Rover, hearing this, looked puzzled and said, "What's the difference between being sneaky and being open and honest? Aren't they both about doing those intimate things?"
Changli smiled faintly, "Indeed, there's not much difference…"
"You know as well as I do that Lucian has gone further and further down the path of being a playboy, and there's no turning back for him."
"As the saying goes, it's better to guide than to block. Instead of constantly guarding against him, why not let him follow his nature?"
"If you really can't accept it, why not just think of it as him practicing his skills?"
Rover: "?"
Changli truly lived up to her title as Counselor of Jinzhou; her eloquence was unmatched, and with Jué's level, she certainly couldn't compete for the role of Counselor.
Meanwhile, Jinhsi, standing nearby, looked at Changli with admiration. Although Master Changli had already taught her many things, most of it was related to governance. It seemed she still had much to learn when it came to matters of love.
Jiao-Jiao scratched her head helplessly. If it were about matters concerning Jinzhou or Mt. Firmament, she would undoubtedly stand by the Lady Arbiter's side. But when it came to Lucian… she'd rather stay neutral. After all, even she had once been intimate with him.
At this moment, Sanhua stepped forward with a suggestion, "Since there's so much contention, why don't we divide up the time?"
"Lucian belongs to us on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and to Rover on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday."
"As for Sunday, let Lucian decide for himself."
Rover pouted, "But if he were mine alone, wouldn't all seven days belong to me?"
Lucian: "Has anyone even asked for my opinion? I'm not made of iron, you know—I need rest too!"
Everyone shook their heads in unison, "Your opinion doesn't matter."
Lucian: "…"
Sanhua pulled Jinhsi to the back of the group. Under Jinhsi's puzzled gaze, Sanhua whispered in her ear, "Magistrate Jinhsi, Lucian is about to leave Jinzhou soon."
"Even though the Sonoro Sphere makes it convenient to see each other, you'd still have to compete with others."
"I think we can't be so passive. Why not take the initiative before Lucian heads to Rinascita?"
"While no one's paying attention, marry Lucian and secure your position once and for all."
Sanhua's suggestion was undeniably tempting, but Jinhsi shook her head.
Not to mention whether marrying Lucian now would stop him from being a flirt, the bigger issue was that the women around Lucian were all quite cunning.
If she were to marry Lucian first, she'd undoubtedly become the target of everyone's resentment.
Just look at Rover—everyone assumed she was currently the closest to Lucian, and even that alone had made her the focus of so much rivalry.
If Jinhsi married Lucian now, the conflicts would only escalate further.
Even she, and even her master, could currently only manage to stand on equal footing with Rover. Jinhsi admitted that she wasn't confident enough to handle this yet.
"The closer someone is to Lucian, the more likely they are to be resented. So we absolutely can't act rashly now."
"Besides, Master once said that someone like Lucian is unlikely to settle down with just one person."
"Instead of trying to monopolize Lucian, it's better to ensure there's always a place for yourself by his side."
Sanhua nodded slightly, half-understanding.
This idea had been a spur-of-the-moment thought.
She had initially thought it was a brilliant plan, but now it seemed that Counselor Changli was far more skilled in matters of love.
But Changli had never been in a relationship herself—how did she understand so much?
After hearing Jinhsi's words, Sanhua realized that love was far more complicated than she'd thought, almost like a battlefield.
After speaking, Jinhsi also fell into deep thought. She recalled Chixia's arguments back in Somnoire.
Now that she thought about it, Chixia had been trying to stir the waters and even drag Phrolova into the mess.
It seemed Chixia had gotten smarter—those romance novels she read must have paid off…
Jiao-Jiao sighed, "Since it's come to this, shall we eat first?"
It seemed that with Rover keeping watch, it would be hard for Lucian to entertain multiple people today.
Instead of continuing this stalemate, wouldn't it be better for everyone to get along harmoniously?
After all, Rover was her Lady Arbiter, and Jinhsi was someone she had personally mentored. She didn't want to see them tear each other apart over Lucian.
In the end, it was all Lucian's fault for being too much of a flirt—otherwise, none of this would have happened! Jiao-Jiao thought to herself.
Lucian nodded slightly, "We're about to head to Rinascita soon, so why not take this chance to say a proper goodbye to everyone?"
Rover crossed her arms and pouted, "Weren't you already planning to say goodbye? Just not in the form of a meal, right?"
Changli smiled faintly from the side, "I don't think there's any need for goodbyes. With the Data Bank so convenient and the Sonoro Sphere's existence… we'll probably all end up living here every day."
"Rover, you don't mind having a few more neighbors, do you?"
Rover: "?"
Jinhsi added with a finishing blow, "Since the Sonoro Sphere can be altered at will, why don't we all just live in the same house?"
"That way, we won't have to go back and forth visiting each other—it'd be less troublesome."
Rover: "???"
Not only do you want to move in, but you want to live right next to me? Isn't that a bit too much?
Everyone took their seats around the round table. Lucian gave an awkward smile, "Why don't we take this chance to invite a few more people for a proper farewell?"
Rover narrowed her eyes into crescent moons, "Who exactly are you planning to invite?"
Lucian began counting on his fingers, "Of course, Shorekeeper, Camellya, Chixia, Zhezhi, Yinlin…"
"…Jianxin, Lumi, Yangyang, Baizhi, Encore, Verina, Youhu…"
Rover: "Are you listing a menu or something?"
Jiao-Jiao corrected, "To be precise, the names Lucian listed outnumber the dishes on the table."
Abby popped out from the Tacet Mark, "A menu? Is it time to eat?"
Rover shook her head slightly, "Just invite Shorekeeper. It'll be a good chance to learn more about Rinascita."
More importantly, Shorekeeper was on her side, so there was nothing to worry about.
Lucian nodded slightly and invited Shorekeeper in.
As soon as Shorekeeper appeared, everyone noticed the envelope in her hand.
Lucian asked curiously, "What's that?"
Shorekeeper sat down, handed the envelope to Rover, and said, "To address the issue of Abby's frequency decay, you're preparing to go to Rinascita, right?"
"And now, an opportunity to head to Rinascita has presented itself."
Rover looked puzzled, "An opportunity? Do we need an opportunity to go to Rinascita?"
Lucian pondered for a moment, "Jinhsi mentioned that Rinascita is a rather isolated region. Could that be the reason?"
Shorekeeper nodded, "Yes, the Order of the Deep there has very strict checks for visitors entering Rinascita."
Rover still didn't understand, "Even so, why would we need an opportunity?"