[Beginning draw…]
[Manga drawn — Your Lie in April]
[Your Lie in April]:
Arima Kousei was once a prodigious musical genius.
However, in the autumn of his eleventh year, after the passing of his mother, he lost the ability to play the piano.
With no goals and no direction, his daily life became like a monotonous, colorless sheet of music.
Then, in the spring of his fourteenth year, Kousei met a girl—Miyazono Kaori.
Her behavior was rough, her personality terrible— yet she was a brilliantly talented violinist.
Her appearance shattered the gray world Kousei lived in.
From that moment on, his heart and his everyday life began to change.
"Your Lie in April…?"
A trace of surprise appeared in Han Feng's eyes.
Not because the manga had high combat power, nor because it contained any miraculous items.
It was simply a purely modern slice-of-life manga.
At most—
A tiny bit heartbreaking.
Also known as a depression-inducing anime.
Similar works included things like Puella Magi Madoka Magica or certain long-running emotional landmines.
Although it was an utterly ordinary manga in terms of power scaling, Han Feng was actually very pleased to see it appear.
A good manga shop should have all kinds of genres:
Comedy, romance, adventure, detective, food, sci-fi, fantasy—
His shop already had all of those.
What it lacked were tearjerkers and emotionally devastating series.
Now, with Your Lie in April arriving, that gap was finally filled.
Balance achieved.
Buzz—
A brilliant beam of light descended, enveloping the counter.
Moments later, the light dissipated.
A manga featuring a boy on the left and a girl on the right appeared in Han Feng's hand.
"Tsk tsk… looks like April is coming again."
Looking at the familiar image of Miyazono Kaori, Han Feng smiled faintly.
With a gentle wave of his hand, the manga quietly floated onto the bookshelf.
"Hm? It's already noon?"
After checking the time, Han Feng raised an eyebrow slightly.
"In that case, once this batch of customers leaves, I'll suspend business for a bit."
After a brief thought, he made his decision.
Liyue Harbor
After leaving the manga shop, Hu Tao skipped happily down the street.
Each jump sent her seven or eight meters into the air.
"Hehehe, second gear really feels the best!"
She was extremely satisfied.
Jumping like this was fun and effortless.
Passersby stared at her in shock.
"Wasn't that the Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor? How is she jumping that high?!"
"No idea, but it looks kind of fun."
"Yeah… would be super convenient for hopping into a neighbor's house at night."
"…Hey, something about that doesn't sound right?"
"Speaking of weird stuff, haven't you noticed a lot lately? Like Yanfei flying in the air the other day."
"Not just that! I saw her consulting clients today while riding something weird—called a bicycle, I think?"
"Come to think of it, didn't the Millelith guard some alley recently? And Hu Tao just came out of there too… think there's a connection?"
"Let's check it out this afternoon."
Hu Tao had no idea what people were thinking.
With the Power-Enhancing Shoes, traveling was effortless.
Before long, she arrived near the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
"Huh? Why are there so many Millelith here again?"
Seeing the scene at the entrance, Hu Tao looked puzzled.
"I'll go take a look!"
With a thought, she lightly pushed off the ground—and jumped straight in front of the Millelith soldiers.
"Who—?! Oh, it's Director Hu Tao!"
The Millelith captain finally relaxed.
He'd nearly been scared out of his wits by that sudden landing.
"What's going on?"
Hu Tao asked curiously.
"It's about the Geo Archon incident… and Old Meng."
"…Old Meng got arrested?"
Hu Tao blinked, stunned.
She'd heard about it at the manga shop earlier.
She'd assumed Old Meng would've slipped away once things looked bad.
Who knew he'd actually been locked up?
"He believes he caused the Geo Archon's death, so he refuses to come out. That's why we had no choice but to come find you."
The captain gave a wry smile.
After Ningguang and the others returned, they immediately began handling the aftermath.
Ningguang knew Old Meng had nothing to do with the Archon's death—it was just coincidence.
She ordered his release.
But Old Meng was completely shaken.
He stubbornly believed his death-attracting constitution had led to the tragedy.
He insisted on taking responsibility and begged the Millelith not to implicate the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
Left with no options, they came to Hu Tao.
"…Old Meng."
Hu Tao sighed softly.
Sure, he could be unreliable at times, but his loyalty to the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor was unquestionable.
He'd rather punish himself than drag the Parlor down with him.
That genuinely moved her.
"Alright, I'll go take a look with you."
Hu Tao nodded.
"That would be wonderful!"
The Millelith captain finally breathed a sigh of relief.
The Jade Chamber
Keqing and Ganyu had gone to Yujing Terrace to handle official matters.
Ningguang ultimately returned to the Jade Chamber instead.
After all, this was her personal palace— the most comfortable place to stay.
"Ningguang, these are the pastries I made."
At that moment, Baiwen entered carrying a plate of desserts.
"Thank you."
Ningguang smiled and took a bite.
"Mmm… they're very good. Even better than before."
She praised sincerely.
"It's all thanks to Boss Han. Without the Basic Cooking Skills I got from his shop, I wouldn't be able to make food like this."
Baiwen smiled brightly.
Ever since obtaining that skill, her favorite thing to do every day was cooking for Ningguang.
Watching Ningguang eat food she'd made with love made her feel incredibly happy.
That was why she was so grateful to Boss Han.
"Indeed. Boss Han isn't just your benefactor—he's done a great service to all of Liyue."
Ningguang nodded seriously.
Without those items, they never would've defeated the god.
Even if they somehow won, the price would've been enormous.
"Once things settle down this afternoon, I'll take the three of you to Boss Han's shop to read manga."
Ningguang smiled.
She also planned to prepare a gift to thank him properly.
"Really?!"
Baiwen nodded excitedly.
This time, she planned to keep studying cooking.
If she could obtain even better culinary skills, she'd be able to make even more delicious food for Ningguang—
And then Ningguang would never be able to leave her!
Baiwen happily schemed in her heart.
Ningguang, unaware of her secretary's inner monologue, continued enjoying her dessert.
Just then, Baishi entered the room.
"Ningguang, Captain Beidou would like to see you."
—------------------------------
Pat reon Advance Chapters: patreon.com/YonkoSlayer