Lu Lin had taken quite a few photos—before the "strawberries," after the "strawberries"—ten in total. He hadn't kept any secretly; he handed them all over to Ningguang.
And precisely because he hadn't hidden any, Ningguang discovered the problem.
She placed two photos side by side.
The shooting angles were nearly identical. The visual effects were almost the same.
The only difference was that in one, the "snowy peaks" bore the "strawberries," while in the other, there were only plum blossoms against the snow.
Most importantly—
Her expression was identical in both.
She flipped through every single photo.
Though the angles varied slightly, her expression was exactly the same in every one.
How was that possible?
Between lifting her clothes, taking photos, leaving marks, and taking more photos—how much time had passed?
How could her expression remain completely unchanged?
Like a statue, standing there to be arranged.
Ningguang had speculated that he might have erased her memory or hypnotized her.
Now she realized—
It was neither.
This was more like—
Time itself had been frozen.
Freezing time?
Even gods and adepti could not accomplish something so outrageous.
If he truly possessed such an ability, what did reclaiming the photos even mean?
If he wanted another set, she would still be powerless to resist.
No wonder he had returned them so easily.
For the first time, Ningguang felt a genuine wave of helplessness.
Despair brushed against her heart.
The only strategy now—
Avoid meeting him.
As long as she didn't encounter him, he would have no opportunity to use such methods.
Her gaze drifted back to the photos in her hand.
The image was stunning.
She recalled the kiss in the Serenitea Pot.
If only he weren't such a scoundrel…
She sighed softly.
After some hesitation, she placed the photos into an exquisite box, locked it, and set it beside her pillow.
The Next Morning
Lu Lin slept peacefully, unaware that a few photos had allowed Ningguang to deduce his ability and shaken her mindset.
He woke early and headed to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
With the Rite of Descension approaching, Ganyu was overwhelmed with work, so he didn't disturb her.
He went looking for Hu Tao instead.
Unfortunately, she was out on business in Qingce Village.
Everyone was working hard.
He found himself wandering aimlessly.
Soon the Rite would begin. The Traveler, Lumine, would soon arrive in Liyue Harbor—there would be real business then.
So he drifted to Wanmin Restaurant.
Inside, Xiangling was dressed in practical adventuring attire, carrying a bamboo basket.
"Morning, Xiangling. Heading somewhere?"
"Morning, Brother Lu! I'm going to Cuijue Slope to look for special ingredients and develop a new dish!"
"Perfect timing. I've been wanting to see more of Liyue's landscapes. Mind if I join you?"
His real goal was simple—only one more resident was needed to complete his four-member objective.
Traveling together was a perfect opportunity to build rapport.
But Xiangling hesitated.
Yesterday's scene beneath the table still lingered in her mind.
Although he'd said they were all in mutual love—
Wasn't that… a lot of mutual love?
She didn't dislike him.
But she felt a faint nervousness.
What if he treated her that way too?
Alongside that nervousness—
Was a small flicker of curiosity.
Ganyu and Hu Tao had looked so… immersed.
What did that feel like?
"Hey? You spaced out."
She snapped back to reality.
"Sorry! Of course we can go together!"
She skipped ahead cheerfully, leading the way.
They chatted the entire journey.
He asked about her trip to Mondstadt.
She excitedly recounted her adventure with Lumine—finding ingredients, defeating a Cryo Regisvine, even discovering a boar frozen for 300 years.
"So after winning the cooking duel with that frozen boar meat, you heard there's a Pyro Regisvine at Cuijue Slope and decided to investigate?"
"Exactly! Elemental creatures often have unique plants nearby!"
Xiangling believed food had no hierarchy. Slime condensate, strange insects, even hilichurl sticks—everything was potential ingredients.
Now she had her sights set on the Pyro Regisvine.
Lu Lin suddenly wondered if he'd become the taste tester.
They walked nearly an entire day.
Although he could use teleport waypoints, most people in Teyvat didn't understand them. Xiangling couldn't use them either.
Finally, they reached Cuijue Slope.
"There it is!"
Below in the valley stood the fiery, towering Pyro Regisvine.
They descended.
The heat was intense.
The Regisvine sensed them immediately.
Fire energy gathered at its crown—
A pillar of flame erupted.
"Careful!"
Lu Lin reacted faster than Xiangling. Grabbing her, he rolled aside, narrowly avoiding the blast.
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