Chương 245: This Trainee Fatui Harbinger is Too Unreliable [245]
In all her years, Layla had never heard such an outrageous request.
What did he mean, "Can I stay at your place tonight?"
What did Luo Qing's lack of lodging have to do with her? Did he really expect her to agree? She'd much rather see him sleep on the streets!
"Let me make this clear first…" Layla stood at her front door, gripping the key in her hand, her expression a mix of frustration and resignation.
"There's a guest room, but once you're in, you're not allowed to come out. Got it?"
"Don't worry, I promise I won't come out."
"..."
Why did that sound so… off?
Whatever, she didn't have time to overthink it. Her thesis was far from finished, and she needed to focus.
Besides, as much as she disliked Luo Qing's constant teasing, he had saved her life before. Without him, she might have ended up as a Hilichurl Berserker's… well, victim.
And let's be honest, if Luo Qing had truly harbored bad intentions, she would've been doomed the first time they met, when he had tied her up and—
No, no, don't think about that!
---
This was Luo Qing's second time stepping into Layla's house in person, though he already knew its layout thanks to occasionally watching her through the Void Terminal.
He also knew she had a spare room, which was why he had politely suggested staying over. If she refused, he could always find some Eremite mercenaries to entertain himself.
But surprisingly, the girl with the sharp tongue and soft heart had caved after just a few seconds of eye contact and reluctantly let him in.
"The bathroom is over there," Layla said curtly, pointing down the hall. "If you need to wash up, do it yourself. I'm working on my thesis—don't bother me!"
With that, she hoisted the Dream Sphere and retreated to her room, slamming the door shut behind her.
Luo Qing glanced at her room, then at the bathroom.
---
After finishing his shower, Luo Qing emerged in a loose Inazuman yukata, its neckline slightly open to reveal his well-defined chest muscles.
He stood in the hallway, looking back and forth between the guest room and Layla's door.
She said once I go into the guest room, I can't come out.
Then maybe I just won't go in?
Making up his mind, Luo Qing turned the knob on Layla's door.
He wasn't planning to sleep—he just wanted to help her with her thesis.
Inside Layla's Room
Layla was deep in thought, scribbling down ideas for her thesis outline.
When the door creaked open and she saw Luo Qing standing there in his loosely draped yukata, she froze.
"You—what are you doing?!" she yelped, her voice tinged with panic as she instinctively scooted back.
"Couldn't sleep. Thought I'd take a look at your…"
"My what?!"
"Your thesis."
"..."
[+1 Frustration Points from Layla]
"It's not even finished yet! What's there to see?!"
"I'll watch you write it, then," Luo Qing said nonchalantly, plopping himself down on her bed. "I'm curious to see how the famous 'Walking Calculator of the Akademiya' works."
"Who told you about that nickname?!" Layla asked suspiciously.
"I guessed."
"..."
Like hell you did! Layla thought. He must've come prepared.
"Get out!" she snapped, pointing at the door.
Luo Qing shook his head. "Can't. You said once I go in, I can't come out."
"That was for your room, not mine!"
"Details." Luo Qing shrugged, grabbing a stool and sitting beside her desk. He glanced at the draft on her desk, already noticing its well-structured outline for the Dream Sphere's design.
"Go ahead, keep writing. Pretend I'm not here."
"..."
Layla gave him a skeptical look, then sighed. "Can you even understand what I'm writing?"
"?"
Luo Qing raised an eyebrow. Did she just question my intelligence?
"Just write. I'll watch quietly," he said firmly.
Muttering under her breath, Layla reluctantly picked up her pen and began scribbling again. Every now and then, she stole a glance at Luo Qing to make sure he wasn't doing anything strange.
He wasn't—he simply stared at her draft, seemingly engrossed.
Gradually, she returned her focus to the paper, her pen flying across the page.
---
A few minutes later, Luo Qing's voice broke the silence.
"Your handwriting is beautiful."
"Thank you. I know."
"But you made a typo."
"..."
"Did you come up with this thesis topic yourself?"
"Yes. Why?"
"What's its innovative edge? What sets it apart from others?"
"?"
"By the way, I hear plagiarism's been rampant in the Akademiya lately."
"I know."
"Have you ever been plagiarized?"
"?"
Layla finally snapped.
