Once things at Wangshu Inn were settled, Wynlin planned to return to Mondstadt. But just before he left, Lora called out to him.
"What is it?"
Wynlin frowned at her smile. Then he suddenly said, "Before I came, Barbatos told me that whenever you smile like that, something bad is about to happen."
"...Ahem! How can he slander me like that for no reason?" Lora looked at him with righteous indignation. "Do I look like that kind of person?"
Wynlin nodded.
Lora was left speechless for a moment. She took a breath, then said, "Actually, it's nothing much. I just wanted to remind you to come for Lantern Rite! You've never celebrated a human festival before, have you?"
He looked at her. After a moment of silence, he said, "Does the one I celebrated a thousand years ago count?"
Lora fell silent and stared at him.
Seeing her gaze, Wynlin gave an awkward smile. "I won't bother you, then. I'm off!"
Then, under Lora's watch, he quickly changed back into his true form, spread his wings, and flew high into the sky, leaving Liyue behind.
Xianyun planned to take Shuyu and Yuandai back to Liyue Harbor, while Zhongli and the others would stay behind to continue preparing for Lantern Rite. Lora said to Furina and Focalors, "You two go back with Xianyun. I have something to handle."
"What do you need to handle?" Focalors looked at her blankly. Why did she suddenly have business to take care of?
"Just a tiny little thing. I'll try to be back quickly." Lora made a small gesture with her fingers and said to the two girls, "You haven't been to Liyue Harbor before, so go wander around if you get bored. If you don't have Mora..."
At that point, she took a step back, pointed at Zhongli, and said, "Put it on his tab. Zhongli, consultant of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor."
"Huh? Can we? Mr. Zhongli?" Furina looked at Zhongli in surprise, her eyes widening.
Focalors also looked at him.
Seeing the two girls he had once looked after stare at him like that, Zhongli sighed helplessly and nodded. "If you need anything, feel free to come find me."
"Yay!" Furina laughed.
"Also, there are places like the Jade Chamber and Northland Bank. You can send the bills there too." Lora continued sharing her little money-saving tricks with Furina and Focalors.
By the end, even Furina could not help asking, "Wouldn't someone actually beat us up for that?"
Lora shook her head. "You have to have faith in our status! In all the world, who would dare hit us?"
"Neuvillette," Furina whispered.
Lora: "..."
After seeing Furina and Focalors off, Lora was just about to leave when Zhongli called out to her.
"I had not mentioned this to you before, but that drunken poet once came to Liyue. He did not come to see me. He merely stirred up a breeze that swept across the land."
"A breeze that swept across all of Liyue?" Hearing that, Lora could not help frowning. "Why?"
"At first, I thought he simply did not dare come see me. But after thinking it over, it seemed he was looking for something," Zhongli said slowly after a moment of thought.
"Looking for something?" Lora frowned and began thinking.
"What could he possibly be looking for in Liyue? Treasure?"
Zhongli shook his head. "Probably not. To him, aside from wine, there should be no treasure left in this world."
"That's true." Lora nodded in agreement.
"Forget it. There is no need to dwell on that." Zhongli moved past the topic. He looked at her and said, "If I am not mistaken, you intend to go to Sumeru and meet Apep, the ancient Dendro Dragon, correct?"
"Oh my, you figured it out?" Lora looked at him in surprise. She had not expected him to see through her thoughts.
She nudged Zhongli with her elbow and said with a smile, "Looks like we really do understand each other!"
"I simply know what kind of person you are," Zhongli said bluntly. He looked at her and asked, "But have you thought this through? Do you truly intend to do this?"
"Of course. I'm going to drag everyone into the chaos equally, whether they're human, god, or dragon!" Lora said with a smile.
Zhongli wanted to reach out and touch her forehead to see if a fever had burned her brain out, but after another thought, this really was something she would do.
In the end, he could only sigh helplessly.
"Very well. Since you wish to do it, do as you please."
"You agreed just like that?" Lora stared at him in surprise. "I'm going to bring Apep to Liyue, you know! Strictly speaking, she used to be an enemy of The Seven."
"There is no need to worry. At that time, Liyue will not have only you and me," Zhongli said, showing not the slightest concern that Apep might lose control in Liyue.
After hearing that, Lora laughed. She pretentiously poked him and said, "You're so confident. That's the ancient Dendro Dragon who once fought the Heavenly Principles, you know."
Zhongli looked at the smiling Lora and said calmly, "It is fine. When the time comes, I can simply throw you out."
Lora: "..."
She took a step back, frowned, and asked, "Who are you? Give me Zhongli back!"
"All right, go quickly. Do not waste time, or you may not make it back in time," Zhongli said with a helpless sigh.
Lora gave him an OK sign, then left Wangshu Inn.
...
She flew all the way toward Sumeru. When she passed over The Chasm, she landed directly in Avidya Forest.
In the middle of the dense jungle, Lora looked left and right. Then she locked onto a direction and sprinted toward it at full speed. In the blink of an eye, she had gone from her original position to her target.
The grass ahead rustled.
Lora reacted instantly and grabbed the Aranara that was just about to escape.
"Bad Nara, let go!" The Aranara wriggled in her hands, trying to break free from her claws.
Lora lifted it up, looked at it, and said, "Take a closer look."
Hearing her words, the Aranara froze for a moment. Then it carefully studied her and said in surprise, "Your scent smells so nice! You're different from those Nara!"
"I'm not Nara!" Lora shook her head. She raised her other hand, released a bit of Hydro power, and tapped the Aranara lightly.
"Yah! It's the Queen of Waters!" After sensing her power, the Aranara was overjoyed. "Hello, Queen of Waters! I am Aranakin! I'm very happy to meet you here!"