Ganyu's eye for clothes really was excellent. When Lu Lin stepped out in the black robe, even Xingqiu, also a man, was briefly stunned.
The robe was made of top-quality silk, embroidered with golden cloud patterns that exuded a noble air. Lu Lin's figure was already near perfect—once dressed, he looked even more like a young lord than Xingqiu, the guild's own heir.
"It's as if this outfit was tailored just for Mr. Lu. Absolutely perfect. Miss Ganyu, your taste is truly remarkable," Xingqiu said sincerely, oblivious to the strange mood between them.
"Mm… we'll take this one. How much is it? I'll pay," Ganyu said, very satisfied, stepping up to settle the bill.
Lu Lin started to protest, but she cut him off.
"You saved me on Mt. Tianheng. Let this robe be my gift to you…"
Her true reasons went beyond that, but Lu Lin couldn't bring himself to refuse the girl's heartfelt gesture, so he let it go.
He still bought two sets of everyday clothes with his own money. Only after that did they say goodbye to Xingqiu and leave Feiyun Commerce Guild.
Out on the streets of Liyue, Lu Lin and Ganyu stood facing each other in awkward silence.
Though they'd acted perfectly normal around Xingqiu, it was obvious that Ganyu still hadn't recovered from the earlier whirlwind of emotions.
"Uh… it's getting late. Are you hungry? Want to grab a bite together?" Lu Lin finally broke the silence.
"Mm… some other time. I've been out too long today, and I still need to report the monster disturbances to the Qixing. Let's wait until my next day off," Ganyu declined, flustered.
There was no way she dared keep wandering around with him right now, so she grabbed the first excuse she could find.
Lu Lin understood she needed a bit of time to settle down. "All right then. I'll come find you after I get settled in. Be careful on the way back," he said with a smile.
"Nn… see you next time," Ganyu nodded and turned, walking off into the golden lights of Liyue Harbor.
They'd spent quite a while at Feiyun Commerce Guild. By now, night had fallen over Liyue; lanterns bloomed across the city, and the streets were overflowing with life.
People passed to and fro, shopkeepers called out to customers, children laughed and played—the whole city was alive with warmth and noise.
Ganyu strolled along the street. Lantern light painted her profile a soft red, turning her into something dreamlike.
Standing still and watching her go, Lu Lin couldn't shake a sense of loneliness from her back.
She was like a lone moon hanging in the night sky—cold, bright, and distant. She lit the world, yet stood apart from it.
As a devoted Ganyu fan, Lu Lin knew the reason.
Half-human, half-adeptus, she had always been haunted by the loneliness of a "non-human" walking among the crowds. She loved the human world and protected it, but could never truly blend into it.
It's all right. You have me now. I won't let you feel lonely anymore.
Maybe that residency perk from the newbie pack could help her.
[Double Happiness]: Whenever the holder feels happiness, the sensation is doubled.
If her moments of joy were amplified, they could slowly dilute that deep loneliness. Over time, it might cease to be a burden.
But residency perks could only be granted to people who'd moved into the Serenitea Pot. He'd have to wait until Ganyu was a resident.
Looks like I'd better pick up the pace and get Ganyu moved in as soon as possible.
Decision made, Lu Lin found a quiet spot and activated the teapot-shaped mark on his palm.
The mark had appeared along with the system and represented the Serenitea Pot. Touching it, he could enter the world inside.
Though it was also called a Serenitea Pot, this clearly wasn't the one crafted by "Streetward Rambler" herself. That adeptus didn't have the divine power to create something as absurd as a system, and this pot had no teapot spirit.
Time in the pot flowed in sync with Teyvat. The interior was vast, with mountains, rivers, lakes, and flower-strewn meadows.
But in reality, the area he could actually move around in was still tiny—only about the size of a football field. Beyond that, invisible barriers stopped him.
Expanding that range was simple: just keep leveling up the system. Every level up increased the accessible area.
Within the area he could use, he was free to do whatever he liked—build houses, farm, raise animals… very similar to the Serenitea Pot in the game.
Right now, it was nothing but a wide, grassy field.
He already had a plan for it.
First step: build a house.
Of course, he wasn't about to dig foundations and lay bricks himself. He neither had the skills nor the energy. Houses could be exchanged directly in the system for points.
He currently had fifty starter points from the newbie pack—just enough to buy a two-story wooden house.
Lu Lin spent all fifty points, then placed the newly acquired wooden building on the open ground.
Though not large, the house was exquisitely crafted, with overhanging eaves and carved beams, full of ancient charm. There was even a small balcony on the second floor with a great view.
The only downside was that the system really had given him only the house—no furniture at all. Not even a bed; he'd have to buy that separately.
