Even so, Lu Lin did not lower his guard.
He knew very well that Ningguang had come because of him.
As one of the Liyue Qixing, she had countless matters to handle daily. There was no way she would travel all the way from Yujing Terrace to Wanmin Restaurant just for an ordinary meal.
As for "checking in on everyone," aside from being close with Ganyu, her relationships with the others were fairly distant.
Just then, Xiangling began serving dishes.
"The food's here~!"
Xiangling, Chef Mao, and Guoba carried in plate after plate of fragrant dishes.
Spicy Chicken, Braised Meatballs, and several signature specialties filled the table.
Knowing Ganyu was a devoted vegetarian, Xiangling had also prepared several vegetarian dishes and a fresh fruit platter.
After the dishes were set, everyone took their seats.
Ganyu sat on Lu Lin's right.
Hu Tao naturally claimed the seat to his left.
Xiangling sat beside Hu Tao, and Ningguang sat beside Ganyu.
The private room wasn't large, making the group feel closer together.
Xingqiu had been invited but was busy with urgent matters at the Feiyun Commerce Guild.
"Let's raise a glass! Thank you all for rescuing me. Without you, I might not have made it back!"
Xiangling lifted her cup of low-alcohol fruit wine.
"To friends helping friends!" Hu Tao declared boldly, drinking first.
Ganyu ate more gracefully, chewing thoughtfully before speaking.
"Xiangling, have you fully recovered? Is the black mist completely gone?"
"It is. Strangely, when you rescued me, most of the mist had already faded. Otherwise I wouldn't have recovered so quickly."
Xiangling spoke casually.
But Ganyu, Hu Tao, and Ningguang exchanged meaningful glances.
All except Xiangling knew exactly how Lu Lin removed the mist.
They looked at him in unison.
Lu Lin remained calm and said seriously:
"Perhaps when the two black orbs were destroyed, the mist in your body lost its source."
It sounded reasonable.
Only Xiangling fully believed it.
They continued chatting and eating. Ningguang spoke little, focusing instead on observing Lu Lin's expressions and reactions.
"Mmm~ these strawberries are so fresh!"
Lu Lin popped a large red strawberry into his mouth.
"Of course! Wanmin Restaurant uses the best ingredients," Xiangling said proudly.
"Lady Ningguang, you should try some strawberries too. They're excellent."
Lu Lin pushed the fruit plate toward her with an innocent smile.
"Thank you, Mr. Lu. I'm not fond of strawberries."
Her tone was calm—but a faint edge of irritation lingered.
In Teyvat, "strawberries" could also refer to kiss marks.
His deliberate teasing was obvious to her.
This bastard was provoking her again.
"What a pity," Lu Lin replied lightly.
He didn't push further. Ningguang was no easy opponent.
As he continued eating strawberries—
A silky sensation brushed against his left calf.
A small foot slid against his leg, toes slipping inside his loose pant leg.
He didn't need to look.
Hu Tao.
Not to be outdone, his left hand casually found Hu Tao's thigh under the table.
Her skin was firm and elastic from years of training.
Before long, Hu Tao's breathing shifted subtly.
Ganyu and Xiangling were chatting, but as Hu Tao's reactions intensified, Ganyu noticed.
Through [Empathic Link], Hu Tao's pleasure transmitted directly to her.
Ganyu's legs unconsciously pressed together beneath the table.
Ningguang also noticed.
She had sharp perception—and she had been watching Lu Lin carefully.
She saw through it.
This shameless man.
As she silently fumed—
Suddenly—
She felt something.
Her foot was gently stepped on.
Lu Lin had slipped off his shoe under the table.
His toes found hers precisely, pressing against the top of her foot.
Ningguang's eyes snapped upward.
She locked onto him, anger almost overflowing.
Xiangling and Hu Tao were still talking.
Ganyu's attention was half-lost to the sensations being transmitted.
No one else noticed.
Lu Lin, however, calmly responded to Xiangling:
"In my opinion, the best view in Liyue Harbor is from the Jade Chamber—truly overlooking all beneath it."
And across the small round table—
His foot remained resting against Ningguang's.
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