Nothing serious gets discussed on an empty stomach.
That's just common sense.
So after everyone was fed and happy, Xu Zheng gathered Xiangling, Eula, and Yanfei into his room to talk business.
And by "business," of course, he meant founding a newspaper.
Since Xu Zheng came to Wanmin Hall practically every day to build a bond with Xiangling, the restaurant had graciously given him his own soundproof room—for "rest." (Translation: plotting shenanigans.)
"Little Xu Zheng, your room's cleaner than I expected!" Yanfei said, surprised. She thought his room would be chaotic, but it was almost too tidy.
Eula noticed something else. There aren't any toys at all? For a kid, the decor was shockingly minimalist. Just the essentials. Not even a teddy bear in sight.
Xu Zheng clapped his hands. "Alright, let's get to work on launching the newspaper."
"Yay!" Xiangling cheered enthusiastically.
Yanfei frowned. "Wait—didn't you lead the Millelith to arrest Chayevich yesterday?"
"Sure did," Xu Zheng replied smugly. "You have good sources, Yanfei."
Yanfei puffed up proudly—then realized he had called her by name, not "aunt" or "miss." She was still young, dammit!
Eula leaned in. "If Chayevich's already in custody, is there still a point to founding a newspaper?"
Good question. Originally, the goal was to counter Chayevich's slander campaign. With him locked up, wasn't that done?
Xiangling's smile faded. She had been excited about a culinary column… She wanted to share food with the world.
Xu Zheng waved it off. "We're not doing this just to counter one person," he said. "This is about promoting Liyue's culinary culture—for enriching lives and meeting cultural needs."
The room went quiet. Three jaws dropped.
What kind of eight-year-old talks like this?
Xiangling blinked. I didn't realize food could be this meaningful.
Yanfei stammered, "Little Xu Zheng… Ganyu didn't feed you those lines, did she?"
"Nope. All original."
Ding!
[System Update: Master‑Disciple System refreshed.]
[Yanfei's Affection Level has unlocked mentorship.]
[New Mission: Recruit Yanfei as Master.]
[Reward: 10 legal loopholes in the Liyue code.]
[Reminder: Betraying your masters is the ultimate goal.]
Xu Zheng thought: Great… another one?
Yanfei, meanwhile, had a realization. This kid did things for big reasons—not fame, not money—but for Liyue's prosperity.
She clenched her fists. "Xu Zheng, I want to become your mentor. Please teach me!"
"!!!" Xu Zheng nearly choked. No! I was going to recruit you for Primogems!
"I don't think that's appropriate," he dodged.
"You don't think I'm good enough?" Yanfei fired back with a smile that could cut steel.
"Honestly… yeah."
Eula and Xiangling watched in stunned silence.
Weren't we just talking about a newspaper?
Yanfei blinked, eyes wet. Did I do something to upset him?
Xu Zheng softened. "That's why—Master Yanfei—I want to study law under you."
Yanfei rolled her eyes. You just rejected me two seconds ago.
"I don't think I can teach you anything," she said. "Your worldview is bigger than mine."
"No, you should be my mentor."
Thus began the most awkward tug‑of‑war ever.
Eula thought: Do all Liyue people talk like this?
Xiangling thought: Hehe, looks like Yanfei's about to be a fellow mentor!
Eventually, Xu Zheng proposed a compromise. "The paper's too narrow with just food. I want a law column too."
He wanted weird legal cases. Wild story fodder.
Yanfei stared deep into his eyes—clear and sincere.
With a sigh, she accepted. "Fine. I'll be your mentor. But don't call me 'Master.' That's too formal."
"Understood—Miss Yanfei."
Yanfei internally groaned. That's not what I meant!
Now he had an excuse to call her Miss—a generation justified. She couldn't argue.
They then dove into the details of the newspaper. Naturally, Xu Zheng ramped up affection with her. Her affection meter shot up every time he used "Miss."
That evening, Ganyu came to take Xu Zheng home. She saw Yanfei—glowing like she'd just won big.
"Miss Ganyu, I want to talk about something," Xu Zheng said.
"I want to become Yanfei's disciple. To learn law. To help refine Liyue's legal code."
Ganyu's ahoge bristled. This little brat… I'm already his mentor! Is that not enough?
But she remembered: wanting to learn was good.
"Alright," she sighed. "But Liyue's law book doesn't have obvious loopholes."
She gently poked his nose.
[Mission Complete. 10 legal loopholes unlocked.]
Xu Zheng's brain lit up with ten glaring holes in the code loaded into his memory. He casually shared one.
"Don't underestimate me, Miss Ganyu. Finding loopholes is easy when you've got the skills."
The system cheekily thought: Maybe because I found them?
Ganyu recognized that loophole was indeed real. To be sure, she checked with Yanfei. Yanfei froze.
How had she never noticed that?
After years studying law… missed it.
She looked back at Xu Zheng, heart pounding. "Is it too late for me to change my mind? Let me be your disciple instead!"
He grinned wickedly. "I refuse. Now behave, Miss Yanfei—you're my mentor!"
He couldn't let his Primogem generator slip away.
As Ganyu walked away, she cast one last suspicious glance at Wanmin Hall.
Is this place cursed?
Xu Zheng had visited only a few times—and walked away with two new mentors.