Ganyu and Keqing were both blushing to the roots of their ears. Arlecchino, on the other hand, was perfectly composed.
She lowered her head and studied her own body, finding it strange to have gone from cat back to human again. As for the fact that she wasn't wearing anything, she had stopped caring about that entirely.
These past days at Ye Xi's side had taught her a great deal about him. This man was not exactly short of girls. Every one of them was lovelier than the last, every one of them carried an Eye of God, and some of them even carried a Gnosis.
If girls on the level of the Electro Archon and the Dendro Archon were willing to give themselves to Ye Xi, then what did she count for, a mere Harbinger of the Fatui?
So he'd looked. Let him look.
What mattered most to her right now wasn't a moment of embarrassment. It was everything else.
At first, she had paced the Serenitea Pot in a state of raw impatience, and the reason was Fontaine. The crisis there was about to break, and time waited for no one.
As the "Father" of the House of the Hearth, she needed to launch the rescue of Fontaine at once and stop the prophecy from coming true. Back then she had spent every day scheming over how to leave the Serenitea Pot and return home.
But bit by bit, she had let that idea go.
Going back in a cat's body meant Lyney and Lynette wouldn't even recognize her. She was better off staying in the Serenitea Pot and letting events come to her. If she could persuade Ye Xi to help the House of the Hearth, to help Fontaine survive the crisis, that would be faster than returning and running herself ragged over it. With Ye Xi involved, Fontaine's crisis wouldn't be nearly so urgent.
So what she wanted most right now was to lay Fontaine's situation out in front of him, plainly.
"Why did you turn me back all of a sudden?"
Arlecchino was in no hurry to look for clothes. She sat back down on the stool, calm as still water, and even crossed one leg over the other.
The sheer allure of it nearly sent blood spurting from Ye Xi's nose.
"Where do you think you're looking!" Keqing wrenched Ye Xi's head aside and turned to Ganyu for help. "Go find her something to wear, quickly!"
"O-okay!" Ganyu bolted into the little western-style house and ransacked every chest and cupboard before emerging with a bathrobe. "P-put some clothes on first."
Arlecchino looked at the robe held out to her and slipped it on without hurry, hiding that graceful figure beneath the loose folds.
Only then did Ye Xi let out a breath.
"There is something I wanted to ask you." Ye Xi sat down across from her and went straight to the point. "What's the story with Fontaine's prophecy? Why has the Primordial Sea water become so restless? How much of it do you know?"
Arlecchino produced a cup of coffee from somewhere, took a sip, set the cup back on the table, and her gaze went deep. "Fontaine's Primordial Sea water comes from the ancient age. It is the wellspring of power a God left behind at the dawn of Fontaine's creation. It was calm and mysterious once, but lately, for reasons no one knows, it has grown abnormally active."
"The prophecy concerns the Hydro Archon, Focalors. I have been in Fontaine leading the children of the House of the Hearth, searching for a way to avert the disaster."
"Right now, Fontaine's Chief Justice, Neuvillette, doesn't appear to have any countermeasure at all. The Hydro Archon Furina is a great celebrity, and I tested her myself."
"I assumed that, as the Hydro Archon, she must be preparing some plan in secret to save Fontaine, and that she kept it hidden only so her people wouldn't panic."
"But under my probing, Furina turned out to be exactly like an ordinary girl. Not a trace of divine power about her."
Arlecchino sighed and shook her head. "She seems to have made no preparations whatsoever. And when night fell, she cried for hours because of me. She was terrified."
"That is not what a God looks like."
Ye Xi rubbed his chin. Alice had told him plenty about Fontaine, but she had said almost nothing about the Hydro Archon.
"Why the sudden interest in Fontaine? Don't tell me you're planning to go there?"
Arlecchino held her feelings down and let nothing show on her face. She would never let her emotions surface. That was the most fatal weakness of all.
Ye Xi nodded. "Fontaine's crisis is going to spread across all of Teyvat. If I ignore it, sooner or later it reaches us too."
"Forget it, why am I sitting here stewing about it alone? I'll go have a chat with that old geezer, the Geo Archon. The more hands feeding the fire, the higher the flame. With the Geo Archon, the Dendro Archon and the Electro Archon helping out, I refuse to believe we can't solve Fontaine's little problem."
