The next morning,
Lumine had just stepped out of the Serenitea Pot when she heard a commotion from downstairs.
"Up already? Have breakfast first."
Mu Yang had already set the breakfast spread on the table.
Lumine thanked him and asked why there were so many people lining up downstairs.
"Tea shop, small business."
At that moment, Paimon emerged from the Serenitea Pot as well.
"No wonder Mu Yang's so rich. You've got so many ways to earn Mora!"
"Interested in making money, Paimon?" Mu Yang poured her a glass of milk.
Paimon shook her head.
If this were the old days, the little money-grubber would've already started taking notes.
But times had changed.
The money Mu Yang had given them before hadn't even been spent yet.
She couldn't spend it all even if she tried!
Plus, after working all day yesterday, though exhausting,
Paimon knew their wages were far higher than others'.
Last night, Lumine had specifically warned her not to blab about how much they were earning,
or they might attract the attention of bad people.
"Shh—" Lumine made a hush gesture.
Paimon, the old penny-pincher, naturally understood the logic.
Mu Yang gazed out the window. "If luck's on our side, we might even run into the Yuheng."
"Does Keqing really love milk tea that much?" Paimon asked while eating.
"Not sure. The shop assistant just told me she comes by every day to buy a cup."
Lumine's interest was piqued by Mu Yang's words.
After breakfast, she headed to the first floor, where dozens of people were lined up.
It was her first time seeing a milk tea shop this bustling, especially in the morning…
And here, the new storyline for players began.
From Lumine's perspective, they saw the rules of this milk tea shop.
— — — — — —
Guinaifen looked at the prices. "Wow, it really is ten thousand Mora a cup!"
"Locals probably don't have Ley Line Blossoms to farm, do they?"
[Local fervor for Rex Lapis is beyond what you can imagine.]
[Mu Yang only said no counterfeiting, not no reselling!]
[Betting on an Ice Cup every day to strike it rich, huh?]
Guinaifen maneuvered her character to step back,
because she spotted a familiar figure…
— — — — — —
"Wow, it's the steamed clay duck, Keqing!" Paimon waved at her.
"Uh…" Keqing felt like she'd been caught red-handed. "You two… hello…"
Lumine smiled slightly. "Didn't expect Keqing to be such a milk tea fan."
"Ugh…"
Keqing knew Lumine was teasing her.
She was too sharp not to notice.
Instead of continuing to tease, Lumine asked, "Which one are you still missing?"
Having read the rules, she knew Keqing was here for the Emperor.
"Sigh, still missing the Cryo element…"
Keqing began pouring her heart out to Lumine.
She'd tried every superstitious trick in the book—birthdays, festivals, team leader, team tail…
None of it worked.
Meanwhile, Ganyu, who just came to try the taste, got the Ice Cup on her first day…
Though she offered to give it to Keqing,
Keqing insisted that the first one had to be earned herself to be meaningful.
[This weird stubbornness… but, kinda relatable, right?]
[Is this the bond between fans?]
[Keqing's just too cute, especially that little expression when she mentioned Ganyu casually getting it!]
[I'm fine with my bad luck, but my friend's this lucky? Can't play anymore!]
As they chatted, it was Keqing's turn in line.
"Go for it, Keqing!" Lumine cheered her on.
Keqing nodded firmly, pointing at the destined cup…
"It's the Cryo element! Congratulations, Lady Yuheng!" The assistant's voice rose a few notches.
The crowd around them was practically in tears of relief—finally!
They'd seen the Yuheng come every day.
Keqing was immersed in overwhelming joy.
She grabbed Lumine's arm, shaking it. "It… it actually happened! Are you two my lucky stars?"
[Woo! I got it!]
[What'd you get?!]
[I'm Fan Jin who passed the imperial exam, take that—]
"Uh, Keqing, there are still a lot of people here. Mind your image."
Keqing snapped back to reality, noticing the crowd pretending to admire the scenery,
though they were secretly snickering…
The assistant told her she could redeem it anytime.
Keqing nodded, thanked Lumine and Paimon profusely, and left with her Ice Cup, practically skipping.
Watching Keqing's light steps, Paimon sighed. "You can tell she's really happy."
With the Ice Cup claimed, the rest would be sold at a discount…
Once the crowd cleared, Lumine asked the assistant if they could get a cup too.
"Of course! You two are special guests the boss specifically mentioned. If you like any of these wooden carvings or ice sculptures, you can take them too."
[Gotta hand it to Mu Yang.]
[All about that pampering.]
Watching the assistant activate the Adeptus bird mechanism to add ingredients and effortlessly make the milk tea…
Lumine and Paimon exchanged a glance—this was exactly the function Paimon had once wanted to achieve with alchemy!
After finishing their milk tea, the two took a short walk before returning to the shop.
Mu Yang brought out two sets of shop uniforms.
"They were designed by Yanfei and Cloud Retainer. If you don't like them, no need to force yourselves."
Lumine took the finely crafted clothes and changed into them. This, she supposed, was the resolve of a worker.
Paimon protested, "Why does mine look so childish?"
"Lumine, I saw you snickering. You think so too, don't you?"
Paimon crossed her arms, looking adorably fierce.
"Hmph, it's definitely that big Adeptus bird. This grudge—I'm keeping it!"
[Haha, baby bus!]
[You're the Honest Truthseeker who holds grudges, huh?]
"My, my, is it this lively right after opening?"
"That voice… Hu Tao?" Paimon turned around.
"That's right! Hu Tao, Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, has arrived!"
The energetic girl slipped in through the door, followed by a few friends:
Xingqiu, Chongyun, and Xiangling.
Liyue's four little ones had come together.
Lumine greeted them with a smile. "Welcome!"
Xiangling exclaimed, "It's really Lumine? I almost didn't recognize you in that outfit."
Lumine twirled. "Does it look good?"
Hu Tao and Xingqiu each gave their critiques on the design.
Their standards differed—Hu Tao spoke whatever came to mind,
while Xingqiu liked to quote classics.
Only honest folks like Xiangling and Chongyun directly said Lumine looked great in it.
Hu Tao rubbed her chin, circling Paimon.
"Since we've praised Lumine, shouldn't we praise Paimon too?"
"N-no need for that!" Paimon quickly hid behind Mu Yang.
She wasn't about to let Hu Tao ramble on.
Mu Yang came to her rescue. "What would you all like to drink?"
In unison, they replied, "Our signature drinks, of course!"
Many of the drinks in Mu Yang's shop were inspired by his friends in Liyue Harbor.
You could tell from the colors and decorations.
For example, Xiangling's cup came with an adorable Guoba sticker.
Hu Tao's had a tiny, cute ghost that only appeared when you drank to a certain point…