In the current situation, if Xiangling shouted too loudly and attracted suspicion...
She could easily be mistaken for one of Lumine's accomplices and get arrested too.
She herself didn't really care.
But she still had an old father at home.
If he found out she'd been thrown in jail, he'd probably worry himself sick.
Watching Paimon completely ignore her warning, Xiangling sighed helplessly.
Running over now...
Wasn't that just telling everyone she was Lumine's companion?
It wouldn't help Lumine at all.
It would only put herself in danger too.
Paimon was being far too impulsive.
"Lumine!"
The moment Lumine heard Paimon call her name, she immediately realized things had gone badly and sped up.
Now Paimon knew where she was too.
Dealing with the Millelith alone was already enough of a headache.
If the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, the number one assassin organization in Liyue, got involved too...
She'd have no way out of Liyue Harbor.
'No! Still not fast enough!'
Lumine's eyes sharpened as the wind gathered beneath her feet.
Literally.
Every step she took produced a burst of Anemo beneath her soles, boosting her speed several times over.
"Stop her!"
Several Millelith appeared ahead.
Whoosh!
Lumine ignored them completely and shot right past them.
At that exact moment, a figure burst out from behind the Millelith, wielding blades made of Hydro that swiftly knocked them all unconscious.
"I've finally... Hm? Where'd she go???"
Childe had planned to use the opportunity to make contact with her.
Instead, she had disappeared.
After looking around and failing to find where she'd gone, Childe stood there with several unconscious Millelith lying at his feet.
Standing there alone looked rather awkward.
'What now?'
"Hm?"
His ears twitched.
Hearing someone approaching, Childe glanced at the unconscious Millelith by his feet and decided to leave the scene.
Otherwise, someone might discover him.
Not only would he fail to make contact, he'd end up getting himself into trouble too.
———
Meanwhile...
Back at his home on the Luofu, Levi smiled as he opened the chat group.
Aside from the earlier conversation, the only new messages were Kiana telling Stelle which food on the Luofu tasted the best, what made it delicious, what the texture was like, describing it from every possible angle just to make Stelle crave it.
[Stelle: Please, Big Sis Kiana, just send me a portion already!]
After Stelle sent that message, the chat fell silent for a moment.
[Kiana: Did you just call me Big Sis?>
[Stelle: !!!]
'It's over! I'm going to get muted!'
[Levi: Why can you make Rin's voice?]
[Levi: Tell me! Has the Herrscher of Corruption taken over your body?]
[Stelle: Huh?]
Stelle, who had been about to slap herself, lowered her hand and stared blankly at Levi's messages.
"Who's Rin? And who's the Herrscher of Corruption?"
"Mmm... mmm... mmm... gulp."
[Kiana: Didn't you send her to find her sister?]
After swallowing the food in her mouth, Kiana looked curious.
———
Back at St. Freya, Levi's excuse for taking away that little girl named Rin had been that he was taking her to find her sister.
But judging from what he just said, it sounded like she hadn't left at all and was still on the Xianzhou Luofu.
"Or... is her sister here too?"
Though that didn't seem very likely.
How could someone from her world have a sister in another world?
Just like how the teacher from her world couldn't possibly exist in Levi's world.
"Mmm."
Stuffing another meatball into her mouth, Kiana mumbled, "Still... he really does look like that history teacher."
When Guinaifen had dragged her into performing acrobatics, perhaps because she'd come so close to death, she suddenly remembered the history teacher from St. Freya Academy.
He looked a lot like the person March 7th called Mr. Yang.
'They look pretty similar?!'
'Wait...'
Kiana hurriedly chewed and swallowed before tagging Levi.
[Kiana: @Levi, don't tell me you found someone who looks like her sister and tricked her?]
[That's way too unethical!]
If that were true, then as the chat group's owner, she absolutely had to condemn Levi properly.
[Levi: As if!]
Levi answered without the slightest hesitation.
After all, his full name was Le 'Gentleman' Vi.
He would never do something so morally bankrupt.
Glancing at Rin, who had woken up and immediately started eating and drinking again, so much that she'd visibly gained two sizes.
[Levi: She's eating and drinking well every day at my place, happy all day long. She doesn't even miss her sister anymore.]
In short... She'd forgotten all about her sister.
Perfectly normal.
Conservatively speaking, this would probably continue until she got tired of the delicacies from all the Xianzhou ships.
Levi walked over and poked her little belly, wondering if he should arrange some daily exercise for her.
Otherwise, she might end up with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, fatty liver disease, and the like while still so young.
"But can Herrschers even get diseases like humans?"
Poking Rin's soft little belly, Levi's curiosity took over.
Ding!
The chat group's notification sounded.
Looking over, he saw that Lumine, who hadn't spoken for quite a while, had finally sent a message.
[Lumine: @Levi, Screw you! (Insult intended)]
To make sure Levi didn't misunderstand, she even specifically noted that the message was meant as an insult.
Levi expressed his understanding.
After leaving her behind in that situation, if she didn't curse at him, he'd have to wonder whether she had an M complex.
If he were in Lumine's place, the chat would probably have turned into a full piano recital of colorful language by now.
Wanting Lumine to fully vent her frustration, Levi thought for a moment before making the self-sacrificing decision.
[Levi: Go ahead and curse me all you want. Don't worry about my feelings. Just let it all out.]
[Levi: @Lumine, come on! Don't go easy on me just because I'm handsome! Bring it on!]
Seeing that, Lumine, who had already finished typing a long rant, suddenly hesitated.
If she actually sent it... Wouldn't he enjoy it?
After waiting for quite a while with no storm coming, Levi blinked.
Did she see through him?
His eyes darted around.
Then he decisively sent another message.
[Levi: Are you... incapable? @Lumine]
[Is your vocabulary so poor that "screw you" is the only way you can vent your emotions?]
[You're just like Kiana, aren't you?]
[Lumine: !!!]
'Damn it!'
'You can insult my height.'
'You can insult my age...'
'You can even call me a several-hundred-year-old granny, I don't care!'
'But!'
'You absolutely cannot lump me together with Kiana!'
'That's the bottom line!'
'The absolute final bottom line!!!'
[Kiana: ?]
Kiana slowly typed a question mark.
She just... felt completely innocent.
The corners of Levi's mouth curled upward.
"Got her!"
Unfortunately, just as he was about to welcome the coming storm, Elysia suddenly stepped in halfway to stop it.
[Elysia: Don't fall for his scheme, Lumine!!]
She had already seen through Levi's plan.
And she knew very well that a three-dimensional defense couldn't be broken from any direction!
Any attack that landed on it was like scratching an itch.
It wouldn't affect him at all.
It would only make him feel good.
[Elysia: Lumine!!!]
Levi immediately followed with a roar of his own in the chat group.
[Levi: Elysia!!!]
"So you're really making me kidnap your mom, huh?!"
Staring at the chat group, Levi's face was full of anger.
'Elysia!'
'Don't keep ruining everything!'