As for Barbatos? That guy had been sleeping when trouble broke out on his own doorstep, never mind a Fontaine half a world away.
The thought settled him considerably.
What was there to be afraid of?
With this many Gods standing around him, was one small Fontaine really going to be a problem?
Besides, if Fontaine's crisis went unsolved, all of Teyvat would suffer for it. Those Gods would have no choice but to help.
"The Lord of Geo?"
Arlecchino's thoughts went straight to Rex Lapis.
That was Liyue's God, the longest-reigning God still standing! With Rex Lapis helping, Fontaine was definitely saved. He'd have to be more reliable than Furina, at the very least.
"When do you plan to go to Fontaine?" Despite everything, Arlecchino was still anxious.
It had been quite a while since she left Fontaine. She wasn't worried about the children as such; with Lyney there, they wouldn't run into any real trouble. What worried her was that she had vanished without a word for so long, and the children would be turning the country upside down looking for her.
"Going to Fontaine, huh…" Ye Xi thought it over for a while.
He hadn't set an anchor point into the Serenitea Pot anywhere in Fontaine, which meant he'd have to make the trip there first and create an entrance.
That would make future trips to Fontaine far more convenient, and he could come home to his wives whenever he liked.
"Let me discuss it with a few Gods first, then I'll go."
"Then let me return to Fontaine ahead of you. The House of the Hearth has a great deal of influence there. I can support you from that end. Is that acceptable?" Arlecchino finished and looked at Ye Xi, plainly waiting on his opinion. If he refused, she obviously had no way to leave.
"All right, you go on ahead."
Arlecchino nodded. "One of the children is called Lyney. I'll have him and his sister wait for you in Fontaine."
With that, Arlecchino left the Serenitea Pot. She had lived here long enough to know which door led where.
Out through the Sumeru door, then back to Fontaine, was the shortest route.
Keqing watched Arlecchino's retreating back with a frown, uncomprehending. Judging by the conversation just now, Arlecchino wasn't only a Harbinger of the Fatui, she had also stayed here long enough to learn far too many things she had no business knowing. If they let her walk away and she leaked something, the consequences were unthinkable.
"You're just letting her go?" Keqing asked, unable to hold it back, a note of worry in her voice.
Ye Xi looked entirely unbothered. He waved a hand and laughed softly. "Relax. With the power I have now, I'm basically unbeatable."
"And with Raiden Ei and Nahida around, the Fatui could be ten times stronger and still pose no threat to the Serenitea Pot." Ye Xi spoke with total confidence, a firmness in his eyes that left no room for argument.
"Tomorrow, set up a meal for me and that old geezer Zhongli. At the Wanmin Restaurant," Ye Xi went on, as if he'd had the whole thing planned for ages.
"Then I'll go tell Xiangling." Keqing shrugged off the hand Ye Xi was trying to drape over her shoulder and strode into the house, leaving Ye Xi and Ganyu staring at each other.
"What are you looking at? Come here, let me check whether you're developing healthily." Ye Xi grinned wickedly and reached out with both hands, making a grab for Ganyu.
Ganyu clapped both hands over the horns on her head in fright, spun around and fled after Keqing, leaving Ye Xi roaring with laughter all by himself.
The next day, sunlight slipped through the curtains and spilled across the room. Ye Xi opened his eyes slowly. It was nearly noon. He and Xiangling had carried on until very late, and then Dehya had crept in at some point, which left him thoroughly wrecked. Breakfast was out of the question; even getting out of bed felt like a luxury.
He hadn't even woken naturally. Hunger had done it for him.
"Master, you're awake." The moment Dunyarzad heard movement in the room she hurried over to dress him, her voice gentle and eager.
"What would you like to eat? I'll go make it," she asked softly, her eyes full of anticipation.
Ye Xi yawned and waved a listless hand. "Never mind. I've got lunch with Zhongli. If I fill up now I won't be able to eat then."
"Then I'll fetch Master some pastries to tide you over," Dunyarzad offered considerately.
"You always know what to do." Ye Xi reached out and stroked her small face, earning a shy flush and a flicker of secret delight.
As his hand drifted lower, color rose in the girl's cheeks and her breathing quickened. If he hadn't been so exhausted the night before, Ye Xi would never have let her off. But right now the spirit was willing and the flesh was finished, and all he could do was sigh in resignation.
