Chapter 1: Section 1

Liyue. Mt. Tianheng.

Lu Lin rubbed his temples and pushed himself up from the grass, a flood of information pouring into his mind.

He had transmigrated? This was Teyvat, and he was on Mt. Tianheng in Liyue?

Not only had he transmigrated, but he'd arrived with a [Character Residence System] and a Serenitea Pot to boot.

The [Character Residence System] allowed him to invite various characters from the world of Genshin Impact to reside within the Serenitea Pot. By completing quests and other activities, he could earn Points and other rewards.

Points could be used to draw Host Entries, Residence Entries, exchange for resources…

As a safeguard for Lu Lin's arrival in this new world, the System had also sent him a Starter Gift Pack.

Inside the pack were 500,000 Mora, 50 Points, one Host Entry, and one Residence Entry.

At the same time, he received a new quest.

[Quest: Invite one Liyue character to reside in the Serenitea Pot.]

[Quest Reward: 1,000,000 Mora, 200 Points, 200 EXP, one random Host Entry.]

As Lu Lin sorted through the information in his head, he surveyed his surroundings. Mountains layered upon mountains stretched in every direction, lush green grass spread beneath him, and in the distance he could make out a grand, prosperous city steeped in classical elegance.

That was Liyue Harbor? It really was magnificent and breathtaking!

Wait — why was there someone lying over there?

Out of the corner of his eye, Lu Lin spotted a figure lying in the grass not far away. They looked like they had fainted.

He was about to go check on them when something unexpected happened!

"Yah!!!" A pack of ferocious Hilichurls burst out of nowhere, surrounding the person collapsed on the ground.

This was bad — someone was in danger!

Lu Lin didn't stop to think. He immediately activated the Host Entry he had just obtained from the Starter Gift Pack.

[Critical Moment]: When activated, time is paused. During the pause, the host may act freely. Duration: three minutes. Usable once per day.

A mysterious force radiated outward from Lu Lin as its center — birds mid-flap, flowers mid-sway, leaves mid-flutter — everything froze in an instant!

Including that pack of bloodthirsty Hilichurls!

Lu Lin crossed the distance in a few quick strides and crouched down beside the fallen figure, finally getting a clear look at their face.

Before him lay a girl of breathtaking, exquisite beauty — a slender, graceful figure, flawless porcelain skin, and softly curled blue hair. Most striking of all were the pair of black-and-red qilin horns atop her head.

The girl lay on her side in the grass, her slender legs slightly curled, her hips gently raised in a perfect curve. Her eyes were closed, her expression serene and peaceful, with a faint smile resting at the corners of her lips.

Truly tranquil and beautiful.

This was Ganyu?!

Those iconic qilin horns were unmistakable. As a devoted Ganyu fan, Lu Lin recognized her at a single glance.

Could she actually be… asleep?

Several thoughts flashed through Lu Lin's mind, but his hands were already moving. He reached over and snatched a large axe from the grip of a frozen Hilichurl Berserker, then brought it down squarely on the creature.

The [Critical Moment] entry only lasted three minutes — he had to make every second count.

Fortunately, there weren't too many Hilichurls. Six in total.

Lu Lin raised the axe and brought it down, one after another. The six frozen Hilichurls stood like statues as he toppled them to the ground, one by one. None of them would be getting back up.

It was a good thing Lu Lin had kept up with his workouts — he was a fit young man with a solid eight-pack — otherwise swinging that massive axe might have been a real challenge.

With over a minute still left on the time pause, Lu Lin tossed the axe aside and crouched down in front of Ganyu.

The girl's sleeping face was serene and peaceful, carrying a touch of adorable innocence that made it hard not to feel one's heart stir. Lu Lin unconsciously reached out his hand.

Time's still paused. If I just quietly touch her a little, it shouldn't matter, right? Consider it payment for saving you.

Lu Lin's hand came to rest against her delicate, flawless cheek. The soft, tender skin sent a rush of sensation through him, and he couldn't help but give her cheek a gentle pinch.

Soft. Springy.

His gaze drifted downward. The gentle rise and fall of the landscape before him was a breathtaking sight, tracing a perfect curve. Lu Lin's fingers began to drift lower almost of their own accord.

No — there's no time!

Lu Lin bit down on the tip of his tongue and reined in his senses. Now was not the time to indulge himself.

Since he'd run into Ganyu, she was naturally the perfect first target — he had to invite her to reside in his Serenitea Pot. A plan flashed through his mind.

With a few dozen seconds left on the time stop, Lu Lin quickly grabbed a club from one of the Hilichurls and gave himself a few solid whacks.

Then he tore his own clothes into a ragged mess — the more pitiful he looked, the better. By the time he'd finished, the effect of [Critical Moment] had worn off.

"Hey! Wake up — are you alright?" Ganyu was roused by an urgent, anxious voice.

"Mmm~" The girl opened her drowsy eyes, her voice soft and hazy, impossibly cute and endearing.

When she made out the disheveled young man in front of her, she jolted in surprise.

"Wh-what happened?!" Ganyu sat up and looked the man over with concern.

He was quite handsome, but why did he look such a mess? It seemed like he was even injured.

Seeing that she was finally awake, Lu Lin said with a mildly exasperated tone, "You're finally up. Were you asleep? You sleep pretty soundly — all that commotion and you didn't even stir."

He gestured at the surroundings. Only then did Ganyu notice that five or six Hilichurl corpses were scattered around them.

"Huh?!" How had so many Hilichurls ended up on Mt. Tianheng? So he had saved her just now — and gotten hurt in the process?

