Preparing to Form a Team

Before long, the servers brought out the dishes one after another. Exquisite food filled the table, fragrant and brightly colored, with just the right balance of meat and vegetables.

They chatted as they ate, the atmosphere relaxed and leisurely. With neither the tension of training nor the pressure of battle, they finally unwound completely.

Lunch passed at an unhurried, comfortable pace. By the time they finished, only empty plates remained on the table. Lin Chen raised a hand to summon a server and said softly, "Please clear the dishes and bring us a pot of cooling flower tea."

"Of course."

The server worked deftly, quickly clearing the table before returning a short while later with a freshly brewed pot of flower tea.

Its delicate fragrance curled upward, and its sweet, mellow flavor dispelled both the afternoon heat and the drowsiness that followed a full meal.

Seeing traces of fatigue on Yun Yan's, Little Yu'er's, and Mo Yuan's faces, Lin Chen gently suggested:

"Stay here and have some tea while you rest. Enjoy the breeze and clear your heads. Zhu Zhuqing and I are going out for a bit. We'll be back soon, and we won't go far."

Mo Yuan lifted his eyes and gave him a casual glance. Without asking any further questions, he nodded. "Go ahead. Mind yourselves, and come back soon."

The two acknowledged him and rose, quietly making their way downstairs. Avoiding the busiest crowds on the street, they headed straight for a crystal shop deeper in the shopping district.

They had already agreed to choose a few high-quality crystals to replace that worthless piece riddled with impurities and of abysmal quality. The lunch break was the perfect chance to pick them out.

Once they entered the crystal shop, she took charge of the selection from start