Miss Witch Doesn't Want to be a Diva
Chapter 953 - 84: The Eternal Wind Sweeps Across the Lakeshore_2

"This is the spot." Tilan glanced around, then walked toward a shaded area by the lakeside.

"Finally, we can rest." Ores quickened her steps to follow, releasing her grip on her dress, letting the hem fall and sweep over the dry, crackling leaves on the ground.

Prin approached the lake, picked up a small stone, and tossed it in a spinning motion. It skipped across the water, creating several splashes before sinking.

"I've seen my brother play this before." Blanchi, standing nearby, remembered something and imitated her, picking up a stone. Unfortunately, her poor angle meant it barely skipped before sinking to the bottom.

Seeing this, the others covered their mouths, laughing. This led to a lively discussion about this age-old yet curious game.

"If I used transcendent powers, I could make a stone float on the water for a whole day, but that would be no fun."

"The best part is finding the right stone, feeling that little surge of anticipation and curiosity, and seeing how many skips it gets."

"If we used our abilities to make it float indefinitely, it would lose the excitement and the unknown."

"Yanqing, come join us. No using abilities, okay~"

"Wow, Yanqing's skipped nine times, even more than Prin!"

"That's only because I wasn't trying."

"Hmph, Sister Prin is always so competitive."

"How did I suddenly become a 'sister'?"

The short-statured Prin stood on a rock, arguing with Blanchi, insisting she should be considered younger.

Tilan dragged a stone to the lakeside, cleaned it off, and prepared it as a seat for later. Nearby, Audrey was examining a new fishing rod. She had seen Feng Jianxue fish before but rarely tried it herself, as her duties as a songstress and idol left her little free time.

"If there were a small table, I could set up my beloved teapot." Ores looked around and nodded as she spoke.

"That teapot, with its pretty vine and morning glory designs, was fired together with the kettle. The teacup's bellflower shape was equally exquisite."

"But if we had a table, we'd need chairs to match. Then it wouldn't feel like fishing anymore; it'd feel like a tea party." Tilan waved her hand, dismissing the idea as too ordinary.

"That's true." Ores thought for a moment and abandoned the idea. Instead, like Audrey, she began preparing bait for her fishing hook.

"A picture just came to mind."

The girl glanced at Ores in her slightly ornate gown.

"Ores sitting on this stone, yes, legs gracefully tilted to the side, hands resting lightly on her dress, and her gaze distant, fixed on the lake."

Then Tilan and Audrey began taking photos of Ores, trying out various angles until discovering the perfect shot.

In the frame, the silver-haired elf dressed in a snow-white gown adorned with silver filigree sat on the unadorned, earthy stone. Not far behind her, the trees tinged with shades of green and red stretched out, their fallen leaves forming a thick carpet. The scene, framed by the blue, tranquil lake before her, showed the closer edge shaded darker by the woods while the distant corners sparkled where sunlight hit.

The left side of the image glimmered with sunlight over the transparent ripples of the lake, contrasting sharply with the natural, shaded coolness of the denser woods on the right. The solitary elf girl sitting on the stone seemed out of place in her exquisite dress, yet the streaks of white veins in the weathered stone beneath her and the dry leaves brushing her gown's hem lent a touch of realness. It resembled an ice crystal fallen from the heavens, nestled among drifted leaves and mundane rubble—beautiful, yet strikingly grounded, unlike overly flamboyant paintings that, though pretty, left one hollow.

"Wow, Tilan's photography is incredible. This could even be turned into a wall mural," Audrey exclaimed in surprise after reviewing the shot.

"How did it turn out?" Hearing Audrey's astonished praise, Ores couldn't help but lift her skirt as she jogged over, leaning close to Tilan to examine the photo. The three huddled together, discussing the image's finer details.

"Can I have this as a gift, Tilan~?" Ores clasped the girl's wrist, playfully requesting with a skillful hint of a plea.

"Of course. It's your picture, after all." Tilan smiled as she agreed.

Afterward, the three set the fishing rods in place. Blanchi and Prin also joined them.

