Real world.
After using the clock function to adjust the time forward by two days, Little Gui's livestream room entered the cutscene.
[Half a month later...]
"Just adjusting two days makes half a month pass in the plot?" Little Gui was a little surprised, but also felt it was reasonable. "Yeah, they can't really make us use the clock to adjust for half a month."
The scene appeared inside Fengdeng Lou.
In the first-floor lobby of Fengdeng Lou, the originally bustling and noisy scene was gone. Only Lumine and Paimon were sitting in the empty hall.
[A lot must have happened during this half month.]
[The rain outside, the originally lively but now unusually deserted scene — this atmosphere really feels like a theatrical version leading up to the final boss battle.]
[The thousand-year-old Fengdeng Lou now only has two customers. This really shows how serious the situation has become.]
[I feel that if we weren't the protagonists, we probably wouldn't be able to stay here right now either.]
Chen Yuan (carrying dishes): "I'm sorry, esteemed guests. We can only serve you with these most ordinary dishes for now."
Paimon (waving her hand): "Chen Yuan, you don't have to be like this. In the current situation, you're still here serving us. If anyone should apologize, it should be us."
Lumine: "Chen Yuan, you're still not planning to go to the shelter?"
Chen Yuan (smiling and shaking his head): "The shelter is right beneath my Fengdeng Lou, so I'm not in a hurry. If I went into the shelter now, wouldn't the Millelith patrolling outside be left eating coarse grains and vegetables?"
The camera moved in the direction Chen Yuan's fingertip pointed.
In the hazy curtain of rain, a neatly arranged squad of Millelith appeared.
They stood holding their spears, with vigorous steps and straight backs. Their uniform movements produced only a single sound across the entire street.
Even though the street contained only them, they continued patrolling without the slightest slack.
[Suddenly tearing up. I finally understand how the thousand-year-old No.1 restaurant of Liyue, Fengdeng Lou, has remained firmly in its position.]
[A simple scene actually made this grown man's eyes moist. Chen Yuan and the Millelith's images have been instantly established.]
[The Millelith reminds me of the frontline workers during the pandemic. Is miHoYo paying homage to them?]
[The people in front, you didn't say anything and I didn't notice, but the current Guili Assembly really looks like Wuhan during the lockdown!]
"This is another day where the writing team scores points!" Little Gui took out a bottle of champagne and placed it on the table. "Just this scene alone is worth me popping champagne on the spot, everyone!"
As she spoke, Little Gui was about to open the champagne midway through.
The water friends in the livestream room were fired up with excitement, which made Little Gui restrain her impulse.
After all, opening champagne midway through easily turns someone into a joker.
In the tokusatsu circle in recent years, there have been countless cases of opening champagne at the start or midway, and only Blazar and Kingohger managed to stand out from them.
This was a flag. Whoever touched it would suffer.
In the end, Little Gui could only put down the bottle opener, but that bottle of champagne ultimately remained on the table.
The water friends expressed great concern, because they had only just reached the opening and she almost opened champagne. Then what about the decisive battle part later…
Who was going to throw that bottle of champagne into the trash can!
Chen Yuan returned to the back kitchen. Lumine and Paimon ate the home-cooked dishes that were now rare to see in the Guili Assembly.
Through the two's conversation, the water friends and Little Gui learned some information:
Starting from half a month ago, all the Adepti in the Guili Assembly entered closed-door cultivation to conserve their energy and spirit for the decisive battle against Osial.
Jun Bai was in closed-door cultivation on the third floor of Fengdeng Lou, planning to restore as much of his power as possible before Osial broke free from his seal.
Beneath the Guili Assembly, there was a large-scale shelter. After the rain began falling on the Guili Assembly, all the citizens had already entered the shelter in an orderly manner.
Along with the rain came a large number of monsters resurfacing from the leylines. Fortunately, the Millelith were present. Not only did the monsters fail to interfere with the citizens entering the shelter, the damage they caused to the Guili Assembly was also quite limited.
[A shelter that can accommodate the entire population of a city!]
[Suddenly it feels like the people of the Guili Assembly can foresee the future. An underground shelter of this scale couldn't have been built in just a few decades.]
[This is what real preparation before a great battle should look like. Only when you don't have to worry about innocent casualties can you go all out without any reservations!]
"Everyone, this isn't the main point. The main point is..." Little Gui rarely became serious. "Jun Bai is currently in closed-door cultivation on the third floor! This is the best time to go steal him away!"
She revealed a perverted girl smile, clearly impatient to finish the plot and go find Jun Bai.
Just as the water friends were harshly criticizing Little Gui for her wishful thinking, Ganyu walked into Fengdeng Lou holding an umbrella.
Paimon (surprised and delighted): "Ganyu? Long time no see."
Ganyu (smiling): "Traveler, Paimon, good afternoon. It has indeed been a long time since we last saw each other after parting at the Jade Chamber."
Lumine (raising her chopsticks): "Want to eat some together?"
Ganyu (shaking her head): "Thank you for your kindness, but I already had lunch before coming over."
Paimon: "Then Ganyu, are you looking for us for something?"
Ganyu: "It's not me who's looking for you two. It's Miss Ningguang. She has a very important matter and needs to see you two."
Paimon (looking at Lumine): "Ningguang again? Is there still something left unsaid from last time?"
Lumine (shaking her head): "No, all the doubts have pretty much been answered. So it looks like there really is something very important to entrust to us."
"Anyway, we've pretty much finished eating. Let's head to the Jade Chamber now."
Paimon (nodding): "Okay."
The dialogue ended, and the game officially resumed.
Little Gui impatiently rushed up to the third floor, planning to carry out a sneak attack. However, when she reached the third floor, she discovered that the rooms on the third floor could not even be interacted with.
[As everyone knows, smiles do not disappear, they only transfer. Now Little Gui's smile has transferred to my face.]
[Jun Bai: Did you really think the room wouldn't be locked while I'm sleeping?]
[Little Gui should just honestly go do the quest.]
Little Gui helplessly teleported to the Jade Chamber.
[Some time ago...]
Ningguang and Keqing stood by the window chatting.
Following Ningguang's question, Keqing told all the players what was in her heart.
The young girl's expression was firm, and there was no hesitation in her words.
Afterward, Guizhong's teasing and Keqing's flustered escape greatly eased the heavy atmosphere of the plot.
The livestream room turned into an ocean of joy.
[Keqing has such great contrast. She talks about not respecting the Adepti and gods, yet she secretly collects dolls of the Emperor and the Marshal, and even got caught by Ningguang! So cute!]
[So the Three Gods can actually transform into Adeptus beast forms? miHoYo, hurry up and get to work. I want to see Dragon-form Emperor, Phoenix Jun Bai, and Cat-form Guizhong!]
[In the plot, it's fine if the Three Gods' Adeptus beast forms don't appear, but can they release merch? I want to collect dolls like Keqing.]
[Is no one paying attention to how good Cloud Retainer looks in human form? It's just a shame about those glasses — they make her look like my homeroom teacher. Otherwise I would definitely pull for her.]