Slamming her pen down, she turned to glare at Luo Qing.
"Get. Out."
Letting him stay the night had officially become one of her biggest regrets.
"Don't be mad," Luo Qing said soothingly. "I'll stop talking."
"You'd better!" Layla growled, her patience hanging by a thread.
Time was running out—her outer personality was already nearing the end of its active period. If she didn't finish the thesis tonight, it would delay her progress for weeks.
"You seem really pressed for time," Luo Qing observed casually.
"Of course I am! This thesis is due for submission next week!" Layla snapped, crossing her arms in frustration.
"You should've said so earlier," Luo Qing said with a small smile.
His golden eyes gleamed faintly as an aura of energy enveloped the room.
Layla blinked as the world around her seemed to shift. Looking at the clock on the wall, she noticed something strange—the second hand had stopped moving.
"What… is this?" she asked, her voice tinged with awe.
"A minor ability of mine," Luo Qing replied calmly. "I've slowed down the flow of time in this room by fifty times.
"Now, you'll have plenty of time to finish your thesis."
Layla stared at him in utter disbelief.
"... What?!"
---
T/N: omg it's actually so useful
Thank you for reading this chapter!
Wise-Senpai leads the way, sharing stories that inspire and connect us all. Your support is like the encouragement of a loyal companion, pushing this journey forward and lighting the path ahead.
If you'd like to support Wise-Senpai, you can visit:
[patreon.com/WiseTL].
Every contribution strengthens our resolve, paving the way for the stories yet to come!
Let's continue to explore these worlds together!
-Mash Kyrielight 💜
Chương 246: This Trainee Fatui Harbinger is Too Unreliable [246]
The Sabzeruz Festival had finally arrived. Aside from Kamisato Ayaka, Ganyu and Shenhe, along with Ei, had traveled long distances to Sumeru just to see Luo Qing. Naturally, they couldn't leave so soon.
Moreover, with so many rivals around, they were determined to seize every opportunity to get closer to him. Each one feared that the moment they left, someone else might steal him away—even if the person standing by his side was Makoto herself.
Once a woman's competitive spirit is ignited, it's not something that settles quickly.
Thus, neither Ganyu nor Shenhe, nor even Ei, showed any inclination to leave Sumeru. They all decided to stay a while longer to strengthen their bond with Luo Qing.
However, this choice came with a price—the rooms in Luo Qing's home were entirely insufficient.
The two-story house only had four bedrooms, but there were six women to accommodate. Even though Rosalin graciously offered to stay elsewhere with Natalia to avoid inconveniencing her master, it still wasn't enough.
In the end, Kamisato Ayaka volunteered to ease the situation. To avoid troubling Luo Qing, she decided to use a teleportation toilet every night to return to her room in Inazuma for rest.
With that arrangement, Ganyu and Shenhe shared a room, just barely meeting the space requirements.
As for Luo Qing...
Initially, he thought he might at least have the luxury of alternating between Theresa's room and Makoto's room at night. However, Makoto was quick to shut down those hopes, saying she needed to consider the feelings of the other women.
"You're not allowed to 'get cozy' with me until you've surpassed all the others. For now, you can sleep in the living room," Makoto had declared.
"And when you've finally achieved that... you'll have the freedom to pick whichever room you want, play however you like."
Her casual yet firm tone left him speechless.
---
On the Day of the Sabzeruz Festival
Given their resolve to strengthen their bond with Luo Qing, it was only natural for the women to include him in Sumeru's traditional festival celebrations.
For days, they had eagerly looked forward to spending this occasion with him.
So early that morning, when Luo Qing had just groggily stirred awake on the sofa, he found six pairs of eyes already fixed on him.
Each woman was fully dressed, standing around him with varying degrees of anticipation on their faces.
Except for Makoto, the others looked genuinely eager—Kamisato Ayaka and Theresa being the most obvious, while Shenhe and Ei tried to suppress their excitement.
"..."
"Um, it's barely morning," Luo Qing muttered, shrinking into the sofa and awkwardly covering himself with a hand.
"Today's going to be a tough day for you."
Makoto leaned down, her deep neckline drawing his gaze as her finger gently poked his cheek.
"We talked it over last night. Today, you're spending time with each of us individually. Then we'll regroup in the evening for some joint activities."
"..."
