"Mr. Xia, this is for you."
"It's actually this…"
"Is it a surprise?"
Xia Zhi weighed the [Wonder Core] in his hand.
"It really is a surprise. I was just about to ask Miss Ningguang how to find this, but Miss Yelan has already solved the problem for me. Thank you so much."
"You're welcome."
Yelan smiled, sitting down on the small bed and taking off her leather jacket and cloak.
"Last time, I also helped Lady Ningguang find materials. There were some leftover ores, and since I had no use for them, I thought of you when I saw you needed it. So, I had a craftsman make it for you."
"I see. I know how precious this is, Miss Yelan. Please name your price."
"The price…"
Yelan frowned slightly, pondering for a moment.
"How about 10,000 Mora, Mr. Xia?"
"That's too little."
"This is naturally a friend's price, just like the treatment I enjoy when I come here for massages."
"…Alright then."
Xia Zhi placed the Wonder Core aside and walked over with a smile.
"This time, do you still want a full-body massage?"
"Yes."
Xia Zhi nodded, then glanced at the Mystic Jade Bracelet on Yelan's wrist.
Although the design of this bracelet was interesting, its functionality was rather basic.
Since he hadn't done much carving recently, he thought it might be fun to make a bracelet and give it to Yelan as a return gift.
After the massage, Yelan walked unsteadily to the bathhouse.
For some reason tonight, Mr. Xia's technique seemed even better than usual.
She was still a bit dazed.
It wasn't until she entered the hot water pool that Yelan regained some of her energy.
The bathhouse was also quite lively. Zhu Zi and the others had dragged Xiangling over for a soak, saying they wanted to help her relax.
Xiangling, submerged in the hot water, couldn't help but close her eyes, feeling incredibly comfortable.
Ying'er moved closer and poked her. "Xiangling, you seem to have lost weight."
Xiangling, a bit shy, covered herself. "Ying'er! Don't do that!"
"It's fine, we're all girls here."
"Sigh…"
The two played around in the water for a while.
Xiangling, panting, said with a hint of dissatisfaction, "I've been running around outside every day, so of course I've lost weight. You guys, on the other hand, get to eat Mr. Xia's cooking every day, so you've all gained weight."
"Not at all! I've been getting regular massages from the Boss!"
"Me too! I won't gain weight!"
Ying'er poked Xiangling again, laughing. "Xiangling, are you jealous?"
"Yes, I'm so jealous."
"Hahaha…"
"You have no idea how good Mr. Xia's cooking is!"
"I know! The Boss's food is the best in Teyvat!"
"It's not just about being delicious. I'm talking about the gap. Ugh, it's hard to explain."
Xiangling suddenly sighed.
"After all, you're not chefs…"
Yelan watched Xiangling, noticing her mood had suddenly dipped. It seemed her pride had been unintentionally shattered by someone else.
Young girls are so interesting…
Yelan slightly curled her lips.
Youth…
Xia Ci glanced at Xiangling and also smiled.
She got out of the pool and went for a massage.
"Cousin."
"Hmm?"
"Xiangling seems a bit down."
"Oh."
"Aren't you going to check on her?"
"I believe in her. Her lifelong dream is to go far in the culinary world. That dream is so strong that even the gods have acknowledged it. She wouldn't be discouraged by something so trivial."
"Her Vision… you're right…"
Next to come for a massage was Ningguang. She lay on the small bed, eyes closed, enjoying herself.
"Mr. Xia, my gathering this afternoon was a success."
"Really?"
"Earlier, I was chatting with Xia Ci, and she mentioned the concept of scarcity marketing, which instantly clarified some ideas I had. Today, I tried this marketing method, and it worked really well. Many female customers, without even trying the product, pre-ordered several lipsticks from me."
"Scarcity marketing is only suitable for high-end products."
"Yes, cosmetics are naturally suited for a high-end route. I'm also planning to introduce a membership system, like the Rainbow Wine you sell in your shop."
"That's very you."
"Right? I want to see how it goes. If the response is good, I plan to extend this membership system to my other businesses and stores, all offering discounts."
"That's a good idea. Let me give you another suggestion."
"Hmm?"
