"Official business?" Rover frowned. "Making Lucian leave my side to live at City Hall just to 'understand Jinzhou more deeply'? What kind of official business is that?"
Rover clearly wasn't fooled by Changli's words.
However, Changli smiled faintly. "Actually, this is also Jinhsi's intention."
"Jinhsi?" Rover paused briefly. "What does this have to do with her?"
"And before, when Jinhsi appointed Lucian as an intelligence officer, she even said he had to protect my safety without leaving my side. Why would she suddenly want him to live at City Hall now?"
Changli chuckled. "Have you forgotten? Both Lucian and Jinhsi now bear the power of Time. Jinhsi hasn't yet made a final decision on whether Lucian should remain in Jinzhou."
"This invitation is precisely so that Lucian and Jinhsi can deepen their understanding of each other. Only then can Jinhsi make her decision."
"After all, the power of Time is no trivial matter. If Jinzhou truly faces a crisis in the future, who can guarantee that Lucian will return in time?"
Rover's expression remained cold as she pressed, "But back at Loong's Crest, the Sentinel already said that Lucian only needs to lend aid at critical moments. Even you yourself claimed Jinhsi would agree to this arrangement. Why the sudden change?"
Unfazed by Rover's questioning, Changli replied lightly, "The Sentinel is the Sentinel, and Changli is Changli. Neither of us can speak for Jinhsi, can we?"
"Though the Sentinel holds the grace of rebirth over Jinhsi, and I am her teacher, Jinzhou's affairs are now entirely under Jinhsi's authority. Even if we offer advice, the final decision rests with her."
"And as Jinhsi's intelligence officer, Lucian naturally must follow her orders."
Lucian suppressed a smirk. Not only am I Jinhsi's intelligence officer, I'm also a guest advisor of the Black Shores. What do you say to that?
"Even so, there's no need for him to live at City Hall, let alone stay in Jinzhou permanently."
"Isn't it convenient enough to travel back and forth using Resonance beacons? It's not like he wouldn't make it back in time."
Rover absolutely refused to let Lucian leave her side not even for the sake of Time's power.
Moreover, she doubted Jinhsi had ever said such things. Knowing Jinhsi's character, if she had once insisted on Lucian protecting Rover, she wouldn't go back on her word.
Rover suspected Changli simply saw Lucian's strength as a tremendous asset to Jinzhou and was using Jinhsi's name to pressure him into staying. After all, Jinzhou still had much post-war work to handle, and with someone like Lucian around, Jinhsi and Changli's burdens would lighten considerably.
Changli responded, "Resonance beacons are indeed convenient, but what if both sides face a crisis simultaneously?"
"No one can predict the future with absolute certainty, not even the Sentinel."
"And if Lucian stays in Jinzhou, naturally he should reside at City Hall to experience every facet of Jinzhou. Only then can he truly understand it."
Rover: "..."
Seeing that neither side would yield, Rover turned to Lucian. "Regardless, it's up to Lucian himself to decide."
"You all know how powerful he is. He wouldn't want to live under someone else's roof. If you push him too hard, he might even turn against you."
"Lucian, am I right?"
Lucian: "..."
Rover pressed on, "Even if Lucian were to choose for himself, I'm certain he'd pick me."
"After all, he once promised to stay by my side and help me recover my memories."
"Lucian, am I right?"
Rover was confident that, given the choice, Lucian would choose her. Compared to Jinzhou, the bond between them ran far deeper.
Lucian: "Uh..."
Lucian furrowed his brow, unsure of Changli's intentions.
Even if he didn't stay in Jinzhou, the goodwill he had built with the city was mutually beneficial.
Moreover, since he and Jinhsi now shared the power of Time, he would undoubtedly aid Jinzhou and Jinhsi when needed.
Why was Changli so insistent on keeping him in Jinzhou?
Before Lucian could figure it out, Changli remarked, "Speaking of which, I ran into Chixia at City Hall the other day..."
Lucian: "?"
Rover: "?"
Changli continued, "Do you know why a Patroller who'd never once visited City Hall's reception room suddenly showed up?"
A bad feeling crept into Rover's heart. "Why?"
Recalling the scene, Changli said slowly, "The first thing she said upon entering was… she wanted to marry Lucian."
Lucian: "???"
He hadn't expected Chixia to go all the way to City Hall just to propose marriage—it was genuinely touching.
Though by then, Jinhsi had likely already departed for Mt. Firmament, leaving Sanhua and Changli to handle affairs at City Hall…
Rover: "..."
Not only had Changli invoked Jinhsi's name, but now she was bringing up Chixia too. Worse yet, Chixia had actually gone to Jinhsi to propose marriage on Lucian's behalf.
Though Lucian had no family in this world, he was Jinhsi's intelligence officer.
Seeking Jinhsi's approval for marriage wasn't entirely unreasonable…
Rover's expression darkened. Changli was truly pulling out all the stops to keep Lucian in Jinzhou. Yet even so, Rover remained certain Lucian wouldn't stay.
She had absolute confidence in that!
Seeing their silence, Changli added, "Ah, the first taste of love for a young maiden… filled with sweet dreams of a blissful future."
"If Lucian were to leave Jinzhou, that little Patroller would be utterly heartbroken."
"Lucian… surely you don't want to break Chixia's heart, do you?"
Lucian: "???"
Counselor Changli, please calm down!
Lucian never imagined Changli would resort to something so close to a threat.
Rover's hand subtly pinched the soft flesh at Lucian's waist, her meaning unmistakable.
After a brief hesitation, Lucian recalled Jinhsi's words to him before: "The sea is vast for fish to leap, the sky high for birds to fly."
He didn't believe Jinhsi would go back on her word and force him to stay. As for Chixia… he did believe she'd gone to City Hall and said such things.
"What if… I choose all of them?"
"Ack—ow ow ow ow!" Lucian clutched the back of his head in pain.
Changli chuckled. "How greedy… Rover still has other regions to visit, while Jinhsi and Chixia will remain in Jinzhou."
"You say you want them all… but how exactly do you plan to manage that?"
Lucian grinned. "Simple. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays with Rover; Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays back in Jinzhou."
Rover sneered. "Heh, who knew you were such a time management master ?"
"Then what do you do on Sundays?"
Lucian sighed wistfully. "You know how many admirers I have… Sundays will be for flipping name cards."
Rover: "?"
Changli: "?"
Rover snorted. "Then I'll drain you dry on Monday, so you won't have the energy to see anyone else for the rest of the week."
Lucian: "???"