Although all six had come for this outing, there were only four fishing rods. With those settled, everyone drifted off to their respective activities once again.

Prin and Blanchi collected stones, intending to build a small fire pit. Audrey strolled through the woods, effortlessly gathering dry branches and leaves. Under her control, the dry collection trailed her like small, obedient creatures, swirling along with the breeze.

Meanwhile, Ores softly sang, her voice conjuring icy fragments and frost over the lake's surface. The magic, guided by Shui Yanqing, condensed into tiny water droplets that spiraled and coalesced into a crystalline water ball.

Under the sunlight, the water ball's spinning mass expanded, transforming into a large convex lens that captured and focused the light onto the prepared pile of dry leaves in the stone pit.

Wisps of smoke spiraled upward, and with a sudden spark, flames flickered to life, igniting the campfire.

"Now we can heat some food." Blanchi moved closer, setting down the basket she carried. Inside were small grilling racks and other tools.

"If we catch fish later, we can grill them too," Tilan mentioned, a thought crossing her mind.

"Are we really going to eat them? I thought Tilan just enjoyed catching them and then setting them free," Ores tilted her head, curious.

"I've seen live fish before; they're always so fishy-smelling," she commented skeptically.

"No, today you must try fish cooked by Tilan," Shui Yanqing seized the opportunity for some mischief.

"If you don't eat it, it means you don't like Tilan."

"Ugh, fine, I'll eat it then." Ores relented, sitting down as she watched the campfire's flames steadily grow.

Managing the campfire fell mostly to Prin and Tilan. Unlike the other songstresses, who seemed untouched by mortal concerns, the two from the Four-leaf Crystal were surprisingly adept.

"You can't stack the firewood too close together. When building the fire pit, mix small twigs with thicker wood; otherwise, the small ones will burn up quickly, and you need larger logs for sustenance. Also, leave a 'hollow' or air pocket in the center to allow airflow. That way, it burns more efficiently with less smoke," Tilan explained with easy, practical advice.

"Tilan is so skilled; it seems like you've gone on plenty of picnics before," Audrey remarked.

"It's more of a personal hobby. But nowadays, with convenient tools, most people don't need to light fires themselves anymore."

"Would you like some grilled bread while we wait? I brought some," Blanchi offered, unpacking bread from the picnic basket and asking everyone.

"How about pairing it with jam?" Audrey suggested.

"I think cumin and chili powder would be better," Prin shared her opinion.

"Plain is quite nice, too," Tilan interjected with a grin.

On the other side, Ores sat on a lakeside rock, curiously watching a floating bobber dance lightly on the rippling surface. She turned to Shui Yanqing after a while and asked, "Shouldn't the line be pulled now?"

"Not yet." Shui Yanqing confidently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Though invisible to others, she could sense that the fish beneath the water hadn't fully bitten but was simply nibbling and testing.

"I see." Ores relaxed and continued waiting.

Seeing her so obedient, Shui Yanqing found herself a bit unaccustomed. Strangely, since that day, Ores had rarely teased her anymore. Even their usual playful bickering had waned significantly.

Such a big change, Shui Yanqing mused. Yet, it didn't seem like Ores's style to change willingly—or even that it was within her nature to do so.

This Ice Spirit noble had never faced hardships growing up and wouldn't easily alter herself to accommodate others, which made her recent transformation all the more surprising to Shui Yanqing.

Thinking this, she turned to glance at the black-haired girl still busy tending the campfire with the others.

That girl… there's an indescribable charm about her, Shui Yanqing thought. She somehow drew so many people around her—not through any coercive or impulsive power, but by naturally exuding a sense of calm and comfort. Perhaps it could be summed up as reassurance and serenity.

Even among them, the songstresses, they were unconsciously being drawn to her without realizing it.

It's almost frightening when you think about it. Yet, even as Shui Yanqing noticed this, she didn't dislike it. A faint, inexplicable smile crept to her lips at the thought.

Perhaps they had all placed too much importance on their songstress abilities without realizing that, even in the ancient past, long before such abilities existed, certain people had been able to achieve the same effect. This must be what people called charisma, Shui Yanqing concluded.