Wangshu Inn.
Xiao had always been the type who rarely showed himself in front of others. In the past, that could at least be explained by his karmic burden—he didn't want to hurt anyone.
But now, if he still refused to come out… could it simply be because he hadn't changed his habits? Nolan wondered silently.
He sent a voice transmission with his spiritual energy, and only then did Xiao finally appear.
"What is it?" Xiao's voice came from behind them, his figure leaning lazily against the inn's wooden wall.
Nolan already understood that Xiao was someone who preferred solitude, so he didn't expect him to actually attend the Lantern Rite Festival in Liyue Harbor.
Yet when Yelan explained that the Qixing had invited him to Liyue Harbor for the Lantern Rite, Xiao unexpectedly agreed!
That genuinely surprised Nolan.
"It's nothing. I just thought, since Moon Carver and the others are going, I ought to go as well." Xiao shook his head as he spoke.
"Well… if you're happy, that's what matters."
Nolan rubbed his forehead helplessly.
---
At noon, the two of them ate at Wangshu Inn before leaving. As they walked out, Nolan asked Yelan,
"Now we've notified everyone who needed to be notified, right?"
"Mhm. Now we just need to return to the Jade Chamber and report to Ningguang," Yelan nodded. This time, she didn't need to hold Nolan's hand for space-shifting.
She too had the ability of "Interstellar Travel" and could teleport directly to Ningguang's side.
As Yelan's figure vanished, Nolan quickly followed.
In the blink of an eye, the two reappeared beside Ningguang in the Jade Chamber.
"So? What were the Adepti's responses?" Ningguang asked, her gaze calm.
Yelan folded her arms and replied lightly, "It went smoothly. For the most part, they're willing to come to Liyue for a visit."
"That's good."
A smile touched Ningguang's lips. Inviting the Adepti over wasn't only for the festival—she also hoped some of them might remain in Liyue Harbor and lend their wisdom and strength to its development.
After all, Adepti far surpassed humans in both intellect and power. If they were willing to take on posts in Liyue Harbor, it would be an immense blessing for Liyue.
But asking them outright to leave their mountains and work in the harbor was never going to be easy. The best way was to let them decide to stay of their own accord.
Which meant Liyue Harbor itself had to become enticing enough to hold them.
So, all she needed was to invite them over again and again. With time, perhaps they would start to feel that the mountains were boring compared to the bustling life of the harbor.
After all, such things couldn't be forced.
And with paved roads, steam cars, ships, electric lights, and so many other modern wonders, Liyue was more prosperous than ever before. Perhaps this really would capture the Adepti's interest.
At the very least, Cloud Retainer—who loved tinkering with inventions—would surely be intrigued.
"Well, since the task is complete, I'm clocking out." Yelan stretched her waist lazily and turned to leave.
"You've worked hard. I'll call on you if anything else comes up." Ningguang smiled softly, then looked toward Nolan. "This afternoon, go check on Ganyu. Things are quite busy on her side too."
"Sure, no problem." Nolan had been thinking of doing that anyway.
After leaving Ningguang's office, walking down the corridor, Nolan glanced at Yelan with a playful smile.
"Well then, isn't it about time you fulfilled the reward you promised me?"
"Heh, impatient, aren't you? Fine, come with me." Yelan led him into an empty room inside the Jade Chamber.
There was a bookshelf and a table at the back—it seemed this was a small retreat where Ningguang came to read and rest when not handling affairs.
"No one comes here. Stand still."
Closing the door, Yelan pushed Nolan back against the wall, moistened her lips, and pressed them firmly against his.
Feeling the soft touch, Nolan wrapped his arms around her waist, caressing gently as his other hand naturally moved into place.
"Mmph…!"
Yelan wasn't quite used to it; her hands instinctively clutched his shoulders.
At first, she was forced into retreat by Nolan's practiced skill. But it wasn't anything too profound—after ten minutes or so, she picked up on his rhythm and habits.
