At that moment, Lin Mo's previously busy scalpel had unconsciously stilled.
He pricked up his ears, listening intently to the story Eula seemed poised to continue.
He wanted to know just how 'proud' Eula was, to the point of wanting to share their sweet little story with everyone.
But what Lin Mo didn't expect was this.
Just as Eula was about to continue.
Alice suddenly interjected:
"First, gently helping you out of your wedding dress."
"Then from the earlobe, to the neck, and then moving on to the main event?"
Eula froze for a moment, looking at Alice with disbelief and confusion. "Lady Alice, how do you know—"
But before she could finish her question.
Eula suddenly realized something and immediately bowed to Alice. "My apologies, I forgot Lady Alice is a senior. You must be quite familiar with all the... details."
"Hmph! This guy..."
Alice cast a cold glance towards Lin Mo. "Lin Mo, don't you have anything to say?" "Uh... Huh?"
A chill ran down Lin Mo's spine.
He instinctively turned to look at them.
Paimon was covering her face, red as an apple, utterly embarrassed.
No doubt, she had already imagined certain sweet details of the wedding night from Alice's simple description.
Eula's eyes were shimmering, her face filled with sweetness.
Clearly, she was still reminiscing about the romantic moments of that night.
But Alice asked with a serious expression, "Why are your vows, and the... process, exactly the same?" "Could it be..."
"You say the same things to every woman, and always start by kissing their ears?"
Lin Mo: !!!
"Ahem..."
Lin Mo immediately cleared his throat twice.
Simultaneously, his mind raced as he hurriedly responded, "Alice, Paimon is still a child. This kind of adult topic... let's discuss it privately later, alright?"
"Paimon... just looks underage~!" Paimon protested in a small voice.
Everyone could tell she was also intensely curious about that story.
Alice didn't press further, but instead fixed her gaze directly on Lin Mo's eyes.
To her, the identical vows, the identical process—this assembly-line style of intimacy gave Alice a feeling of disrespect.
Having spent many years with Alice, Lin Mo naturally knew what she was thinking.
Just as Lin Mo was at a loss for how to explain.
Rhinedottir stepped forward, her gaze colder than frost and snow as she looked at Lin Mo.
Lin Mo was momentarily stunned.
He blurted out instinctively, "Rhinedottir, what do you mean by this?" "What do I mean?"
Rhinedottir said coldly, "Why do they all have it, but only I don't!? Huh?" Lin Mo: ???
"Hey, wait, where is this baseless sense of competition coming from!?"
Lin Mo was utterly bewildered. "Besides, back then... we didn't even know each other's feelings, right?" "Oh? So that means... you had no interest in me?" Rhinedottir's voice remained icy.
Lin Mo felt a splitting headache.
He could only hurriedly explain:
"Rhinedottir, look, with one of them I'm a husband in reality, with the other, a husband in a dream."
"The romantic times with them were, of course, legitimate and proper." "But what about with you?"
"I was just your assistant back then."
"If I had done that sort of... ahem, that sort of thing with you too, it wouldn't have been proper or justified. It might even have been offensive to you."
At this point, Lin Mo spoke with grave sincerity. "That kind of thing, I only do with someone who has the proper status and relationship. Rhinedottir, this is my respect for you!"
"Legitimate and proper... having the proper status and relationship..."
Rhinedottir seemed to grasp something.
Her eyes burned as she looked at Lin Mo, full of expectation. "Then when will you give me my proper status?"
Again!?
The number of people he was supposed to give 'proper status' to after the Lantern Rite... was getting way too many!
One was Yoimiya.
One was Shenhe.
And now Rhinedottir too...
Oh my goodness...
If he were to announce such a thing to everyone.
Who knows how many more would come demanding their 'proper status' from him!
Like Mona, for instance...
What was originally an eagerly anticipated Lantern Rite for Lin Mo.
Now, Lin Mo actually felt a bit afraid of its arrival.
Because after the Lantern Rite ended... things would really be hard to handle.
Coincidentally, at that very moment.
The first warm rays of the morning sun shone on everyone's backs, illuminating Lin Mo's face.
"Oh no! It's dawn!"
Lin Mo said urgently. "The Lantern Rite starts today, and I'm not finished yet! I need to hurry and finish! I'll try to make it before the Lantern Rite opening ceremony, hopefully even have the New Year's Eve dinner with everyone!"
Hearing Lin Mo say this.
Everyone began to exchange glances.
Indeed, time was already very tight.
Not only that.
