Unwilling Bride: The 1V5 Love Drama novel Chapter 288

Chapter 288 A Wish Beneath the Love Tree

Ethan lowered his eyes to the photo they had just taken together.

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In the picture, Ava stood beside him with a bright, sweet smile. Compared to her, his own expression did look far too restrained.

He glanced at her. “Want to take another one?”

“Not yet. Let’s wait until we get farther up and see if the view’s better.” Ava studied the photo for a moment, then shook her head. “Even if you do look a little too serious, you’re still very handsome. It’s just… a different kind of handsome than usual.”

They continued climbing.

A short while later, Ava noticed a cluster of monkeys gathered by the side of the trail. Their eyes darted around restlessly, and nearly every one of them held food taken from passing

tourists.

One of them was a mother monkey cradling a tiny baby against her chest as she nursed it.

Ava took out the bread rolls the elderly couple had given her earlier and tore off a piece for the mother monkey. It showed no fear of people. The moment the bread came near, it snatched it away, tossed aside the fruit peel it had been holding, and started eating.

The others immediately crowded over.

One particularly bold monkey tugged at Ava’s pant leg, then reached out a tiny hand at her like it was openly asking for more.

That made Ava laugh.

These little things were basically professional beggars.

She tore off another piece and handed it over.

From that point on, the whole scene got a little out of control. Ava ended up feeding away the entire bag of bread, yet even after that, a few monkeys still lingered around her, hoping for

more.

At least this troop had some manners.

They were not the kind of troublesome monkeys that jumped at people or yanked on their clothes and hair.

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Chapter 288 A Wish Beneath the Love Tree

Ava shook the empty bag open for them to see. “That’s it. There’s nothing left.”

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Once the monkeys realized they were not getting any more food, they gradually lost interest and wandered off.

After nearly four hours of climbing, the two of them finally reached the summit.

The wind at the top was much stronger than below.

Ava quickly put her jacket back on, but the gusts still blew her hair into a tangle.

As she looked around at the people coming and going, her gaze landed on a huge boulder nearby. Carved across it in bold red characters were the words: Golden Shell Rock.

She stood in front of the rock for a while, studying it carefully. The broad, rounded shape of the stone really did resemble an enormous turtle shell.

Ethan looked at her. “You must be hungry by now. Let’s eat first.”

Ava nodded at once and linked her arm through his with a smile. “Yeah, I’m starving. Those few candies barely helped at all.”

Ethan reached out and brushed a few windblown strands of hair back behind her ear.

Together, they headed into the public dining hall near the chapel. After finding seats and placing their order, Ethan looked at her and mentioned, “The prayers here are supposed to be very effective. Want to try making one later?”

Ava met his gaze. “Sure. We can take a look.”

Their food arrived not long after.

Ava picked up her utensils, took a bite, and immediately narrowed her eyes in satisfaction. “This is actually really good.”

Once they finished eating, the two of them stepped back outside.

Standing at the summit, Ava looked out into the distance. “If there were clouds today, this would be the perfect place to watch a sea of them.”

Ethan nodded. “The view here is famous for both the sea of clouds and the sunrise.”

After standing there for a while, Ava turned back toward him. “Come on. Let’s look around the chapel.

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Chapter 288 A Wish Beneath the Love Tree

Inside, statues and painted icons of saints lined the chapel halls.

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Visitors moved quietly through the space, some lighting votive candles, others pausing before the shrines, heads bowed in prayer.

Watching them, Ava found the scene unexpectedly striking. She had not imagined that

praying to the saints would remain such a living tradition, much less one that drew this many people.

The two of them wandered through the grounds at an easy pace, stopping here and there, until they eventually came to a smaller chapel known as Cupid’s Chapel.

The moment Ava stepped into the courtyard, she noticed the difference at once. The place was far more crowded than the rest of the grounds.

An ancient tree stood at the center of it. According to the plaque nearby, it had been there for more than three thousand years.

Its branches were filled with red prayer ribbons and small keepsake charms left behind by visitors.

Ava stared for a moment, visibly surprised. “So this is how people come here to pray for love?”

Ethan nodded. “That tree is known as the Love Tree. According to local legend, it was planted long ago by a couple who were deeply devoted to each other. Over the years, people started treating it as a symbol of love and adding their own hopes to it.”

Then he looked at her and asked, “Do you want to make a wish?”

“A wish?” Ava turned toward him. “Not really. There isn’t anything I especially want right now.”

“I do.”

With that, Ethan walked over to a small stand and took one of the prayer cards. Picking up a pen, he looked back at her. “Close your eyes.”

Ava did as he asked.

Ethan watched her for a brief moment, then wrote something down in a few quick strokes before slipping the card into one of the red hanging charms.

“Done.”

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