Yuri waved his hand, motioning for Zhongli to lean in. As Zhongli complied, Yuri brought his lips close to Zhongli's ear and whispered something with an amused glint in his eyes.
"First, you have to strike these poses, and then you have to say this line."
Zhongli froze.
The moment the words registered, his expression shifted to one of horror. A dark cloud loomed over his normally composed face.
Those poses—those lines—utterly undignified.
Absolutely not.
Just as he was about to object, Hu Tao bounced over, her signature grin lighting up her face.
"Keqing! I just heard from Kevin that this thing can summon actual armor! You have to try it!"
Zhongli gave her a tired glance. Hu Tao's eyes sparkled with anticipation, and her tone was so brimming with excitement that saying no felt… cruel.
"I'll try it when we're back," he said quietly, already regretting it.
"No, no, no! I wanna see it now!" Hu Tao insisted, tugging at his sleeve like a stubborn child.
Asmodeus chimed in cheerfully from the side.
"Yes! Come on, Morax! Don't keep us waiting—I want to see it too!"
Zhongli was practically paralyzed. The image of himself striking those absurd poses and saying that ridiculous line—it was unbearable. His whole soul screamed in protest.
Fortunately, Yuri stepped in with perfect timing, voice calm and composed.
"No need to rush. The device is already in his possession. He can take his time with it. For now, let's look at the upcoming prize."
Hu Tao and Asmodeus, distracted by curiosity, turned toward the massive wall-mounted screen as the next draw item appeared.
[Next Prize: Resurrection Card Set
Description: A specially enchanted deck containing 6 resurrection cards. Each card can revive one deceased creature of great significance.
Price: 6 million Stellar Jade
Countdown to Draw: 6d 23h 59m 59s]
As the words appeared, a collective gasp echoed through the store.
"Resurrection cards?!"
"Six per deck?!"
Ying's eyes widened with urgency, and she looked toward Shen Zi.
"Son of God…"
Shen Zi didn't even need to be asked. With a serene smile, he fanned himself and nodded.
"I know."
He reached into his sleeve and retrieved all the Stellar Jade he'd saved over the past few months—200,000. Without blinking, he purchased 200 lottery tickets.
Ying took the tickets from him with utmost reverence, clutching them to her chest like sacred relics.
Jing Yuan, Jingliu, Dan Heng, and Blade, each serious-faced and focused, lined up next. Each bought 100 tickets with firm resolve.
Zhongli stood silently, gazing at the floating image of the resurrection cards. Memories long buried stirred within him, taking him back to a time when Liyue was still young.
Guizhong's voice echoed in his mind: "Morax, if you can open this lock, I will agree to form an alliance with you."
His heart tightened.
Across the room, Venti—usually light-hearted and whimsical—was surprisingly solemn. Without saying a word, he handed over every last Stellar Jade in his possession and bought 150 tickets.
Kiana, with a determined expression, brought out 100,000 Stellar Jade.
"I'll take 100 tickets."
In her heart, she saw a warm image—her and her mother on a couch, cuddled close, her mother's gentle voice telling her bedtime stories. A dream she often longed to relive.
Hu Tao sat back in her chair, arms crossed, watching the frenzy quietly. Xiangling came over and slid into the seat beside her.
"Hu Tao, aren't you going to buy any? Your grandpa..."
Hu Tao smiled, a gentle sadness in her eyes.
"No. I won't buy them. Of course I'd love to see Grandpa again, but I'm the Hall Master of Wangsheng Hall. I have a responsibility.
Life and death are intertwined. The yin must follow the yang. The dead return to the underworld; the living continue forward in the light.
If I brought him back, he'd probably scold me for going against nature."
March 7th, overhearing that, was struck with emotion. She remembered vividly—Hu Tao taking on the role of Hall Master at just 13, performing her first funeral for her own grandfather.
Tears welled in March's eyes as she threw her arms around Hu Tao.
"Waaah! Kurumi, that's so heartbreaking! Let me hug you!"
Amber joined them, already crying.
"Hu Tao… you're amazing. How did you survive that pain all these years? Wuuuuhhh~"
Hu Tao twitched a smile, exasperated.
"You guys are crying more than I am..."
That evening, Yuri invited everyone to stay for a dinner party at his restaurant.
It had been far too long since the last gathering.
With the teleportation portal nearby, everyone could come and go freely—it was the perfect opportunity.
Kiana even made a special trip to fetch Mei, her aunt, and Bronya.
Yuri and Xiangling took to the kitchen, while a small army of helpers assembled.
Noelle, Guoba, Himeko, Jean, Bronya from Bebe Village, Natasha, Keqing, Ganyu, and Ningguang all rolled up their sleeves to wash and chop vegetables.
Yuri called Blade over for the more specialized task—preparing a massive 200-pound bluefin tuna for sashimi.
Blade worked with cold efficiency—gutting, filleting, and slicing as though the fish were an enemy he'd already defeated countless times.
Nearby, Furina, Kevin, Amber, Eula, Hu Tao, Seele, and Qingque clustered around the dining table, phones in hand, locked in a fierce multiplayer game.
Furina shrieked with frustration more than anyone, clearly new to gaming, but enjoying it all the same.
In the reception lounge, the older crew had gathered.
Jing Yuan, Welt, Luocha, and Zhongli reclined in comfortable chairs, sipping tea and sharing stories about the old days.
Heita, Ruan Mei, and a few others hovered nearby. Ruan Mei was engrossed in observing Pokémon-like creatures—Charmander, Xiaomi, Bubuhua—scribbling down notes.
"They're fascinating," she muttered. "Kevin said they're from another world. Their biological structure is completely foreign..."
Meanwhile, in a quiet room upstairs, the Black Tower was busy tutoring Clara. Yuri had slipped her 500 Stellar Jade to take Clara under her wing for the day, and the lesson was already in full swing.
The entire shop buzzed with warmth, laughter, and the aroma of home-cooked food.
Yuri looked around, his heart full.
This was what he lived for.
Friends laughing. Food being shared. Memories made.
This was why he cooked so often—for the joy of bringing people together.
He picked up the spatula, turned on the flame, and shouted over his shoulder:
"You've all been here long enough to know the drill! Stop standing around and come eat already!"
Himeko chuckled from her seat.
"Not so fast. You and Xiangling worked hard on this feast. The least we can do is wait for you two to sit down."
Yuri grinned.
"Alright, alright. Let's all eat.
Klee, do you want this fried saury?"
Klee, waiting by his feet with a tiny plate clutched in both hands, nodded eagerly.
"Yes! Klee wants fish~"
Yuri gently served her a piece of perfectly golden saury, ruffling her hair.
The table stretched long, filled with steaming dishes—30 in total. Enough for the 60 or 70 guests gathered.
Each person had their own plate, the food set out buffet-style in big ceramic bowls. Everyone served themselves, then found a cozy spot to settle down and eat.
In the children's play area, the six little ones ran around gleefully. Today, they were acting out a play. Five were sheep, one was the Big Bad Wolf.
This time, Bai Lu played the Wolf.
She pranced around with fangs bared adorably, growling in her soft voice.
"Awoo~ I am the mighty Big Gray Wolf King! Where are my tasty little lambs? Awooo~"
Hook laughed and shouted, pointing dramatically.
"Wolf! Wolf! Run everyone!"
The little ones squealed, dashing around the room in circles.
Laughter echoed from every corner.
More than two hours had gone into preparing the meal.
But now, everyone had a full plate and a full heart.
Good food.
Good wine.
Good friends.
And in the center of it all, Yuri stood, smiling with quiet satisfaction.
This was the life he loved—and for tonight, everything was perfect.