Yes, Lady Funina!

Liyue needs its own character biographies too, right?

If you do this, I'm going to sue you for plagiarism!

Fu Ningna took a deep breath and still asked, unwilling to give up, "Speaking of which, the protagonist's experience in the drama 'Lily of the Void' is somewhat similar to yours, Ningguang."

"Did you notice? The protagonist's growth process in the drama is indeed based on my personal experience to some extent."

Is it really only to a certain extent? It feels like a one-to-one replica!

"I'm also one of the producers, well... I should be the biggest producer. I originally just wanted to play around with it, but now it seems like a pretty good deal." Ningguang smiled faintly. She was really anxious about that gentleman who left without saying goodbye, so she thought of using this method to convey her feelings.

So the funding was definitely sufficient. When they invested in this opera, they didn't expect to break even, but the final product was so well received. In the end, they not only didn't lose money, but even made a small profit. It was a case of an unexpected windfall.

Although I don't know if my feelings have reached my husband's heart, it seems to have had an unexpected effect so far.

Fu Ningna fell silent. To be honest, she used to quite like the opera "Lilac Lily," but after hearing Ningguang's words... she didn't know whether she should change her attitude.

If I change it, it feels too deliberate; if I don't change it, it just feels really off-putting.

Damn it, could it be that Richard's original commissioned drama was with Ningguang?

The more Funina thought about it, the angrier she became, but in the end she convinced herself that compared to Ningguang spending her own money to commission a play, it was obviously more valuable for Richard to spend money to commission a musical specifically for her.

Here's the key point: 'Specially for himself' means that the musical we're watching now was specially created by Richard for Furnessa.

Based on this alone, Funina felt she had already won.

Although the winnings were small, we still won!

But no matter what, this card is unusable. Let's play the next one; we still have plenty of cards in our hand!

The advantage is mine!

As Funina took a sip of tea to moisten her throat, she also thought about how to introduce the topic in a way that would flow smoothly, naturally, and without abruptly.

However, before Funina could speak, Ningguang took the initiative to bring up the topic of accessories, which was Funina's favorite subject.

"Actually, I wanted to ask you this as soon as we met, but I just couldn't find the right opportunity, and I didn't know if it was the right thing to do..."

"But it doesn't matter."

"The ring on your hand looks quite extraordinary, and I remember that the placement of the Fontaine ring is also very significant..."

Of course, the main reason is that Frynn often touches the ring on her left ring finger, like an old man in Liyue playing with walnuts, making it hard for Ningguang not to notice.

Funina perked up immediately. "Great! That's exactly the question I've been waiting for!"

Our water god coughed lightly, a perfectly measured look of unease on his face.

The reason it's described as "just right" is because the awkwardness that Funina displayed was exactly in the middle of saying or not saying, that is, the feeling of 'I didn't want to say it, but since you asked, I'll reluctantly say it'.

It's so complicated.

"Is it inconvenient to say?" Ningguang asked understandingly.

"It's not inconvenient at all, it's just that I don't know where to begin..." Funina smiled, a smile that carried three parts shyness, three parts reminiscence, and four parts uncontrollable joy.

She touched the smooth, rounded surface of the ring again, feeling the slight coolness on her fingers, and finally spoke:

"This ring was a gift from Richard."

Volume 1: Chapter 119 You have a ring, I have a jade pendant

"This ring was a gift from Richard."

Although Ningguang had suspected it for a while, she still couldn't help but feel a little sour when Frynn admitted that the ring was a gift from Richard.

The gentleman is good in every way, except that he is too popular with girls, which really gives Ningguang a headache.

Most importantly, she couldn't say anything yet. Ningguang was well aware that her current identity was just that of a friend and student, and because they hadn't seen each other for more than ten years, a sense of distance had inevitably arisen.

This estrangement is not irreversible, but it will take time to eliminate it. At present, Frynn's intimacy with Richard is definitely far greater than Ningguang's.

Funina was right about one thing: the advantage was indeed on her side, and it was significant.

The large-scale condensation is well prepared for a long-term struggle.

I'm quite good at finding opportunities in the smallest things. —Ningguang

However, faced with Frynn's almost boastful behavior, Ningguang knew that she should show envy and retreat in order to minimize Frynn's wariness of her.

But... in the end, I couldn't help it.

"So it was a gift from Mr. Richard, and you're wearing it on your left ring finger. Could it be that he has already proposed to you?" Ningguang asked this on purpose. If it were an engagement, Richard should also have a matching ring on his left hand.

But in fact, Ningguang did not find any ornaments on Richard's left hand, which clearly indicates that Funnina and Richard have not yet reached that stage.

According to Ningguang's judgment, Funnina and Richard's relationship has not yet reached the level of 'lovers'. At most, it has crossed the line of ordinary friendship. In layman's terms, they are good friends who can talk about anything.

Don't underestimate the adjective "can talk about anything"; for adults, this is precisely what is extremely difficult to achieve.

In life, it is inevitable to have many secrets that cannot be told to outsiders. Being able to talk about anything, even if "nothing" does not refer to all secrets, is already quite difficult.

