Inside Wanmin Restaurant in Liyue Harbor.
Having left the dungeon, Ayin decided to treat his stomach first; after all, food is the fuel of life.
As for why he chose Wanmin Restaurant, it was naturally because the dishes here were high-quality yet affordable, and there was a chance to run into the little chef, Xiangling…
Alright, it was just because the Law Officer had only given him about ten thousand Mora.
This amount of savings would allow him to eat to his heart’s content at Wanmin Restaurant, but if he went to a place like Xinyue Kiosk—similar to a modern five-star hotel—he probably wouldn’t even be able to afford a decent dish.
Perhaps because it wasn’t quite dinner time yet, there weren’t many diners inside Wanmin Restaurant.
Only a few retired elderly folks were scattered about, eating small dishes and chatting.
Among them was a familiar figure…
“Hey, Mr.
Zhongli, do you really think this bracelet I just picked up isn’t worth anything?” An elderly man in his seventies took a bracelet out of a brocade box and asked the man in the brown robe sitting before him, unwilling to give up.
“Old Man Li, at first glance, the appearance and quality of this bracelet seem good, as if it were carved from high-quality Noctilucous Jade that emits a faint blue light at night.
However, if you look closely here, there is a tiny, easily overlooked seam, which is clearly spliced together through special means.”
The man called Zhongli stopped there, reached out to take a silent sip of tea, and then continued, “Therefore, this bracelet is likely a high-quality imitation made by wrapping ordinary Noctilucous Jade with scrap pieces of better quality, all spliced together using special methods.
Although it contains some scraps of top-tier Noctilucous Jade, it is far from worth eleven million Mora.”
Hearing this, the wealthy merchant known as Old Man Li was completely disheartened, but soon, a flicker of anger appeared in his eyes.
“Damn it, that merchant actually dared to deceive me by saying it was top-quality material.
This is infuriating!
I’m going to contact Yanfei the lawyer right now; I will sue him until he’s bankrupt!” After saying this and bidding a simple farewell to Zhongli, he stormed out of Wanmin Restaurant.
Ayin, standing at the entrance, had witnessed the whole process.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk.
As expected of the Harbor of Wealth; it seems there are quite a few schemes that come along with it.” He watched the old man run off with a playful expression, muttering with a knowing tone.
“Wealth brings not only development but also stirs up the greed in people’s hearts.
This is an inevitable fact.
As for this young friend…
you look quite unfamiliar.” Just as Ayin was muttering to himself, a voice from beside him suddenly pulled his thoughts back.
Zhongli had walked up to his side at some point and spoke in a measured, unhurried tone.
“Whoa, you scared me!
If I get sick from the shock, Mr.
Zhongli, you’ll have to take responsibility~” Ayin was startled by the sudden voice, but then teased Zhongli in a rather unserious tone.
Zhongli, standing beside him, clearly hadn’t expected such a response and couldn’t help but pause for a few seconds.
For some reason, he felt that the blond man before him, dressed in a black undershirt and white suit with a strange mask-shaped brooch pinned to his chest, was not as simple as he appeared on the surface.
“In that case, it was indeed my rudeness.
Since you are also here to dine, why not join me?
It can serve as an apology for my earlier behavior.” Thinking this, Zhongli decided to first test this strange fellow.
Although he was retired, if his goal was to endanger Liyue, he wouldn’t mind taking action once more.
“Oh, how could I be so embarrassed?
We’re buddies, just call me Aether…
But Mr.
Zhongli, did you prepare enough funds for your outing?” Ayin was delighted to have a free meal, but after thinking about it, he couldn’t help but size up the man in front of him with an extremely suspicious gaze, clearly holding deep doubts about Rex Lapis’s financial reserves.
“Hmm, as for the bill…
just send it to the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
This way, Mr.
Aether.” Hearing this, Zhongli’s eyelids twitched, but his centuries of poise kept his expression steady.
After a brief explanation, he turned silently and walked toward his original table.
Ayin didn’t ask further.
Only a fool would turn down a free meal, so he quickly followed.
“Is this your first time in Liyue, Mr.
Aether?
Do you have any preferences or dietary restrictions?” Once seated, Zhongli picked up the menu on the table and asked Ayin, his words carrying a hidden meaning.
Being the one asked, he naturally picked up on the probing intent in Zhongli’s words.
“It is indeed my first time in Liyue, but I have long admired it.
Come to think of it, my sister is a great hero of Liyue.”
Having said this, Ayin paused for a few seconds before continuing in that playful tone, “As for dietary preferences…
hehe, I love seafood, especially that slimy, gooey kind of seafood.
That taste, tsk, tsk, tsk, Mr.
Zhongli, you really must give it a good taste~”
Upon hearing this, Zhongli’s mouth twitched, and his composure—the kind that remains unshaken even if Mount Tai were to crumble before him—nearly faltered.
Now he could see it: the guy in front of him was just a person with no sense of propriety, doing whatever he pleased, but it was limited to self-amusement.
As for any potential danger to Liyue…
at least for now, Zhongli didn’t sense any.
“Ahem…
it seems Mr.
Aether’s taste is quite niche.
As for the sister you mentioned, is she that Traveler who wanders the nations?” Zhongli gave a light cough before continuing his inquiry in a calm tone.
However, he uncharacteristically emphasized the word “niche” in the middle.
“That’s right, she is my imouto (sister)!” Hearing this, Ayin naturally ignored Rex Lapis’s teasing and replied in a tone filled with deep longing.
Watching Ayin acting like a clown in front of him, Zhongli didn’t believe a single word of what he had just said.
After all, compared to the steady nature of the Traveler (who clearly wasn’t this bratty in Liyue yet), the guy in front of him was clearly the other extreme!
For some reason, after experiencing Ayin’s flighty personality, when Zhongli looked at the mask-shaped brooch pinned to the other’s collar, he always felt that the mask on the brooch was grinning at him…
‘Forget it, let’s order first…’
Feeling like he was being watched by something unclean, Zhongli shook his head.
Just as he was about to order, he heard a spirited shout coming from the entrance of Wanmin Restaurant.
“Dad, I’m back!
Look at the fresh ingredients I found!”
Subsequently, he saw a Damselette with a basket on his back skipping in from the entrance…