After leaving Liyue Bank.
Fujin and Lingyuan descended the stairs at Feiyun Slope and followed the street toward the other end. They soon arrived at Bubu Pharmacy, where a long line had formed outside the door.
Lingyuan asked, "Is Herblord inside?"
Fujin nodded. "Mm."
"Are all these people here to see her for treatment?"
Fujin shook her head. "Not exactly."
"Huh?"
"Her situation right now is… a bit special."
"Special?"
"You'll see. Let's go in."
"Wait for me!"
The two of them walked past the people waiting in line.
Since they weren't here for treatment, neither of them felt any guilt about skipping ahead.
Inside Bubu Pharmacy, a refined-looking man sat at the front, consulting with patients.
He had long green hair and wore half-rim glasses. A white snake coiled around his neck, and a Dendro Vision hung at his waist.
Fujin stepped forward with a smile. "Doctor Baizhu."
Baizhu looked up and returned the smile warmly. "Miss Fujin, you're here."
Though this was Baizhu's first time meeting Fujin in person, they'd chatted a bit in their group before.
With so many ordinary patients around, Baizhu didn't address her by her Adeptus title.
Then his gaze shifted to Lingyuan beside her. "And this must be Miss Lingyuan?"
Lingyuan gave a casual nod. She wasn't particularly warm toward strangers, her attention was fixed on the white snake around Baizhu's neck.
The aura it gave off felt strangely familiar.
Even though it was much smaller now, and its pupils had changed shape, Lingyuan recognized it all the same.
That little white snake was Herblord.
Baizhu, ever considerate, spoke softly. "Changsheng, why don't you take them inside? I'll be busy here for quite a while."
Changsheng slid down from his neck. "Alright."
Fujin and Lingyuan followed Changsheng into the rear courtyard of Bubu Pharmacy.
It was quiet there, with sparrows chirping in the trees.
"Have a seat," Changsheng said.
Fujin looked at her and asked, "How much do you remember from before?"
Changsheng straightened, meeting Fujin's gaze with those almost human eyes. "At first, I remembered nothing at all. Later, Mr. Xia gave Baizhu and me some incense. After inhaling it, bits and pieces slowly came back."
"Do you still remember the two of us?" Fujin asked.
Changsheng smiled. "Of course. Fujin. Lingyuan."
Hearing that, Lingyuan's expression eased slightly. "How did you end up like this?"
Changsheng sighed leisurely. "I was never blessed with the kind of innate luck you two have. Back then, surviving my lord's blade was already an incredible stroke of fortune."
Her words stirred up some unpleasant memories, and the atmosphere grew heavy.
Changsheng smiled again and added, "I even said I'd bring you to Liyue Harbor in a teapot someday… it's a shame I never got the chance."
Fujin shook her head. "It's fine. Coming by myself works just the same. Back then, I even said I'd invite everyone to have tea under the tree together…"
Changsheng smiled. "Cloud Retainer and the others went to Inazuma to have some fun, and Mountain Shaper's over there too. If you brought tea leaves with you and don't mind the trouble, you could just go to Inazuma to find them."
Fujin's gaze flickered slightly. "We'll see."
Seeing her expression, Changsheng understood that this old friend had already made up her mind.
She turned to Lingyuan, curiosity in her eyes. "You're usually so reluctant to leave your den. What made you come out this time?"
Lingyuan's expression stiffened. Her eyes drifted away as she replied, "Wasn't it all because of this one? Fujin kept begging me. I had no choice but to come along."
Changsheng glanced at Fujin. "I see."
Fujin only smiled, neither confirming nor denying it.
After all, she still needed Lingyuan as a shield later. If Lingyuan got annoyed and ran back overnight, that would be troublesome.
The two women and the snake chatted idly in the courtyard.
After reminiscing about the past, the conversation naturally drifted to the raffle.
"The two of us both won Seaview Villas in Yujing Terrace!"
Changsheng laughed. "You love staying cooped up in your own nest. A house here doesn't seem all that useful to you."
Lingyuan hesitated, then muttered, "I can still stay there once in a while… You and Ganyu both live here, don't you? If I come visit, it's good to have somewhere to stay. At least I won't have to check into an inn."
