Looking at herself in the mirror, then glancing down again, Hu Tao puffed out her cheeks in annoyance.
If these were the "benefits," she would rather not have them!
"What am I supposed to do with this?"
Hu Tao's face flushed crimson. How did she just... grow? And grow this much?
How was she supposed to go outside and meet people?
It felt completely foreign to her. She wasn't used to carrying this kind of weight.
Phew.
After a long, contemplative silence, Hu Tao took a deep breath and puffed her cheeks out again. "I'll go find the Shopkeeper."
Since this happened after drinking the beverage from his shop, he must have a solution.
With her mind made up, Hu Tao rummaged through her wardrobe. She picked out a traditional Chinese robe—one that was cut slightly wider and looser than her usual attire. It draped over her frame, concealing her new curves perfectly.
After putting it on, she looked down, then checked the mirror again.
From the outside, nothing seemed different. A satisfied smile finally returned to her face.
Perfect. As long as she hid it well, everything was back to normal.
Then, her gaze landed on the remaining half-bottle of Papaya Milk.
She had thought about throwing it away, but wasting it felt like a crime.
Maybe... I should give it to Ganyu.
If Ganyu grew even bigger... that would be truly spectacular, wouldn't it?
Hu Tao's eyes sparkled mischievously. Yes. That seemed feasible.
Just as Hu Tao was hatching her plot...
At Moon Sea Pavilion.
Ganyu, who was buried under paperwork, suddenly froze.
The little ahoge atop her beautiful blue hair twitched.
Her long eyelashes fluttered, and her eyes filled with confusion.
Someone is thinking about me again.
This was the second time today. And this feeling was even stronger than before.
She hadn't even left the Pavilion recently. Who could possibly be obsessing over her like this?
Ganyu frowned slightly. She waited until the sensation faded before her body relaxed.
"Once I finish this work, I need to go to the Jade Chamber," she murmured to herself, diving back into the sea of documents.
Meanwhile, at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
Hu Tao walked out of her room, expressionless. She held the Soul Staff in one hand, the other clasped behind her back as she descended the stairs.
"Director!"
Old Meng's face lit up with relief when he saw her. "You're finally awake!"
"Mhm."
Hu Tao nodded coolly. "What happened? Did anyone come for the Out-of-Body Experience while I was asleep?"
"Yes," Old Meng said helplessly. "A customer just left. He signed up and paid, but no matter how much I shouted, or how much the Ferrylady knocked, you didn't respond."
"Yeah, Director," the Ferrylady added, walking over. "I called for you for ages. You were completely out."
"I fell asleep," Hu Tao explained briefly.
Thinking about why she had slept so deeply—and the changes that had occurred during that slumber—her cheeks tinged with pink.
"Hmm?"
Old Meng blinked. He felt like something was... off about the Director today.
He scrutinized her for a moment, then paused. "Director, did you change your clothes?"
Usually, Hu Tao wore her standard uniform—a tailored coat with tails and shorts. But now, she was wearing a longer, looser robe that covered much more of her figure.
No wonder she looked slightly different.
"I felt like changing, so I changed. What? Am I not allowed to change clothes?"
Hu Tao stared at Old Meng, her expression flat.
Old Meng: "..."
"No, of course not," he stammered. "It's just..."
He couldn't put his finger on it. The Director just seemed... strange.
Seeing her blank stare, Old Meng's mouth twitched. He wisely decided to drop the subject, especially eyeing the Soul Staff in her hand. He didn't want to experience getting his soul knocked out again. That feeling was terrible.
"You guys watch the Parlor. I'm going out for a bit."
Hu Tao strode past them and headed for the door. She was going straight to the Jar Shop to find Felix.
"Hey... Ferrylady," Old Meng whispered as Hu Tao disappeared down the street. "Do you feel like Director Hu has... changed somehow?"
"I felt it too," the Ferrylady nodded solemnly. "I can't describe it, but she feels different. It's almost... ceremonial."