"For the membership card, you could consider issuing special cards from the Liyue Bank, similar to the Northland Bank cards, which can be quickly scanned. Then, customers can simply use this bank card to make purchases at any of your stores. Wouldn't that be very convenient?"
"…"
Ningguang was silent for a moment, then said seriously,
"That's a very unique idea. I'll consider it carefully when I get back."
Xia Zhi smiled and nodded. He was also looking forward to it.
After Ningguang left, the next person to come for a massage was a bit unexpected for Xia Zhi.
It was Xiangling.
"Mr. Xia…"
Xiangling, wrapped in a towel, walked over with a red face.
Xia Zhi turned his head.
"Miss Xiangling, what's this?"
"I… I'd like to ask Mr. Xia to give me a massage too. Is that okay?"
"Of course, please come over here."
"Okay."
"Lie down."
"Mm."
Xiangling's breathing seemed a bit hurried.
As Xia Zhi leaned down, he caught a faint whiff of alcohol.
"Have you been drinking?"
"Diona just brought some wine over, and we all had a little."
"Drinking while soaking in the bath is indeed very comfortable."
"Right!"
"Do you mind if I use essential oil?"
"That's fine."
"Alright."
Xia Zhi skillfully began to massage Xiangling.
Xiangling's face grew redder, and her voice started to sound very relaxed.
"It really feels amazing."
"Right? You must have been exhausted these past few months."
"Mmm…"
"Did you get hurt at all during that time?"
"I had a few minor injuries."
"Where?"
"Here, here, and here…"
"I see."
"Ah…"
"Bear with it a bit. I'll focus more on these injured areas to prevent any long-term damage."
"Mm…"
Xia Zhi was very proper and serious in his work.
Xiangling's eyes, clouded with a tipsy haze, looked at the person she had been striving to catch up to, and suddenly felt a strange emotion in her heart.
"Mr. Xia…"
"Hmm?"
"It's… it's nothing…"
"Mm."
Xia Zhi smiled and continued massaging her.
"All done."
"Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Xia. How much do I owe you?"
"Oh, don't worry about it this time."
"Hehe, thank you, Mr. Xia!"
"Go take a shower now."
"Okay!"
Xiangling seemed to have regained her energy. Wrapped in a towel, she returned to the bathhouse and slipped into the pool, letting out a contented sigh.
Zhu Zi moved closer and asked, "How was it?"
"Amazing."
"See! I told you, but you didn't believe me!"
"Hehe."
Ying'er also quietly moved closer from behind, about to poke Xiangling again, when she suddenly paused. "Xiangling, you seem to have gotten fairer."
Xiangling sighed. "Ying'er, stop teasing me. My dad even said I've gotten so tanned that I'll never get married…"
"I'm serious, I'm not joking. Look, Xiangling's skin has gotten fairer, right?"
"The lighting's a bit dim, it's hard to tell… but it does seem so."
Seeing that everyone didn't seem to be lying, Xiangling was stunned. She touched her face and asked, "Is there a mirror here?"
Zhu Zi shook her head. "No…"
Yelan suddenly spoke up. "I have one."
Everyone looked at her as she took out a small round mirror from her Mystic Jade Bracelet and tossed it to Xiangling.
Xiangling quickly caught it and looked at her reflection under the light.
"Ah!"
She noticed that the skin on her face did seem to have become fairer.
"What's going on?"
Xia Ci chuckled lazily. "It's obviously the effect of Cousin's massage. That essential oil is very effective. It's not just for treating injuries; it's also great for whitening."
"Essential oil… whitening…"
Xiangling stared at the mirror, suddenly feeling very happy.
"That's great…"
Ying'er teased, "What's so great? Are you happy because you've gotten fairer and think you can finally get married now?"
Xiangling laughed and scolded, "Ying'er! You're so annoying! I was just thinking of Xinyan."
"Xinyan, huh…"
"Do you think Mr. Xia's essential oil would work on Xinyan?"
"It probably would."
Zhu Zi asked curiously, "Who's this Xinyan you're talking about?"
Xiangling explained, "She's a friend of mine, also from Liyue, and also a Pyro Vision holder. She loves playing rock music."
Diona also asked curiously, "What's rock music?"
"It's a music genre that originated in Fontaine. In Liyue, it's considered a new art form, quite niche, but I think it's really fun."
