"Don't struggle, little girl."
The sudden voice startled Precious Baby.
She quickly looked up at a corner of the room; she hadn't even noticed there was someone hiding there.
As a skilled member of the Treasure Hoarders, her stealth techniques were absolutely top-tier, but this woman in front of her was clearly far superior in that regard.
Who exactly is this person...?
Unable to speak, Precious Baby could only glare at the other party with wide, angry eyes.
"Don't look at me like that; I'm not the one who captured you."
Yelan shrugged and walked in front of Precious Baby.
Of course, she was already dressed now. Although she didn't mind exposing herself a little to those she had shared a meal with, this person clearly hadn't had her meal yet.
"Besides, you did something wrong, and you deserve to be punished."
Yelan turned her head to look at a table nearby.
It was already covered with all sorts of "torture devices"; clearly, these were all items prepared by Cloud Retainer.
Star would be back soon to play, so she had to make some preparations for Precious Baby to prevent her from getting hurt later.
Of course, Star was also experienced and should be careful, but this was also a precaution, as who knew if Star might get carried away and forget to be gentle.
"Do you prefer something longer, or perhaps a bit wider?"
Yelan slowly asked Precious Baby.
"Mmm! Mmm mmm!"
Precious Baby naturally couldn't answer Yelan's words, only able to make such sounds to show her resistance.
However, Precious Baby truly didn't understand what Yelan meant by "longer" or "wider"... Could she be talking about whips or other torture instruments?
Thinking of this, Precious Baby struggled even more fiercely.
Her life couldn't be described as smooth sailing, but she hadn't encountered any major setbacks until now.
She had never experienced the taste of being whipped, but she had witnessed the punishments within the Treasure Hoarders for members who failed their tasks.
Having seen those people with their skin torn and flesh exposed, she naturally felt a sense of fear.
Especially those whips soaked in saltwater; just hearing the screams of those people once was enough to understand how terrifying they were.
"Hmm..."
Yelan stroked her chin. Since Precious Baby couldn't give her an answer, she would have to decide for herself.
Then she slowly bent down, observing carefully, even reaching out to inspect thoroughly.
"Mmm!!!"
Precious Baby was slightly stunned at first, then let out an even stronger sound than before.
Now she understood; things were probably worse than she had imagined.
"Oh my, I really didn't expect that, despite being from the Treasure Hoarders, she's still untouched."
Yelan slowly stood up, saying with a slight surprise.
After all, a place like the Treasure Hoarders was incredibly chaotic, and it was quite unbelievable that someone like Precious Baby, who had some looks, could escape unscathed.
In that case, she should choose other types; this one wasn't quite suitable...
Yelan ignored Precious Baby's reddened eyes, turned, and walked to the table, carefully selecting an item.
"Don't worry, it won't be too painful for you. Anyway, Star will be back soon... probably."
Yelan said as she made her selection.
Hearing the name Star, Precious Baby's body trembled slightly, but she made no other sound.
Soon, Yelan chose the appropriate tools and put them on Precious Baby one by one.
"Alright, just bear with it for a bit; you'll be comfortable soon."
Yelan clapped her hands, then turned and left without looking back.
She also made sure to lock the door tightly, just in case someone unfamiliar with the situation came in and released Precious Baby.
The dark room was filled only with continuous whimpers and buzzing sounds.
—
"Eh? You said she was taken away by Miss Yelan of the General Affairs Department?"
Philgoated looked at Star in surprise.
She had returned with the Millelith squad, and they found Philgoated with their captain.
They also relayed the news that had just shocked the Millelith captain to her.
"Yes, that's right. Yelan happened to pass by when I was chasing Precious Baby..."
Star's eyes flickered slightly as she nodded and said.
This could only be described as half-truth, half-lie.
It was true that the person was taken by Yelan, but she was probably still suffering, or perhaps enjoying herself, inside the Serenitea Pot.
"How coincidental. Why would Miss Yelan be here?"
Philgoated said, stroking her chin.
As someone who also worked for Ningguang, Philgoated naturally knew Yelan.
To say that Yelan helped capture and take Precious Baby, while a bit coincidental, wasn't impossible.
No matter how cunning Precious Baby was, she was still too green against an opponent like Yelan.
However, shouldn't Yelan be operating the Yanshang Teahouse in Liyue Harbor at this time? Why would she be here...?
Of course, she didn't suspect Star of lying. Although Star's behavior was a bit strange, after all, this kind of thing could be confirmed immediately with a simple inquiry.
Besides, Star had no reason to lie.
"I'll go inquire about the situation in Liyue Harbor later. You all have worked hard as well."
Philgoated decided not to think about it too much. As long as Precious Baby was caught, it was a good thing.
"Now, both North Weird Bird and Nan Changjie have been apprehended, thanks to Miss Star."
The Millelith captain said with a smile.
"No, it's not certain that Precious Baby is Nan Changjie..."
Star shook her head, recalling that when she had just caught Precious Baby, she had teased her by saying, "Nan Changjie is nothing more than this."
Precious Baby's reaction was a bit strange; upon hearing that title, she paused slightly, then started saying things like, "You know I'm Nan Changjie and you still won't let me go? When my subordinates arrive, you won't have a good time."
Given this behavior, Star felt that whether she was Nan Changjie still needed a question mark.
"It doesn't matter. Whether she is or isn't, she is ultimately a high-ranking member of the Treasure Hoarders. We'll see if Miss Yelan can interrogate any valuable intelligence from her."
Philgoated also said.
Regardless, this was a big fish, and Philgoated also trusted Yelan's interrogation skills, believing she would quickly extract something.
The Treasure Hoarders might be cunning and insidious, but ultimately, they weren't tough nuts to crack.
"Alright, it's getting late. Everyone, come and eat. The celebration banquet has been prepared early."
Philgoated said with a smile to Star.
"Miss Soraya specifically cooked for you, preparing some Sumeru-style delicacies."
"Oh? Sumeru delicacies?"
Star immediately became interested. Mondstadt's dishes were very good, and Liyue's cuisine made her very satisfied, so she wondered what Sumeru's specialty dishes would be like.
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