"So... I'm being split into six parts?" Luo Qing quipped dryly.
"Smart boy," Makoto replied with a light chuckle, nodding. "Now, up you get."
"..."
Luo Qing stayed silent. "Can you all give me a moment alone?"
"What's this? Feeling shy all of a sudden?" Makoto scoffed. And here I thought he was bolder than this in bed.
"..."
Morning energy being what it was, Luo Qing found himself... inconveniently "ready for action."
"Hmph. Fine. We'll head out first. Breakfast is on the table—finish up quickly and join us," Makoto instructed before leading the group out of the room.
Ever since that candid conversation they had during Makoto's late-night chat session, the other women seemed to defer to her authority. Even their gazes toward Luo Qing had changed subtly.
It was almost as if... they were about to devour him?
Shaking off the thought, Luo Qing decided not to dwell on it. After a quick wash and breakfast, he caught up with the others.
The group had already worked out a schedule the night before, assigning each woman one hour to spend with Luo Qing, starting with Kamisato Ayaka. The order was: Kamisato Ayaka, Ganyu, Shenhe, Ei, Makoto.
As for Theresa? She'd suggested skipping her one-on-one time and trading it for a guarantee that Luo Qing would spend the night in her room.
That plan was vetoed immediately by Makoto, who revoked her solo date privilege altogether.
---
The Day's Activities
The day turned out to be a whirlwind for Luo Qing.
With Kamisato Ayaka:
They played a ring-toss game at a festival stall, shared a single ice cream, and browsed a bazaar's clothing shops. In a changing room, they snuck in a brief kiss, only for Luo Qing's attempt at "further bonding" to be thwarted when other customers almost caught them.
With Ganyu:
The two strolled through the streets of Sumeru City. When Luo Qing held her hand, Ganyu turned as red as a kettle about to whistle, lowering her head in shy embarrassment. Despite his best efforts to kiss her, she remained too flustered to give him an opening. Eventually, he managed a kiss, leaving her even redder.
With Shenhe:
They spent an hour sparring beneath the sacred tree. For reasons unknown, Shenhe went extra hard on him, frequently aiming her spear at... rather vulnerable areas. In retaliation, Luo Qing pulled her into a hug and stole a kiss, nearly untying the red ribbon she wore. She slapped him and stormed off, leaving him grinning.
With Ei:
First, they went to a dessert shop for some treats. Then, they browsed the Sumeru branch of Yae Publishing House—twice. Luo Qing grew exasperated after Ei insisted on visiting both places a second time. Finally, he cornered her in the publishing house, initiating an intimate "exchange of ideas" in a quiet corner. The commotion drew Raiden Shogun's attention from her meditation, and she briefly emerged to "discipline" Luo Qing.
With Makoto:
As a couple who had long grown accustomed to each other, there were no unnecessary frills. They went straight to a hotel for an hour. Suffice it to say, the time was well spent, and Luo Qing finally found some relief from his pent-up frustration.
With Theresa:
Having lost her solo date privilege, Theresa sulked alone, scribbling circles in the dirt. Luo Qing didn't see her for most of the day.
Evening – Reunion at the Zubair Theater
By the evening, everyone regrouped as planned to watch the grand performance celebrating the Sabzeruz Festival. It was Makoto's idea—a way for the "sisters" to bond further.
As they approached the theater, another familiar figure came into view: a certain blonde-haired traveler with her floating companion, Paimon, chatting with Dunyarzad about the festival's history.
When Lumine caught sight of Luo Qing surrounded by six stunning women, her mind blanked.
There were Ganyu and Shenhe, whose arrival in Sumeru had nearly caused a love triangle disaster. Then there were Kamisato Ayaka and Ei, both from Inazuma.
Yet instead of the chaos she expected, they all seemed to get along.
Ei, have you abandoned Inazuma? Ayaka, what about the Kamisato clan?
What was happening?!
---
Thank you for reading this chapter!
Wise-Senpai leads the way, sharing stories that inspire and connect us all. Your support is like the encouragement of a loyal companion, pushing this journey forward and lighting the path ahead.
If you'd like to support Wise-Senpai, you can visit:
[patreon.com/WiseTL].
Every contribution strengthens our resolve, paving the way for the stories yet to come!
Let's continue to explore these worlds together!
-Mash Kyrielight 💜
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