A mischievous girl strolls in with her hands behind her back.
Her blossom-like face is framed by vivid red-plum hues, and her sparkling plum-blossom eyes carry a sly glint.
"What a coincidence—Ganyu and Yaoyao are both here."
Hu Tao saunters in, totally at ease.
She knows who Ganyu is, but because Ganyu looks like someone her age, Hu Tao finds it hard to link her with an immortal who's lived millennia, even knowing the truth.
This half-adeptus qilin is as old as the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor itself.
As for Yaoyao…
Hu Tao's crossed paths with her at Granny Shan's Toy Shop by moonlight and mountain walks; they once tussled over the same toy. Hu Tao even improvised a doggerel, and they became friends.
"Director Hu."
Ganyu has to hold down her urge to leave, doing her best to suppress that swelling feeling.
Yaoyao is delighted to see Hu Tao too. She loves playing with this impish director—seems like everything in the world is material for her poems.
"Ganyu, have you thought about the suggestion I mentioned last time?"
Hu Tao sits beside Ken but looks at Ganyu, full of hope.
Diligent, tireless workers like Ganyu are exactly what Wangsheng needs. If they could poach her, business would surely boom.
"I'm sorry. Even with the Geo Archon's departure, I don't want to leave my post for now."
"That so…" Hu Tao is disappointed.
Through the Genshin game, she knows Ganyu stays in Liyue because of a promise to the Archon.
For hundreds and thousands of years, Ganyu has worked selflessly for Liyue.
But now that the Archon has "died" publicly… if Ganyu knew that Wangsheng's thick-browed "consultant" is the very Archon who promised her thousands of years ago—what would she think?
"You actually want to poach Ganyu to Wangsheng?"
Hearing them, Ken can't help laughing.
As expected of Hu Tao—she tries to recruit talent wherever she sees it.
"Hmph… The Director does it for the parlor's bottom line. Business is good lately, but with all hands on the Rite of Parting, we're short-staffed."
"The Rite of Parting…" Ganyu feels a little down.
Hu Tao props her chin. "Zhongli handling that… hahaha, it's kind of hilarious."
Huh?
Ganyu is puzzled. To her, Zhongli, learned and versed in Liyue's rites, is the perfect choice to prepare the ceremony.
"Why do you say that?" Ganyu asks.
"…" Hu Tao freezes, realizing she said too much. "It's nothing… um… listen! What's that sound outside?!"
Just as she flounders for an explanation, a bold voice booms outside.
Ferrylady jogs in. "Director, someone named Xinyan is looking for you."
"Xinyan?"
Hu Tao's eyes light up. "That passionate rock musician? Please bring her in!"
Hu Tao knows the unconventional rocker and sometimes greets her on the street.
She didn't expect her to visit today.
Soon, Xinyan enters with Ferrylady. Seeing four people in the courtyard, she looks a bit shy—especially at the sight of Yaoyao.
Because of her fierce looks, kids in Liyue Harbor don't like her.
Even though she practices gentle smiles every day and helps kids, she still can't win them over.
So seeing Yaoyao, she's worried.
"Wow… That's the rock musician? I've heard of you!"
To Xinyan's surprise, Yaoyao isn't afraid—her big eyes crescent into smiles.
Yaoyao has long admired the tradition-breaking rocker.
"You…" Moved by Yaoyao's warm greeting, Xinyan says, "Hi everyone, I'm Xinyan. I'm here at Mr. Zhongli's invitation."
Ken: "…"
A weird premonition rises in Ken's heart. He asks, "What did Zhongli invite you for?"
"He asked me to perform a concert at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor in three days." Xinyan looks embarrassed. She was happy at first, but after learning Zhongli is Wangsheng's consultant, she felt complicated.
A funeral parlor does funerals. Is it really appropriate to do rock at a funeral hall?
But it's her first resident gig invitation in Liyue Harbor—even if the venue's odd, it's still recognition. She doesn't want to give it up, so she came per Zhongli's instructions to find Hu Tao.
