Chapter 80: Groundwork

When they went to Golden Crocodile's room and told him they were going out to eat, the old man immediately said he would accompany them, much to no one's surprise.

They were out on the city streets in no time and arrived at a rather luxurious restaurant that seemed to be set up in the middle of a garden. The tables were quite far apart from each other and it looked like a perfect place for a romantic open-air dinner.

Golden Crocodile took charge of ordering the food while the pair of lovebirds strolled around the garden.

As he watched them both giggling as they walked back and forth holding hands, a trace of darkness passed through Golden Crocodile's eyes.

'Sly little fox, she knows how to entice Xiao Yuan.'

'No, the old me has to think of a way!'

"Grandpa Crocodile, sorry for the delay!" Lu Yuan said with a smile as they approached the table after noticing that the food had already been served.

He then guided Hu Liena to sit beside him, deliberately maintaining some distance between her and Golden Crocodile.

Lu Yuan possessed a strong spiritual perception and could sense a faint hostility from Golden Crocodile toward Hu Liena. Therefore, he was cautious about letting her get too close to the old man.

Even if Golden Crocodile were to lose his head, out of consideration for him, he wouldn't do anything that far-fetched, would he?

Lu Yuan couldn't help but feel a tinge of irritation. Even during dinner, he had to be on guard against his own people, sapping some of the enjoyment from the evening.

Nonetheless, what was done was done. If he had refused Golden Crocodile's company upon his arrival with Bibi Dong, it would have strained the already delicate relationship between both factions.

Hu Liena appeared to sense Lu Yuan's concern, and her heart was deeply moved. She felt as if she had savored the sweetest honey.

Golden Crocodile also seemed to perceive Lu Yuan's defensiveness and silently blamed himself for being too obvious.

It was evident that Xiao Yuan's perception was extraordinary. This current course of action could not continue, he would have to take a roundabout approach.

Since the meal was served, the three of them began to enjoy their dinner.

Although the setting was beautiful, the food, of course, couldn't match the exquisite dishes of the Supreme Pontiff Palace. Nevertheless, it was far from distasteful, especially on their hungry stomachs.

"Younger brother, have some more meat!" Hu Liena noticed Lu Yuan's empty bowl and knew he wouldn't be satisfied with just that, so she placed a piece of meat in his bowl.

Not to mention that they were now a couple; they had been living together for three years, and this kind of gesture was second nature to both of them.

However, for Golden Crocodile, this was the first time he had witnessed such an interaction, and an uncomfortable feeling settled in his heart.

He didn't mention anything, but his eyes turned more calculating.

Seemingly unintentionally, he steered the conversation, "Xiao Yuan, we're already at the border of the Heaven Dou Empire..."

"Hm," Lu Yuan nodded slightly as he continued to eat, waiting for him to continue.

Golden Crocodile Douluo continued, "At the latest, in a day or two, we'll pass near Heaven Dou City. Xiao Xue will be there; do you want to go see her?"

Upon hearing Qian Renxue's name, Lu Yuan's chopsticks paused, and a hint of tenderness and longing shone in his eyes.

This expression didn't escape Golden Crocodile's notice, and a trace of triumph flickered in his eyes as he glanced at Hu Liena. 'Indeed, Xiao Xue's charm is the best offensive; you have no chance, sly little fox.'

Observing Crocodile Douluo's provocative eyes, Hu Liena's heart felt a pang of sourness. It was still a struggle for her to accept that her beloved had another woman in his heart.

Nevertheless, she managed to compose herself swiftly. She lowered her head without saying a word in retort, and the hand holding her chopsticks began to move in her food bowl as if the conversation had nothing to do with her.

Thinking that he had gained the upper hand, Crocodile Douluo was smiling triumphantly when he saw his disciple shake his head. "This time, it's better not to detour to Heaven Dou City."

At these words echoed, Crocodile Douluo was surprised, and Hu Liena's chopsticks momentarily halted.

"Why? Don't you want to see Xiao Xue?" Golden Crocodile asked, puzzled.

He had clearly observed a trace of tenderness and longing in his disciple's eyes when Xiao Xue was mentioned. That couldn't be faked, could it?

Hu Liena's ear twitched almost imperceptibly. Aside from spending time with Lu Yuan and getting to know his hometown, the primary reason for insisting on coming this time was to meet this girl named Qian Renxue and prove to her that she, Hu Liena, wasn't afraid of her.

"Ahem, I would certainly like to see her, but we can't get sidetracked at this time."

"The big picture is the most important thing. Sister Xue'er hasn't gained a firm foothold yet and can't afford to make the slightest mistake. This trip isn't just about one person; we're a group of three. If it were just me, there wouldn't be so much trouble. Even if they recognize me due to the small waves I made as a child, they don't know my affiliation. It's different for both of you. Your portraits are known to the top brass of various forces in Heaven Dou City. If they happen to see you by chance, it could jeopardize everything."

In reality, Lu Yuan was talking nonsense. If they truly wanted to conceal themselves, there were numerous ways to do so, especially with Golden Crocodile accompanying them, making it even easier to slip without being spotted.

He mentioned this because he didn't want Hu Liena and Qian Renxue to meet at this moment. He preferred to have a private conversation with Qian Renxue first to sort things out.

If their meeting took place now, with Golden Crocodile, Snake Lance Douluo, and Porcupinefish Douluo standing on Qian Renxue's side, Hu Liena would be suppressed and could suffer a great loss.

Although Hu Liena accompanying him this time had messed up part of his plans, Lu Yuan was adapting to the circumstances. He had initially planned to go to Heaven Dou City alone during the return journey, but now an opportunity presented itself to begin laying the groundwork.

He was the only one who knew all the details, after all. Golden Crocodile, for his part, had not left the Douluo Consecration Hall in a long time, so his knowledge of the communication channels or the structure of the imperial palace was lacking. Without a guide, he couldn't confidently tap his chest and claim he could sneak them into the palace without raising a single suspicion.

Hu Liena was even worse; she didn't even know Qian Renxue's specific mission in the Heaven Dou Empire and naturally wouldn't know whether what Lu Yuan said was entirely accurate or not. Even now, Lu Yuan's words had just revealed pieces of information to her that she didn't know before, causing a shocking truth to start forming in her head.

As Lu Yuan expected, Golden Crocodile nodded in an apologetic manner after considering the situation. He realized that just because he wanted to break Lu Yuan and Hu Liena's relationship, he had poorly considered the bigger picture and had forgotten about Xiao Xue's current situation. If he, due to his selfishness, jeopardized her mission, he wouldn't have the face to see Qian Daoliu again.

But fortunately, this boy had Xiao Xue's interests in mind. This made Golden Crocodile's expression soften.

Hu Liena looked up from her bowl, her big honey-colored eyes shifting to Lu Yuan for a moment.

He gently stroked her hair and spoke in a soft tone, "Nana, that's all I can share for now. The truth will become clear with time."

"Hm!" A soft sound escaped her lips as she nodded gently. Although she felt a tinge of disappointment at not being able to meet her romantic rival on this trip, she was a girl who knew when to step back.

Nor did she blame Lu Yuan for refusing to arrange the meeting; instead, she felt a gentle breeze brush against her skin. She was convinced that her younger brother had purposely talked more than necessary to help her piece together the puzzle and understand the complexities of the situation, thereby providing her with some sort of explanation.

Her younger brother truly doted on her a lot!

Though Hu Liena's perception differed from reality, it was true that Lu Yuan took her feelings into account in all of his actions.

With Hu Liena in a brighter mood and Golden Crocodile ceasing his provocations, the three of them concluded their dinner in a peaceful manner.