Changsheng and Fujin exchanged a glance and smiled. "That's true."
By the time their chatting wound down, it was already close to noon.
There were still many patients lined up outside Bubu Pharmacy, so Baizhu could only apologize and see them off, promising to properly host them next time.
Fujin waved it off, saying it was fine—treating and saving people came first.
After leaving Bubu Pharmacy, Lingyuan glanced back and remarked, "That Doctor Baizhu seems to have pretty good medical ethics."
Fujin smiled. "If his character were lacking, Herblord wouldn't have entered into a Contract with him."
Lingyuan nodded. "Mm… I'm a bit hungry. Let's go eat."
"Then let's check Wanmin Restaurant first. If it's too crowded and there's no table, we can look for another place."
"You know where to find one?"
"Don't worry. Cloud Retainer told me about several old shops. She said they all taste great—I'm sure you won't be disappointed."
"Alright!"
This time, they walked straight along Feiyun Slope's main street, heading in the opposite direction from before.
When they were nearly at the end of the street, Fujin stopped and looked at the shop beside them. "So it's here."
Lingyuan was puzzled. "What about it?"
"Didn't I promise to treat you to Rainbow Juice? This Summer Shop is the one that sells it."
"But it looks like it's closed."
"This shop's always been like that. It's different from the others on Feiyun Slope, it closes for two hours at noon every day."
"So we can't buy it now?"
"We'll have to come back in the afternoon."
"Oh."
---
Naganohara Fireworks.
After finishing the fireworks together, it was already around noon.
Charlotte had planned to do the same as yesterday and just eat instant noodles.
But Yoimiya's parents were incredibly warm and welcoming. They came to the workshop and said lunch was ready, inviting everyone inside to eat.
Charlotte couldn't bring herself to refuse their kindness. The three girls politely thanked Uncle and Auntie.
They drew water from the well and washed the gunpowder from their hands and faces.
Inside the house, with no outsiders around, the table was filled with homestyle Inazuman dishes.
The food wasn't on the same level as Xiangling's or Xia Zhi's cooking, but it was still quite good.
Charlotte, being a reporter, was naturally outgoing. She'd seen all kinds of things, spoke pleasantly, and paired with Yoimiya's bright, lively personality, the laughter at the table never stopped throughout the meal.
Afterward, Yoimiya's father went to the front to manage the shop. The girls helped clean up the dishes, earning another round of praise from Yoimiya's mother.
Then Yoimiya's mother went to take a nap. The group sat under the shade of a tree in the yard, drinking tea for a while. Charlotte stood up to say goodbye.
"Thank you so much for the hospitality. We really dropped by unannounced today."
Yoimiya slung an arm around her shoulders and laughed. "What are you thanking us for? I should be thanking you! Thanks for bringing me such a valuable interview opportunity! And Mom hasn't been this happy in a long time."
Charlotte glanced toward the house and asked, "You mentioned before that Auntie's health wasn't very good?"
Yoimiya nodded. "Yeah. She used to need medicine every day. But after eating the pastries Xiangling brought a couple of days ago, she's been feeling much better."
Charlotte asked curiously, "What did the doctor say when she went for treatment?"
Yoimiya sighed a little. "The doctor said Mom was left with lingering issues after giving birth to me, so she's pretty weak now… I also asked Doctor Baizhu in the group chat. He said cases like this are really hard to cure completely. Usually, it can only be managed slowly—unless I could take Mom to Bubu Pharmacy…"
But with her current condition, even traveling a long distance was difficult, let alone taking a boat out to sea. The risk was just too high.
Yoimiya leaned closer and whispered, "I heard Mr. Xia is also incredibly skilled in medicine. So I was thinking that once the shop's orders slow down a bit, I'll go to the shrine and ask Mr. Xia to take a look at Mom."
Charlotte nodded. "If it's Mr. Xia, that's definitely not a problem. But with Auntie's condition being relatively mild, there's really no need to trouble him."
Yoimiya froze. "Huh?"
