Gen was halfway through explaining, with broad gestures, why his method of fighting the False deity would have been superior when he noticed Liang had gone quiet. His friend's gaze was fixed on a point across the lantern-lit pool, his expression a mix of surprise and something else—something painfully awkward.
Following his look, Gen's eyes landed on a familiar face. The girl from that chaotic, hilarious night of pranking Kang Mao. **Lia Kai.** She stood near a potted fern, looking a little out of place, but her sharp, observant eyes were taking in the whole scene.
A grin, wide and full of mischief, spread across Gen's face. He clapped Liang on the shoulder, hard. "You know what? My friend and I need some air. All this political chatter is stifling."
Before Liang could protest, Gen had him by the arm and was marching him directly toward Lia Kai. Liang's legs seemed to turn to soft dough. He shot Gen a look of pure, panicked betrayal, hissing under his breath, "I will end you. I swear on my ancestors, I will find a way."
Gen just rubbed his thumb and forefinger together, the picture of a delighted devil. "You love teasing me so much. Let's see how *you* fare."
"Hey!" Gen called out, his voice bright and casual. "Lia Kai, right? Fancy meeting you in a place with actual walls."
Lia turned. Recognition flashed in her intelligent eyes, followed by a warm, genuine smile that made her stern features soften. "Gen. And Liang. Yes, it's a bit more formal than a dark alley."
Liang's face darkened with a blush he couldn't control. He managed a weak, strangled sound that was meant to be a greeting, then finally croaked, "W-what are you doing here?"
"I wanted a jade medallion too," Lia said with a pragmatic shrug. "But I was eliminated early in the Tower. The Forest of Echoes was… more than I could handle alone."
Gen looked genuinely surprised. "You were there? I didn't see you."
Liang, finding his voice, gently tapped Gen's arm. "What my tactless friend *means* is, we're very happy to see you safe and sound."
Gen's grin turned conspiratorial. He looked from Liang's flustered face to Lia's amused one. "You know what? I'm suddenly parched. I'm going to go grab a drink. You two… can keep talking. In private. No one will disturb you." He gave an exaggerated wink and took a deliberate step backward.
Lia Kai's cheeks flushed a delicate pink. Liang's eyes went wide with horror. "No tact," he muttered under his breath, watching Gen vanish back into the crowd. "Absolutely no tact."
Lia recovered first, her smile returning. "He's… very direct. I quite like it." She looked at Liang, her gaze softening. "I like your… calm, too. It's a good balance."
Liang was stunned into silence. It was the first time someone had complimented him like that—not his skill, not his loyalty, but *him*. A part of his mind whispered that Gen had always been kind to him, had always had his back, but he quickly shook the thought away. This was… different. The duo began to chat, the initial awkwardness slowly melting under Lia's straightforward questions and Liang's quiet, thoughtful answers.
***
From the safety of the buffet table, Gen picked up a polished red apple and took a triumphant bite. "Best wingman in the four kingdoms," he proclaimed to the pastry in his other hand. "Nobody does it better."
Still grinning, he reached for a second apple. His hand brushed against another, reaching for the same fruit.
He looked up and found himself nose-to-nose with **Lorel**.
She recoiled as if shocked, snatching her hand back. "I—I'm sorry, I didn't…"
Gen was momentarily speechless. It wasn't the collision. It was her. In the soft light, freed from her usual travel-worn robes and dressed in that deep blue dress, she was… luminous. The realization hit him with the force of a quiet thunderclap. He bit the inside of his lip, hard. He would *never* admit it out loud.
He cleared his throat, looking pointedly at the apple. "You can have that one," he said, his voice coming out slightly rougher than intended.
Lorel shook her head, her own cheeks coloring. "No, please, you take it."
"I insist." He pushed it gently toward her. "Ladies first. Or… fellow survivors first. Whatever."
She took the apple awkwardly, holding it close to her chest like a small, crimson shield. A silence stretched between them, filled with the distant music and laughter. Lorel broke it, her voice soft. "What are your plans? Now that the Tower is closed for the year."
Gen took a deep breath, the ghost of the Alter Ego Path and the old man's disappointed voice flashing in his mind. He pushed it down. "First, I'm heading to the Li family territory," he said, his tone shifting to something more determined. "I'll end the year there. I have to see Varja's fight." He didn't add *with my own eyes* or *to understand what I'm up against*. He didn't need to.
Lorel nodded, a flicker of relief in her twilight eyes. "I… was planning the same. To go and witness it." She paused, then the words tumbled out in a rush. "Perhaps we could… be together." She froze, horror dawning on her face. "Travel! Travel together, I meant. For safety. And company."
Gen looked at her, at the earnest hope and sudden terror warring in her expression. He felt a strange, unfamiliar tightness in his chest. It wasn't annoyance. It was… something else.
"Yeah," he said, his voice quieter. "That could work. I don't… I don't really mind." He gave a small, almost shy shrug.
Their eyes met and held for a brief, breathless pause. The noise of the banquet faded. In that shared look was the memory of the forest, of shared fear, of her declaration of faith in him, of his silent nod to her before a fight. It was a fragile, new thread being spun between them.
Slowly, reluctantly, Gen was the first to look away, turning his attention to a nearby fruit platter he'd already exhausted.
Before the delicate new understanding could settle, a voice, loud and challenging, cut through the ambiance from the center of the venue.
"Gen Jiang!" It was a cultivator, a young man with a brash aura and a competitive glint in his eye. He stood in a clear space by the pool, beckoning. "All this talking is boring! Why don't you come over here? Let's exchange a few pointers! See what the famous Immortal's son is really made of!"
The spell shattered. The party's gentle hum was replaced by a wave of interested murmurs. All eyes turned to Gen.