"Oh, so what does she have to do with the Boss's essential oil?"
"Well, it's because Xinyan has a unique physique."
"Unique?"
Ying'er nodded. "Yes, Xinyan is quite tall, with dark skin and sharp, intense eyes. To maintain her rocker mindset, she always dresses in her exaggerated stage outfits. When she walks down the street, people see her as a menacing figure, like a thug. If she's in line to buy snacks, people in front of her will quickly move aside to make way. If she accidentally makes eye contact with a child, the kid will immediately hide behind their parents and start crying."
"Wow! That's so exaggerated!"
"These are all things that have actually happened."
Xiangling said sheepishly, "It's true. Xinyan is actually a very kind person, but because she looks intimidating, she doesn't have many friends. I'm one of the few people she gets along with. She used to come to Wanmin Restaurant often and would even volunteer to taste-test my dishes. She always says that when unprecedented flavors explode on her taste buds, inspiration floods her mind."
"…"
The other girls fell silent. Musicians are really weird.
Xiangling added, "Although Xinyan doesn't care much about what others think of her now, she still feels it's not good to make people scared or cause them trouble, so she's been trying to change. I think if her skin could become a bit fairer, it might make her appear more approachable."
"I see. I think it's worth a try."
"Where is she now?"
Xiangling shook her head. "I just got back, so I'm not sure. I'll go to her house tomorrow to look for her…"
Yelan spoke up again. "You don't need to go."
"Huh?"
"Because she's not in Liyue right now. She's in Fontaine."
"How do you know?"
"I'm an intelligence officer. I keep tabs on the whereabouts of some special individuals in Liyue."
"Do you know why she went to Fontaine?"
"To attend a large music festival. She's also scheduled to perform at the Opera Epiclese in Fontaine."
"I've heard of that theater! It's really famous!"
Xiangling felt a bit disappointed.
"Then I'll just have to wait for her to come back. She'll definitely return for the Lantern Rite Festival. I'll tell her about this then."
---
In the main hall.
Qiqi, Guoba, and Madame Ping were sitting quietly together, not joining the others in the bathhouse.
Qiqi didn't like hot baths.
Guoba was too full and was slumped in a chair, rubbing its belly.
As for Madame Ping, she felt it was beneath her dignity to join. Although she liked water, the idea of an old lady like her soaking in a bath with a group of young girls was just too awkward.
She picked up her teacup, took a sip, and looked at Qiqi, who was diligently reading her notes. A strange glint appeared in her eyes.
Madame Ping had personally witnessed Qiqi's resurrection.
Logically, Qiqi's life and death had been frozen at that moment and should never have changed again.
Yet, now she noticed that Qiqi had grown taller.
This was truly unbelievable.
Something even the Geo Archon couldn't achieve, Mr. Xia had accomplished.
This meant that, in a certain sense, Mr. Xia seemed even more powerful than the Geo Archon, powerful enough that even the previous Dendro Archon was willing to lower herself…
At this thought, Madame Ping couldn't help but tremble slightly.
She glanced at the door to the back hall.
Familiar strange sounds were coming from inside.
She recognized it as Mr. Xia giving Xiangling a massage.
For such a being to treat her disciple in this way, it could be considered a divine blessing.
Strangely, she even felt a bit envious.
But she quickly dismissed these thoughts.
Madame Ping lowered her head and sipped her tea.
She suddenly missed Cloud Retainer.
She wondered how her cultivation was progressing now.
If she were here, they could have a full table, and Moon Carver and Mountain Shaper wouldn't have to go to the teahouse to play mahjong every day.
Sigh.
Madame Ping sighed softly and continued drinking her tea.
Qiqi, hearing the sound, looked up at Madame Ping.
She suddenly asked, "Grandma."
"Hmm?"
"Have we met before, a long time ago?"
"…"
Madame Ping's hand paused, and she was silent for a moment.
"Yes, we've met, Qiqi. Have you remembered everything?"
"No, I just… have this feeling…"
"A feeling, huh? Qiqi, do you want to know how you became a zombie? I can tell you…"
"No, I don't want to know for now. I'll wait until I remember it myself."
"…Alright."
---
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