Luo Li's private estate
his exclusive residence in Mondstadt.
After leisurely circling back from Windrise Plaza, Luo Li felt another peaceful day slip by, blissfully unproductive.
No wonder Venti loved acting as a carefree "guide" instead of doing any real work.
This lifestyle was comfortable.
As soon as he pushed open the front door
"Welcome home."
Raiden Makoto sat formally at the entryway, wearing an apron, waiting quietly for the man of the house to return.
The short apron barely covered her thighs, and because of her generous curves and kneeling posture, the fabric rode up even more—revealing long, smooth, jade-like legs.
Luo Li had seen this sight countless times.
And each time, his heart skipped a beat.
"I'm home."
Even his voice softened unconsciously. He stepped forward, wrapped Makoto into his arms, and kissed her lightly before entering the hall.
Makoto soon began serving the dinner she had prepared, asking casually about the situation with Dvalin.
After learning that Venti had gone with Ying and Fischl to confront the Abyss again, she simply nodded.
Sitting at the table, resting her chin in her hands while watching him enjoy the meal she made, Makoto sighed softly.
"What a pity… If only there were Sakura Blossoms here. I wanted to make sakura mochi for you to try."
"There'll be a chance."
Neither of them specified when—they simply understood.
When dinner was done, Makoto leaned forward to wipe a speck from his lip. Her posture revealed a very enticing view. Luo Li cleared his throat.
"So… should we turn in early tonight?"
Makoto's lips curved subtly. She was well aware of the heat in his gaze.
After a beat, she answered:
"Then I'll go draw a bath."
The romantic atmosphere rose and promptly shattered when someone started pounding on the door.
"Luo Li! We're back! Hurry and open up!"
Venti's irritated voice rang through the hall.
Luo Li blinked. What now?
He opened the door, only to see Venti slumped against the frame like a half-dead pigeon.
"What happened to you? Went out for one trip and came back already exhausted?"
Yes, Venti suffered erosion from Celestia's authority…
But he shouldn't be this drained from purifying Dvalin.
Guess this is the difference between wind and rock—
Morax could attack or defend, never tired, always solid.
But the Wind God? Fragile.
Ying stepped forward, supporting Venti.
"He was ambushed by the Fatui. They stole his Gnosis."
Ah.
So that part of the story still happened
Just the location changed from the cathedral to the Four Winds Temple.
No matter how the details shift, Venti's fate was still to get his heart stolen.
This man was truly unlucky.
Seeing Luo Li staring at him with a strange expression, Venti snapped:
"Don't look at me like that! It's your romantic debts that came back to bite me! I suffered for your mistakes!"
Luo Li frowned.
"Hey hey, don't slander me. What romantic debts? I never—"
His brain started spinning at high speed.
Romantic debts?
In Mondstadt?
No… he had none here.
"Still denying it?! I'll tell Baal everything!"
Knowing he was protected by Makoto, Venti acted fearless.
Luo Li gave him a look of contempt.
Makoto poked her head from the hall, confused.
"I heard something about… romantic debts? Care to explain?"
A few minutes later, everyone gathered in the hall.
Ying recounted their raid on the Abyss, how they fought Dvalin together and freed him—then how a Fatui woman suddenly appeared and stole Venti's Gnosis.
Fischl, eager not to be forgotten, added dramatic commentary.
"That woman… Venti seemed to recognize her," Ying concluded.
Everyone turned to Venti.
Venti crossed his arms, glared straight at Luo Li, and sneered:
"The name Rosalyn
someone here should be very familiar with it."
Luo Li: "…"
Wait.
Don't tell him
The one who dug out Venti's heart was Rosalyn?!
But that shouldn't be possible.
Back then, she never met Rustan before leaving to study in Sumeru.
Without the grief of losing a lover, how could she have descended into madness?
Unless—
…oh. Right.
He also "died" in this world.
So fate corrected itself anyway?
A convergence of worldlines?!
The innocent, bright girl from centuries ago becoming the Crimson Witch of Flames, later recruited by the Tsaritsa…
Luo Li could only marvel at destiny's strange cruelty.
Makoto gave him a sideways glance but said nothing.
"So their goal is to collect all the Gnoses?" Makoto asked.
Venti nodded heavily.
"Yes. Their next targets are likely Liyue or Inazuma. They may even move on both simultaneously."
His expression practically screamed:
You're next.
And indeed—stealing the Electro Gnosis from Raiden Ei was nearly impossible.
If they angered her?
A single sword stroke might erase them from existence.
The Ei after five hundred years was nothing like the gentle Archon they once knew.
Venti had seen her himself during a Seven Archons' gathering.
Hearing them discuss such matters, Luo Li felt like an outsider.
What could he say?
The Gnosis was already gone—and Venti clearly had no intention of chasing it down.
He cleared his throat.
"Ying, come here. Let's talk about the investigation into the Lawrence clan."
Ying sat beside him immediately.
"What do you need me to do?"
"First, you need to learn their noble etiquette. Starting tomorrow, study with me. You'll need it to infiltrate them."
As he spoke, Luo Li suddenly felt like an NPC handing out quests.
The professional tool-character had not yet awakened her tool-character awareness.
Maybe she would… after the Liyue arc.
"And since you don't have a fixed place to stay, just stay here tonight. Saves you the trouble of coming back tomorrow."
The happiest one wasn't Ying—
it was Paimon.
"Yes!! We don't need to pay for lodging!!"
The little money-grubber's eyes sparkled with Mora symbols.
Ying sighed helplessly at her companion diving head-first into greed once again.