Chapter 5

The [Critical Moment] effect ended, but Lu Lin hadn't managed to set Ganyu down in time. She was still cradled in his arms in a princess carry, the two of them staring at each other wide-eyed.

She was completely dumbstruck!

From her perspective, one moment she had been in the Domain firing arrows at the Abyss Heralds, trying to cover Lu Lin and Hu Tao's escape — and the next, she had blinked into an unfamiliar room, held in Lu Lin's arms.

And his hand had been doing something mischievous, squeezing her calf!

"Uh… so, how are you feeling?" Lu Lin hadn't expected the pause to end at such an awkward moment. He immediately averted his gaze, pretending nothing had happened, and quietly withdrew his opportunistic fingers.

"Mm~ Could you… put me down first?" Ganyu turned her face slightly to the side, not daring to meet his eyes.

It wasn't her first time being held in Lu Lin's arms. The warm, comforting feeling was genuinely intoxicating — she even felt a little reluctant to leave — but this was clearly not the time for tender moments.

"Sure thing!" Lu Lin could sense her faint attachment to him, but Hu Tao was injured and lying nearby, so he had no mind for flirting right now.

Climbing down from his arms, Ganyu turned her gaze toward Hu Tao on the bed. "Let me check on Hu Tao's injuries first."

Ganyu was a formidable combatant, but in truth, even during the Archon War, she had possessed the ability to tend to wounds and was well-versed in caring for the injured.

She carefully examined Hu Tao's condition, then fed her a few healing Pills, and said, "The injuries aren't serious. Hu Tao has a strong constitution — she'll recover with rest after taking the medicine."

"Phew~ That's a relief!"

Ganyu's words allowed Lu Lin to set down the worry he'd been carrying. The sight of Hu Tao unconscious with blood at the corner of her mouth had given him quite a scare.

"Hu Tao is fine for now. Let's talk about you — how did you end up inside the Domain? Where is this place, and what exactly just happened?" Ganyu had calmed down and was watching Lu Lin steadily.

"I went to Yuehai Pavilion to find you this morning, and they told me you'd gone to the Guili Plains, so I came looking. On the way I ran into Hu Tao and Xingqiu…" Lu Lin gave a rough account of how everything had unfolded.

"As for this place — hmm, how do I put it — this is my Serenitea Pot."

"The Serenitea Pot? Did A-Ping design it? No, wait — I don't sense any adeptal energy here." Ganyu grew even more puzzled at his explanation.

"This Serenitea Pot wasn't made by a Liyue adeptus, so naturally there's no adeptal energy in it. It's…" Lu Lin improvised a simple story and explained the Serenitea Pot's functions.

"So at the last moment, you activated the seal and brought all three of us into the Serenitea Pot?"

"Exactly!"

Ganyu nodded. There were still plenty of details that didn't quite hold up under scrutiny — like why Hu Tao was in a bed, and why she herself had appeared in his arms.

But being the understanding person she was, she didn't press further. Everyone had their own secrets; there was no need to dig to the bottom of everything.

Yes. That was definitely the reason. It absolutely had nothing to do with her being too embarrassed to bring up being carried like a princess and having her calf squeezed.

"Oh, let me show you upstairs." Seeing that she wasn't going to keep asking, Lu Lin breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Without further ado, he grabbed her slender, soft hand and led her up to the second floor.

Huh?!

Ganyu was a little flustered — they were holding hands again, just like that?

Feeling the waves of warmth radiating from his palm, she pressed her lips together and ultimately made no move to pull away.

Lu Lin caught every flicker of her expression and thought to himself that the atmosphere was quite good — a fine opportunity.

The second floor was actually very simply furnished: just a newly purchased bed, with freshly bought bedding and pillows.

Whether by design or coincidence, the deep-red bedding was embroidered with a pair of Rosy Fantail Doves.

In Fontaine, the Rosy Fantail Dove was considered a messenger of love.

Ganyu had lived for ages and seen much of the world; she naturally knew the symbolism of the Rosy Fantail Dove. She turned her head with a puzzled look, not quite sure what Lu Lin meant by it.

There was only one bed upstairs, and it was embroidered with Rosy Fantail Doves. What exactly was he up to?

"This building was just finished — the furniture and everything else hasn't been added yet. What do you think of the view from the balcony?" Lu Lin gestured toward it.

