The fireworks had ignited everyone's enthusiasm, but they couldn't burst and shimmer in the sky forever—their numbers were limited.
Once the fireworks faded, a faint smell of gunpowder lingered in the air. The Xiao lanterns continued their slow ascent, illuminating the dark night.
Though the dazzling fireworks were gone, the people's passion hadn't diminished much. Everyone continued with their unfinished activities; merchants kept hawking their wares.
The same held true for the adepti gathered at Yujing Terrace. Bosacius sat quietly, listening to Granny Ping recount events of recent years.
Xiao stood nearby, arms crossed, saying nothing as he silently rested with eyes closed.
Ganyu sat ramrod straight, a gentle smile on her face as she took in the scene.
As for Yanfei... Bonanus had dragged her off to play Genius Invocation TCG. Bonanus didn't know the game well, so she needed a teacher.
The two sat on the grassy area beside the small courtyard with their cards. Yanfei patiently explained the rules.
"Sister Bonanus, this card's ability is... you should play it like this..." Yanfei carefully walked her through the regulations.
Bonanus listened intently from across their makeshift battlefield. Having played many card games in her previous life, and since Genius Invocation's rules weren't too different from other games, she caught on quickly.
Now that she understood the rules, she absolutely had to challenge little Yanfei to an exciting match! After all, she'd never experienced it before.
...
A while later...
Despite being a newcomer, beginner's luck seemed to have abandoned Bonanus entirely. She lost. Badly.
Yanfei, sitting on the opposing side, smiled awkwardly. Who would have thought Sister Bonanus would be so hopeless? Yanfei had even deliberately left openings, yet still ended up winning...
Now Yanfei finally understood why Bonanus had mentioned losing to the Conqueror of Demons earlier. Both Bonanus and Bosacius fell into that category of people who were terrible at games but loved playing them anyway.
"Sister Bonanus, maybe take a break? Have some pastries?" Yanfei suggested, amused by Bonanus's slightly dejected expression.
"The pastries I bought have excellent texture and sweetness." Worried Bonanus might refuse, Yanfei emphasized "texture" and "sweetness" especially clearly.
Bonanus furrowed her delicate brows and responded with utmost seriousness.
"I'm not resting until I win one match."
Hearing this, Yanfei's awkward smile froze on her face. She'd been winning consistently but felt no joy in crushing a novice.
Quite the opposite—she wanted Bonanus to win. But Bonanus's seemingly uncooperative brain just wouldn't cooperate. Frustrating.
Despite the mild torture, Yanfei obediently continued playing with Bonanus. It's only natural for the younger generation to humor their elders, she reasoned.
"By the way, I've been curious—is this house on Yujing Terrace Sister Ping's?"
Bonanus suddenly asked out of nowhere. She was genuinely curious. In her previous life's game, she'd never seen Granny Ping own property on Yujing Terrace.
"This house isn't Granny Ping's. She lives in her teapot. This is my house—I rest here normally." Yanfei touched her own antlers briefly before responding politely.
"I have a small courtyard with a few cultivated Glaze Lilies. When Granny Ping has free time, she often sits there admiring them."
Bonanus nodded at Yanfei's explanation. Makes sense. Granny Ping does enjoy looking at Glaze Lilies in her spare time.
"Speaking of which, wild Glaze Lilies aren't as common as they used to be, are they?"
Bonanus continued her questioning. As she spoke, she sneakily used one of her cards to attack Yanfei.
Classic sneaky behavior.
Her little maneuver didn't escape Yanfei's sharp eyes, but Yanfei chose to turn a blind eye.
"Yes. Wild Glaze Lilies are extremely rare now, and cultivated ones are too expensive. Their growing conditions are also incredibly demanding, so few people are willing to buy them."
Yanfei responded while playing a low-damage attack card, making things difficult for Bonanus, whose defenses were already shaky.
Staring at her offensively-oriented, defensively weak lineup, Bonanus fell into deep thought. Could it really be that I'm just bad?
Impossible! Absolutely impossible!
Sure, back when I played League in my previous life, my 0-11 Yasuo performance gave multiple teammates aneurysms and single-handedly collapsed the entire match. But I still believe I have what it takes to shine!
(T/N: Should have just put the game down, for teammates' safety.)
Watching Bonanus's unconvinced, contemplative expression, Yanfei sighed inwardly. Good thing today's my day off—no legal cases to deal with.
Otherwise, things might have gotten problematic.
With this thought, Yanfei rubbed her slightly aching head. Crushing novices was always tedious, so she needed to find conversation topics.
"Sister Bonanus, have you found a place to stay yet?" Yanfei propped her cheek on one hand, eyes on the cards, her tone casual.
"Not yet. The new Liyue is too unfamiliar to me, and I don't know many people." Bonanus said helplessly. Sure, I like Xiao, but that doesn't mean I want to stay at Wangshu Inn.
Too far, and I'm lazy. No way I'm commuting between Liyue Harbor and Wangshu Inn constantly.
"What about Uncle Bosacius?" Yanfei asked curiously.
Nearby, Bosacius had been listening to Granny Ping but perked up at the mention of "Uncle Bosacius," glancing over in confusion.
Seriously, kid? You call my little sister "Sister," but me you call "Uncle"?
Sure, I'm a few hundred years older than her, but that doesn't quite reach "uncle" territory yet, does it?
Shaking his head helplessly, Bosacius returned his attention to Granny Ping's ongoing chatter.
This little interruption didn't disrupt Bonanus and Yanfei's conversation.
"That's unfortunate. I could give you some suggestions about places to stay." Yanfei said with concern.
Hearing this, Bonanus looked up curiously. If someone familiar with the area could help arrange things, that would be perfect.
"Go on." Bonanus rubbed her chin, intrigued.
"If you don't mind, Sister Bonanus, you could stay here with me. Nothing too luxurious, but it's quiet and pleasant. I think you'd like it." Yanfei enthusiastically suggested.
Granny Ping had mentioned that the two guardian Yakshas wanted to experience mortal life. Surely they wouldn't retreat to adeptal abodes like Jueyun Karst!
Might as well have her stay here. If Sister Bonanus moved in, I could come to her with problems instead of bothering Granny Ping.
"Wouldn't that disturb you?" Bonanus said, a bit embarrassed. Yanfei was always busy with endless legal cases.
If she became a burden, she'd feel terrible.
"Not at all!" Yanfei quickly shook her head at Bonanus's hesitant expression. A burden? I'd be thrilled!
"It's usually just Granny Ping and me here. With my heavy workload, I sometimes stay out overnight anyway. Plus, there are empty rooms going unused."
"Given how well you and Granny Ping get along, it'd be perfect!"
Finished speaking, Yanfei looked at Bonanus expectantly, awaiting her answer.
Seeing Yanfei's hopeful expression, Bonanus found her utterly adorable. How could I say no to that face?
If I move in, I can ruffle Yanfei's cute hair and pinch her cheeks whenever I want. What a happy thought.
And I'd have a real-life Yanfei pillow to sleep with. Win-win.
Smiling contentedly, Bonanus nodded her agreement.
Seeing this, Yanfei nodded with relief. Once we finish these few rounds of Genius Invocation, I'll go tidy up those spare rooms.