After a quick wash, Ye Xi put on the clothes Dunyarzad handed him, ate a few bites of pastry, and set off for his appointment at the Wanmin Restaurant. He understood perfectly well that this meeting with Zhongli mattered a great deal. It concerned not only Fontaine's crisis, but possibly the fate of all Teyvat.
The Wanmin Restaurant.
Liyue was as lively as ever, untouched by what had happened at the Northland Bank the day before.
Or rather, not a soul knew there had been a crisis at all.
At noon in Liyue Harbor, sunlight poured over the flagstone streets and laid a warm golden haze across them.
A long queue had already formed outside the Wanmin Restaurant, diners clustering by the door in twos and threes, some chatting quietly, some craning their necks. The air was thick with the smell of cooking, enough to set anyone's stomach growling.
Inside the kitchen, spatulas rang against woks in wave after wave, flames leaped over the stoves, and billowing steam carried a dozen mingled fragrances out the door.
Xiangling stood at the stove, ladle in hand, tossing the contents of the wok with practiced ease. The aroma of stir-fried pork with green peppers flooded the whole kitchen in an instant.
Fine beads of sweat stood out on her forehead, but there was a satisfied smile on her face.
"Miss Xiangling, another order of Boiled Fish!" a diner called out from the front.
"Coming right up!" Xiangling answered, and her hands moved faster still. Beside her, the kitchen assistants never touched the ground, chopping, portioning and plating in one seamless flow.
In the main hall of the Wanmin Restaurant, diners crowded around square tables laden with dishes of every kind.
The numbing, fragrant heat of the boiled fish, red-braised pork rich but never greasy, crisp stir-fried seasonal greens — every dish had mouths watering.
The diners ate in great hearty bites, satisfaction written across their faces, praise breaking out here and there between mouthfuls.
"This boiled fish is out of this world! Miss Xiangling's cooking is beyond words!"
"Isn't it just? Every single dish at the Wanmin Restaurant is a masterpiece!"
Out on the street, the calls of hawkers rose and fell — candied hawthorn skewers, grilled skewers, savory pancakes, a dazzling spread of snacks.
Children crowded around the candied hawthorn stall, staring longingly at those rows of glistening red skewers, all but drooling.
The vendor handed one over with a squinting smile, and the children took their candied hawthorn skewer and ran off, delighted.
At the door of the Wanmin Restaurant, Zhongli came strolling up at his leisure, a paper fan in hand, waving it gently. He walked to the counter and smiled faintly. "Miss Xiangling, what is today's signature dish?"
Xiangling looked up, and her face lit with a delighted smile. "Consultant Zhongli, Ye Xi will be here any moment. Today's signature dishes are Boiled Fish and braised lion's head meatballs. They'll all be served shortly, and this meal is on Ye Xi."
Zhongli nodded, his tone mild. "Very good. Then a pot of plain tea to start."
"Right away, please wait a moment!" Xiangling answered and turned into the kitchen. Before long a pot of fragrant tea, shipped in from Chenyu Vale, arrived at his table.
Zhongli sat by the window, savoring the tea unhurriedly, glancing out at the street now and then with a look of easy contentment.
People streamed past outside, the whole street humming with life, and the sunlight falling on him seemed to plate him in gold.
Noon in Liyue was the busiest hour of all.
The smell of food, the laughter of diners, the shouts of hawkers all wove together into a scroll painting of ordinary life at its warmest.
As the taste center of this city, the Wanmin Restaurant satisfied countless appetites and had become a symbol of Liyue's prosperity and vigor.
It was then that Ye Xi finally sauntered in, late.
One look at Zhongli sitting there so serenely made him shake his head, and he walked briskly into the Wanmin Restaurant.
"Sorry, old geezer, kept you waiting," Ye Xi said with a grin, heading over to him.
Zhongli smiled slightly and set down his teacup. "It is no matter. It gave me the chance to enjoy a rare stretch of peace and quiet."
Xiangling saw Ye Xi come in and hurried over. "Ye Xi, you're here! Go sit with Consultant Zhongli, the food will be ready in a moment."
"Mm, I want the golden shrimp balls." Ye Xi's hand went to Xiangling's slim waist, helping himself with his hands while his mouth showed no mercy either.
Xiangling's pretty face went red, and she muttered under her breath, "So many people are watching~ stop it."
With that, she fled back into the kitchen.
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