He was out of points, so he'd have to purchase a bed in Liyue Harbor tomorrow and bring it inside. Items from the outside world could be brought into the pot, so that wasn't an issue.
After placing the house, Lu Lin opened his status panel.
[Host: Lu Lin]
[System Level: 1 (0 / 1000)]
[Host Perks: Critical Moment]
[Elemental Affinity: None]
[Points: 0]
He didn't have a Vision and couldn't use elemental power yet, but since the panel had an "Elemental Affinity" column, there was hope he'd gain one someday.
Is a god going to send me a Vision?
Lu Lin shook his head. That was something future him could worry about.
It was getting late. He exited the Serenitea Pot, stomach growling. After transmigrating he'd been running around nonstop, and hadn't eaten a thing.
In Liyue Harbor, the first choice for a meal was, of course, Wanmin Restaurant.
The real Liyue Harbor was far larger than the one in his memories, but the overall layout was similar. He easily found his way to Chihu Rock and Wanmin Restaurant.
It was already past usual dinnertime, so there weren't many customers. Master Mao was still busy behind the counter.
"One serving of Triple-Layered Consommé, please," Lu Lin said, looking over the menu.
"I'm terribly sorry. We're out of fresh bamboo shoots, so we can't make Triple-Layered Consommé at the moment," Master Mao apologized.
"Master Mao, I was here for Triple-Layered Consommé the day before yesterday and you said you were out of bamboo shoots then too. How come you still don't have any?" another customer grumbled.
"Sigh, you may not have heard. The bamboo shoots come from Qingce Village. With monsters running rampant lately, caravans can't get through. You can't buy bamboo shoots anywhere in Liyue Harbor right now," Master Mao explained.
"Haven't the Millelith dealt with it?"
"I've heard this batch of monsters is unusually tricky. Even the Millelith have their hands tied."
Monsters running rampant again?
Lu Lin thought back to Ganyu and Xingqiu's conversation earlier. Liyue was clearly not very peaceful these days.
As he was finishing his meal, a young man in work clothes came running up, shouting breathlessly, "Master Mao, bad news! Xiangling ran into monsters at Guili Plains—she's missing!"
The ladle slipped from Master Mao's fingers and clattered to the floor.
Xiangling, missing?!
"How did this happen? Why would she go to Guili Plains?" Master Mao grabbed the man in a panic.
"She volunteered to travel with the caravan to protect it from monsters. But as soon as we reached Guili Plains, we were ambushed.
"There were so many monsters we were scattered. By the time we shook off the pursuit, Xiangling was gone…"
Master Mao's eyes went blank as his heart clenched painfully.
Regulars clustered around, trying to comfort him. With her Vision, Xiangling wouldn't be easy to kill, they said.
The messenger also mentioned the Millelith had already gone to search, and told Master Mao not to worry too much.
As Lu Lin listened and finished his food, the system chimed.
[Ding. Random quest triggered: Rescue Xiangling!]
[Quest Objective: Within three days, travel to Guili Plains and rescue Xiangling.]
[Quest Rewards: 500,000 Mora, 100 points, 100 EXP, and one random residency perk.]
Hiss. This one's a bit tricky…
He was newly arrived in this world. His only real trump card was a three-minute time stop that could only be used once per day. Physically, he was in good shape, but that still only put him at about an ordinary adult's combat strength.
Going by the messenger's description, Guili Plains was crawling with monsters. Charging in alone to rescue someone would be suicide.
Lu Lin quietly left Wanmin Restaurant. He planned to rest for the night and talk to Ganyu tomorrow about a rescue plan.
There was no point rushing; he hadn't truly rested since transmigrating and was exhausted.
The system only specified "within three days," which meant Xiangling's life wasn't under immediate threat. Since that was the case, he could safely sleep first.
Finding a secluded spot, he returned to the Serenitea Pot and made do with the bare floor for the night.
The next morning, after a solid sleep, Lu Lin woke early. He washed up, headed into Liyue Harbor, bought two new beds and bedding and stored them in the Serenitea Pot, then stocked up on daily necessities before making straight for Yuehai Pavilion.
"What? Ganyu isn't here?" At the door, he was greeted by Baishu, Ningguang's secretary.
"Miss Ganyu received word last night about Xiangling's disappearance and left for Guili Plains immediately," Baishu explained.
Of course. Xiangling was Granny Ping's disciple. In terms of seniority, that made her Ganyu's junior, and the two were quite close.
Without a system telling her Xiangling would be safe for a while, Ganyu would naturally be frantic.
"Thank you for letting me know."
After saying goodbye, Lu Lin placed the beds and bedding inside the Serenitea Pot, along with some supplies, then headed north toward Guili Plains.
-------
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