They saw Yae Miko and Havria, working together, dragging the hunted Boar King towards their location.
Seeing everyone gathered, Yae Miko asked curiously, "Everyone, it's already dawn. Are you all done? Today is the Lantern Rite, you know~"
Half a day later.
Several passenger ships were slowly docking at the wharf of Liyue Harbor.
The passengers on the ships were all uniformly dressed in lavish Inazuman-style attire.
Clearly, they had dressed up deliberately to attend the Lantern Rite.
Arataki Itto was patiently helping an elderly woman, saying gently, "Grandma, we've arrived in Liyue!"
"Oh? So this is the bustling Liyue Harbor? How lively~" The old woman smiled kindly.
She was the elderly lady who had adopted Arataki Itto, Granny Oni.
And at that moment.
A stern female voice reached Arataki Itto's ears: "I never thought you would bring your grandmother to Liyue for the Lantern Rite."
"This filial side of you is quite unexpected."
Hearing this, Arataki Itto instinctively turned to look.
"Tengu Kujou!?"
Arataki Itto's face lit up with joy. "You came too!? Perfect, the duel we agreed on with this great one—" At this point.
Arataki Itto's words suddenly stopped. "Ahem, this time I'm here to show Grandma the Lantern Rite. Our duel is postponed!"
Seeing Itto being so sensible, Granny Oni beside him smiled even more contentedly. "Itto, try to avoid conflicts with others, understand?"
"Yes, Grandma!"
Arataki Itto quickly nodded.
This filial demeanor.
Truly made Kujou Sara view Arataki Itto in a new light.
"Sara, you've arrived."
At that moment, a familiar voice reached Kujou Sara's ears.
"Your Excellency!" Kujou Sara followed the voice.
She saw Makoto and Ei, leading the Inazuman delegation, arriving at the wharf.
Accompanying Ei to welcome the visitors were Ningguang, the Tianquan representing Liyue, and Lin Mo's companions from Liyue.
Noticing Kujou Sara's gaze.
Ningguang nodded gently. "You must be the renowned female general of the Tenryou Commission, Kujou Sara. I am Ningguang, the Tianquan. On behalf of the people of Liyue, I welcome the arrival of our guests from Inazuma."
"Lady Ningguang, the pleasure is mine."
Kujou Sara responded politely. "My visit is not only to participate in this grand Lantern Rite but also to bring specialties from Inazuma as gifts. I hope the people of Liyue will like them."
"Hmm? Specialties from Inazuma?"
Ei showed a puzzled expression.
She instinctively turned to look towards Chiyo, Saiguu, and the others.
Her gaze seemed to ask: What famous specialties does Inazuma have?
Chiyo and Saiguu also shook their heads, looking equally confused.
Not just Chiyo and Saiguu.
Kamisato Ayaka, Yoimiya, and Sayu also wore expressions of bewilderment.
After all, Inazuma had never really had any commodities considered outstanding across Teyvat.
And at that moment.
Kujou Sara waved a hand towards the ships behind her.
Over a dozen soldiers from the Tenryou Commission were seen pushing small carts covered with purple silk, disembarking one after another and gathering on the wharf.
"Come, remove the cloths! Present the gifts I have prepared for Inazuma to the people of Liyue!"
"Yes!!!"
The soldiers responded loudly.
The next moment, they uniformly reached for the cloths.
"Whoosh~!!"
As over a dozen cloths were pulled away, fluttering in the sea breeze.
The 'specialties' Kujou Sara had prepared were revealed before everyone's eyes.
"This is!!"
Even the usually composed Kamisato Ayaka couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
And Makoto and Ei, the two Electro Archons, the moment they saw the "gifts," were as if struck by lightning—both stood there dumbfounded on the spot.
Not just them.
Everyone's expressions upon seeing the gifts Kujou Sara had brought were a mixture of shock and utter peculiarity.
Displayed on the wharf were hundreds of lacquerware dolls, each the same height as a real person.
Every single lacquerware doll.
Was an image of Ei striking various combat poses!
"General Kujou, why have you brought so many... statues..."
Ningguang asked, her expression odd.
Kujou Sara proudly introduced, "This is Inazuma's most popular commodity: the Raiden Shogun Lacquerware Dolls."
"Life-size dolls like these are usually only sold in limited quantities during festivals."
"This time, in my capacity as an envoy, using public funds, I purchased fifty Raiden Shogun Lacquerware Dolls to present to Liyue."
"I hope the people of Liyue can feel the friendship of Inazuma and the majesty of the Raiden Shogun."
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T/N:
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