Charlotte leaned in close to Yoimiya's ear and said, perfectly serious, "To be honest with you, besides being a very capable reporter, I'm also a very capable healer."
Yoimiya blinked, confused. "A healer? What's that?"
Charlotte explained, "You could think of it as a kind of doctor."
Yoimiya's eyes widened. "Then… can you treat my mom's illness?"
Charlotte nodded. "I should be able to."
"Really?"
"Mm."
"T-Then, could you…?"
"Of course. We're friends, aren't we? Wait outside for a moment. I'll go in and help Auntie."
"Oh... okay!"
Yoimiya stood outside, her expression tight with nerves.
Yaoyao tugged gently on her hand and said in a soft, reassuring voice, "Sister Yoimiya, don't worry. Sister Charlotte is just as amazing as Yaoyao. Auntie will be fine."
Yoimiya couldn't help but smile.
…Wait.
What did Yaoyao just say?
Sister Charlotte is just as amazing as her?
What was that supposed to mean?
Inside the room, Charlotte quietly pushed the door open.
Yoimiya's mother was lying on the bed, taking her afternoon nap.
She'd been feeling better these past couple of days, but after cooking so many dishes in one go at noon, the fatigue had clearly caught up to her.
Once she closed her eyes, she fell asleep almost immediately.
Charlotte took out her Kamera. In her heart, she murmured Transformation, and in a shimmer of light, she stood by the bedside in the form of a light-element Magical Girl.
She first cast a [Dispel], clearing away the negative effects lingering in Auntie's body, then followed it with [Divine Healing].
It was visible to the naked eye, her complexion grew rosy and healthy, and her breathing became slow, deep, and steady.
That should take care of it.
Oh, right.
Uncle's hearing wasn't very good either. Might as well fix that too.
Charlotte walked to the doorway and cast Sleep Spell on Naganohara Ryuunosuke, who was managing the shop.
Once he slumped over the counter and fell asleep, she also cast [Divine Healing] on him.
After that, Charlotte dispelled her Magical Girl transformation and returned to Yoimiya's side.
"All done."
"Really?!"
"Beautiful girls don't lie to beautiful girls! Auntie's still asleep right now—once she wakes up, you'll see for yourself."
"Oh!"
"And I've prepared a little surprise for you, too."
"A surprise? What kind?"
"You'll find out very soon. Alright, we'll head out now! If anything comes up, just message me!"
"Okay! Bye!"
"Bye-bye."
"Goodbye, Sister Yoimiya!"
Yoimiya walked them out of the shop. When they passed the counter, she noticed her dad slumped over it, fast asleep. She was just about to wake him so he could help see the guests off... but Charlotte stopped her with a smile, saying Uncle had worked hard too, and it'd be better to let him rest a little longer.
Truthfully, Yoimiya felt bad for her dad as well. He had to look after the shop and take care of her mom every day. After a moment's thought, she decided not to wake him.
After seeing Charlotte and the others off, Yoimiya turned to head back into the workshop to continue making fireworks, only to see a familiar regular customer walk in.
Well. That settled that.
She greeted the customer with a bright smile, then went over to the counter and shouted loudly into her dad's ear, "Dad! Wake up! We've got a customer!"
Ryuunosuke jolted awake at once, clutching his ear with a pained expression. "Kid, why are you yelling so loud?!"
"If I don't yell, you won't hear me!"
Ryuunosuke sighed helplessly. "Keep it down. I can hear you…."
The customer who'd just entered chuckled and nodded. "Ryuunosuke, sorry to trouble you again with a custom fireworks order."
Ryuunosuke hurriedly replied, "Oh, it's no trouble at all. We're grateful you're willing to support our little shop..."
Yoimiya stood to the side, her face frozen in disbelief.
Because that customer's voice was actually quieter than normal conversation.
And yet, her dad was responding without any issue at all.
That meant he'd heard everything clearly!
T-This—could this be the surprise Charlotte mentioned?!
This was practically a medical miracle!
Yoimiya couldn't help but turn, heart pounding, to look toward the room where her mom was sleeping.
Dad's ears had already been cured.
Then Mom's body…
----
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