Customs are shaped by the broader environment.
On the continent of Teyvat, the people of Natlan are the most open when it comes to relationships.
Because in a land where death and tomorrow are equally uncertain, even as they fight relentlessly for survival, they naturally value living in the moment.
One of the clearest expressions of this is that women—if they find each other agreeable—don't mind sharing a man.
Of course, that man must be capable—worthy of attracting multiple women at once.
Otherwise, he'd better not get any ideas.
Back in Natlan, Lin En's combat strength wasn't exceptional.
But in every other aspect?
He was top-tier—far beyond the norm.
He had enjoyed no shortage of romantic fortune there, and neither the women involved nor the onlookers had any objections.
In fact, many spectators were more than happy to see it.
They even hoped more outstanding girls would gather around him.
After all, Lin En had brought significant improvements to the livelihoods of Natlan's six tribes.
Once people experience better living conditions, it's hard to go back.
The more girls he was tied to, the deeper his bond with Natlan—
And the less likely he'd be to just leave everything behind in the future.
But Aveline was from Fontaine.
Even if the upper circles of Fontaine indulged in even wilder affairs—and she wasn't ignorant of that—
The surface-level norms still emphasized propriety.
She was a pure and proper young woman.
Why shouldn't she hope for a one-life, one-love kind of relationship?
But feelings aren't something you can control.
Once they start, they run deep.
After meeting Lin En in Natlan—starting from the life-saving favor and everything that followed—she had let go of that expectation.
Still, she couldn't help feeling a little jealous now and then.
Until now.
Now?
She didn't dare anymore.
Before, a little jealousy might even turn into something good.
But now…
After last night?
She genuinely felt like repeating that experience too many times might kill her.
While getting dressed, a thought even surfaced in her mind—something she never would have considered before:
Thankfully… Lin En is only escorting me back to Fontaine. Once we reach Port Romaritime, he'll head to Liyue…
The thought lasted only a moment.
A girl in love would always prefer to stay with her lover longer—
Even if it came with "life-threatening risks."
After all, dangerous or not…
To say she didn't like it would be a lie.
So what remained was reluctance.
Still, reality had to be faced.
Whether in cooking or in life, she believed in doing things properly—no cutting corners.
But sometimes, surprises come out of nowhere.
"Oh, I forgot to mention—yesterday was hectic. I'm not going to Liyue anymore. I'll get off the ship with you."
"Really?!"
On the deck, Aveline instantly forgot all her earlier reluctance and rushed into his arms, full of joy.
"Of course. When have I ever lied to you?"
Lin En smiled, holding her as he looked toward the increasingly close harbor.
And honestly, this wasn't intentional.
Plans just couldn't keep up with change.
Originally, he had planned to go to Liyue because it was the safest place—by every measure.
In the wild, adepti, the Millelith, and civilians worked together to clear out threats.
At one point, the Millelith had even complained that there weren't enough monsters left to train on.
As for his bad luck—
If Natlan could create a ritual to suppress it, Zhongli likely could too.
As long as Lin En had a reason to ask.
Did he?
Plenty.
First, as an outsider—whether or not he qualified as a Descender—he already had value.
Second, once outside Natlan, the value of his "plot knowledge" skyrocketed.
There was bound to be something Zhongli would find interesting.
Third, he carried a handwritten letter from Mavuika.
Colleagues carried weight.
But Fontaine?
Furina was powerless.
The divine Furina was withdrawn.
And Neuvillette—
At this point, he wasn't a complete dragon yet.
Without Furina's final lesson, he hadn't realized that nearly five hundred years of living among humans had already changed him.
On the surface, he still maintained a detached perspective.
Trying to get his help?
That wasn't impossible—but Lin En would probably have to be a Melusine first.
But now, things were different.
Lin En had his ability.
His strength had risen.
He wanted rapid, unrestrained growth—and Liyue's overly stable environment would only hold him back.
That was just how he was.
If others showed him respect, he'd return it tenfold.
If others didn't cross certain lines, he wouldn't be the first to break them either.
But Fontaine?
Everyone knew it was full of scoundrels.
Perfect.
No need to play by the rules.
He wouldn't judge them—and they'd better not complain about him.
As Lin En mentally organized the plan he had formed last night, he felt quite pleased with himself.
Aveline, of course, had no idea what he was thinking.
Hearing him say he had never lied to her, she let out a soft snort, burying her face in his chest as she muttered indistinctly:
"That's not so certain… 'I'll just rub, not go in'… 'endure it, it'll stop hurting soon'… 'just taste it, it's nice—swallowing is good for your skin'…"
"Cough—cough. I meant in serious situations. Serious matters."
Lin En immediately coughed awkwardly, cutting her off.
Though, internally, he admitted…
That last one might actually be true now.
But the first three?
Yeah… no saving those.
So he quickly changed the subject.
"Once we dock, you handle the registration with our IDs. I'll stay on the ship to wrap things up—mainly extracting Xiao Ai and preparing a new vessel for her later."
Aveline, having scored a small victory, lifted her head from his chest with a hint of smugness.
"No problem. Do we need to arrange long-term docking for this ship?"
Lin En shook his head.
"No need. It's not worth the cost—and more importantly, the ship isn't clean."
"When I restored it, I erased the hull number and identifying marks, but the overall structure is still the same. Given enough time, someone might notice something suspicious."
"That would just invite trouble."
"I'll leave some measures in place so it can automatically patrol a fixed route at sea. If needed, we can find it again—so it won't go to waste."
Aveline nodded.
"Got it. I'll go check if we left anything behind."
With that, she stepped away from him and returned to the cabin.