Catching him off guard, she suddenly seized the initiative.
Nolan didn't mind; whether she or he took the lead, it was still a kiss.
Perhaps the novelty of the experience excited her, because once she took control, Yelan quickly became immersed, losing herself in the moment.
Another ten-plus minutes passed, and her passion still hadn't waned in the slightest.
Then, out of nowhere, a system panel appeared before Nolan:
[Yelan Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 360 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.10 (Max).]
Oh… Yelan's affection had maxed out! Nolan's heart stirred with delight.
[Through sincerity and persistence, you have forged a bond with one whose destiny was never meant to intersect with yours. From this day on, her star of fate will shine together with yours. Ability unlocked: Exquisite Dice of Fate.]
Another notification quickly followed.
It was the prompt for unlocking a Affection Skill. Judging from the name, could it be some kind of dice-related ability?
While Yelan continued to kiss him, Nolan curiously opened the description of his new skill:
[Exquisite Dice of Fate: When activating the skill, summon a six-sided die. Roll once per day. The die face determines the effect, which lasts for "the sum of both partners' levels" in minutes.
Effects:
- Roll 1: Roll twice more.
- Roll 2: All ability effects are enhanced.
- Roll 3: Misfortune befalls you.
- Roll 4: Nothing is Forbidden; all restrictions lifted.
- Roll 5: The next die effect's duration extends to one full day.
- Roll 6: Blessed by fortune.
When rolling additional dice, the number rolled multiplies the effect's potency accordingly.]
As expected, it was indeed dice-related… Nolan studied the details carefully.
In simple terms: roll once each day, and you get a random effect from the six.
The first effect was easy to grasp—rolling a one gave him two more rolls. Rolling a two meant all of his abilities would be enhanced.
That second effect was extremely powerful. If he rolled a two for the enhancement buff, and then rolled again and got a two…
That would mean every one of his abilities—titles, talents, affection skills, sword techniques—all of them could be amplified manifold!
Utterly absurd!
The only pity was that the effect lasted only for as many minutes as his level plus Yelan's, and couldn't be permanent.
Otherwise, it would be even more broken!
As for rolling a three—"Misfortune befalls"—that clearly didn't mean he himself would be cursed with bad luck. Rather, it granted him the power to control misfortune, letting him decide who would stumble into misfortune.
How effective that might be, he wasn't yet sure, since he hadn't tested it.
The effect of rolling a four—"Nothing Forbidden"—meant he could ignore restrictions like seals, curses, or other prohibitive rules.
Compared to the Adepti's "Forbidden-No-More Talismans," this was likely even stronger.
The effects of five and six were easy enough to understand. All in all, the ability he gained from Yelan's maxed-out affection was extremely good—short duration aside.
Nolan was more than satisfied.
Looking at Yelan still kissing him so fervently, a mischievous thought stirred in his heart.
His hand, which had been caressing her smooth white back, slowly slid downward, brushing over her hips and thighs.
When she didn't react, he began to push his luck further.
A silent space rift opened up behind Yelan, sliding closer under Nolan's control.
Eyes closed, Yelan remained oblivious.
In an instant, the rift swallowed them both. Yelan, still kissing Nolan, suddenly felt her back press into something soft—something heavy weighing down on her body.
She broke off the kiss and opened her eyes, startled to find herself lying on a bed in a strange room.
And Nolan was on top of her.
"This is—mmph!" Yelan tried to speak, but he sealed her lips again.
She felt a hand sliding across her back, tugging deftly at the zipper of her outfit.
The movement was frighteningly smooth.
By the time she thought to stop him, it was already too late. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of two translucent threads reaching out of the air, coiling around her leather thigh-high boots and slowly tugging them downward.
Anxious, Yelan pressed against his shoulders to push him away—but his body bore down on her like an immovable weight.
Her boots slid free, revealing two long, pale thighs.
No shorts beneath—just more bare, fair skin.