Ganyu's jade features twitch. "A… a concert at the funeral parlor?"
Is that… really appropriate?
And by Ganyu's reckoning, the Rite of Parting is the day after tomorrow. For Mr. Zhongli to invite rock into the funeral hall now… is that a bit disrespectful to the Archon?
Even if she knows her respect can't be forced onto others.
It still shocks her that the learned Mr. Zhongli would do this.
She decides she'd better keep her distance from him.
Such irreverence toward the Archon leaves a bad taste.
Not out of mixed feelings—simply because she witnessed the brutal Archon War thousands of years ago and knows Rex Lapis's efforts and sacrifices. Respecting him is only right for Liyue's people.
"Everyone… there's still much to do at Yuehai Pavilion. I'll take my leave."
Ganyu sighs softly and rises, gentle as ever.
"If you want to visit Blue Star later, just come find me," Ken says, understanding, and doesn't try to keep her.
"Thank you." Ganyu smiles.
Yaoyao asks curiously, "Huh? Blue Star? Can I visit Blue Star?"
"Of course." Who can refuse an adorable little loli?
Yaoyao looks to Ganyu, eyes silently pleading.
Ganyu relents. "All right… Yaoyao can stay. But when you get to Blue Star, don't trouble Mr. Ken, okay?"
"Yaoyao knows!" she promises.
Ganyu, unwilling to sit through "funeral-hall rock," leaves quietly.
Once she's gone, Hu Tao asks excitedly, "Zhongli really knows how to have fun—thinking of a concert at his own grave—er, I mean, what a great idea! I love it. Need a venue setup?"
"If possible, that'd be great, but…" Xinyan hesitates. "I don't know if I can… I'm not really experienced with, uh, rocking at a funeral hall. I might not… perform my best…"
"No worries. You can come with us to Blue Star. There's lots of music Teyvat doesn't have—it might inspire you," Hu Tao says quickly.
She remembers seeing the "coffin dance" video online.
If adapted, Wangsheng's business would level up.
"Really? I can go to Blue Star too?"
Xinyan's excited, looking to Ken.
She's long heard the Great Prophet's reputation and wanted to experience Blue Star's rock. But by her status, she never expected to cross paths with such a high figure.
She buried the wish deep—yet now it might come true.
"All right… let's go now."
Seeing their eager faces, Ken summons a Vortex Gate.
Xinyan's arrival means the Rite of Parting preparations are nearly done. Otherwise Zhongli wouldn't be inviting funeral-hall rock.
Looks like it's time to prep for the god Osial.
…
Magic City.
Ken brings the three to his villa. As they step out of the gate, they see Eula and Klee playing Ludo in the living room.
In loungewear, Eula's long legs look even smoother and more delicate against the soft fabric.
"Daddy, Sister Hu Tao… huh?"
Klee already knows Hu Tao—the "saintly" sister left an impression.
But Klee looks puzzled at Xinyan and Yaoyao.
"This is Liyue's rock musician Xinyan, and this is Yaoyao."
Ken beckons Klee. "Klee, go play with Yaoyao for a bit—show her Blue Star's ways and highlights."
They're similar in age and both adorable and lively—they'll get along.
"Mhm! Got it!" Little Klee looks at Yaoyao, then solemnly offers a hand. "Hi, Yaoyao! I'm Klee, the Spark Knight of the Knights of Favonius, and Daddy's daughter. Welcome to my home. Want to play together?"
Yaoyao giggles at Klee's formal introduction. "Of course!"
One in red, one in green, the two little lolis hold hands and run to the garden.
Ken prepares little cakes for them—pretty sweets for little girls.
Meanwhile, Eula and Xinyan get acquainted.
"Can't tell—every day you bring home new friends."
When Hu Tao takes Xinyan to watch the coffin dance video, Eula crosses her arms and walks up to Ken, a proud look on her beautiful face.
