After that, once everyone had opened up, the atmosphere at the table grew even more relaxed.
Beidou was fully in her element as the life of the party, pouring bowl after bowl of strong liquor for everyone.
Aside from Luo Li, who accepted it all without complaint, the others found it increasingly hard to keep up.
Eula and Raiden Makoto preferred lighter drinks such as sake or mint wine, while Noelle rarely drank at all—after several large jars, even she was starting to feel overwhelmed.
As for Keqing, she didn't particularly enjoy alcohol either. A faint haze filled her eyes, and a rosy flush spread across her cheeks, making her look unexpectedly endearing.
Meanwhile, under Luo Li's deliberate guidance, the conversation gradually shifted—from the customs and scenery of Mondstadt and Liyue to discussions of governance, institutions, and the strengths and weaknesses of the two nations.
Influenced by the alcohol, Keqing was already far less clear-headed than usual.
"Forgive me for saying something disrespectful," she said softly, "but does the Geo Archon really know everything?"
Such an openly irreverent question—questioning Rex Lapis himself—was something only Keqing in all of Liyue would dare to say.
Hearing this, Luo Li nodded solemnly and replied, "Indeed. Morax doesn't know a damn thing."
Badmouthing an old friend behind his back, he felt not the slightest trace of guilt.
Seeing Keqing—after only meeting him once or twice—openly voicing her true thoughts to a near-stranger under the influence of alcohol, Beidou was genuinely astonished.
Yet all of this was exactly as Luo Li intended.
Encouraged and affirmed, Keqing unconsciously developed a sense of closeness toward him. After all, he seemed to understand her even better than she understood herself.
Every word he spoke landed squarely in her heart, filling her with quiet joy—completely unaware that all of it was the result of a certain man's carefully laid schemes.
With a hint of expectation she herself didn't notice, she asked,
"In your view, what is the most important thing that has allowed Liyue to endure for a thousand years?"
Luo Li paused, appearing thoughtful, before answering,
"Humanity itself. Humans are beings who must rely on their own efforts to survive. The responsibility of shaping the future must ultimately be borne by humans themselves. Gods may endure for centuries or millennia, but one day they will fade away. When that day comes, where will Liyue go?"
Though Luo Li was clearly stabbing an old friend in the back, he was speaking the truth.
Gods cannot endure erosion forever. One day, they must leave.
"Hmph, exactly!" Keqing said, growing more emotional. "In the end, it's we humans who must carry on—yet he insists on intervening in everything from on high!"
Perhaps because she had finally met someone who shared her views, a sense of mutual understanding arose within her.
Ordinary people simply didn't possess such foresight—or rather, having grown accustomed to the Geo Archon's protection, they were unwilling to even think in this direction.
Because of this, Keqing worried endlessly.
In her eyes, the time for change had already arrived. A millennium-old order was about to be rewritten—and she hoped to be the one to lead that historic turning point.
"I support your thinking," Luo Li said gently, continuing to stoke the flames. "When facing gods, one should neither blindly believe nor blindly follow. Independent thought at all times—that is the correct attitude. After all, who can guarantee that gods never make mistakes?"
As he guided her step by step, Keqing's sense of resonance deepened, and the look in her eyes softened noticeably.
Honestly speaking, if Raiden Makoto hadn't been present—and if Eula and Noelle weren't right beside them—
If he truly wanted to, Luo Li could have had Keqing in bed within a single night.
This young lady was still a bit too innocent. Though she had experienced much, compared to him she was ultimately still green.
"Ah… I'm just too kind," he mused inwardly. "Blocking off a young girl's weak points ahead of time."
As he sighed to himself, Luo Li happened to catch Raiden Makoto's half-smiling, half-knowing gaze.
"Should I take Eula and Noelle somewhere else in advance," she whispered near his ear, her tone gentle and perfectly calm, "and let you enjoy the evening alone with the young lady?"
Luo Li cleared his throat softly. "That won't be necessary tonight. We've only just met, after all."
"Oh? So you're saying you'll do it next time? You're really not even pretending with me, are you?"
In a low, warm voice, Luo Li replied, "I will never lie to you."
"Then I suppose I should thank you for your honesty."
With a mix of annoyance and helplessness in her eyes, Raiden Makoto had long since seen through his true nature.
After nearly a thousand years together, no one could keep pretending forever.
And those five hundred years spent slaughtering through the Abyss had long since made her indifferent to many things.
She could accept all of Luo Li's flaws. If it was love, perhaps it was mixed with a faint trace of something almost maternal.
Of course, there was also the difference in moral values between gods and humans.
After all, Morax himself could take countless forms—male or female—and never minded switching between them.
Thinking back, if Luo Li truly had no preferences, he could have easily tasted what it meant to court the Geo Archon in a female form.
Luo Li squeezed the mature lady's hand, feeling deeply satisfied. "Because I know you won't be angry."
She shot him a sideways glance, then pulled away and deliberately leaned closer to Eula, pretending to be upset.
Luo Li didn't mind in the slightest and continued chatting with Keqing, further bonding over their shared topic of Morax.
If the Geo Archon were to hear this—realizing he had become nothing more than a tool for an old friend's flirting—who knew what kind of expression he would wear?
Then again… he probably wouldn't be surprised. He knew Luo Li's temperament all too well.
And so, beneath the rising moon, the banquet finally drew to a close.
Beidou drained the last of her wine and wiped her mouth with a hearty laugh.
"Ha! That was refreshing! Meeting new friends today was truly a stroke of good fortune!"
Naturally sociable, Beidou greatly admired Luo Li's breadth of knowledge—though it was a pity she couldn't recruit him into her fleet.
On the other side, Keqing stood up as well, dizzy and lightheaded, gently exhaling a breath scented with wine.
"Luo Li, do you have lodgings arranged?" she asked. "If not, why don't you come with me to rest at Yujing Terrace?"
It was a rare invitation to outsiders, and the expectation in her eyes was unmistakable.
Without question, Luo Li had rapidly accumulated a massive amount of goodwill in her favor.
After all, the two had only known each other for a single day.
Luo Li accepted readily. "Then we'll be imposing on you."
"No, as friends from Mondstadt's Knights of Favonius, you deserve such hospitality," Keqing replied, using a perfectly proper excuse to conceal her true thoughts.
If possible, she truly wanted to recruit Luo Li as her right-hand man. Working together, they might just bring about a new era of reform for Liyue.
Unfortunately, he was affiliated with Mondstadt's authorities—poaching him wasn't appropriate—leaving her feeling deeply regretful.
There was no helping it. Keqing had always been dissatisfied with her subordinates' efficiency and enthusiasm, and worse still, their thinking never aligned with hers.
To put it bluntly—
How could Liyue ever be governed properly with a bunch of such fools beneath her?