22: Lin Yi

Paimon was practically bursting with excitement. "Finally, no more camping in the wilderness!"

But her glee was quickly replaced by a hint of concern. "But… people in the city look kinda down…"

Amber nodded. "It's probably because everyone's stressed out about Stormterror. But with Jean and Lin Yi around, we'll be fine!"

"Jean and… Lin Yi?" Paimon tilted her head, unfamiliar with the second name.

Amber realized she hadn't introduced them yet. "Jean is the Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius and one of Mondstadt's protectors. As for Lin Yi… well, technically, he's the owner of the Good Hunter restaurant. But don't let that fool you—he's strong. With those two around, even Stormterror isn't unbeatable!"

Saphir glanced toward the direction of the Good Hunter, but didn't see anyone. Lumine noticed her expression changed slightly at the mention of Lin Yi.

"You were going to take us to meet this Lin Yi, weren't you?" she asked.

Amber nodded. "Yep! Before coming to Mondstadt, Lin Yi was apparently a wealthy merchant from Liyue. After moving here, he bought the Good Hunter. His cooking is amazing! You guys haven't eaten yet, right? Let's go there for lunch—my treat!"

"Woohoo! Free food!" Paimon's eyes sparkled. With Lumine being broke and Saphir still a mystery, she was more than happy to accept Amber's offer.

Amber chuckled at Paimon's excitement. "Come on! It's been a while since I last ate there. I'll treat you all to their signature dish: Sticky Honey Roast!"

Paimon felt like she'd met a literal angel and flew off toward the restaurant, leaving Lumine behind in the dust.

Saphir remained rooted in place. Lumine, noticing her friend's hand was ice cold, gently squeezed it and asked with concern, "You okay?"

Saphir blinked and gave a strained smile. "I'm fine. Come on, they're getting ahead."

The group arrived at the Good Hunter, where Amber greeted the waitress with ease. "Sara! I brought some friends for lunch!"

"Welcome to Good Hunter! Oh, Amber—it's been a while!"

Amber scratched her head sheepishly. "Been busy lately. But today I finally got some time off, so I brought my friends here!"

Sara smiled and motioned toward an empty table. "Have a seat wherever you like. Still going with the usual?"

"Yup, four orders of Sticky Honey Roast. Thanks a bunch," Amber replied, then glanced over at Paimon and the others. "Hey, can Paimon eat a whole plate by herself?"

Paimon confidently patted her tiny belly. "Don't worry, I've got a big appetite! I can totally finish it!"

Lumine quipped, "Paimon's appetite is the size of four wild boars. Her combat strength is more like one-fourth of a wild boar."

"Lumine! Don't bully me!" Paimon whined, floating angrily with puffed cheeks.

Amber sighed wistfully. "Too bad Lin Yi isn't the one cooking today. You guys would really get to see how amazing he is."

Sara overheard them and added, "He's cooking for Acting Grand Master Jean. He'll probably head to the Knights' headquarters later to bring her lunch himself. If you're hoping for a taste, maybe go beg Jean for a bite."

"No way. I'd never dare touch her food…" Amber's voice dropped to a whisper—Jean was not someone Knights joked around with.

Just then, footsteps echoed down the stairs. A tall, well-groomed man in a crisp white shirt and black pants descended gracefully, exuding calm and gentleness. A green Vision hung at his waist—clearly, he wasn't just a civilian.

Noticing the unfamiliar faces at the door, he paused for a heartbeat but quickly resumed walking. "Ah, guests, I see. In that case, I'll handle this later," he said as he placed some ingredients on the counter.

"Getting lunch ready for Jean again today, Lin Yi?" Amber called out.

Lin Yi chuckled. "Yeah. If I don't feed her, she'll probably work until midnight without eating. I'm not waking up in the middle of the night just to make her a midnight snack."

As he spoke, his gaze passed over Lumine and Paimon, then settled on Saphir. "Amber, aren't you going to introduce your friends?"