Ken hears a different kind of sour note in her words.
He doesn't bite, and changes the topic. "How are you here?"
"Not bad." Eula narrows her amber eyes, stretching languidly. "Better than Dragonspine. Fewer strange looks. Sometimes I even have the sinful thought of staying here forever."
"Why sinful?"
"The Spindrift Knight must follow the sea's footsteps, always growing stronger. How can I indulge in idleness?"
True.
For a strong, resolute woman like Eula, complete idleness is torture.
"So, think of Blue Star as a cozy harbor," Ken says. "When the outside is hard, come here."
"A cozy harbor…" Eula repeats, then softly huffs. "Are you asking me to call this place home? You're the master here. If this is my home too, then our relationship would… Hmph, teasing me? I'll remember this grievance."
Ken smiles, brewing tea with care.
He's found that combining Liyue teas with Blue Star's makes for a marvelous taste.
Seeing him silent, Eula moistens her lips and says, "Mona and Fischl came the other day."
"I know," he says without looking up.
Eula snorts. "Good taste."
"Hm?" Ken blinks, catching the subtext. "My taste has always been good—how else would I like the Spindrift Knight?"
Like… like me?
The sudden line breaks Eula's composure. "Y-you're teasing me again! I'll remember this grudge!"
Flustered, she turns and retreats to her room.
Behind the door, she leans back and slowly calms her racing heart. "Strange… Every time he says that, my heart beats so fast."
And…
She doesn't dislike it—she even enjoys it.
After a while, she composes herself, steps to the bed, sinks into the soft covers, and lets her thoughts wander.
…
Tea fragrance drifts with the simmering sound through the summer morning.
Ken sits in the study, pours himself tea, and opens his computer.
After the preview livestream, he and Venti were drunk for three days and didn't manage company affairs. Now that he's back on Blue Star, he checks meeting notes and staff reports.
As expected, the preview was a huge success.
Not only were domestic players thrilled; overseas players were, too. New users surged, and the game remained top of the daily revenue charts.
But after today's patch, the most active content isn't the small new events—
It's hunting the "Encounter Boss."
According to reports, 90% of players are scouring the game for the Encounter Boss.
The absurd number makes Ken feel guilty.
Good grief… Seems he's drawn plenty of aggro. As soon as he showed a health bar in-game, hordes rushed to "encounter" him.
After work, he opens Facebook.
Top trending: ["Killing Mr. Ken by scraping with a 1-star Rusty Sword—savoring the torture."]
"???"
He clicks in. A Genshin player posted a video.
They ran into the Encounter Boss [KEN] at Stone Gate, and literally scraped the boss to death over several hours with a one-star Iron Sword.
"Uh…"
Even Ken is speechless at that persistence.
But it shows how much the players resent him. Even feeble, they'll scrape him down slice by slice…
The comments are gleeful.
["Bro is insane. After work I'm doing this too. Even if it kills me, I'll hack KEN to death one tick at a time to vent my fury!"]
["A 1-star sword to scrape KEN? Y'all are wild!"]
["Like for this mad lad, I'm dying laughing… The sheer willpower!"]
["As expected of Genshin players—looks like everyone's got a special hatred for Ken!"]
["Thinking about that bastard cuddling my waifus at will makes me tremble—he must be scraped."]
And so on.
Ken's mouth twitches.
Looks like that "big knife" still wasn't big enough. Next stream, he's bringing an even bigger one.
With that thought, he uses his private account to whitewash himself in the comments.
["Guys, don't be so hard on Mr. Ken. He's actually pretty good—talented, handsome, and young."]
Within minutes, he gets hundreds of dislikes.
"Damn…"
Even Ken can't help cursing.
Forget it.
Out of sight, out of mind.
He closes Facebook and opens his system.
Venti, Mona, Fischl, and the recent arrivals have given him lots of lottery pulls.
With today's guests, he's up to 30 draws.
With little Klee around, he decides to borrow his daughter's luck.
Time to pull!