands?"

"Yes!" Yu declared confidently.

Lui snorted. "That's impossible."

Yu crossed his arms. "Oh? Want to bet?"

Mao grinned. "If you catch a fish, we'll admit you're the best at everything!"

Yu's eyes sparkled. "Deal!"

Zian sighed. "Now we're stuck doing this, aren't we?"

Yu smirked. "You love it."

Zian shook his head, but he couldn't deny the small smile tugging at his lips.

As the sun lowered in the sky, the four of them sat by the water, splashing, laughing, and attempting—rather unsuccessfully—to catch a single fish.

For now, the world outside didn't matter. It was just them, the lake, and the sound of their carefree voices filling the air.