On their way home, Lu Chen and Ei walked side by side beneath the sunset.
Normally, they'd stroll hand-in-hand, but ever since Ei said those words earlier, the air between them had turned a bit strange.
Raiden Ei stared at their long shadows stretching across the pavement. With a huff, she crossed her arms and stopped walking.
Lu Chen noticed the absence beside him mid-step, turned around helplessly, and saw her standing there, staring at him with a quietly aggrieved expression.
Those amethyst eyes shimmered with a hint of gloom.
"Ei..."
Lu Chen couldn't help chuckling. They were already like an old married couple—not some shy young lovers. Did she really have to act like they were in a high school romance drama?
He walked back and tried to take her hand, but it wouldn't budge.
"You're not going anywhere unless you confess!" she pouted.
"Let's talk about it at home. We're in public..." Lu Chen tugged her hand again, but she still wouldn't move.
"No."
"Come on, be good—"
"..."
Raiden Ei paused. She must have caught the conflicted look on Lu Chen's face, and finally stepped forward.
Maybe she had been a little unreasonable. She didn't like seeing that troubled look on his face.
Lowering her head slightly, she stared at her lengthening shadow.
Their relationship had changed gradually, without either of them realizing it. At some point, she had simply grown used to being by his side as lovers.
She had found happiness here—something she never could have imagined back in Inazuma.
So... wasn't that enough?
...
Raiden Ei bit her lip at the thought, but she still felt a lingering sense of regret.
In the stories she'd read, whenever the main couple started dating, there was always some grand romantic confession. She and Lu Chen... had completely skipped over that part.
They'd gone straight to sharing the quiet routines of daily life.
Even though she no longer doubted his feelings, she still wanted to hear it from his own mouth—just once.
...
As dusk deepened, Lu Chen held her hand, and the two of them walked forward in silence, in perfect sync.
He glanced at her. She was quiet now, eyes lowered, lashes trembling.
Looking at her pouty little face, he knew exactly what was on her mind.
With a sly smile, he said, "If Lord Ei were to offer me a reward, maybe I'd consider confessing."
Raiden Ei blinked. "A reward?"
"You didn't even hesitate? Now I'm really going to have to do some serious research..." Lu Chen grinned wickedly.
Her cheeks instantly flushed red, and she shot him a glare laced with playful annoyance.
"Your head is always full of nonsense!"
Lu Chen put on a serious face. "To be honest, I've hidden all kinds of spicy, high-quality content. It's a collection of rare gems—maybe we could study them together..."
Raiden Ei raised a hand to her forehead and sighed, too exasperated to respond.
"Hey, wait for me!"
"No more nonsense! No more nonsense!"
Lu Chen caught up to her just as she turned to leave, grabbing her wrist again.
"Ei~"
"Ei?"
"Ei..."
She turned toward him, equal parts amused and annoyed. But then she noticed—Lu Chen wasn't smiling anymore. His expression had turned serious.
They stood at the edge of the quiet street, bathed in the last light of sunset, eyes locked.
Sensing what was coming, Ei froze slightly. She had never seen that look in his eyes before.
Lu Chen gently wrapped his arms around her slim waist. Amid the warm scent of baked goods wafting from the dessert shop on the corner, he spoke softly but firmly:
"I love you the most, Ei."
Raiden Ei fidgeted with her fingers, unsure what to do.
"How much do you love me?"
"Like how much I love little bears in winter."
"Little bears in winter?" Ei tilted her head. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Imagine this—you're walking through a snowy winter forest. All alone. And from the other side comes a soft, fluffy little bear with big round eyes. It waddles up to you and says, 'Hi, miss! Want to roll around in the snow with me?' Then you hug the bear, and together you tumble down a hill of cotton-candy snow, laughing and playing all day. Sounds amazing, right?"
"That sounds adorable!"
"That's how much I love you."
Ei stared at his warm, smiling face, completely stunned.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, the sky turned darker and darker, night slowly settling in.
Lu Chen gazed at the girl in his arms. Her eyes sparkled so brightly, even the dark couldn't hide them.
Ei hugged him back tightly, and they stayed like that—holding each other close for a long, long time.
The scent from the dessert shop lingered around them, wrapping the scene in a gentle, intoxicating warmth.
After a while, she broke the silence with a faint smile.
"You're such a smooth talker."
"Hungry?" Lu Chen asked.
"Starving."
"Then let's go!" He released her and took her hand again.
"Last batch of fresh desserts for the night. The owner makes them just for tired office workers and students after school. Any later and they'll be gone!"
"Mm." Ei nodded gently, but she couldn't hide the smile tugging at her lips.
...
"We're back~!"
Lu Chen opened the door, arms full of takeout and a paper bag of desserts, and stepped into the living room.
As expected, he was met with a chorus of complaints.
"I'm starving..." Venti whined, sprawled out on the sofa.
"Isn't the Anemo Archon satisfied just drinking wine?" Yae Miko nibbled on some snacks she'd scrounged from Ei, flipping through a light novel without looking up.
"Good evening... Lu Chen..." Qiqi set down the remote in her hand.
"No, wine alone isn't enough..." Venti said dramatically. "I've become completely dependent on Lu Chen's incredible cooking. Just one missed meal and my body aches. This despicable man has taken full control of my stomach~"
Lu Chen couldn't help but laugh at the scene, placing the takeout on the dining table.
"Sorry we're late—just takeout tonight."
"Takeout..." Venti clutched his chest in despair. "I refuse to eat this trash!"
"Stop being so dramatic." Lu Chen gave him a look. "Come on, it's a seafood platter with fresh hairy crab. This place is top-notch."
"Oh—fine..." Venti reluctantly got up.
After everyone gathered around to eat, Lu Chen turned to Yae Miko.
"By the way, how's that little favor I asked you going?"
"Ah~" Yae Miko put down her half-eaten crab leg, eyes sparkling with mischief.
"We got a lot of juicy stuff. I have to say, for someone with such a 'pure' image, Gu Cheng's private life is... quite the eye-opener!"