Ganyu had no idea when Yanfei had arrived.
After returning to Jueyun Karst and meeting Shenhe, she had gone straight into Cloud Retainer's adeptal realm to cultivate, intending to calm her turbulent emotions first.
Just as her state of mind finally settled, she suddenly heard Yanfei speaking with someone.
Something about coming to look for Ganyu.
Then she heard a reply—of course.
And that was when Ganyu exited her cultivation.
The moment she opened her eyes, she regretted it.
Her face instantly flushed crimson.
Why was Lin Ze in Jueyun Karst?
And not only that—he had entered Cloud Retainer's adeptal realm.
Even worse, Cloud Retainer herself wasn't anywhere in sight.
Then Ganyu remembered—
Back at Lin Ze's residence, her master had once said, "I approve of this marriage."
Her face grew even redder.
"There's something going on here!"
Yanfei hadn't expected Ganyu to stop cultivating so quickly.
But the moment she saw Ganyu's burning-red expression, Yanfei's eyes lit up with excitement.
This looked like prime gossip material.
"Calm down, Ganyu—just calm down."
Lin Ze had to admit it—Ganyu looked incredibly cute when she was flustered.
But he really hadn't come here for her!
"Ha… I knew it."
Just as Lin Ze finished speaking, Cloud Retainer finally arrived—bringing Shenhe with her.
Seeing Ganyu's flushed face, Cloud Retainer couldn't help but sigh.
She'd known this would happen.
She had been careless—she'd forgotten to tell Lin Ze that both Ganyu and Yanfei were here.
And when she'd gone to look for Shenhe, she'd even forgotten to close the entrance to her adeptal realm.
"Ma–Master… was it you who called Mister Lin Ze here?"
"C-Could it be that—"
Ganyu looked anxious as she spoke, her words stumbling over each other.
"Master, what I said earlier at Mister Lin Ze's residence—
that was just… just—
it shouldn't be taken seriously!"
In Ganyu's eyes, Cloud Retainer must have thought that her earlier emotional outburst meant she truly had feelings.
And now she'd called Lin Ze over to arrange some sort of… meeting.
"I understand," Cloud Retainer said with another sigh.
"This time, Mister Lin Ze was invited to resolve your junior sister Shenhe's Lone Star Calamity fate."
"He was merely drawn in by the scenery outside Jueyun Karst. I entered the realm and didn't find Shenhe, so I went to look for her where she usually trains."
"In my haste, I forgot to close the entrance—leading to this misunderstanding."
Even Cloud Retainer felt awkward this time.
This mess really was her fault.
"She's right," Lin Ze quickly added, nodding.
"I thought only Cloud Retainer and Shenhe lived on this mountain."
"The entrance was open, and she wasn't around, so I assumed she'd gone inside ahead of me."
"I just happened to run into Yanfei and started chatting. I didn't expect you to be here too, Ganyu."
After the two of them explained, Ganyu finally realized she'd misunderstood.
She hurriedly explained why she was also staying in Jueyun Karst.
But the blush on her face refused to fade.
The misunderstanding may have been cleared, but recalling her earlier reactions only made her more embarrassed.
After only meeting Lin Ze a few times, she'd blurted out things about marriage and even imagined a life afterward.
Now this happened too.
She felt like she truly had no face left to show anyone.
"It's all just a coincidence—really."
"Don't overthink it, Ganyu. I'm not the type to take advantage of someone or act without understanding the situation."
"What I said earlier at my place—I know it wasn't your true feelings."
"It was just an emotional outburst caused by your inner knot. Nothing more."
What the hell am I even saying…
Cloud Retainer felt awkward.
Lin Ze felt even worse.
"Cough—let's do this."
"I'll go take care of Shenhe's fate first."
"Shenhe, come with me."
So embarrassed he wanted to slap himself twice, Lin Ze grabbed Shenhe and vanished from Cloud Retainer's adeptal realm.
In a blink, they appeared outside.
Forgive him for his lack of experience—he genuinely didn't know how to handle this situation.
So he chose the oldest solution in the book.
Give up and run.
Running away might be shameful—
But it works.
"You're Lin Ze."
Shenhe, who hadn't even realized how she'd been moved and had no ability to resist, spoke calmly as she watched Lin Ze's expression change again and again.
Cloud Retainer had already told her.
They were going to find Lin Ze and see if he could solve her fate.
Now he was here.
And her fate might finally be resolved.
That mattered more than anything.
"That's right. It's me."
"I'll deal with your Lone Star Calamity fate first."
Since Shenhe had taken the initiative, Lin Ze didn't waste time and immediately began examining her destiny.
Shenhe stood quietly, allowing him to observe her.
She was used to this.
When other adepti had divined her fate in the past, it had been much the same.
She only needed to stand still and cooperate.
"Hm… the problem isn't that serious."
"There are plenty of ways to solve it."
"I have two options for you."
"One: I create a cultivation method tailored specifically for you—one that uses the Lone Star Calamity fate itself as fuel."
"Once mastered, you'll gain immense strength and be able to control the baleful energy of your fate without harming those around you."
"But until then, you'll still need the red ropes to suppress it."
"Two: I directly twist your fate using my own power."
"From that moment on, your fortune will soar."
"You'll bring blessings to those around you, gain endless opportunities, and turn danger into safety."
"It'll be like the heavens themselves are feeding you."
Lin Ze had many ways to resolve Shenhe's problem.
But these two were the most convenient—and the most suitable.
One was simple and direct.
The other involved crafting a personalized method using Black Flag power.
"Now, Shenhe—it's your choice."
"Do you want the cultivation method?"
"Or do you want your fate changed directly?"
As she listened, a faint light appeared in Shenhe's eyes.
Even with the red ropes suppressing most of her emotions, her excitement still broke through.
She didn't hesitate for even a second.
"I choose the second option."
"Change my fate."
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