"Is that so? Then it will be troublesome. I thought I would have to use secret codes like everyone else to get up,"
The guide merely smiled and said nothing. As the floating stone ascended higher and higher, until they could overlook the entirety of Liyue, the Jade Chamber finally arrived.
"Every time I ascend, I find it incredibly beautiful. The scenery here is truly magnificent."
"To receive Mr. Lu Ze's admiration is my great honor!"
At some unknown moment, Ningguang had appeared behind him. The high-altitude breeze gently lifted her qipao, and a hint of triumph flashed in her eyes before she quickly concealed it.
"Hmm? When did you appear behind me? You walk without a sound, you startled me."
Ningguang merely smiled at Lu Ze's words and said nothing.
"It's windy outside. Mr. Lu Ze, please come down and let us have a good chat. It's not ideal to discuss matters here."
The two walked towards the main gate. The two Millelith guards beside them helped to push the doors open. Although he had been here before, seeing the resplendent Jade Chamber once again still filled him with awe.
"Miss Ningguang, the more I see of your Jade Chamber, the more I like it. How should I put it? It has fulfilled a childhood dream of mine. When I was young, I often imagined building an aerial pavilion in the future. I never expected you to achieve it first."
Ningguang's eyes flickered slightly, and she replied,
"If Mr. Lu Ze desires it, all he needs to do is sign his name on that blank paper, and you can reside in this aerial pavilion forever."
Indeed, she never forgot about that blank paper, always finding ways to keep this man by her side. After all, who wouldn't cherish someone with such immense power?
"Forget it. I came here to discuss this matter. I cannot agree to it, nor dare I. You know my situation. If I were to agree, I'd have my skin peeled off."
Hearing the answer, Ningguang felt a slight disappointment, but she quickly recovered.
"Let's not talk about that for now. Mr. Lu Ze has finally come to the Jade Chamber, and it's almost dinnertime. So, let's have a meal before you leave. I won't force you."
The two arrived at a table laden with delicacies. For some reason, despite the large table, there were only two seats, placed so close together. It seemed rather suspicious, didn't it?
However, Lu Ze didn't feel the need to expose it. Besides, he wasn't losing anything, so what was there to fear?
"This is excellent fruit wine, and the alcohol content is not high. How about a couple of glasses?"
Ningguang took out a bottle of wine from under the table and filled both of their goblets. The deep red wine swirled in the glasses, seemingly reflecting someone's heart.
"But I don't drink. Even if the alcohol content is low, I'm not accustomed to it."
Hearing Lu Ze's words, Ningguang became a little annoyed, her lips pouting as if she were throwing a tantrum.
"Are you not giving me face? You tell me you don't drink, but who was it that drank so much on the stairs last time?"
Lu Ze was slightly stunned. He had indeed had a few drinks while chatting with Zhongli, but it wasn't just a few, it was nearly six or seven bottles. But how did she know about this?
"Are you monitoring me? I remember there wasn't a soul on the street at the time. How did you know about this?"
Seeing the atmosphere becoming tense, Ningguang calmly replied,
"Because I bought this wine from Zhongli. I've tasted his wine before, it's excellent, Peach Blossom Brew. So I bought some, and he told me about it during the process."
This explanation was flawless. After all, it was indeed with Zhongli that he had drunk it, and only he knew about it. However, suspicion could not be entirely ruled out.
"Look, I've already opened the wine. Just have a couple of sips. It's the same as what you drank last time, so you're not afraid of getting drunk, are you? Even if you do get drunk, I'll have someone escort you back."
Lu Ze could only nod. After all, it would be impolite not to drink anymore. He slowly lifted his wine glass with his right hand and took a small sip. It indeed tasted similar to last time.
But for some reason, it was sweeter, and more like fruit wine. He couldn't taste any trace of alcohol at all. With a single gulp, it felt like drinking juice.
"Isn't it good? After I bought it, I preserved it properly. This kind of wine can only achieve its best flavor at a certain temperature."
Ningguang swirled her wine glass with her left hand and downed a full glass in one go.
Seeing that she had finished hers, Lu Ze felt reluctant to leave his wine untouched and also downed his in one gulp. But why did he suddenly feel a little hot?
"Doesn't it get stuffy in here? Why do I feel like I'm getting hotter and hotter?"
How could Ningguang possibly tell him? She simply reached out with her chopsticks, picked up a piece of meat, and placed it in his bowl, letting him taste the chef's skill.
Half an hour later, Lu Ze had lost count of how many glasses he had drunk. The empty wine bottles lying on the floor numbered no less than ten. Ningguang remained perfectly alert, but for some reason, Lu Ze's face had become flushed.
"It's so hot... Why isn't there a fan?"
At this point, Lu Ze was slumped over the table, his clothes slightly loose, and sweat beading on his forehead, as if he were truly suffering from the heat.
Ningguang smiled broadly and continued to refill his wine glass. If she kept forcing him to drink, he would eventually get drunk.
Another half hour passed, and Lu Ze had collapsed onto the floor. He couldn't drink alcohol in the first place, and this time he had drunk so much. Even fruit wine couldn't withstand such quantities.
Moreover, someone had tampered with it. Every time she poured, she would add a bit of high-concentration alcohol tablet and even some white powder into his goblet.
"Who told you not to be obedient? My great hero, to get you, I've put in a lot of effort. It's all to tie you to my side and have you work for me."
Ningguang, from somewhere, produced an inkpad. She took out that blank paper from Lu Ze and forcefully pressed his finger onto it. For added security, she even made a few extra copies.
"Now you can't escape, can you? Next... let's do something interesting."
She put the blank paper away in a cabinet and carried Lu Ze to her room. Looking at his handsome face, she felt she wasn't losing out. All of this was for Liyue.
With the passing of the Geo Archon, Liyue now needed a strong figure to anchor it, otherwise, facing external enemies would be akin to suicidal.
It wasn't that she looked down on human strength, but in the face of true gods, how fragile was human power?