After visiting the temple fair, the group didn't enter the scenic area. Instead, the RV drove toward a remote spot in the countryside.
The mountain was sure to be packed with people, so Lu Chen wasn't about to take everyone into that crowd. This region was full of rolling hills; even some unknown, remote corners were beautiful.
As the RV rolled along a country road, Lu Chen sat in the passenger seat. He casually glanced at Miko.
There was a faint smile on Miko's face, as if she was in a particularly good mood. She was even driving unusually fast.
"Hey, driver, mind slowing down a bit..."
Lu Chen spoke helplessly. The road wasn't in great shape, and there weren't any villages or shops nearby. If the RV stalled, they'd be in trouble.
"Sure~"
After Miko replied, the RV's speed noticeably dropped.
"It's just a fortune-telling—why are you so happy about it?" Lu Chen asked.
"I'm not!" Miko quickly looked at herself in the rearview mirror, only to realize her mood really was showing...
She shot Lu Chen a glare, her small face tightening immediately.
Lu Chen thought back to the scene earlier. The fortune teller had said to Miko:
"You will be with the one you love."
Just one sentence. Maybe because of Lu Chen's cold reaction earlier, the fortune teller had learned to play it safe—only saying nice things.
The result? It sounded like a complete cop-out.
"You, the Guuji of Narukami Grand Shrine, believing a street-corner charlatan?" Lu Chen chuckled. "Why not just do your own reading next time?"
"What do you know!" Miko huffed. "When have you ever seen us draw our own fortune slips?"
"Fine, fine..."
Seeing Miko trying to fool herself like this, Lu Chen didn't know what else to say.
He shook his head and moved to the back of the RV.
Ei was preparing ingredients for the evening's campfire meal—fresh meat and vegetables they'd bought that day.
Lu Chen helped her cut the meat. Ei kindly handed him an apron.
The other three were still playing cards. With a cheer, Venti finally won a round.
"Finally... I finally won..."
Venti was absolutely thrilled.
Qiqi silently clutched the remaining cards in her hands, face expressionless.
Old Master Zhong didn't look very interested either. He'd only joined the game because Venti had begged him.
Lu Chen glanced at Ei, thinking that Venti had only won because Inazuma's card queen hadn't joined the table.
"Ei, come on! I want to see you dominate the table!"
Ei sliced the meat cleanly in two, then looked over with a puzzled expression.
...
The RV stopped by a scenic riverside.
Miko activated the automatic side panel. The RV's panel slowly rose, and Lu Chen set up tables and chairs beneath it, creating an "outdoor tent" to shield them from the wind and rain.
There was even a small bar inside. From the outside, it looked like a tiny tavern that had suddenly popped up in the wild.
No question about it—rich folks really knew how to enjoy life.
And without realizing it, Lu Chen himself had become one of them.
This river flowed through the foothills of Mount Maojun. The upper reaches were fast and choppy, but here, the water was calm. Lu Chen spotted a few old fishermen downstream and suddenly felt the urge to try fishing himself.
After a long journey, everyone stepped out to enjoy the fresh air. Lu Chen pointed toward the river.
"How about we add an extra dish tonight? I'll grill some fish."
"Lu Chen, you know how to fish?" Venti looked over.
"Uh... I've tried a few times." The second half of that sentence—but I've never caught anything—Lu Chen swallowed.
"Hahaha! Then you'd better step aside. I'm Mondstadt's top fisherman!" Venti boasted. "Just tell me what fish you want, and I'll catch it!"
"You're amazing, you're amazing." Lu Chen gave a very encouraging thumbs-up.
Venti wasn't just the "greatest bard," the "best harpist," and the "god of wine in Teyvat"—now he was the "top fisherman of Mondstadt" too...
Was there anything he wasn't good at, besides actual work?
But even facing a real fisherman like Venti, Lu Chen wasn't ready to back down—because he could cheat.
[Purple Item — Wishful (Item: Fishing Rod)]
[A long, bamboo-like rod, said to have belonged to a reclusive Liyue master. Effect: Maximum fishing success rate.]
Lu Chen pulled out this bamboo-like fishing rod from his system inventory.
"Hey? You actually have gear?" Venti walked over. "Lend it to me."
"No way!" Lu Chen gripped his rod tightly. He wanted to enjoy himself today.
"Huh?" Venti blinked. "Aren't you trying to get us fish for dinner?"
"Exactly!" Lu Chen strode to the riverbank. "You go rest. With me here, I guarantee you'll all have your fill."
Seeing how awkwardly Lu Chen handled the rod—he hadn't even brought bait—Venti strolled over and teased, "Looks like we won't be getting that extra dish."
Lu Chen got fired up. He looked back with a grin. "Want to make it a contest? See who can catch more?"
"Sure!"
Then Venti glanced at his empty hands. "But how? I don't have a rod."
That was a problem. Lu Chen put down Wishful and looked toward the old fishermen downstream.
So the two of them hiked over, spent some time walking there, and bought a few rods from the old men before heading back.
"What's the bet?" Venti asked. "Another wish?"
Lu Chen instinctively glanced at Miko, who was taking selfies by the river, and waved his hands quickly. No way was he making promises like that.
"Wait—you're already talking about wishes. You really think I'm going to lose?" Lu Chen said, annoyed.
"Huh?" Venti looked surprised. "You think you'll win?"
"Of course!" Lu Chen said confidently. Then a mischievous thought struck him.
"The loser! Has to do the grilling, serve drinks, and clean up the trash!"
As the group's usual cook, Lu Chen planned to slack off today.
He wanted to enjoy the riverside breeze, the view, and share food with Ei—not toil away at the grill.
Besides, anyone could handle grilling. He was sure Venti would do just fine.
"Judging by that look, you're pretty confident, huh?" Venti grinned. It was as if, in his mind, Lu Chen had already lost.
Lu Chen gave him a sly look and decided not to mention the special ability of his rod.
He handed Venti one of the rods. Venti first checked the water depth, then skillfully baited the hook and prepped the spot.
He cast the rod and adjusted the float—all in one smooth motion. Lu Chen couldn't help nodding.
Damn, this guy's a pro.
Now the bamboo rod in Lu Chen's hands looked pretty unimpressive by comparison. And seeing Venti shooting him a few smug looks, Lu Chen was starting to feel a little nervous.
I really can't afford to lose this...