Mr. Zhongli, we can't slack off anymore!

"Hehe, what a coincidence." The traveler forced a smile: "Then you should leave later."

She practically gritted her teeth as she uttered this polite remark, hoping he would understand her subtle way of asking her to leave.

Zhongli, however, seemed completely oblivious to her implied meaning, maintaining his composed demeanor: "It is late at night, and a woman traveling alone may encounter unforeseen dangers. Seeing that the Deputy Hall Master's weariness is undeniable and his steps are unsteady, if he were to encounter a villain... I am truly worried about you, so please allow me to escort him for a while, as that would be the safest course of action."

"No." This time, the traveler refused decisively without the slightest hesitation. She raised her eyes and looked directly into those amber eyes: "Compared to villains, I fear the 'Evil Demon God' more."

She emphasized the last three words.

It's best to clearly refuse someone like him.

Any slight ambiguity in his words can be misinterpreted as tacit approval in his logic, allowing him to then conveniently influence others' actions according to his own ideas.

"Hehe, okay." Unexpectedly, Zhongli did not argue, but instead chuckled and nodded in agreement.

But his inexplicably easygoing, even “friendly” demeanor did not reassure the traveler; instead, it sent a chill down her spine.

Was he always like this?

It's been so long, am I mistaken? Or... is something wrong?

On the other side, Al-Hysen had clearly accepted the current situation, his voice pulling the traveler back from his chaotic thoughts: "I won't impose my views on others. If you change your mind, you can come find me anytime." He paused, then added meaningfully, "You know where I am."

The traveler seemed to understand the subtext of his words: if she felt troubled or needed help, she could go to him. She guessed that with Zhongli's keen perception, he would surely understand as well.

“In that case, the deputy hall master and I will not disturb you any longer. Farewell.” However, Zhongli’s reaction was as if he had not understood any hidden meaning in the other party’s words at all. He simply nodded slightly and prepared to end the confrontation in a calm tone.

Look at them! Decisive and straightforward, no fuss! And look at you!

The traveler inwardly compared the two situations with discontent, his accusing gaze undisguisedly fixed on Zhongli's face.

The person she was staring at seemed to be drawn to an inconspicuous star in the distant night sky, naturally turning their head away to avoid her resentful gaze.

"Goodbye." Elhesen took half a step forward, seemingly unintentionally adjusting his position, subtly adopting the posture of helping the traveler block potential "harassers," and said calmly, "You go first."

"Goodbye!" The traveler immediately seized the opportunity, waving almost joyfully, his voice even lighter, before turning around and hurriedly disappearing into the streets of Sumeru City, where pedestrians were still scattered in the night.

*

The traveler intended to enjoy the quiet night path alone, planning to reach the teleportation point in the city and then teleport directly to the vicinity of the inn.

However, she was so focused on thinking about what had happened that night that her mind was occupied by Zhong Li's unusual attitude, Elhesen's cryptic words, and the content of their mysterious conversation that she walked so far that she unknowingly walked back to the entrance of the "Golden Leaf Inn" by relying on her body's memory.

It wasn't until she saw the familiar entrance to the hotel that she snapped out of her daze.

...Why did you just walk back?

Moreover, the questions swirling in my mind remained a tangled mess, and I couldn't find a way to unravel them.

What exactly did Zhongli say to Elhesen? This question lingered like a ghost.

"Vice Hall Master, thank you for taking care of me these past few days."

Just as she was thinking about the figure that was bothering her, a deep, familiar voice that she absolutely did not want to hear at this moment came from the brightly lit hotel lobby.

The traveler stiffly turned his head and saw Tariq, the inn's always polite butler, bowing slightly as he spoke with Zhongli, who had somehow become seated on the sofa in the lounge area.

So what if you have long legs? You walk so fast!

The traveler then realized something even more cruel.

Damn it, I'm so tired I'm completely out of it. He doesn't need to 'walk' at all...

