In front of the mirror, Shenhe helped Xia Zhi into a formal Liyue ceremonial outfit.
His figure was already well-proportioned, and once dressed up, he looked even more refined—elegant in a way that turned heads.
Standing beside him, Shenhe looked at the reflection in the mirror. There was a soft glimmer in her eyes that she couldn't quite hide.
"Do I look good?"
"You do."
"Shenhe, I didn't think you'd be so shallow."
"I've always been shallow when it comes to you."
With a gentle laugh, she reached out and smoothed the subtle creases in his clothing with meticulous care.
"Passion hidden beneath the mundane." That line could've been written just for her.
The colder she appeared on the outside, the fiercer her warmth on the inside.
Or perhaps… it reflected him just as much.
Xia Zhi studied himself in the mirror through his god's-eye view. Compared to when he had first arrived in this world, his physique—and even his facial features—had undergone some subtle changes.
That was the effect of his Charm stat.
It didn't just manipulate others' favor toward him in a brute-force way. It subtly fine-tuned everything about him that had once been imperfect.
For instance, without ever needing to train or sculpt his body, he now possessed a naturally athletic build. Even after spending hours each day in the kitchen, his hands remained more delicate and beautiful than those of a pampered noble lady.
Or take his face: he didn't need makeup or any fancy grooming. It was effortlessly striking, the kind of face people struggled to forget. And that was with him deliberately hiding it behind sunglasses.
He rarely even used the [Alluring] trait from [Embrace of the Vampire]—especially not its "charm effect doubled on the opposite sex" passive.
If he did activate it, the number of female customers at the Summer Shop would probably skyrocket overnight.
Still, emphasis on rarely.
Sometimes, when "playing" with Shenhe at night, he'd turn it on briefly to give her a little extra Attack Speed and Crit Rate boost.
"Boss," she said softly.
"Yeah?"
"This outfit really suits you."
"I thought so too."
"Lady Ningguang has impeccable taste."
There was something vaguely meaningful in her tone.
Xia Zhi turned to her with a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
Yeah, this outfit—like that luxurious bed in the room—was another gift from that wealthy lady.
The fabric was high-end, the craftsmanship flawless, the design elegant yet understated.
Odds were, Ningguang had personally picked it out.
"Shenhe, don't tell me you're jealous?"
"Not at all."
"Really?"
Shenhe just laughed softly without answering.
Sure, the bed might've been bought by someone else, but she was the one who slept in it first.
And maybe the outfit had been gifted by someone else, but she was the one who dressed him in it.
If anyone got cut off from the script halfway through, it was that someone else—not her. There was no reason to feel jealous.
"Let's go," she said.
"Mm."
—
The school's opening ceremony was packed with guests today.
Among them was a special group: the workers who had helped build the place from the ground up.
At Xia Zhi's personal request, Keqing had invited every single one of them.
For many of these workers, it was the first time they'd ever been shown such respect. They were visibly thrilled—some had even arrived far earlier than necessary.
Despite wearing their cleanest, best clothing, they hovered awkwardly by the entrance, hesitant to approach the other guests. Their hands fidgeted with their sleeves, their weather-worn faces showing the quiet insecurity and discomfort common among those from the lowest rungs of society.
It was the invisible wall of class.
In the Liyue of old, that wall was nearly impossible to climb.
The children of workers would almost inevitably grow up to become workers themselves—illiterate and locked into the same backbreaking life as their parents.
But with this school, and the rise of education in Liyue, those children now had something their parents never did:
A different path. A real chance to change their fate.
Xia Zhi walked over with a smile and said, "Good morning, everyone! Go ahead and head inside, make yourselves comfortable. Honestly, you all know this place better than I do, so I won't waste time with speeches. Just eat well, drink plenty—and don't forget, Miss. Yun's new play is premiering today. Make sure to show your support!"
"Principal Xia!..."
The workers were just one group of the early arrivals. There was no need for too many formalities with them.
