Jade Chamber — Ningguang's Office
The team sent to raid Heyu Teahouse had returned. All the Fatui operatives inside had been arrested, and a considerable number of counterfeit Talismans of the Adepti were confiscated.
Since the Fatui were officially Snezhnayan diplomats, they couldn't be openly detained under that charge. Instead, they were arrested for conducting dangerous research — namely, illegally replicating adeptal talismans.
Ningguang frowned as she examined the imitation talismans, unable to discern their true purpose.
At that moment, Lu Lin walked in.
"Quite the haul. Your people are efficient."
"Of course," she replied coolly. "Where's Keqing? Didn't she return with you?"
"Oh, she got her clothes dirty. Went home to change."
Lu Lin answered without a trace of guilt.
Technically true — her stockings and undergarments had indeed been soaked. The fact that she still helped finish repairing the ballistae was already impressive.
Ningguang looked suspicious. Changing clothes? Keqing rarely cared about such details.
Seeing her doubt, Lu Lin simply grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the exit.
"Enough work for today. Miss Ningguang, would you honor me with dinner?"
"Let go. Liyue's crisis isn't over. Don't get handsy. I'm not yours—"
"Not mine what?" he asked with a smile.
"Nothing!"
"You don't want to know why the Fatui replicated those talismans? It concerns Liyue's fate. Have dinner with me and I'll tell you everything."
He had given her a graceful excuse.
Ningguang was formidable at work — perceptive and calculating — but emotionally? Surprisingly tsundere.
And teasing a tsundere was endlessly entertaining.
Even knowing he was doing this deliberately, she still allowed herself to be led to Wanmin Restaurant.
This time, however, he truly behaved. They discussed only serious matters: the Fatui's plans, his countermeasures, and the broader political landscape. Many things weren't suitable for a public meeting.
By the end of dinner, Ningguang felt relieved.
Though part of her had been wary of the shameless man, he had shown restraint.
Strangely, that left her with a faint sense of disappointment.
Was she really… falling for him?
"I'm heading back to the Serenitea Pot with Xiangling tonight," Lu Lin said with a grin. "Care to join?"
The Serenitea Pot was absolute privacy.
What he intended there was obvious.
A tiny part of her was curious — especially about the mysterious abilities he used through the teapot.
But she still had her limits.
"You two go wherever you want. I'm not going."
She left quickly.
Watching her retreating figure, Lu Lin chuckled.
Liyue's twin stars? More like Liyue's twin tsunderes.
Serenitea Pot
The teapot realm felt quiet tonight.
Ganyu was working late due to Rex Lapis's "death."
Hu Tao was busy at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
Only Xiangling was inside.
And she had prepared a surprise.
After parting with Ningguang, Lu Lin entered the teapot and walked into Xiangling's house.
She loved the large kitchen and had filled it with all sorts of cooking tools.
But she wasn't there.
"Xiangling?"
"I'm in the bedroom!" came her voice — slightly trembling, nervous yet excited.
He pushed open the bedroom door.
The room had a rustic, wild aesthetic — animal horns, specimens, herbs like Qingxin and Glaze Lily hanging on the walls.
But none of that caught his attention.
What did — was the enormous bed.
He had chosen it himself.
One requirement: big.
Tonight, it was surrounded by closed bed curtains.
"Lu Lin gege… lift the curtain," Xiangling's shy voice called from inside.
Curious, he pulled the curtain aside.
He froze.
His breathing stopped for a second.
This…
Even for him — this was new.
Xiangling lay flat on the bed, completely bare, atop a soft cushion.
Her slim figure, delicate collarbones exposed.
In the hollow of each collarbone rested a raspberry.
Lower—
Whipped cream formed a large heart across her torso.
The edges of the heart traced perfectly around her curves, decorated with bits of fruit. At the tip of the heart were two bright strawberries.
Further down, whipped cream spelled out the numbers "6" and "0" — a phonetic reference to his name.
The lower curve extended down her abdomen…
"Lu Lin gege," she said softly, cheeks flushed.
"That day you asked me how I would cook this dish. You said it should be stir-fried. But I kept thinking… maybe there's another way."
"I thought of this answer instead. Do you… like it?"
"Of course I do," he replied gently.
"Xiangling truly is Liyue's best chef. Your creativity is unmatched. Meeting you was my good fortune."
He leaned down, stroked her braid, and kissed her soft lips.
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