No two people can ever fully empathize with one another.
Mu Yang wasn't sure how Yun Jin reached her conclusion.
Perhaps she truly resonated with the play Walking in the Snow.
But Mu Yang didn't consider himself lonely.
He had many friends now.
Seeing that neither Mu Yang nor Zhongli responded, Yun Jin seemed to realize she might have said too much.
"My apologies, I may have gotten too immersed in the play."
Mu Yang shifted the topic. "I've long heard of Master Yun's fame, and seeing you today, your reputation is well-deserved."
Yun Jin smiled. "I'm flattered by the teahouse patrons' praise, but when it comes to the culture and etiquette of opera, I'm far behind Mr. Zhongli."
Zhongli set down his teacup. "You're too kind, Master Yun. I merely have a passing knowledge."
At that moment, a merchant approached.
"Pardon the interruption. You're Mr. Zhongli, the guest consultant of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, correct? Hall Master Hu told me to find you."
The man explained his purpose: a small-time merchant from Sumeru had brought a batch of antique treasures, and he wanted to acquire them.
Thus, he sought Mr. Zhongli's expertise to appraise them.
Mu Yang glared at Zhongli with a piercing stare. Well, well, old fox, you're definitely slacking off!
Zhongli cleared his throat and addressed Mu Yang and Yun Jin. "Since this is Wangsheng Funeral Parlor business, I'll take my leave."
After Zhongli left, Yun Jin stayed, wanting to chat with Mu Yang.
Though it was their first meeting, she had heard about him these past few days.
Mu Yang had been coming daily to hear her perform.
Truth be told, plenty of people in Liyue did the same.
Some even crossed oceans from other nations just to hear Yun Jin sing.
But Yun Jin hadn't given them such special attention.
There were two reasons for her interest in Mu Yang.
First, he was someone Xiangling constantly talked about.
Chongyun, Xingqiu, and Hu Tao also mentioned him frequently.
So, Yun Jin was curious about what made Mu Yang so captivating to her friends.
Second, she felt a strange sense of familiarity with him, as if they had met before.
But where?
The teahouse was crowded, with eyes constantly glancing their way.
Liyue Harbor was a large place, and it had been a year since the battle with Osial.
Most common folk didn't know Mu Yang was an Adeptus; they only saw a young man monopolizing the attention of the superstar Yun Jin.
The looks they cast were filled with envy, jealousy, and resentment.
Mu Yang ignored them, but Yun Jin led him outside.
Besides wanting to get to know him, she had a favor to ask.
"Mr. Mu Yang, you don't mind me calling you that, do you? Xiangling told me you're an Adeptus…"
Mu Yang replied, "In Liyue Harbor, I'm just a small merchant. Call me whatever you like, Master Yun."
Yun Jin nodded. "Then please, Mr. Mu Yang, just call me Yun Jin as well."
She had brought Mu Yang outside to ask him to give up on acquiring the Heyu Teahouse.
"Why is that?" Mu Yang feigned confusion.
He explained that he only wanted to be a small merchant, take over a teahouse, and experience life in Liyue Harbor.
Mu Yang said he understood business operations, and if Yun Jin and Master Fan Er were worried he'd ruin the shop, they needn't be.
Moreover, the price he offered far exceeded the Heyu Teahouse's actual value.
Wouldn't it be great for Master Fan Er to retire early and enjoy a life of leisure?
"That's not it, Mr. Mu Yang. May I tell you a story?"
Yun Jin shared a story about the Heyu Teahouse.
Decades ago, Master Fan Er had performed on its stage, alongside a partner named Ruoxin.
Yun Jin said, "She's the manager you met at Qingce Village during the Moonchase Festival."
In her youth, Ruoxin was stunningly beautiful, and her opera skills were unparalleled.
In Master Fan Er's own words, she was every bit as talented as the now-celebrated Yun Jin.
"Back then, Master Fan could still perform, and he often shared the stage with Senior Ruoxin."
"They always played a couple in their performances. Perhaps Master Fan started to believe it was real."
But this affection was one-sided on Master Fan's part.
Ruoxin had someone else in her heart. Later, she grew tired of the stage life and left for Qingce Village with her beloved.
Master Fan, meanwhile, bought the Heyu Teahouse and stayed to run it alone.
The stage's setup had remained unchanged for decades…
Mu Yang listened and fell into silent thought.
This must have been Yun Jin's initiative, not something Master Fan had asked her to do.
Mu Yang already knew this story; he just hadn't expected Master Fan to be so unable to let go.
The story's continuation was that, shortly after Ruoxin settled in Qingce Village, her adventurer partner grew restless and went to sea.
He had yet to return, leaving Ruoxin to wait alone.
So, when Mu Yang mentioned Qingce Village during his talks with Master Fan,
he hadn't spelled it out, but Master Fan clearly understood.
After that, he began avoiding Mu Yang.
Through Yun Jin's words, Mu Yang now realized that Master Fan had never moved on all these years.
He had never visited Qingce Village, only quietly asking Yun Jin about Ruoxin's situation…
"So there's such a story. I was a bit tactless. Thank you for telling me, Yun Jin."
"No, no, Mr. Mu Yang was just doing business as usual. There's no fault in that. It's just Master Fan…"
Yun Jin hesitated. "…I hope he can untie the knot in his heart soon."
"Tell Master Fan that from now on, I'm just a guest here to drink tea and listen to performances. He doesn't need to avoid me anymore."
With that, Mu Yang bid farewell to Yun Jin and headed downstairs.
At that moment, Yun Jin finally understood why her friends liked Mu Yang so much.
This Adeptus was nothing like what they had imagined—he was far too human.
Leaving the Heyu Teahouse, only one place remained on his list—the Three Bowls Inn.
For this final option, Mu Yang had no intention of being polite.
He had to secure it, as there were no other choices left. Though the Three Bowls Inn's owner wasn't short on money either,
Mu Yang wasn't worried. After all, this owner wasn't exactly a good person.
The owner, Degui, was greedy and stingy.
Serving watered-down wine dumplings, using smaller bowls to make customers order more, and exploiting and manipulating employees were all standard practices for him.
Most importantly, he had committed real offenses.
And Mu Yang had already gathered the evidence.
The next morning, Mu Yang arrived at Yanfei's office.
He had no patience for Degui's denials and went straight to his legal consultant.
Yanfei was brimming with energy. "Morning, my top client! Finally remembered me after all these days?"
Mu Yang handed her the evidence of Degui's crimes, along with a Northland Bank promissory note.
"I want to buy the Three Bowls Inn. Help me 'negotiate' the price."
Yanfei flipped through the materials and glanced at the amount on the note.
"With this evidence, you won't need this much Mora."
"That's the budget. Keep whatever's left based on your skill. Your fee is separate."
Hearing this, the Liyue girl stood at attention.
Degui, that old crook, dared to blatantly violate Liyue's laws? He had to be taken down hard!
And so, Mu Yang smoothly became the new owner of the Three Bowls Inn.