"Come try the flavors of Wanmin Restaurant!"
"Liyue-Style Shredded Pork—delicious and affordable!"
…
The chorus of street vendors echoed through the bustling streets of Liyue Harbor as Shajin wandered aimlessly through the crowd.
"Smells amazing… Let's grab a bite~"
He stepped into a restaurant named Wanmin Restaurant and ordered a plate of Golden Shrimp Balls and Triple-Layered Consommé, then picked up a copy of the Steambird newspaper.
One headline jumped out at him:
"Man mysteriously goes blind in his sleep—claims it happened after glancing at a Mora?!"
The corner of Shajin's mouth curled up slightly. He took a bite and slowly began to enjoy his food.
Just then, he felt a pair of eyes on him. Turning his head, he saw a girl with purple hair styled like cat ears staring intently at the Golden Shrimp Ball between his chopsticks. Her gaze was exactly like that of a starving kitten.
"How amusing."
Shajin smiled, then held the shrimp ball in the air and waved it slightly. Sure enough, her eyes followed it precisely.
"Pfft—"
He couldn't hold back a laugh. This girl was surprisingly entertaining.
Hearing his laughter, the girl finally realized she'd been caught. Her face turned bright red, and she quickly turned to flee.
"Hey! Come eat with me!" Shajin called out, beckoning.
"I… I'm not hungry!" she stammered, head down.
But the moment she spoke, her stomach let out a loud growl.
"Ugh!"
Her face flushed even redder as she clutched her belly and lowered her head, too embarrassed to meet Shajin's eyes.
She swore she'd never been this humiliated in her life.
She had only snuck out to buy a plushie of the Geo Archon, but ended up short on Mora—couldn't even afford a meal now.
Shajin looked at the clearly starving girl and chuckled, shaking his head.
"Boss! Another plate of Golden Shrimp Balls!"
"Coming right up!" came the reply from the kitchen.
He turned back to her. "I already ordered. Come sit."
The girl hesitated for a moment before shyly nodding. "Th-thank you…"
"No need to thank me," Shajin said, smiling. "I'm Shajin. What's your name?"
"I'm Keqing. Don't worry, I'll pay you back for this meal."
"Don't worry about it. Just think of it as making a friend."
At that moment, the waitress arrived—a girl with long blue braids carrying the food.
"Here's your order. Please enjoy."
"Thanks for the meal!" Keqing said sincerely, then sat down without hesitation and began eating hungrily.
Shajin watched her devour the food and asked curiously, "So what happened? You seem like you're in a tough spot."
Keqing sighed and told him the story.
After listening, Shajin chuckled, his expression gentle. "So that's how it is. Be more careful next time. If someone shady had spotted you, things could've gone badly."
"Hmph! As if they could lay a finger on me!" Keqing pouted.
Suddenly, she turned around and revealed the Electro Vision on her back.
"See that? That's my Vision! Who's gonna mess with me when I've got this?"
Shajin blinked in surprise.
"I see… Still, better to stay alert. A cute girl like you? Easy target."
Keqing nodded, her heart warming a little toward the boy in front of her.
He's good-looking, has kind eyes, and actually cares about others. A rare one, for sure.
"It's getting late. I should head home now."
Keqing stood up, patted the dust off her clothes, and adjusted her sleeves.
"Thanks again for your help. See you next time."
"See you."
Shajin smiled and waved goodbye, watching Keqing's silhouette disappear down the street.
After the meal, he resumed wandering the city.
"Hey there, traveler! Interested in a special event from the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor?"
A lively, twin-tailed girl suddenly stopped him, a bright Pyro Vision hanging on her back. She handed him a colorful flyer.
Though it looked like a playful doodle, the text was perfectly clear:
"Wangsheng Event: 50% Off Your Second Tombstone!"
"Wangsheng Funeral Parlor?"
Weird name.
Shajin rubbed his chin, intrigued.
He bent slightly to meet the girl's eyes. "So… what exactly does your parlor do?"
Her eyes lit up—like she'd just spotted a big fish.
She cleared her throat, speaking with a mysterious tone. "Wangsheng Funeral Parlor is a place that helps the living pass on the departed—guiding souls into reincarnation!"
"Oh…"
Shajin raised an eyebrow, clearly amused.
"So are funeral businesses legal in Liyue? Sounds a bit like an assassin front."
"No way!" she said, rolling her eyes. "We do real funerals—caskets, ceremonies, everything!"
The girl puffed up her chest with pride, hands smacking against it with dramatic flair.
A passport slipped out and fell to the ground.
On the ID page was her photo, beside the words:
"Wangsheng Funeral Parlor Director: Hu Tao"
"Need a coffin? Want a tombstone? We do custom orders, full-service ceremonies—whatever you need!"
"Sounds interesting," Shajin said with a nod.
"But this is the first time I've heard of this promotion. 50% off your second tombstone? Sounds… creative."
"Hehe, that's just our style!"
Hu Tao grinned from ear to ear.
"Our Director is full of amazing ideas!"
"Your Director?" Shajin raised an eyebrow.
"Yep! Her name's Hu Tao. She's young, beautiful, clever, and super capable!"
"Oh?"
Shajin chuckled.
"Didn't expect your boss to be so impressive."
"She's amazing!" Hu Tao jumped in excitement.
"Not only is she a master of funeral rites, she also plans all sorts of fun events!"
"This '50% off your second tombstone' campaign? Her idea!"
"And between you and me… we've even got a buy-one-get-one-free deal!"
"Heh… Now that's something."
A smile tugged at Shajin's lips.
"Your Director sounds pretty creative."
"Thanks for the compliment!"
Hu Tao beamed.
"Um… Director Hu Tao, maybe take a look at what just fell?"
"Huh?"
Hu Tao looked down.
Oh no.
It was her passport.
With her ID page opened.
Dead.
Absolutely dead from embarrassment.
_
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