Lin Qiu turned around and saw a woman with her brown hair tied up, black stockings on her legs, and cold, aloof eyes fixed on him. The one who had called out to him was actually Chiori.
Lin Qiu hadn't noticed her during the trial, so she probably hadn't gone in to watch. She was likely here now either looking for inspiration for new garments or providing costume guidance for the opera troupe that would perform later.
"Is there something you need?" Lin Qiu asked curiously. He and Chiori only knew each other in a one-sided way, right?
He didn't think there was anything about him that would catch Chiori's attention. She wasn't interested in fortune-telling, after all.
Could it be because I'm handsome and she wants me to model for her?
"Excuse me, where did you buy the clothes you're wearing?" Chiori asked.
Well, that explained it. Lin Qiu now understood why she'd stopped him—it was because of his modern outfit.
Lin Qiu hadn't soul-traveled to Teyvat; he'd come in the flesh. That was why he called himself an outsider from beyond the skies, not a native of Teyvat. Naturally, he'd been wearing clothes when he crossed over.
Though he'd bought some replacements after arriving in this world, this modern set was still the most convenient and hassle-free to wear. So Lin Qiu preferred slipping into it for daily outings.
"So it's not me she's after, but my clothes?" Lin Qiu grumbled inwardly.
He knew his charm wasn't that overwhelming, but it was a bit insulting that a cheap outfit like this drew more interest than he did.
Lin Qiu's clothes weren't flashy, and the design didn't have any standout features, but the style was completely unfamiliar to Chiori.
"This outfit? I've only got this one set, and you can't buy it anywhere," Lin Qiu answered honestly.
He really couldn't buy it anywhere—the original source was Earth. If Lin Qiu could find a way back, he might help Chiori with some proxy shopping, but alas, no such luck.
"Only one set? Can't buy it?" Chiori's face remained expressionless, but she tapped her index finger lightly against her chin and tilted her head slightly, lost in thought.
She had no idea Lin Qiu was from another world, so to her, what he meant was: can't buy it, only he has it = he's the designer, and he's only made this one.
With that in mind, Chiori pulled out a business card from Chiori's Shop and handed it to Lin Qiu.
"If you have time, we could exchange ideas and learn from each other."
"Exchange ideas and learn?" Lin Qiu was baffled by what Chiori meant.
"Yes, about clothing design." Chiori nodded, seemingly eager for a clash of design philosophies with him.
"?"
What the hell do I know about clothing design? Though I can draw, so I could just sketch some anime character outfits later.
Come to think of it, back when he worked at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, it was all thanks to his drawing skills. His tasks were painting promotional posters for Hall Master Hu, writing slogans, and occasionally reciting a couple of silly rhymes with her.
Besides the ultimate golden finger of the System, Lin Qiu had another minor one after crossing over: an extraordinarily strong memory.
The memories in his mind were crystal clear, which was how he could write out the original Genshin plot.
With that thought, Lin Qiu replied, "Sure, let's exchange ideas sometime."
Watching Chiori walk away, Lin Qiu couldn't help but sigh. Outsiders really do come with buffs, huh? It was only his second day in Fontaine, and he was already on the verge of meeting everyone important here.
Maybe he should commit a crime sometime, like stealing Furina's little cake? That way he could meet Clorinde, Wriothesley, and Sigewinne.
But after mulling it over, Lin Qiu shot down the suicidal plan. Why go to prison when he had nothing better to do? Better to let acquaintances happen naturally.
A lot had happened today, and the sky was already darkening.
Back home, Lin Qiu didn't rest. Instead, he buckled down to write the plot for Chapter 2, only heading to bed when night had fully fallen.
He and the editor had agreed on a release two weeks from now, to allow time for printing and shipping.
If all went well, he'd finish Chapter 2 within those two weeks too. By then, Chapter 1 would be on sale, and Chapter 2 could go into printing.
Readers finishing Chapter 1 just as Chapter 2 dropped—what a refreshing serialization experience!
The next few days were downright comfortable for Lin Qiu. No more worrying about money.
On the second day, Xie Ni sent him a letter confirming the stall application, along with some documents.
Lin Qiu replied with a thank-you note, but with no immediate cash shortage, he had no plans to set up shop again. He stowed the documents and headed out to the Opera Epiclese.
As expected, Furina had attended the trial too. After it ended, she provided Lin Qiu with another 100 Emotion Value, pushing his total over a thousand.
"System, redeem Hydro Elemental Power and a Vision model," Lin Qiu said once he was home.
"Redemption successful. Deducted 1100 Emotion Value."
Hydro Elemental Power cost 1000, while the Vision model was 100.
Redeeming a second elemental power would bump the cost from 1000 to 2000 Emotion Value.
A water-blue Vision appeared in Lin Qiu's hand. It was realistic enough to pass for the real thing, but it held no elemental power—just a decorative prop.
Lin Qiu casually clipped it to his belt loop, the spot meant for securing his waistband.
Good thing it wasn't heavy, or his pants might slip off after a couple steps.
Lin Qiu couldn't wait to test out the elemental power.
He pressed his hands together and raised them, summoning a tiny water dragon... or rather, a water snake.
The little water snake was about thirty centimeters long and a mere five centimeters thick—not even as big as a bull's niu niu.
"This..." Lin Qiu felt a twinge of disappointment. He'd thought gaining elemental power would make him much stronger, but this little snake's attack power might not even beat a water gun.
No wonder Furina was such a genius. She'd flooded her whole house right after getting her Vision—something Lin Qiu couldn't dream of doing.
Not to mention her three Hydro constructs. They could exist for extended periods, had intelligence, and were simply unbelievable.
"Sigh, a long road ahead." Lin Qiu toyed with the water flow. He'd chosen Hydro first to help Navia as soon as possible.
A large-scale search for evidence on Vasche wouldn't work—it'd tip him off for sure.
Searching solo would mean spending ages in the deep sea, facing dangers without alerting Vasche. So Lin Qiu needed to master Hydro Elemental Power.
"Hm, in that case, time to find some Puffball Beasts for practice." Lin Qiu decided to head outside the city.
Puffball Beasts were sluggish on shore, barely fought back, and had Hydro resistance—perfect for Lin Qiu to hone his skills on.
Of course, he had no intention of killing them. They were too cute for that. He just wanted to get a feel for attacking with elemental power.
And so, Lin Qiu's daily routine gained a new item alongside Opera Epiclese visits for Emotion Value: heading out of the city to bully Puffball Beasts.