Still chewing, Amber struggled to respond, but Saphir stepped in smoothly. "I'm Sharp. These are my companions, Lumine and Paimon."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Lin Yi, the owner of Good Hunter," he replied.

Then… silence. The air grew awkward. Lumine sensed something more between the two of them, but she didn't know what. So, she did what any adventurer would do: bury her face in food and pretend it wasn't her problem.

Saphir also found the atmosphere heavy. Her eyes flicked to the ingredients on the counter. Then, with a spark of inspiration, she spoke up, "Are you making pizza? I'm actually pretty confident in my cooking—need an extra pair of hands?"

Lin Yi's smile returned. "I'd be honored. This way, please—the indoor kitchen's better for pizza prep. The outdoor setup is shared with the Cat's Tail tavern, and they also make pizza. Wouldn't want any unnecessary disputes."

He gestured politely, and Saphir followed him inside without hesitation.

Lumine looked like she wanted to follow, but Saphir turned back and said, "You guys go ahead. No need to wait for me."

Lumine hesitated but returned to her seat. Meanwhile, Paimon had already devoured her own portion and was eyeing Saphir's untouched plate like a hungry beast.

With a sigh, Lumine ordered another serving for her. Then she turned to Amber. "Amber, what kind of person is Lin Yi? I'm a bit worried about Sharp…"

Amber gave her a reassuring smile. "He's been in Mondstadt for a while now—follows the rules, never causes trouble. Well, unless someone causes a scene in his restaurant. Then he'll kick them out without mercy. But normally, he's really kind. And anyway, she's just helping him prep lunch for Jean, right? What could go wrong?"

"Mm… I guess." Lumine remained unconvinced, but said nothing more.

Meanwhile, inside the kitchen, neither Saphir nor Lin Yi had begun prepping ingredients.

Lin Yi locked the door, then brushed his fingers across his Vision. A green barrier of wind surrounded the kitchen.

"There. Now no one outside can hear us," he said, turning to Saphir with a calm smile. "I've been waiting for you. Didn't think you'd take so long to show up. When I first heard The Lady was dispatched to Mondstadt, I assumed you'd sit this one out. Miss Sharp—or should I say… Twelfth of the Fatui Harbingers, the Dark Shepherd, Saphir Afurola."

Saphir wasn't surprised. When she'd learned there was another traveler in Mondstadt, she already suspected her identity might be exposed. After all, both she and Lin Yi were "people who shouldn't exist." A face-to-face meeting made exposure inevitable.

"So you're sure I'm Saphir? What if someone else also crossed into this world?" she countered.

Lin Yi shrugged. "You vanished after buying the Rockridge Teahouse in Liyue. The Fatui claimed you went into the Chasm—but I knew you'd never go there, not now. No one would sit out this drama in Mondstadt. Once Lumine arrived, everyone was bound to show their hand."

Saphir chuckled. "A real schemer, huh? You speak as if you know everything about me."

"Not everything," Lin Yi admitted. "I don't know much about Snezhnaya. But I do know you took out Beidou, made a deal with Zhongli, and even got the drop on Yelan."

Saphir frowned. "You've got spies in Liyue? I didn't even notice…"

Lin Yi grinned mischievously. He leaned in close, whispering in her ear: "Did you really think running into Keqing at Stone Gate was just a coincidence?"

Her eyes widened. Keqing… No way. She was one of his people?

Before she could process it, SLAP! A crisp slap rang out across the kitchen.

"Ow! What the heck?!" Lin Yi staggered back, clutching his cheek.

Saphir couldn't help but smirk. She cleared her throat and said, "Don't play these cliché anime tricks on me. I'm not some girl who gets flustered that easily. Let's just cook already. I need to use this excuse to meet Jean."

Lin Yi groaned. Why must one transmigrator torment another? All he wanted was a cool dramatic moment, and instead he got a slap to the face.

"Ow… I can't believe you hit me and then ordered me to get cooking!" he grumbled.

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