As it turns out, Diona's ears feel pretty much the same as any other kitten's when touched.
Lu Heng pondered: What would it feel like to pet Kirara?
Now that Kirara came to mind, his thoughts naturally drifted to Yae Miko.
Yae Miko has real fox ears—fluffy ones at that. It must feel amazing to touch them.
Diona, being a little girl, was easy to coax, but Yae Miko… wouldn't be so simple.
As Lu Heng stroked Diona's ears, the little catgirl couldn't help but feel a pleasant warmth. His hands were gentle, and his entire being radiated kindness, making it impossible for anyone to feel wary around him.
Unconsciously, Diona nuzzled into Lu Heng's palm.
Realizing what she was doing, her face immediately flushed red. The fur on her ears practically stood on end as she jolted back, putting distance between them.
Clearing her throat, she tried her best to act nonchalant. "That's enough for now!"
"Alright."
Lu Heng smiled and nodded.
Such a tsundere catgirl—adorable.
Diona quickly mixed drinks for the three of them before hopping off her stool. "Goodbye! I have other customers to attend to!"
And with that, the little kitten scampered off.
Lu Heng turned to his side.
Furina was already tipsy, her cheeks flushed and her expression dazed—utterly adorable in her drunken state.
Lu Heng held up a finger. "How many is this?"
"Three!" Furina declared loudly.
"Yep, definitely drunk."
Lu Heng sighed. "Do you want to sleep?"
"Hehe… Here? That's not appropriate…" Furina giggled foolishly.
Furina: "…"
Lu Heng massaged his temples. "I'll take her back to rest. She can barely walk straight in this state."
"I'll take care of her," Furina said, downing the rest of her drink.
"Sounds good."
Lu Heng casually opened a portal.
Furina supported the barely-conscious Furina as they stepped through, returning to the pocket dimension.
Glancing at the price list, Lu Heng pulled out a handful of Mora and left it on the table.
"Diona, we're leaving. See you next time."
Not far away, Diona looked up just in time to see Lu Heng toss a Mora coin into the air before catching it again.
"Oh!"
Blinking, she called out, "Come back often!"
This was the first time she'd met someone completely unaffected by alcohol.
As Klee would say—he's a really good person!
Hands in his pockets, Lu Heng strolled out of the Cat's Tail Tavern.
The place wasn't far from the Adventurers' Guild.
As he stepped outside, his gaze landed on a white-haired boy wrapped in bandages.
Isn't that Bennett—the only six-star character in the Abyss usage rate?
Thinking about Bennett's infamous luck, Lu Heng fell into deep thought.
Would it affect my gacha pulls?
First of all, it was certain that Bennett's luck would indeed influence his pulls.
But, much like Klee, the impact probably wouldn't be too extreme.
The real question was—would the aftermath be manageable?
The card skills themselves would undoubtedly work fine, and activating them wouldn't be a problem… but the end result? That was another story.
After all, this is Bennett we're talking about.
Imagine casting a fireball to light a pile of dry grass, only for a sudden gust of wind to blow it off course.
Would that happen?
Absolutely.
But if it was just for fun, then who cared?
Lost in thought, Lu Heng watched as Bennett dashed off into the distance—probably heading home to see the "dads" who raised him.
Lu Heng could only hope things wouldn't go too badly for him.
And then there was the matter of the phone…
Lu Heng had a feeling Bennett might struggle to keep one intact.
Knowing him, it'd probably slip out of his hands at the worst possible moment—right into a puddle.
Because of course it would.
That's just Bennett's luck.
"Given the phone's durability…"
Lu Heng pondered.
Under normal use, even if it was accidentally dropped, it'd be fine. If it fell into water but was retrieved quickly, no big deal. But what if that puddle happened to be infused with elemental energy?
Never mind.
Lu Heng decided not to dwell on it.
If he thought too deeply, he might end up questioning whether Bennett should even be allowed to buy a phone in the first place.
The afternoon passed lazily.
And in Mondstadt, that laziness was amplified by the city's laid-back atmosphere.
Lu Heng lounged in a chair, soaking up the sun while scrolling through his phone.
A line had already formed outside the shop.
The Civilization Core had thoughtfully equipped the phones with basic AI, making it easy to teach people how to use them.
Right now, a few people stood nearby, testing calls with each other.
For the people of Mondstadt, smartphones were still a novelty.
"Hehe~!"
Lu Heng turned at the sound of a familiar voice.
Klee came running over, stopping right in front of him.
"Klee got praised!" she announced proudly.
"Oh?"
Seeing how eager she was to share, Lu Heng feigned surprise. "Tell me more!"
"Hehe~!"
Klee beamed. "Because Klee's bombs did something good, Acting Grand Master Jean praised Klee!"
"And then?"
"Now everyone in the Knights knows how amazing Klee is~!"
Lu Heng reached out and booped her nose.
"Klee is the best!"
"Big Brother is the strongest!" Klee immediately shot back.
"Come sit."
Lu Heng reached through space, pulling snacks from the branch store and handing them to her.
"Klee can't eat now! Klee has a mission~!"
A mission?
Lu Heng's curiosity was piqued.
"Sister Amber said the Reconnaissance Company is coming back soon, and they might be hurt, so she asked Klee to help check on them!"
Reconnaissance Company?
Lu Heng's memory was sharp—he recalled that Eula was the captain of that unit.
"When exactly are they arriving?" he asked.
"Umm… later?"
Klee scratched her head before quickly texting Amber for clarification.
"Sister Amber says they've already met up! Klee has to go now!"
The little girl was practically vibrating with excitement.
"Go on, then. If you run into any trouble, just let me know," Lu Heng said with a smile.
"Okay~! Bye-bye!"
Clutching the straps of her backpack, Klee dashed off toward Mondstadt's main gate.
My lively little daughter…
Lu Heng smiled like a proud father.
Ding~
His phone chimed. Picking it up, he saw a message.
[Navia]: Boss Lu, are you free right now? (peeking)
Lu Heng blinked, then replied.
[Lu Heng]: Just soaking up some sun. Plenty of free time.
A few seconds later, a response popped up.
[Navia]: Remember how I said I'd treat you to dinner last time? If you're free tonight, let me take you out!
Huh?
He searched his memories.
She really did say that!
But he'd assumed it was just polite small talk—he never expected her to actually follow through!
A beautiful girl invites me to dinner—of course I have to go!
Still, he should check in with the others first.
[Focalors]: I shook Furina awake. She says do whatever, and as for me—just make sure you come back tonight.
Lu Heng acknowledged the message and immediately replied to Navia.
[Lu Heng]: Sounds great! Time and place? I'll be there!
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T/N:
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