The morning passed with a calm yet slightly awkward rapport. Amber looked at the sky and decided to take Li Fu to The Good Hunter to settle lunch, while also wanting him to gradually become familiar with the environment of Mondstadt City.
"Leaf, let's go get some lunch," Amber said to him.
He made gestures for eating and walking.
Lu Hongze—now "Li Fu" in Amber's eyes—nodded.
The two walked out of the small house together. Mondstadt City's streets were bustling at noon, but an invisible pressure seemed to permeate the air.
Amber subconsciously let Li Fu walk on the inner side next to him.
Li Fu followed quietly, eyes downcast, yet he could keenly capture the gazes from the surroundings—no longer just simple curiosity, but a mix of scrutiny, appraisal, and even a faint, undetectable resistance. He heard some hushed discussions, fragments of words drifting over:
"...It's someone from The Knights..."
"...Who's that boy next to him? I've never seen him before..."
"...He doesn't look like he can afford Bonds..."
"...Tch, privilege..."
In these whispers, the words "The Knights" and "Bonds" appeared repeatedly, carrying a certain suppressed dissatisfaction.
Amber's back was ramrod straight, and the smile on his face was a bit forced. He could clearly feel those gazes and discussions, which made him feel uncomfortable, yet he was unable to refute them. He could only occasionally turn his head to give Li Fu as relaxed a look as possible, but that tension could not be hidden from him.
Soon, they arrived at The Good Hunter. It was peak mealtime, and the restaurant was quite crowded.
"Hey, Sara," Amber's voice had a bit less energy than usual.
Sara, who was busy, looked up. When she saw Amber and the strange youth beside him, a flash of complex emotion crossed her face—concern, but also a hint of helplessness as a fellow business owner. "Amber. And... this is your guest?"
"This is Leaf," Amber's introduction was slightly brief.
Sara nodded to Li Fu as a greeting, but her gaze quickly returned to Amber, her tone somewhat businesslike. "Will the payment be recorded under The Knights' account today? You know, with the recent... circumstances, upfront payment is preferred for Non-bond holders."
Amber's cheeks flushed slightly—not from shyness, but from embarrassment. He cast a quick glance at Li Fu and, seeing him looking down at the table as if he hadn't noticed the conversation, breathed a small sigh of relief and lowered his voice to Sara. "It'll be personal today, Sara. I'll pay upfront."
Sara's expression softened a little, and she nodded. "Alright. What can I get for you both?"
Amber quickly ordered, specifically choosing a Set meal for Li Fu that was affordable yet filling.
While waiting for the food, the atmosphere was somewhat heavy. Li Fu could feel Amber's discomfort and vaguely guessed it was related to "Bonds" and "payment."
When the food was served, Amber pushed the plate in front of him, trying to make his tone sound light. "Here, Leaf. Enjoy."
Li Fu picked up his utensils and began to eat quietly. The food tasted good, but what he tasted more was the flavor of this world's reality. He looked up and gave Amber a grateful, docile smile—a smile more deliberate than before, carrying a faint hint of comfort. He was telling him that he "hadn't" noticed the awkwardness just now.
Seeing his smile, the knots in Amber's heart seemed to loosen slightly. He also picked up his utensils, but inwardly vowed to find a place for Li Fu to stand as soon as possible. He couldn't let him keep carrying the invisible label of a "Non-bond holder," nor could he let his own dignity as a knight be worn away by repeated embarrassments.
The lunch drew to a close in a tacit silence. Amber ate somewhat absently, his gaze occasionally sweeping toward the counter. Li Fu quietly finished all the food in front of him, even using the bread to carefully wipe the sauce from the side dishes—this small action, carrying an instinct for cherishing food, made Amber's heart ache again.
Seeing him put down his utensils, Amber took a deep breath as if he had made a decision. He stood up, gave Li Fu a "wait for me" smile, and then turned to walk toward the counter, his steps carrying a faint, undetectable heaviness.
Sara was wiping a wine glass. Seeing Amber approach, she stopped what she was doing.
"How much do I owe you, Sara?" Amber tried to make his tone sound normal.
Sara took out a small wooden ledger, calculated quickly, and stated a figure. Amber listened silently, nodded, and reached into the pouch at his waist to take out Mora. The coins clinked crisply, and he could feel several gazes falling on his hands, scrutinizing, as if calculating the amount of his "personal expenditure." This feeling of having his financial status publicly scrutinized made him very uncomfortable, and his cheeks burned slightly.
He counted out the Mora one by one and pushed them toward Sara. After counting, Sara nodded, her tone softening. "Thanks, Amber. Take care of yourself... and your friend."
"I will," Amber responded softly, putting away his noticeably emptier pouch and turning back to his seat.
"All set? Let's go home, Leaf." Amber tried to pull himself together and gave him a smile, but even he could feel how forced it was.
Li Fu stood up, nodded, and followed him out of the restaurant.
On the way back, the sun was still bright, but the atmosphere between the two was even heavier than when they had come.