As if Zhong Li had eyes in the back of his head, he gracefully stood up the moment her gaze fell on him, turned to her, and asked with a perfectly timed question in his voice: "Vice Hall Master, why are you late?"

"Because even using a teleportation point, I still have to walk a distance!" the traveler retorted irritably, though inwardly he was lamenting.

I just didn't really want to come back, and sure enough, once I did...

"What if we use a 'teleportation talisman'?" Zhongli asked casually, as if it were just a casual remark.

hateful!

Ah! How could I have forgotten this method!

If you use a teleportation talisman, you can return directly to your room!

When someone knocks on the door, she can pretend she doesn't hear it. If someone calls her from outside the door, she can confidently say, "I won't open it, I won't open it!"

"You...you didn't know the way, did you?" The traveler suddenly remembered the excuse he had used not long ago and tried to regain his footing.

"I've already asked my brother Elhesen about this," he replied matter-of-factly.

So all that time he and Elhesen spent talking outside was to ask... where the Golden Leaf Hotel was.

That doesn't have to be the case. Why do we have to talk about it outside the Grand Bazaar? It's just a matter of a few words. Do we really need to hide from people and talk about it for so long?!

Countless questions swirled in her mind, but she decided not to delve any deeper.

"Oh..." the traveler responded softly, intending to play dumb and pretend he knew nothing to get away with it.

But... isn't it a bit... a bit... that he called him "little brother"?

Does Al-Hysen know that he is called that?

"There is still one thing I don't understand." Zhongli seemed to see through her thoughts and spoke again slowly, his golden eyes revealing just the right amount of confusion: "When Brother Elhesen gave directions, he even gave the exact room number of the Deputy Hall Master. Why is that?"

The traveler's heart skipped a beat.

coming!

"Of course there's a legitimate reason!" She tried to remain calm, even deliberately shaking her finger to create a relaxed atmosphere: "I'll tell you tomorrow! It's too late today!"

After saying that, she turned around and tried to slip away to the stairs, but Zhongli walked forward without leaving a trace and blocked her way.

The surrounding air seemed to freeze for a moment, and the temperature seemed to drop a few degrees.

The traveler keenly sensed that beneath the seemingly calm and composed exterior of the person beside him, there seemed to be a very subtle emotional fluctuation called "unhappiness".

"I have just arrived in Sumeru and have not yet booked a room." Zhongli's expression remained calm, and his tone showed no abnormality, but his words almost made the traveler jump up: "It is late at night, and it is inconvenient to look for a room. I wonder... if I could share a room with the Vice Hall Master for the night?"

He actually... just said it like that?!

Before, when they were in Inazuma, at least they could patiently and indirectly guide her. Now, they don't even bother to pretend anymore?

"I'll book you a room!" The traveler just wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible and spend some Mora to get rid of this big shot.

"Unfortunately, the innkeeper said that all the other rooms are sold out." Zhongli answered flawlessly, as if she had expected her to say that.

The traveler immediately looked to the butler, Tariq, standing to the side for confirmation, and received an apologetic but affirmative nod from him.

"...Sumeru City is so big, there must be some hotel rooms that aren't sold out!" she persisted.

“I’ve been there, but it’s not there.” Zhongli’s tone was very certain.

Who knows if he really went there or not... The traveler muttered to himself, but couldn't refute it.

"I'm sorry." She pulled out her last trump card, trying to make her expression look sincere and troubled: "I'm a girl, and it's really inconvenient for me to stay in a single room... Why don't you go back to your ship?" She remembered that he had mentioned that he should have come by ship.

Zhong Li watched her quietly until she began to feel uneasy, then slowly spoke, his tone calm yet carrying a fatal edge: "Thanks to the title of Deputy Hall Master 'Rock King Emperor,' the inn has already upgraded the Deputy Hall Master to a top-floor suite free of charge for those who admire him. It has two separate bedrooms."

"..."

The traveler was completely frozen in place.

I think I saw a boomerang.