By evening, Kirara finally left the shop, fully satisfied.
Today, she had truly witnessed something extraordinary.
This boss named Mu Yang was indeed an impressive person.
No wonder Shenhe and Xinyan admired him so much.
He came up in almost every conversation.
Who would've thought that Xinyan, the master of Genius Invokation TCG in Kirara's eyes, would lose so easily?
Even Shenhe, who was supposedly undefeated in the shop, had no chance to fight back.
Not a single victory to her name.
And to think, it was Shenhe who had explained the rules of Genius Invokation TCG to him.
Kirara couldn't help but sigh—was this the gap between them?
On top of that, the food Mr. Mu Yang made was exceptionally delicious.
Kirara was just there to mooch a meal and hadn't made any specific requests.
Yet, it was as if Mr. Mu Yang saw right through her thoughts, serving up a sashimi platter.
The fish was so fresh and tender, sliced with such precision and beauty.
It was like a work of art—if it weren't for the drool betraying her, Kirara would've wanted to admire it a bit longer…
Whether it was out of admiration for a master or her love for good food, Kirara found herself inexplicably fond of Mr. Mu Yang.
He seemed somewhat unapproachable at first glance.
Even when he smiled, it was hard to tell how much was genuine and how much was a facade.
Kirara, being sensitive to such things, could sense it clearly.
But no matter what, she just couldn't bring herself to dislike him.
After much thought, she attributed this feeling to the package she was carrying.
Yes, it must be because of this package meant for Lady Yae.
Perhaps it was because Mr. Mu Yang was a good friend of Lady Yae that Kirara found him so approachable.
Realizing this, Kirara had an epiphany.
"That's it!"
Her sudden exclamation drew the attention of everyone on the ship.
Feeling embarrassed under their gazes, the little cat darted away.
She scampered to a secluded high spot, both to hide her embarrassment and to catch a glimpse of the sunset.
She had finally figured it out—Mu Yang was definitely no ordinary person.
How could someone who was close friends with Lady Yae be ordinary?
Kirara's attitude toward Yae Miko was the complete opposite of Gorou's.
Yae Miko was a renowned great youkai in Inazuma.
As a newly born youkai herself, Kirara held her in awe and reverence.
More importantly, Kirara also enjoyed observing humans, a hobby she shared with Yae Miko.
As a result, Yae Miko had personally sought her out and taught her many useful things—human etiquette, ways to interact with others, and even how to fry tofu.
Kirara put her newfound skills to use, earning money and often treating Yae Miko to meals.
Over time, Yae Miko didn't tease her too much.
As for Gorou… well, that's a story for another time.
Kirara linked Mu Yang's image with Yae Miko's, finally understanding why he was so remarkable.
"Maybe he's a great youkai from Liyue… No, no, in Liyue, they'd call him an Adeptus."
In any case, Kirara successfully convinced herself.
Transforming into her cat form, she glanced back at the now-distant harbor.
"When will I see him again?"
"Maybe I can ask Lady Yae. She might send a return gift to Mr. Mu Yang."
"And then I can eat fish again, hehe…"
Leaving the greedy little cat aside for now, back to Xinyan. She, too, had enjoyed a hearty meal.
Although she was an employee at Mu Yang's shop, ever since the shop opened, Mu Yang had been so busy that he rarely had time to cook himself.
When he did have free time, he'd gone off to Sumeru for business.
So, Xinyan hadn't tasted his cooking many times.
This time, she got to enjoy it thanks to Shenhe.
Despite Xinyan's rebellious and defiant style, she had learned to cook years ago to please her family.
But her skills were nowhere near Mu Yang's level.
Mu Yang had an even more impressive talent: he could guess what dishes they liked without asking.
Take Kirara's sashimi platter, for example.
It was Mu Yang's first time meeting Kirara, yet he won over the cat with raw fish slices in one go.
And then there was Xinyan herself—she loved spicy food.
Heavy oil, heavy salt, and plenty of meat were her definition of a proper meal.
She wasn't picky, but she despised bland, watery dishes.
Salty had to be salty, spicy had to be spicy—only bold flavors satisfied her.
Even if the ingredients were only enough for a simple Jade Parcels soup, she'd have a dry dipping sauce ready.
Yet, Mu Yang had captured her taste buds effortlessly.
Stir-fried pork slices, boiled blackback perch, Jueyun Guoba…
Xinyan was completely smitten.
At the dining table, she couldn't help but sigh.
"I feel like the lunch at Liyue Harbor's Ship Bureau won't satisfy me anymore."
Mu Yang had never heard of this place before.
When playing the game, he mostly heard about Xinyue Kiosk or Liuli Pavilion.
For affordable, hearty meals, everyone went to Wanmin Hall.
So, what was this Liyue Harbor Ship Bureau?
After Xinyan's explanation, he learned it was the cafeteria at the harbor's ship bureau.
Xinyan swallowed the last piece of meat contentedly.
"The food there is greasy, with plenty of meat. They only serve a few dishes, but I never get tired of them."
"I used to think it was worth working a full day at the bureau just to eat their lunch."
Xinyan's gaze shifted to Mu Yang's Manchu-Han Imperial Feast spread.
"Now, though…"
She didn't need to say it—her clean plate spoke volumes.
Shenhe, on the other hand, wasn't as dramatic as Xinyan or Kirara.
She was well aware of her Master's culinary skills.
She only sampled the other dishes lightly, but the bowl of dragon beard noodles in front of her? That was her treasure.
At an angle hidden from others, Shenhe's lips curled into a faint smile…
After the meal, Mu Yang began planning how to win back the shop's customers.
He wasn't short on money, but running a business and letting someone step on his toes without retaliating?
That wasn't his style.
This time, in addition to launching new cocktail drinks, he planned to introduce Genius Invokation TCG to [Muyu Snow City].
Version 3.7 was coming soon anyway.
Genius Invokation TCG was played at the Cat's Tail Tavern, so why not at Muyu Snow City?
Why not earn some extra popularity points?
Unlocking character cards could directly reward Intertwined Fates.
Heh, he'd make money from Teyvat's people and popularity points from Earth's players.
Soon, Mu Yang finalized the plan.
First, he'd renovate the shop again.
Borrow a few hundred square meters from the heavens.
Use some galvanized square steel for the framework, and borrow some expansion screws from the system…
In plain terms: have the system expand the second floor's space to accommodate card players.
Externally, he'd claim it was an Adeptus treasure with the power of a pocket dimension.
But that wasn't enough. Mu Yang spread the word: winners of the shop's regular tournaments could accumulate victories to challenge Shenhe.
The victor could choose to take the displayed card back.
If they weren't satisfied, they could wait for the new season and exchange for a new one.
What if they really wanted it but couldn't beat Shenhe?
Buy specific drinks for a chance to win—limited purchases, of course.
Next, Mu Yang added new flavors to the milk tea shop outside and introduced new prizes.
He also established rules related to Genius Invokation TCG.
Once the plan was set, he asked Xinyan and Shenhe, "The shop's getting renovated. Want to join me for a vacation in Mondstadt?"