"Lumina! You were lying to me, weren't you?!"
Yunli stormed out of the teahouse in the Central Starskiff Haven of the Xianzhou Luofu. Even the dullest mind could now grasp that Lumina had been deliberately misleading her.
As for the taste of that tea—let's not even discuss whether it was drinkable. It was downright demonic cuisine!
A symphony of flavors blooming on the palate? Anyone overhearing that description would think it sounded like some exquisite delicacy!
But when those "diverse flavors" combined, the result was utterly unpalatable.
"I wasn't lying," Lumina chuckled, gently explaining to Yunli, who was puffing up in indignation. "See? I enjoyed it just fine when I drank it."
"It's simply that this style isn't to your taste, Yunli."
While Lumina had indeed stretched the truth, it wasn't a complete fabrication. After all, Fu Xuan genuinely enjoyed this particular blend.
Besides, setting aside personal preferences, why couldn't Yunli be more like Fu Xuan?
Sometimes, you need to reflect on your own flaws instead of always blaming others.
Of course, Lumina didn't actually say any of these things aloud.
After all, knowing Yunli's temperament, if she were to provoke her with such cutting words...
Yunli would likely disregard the gawking crowd and unleash her Old Mettle Slash right there and then, in full view of everyone.
"Uh... okay, you're right," Yunli mumbled, scratching her head. "Maybe this style just isn't for me."
Hearing this, she recalled Lumina's completely unfazed expression—even slightly amused—earlier. Yunli finally admitted her own shortcomings.
Well, looking at it that way, hot tea with three spoons of sugar probably does have its fans.
I can't blame the tea, the sugar, or Lumina. It's just me.
It's not like I can force myself to enjoy this...
When I get back, I'll have Grandpa try it.
Yunli resolved this in her mind.
"Since you don't like this kind, let's try something else," Lumina suggested, pointing to a nearby bubble tea shop. "There's a milk tea place up ahead. Let's check it out."
"Alright," Yunli nodded, hefting Old Mettle onto her back and leading the way.
-
With Yunli's "Old Mettle" clearing the way, the two quickly arrived at the milk tea shop.
"Wow, it's packed! If we have to wait in line, who knows how long it'll take..."
Stepping inside and seeing the bustling crowd, Yunli abandoned her craving for milk tea.
"Looks like we're out of luck," Lumina said, her voice tinged with disappointment.
"Let's go."
They lingered only briefly before exiting the shop.
"Huh? Look over there!" Emerging from the shop, Yunli pointed excitedly at something, her fleeting disappointment instantly replaced by delight.
Following her gaze, Lumina spotted a beverage stall bearing a sign that read: Xianzhou Residents Only.
"I can't believe there's still a stall like this during peak tourist season," Lumina exclaimed, genuinely surprised.
After all, such a policy could easily offend visiting tourists.
But then she remembered the Xianzhou Alliance's formidable standing in the Cosmos, and the matter seemed less significant.
If they're offended, they're offended. At most, it would give some social media marketing accounts an excuse to criticize Xianzhou, but it wouldn't have any major consequences.
"Lumina, wait here. I'll go buy two drinks." Since the sign said they only sold to Xianzhou people, Yunli decided not to bring Lumina along.
After instructing Lumina, Yunli hoisted Old Mettle onto her back, activated auto-pathing mode, and jogged over to the stall.
Lumina: ?
Why does that sound so familiar?
Hearing Yunli's parting words, Lumina took a deep breath, feeling like she'd heard them before... somewhere.
Dismissing the thought, she obeyed Yunli's instructions and waited quietly.
A few moments later, Yunli returned with two bottles of drinks.
Handing one to Lumina, she said, "You treated me to tea earlier, so this water's on me."
"Thank you." As Lumina accepted the bottle, her fingers accidentally brushed Yunli's palm.
Ice-cold—probably from holding the bottle for so long.
Though not particularly thirsty, Lumina uncapped the bottle and took a small sip.
"Hmm, with so many people around, there doesn't seem to be anywhere interesting to go," Yunli remarked, standing in place and gazing at the still-crowded Central Starskiff Haven. She couldn't help feeling a bit bored.
Yunli wasn't from the Luofu and didn't know of any scenic spots or historical sites not searchable online.
"Yeah, there are so many tourists. It's rare to see the Central Starskiff Haven functioning without a hitch," Lumina remarked, even she found the bustling scene before them remarkable.
Ding-dong~
Just as Lumina was marveling at the scene, her phone suddenly chimed.
Just one chime, not the three that indicated a message from her Special Group.
Who could be messaging me now? This is a tough one to guess.
"I'll check this," Lumina said to Yunli, pulling out her phone to read the message.
[Jing Yuan: Has Miss Lumina arrived on the Luofu yet? ]
The meaningless message left Lumina puzzled. What did Jing Yuan want?
[Lumina: I'm on the Luofu. What's this about? ]
[Jing Yuan: The Wardance Ceremony is of utmost importance. Two Generals have come to the Luofu for it. ]
[Jing Yuan: After hearing about your recent activities here, they've expressed interest in meeting you. When would be a good time for you, Miss Lumina? ]
Reading this, Lumina glanced at Yunli beside her, hesitated for a moment, then replied.
[Lumina: Address? I'm free now. ]
[Jing Yuan: Central Starskiff Haven, Palace of Astrum. ]
After receiving the address, Lumina closed her chat with Jing Yuan, brought up a friend request QR code, and turned to Yunli beside her. "Yunli, I have to go. Let's add each other as friends so we can hang out again sometime."
"Sure," Yunli replied with a nod, pulled out her Jade Abacus, scanned the code, and sent the friend request.
"Alright, I'm off," Lumina said, accepting Yunli's request and adding her to her Special Group before preparing to leave.
"Bye-bye."
"Hmm? Eh? Where's the Little Kitten?"
As Yunli waved goodbye, she suddenly noticed the Little Kitten was missing from Lumina's arms.
Hmm... could it have disappeared when we left the teahouse earlier?
"Ah, it must have wandered off."
"Don't worry, it has a tracking device and protective wards on its collar. It'll be fine."
"That's good to hear," Yunli said with a sigh of relief. After all, it's rare to find a kitten that loves Berrypheasant Skewers so much. She didn't want anything to happen to it.
"Bye-bye."
Hearing this, Lumina smiled, offered a brief explanation, and turned to leave.
Phantylia, oh Phantylia, in your current state, what good would it do even if you ran to Vidyadhara?
You might end up being cooked and eaten by him.
Lumina glanced in a particular direction and shook her head with a sigh.