The transparent threads wrapped around her ankles, bending her legs upward and gently spreading them apart.
At the same time, she felt a finger hook into the open collar of her chest-baring outfit and yank it downward.
The garment fell away in an instant.
Half an hour later, Yelan lay on the bed, dragging the blanket over herself to cover her body. Her face, flushed with both anger and shame, glared at the man beside her.
"You bastard! That 'reward' I mentioned didn't include this!"
Nolan slipped his arms beneath the blanket, hugging her waist and stroking her soft belly as he replied with mock grievance:
"But you were kissing me so deeply… I kept taking one step further, and you never said anything. I thought you'd accepted it, so I went ahead."
"That's only because of you!" Yelan turned her face away, curling to show him her back. She didn't want to look at this man anymore.
Blocking her mouth so she couldn't speak—clearly, he'd planned it from the start.
Still annoyed, she pulled the blanket tighter, but he pressed against her back, sliding his hand under her knee to lift her pale thigh ever so slightly.
—
Around two in the afternoon.
Sweat matted her hair, and an exhausted Yelan, faced with Nolan's endless energy, finally bit her lip and surrendered, reluctantly forgiving his shamelessness.
Yet afterward, strangely, she felt her strength had increased.
Hmph. Bastard. One day she would turn the tables—make him beg her for mercy instead.
Today's defeat would be repaid in full!
"Ahem. Come on, you're drenched in sweat. I'll take you to the bathhouse—clean up and relax a little."
Nolan scooped the limp Yelan into his arms and carried her toward the second-floor hot spring bath.
"You felt it, didn't you? The strength flowing through you—that's the effect of cultivation. From now on, you should stay here. That way we can train together more often."
He spoke lightly as they walked.
Even though this fairyland space was full of girls, walking through it in broad daylight like this still made Yelan's cheeks burn hotter and hotter.
Finally, in embarrassment and frustration, she bit down on his neck!
After their bath, he helped prepare a room for her. Since he hadn't been able to restrain himself during the soak and "cultivated" with her again, she was still weary, so she had no choice but to rest in the fairyland chamber.
Nolan, however, remembered his promise to Ningguang—to go to Yuehai Pavilion and see if he could assist Ganyu.
With the Lantern Rite approaching, there was sure to be plenty of extra work.
But with Shenhe there to help, things shouldn't be overwhelming.
Glancing at the time—it was already near three o'clock—he knew that if he lingered with Yelan any longer, it would be evening, and he would miss the chance to build affection with Ganyu.
Since Yelan needed to rest anyway, Nolan used "Interstellar Travel" to teleport straight to Shenhe's side in Yuehai Pavilion.
Yet instead of appearing in Ganyu's office, he found himself outside.
In a pavilion.
At the stone table beneath it sat Shenhe, Ganyu with her pale blue hair and crimson-black qilin horns, and one more figure—someone Nolan had never seen before.
She wore her hair in a high ponytail, the black strands tinged with teal on the inside, reminiscent of the Anemo element's mark.
A pair of half-framed red glasses rested on her fair face, lending her a refined, scholarly air.
Over her shoulders draped cyan pauldrons with long trailing cloth. Her black dress was traced with golden patterns, its sheer fabric tight against her chest, revealing faintly beneath black lace.
Below the fluttering skirt stretched two long legs clad in sheer black stockings, feet slipped into heels of gold and black.
She sat quietly with Ganyu and Shenhe at the stone table, radiating an inexplicable familiarity.
Yet Nolan was certain he had never seen this woman before—his memory held no trace of her.
There was no such thing as familiarity without cause.
Even if he hadn't met her directly, surely he had met someone with a similar aura. The familiarity was too strong—it had to come from somewhere.
But he couldn't recall. Was it simply the drastic contrast confusing him?
Just as he tried to attune himself to her aura to discern the truth, the woman pushed her glasses up, frowned, and fixed him with a sharp look.
"Why do you stare at this adeptus so intently?"
(End of Chapter)