"I'm… I'm sorry. I tend to sleep pretty deeply during my naps. Thank you so much for saving me!" A flush of red crept across Ganyu's delicate face.

Sleeping so deeply that she hadn't even noticed a Hilichurl ambush — that was mortifying!

"Falling asleep out in the open is really dangerous. You should find somewhere safe to nap from now on," Lu Lin couldn't help but advise.

"Mm~" Ganyu turned her head away in embarrassment, feeling genuinely troubled. In truth, this wasn't the first time she'd been told this — a former member of the Liyue Qixing had once given her the same warning.

But when the drowsiness came over her, there really was no time to find a safe spot.

"Are you injured? Let me take a look at your wounds," Ganyu took a deep breath, pushed down her embarrassment, and stood up to examine Lu Lin's injuries.

Lu Lin had staged this whole scene precisely to get closer to her, but he still had to play it modest: "It's fine, really — I'm tough. Just a few surface scratches!"

"Let me check anyway!" Ganyu was still worried, and without waiting for a reply, she reached over and pulled open Lu Lin's shirt.

Hiss.

Her soft, pale hands brushed lightly across his chest — cool and smooth, sending a shiver through him. Lu Lin couldn't help but draw a sharp breath.

How was anyone supposed to handle this?!

"I'm sorry — did I hurt you?" Ganyu heard his reaction and assumed she had touched a wound.

"No, it doesn't hurt!" Lu Lin wasn't lying. It didn't hurt at all — but this situation was far more thrilling than any pain could be.

His upper body was almost entirely exposed before Ganyu, his firm chest and eight-pack abs on full display. Ganyu had never been in a situation like this before, and the red on her face deepened considerably.

"Mm~ It's alright, they're all just surface wounds. Some ointment will take care of it."

Ganyu happened to have healing ointment on her, and she immediately took it out to apply it for Lu Lin.

Her soft, delicate hands moved gently, gliding lightly over Lu Lin's firm chest muscles. A faint, clean fragrance drifted into his nose, and the cool, smooth sensation sent waves of pleasure through him.

Ganyu's face was so red it looked like it might drip. This was the first time she had ever been this close to a man's body, and she felt both flustered and, despite herself, just a tiny bit curious.

[His muscles really are something~]

After all that fuss, the ointment was finally applied.

"My name is Lu Lin. I'm a traveler passing through Liyue. Thank you for treating my injuries — may I ask your name?"

"I'm Ganyu, currently serving as secretary at Yuehai Pavilion. I should be the one thanking you — it's thanks to you that those Hilichurls were dealt with."

"By the way, my clothes are pretty badly torn up. Miss Ganyu, do you know anywhere around here that sells clothes?"

Lu Lin had shredded his outfit in the name of realism, so naturally he needed to buy a new one.

"That's easy — follow me!"

The two weren't far from Liyue Harbor. They walked and chatted along the way, getting along well, and soon entered the city and arrived at the Feiyun Commerce Guild.

The Feiyun Commerce Guild was Liyue's leading force in silk and textile production, and it also had a storefront dedicated to selling ready-made clothing.

"Miss Ganyu, good afternoon — what brings you in today?" At the entrance, a refined young man stood with a book in hand, reading with evident enjoyment. He looked up and greeted Ganyu with a smile.

"Good afternoon, Xingqiu. My friend ran into some Hilichurls on Mt. Tianheng and his clothes got torn up. We came to buy a few outfits."

"Is this the friend? Please, come in, come in!" Xingqiu noticed that despite his ragged clothes, Lu Lin carried himself with an air of distinction, and warmly invited him inside.

"You actually ran into Hilichurls on Mt. Tianheng?" Once everyone was seated, Xingqiu seemed particularly concerned about this detail.

"That's right — do you have any leads, Xingqiu?" Ganyu picked up the thread, already sensing that something was off.

Mt. Tianheng was right next to Yujing Terrace. Hilichurls never came here under normal circumstances — which was precisely why she had felt comfortable napping on the mountain. It was supposed to be relatively safe.

But today, Hilichurls had actually appeared. Something this abnormal had to mean something!

"No leads as such, but yesterday several of our Feiyun Commerce Guild supply convoys were also attacked by Hilichurls while passing through the Guili Plains. Monster activity lately seems far too brazen."

"Things have definitely been abnormal recently. I'll notify Yujing Terrace when I get back and have them send more people to investigate."

"That would be good. We'll also increase our escort numbers. Let's keep each other informed if anything comes up."

The two exchanged a few more words about the Hilichurl situation. By then, a shop assistant had brought out over a dozen outfits.

"These are all classic styles from our store. Mr. Lu, please take your pick," Xingqiu said by way of introduction.

"Uh… I'm not really good at picking clothes. Maybe I'll just grab a couple at random," Lu Lin said with a somewhat awkward shrug. He genuinely had no eye for fashion.

"Let me help you choose!" Ganyu stepped forward of her own accord. With her long lifespan and wealth of experience, she had an exceptionally refined eye for clothing as well.

After careful deliberation, Ganyu settled on a set of black formal robes.

"Try this one first!" Ganyu took the outfit from the shop assistant, then bit her lip and hesitated for a moment before adding, "This outfit is rather complicated to put on. Let me help you change."

"Huh?" Lu Lin's first instinct was that he must have misheard.

Ganyu was offering to help me change clothes? Was he really that lucky?

The moment the words left her mouth, Ganyu turned away in embarrassment.

She wasn't sure herself how she had ended up saying something like that. But he had gotten injured and ruined his clothes saving her — helping him out a little was only right, wasn't it?

Proofreader & Editor: Fat Goose 🪶