After Klee arrived at the studio, she instantly became everyone's favorite little mascot.
Hu Tao and Kiana would drag her around every single day.
And those entertainment facilities in the Valkyrie dorms finally had a real use.
These past few days, Hu Tao practically went there daily with Klee in tow.
It's worth mentioning that Eden and Elysia also came by the studio from time to time.
They claimed it was for character voice work, but in reality… Elysia was almost always looking for a chance to cling to Mei.
Of course, she wasn't against clinging to the other girls either, but compared to them, Mei was the easiest to approach.
Eden, on the other hand, often sought out Mo Li to ask him about music.
But what did Mo Li know about that…
He could only spout nonsense, putting it nicely as: "This kind of thing can only be felt, not explained…"
Still, having a world-class superstar like Eden come to him for advice left Mo Li feeling rather accomplished.
——
After a few days of buzz, the hype around both Genshin Impact's trailer and the new Honkai Impact 3rd update teaser began to die down.
What appeared on screen was a promotional video for a game.
And there, a girl in a purple dress, with twin cat-ear-like ponytails, looked exactly like her!
Not only that—the voice was nearly a perfect match.
And to top it off!! The character's name in the game was also Keqing!!
As embarrassing as it was, Keqing had to admit—the character's combat animations were stunningly elegant.
Even someone as stern as Keqing couldn't help blushing a little when she saw it.
She raised her head toward the white-haired woman sitting in the boss's chair, her tone mixed with shame and anger:
"Ningguang, where did you see this video?"
The woman couldn't help but cover her lips with a chuckle.
"Hehe~ You really should pay more attention to online news instead of burying yourself in work all day."
"This video was released by a game studio. At this point, any young person with internet access probably recognizes you~"
Keqing froze, then something clicked.
"No wonder!! No wonder everyone in the company has been giving me weird looks lately!"
Slamming her palms on the desk, she burst out:
"Damn it! I'm going to drag out the boss of that studio myself!"
Her puffed-up anger didn't intimidate at all—if anything, it was… adorable.
"And another thing, how is this a 'cat-ear hairstyle'!? These are retro-style twin buns!"
"A bunch of illiterates!"
"Pfft…"
Watching Keqing's furious yet helpless expression, even someone as composed as Ningguang couldn't hold back laughter.
"But really… they do look like cat ears."
At that, Keqing's face turned even redder.
She wanted to argue but didn't know where to start.
"Alright, at least the game company didn't tarnish your image. Honestly, I think it's rather amusing~"
"Hmph~" Keqing turned her head away in tsundere fashion, clearly displeased.
"Of course you'd say that, since it's not you in the video…"
Still smiling, Ningguang pulled out her phone and handed it to Keqing.
"Here~ I found the phone number of Mihoyo's boss for you."
Her lips curved into another laugh.
"If you're really angry, give him a call, scold him, then file a lawsuit against Mihoyo~"
"Hmph! I'll sue him for sure!"
Keqing snatched the phone and angrily dialed the number Ningguang had prepared.
——
At Mihoyo Studio.
Mo Li was scribbling on paper, lost in thought.
When his phone rang, he answered without much thought.
"Hello?"
"…"
After his greeting, silence.
He glanced at the caller ID—an unfamiliar number.
"Who's this?" he asked politely again.
This time, after two seconds, a vaguely familiar female voice came through:
"Are you… the boss of Mihoyo?"
Mo Li figured this must be some actress wanting to collaborate.
After all, with Honkai 3rd being so popular, plenty of female celebrities had approached him, hoping to voice a character and ride the wave of anime fandom.
But Mo Li had zero interest in those strangers, and he turned them all down.
"Yes, that's me. My name's Mo Li. And you are, miss?"
"Mo Li, huh!!" The woman's tone—why did it sound like she was gritting her teeth?
"That's right. May I ask what business you have with me?"
Keqing: "…"
Before calling, she had mentally drafted countless scathing words.
But now that she had him on the line, she couldn't figure out how to start.
After much hesitation, she finally blurted out:
"My name is Keqing!"
"Oh, so it's Miss Keqing… wait, what?! You're Keqing?!"
Mo Li suddenly froze—this voice… wasn't it that Ah Qing!?
Even if tinged with embarrassed anger, it was unmistakably the real Keqing!
His mind spun quickly, and he instantly guessed her reason for calling.
But Mo Li wasn't flustered. With a light laugh, he said:
"Well now, what a coincidence. That's the same name as the new character our studio just released."
"Y-you… you—Damn it!!" Keqing was so furious she could hardly form words.
"Do you realize you've broken the law?!"
"And why do you say that, Miss Keqing?" Mo Li asked with feigned innocence.
"I've devoted myself to making only the finest games, never cutting corners, and each month I donate large sums to help those in need."
"These past twenty years, I haven't done a single shameful thing—so how could I have broken the law?"
"You used my likeness!" Keqing puffed her cheeks in anger.
"Hm? But I've never even met Miss Keqing—how could I possibly infringe on your likeness rights?" He paused, as if struck by realization.
"Unless… the character in the game just happens to look very similar to you?"
"You—!" Keqing refused to believe that was coincidence.
The resemblance between her and the game character was 99% identical.
The only 1% difference was simply the divide between 2D and 3D art styles.
"Shameless! Just wait for my lawyer's letter!" she snapped, voice trembling with indignation.
Yet she didn't hang up, silently waiting for his response.
After a few seconds, Mo Li's calm, indifferent voice came again:
"Miss Keqing~ If it really is such a coincidence that our design resembles you, then we're willing to compensate you and issue a public apology."
"Provided, of course, that you prove you truly resemble the in-game character to such a degree."
"Fine! How do you want me to prove it?"
Mo Li chuckled.
"Simple. Let's meet in person. We can discuss cooperation while we're at it."
"Think about it—the promotional video has already spread across the internet, even overseas."
"Even if you sue us and the game is suspended for review, the player base's impression of you won't change."
"Wouldn't it be better to meet face-to-face and talk this over?"
Hearing this, Keqing realized she had no real way to pressure him.
Even if the game shut down, her identity as the Liyue Qixing's Yuheng Star was already firmly etched in players' minds.
Admittedly, the portrayal didn't damage her image—if anything, it enhanced it.
But that only made her feel even more embarrassed!
In the end, she could only let out a reluctant little huff.
"…How do we meet?"
"Give me an address and I'll come to you. Or you can visit our studio for a tour."
After thinking it over, Keqing replied, "Alright. I'll make some arrangements first and get back to you."
With that, she hung up.
In truth, there was nothing to arrange.
The only reason she didn't reply immediately was because she wanted to investigate this "Mihoyo" studio first.
After ending the call, she wasted no time pulling Ningguang along to start digging into Mihoyo's background.
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