Lu Li clenched his jaw. He couldn't hold back the urge for his firearm to go off any longer. Just as the waiter turned away after serving their food, he quickly pulled out a napkin and wrapped it around the firearm, which was about to misfire.
He could have been irresponsible and just let the dam break. But for Chiori's sake, he didn't want to do something so classless. Although it would be exciting, if someone noticed her... condition, it would lead to bad press. He knew she was already the subject of a lot of gossip.
Chiori was actually a bit surprised. She had been thinking she would have to deal with this pair of stockings later, but she hadn't expected him to be so considerate. So he does care about me...
"I need to go to the washroom," he said, his face impassive.
Chiori nodded with a light laugh and watched him walk away, managing to look perfectly calm. But he had left a piece of paper on his seat. Her eyes flickered. She knew his new identity as a Debt Collector, and the name on the paper, "Usher," was too conspicuous to ignore. It was a name from her past, a fellow designer with whom she had started a studio when she first arrived in Fontaine. They had both struggled, but while she had persevered, he had sold out. He had even taken their remaining funds, leaving her destitute. It was during that time that she had met Lu Li.
Now, Usher was her business rival, constantly slandering her shop. She didn't want him to be "dealt with" in this way. A rival kept her on her toes.
When Lu Li returned, she asked him about it. "I don't snoop, but the name was too obvious... is it your mission?"
"It's not a secret," he said, lowering his voice. "He defaulted on a large loan from the Northland Bank. Many debt collectors have been injured or killed trying to collect. So I took the job."
"He's become more and more despicable..." she murmured. "I know him. He's my business rival. He's the one behind many of the bad rumors about my shop."
"Is that so... then I have one more reason to be rough with him... But, Chiori, are you telling me this because you want me to do something for you?"
"Mm," she said. "I've been gathering evidence against him, but I've never been able to find his factory. If you're going to... take care of him, can you take me there? I think I can find what I need to put an end to this."
"But it's dangerous, Chiori. There are a lot of guard Meka."
"Don't underestimate me. And with me there, we can watch each other's backs, right?"
He hesitated. This was a Fatui mission. But seeing the look in her eyes, knowing she needed this complete victory to find peace, he made his decision. "Alright, let's go together. I'll protect you!"
Chiori's lips pursed. "Thanks..."
"Just a 'thanks' won't do. You'll have to think about how to reward me tonight~" he said with a grin, his previous burden lifted.
Chiori, who had been about to feel touched, was stunned, then glared at him in annoyance. After a moment, she hummed in agreement. "...Mm..." Just like him, she had lowered her bottom line a little...
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