Sunlight poured down from the crystal-clear sky like flowing water, and the streets buzzed with life, filled with a festive and peaceful atmosphere.
"Hey, Zhongli, don't tell me you never kept a little stash of pocket money for yourself?"
Paimon's face lit up with a mischievous grin as she rubbed her hands together in excitement.
Even though Lumine was now worth a small fortune, Paimon's money-grubbing nature hadn't changed one bit.
Every time Lumine handed Paimon her "guide salary," she would first hug her tightly and squeeze that round little face into all sorts of funny shapes.
Paimon was starting to think—maybe it was time to try earning some money on her own.
"Pocket money?" Zhongli pressed his fingers to his chin, thoughtful. "That does sound like a good suggestion."
"Unfortunately…"
"Unfortunately what?"
"I forgot."
Zhongli said it with a perfectly serious face.
"..."
Paimon was speechless.
"By the way," Lumine tilted her head, "I remember the Golden House needs the Geo Archon's power to mint Mora. Now that you've lost your Gnosis… doesn't that mean the entire continent's currency supply has stopped?"
The Golden House—the mint of Teyvat itself.
Nagami, casually holding Lumine's soft, delicate hand, discreetly manipulated the space around them.
Otherwise, talking about things like this in the middle of the street would have made them look like lunatics.
"Oh? So even you know about that?" Zhongli's amber eyes glimmered as he studied the boy's inky black pupils, faintly flecked with violet starlight.
His brows rose in surprise.
Clearly, Nagami wasn't just any ordinary outsider.
"Yes. Morax is already gone. Without the power of the Geo Archon, the Golden House can't function." Zhongli nodded, openly admitting it without hesitation.
But the way he calmly declared Morax "dead" made Nagami roll his eyes like a dead fish.
"Wait, does that mean… we're gonna run out of money!?" Paimon yelped in panic.
"So what's your plan?" Nagami asked curiously, eyeing Zhongli's calm expression.
Money wasn't a simple thing.
Mishandled, this could trigger an economic crisis that might sweep across the whole continent.
"This issue is indeed important, but… well, let's leave such serious matters for the Liyue Qixing to discuss." Zhongli only paused for a moment before waving his hand dismissively. "We've arrived. Let's eat first."
He raised a hand and gestured to the restaurant ahead, its lanterns swaying above a signboard that read Wanmin Restaurant.
A relaxed, confident smile touched his lips as he clasped his hands behind his back and walked inside.
'So that's it. Grandpa's officially retired and doesn't care anymore.'
Nagami grumbled in his head, biting back the urge to roast him out loud.
'Classic. Totally slacking off.'
'Barbatos's laziness must've been contagious. The once-diligent Geo Archon has caught the "slacker virus" too.'
Lumine folded her arms, her beautiful face showing clear disdain.
'No wonder Venti always gets smacked around. Honestly, he deserves it.'
Nagami naturally slipped an arm around Lumine's pale, delicate shoulders as they followed Zhongli inside.
[Lumine]: Wait a second… that's… why is she here?
Catching Lumine's thoughts, Nagami turned his gaze toward the slender silhouette across the room.
A distinctive head of violet twin-tails shaped like cat ears.
Eyes the shade of deep purple autumn waters, with faint diamond-shaped patterns glowing within.
A luxurious gown brushed the tops of her thighs, while her long, elegant legs shimmered beneath black stockings traced with golden patterns.
Her graceful figure was impossible to miss.
The first time Lumine met her, she nearly blurted out wife on the spot.
Unfortunately, despite being a five-star, Keqing's strength in the "game data" Nagami uploaded had been so underwhelming she was nearly branded as bad luck incarnate.
The only reason she still held such popularity in fan works was, without a doubt, her flawless beauty.
As Nagami thought with a wry smile—in this world, only true degenerates are the purest people.
Keqing was the same type as Thomas Edison—a total workaholic.
In modern terms, she'd probably be labeled a capitalist slave-driver, the strongest advocate of Teyvat's work culture.
And you couldn't even argue with her.
After all, as the Yuheng of the Qixing, she had personally led the people of Liyue on the frontlines, taking on the dirtiest and hardest jobs.
Of course, she tended to overlook the fact that Vision holders had superhuman stamina.