"Right?!" Old Meng slammed the table excitedly. "I knew I wasn't crazy! Something is definitely different about her!"
The Ferrylady rolled her eyes. "Why are you so excited? She changed clothes. Big deal."
...
Meanwhile, high in the sky above Liyue.
Inside the Jade Chamber.
Keqing was intently reading the book Ningguang had brought back.
Phew.
She closed the back cover and exhaled a long breath. "Reading this... it really is enlightening. The only pity is that it's still incomplete."
Keqing's tone was filled with regret. The book was brilliant, offering deep insights into finance, but just like the first volume, it cut off right at the critical moment.
"Bai Wen pulled this volume. Getting it at all is already a stroke of luck," Ningguang shook her head. "With this knowledge, the Northland Bank is no longer a concern. We just need to follow the path laid out here, add a few new regulations, and we can effectively drive them out of Liyue's economy."
"Besides that," Ningguang continued, her tone shifting. "Have you ever heard of 'Dragon Balls'?"
As a noble of a prominent family, Keqing had access to vast libraries of ancient texts. Ningguang wanted to verify if this legend existed anywhere else.
"Dragon Balls?" Keqing blinked, frowning. "What are Dragon Balls?"
She had never heard the term.
"This."
Ningguang pulled the Seven-Star Dragon Ball from her pocket and handed it to Keqing.
"Bai Xiao pulled it from a jar. The Shopkeeper said that if you gather seven of these balls, you can summon a 'Shenron'—a divine dragon—that can grant any wish the summoner desires. He said it's a legend from long ago."
Keqing: "??????"
Her eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at the orange glass sphere.
This thing? Gather seven and summon a wish-granting dragon?
"That sounds... completely exaggerated," Keqing said skeptically. "And as for the legend... I've never heard of it. The concept is completely alien to me."
She turned the ball over in her hands. It looked like ordinary glass.
"Granting any wish... even a God couldn't promise that."
However, she knew the source. It came from the Jar Shop. And the Shopkeeper's words carried weight.
After seeing the shop's miracles firsthand, she knew better than to dismiss it outright.
"I hadn't heard of it either, but the Shopkeeper wouldn't lie to us," Ningguang said gravely. "We've seen Kekkei Genkai, Devil Fruits, this book... impossible things are commonplace there. So the legend is likely true."
"I think gathering seven is unrealistic," Keqing countered pragmatically. "Even if the legend is true, can you guarantee we'll pull the other six? Instead of chasing fairy tales, we should focus on the Northland Bank. We have the book now."
"True." Ningguang nodded. The Dragon Balls were a long-term gamble. The bank was an immediate victory.
"By the way," Keqing asked suddenly, remembering something. "You mentioned Bai Xiao pulled a 'Kekkei Genkai'. What is that?"
She looked over at Bai Xiao, who was standing nearby.
"Cover yourself in Electro energy first. Under your clothes, too," Ningguang instructed.
Keqing paused, confused, but did as she was told. Instantly, a layer of crackling purple energy coated her skin.
"Bai Xiao," Ningguang commanded. "Use the Byakugan. Look at Keqing."
"Yes, Lady Ningguang."
Bai Xiao nodded.
Byakugan!
Her eyes instantly turned white, and the veins around her temples bulged ominously.
Keqing's eyelid twitched at the sudden, somewhat grotesque transformation.
But a second later, she felt it. A strong, invasive sensation of being watched—of being seen through.
"Lady Ningguang, I cannot see through Lady Keqing," Bai Xiao reported. "I can only see a blur of Electro energy cloaking her form."
"Also... I feel that if Lady Keqing were to counter-attack with Electro, my eyes would be damaged. Just looking at the intense energy is uncomfortable."
"Good," Ningguang nodded. "Deactivate it."
Bai Xiao relaxed, and her eyes returned to normal. The feeling of being watched vanished.
"That's interesting," Keqing murmured, stepping closer to inspect Bai Xiao's face. "Your eyes look normal now, but that change... and the sensation... it's fascinating."
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