Soon, more guests with varying statuses began arriving, and it was at that point that Xia Zhi had to step up with the proper etiquette to greet them.
In truth, Xia Zhi wasn't particularly fond of these kinds of events.
He found it much more enjoyable to host guests who simply came in for a drink of Rainbow Juice than to deal with people with all kinds of hidden agendas.
Perhaps it was because he had already "leveled up" at the Jade Chamber during his previous event, but he noticed that most of the guests arriving now didn't have any visible progress bars hovering over them.
Still, there was no choice. He was, after all, the principal, and it was his responsibility to take care of these things.
Moreover, the other vice principal, Zhongli, was doing the same. Watching him greet people with his usual stoic face was actually kind of entertaining.
Charlotte, who had apparently been instructed by Ningguang, had been standing beside Xia Zhi since he appeared at the school gates.
With every guest that arrived, she raised her Kamera and took their picture.
Thankfully, Xia Zhi was wearing sunglasses, or else the kamera flashes would have been unbearable for his eyes.
At one point, a woman he didn't recognize approached.
She walked straight up to Charlotte, who was focused on taking photos, and tapped the young woman's shoulder, speaking in a friendly, familiar tone, "Charlotte."
Charlotte turned around in surprise, her expression one of utter shock. "Chief Editor Euphrasie?! What are you doing here?"
"I had some personal matters to attend to. I got an invitation, so I thought I'd stop by and check in on you."
"Oh—well, if you're here, what about The Steambird?"
"I'm just the Chief Editor. The paper won't fall apart just because I'm not there. Someone will handle my responsibilities while I'm away. But I didn't expect you, Charlotte, to have become Chief Editor too."
"Eh-heh…" Charlotte laughed awkwardly.
Technically, she was still just a foreign correspondent for The Steambird. She was supposed to be on a field assignment, taking a little side job secretly. She hadn't expected her boss to catch her.
"Chief Editor…"
"Relax, I'm not firing you. I can't bear to lose a capable reporter like you."
"But you never used to say that!"
"Oh? What did I say?"
"You said I was always causing trouble…"
"By the way, Chief Editor Euphrasie, you didn't get caught up in that incident of mine, did you?"
Charlotte lowered her voice slightly, worry flickering in her eyes.
Euphrasie smiled and waved her hand dismissively.
"No, don't worry. Like I said, I'm here for personal reasons."
"Do you need any help?"
"Help…"
"Don't look at me like I've only been here a month. I've already built quite the network here in Liyue!"
"Is that so?"
Euphrasie looked at her bright, justice-filled junior and then at the Kamera hanging around her neck. Her gaze held something meaningful, something hard to read.
"Well then, thank you. If I need help, I'll come find you."
"Mm-hmm!"
"Oh, and Mr. Galanopoulos asked me to give you a letter."
"Really? My father… How are they both?"
"They're doing fine. Don't worry. Here, take this."
Euphrasie handed Charlotte the letter and then turned away. Her casual demeanor shifted into something more polite and formal. She gave a respectful bow to Xia Zhi and Zhongli, adhering to the standard Liyue greeting.
"Good morning, Principals."
"Hello."
Both Xia Zhi and Zhongli nodded in return.
Euphrasie looked at Xia Zhi for a moment longer.
It made sense, after all—he did have a little more charm than Zhongli.
After greeting everyone, she walked inside alone.
Charlotte looked down at the letter in her hand. Her expression was a little complex, but she still didn't open it right away.
She gently touched the envelope, carefully tucking the letter written by her father into her pocket.
It was only when you were far from home that you truly missed the warmth of it.
She picked up her Kamera again and continued taking photos of Xia Zhi.
After all, this was a task assigned by Lady Ningguang, and it was tied to whether she could return home smoothly. She had to take it seriously.
But then she thought back to the prophecy Mona had given her last time.
Her heart became a little conflicted.
Could it be that she wouldn't be able to go home until the end of the year?