The world inside the Serenitea Pot was vast. To the west rose layer upon layer of mountains; to the east stretched a lake without end. Lu Lin had placed the little wooden house not far from the lakeshore — a classic lakeside view.

Looking out from the balcony, the magnificent lake scenery spread before them in all its glory. Ganyu had always been someone who yearned for nature, and this kind of breathtaking natural beauty spoke directly to her heart.

"The view is wonderful — the scenery here is absolutely beautiful. I love it!" Struck by the sight, Ganyu spread her arms wide with excitement, as if she wanted to embrace the entire lake.

"I'm glad you like it. How about I give this room to you?" The corner of Lu Lin's mouth curved upward.

Huh?!

"Give it to me?" The girl pointed at herself, thinking she must have misheard.

A room — how do you give someone a room?

"My Serenitea Pot has another function: anyone I authorize can come and go freely at any time, from anywhere.

You're always dozing off at noon and can't find a safe place to sleep in time, right? I'll give you this room — whenever you want to sleep, you can return here at any moment.

You can also decorate the room however you like. Think of it as another home. What do you say?"

Another home…

Ganyu was momentarily stunned. "Home" was a word that felt quite distant to her.

She had watched over Liyue Harbor for three thousand years, burying herself in endless work, rarely finding time to visit Mt. Aozang. It had been a very long time since she had felt the warmth of a home.

Yet hearing Lu Lin's words just now, she was suddenly seized by an inexplicable urge to go back and visit her master.

She walked slowly to the bed and sat down, bending over to remove her shoes.

Since she had come out to clear away monsters, she was wearing relatively loose combat attire, and her shoes were lighter flat-soled ones suited for fighting. Her slender little feet were wrapped in white socks.

After taking off her shoes, she nimbly slipped under the covers, pulling the Rosy Fantail Dove-embroidered quilt over herself to conceal her graceful figure. What she didn't know was that this half-concealed state only lent her a different kind of allure, just as captivating as before.

She buried her face in the bedding, leaving only her pair of qilin horns poking out, and drew a long, deep breath.

The bedding was newly bought and of good quality, carrying a faint fragrance of incense. Within it, Ganyu sensed a familiar warmth — one that seeped into her very bones and spread all the way to her heart, dispelling the loneliness that had long dwelt there.

That warmth didn't come from the bedding. It was the same warmth she had felt in Lu Lin's arms.

"Lu Lin, I really like this room. Thank you!" Ganyu's voice came from within the covers, slightly muffled.

Having said thank you, she had naturally accepted Lu Lin's proposal.

[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for successfully inviting Ganyu to reside in the Serenitea Pot. Rewards: one million Mora, 200 Points, 200 EXP, and a random Host Entry: [Keen Intellect].]

[Keen Intellect]: The Host's comprehension is greatly enhanced, and learning ability is significantly increased.

The mission to invite a Liyue character to reside in the Serenitea Pot was complete!

Lu Lin smiled and walked slowly to the bedside. He gently lifted a corner of the covers and said softly, "Give me your hand."

He activated the seal in his palm and took hold of Ganyu's soft, delicate hand. Ganyu felt a warm current flow in from her palm as a mysterious connection was established.

He released her hand and gestured for Ganyu to look at her own palm. A golden, pot-shaped seal gradually faded and disappeared, leaving no trace behind.

But Ganyu could feel the seal's presence — as long as she touched it with her intent, it would appear. From now on, she could use this seal to freely enter and exit Lu Lin's Serenitea Pot.

In the instant he granted Ganyu the seal, Lu Lin also sensed a change within himself. He quickly checked his attribute panel.

[Host: Lu Lin]

[System Level: 1 (200/1000)]

[Host Entries: [Critical Moment], [Keen Intellect]]

[Elemental Attribute: Cryo]

[Points: 200]

Sure enough — the moment Ganyu moved in and he granted her access to the Serenitea Pot, he had also gained Ganyu's elemental attribute!

In other words, he could now use Cryo Elemental Power without a Vision!

His strength had received an enormous boost in an instant!

Ganyu was unaware of the change in him. From the moment she agreed to reside in the Serenitea Pot, her state of mind had already shifted — she had decided to hold tightly onto this warmth.

And so she proactively reached out both arms toward Lu Lin, with just a hint of coquettishness.

Understanding her meaning, Lu Lin leaned down and let her wrap her arms around his neck, helping her sit up.

He gently returned the embrace, then crouched down and took hold of Ganyu's slender, delicate foot.