Today, she was at Wanmin Restaurant simply to grab a meal while overseeing redevelopment in an old housing district nearby.
She hadn't expected to run into Zhongli.
Given his talents, he should've been more than just a guest consultant for Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
Back when the incident with the Emperor's "assassination" had thrown all of Liyue into chaos, the streets were filled with confused faces.
No one wanted to believe Rex Lapis was truly gone.
People were lost, their hearts directionless—like children without a guiding hand.
That had disappointed Keqing deeply.
Did humanity really need the gods' guidance so badly?
Her belief was simple: anything tied to humanity's fate should be decided by humanity itself.
People could—and must—do better than gods.
And then, one day, she had overheard Zhongli say something that changed everything.
"The Geo Archon has fallen. From now on, Liyue's future will be fully handed over to humanity… and there will be no problem."
Keqing hadn't caught every single word, but it was enough to understand his meaning.
'Yes! Exactly! Finally, someone gets it!'
She hadn't expected to find another person in Liyue who shared her ideals so closely.
Keqing had been so moved at that moment that she immediately stepped forward to invite Zhongli.
She had plenty of positions open under her, and only someone truly capable could make them meaningful.
A man like Zhongli, who—like her—believed in humanity's potential, would be perfect.
But to her surprise, Zhongli had refused without hesitation.
He didn't even bother explaining why.
It baffled her.
For someone as wise and insightful as Zhongli, having his own ideas was natural.
But surely he must know that only with enough power and authority could one's ideals actually be realized.
She'd sought him out several times after that, each time with genuine sincerity, but his answer never changed.
Still, Keqing was not someone who gave up easily.
She believed firmly that sooner or later her determination would win him over and bring him into her ranks.
And now, fate had brought them together again. She had planned to speak with him further, but instead—
"Lumine. What are you doing here?"
Keqing's beautiful violet eyes narrowed to slits, her gaze sharp as a blade drawn straight from an icy tundra.
"And… this person is…?"
Her reaction was almost identical to Ganyu's when she had first seen Lumine and Nagami together.
The only difference was that when Keqing noticed Lumine's wide-eyed, adorably innocent expression, her frown eased slightly. Her face remained expressionless, but her gaze softened just a fraction.
'Whoa… I can't believe this "playing dumb and acting familiar" thing actually worked!'
Nagami gave Lumine a silent thumbs-up in his mind after catching the change in Keqing's expression.
'Seriously? You still have time to joke around? Hurry up and think of a way to distract her!'
Unlike Nagami, Lumine—now under the full weight of Keqing's sharp attention—was far from calm.
'U-um… I'll try.'
It wasn't just sympathy; she genuinely felt the pressure. Nagami thought for two seconds, then decided, yes, he had to act.
Thankfully, Lumine hadn't raised Keqing's affection level too high yet, or else she really might end up creating her own romantic disaster.
"This must be Lady Yuheng of the Qixing, the one Lumine often speaks of." Nagami gave a refined bow in the Liyue style, his tone smooth and polite. "I am Nagami, Lumine's…"
He paused deliberately, then finished with a perfectly calm voice:
"…partner."
Before Keqing's expression could harden, Nagami, like a magician pulling a trick, produced two exquisitely crafted Rex Lapis figurines from behind his back.
"And since Lumine has mentioned how much you've supported her, Lady Yuheng, please accept this small token of gratitude. A humble gift, but offered with respect."
For a split second, Keqing's face froze.
Zhongli, meanwhile, blinked in faint surprise at the sight of the figurines, then slowly turned his gaze to the stunned violet-haired girl, his expression gradually twisting into something strange.
"And one more thing…" Nagami's lips curled into a sly smile as he suddenly turned to the waiter and raised his voice.
"Excuse me! I'd like to order ten servings of Golden Shrimp Balls!"
"Uh… G-Golden Shrimp Balls…"
The waiter nodded quickly, eyeing the figurines in Nagami's hands, then glanced nervously at Keqing before hurrying off to the kitchen.
Keqing, on the other hand, unconsciously stepped back.
Her composure slipped for just a heartbeat as her eyes flicked between the hand-crafted Rex Lapis figures and Nagami's unshakably confident smile.
'This… this is…'