Upon learning that Keqing and the others, like Furina, were friends of Sam Li, Billy immediately welcomed them into Hare's House.
...
Moments later, Hu Tao glanced around in confusion. After scanning the room, she frowned.
"Where's Zhongli?"
"He goes by Sam Li now. He was just here. Hold on, I'll ask Anby and Nekomata."
Billy looked puzzled at the now-empty sofa. Sam Li had just been sitting there, sipping tea—how did he vanish so suddenly?
Billy turned to Anby.
Anby explained, "Nicole needed something, so she called him away."
Nekomata added with a grin, "You're looking for Sam Li, right? Give me a sec—I'll go fetch him."
With that, Nekomata darted toward the backyard, shouting as he ran, "Sam Li! Sam Li! Some people are here to see you! I think they're old friends!"
"I hear you, I'm coming."
...
In the backyard, Sam Li paused at the familiar shout, a bit confused. Someone else had made it here from Teyvat?
Who could it be this time?
After a brief moment of hesitation, Sam Li walked into the living room—only to freeze in place the second he saw who it was.
Hu Tao—
Keqing—
The Traveler and Paimon—
And Xiao—
Of all people, it had to be them. This was more troublesome than even Azhdaha.
Before Sam Li could say a word, Hu Tao rushed over excitedly.
"Zhongli! It really is you! We knew it—you're actually in this strange city!"
Sam Li looked slightly awkward. "…"
So much for quietly posing as Zhongli and working at Hare's House—Hu Tao had tracked him down.
Keqing, the Traveler, Xiao, and Paimon quickly gathered around.
"Zhongli, your disappearance caused quite a stir back in Liyue. Some people said Hilichurls got you, others claimed you were swallowed by a Slime. We didn't expect you to just vanish into another world! Why didn't you let us know?"
"Exactly! Why did you leave Liyue without saying anything?"
"Mr. Zhongli, we've finally found you."
"The Emperor—Mr. Zhongli must've had his reasons…"
Relief washed over the group. Despite the complications since arriving, finding Zhongli meant they'd completed a crucial mission. Now, they could finally begin exploring this new world.
Faced with their varied reactions, Sam Li truly didn't know what to say.
He'd already heard from Venti that Zhongli had gone missing in Teyvat. Now, only one Sam Li remained between the two worlds.
Even if he denied being Zhongli, there was no way to shake it.
"Ahem… To put it plainly, I arrived here by accident."
It was the best excuse he could offer.
But...
Paimon pressed further. "Then why haven't you gone back? I heard you even joined a local organization."
Hu Tao turned to him as well, clearly wanting answers.
Under their stares, Sam Li had no choice but to fabricate a half-decent explanation.
"I discovered this place was full of danger, and the people here are suffering. I feared it might affect Liyue, so I stayed to investigate."
A flimsy excuse, but at least it was something.
Of course, it didn't satisfy anyone.
Paimon looked ready to push again.
Sam Li quickly shot her a look, silently pleading for help.
Paimon cleared her throat. "Ahem... Well, it's clear you still care deeply about Liyue. As expected of a devoted follower of the Geo Archon—always thinking of home."
Keqing paused, then said, "Mr. Sam Li, thank you for your concern."
Hu Tao didn't push further either, letting out a sigh of relief. "As long as we found you, that's all that matters. So long as those rumors weren't true, we're fine."
They all accepted the explanation.
Naturally, Xiao didn't ask anything further.
But this was only the beginning.
Hu Tao glanced around the room—at Nicole, Anby, Nekomata, Billy—then back at Sam Li.
It was clear.
This was the organization Sam Li belonged to now… or rather, where the former Zhongli was working.
Hu Tao sighed. "I've been searching nonstop since you disappeared, and now I've finally found you. Knowing you're safe puts my heart at ease. Wangsheng Funeral Parlor still needs you…"
Her meaning was crystal clear.
It didn't matter who Sam Li worked for now. He was still a guest consultant at Wangsheng, and no one could take that away from him.
If anyone tried, they'd have to deal with her first.
Sam Li looked uneasy. "…"
Ever since the two worlds connected, he'd known this day would come. Just not so soon.
Now, there was no escaping it—he couldn't shed his Wangsheng identity, nor his role at Hare's House.
After all, he couldn't go back on his word.
...
Nearby, Billy, Nicole, Nekomata, and Anby were listening and seemed to piece things together.
Nicole glanced at the flustered Sam Li, then at Hu Tao and Billy—and it all clicked.
This scene was familiar.
Back when Caesar first visited Hare's House, Billy had worn the same expression.
Now it was Sam Li's turn.
This girl named Hu Tao… she was clearly his old boss.
Billy, feeling the tension, tried to lighten the mood for him.
"Haha, so you're Sam Li's friends! Don't just stand around—have a seat! I'll get you all some water."
With that, Billy grabbed a stack of disposable cups and began pouring water for everyone.
Nekomata led them all to the sofa.
Suddenly, Hu Tao turned to Nicole with a bright smile.
"Miss Nicole, thanks for looking after Guest Consultant Zhongli these days. If you ever need our services, come find me—I'll do it free of charge."
Nicole smiled back. "Sam Li's my employee. Taking care of him is only natural."
On the surface, the two remained polite.
But beneath the smiles, an invisible war had begun.
...
Off to the side, Nekomata perked up at one word: free.
"Free? Really? Um… may I ask, what kind of business are you in?"
Free was free—no reason to waste it.
Seeing how happy Nekomata looked, Hu Tao was just about to reply.
But Paimon jumped in first.
"Funeral services. Organizing funerals, making coffins, holding memorial rites—the whole package."
Nekomata jolted. "Huh?! Funeral services?!"
Nicole: "…"
Anby: "…"
Nekomata quickly waved her hands. "No way! I don't want it, not even for free—I'm not dead yet!"