This proves that the relationship between Funina and Richard has completely transcended the concept of 'friends' and is gradually moving towards a closer one.

"There was no proposal, it was just a gift between friends." Funina didn't intend to scare away the intruder with such an easily exposed lie.

Because she knew that even if she insisted that it was a token of love from Richard, Ningguang was unlikely to back down. On the contrary, if this matter were exposed, Ningguang would think that Frynn was being coy and that she was afraid, and would then press her advantage to beat Frynn badly.

The thought of that scene made Fulina's head throb. She touched the ring again and continued, "This caused quite a bit of trouble back then."

“I’ve heard about this too. I remember it was mentioned in many newspapers, and eventually the Steambird newspaper also reported on it.” Ningguang nodded, indicating that she remembered the matter.

Fu Ningna gave an embarrassed smile. "Yes, I took off the ring and put it on another finger to avoid suspicion. But in the end, Li realized that doing so would make people think that he was trying to cover it up, so he personally helped me put the ring back on my left ring finger."

The moment the keywords "personally," "wear it back," and "left ring finger" were mentioned, even Ningguang, a political and business tycoon who rarely showed her emotions, couldn't help but twitch her eye twice.

I initially thought Funina was going to quit while she was ahead, but it turned out she was deliberately trying to build up her reputation by first putting her down.

Before she knew it, she had fallen into the other party's trap. Ningguang knew that Furnessa's special invitation to see the musical must have had a deeper meaning.

This was a trap.

“It seems that you really care about Ms. Funina.” Ningguang took off her shawl, revealing her long and smooth neck, on which a dark brown necklace stood out.

As Ningguang removed her shawl, she seemingly unintentionally hooked the necklace, and a golden jade pendant popped out from its full shape.

Ningguang carefully folded the shawl and set it aside before leisurely preparing to tuck the jade pendant back into her collar.

When Funina saw it, her rational mind told her that it was best not to ask about the origin of the jade pendant, but her intuition told her that the jade pendant was definitely not simple.

Just as Ningguang was about to completely put the jade pendant away, Funinna finally couldn't help but ask, "Ningguang, this jade pendant of yours..."

There was no other way; Funina felt that if she didn't find out the truth, she might spend the whole night thinking about the jade pendant.

"It was given to me by the master some time ago before the Demon God caused havoc in the sea. He said it could protect me, but I didn't end up using it, and the master didn't take it back. So I've been wearing it ever since." Ningguang stopped putting the jade pendant away and took it off her neck when she saw Funina looking at her expectantly.

"Want to take a look?"

"N-forget it." Funina resisted the urge to reach out and take a look, her heart filled with bitterness.

So it turns out I'm not the only one with a ring; Ningguang also has a jade pendant given to her by Richard.

Jade pendants, as traditional ornaments of Liyue, have a long history and are usually regarded as a symbol of good fortune, warding off evil, and ensuring peace. However, because of the beautiful meaning they contain, they are also used as tokens of love by many couples.

Funina knew that Richard's jade pendant to Ningguang probably didn't have any romantic meaning, but similarly, the ring he gave her didn't seem to indicate an engagement.

In a sense, Richard was indeed fair in dealing with everyone, giving Ningguang the jade pendant for self-protection, and also giving Funina the ring with a protective connotation.

Upon hearing Funina's reply, Ningguang did not press the matter further, nor did she deliberately slow down her movements. She simply put the jade pendant back.

The atmosphere in the box seemed a bit awkward because of the ring and jade pendant, but thankfully the musical on stage finally began.

The lively sounds from the stage drifted into the box, making it bustling again. Although neither Funina nor Ningguang spoke, adhering to the basic etiquette of watching a musical, the atmosphere did ease considerably, at least it wasn't as tense as before.

During the intermission of the musical, Furness, as the host, chatted with Ningguang for a few more minutes out of politeness, but this time she didn't mention anyone again.

Furina had realized that a simple show of force wouldn't be enough to scare the woman away unless Richard told Ningguang in front of her that he was her girlfriend, thus completely extinguishing her hopes. Otherwise, these external things and words alone wouldn't be able to shake her determination to make tea.

Even though Funina felt that she was the one who could become Richard's girlfriend first, as long as they didn't take the final step, or if Richard showed the slightest hesitation, she would never give up on this woman who exuded elegance and nobility at all times.

In fact, after learning that Ningguang was a tea ceremony enthusiast, Funina went back and reorganized a large amount of information about Ningguang. As she gained a deeper understanding of Ningguang's life and deeds, Funina realized that she might not be able to outdo her.

This is not a cowardly act of boosting others' morale while diminishing one's own, but rather the most rational judgment made based on the facts and a reasonable understanding of oneself.

To rise from humble beginnings and grow from a street vendor to a powerful figure in Liyue's business world within just twenty years is a testament to his unparalleled talent and ability, as well as his unparalleled mastery of human nature.

How should I put it? Funina felt that Ningguang and Richard were the same type of people, both being shrewd and calculating.

The thoughts and ideas of ordinary people are completely unguarded in front of them, like books in their own study, which they can read as they please.

