In the Royal Chamber, the Crown Prince looks out the window to check the Celestial Compass.

"That's much better. Now it's shining brightly in its former glory."

I hand him the shooting star I caught. He accepts it and grins.

"Thank you, Ling Yue. I really needed this."

He places it on his desk, weighing down the paper. He's using it as a paperweight.

I run a hand down my face. You've got to be kidding me.

"Did you get one for Long Fei too?"

"No. It took me great effort to get that. He only reads his blank book anyway."

"Is that so? I must try one of those."

With a flick of his finger, the Crown Prince carves a sliver of the shooting star. It transforms into an intricate bookmark and floats to his friend.

"Long Fei, I thought you might like this for your blank book."

"Thank you, Your Highness. That's very pragmatic of you."

Long Fei clears his throat.

"Ling Yue, next time, please get me one."

I give him a deadpan look.

He stands up and gives me a parchment. It reads:

"Courage: Level 59, Elemental Power: Level 58, Physical Power: Level 58, Strategy: Level 59, Agility: Level 56, and Speed: Level 56."

Yes, the trip was worth it. Not long to go for my next evolution. I'm almost to Level 60.

I pull out my quest list and five more lines light up. Could it be multiple quests because my level has increased?

I squint and look closer. No, it's one long-running quest.

It reads:

"The Sky Orchard's Request:
Pick the Flame Fruit.
The Whirlwind Fruit.
The Aqua Fruit.
Then ferment to make wine."

I eye the Crown Prince suspiciously. Is he making me pick up his wine now?

My master gently places the intricate shooting star bookmark in his blank book and slides the book into his sleeves.

"I'll be joining you on this quest."

Yes! This is going to be fun.

"It's been a while since I went wine tasting. Also, you are not allowed to taste the wine."

Fair enough. It's what got me into this mess in the first place.

"So are you leading the way or am I?"

"Try to keep up with me."

Like a breeze, he dashes out. Unlike his brother, he maintains his human guise and does not transform into a beam of light. I trail behind, trying my best to keep up with his pace. He elegantly weaves around other immortals, unimpeded. I, however, have a lot of stop-and-starts, trying to avoid hitting immortals on the celestial highway.

He doesn't even need to look at the Celestial Compass. I've spent so much energy synchronizing it. Does anyone besides me even use it? Were they just trying to keep me occupied? Or are we heading to a top-secret place?

We end up at a mountain filled with vineyards of many colors. He lands like a whisper, his hair and long silk sleeves billowing in the wind, settling as he taps the floor. I try to land gracefully, but end up skidding past him, my hands and feet on the floor creating a dust storm. One day, I will have a nice landing like his.

I survey the variety of fruits in the vineyard. The Flame Fruit is obvious with its flaming orange-red hue — literally on fire. The Aqua Fruit looks like water droplets. There are plain, sphere-shaped fruits, sectioned off from the others. I pick one, and a whirlwind explodes in my face, whipping my hair back.

Ouch!

I turn to him, and he shakes his head.

"Try not to hurt the fruits while you're here."

"Master, I'm guessing this was the Whirlwind Fruit. If I pick it and it explodes, how am I supposed to ferment it?"

"That is a good question. I'm glad you asked."

And he walks off without answering.

I throw my hands up in the air in exasperation.

I don't think he's coming back...

I reluctantly follow him at a distance, hoping that there will be some clue to complete this quest. He strides past, head faced straight, and doesn't touch any fruit. Surprisingly, some fruits are drawn to him as they slowly sway towards him.

Ahead of us stands a female immortal, with flowy robes and an apron. She blushes at the sight of my master.

He pauses, waiting for me to catch up. Then he tilts his head towards her.

"Ling Yue, tell her what happened."

I rub the back of my neck, laughing nervously.

"I'm sorry, I touched one of the fruits and it exploded in my face."

She waves her hands at me, clearly not interested. Her gaze is fixated on him.

"Master Long Fei, it's an honor for you to visit us."

Oh, right, this reminds me of when I was three and everybody was paying attention to him at school instead of me. I forgot he's influential around here.

He silently nods.

"Are there any fruits in particular that you're after? I'm more than happy to collect it for you. Oh, you're just in time for our new brew of wine, would you like a sample?"

"I've brought you an apprentice for the day."

What? I am a what now?

She giggles as she plays with her hair. I don't get it. It's not like he said anything funny.

"Oh, we're fine. Since you've kindly brought us someone to help, I gladly accept. Please come inside. I'll provide you with our newest brew while I attend to this apprentice for the day. Is she normally this color? She didn't touch the Blue Fruit, right?"

She furrows her brows, finger resting on her chin, appraising me from head to toe.

He shakes his head.

"That's a relief. As it would be hard to clean off."

She scrunches her nose at me then smiles sweetly at him.

She opens the door for him, lets him through, then shuts the door in my face.

A gust of wind suddenly opens the door for me. I knew he wouldn't leave me behind.

He must've tagged along for a free drink while palming me off to someone else.