"Xiangling? Hello there." Lin Qiu followed behind Ms. Furina.
Lin Qiu wasn't surprised to see Xiangling in his home.
Before he left, he had given keys to Xiangling and Hu Tao, figuring they would help him maintain the house.
"Lin Qiu? You're back?" Xiangling was very happy; her friend had finally returned.
"Mhm, let me introduce you."
Lin Qiu reached out and stroked Furina's hair, saying,
"This is Furina, a friend I met in Fontaine."
Lin Qiu's hand rested on Furina's head, making Furina instinctively shrink her body.
Already petite, she looked like a startled small animal.
"Hello." Furina politely extended her hand.
"Oh, hello." Xiangling shook it.
Furina? It sounds familiar somehow? Never mind, I can't recall.
If you mentioned a Fontainian dish, she'd be more interested.
Wait, you've only been to Fontaine for a month or two, right?
In just a month or two, you managed to 'abduct' such a cute girl?
What kind of master kidnapper are you?
Furina no longer maintained that reassuring divine facade.
Anyway, Liyue people didn't worship her to begin with.
Moreover, this was a private setting, so there was no need to worry about outsiders seeing.
"Lin Qiu, what exactly did you mean in your last letter?" Xiangling asked, looking at Lin Qiu.
"It means, can you make some delicious food for me?"
Lin Qiu expressed that he really couldn't get used to Fontainian cuisine.
Although Xiangling's 'experimental dishes' sometimes had a destructive power not inferior to that 'strange fishy chanson'.
But Xiangling's normal cooking was still excellent.
It felt like the 'delicious fishy chanson' he ate last time was Xiangling's normal cooking level.
The 'strange fishy chanson' was Xiangling's 'experimental dish' level.
In short, save me, Xiangling!
Hearing this, Xiangling became excited.
She loved cooking, and even more so, she could let a foreigner taste her cuisine.
"No problem! Wait for me!"
Xiangling dashed into the kitchen, with Lin Qiu following close behind, intending to help.
"I'll help too," Furina offered.
"Eh? The guest wants to cook too?" Xiangling was stunned.
In her eyes, Furina was a guest brought by Lin Qiu; there was no reason for a guest to cook.
This was also because she didn't know Furina's identity yet.
Otherwise, she would definitely ask, 'Can a god also cook?'
"Don't underestimate me, I'm also good at cooking."
Once the topic of cooking came up, Xiangling's previous reservedness vanished, and she chatted with Furina sentence by sentence.
At the same time, inside the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Zhongli also sensed Lin Qiu's aura.
An old friend returning, he had to pay a visit.
Zhongli found Director Hu, "Director Hu, Lin Xiaoyou has returned. I need to pay him a visit."
The implication was, I'm taking the day off today.
"What!? Qiu Qiu is back?" Director Hu became excited.
"Why didn't you tell me? That's not fair. Come on, let's go together."
Director Hu declared: Don't take a leave, just take a holiday.
Grabbing Zhongli's wrist, Director Hu rushed towards Lin Qiu's home.
Zhongli, helpless, allowed Director Hu to drag him through the streets.
When the two arrived at Lin Qiu's home, Xiangling had just finished cooking.
Lin Qiu looked at the two who had arrived punctually and couldn't help but sigh, "Are you two here to freeload on time?"
"Lin Xiaoyou, long time no see."
Zhongli was still trying to speak eloquently, but Director Hu had already blocked him behind her.
Her voice completely overshadowed Zhongli's as she stood on tiptoes in front of Lin Qiu.
"Qiu Qiu, why didn't you tell this Hall Master when you came back!"
"Not reporting your itinerary to your superior, I'm docking your pay!"
Her relationship with Lin Qiu was quite good, after all, Lin Qiu had been by Director Hu's side throughout his time in Liyue.
Moreover, not many people could keep up with Director Hu's pace, and Lin Qiu was one of them.
They were even on par in terms of alleyway street poets.
"It was sudden," Lin Qiu explained. "My letter hadn't even arrived, but I did. What could I do?"
After speaking, Lin Qiu 'pulled' out a small Furina from behind him and introduced her:
"This is Furina, a friend I met in Fontaine."
"Hello everyone." Furina waved her hand.
"Mmm mmm." Director Hu stroked her chin, leaned slightly forward, stared intently at Furina, looked left and right, and nodded.
Then she smiled, "Since you're Qiu Qiu's friend, you're my Director Hu's friend too."
"In the future, for your funeral, I can give you an 80% discount!"
Director Hu made an 'eight' sign with her small hand, a smile playing on her lips, looking like a cool pose for a photo.
"Huh? Funeral?" Furina was stunned.
By the way, I've lived for five hundred years; can you really be alive to hold my funeral?
Lin Qiu hooked his thumb around his middle finger and lightly flicked Director Hu's forehead.
"Ow!" Director Hu clutched her forehead, looking as if it hurt a lot.
"Oh, you hit me again! This Hall Master is going to dock your pay!"
Lin Qiu spread his hands, thinking, you've said that many times before, and you never docked my pay in the end.
And now, my current boss is Navia, so I'm not afraid if you dock my pay.
Zhongli secretly nodded; it was about time someone managed the Hall Master's temper.
Since Lin Xiaoyou left, no one had been keeping the Hall Master in check, and she had become increasingly difficult.
Speaking of which, the three of them were interesting.
Zhongli felt he couldn't control Director Hu, Director Hu felt she couldn't control Zhongli.
And Lin Qiu felt he was at the bottom of the food chain.
"Ms. Furina, a pleasure to meet you." Zhongli was much more composed.
Actually, Zhongli was also a bit puzzled; this Furina was indeed an ordinary person.
But why did she have Focalors's aura about her?
Is it because of this Curse? Or something else?
Focalors... what exactly are you planning?
Zhongli looked at Lin Qiu, thinking that Lin Xiaoyou must know something.
Lin Qiu was also looking at Zhongli, but he didn't have a telepathic connection with Zhongli.
He just felt that the scene before him seemed a bit off.
Zhongli with Director Hu, me with Furina, what exactly is wrong?
I got it! If I were Neuvillette, it would be right!
Oh no, why do I feel like my 'Hydro Dragon' is about to start dancing?
"Alright, stop chatting, the food's going to get cold." Xiangling interrupted their reunion.
Everyone obediently took their seats in order.
Just as they were about to pick up their chopsticks, the surrounding wind became agitated, seemingly asserting its presence.
Lin Qiu hadn't noticed anything before, but when the wind suddenly became agitated, he realized.
That drunken bard must be nearby.
Yes, Venti was waiting outside the house.
He had followed Rosalyne all the way to Liyue after the Gnosis was given to her.
Along the way, he didn't know how much Snezhnayan firewater he had secretly drunk; this was the reward he had 'won' for himself.
After arriving in Liyue, he originally wanted to visit the old man.
Then he found the old man here, and from the conversation, the author who exposed his identity was also inside.
But he wasn't familiar with the people inside, so he had been waiting outside the house, using the wind to remind Zhongli.
However, Zhongli ignored his presence.
Until everyone was about to start eating, he finally couldn't hold back.
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Character Voice Line · Furina: About Hu Tao
"Hmm... she's... an enthusiastic person?
Anyway, I don't dislike her. I really wish I could be as happy and uninhibited as she is."