The only thing that comforted Frynn was that time was on her side. No matter how extraordinary Ningguang was, she could only stay in Fontainebleau for two weeks at most, while Richard, due to the Primal Sea of ​​the Universe, obviously could not return to Liyue with Ningguang.

Therefore, as long as we ensure that Ningguang is not given any opportunity to take advantage of us within these two weeks, then the battle to protect Richard can be considered a complete success.

She may not be good at offense, but surely she can defend?

Furna made up her mind. She would stay by Richard's side every step of the way for the next few days. Even if she had to go to the trial, she would leave trusted allies (Lynette and Clorind) with him to prevent any unscrupulous attacks from external forces!

We'd rather the meat rot in the pot than let those tigresses and foxes outside snatch it away!

——————

"Eat." Shen He picked up a piece of meat with his chopsticks and placed it in Richard's bowl. Underneath that piece of meat was a small mountain of various delicacies.

"Don't just focus on me, Shen He, you should eat something too," Richard said with a hint of helplessness.

"Okay." Shen He was very obedient. He picked up a piece of meat with his chopsticks, put it in his mouth, and swallowed it in a few bites. Then he continued to prepare to serve food to Richard.

Richard was having a headache. He looked to Liu Yun Jie Feng Zhen Jun for help, but the other party was clearly not interested in paying attention to Richard at the moment.

"I've raised Shen He all these years, and she's never once offered me any food." Xianyun ignored Richard's gaze and kept poking at the pork ribs in her bowl with her chopsticks, as if the ribs belonged to Richard.

Even though no vinegar was added, Richard found the vinegar smell unusually pungent.

Richard glanced at Shen He, who was watching him eagerly as he started eating, and finally forced himself to eat all the food Shen He had put on his plate.

By the end of the meal, almost all the dishes on the table had ended up in Richard's stomach.

Fortunately, Richard was no ordinary man, otherwise he would have been stuffed to death.

Li realized that from now on, when he went out to eat with Shen He, he had to choose restaurants in Fontainebleau, not Liyue.

"In other words, the Red Rope Soul Binding Secret Method used to suppress Shen He's destiny has a great side effect. People trapped by this secret method will gradually lose their human emotions."

“That’s right. Shen He is not an immortal after all. If this continues, he will probably lose all his emotions and become a puppet without feelings.” Xianyun thought of the autonomous robot he saw on the streets of Fengdan. He did not expect that the level of mechanical engineering in this foreign country had developed to such an extent. It was just a mortal who could make such ingenious mechanisms.

However, whether or not to use the device was not the primary issue in front of his beloved disciple. Xianyun didn't even study the anti-gravity technology given to him by Funina immediately, and went directly to find Richard with Shen He.

"Although I hate to admit it, you are indeed 'special' to this child. Even I, as her teacher, rarely manage to evoke her emotions, but you can make her so happy just by performing eating in front of her."

"Happy?" Richard observed Shen He repeatedly and found that the other party's face was still cold, and he even tilted his head when Richard looked over.

Seemingly sensing that Richard wasn't full, Shen He waved to call the waiter to cook two more dishes. Richard quickly pressed Shen He's hand down, saying, "That's enough, that's enough. We can't eat anymore. The waiter might think I'm related to their family's gluttons."

"Haven't you noticed? When she looks at you, the corners of her mouth turn up by 0.1 degrees, and her blinking frequency increases by 0.05 seconds. Most importantly, she has never offered me any food!"

Although Li realized that Xianyun was talking nonsense in the first half, the second half was the main basis for his judgment.

"So, what do you mean by 'needing a True Lord'?"

"Without a doubt, you are the best cure for Shen He. Just the time it takes to eat a meal by your side has already caused her to experience the same emotional fluctuations as a month's worth of her own."

"You make it sound like I'm some kind of human aphrodisiac," Richard retorted.

Xianyun countered, "Isn't that right? You know those two girls over there, don't you?"

Xianyun gestured with his chin towards the right side behind Richard. Richard turned around and saw that the girl Xianyun was pointing at was reading a newspaper. The newspaper covered her face, but not her ears.

Those fluffy cat ears were so distinctive that Richard recognized the other person at a glance.

Sitting opposite the cat-eared girl, with his back to her, Richard was someone she knew very well. Just looking at the perfectly rounded hemispheres revealed from the side, there were few in Fontainebleau that could rival them.

What are Lynette and Clond doing here?

"What else could it be? It can't be two native Fontainebleau people who suddenly had the idea to try Liyue cuisine, so they met at a Liyue-themed restaurant and ordered two cups of coffee, right?" Xianyun's words were sharp, showing no trace of his introverted nature.

Seemingly noticing Richard's gaze and realizing she could no longer hide it, Lynette put down her newspaper. After hesitating for a moment, the girl abandoned her usual aloof demeanor and forced a surprised expression.

It's as if they're saying, "Oh, what a coincidence! I run into you even though we're just having a meal together." (Reading aloud)

No, your reaction time is way too long!

The performance was stiff, and the facial expressions were overly forced.

0 points!

Richard, his face full of black lines, turned around and stared at Xianyun's amused gaze. He forced a smile and said, "Doesn't this show how well our cultural exchange activities between the two places were organized?"