"Ah!" She gave a light shiver and let out a soft, startled cry.

"Don't move — I'll help you put your shoes on." Lu Lin's voice was as gentle as a breeze.

A flush of rosy red crept across Ganyu's face, but she stilled herself and let him do as he pleased.

But she was far too naive. Now that Lu Lin had sensed the shift in her attitude, would he really behave himself and simply put her shoes on?

His hand lightly stroked the top of her foot, and then, while she wasn't paying attention, he pulled off her white sock in one swift motion, exposing a pale little foot to the open air.

"Ah!!" The girl trembled all over, her toes instinctively curling tight.

Her foot was exquisite and dainty — her jade-like toes pressed together like a row of pearls, smooth and soft as if they'd just been soaked in milk, cool to the touch in his hand and almost too delicate to hold. Not only was there no unpleasant smell; there was even a faint, elegant floral fragrance.

Had Lu Lin spent more time in Liyue, he would have recognized it as the scent of clearheart blossoms.

"Don't~" Ganyu's voice grew softer and more yielding. She finally realized she'd been tricked.

Who puts someone's shoes on by taking their socks off first?!

But she had no strength to resist now — and what's more, she didn't seem to want to resist.

Lu Lin had a sudden flash of inspiration and thought of a new idea. He quietly granted Ganyu the Residence Entry [Double Happiness].

[Double Happiness]: When the holder experiences feelings of pleasure, the intensity of that pleasure is doubled.

Receiving the Residence Entry produced no system notification for Ganyu herself. She only suddenly noticed that she seemed to have become far more sensitive.

Lu Lin's hand gently stroked the top of her foot. The slow, deliberate caress already sent wave after wave of peculiar sensation through her, making her beautiful foot tense up tight.

Then that sensation suddenly doubled and crashed over her without warning. She instinctively threw her arms around Lu Lin's head, her legs going ramrod straight. Only after more than ten seconds did she exhale and slowly relax.

The Entry's effect was truly something else!

Lu Lin nodded inwardly, playing with her foot with great fondness for a while before reluctantly helping her put her sock and shoe back on.

Just when she thought it was over, Lu Lin reached for her other foot…

After some indeterminate amount of time, both shoes were finally back on.

At this moment, Ganyu's face was flushed crimson, her eyes soft and brimming with emotion, her gaze dewy and unfocused as she leaned helplessly against the bed — adorable and utterly captivating.

Seeing Ganyu like this, Lu Lin's heart skipped a beat. He leaned forward, pressed a hand to her waist, and with a gentle pull, drew her into his arms.

Ganyu reached up and hooked her arms around his neck. Their eyes met, and a tender, lingering feeling passed between them.

She pursed her lips and slowly closed her eyes.

Reading the signal she was sending, Lu Lin lowered his head and pressed his lips to her soft ones.

Her lips were cool with a thread of sweetness. Lu Lin moved with gentle, careful tenderness, doing his best to give her the most pleasant experience possible — and that pleasurable feeling, amplified by [Double Happiness], fed back to her as an even more exquisite sensation.

Her legs tensed straight, rubbing together with a hint of restlessness. The arms around Lu Lin tightened, as if she wanted to melt herself completely into his embrace.

The two of them, lost in the depth of the moment, kissed for an unknown length of time. Ganyu also received a strange energy from Lu Lin that completely dispelled the influence of the black miasma within her.

Sensing the change in herself, she opened her eyes in astonishment.

"Has the black miasma's power been purged from your body?" Their lips parted, and Lu Lin pinched her chin as he asked.

"How did you know… Was it because of the kiss just now?"

"Mm. I'm not sure why, but I'm unaffected by the black miasma — and I can also dispel it from others." Lu Lin nodded.

"How did you know you could dispel it from others…" Ganyu, sharp as she was, immediately put it together. "Was it Hu Tao? You and her?"

Oh no — how had he forgotten about that!

Lu Lin's face turned red. He gave an awkward, sheepish nod.

"You really are a scoundrel!" Ganyu's small hand found his waist and gave it a pinch — not hard enough to hurt — but she didn't press the matter further.

Seeing that she seemed to have tacitly accepted the situation without making a scene, Lu Lin breathed a sigh of relief and quickly changed the subject. "Do you have any information about this Domain?"

"This Domain is actually Guizhong's former palace."

"Guizhong, the Dust Archon?" Lu Lin said in surprise.

"That's right — you know of the Dust Archon?"