Facing Yelan's inquisitive stare, Lu Chen already knew exactly what she was about to ask.
Sure enough, she didn't hold back anymore. "Excuse me—why are the three of you here?"
She had kept her questions to herself earlier, back when they were still underground in the Chasm, only because the situation had been too dangerous. But now that they were trying to leave, she couldn't stay silent.
"Uh..." Lu Chen glanced at Ei, a bit helpless.
This wasn't something he could easily explain—and he certainly wasn't going to tell her about the "Reality Teyvat System." That would only lead to more problems.
So he blurted out casually, "Well... the Raiden Shogun got bored staying cooped up at home, so I brought her out to relax a little..."
The moment he finished, he caught sight of Yelan's expression, which clearly read, "Do you take me for an idiot?"
Miko nearly laughed out loud.
To be fair, Ei really did have a tendency to stay home. Miko had tried more than once to persuade her to stop hiding in the Plane of Euthymia and come out for walks. Ei never listened.
Lu Chen sighed inwardly. Yelan wasn't someone you could fool with a lazy excuse...
So he quickly shifted gears—his expression turned serious, solemn, eyes fixed on her without blinking.
"If you really must know... then I have no choice."
"What I'm about to tell you is for your ears only. It concerns the safety of all seven nations. You mustn't breathe a word of this to anyone."
As Yelan's expression grew stern, Lu Chen glanced around, then leaned in.
"We're here to stop a conspiracy by the Fatui."
"The Fatui!?" Yelan's eyes sharpened at once.
They had stirred up enough trouble in Liyue recently that she'd been secretly tracking their every move.
Seeing her reaction, Lu Chen relaxed slightly and continued, "The Fatui have been secretly colluding with the Tenryo and Kanjou Commissions in Inazuma, trying to seize power. They've misled the Shogun, causing her to misjudge the Vision Hunt Decree's impact, making the situation there even more volatile. And they've even..."
"Even what?" Yelan pressed.
"They've even started secretly building a Delusion factory, planning to spread these dangerous items across all of Teyvat," Lu Chen said, locking eyes with her. "You understand how harmful Delusions are, don't you?"
Yelan nodded, falling into silence.
"The Fatui's next target is Liyue," Lu Chen said gravely. "This isn't just a small issue. For the safety of all seven nations—and Teyvat itself—I convinced the Raiden Shogun to act. She left her puppet behind in Inazuma and came here in person to discuss countermeasures with the Geo Archon."
"Is that so..." Yelan stared at him, uncertain.
Then something seemed to strike her, and her eyes widened.
"You said... the Geo Archon is still alive!?"
"Of course." Lu Chen smiled.
He could tell she was starting to believe him.
The secret to a perfect lie was simple—mix seventy percent truth with thirty percent fiction. It blurs the lines, makes everything harder to verify.
Much of what he'd said was true. The lies were carefully buried, and by the time Yelan figured it out, Lu Chen would be long gone.
"The Geo Archon never died. If you don't believe me, you can ask Ningguang yourself."
Yelan stared at him in disbelief, then turned to look at Ei.
Ei nodded with a perfectly neutral face.
Miko did the same.
But Lu Chen, who knew them both well, could tell they were holding back laughter.
He shot them a look. With someone as sharp as Yelan around, he couldn't afford even the smallest slip.
"So that's how it is... But why would the Archon...?"
The idea that the Geo Archon might still be alive had left Yelan too stunned to keep questioning Lu Chen.
He could barely keep from bursting out laughing.
Mr. Zhongli, I hope you don't mind me using your name to bluff my way through... You don't, right?
Too late if you do. He'd already done it.
After a long pause, Yelan finally gave in and believed him. Not like she had a choice—Lu Chen had two gods backing him up, and the Raiden Shogun in front of her was clearly real...
"Alright, let's leave it at that. You can think it over—I still have things to take care of." Lu Chen patted her shoulder and gave Ei and Miko a subtle signal.
"Oh... Huh?"
Yelan was still reeling from the mountain of information, and by the time she looked up again, all three of them had vanished.
"...They're in such a hurry... The Fatui threat must really be serious..."
...
Half an hour later, Liyue Harbor.
Lu Chen strolled through the lively crowds, listening to street vendors shouting their wares. He casually bought three grilled tigerfish.
A local specialty—fresh fish caught right at the docks, lightly marinated, then grilled to a golden crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. The smell was mouthwatering—even alley cats were drawn in.
He looked down to see two little cats—one black, one white—staring up at him with wide, expectant eyes. They were so cute he bought another portion.
"Alright, if you want some fish, let me pet you first."
After playing with the cats, Lu Chen decided their fur didn't feel as good as Miko's touch. He continued through the alleyways and made his way to the docks.
It didn't take long to find her—Zhuzi, the stowaway from Inazuma.
She still seemed troubled about finding work. Lu Chen casually pulled out a pile of three-star weapons and artifacts. Worthless to him—but valuable enough to fetch a hefty price at the Adventurers' Guild.
He had no Mora on hand. Miko didn't either. As for Ei... expecting her to carry money was laughable. People gave her things—she never carried any herself.
"T-This is a lot... Are these all for me?" Zhuzi stared at the handsome young man who kept giving her things, mouth slowly falling open.
"Need anything else? I don't have Mora, but I've got just about everything else. Oh, and I've got some top-tier herbs too. Take them to Bubu Pharmacy and ask for Baizhu—they should fetch around 200,000 Mora."
Zhuzi was stunned. What kind of job was she being hired for?
"Don't worry, just follow me." Lu Chen waved her along and headed toward Wanmin Restaurant.
"But let me say this first—whatever you see later, try not to freak out..."
"Huh? Oh. Okay..." Zhuzi was getting more and more confused. She was even starting to suspect she'd fallen into some strange new trafficking scheme.
Could a man this handsome really be running a scam?
She stared at Lu Chen's back, her expression increasingly bewildered.
But when she followed him to the back of Wanmin Restaurant...
The moment she saw that elegant figure with the flowing purple hair, her eyes went wide, and her jaw dropped so far it could've fit an entire apple.
"G-G-General... General!?"
Ei gave her a soft smile. "Hello. You must be Zhuzi."
Zhuzi looked like she was about to cry.
"General, please! You're not here to arrest me, are you? I didn't mean to sneak into Liyue—I swear!"