A Stardew Valley farmer came to Gensokyo.

Little Broken Bones is so cute.

Xia Xun looked at her shy yet hardworking demeanor and a smile crept into his heart.

He glanced at the menu, ordered the famous grilled eel and several kinds of grilled meat skewers, specified that it was for takeout, and then turned to other shops to continue shopping.

Mistya breathed a sigh of relief as Xia Xun efficiently placed her order and left. She then clenched her fists to encourage herself: "I'll stake the reputation of Night Sparrow Diner on this! I must keep this customer here this time!"

A fighting spirit ignited in her eyes, "Absolutely, absolutely not! We can't let that new 'Saury-Ton-tei' steal our customers again!"

"Otherwise~ Waaaaa~, all the ingredients prepared for this festival will be wasted, and we'll lose a lot of money."

Xia Xun was unaware that Okunoda Miyo's arrival had already dealt a devastating blow to the other yokai who were serving food at the festival.

He strolled leisurely among the various stalls, ordering grilled mushrooms, oden, pickled river fish, five-colored dumplings... until his hands were full of food boxes of all sizes, before he walked contentedly toward the core gathering area under the cherry blossom trees at the shrine.

Many big shots from Gensokyo gather there, and Xia Xun thought it would be a good opportunity to get acquainted with them.

Just in case we happen to encounter someone in the wild someday and they mistake it for a roadside dog and casually toss it away.

"Xia Xun, you're finally here!" Marisa Kirisame, a little tipsy, spotted him immediately and waved her arms happily. "Come over here, let's drink together!"

Beside her, Reimu Hakurei was already drowsy, her fair cheeks flushed.

Upon seeing Xia Xun, a silly smile unconsciously crept onto her lips. She reached out and mumbled, "Xia Xun, are you here to drink with me?"

However, a small hand reached out even faster, accurately grabbing Xia Xun's clothes and pulling him over.

Ibuki Suika pulled Natsumi to sit down next to her, picked up her sake bowl and shoved it into his mouth: "Here, drink!"

"Don't be in such a hurry, Suika." Xia Xun smiled as he took the wine bowl and sat down next to her.

He curiously looked around at the people present. Among them were Yakumo Yukari, Niiwa Mamizo, and Yakumo Ran. The pink-haired girl who was enjoying her food with a happy expression must be Saigyouji Yuyuko. Konpaku Youmu kept adding food to her plate.

"Hello, sorry to bother you." Xia Xun placed the food box containing the food into the low table in the center. "These are the foods I bought from various stalls at the festival. Please have a taste."

"Something new and delicious? Yay~!" Upon hearing this, Yuyuko Saigyouji's pink eyes immediately sparkled, and she exclaimed happily.

"Lady Yuyuko, this is extremely rude." Seeing her master acting so childishly in front of Natsumi, Youmu couldn't help but whisper a reminder.

"Eh? It's alright if it's Natsumi." Saigyouji Yuyuko waved her hand naturally, then gave Natsumi a bright smile, "Hello, Natsumi."

"I've heard about you from Yukari before. The vegetables you grow are so delicious. Could you save some vegetables for Youmu to buy in the future?"

“No problem,” Xia Xun nodded readily. “I’m really happy that you like my crops so much.”

Since the adorable Yuyuko loves to eat, we must feed her until she's full.

As for Baiyulou's financial issues, that's something Yaomeng needs to worry about.

Xia Xun's only responsibility is to continuously provide delicious, high-quality ingredients to Saigyouji Yuyuko.

"Yay~!" Saigyouji Yuyuko clapped her hands happily and turned to share her joy with Konpaku Youmu, "That's great, Youmu! Natsumi promised to give us more ingredients!"

“Oh, right, my name is Saigyouji Yuyuko, and I’m friends with Murasaki and Suika.” Saigyouji Yuyuko turned around and smiled gently. “Natsumi and Suika are also friends, so they are my friends too. Just call me Yuyuko.”

“Okay, then I’ll just call you Yuyuko.” Xia Xun replied with a smile, while glancing down at Ibuki Suika, who was already drunk and leaning on his shoulder.

As expected of the Ghost King, his network of connections is truly impressive.

"Xia Xun, I'll tell you a secret." Saigyouji Yuyuko suddenly leaned closer, lowered her voice, and looked mysterious.

“Suika, when she gets drunk, she often just finds a place to sleep in the wild, and unless she is disturbed, she sleeps very, very soundly.”

She blinked and continued in a low voice, "And she just returned to Gensokyo and hasn't found a permanent place to stay yet."

After saying that, Saigyouji Yuyuko gave Natsumi a thumbs-up, a mischievous smile flashing in her eyes, "So, Natsumi, you can just take her home~"

Is this what they call a bad friend?

Xia Xun blinked and actually suggested that he take the drunk Ibuki Suika home. If something happened, it would be a really big deal.

However—

"Thanks for the reminder," Xia Xun also gave a thumbs up and grinned, "I'll try my best!"

Beside them, Yakumo Yukari, who had been watching the two talk while fanning herself with a folding fan, narrowed her eyes, a playful smile curving her lips, and her gaze drifted lightly to Ibuki Suika, who was lying on Natsumi's lap looking drunk.

Meanwhile, among another group of yokai gathered not far away, a pink-haired girl with shoulder-length short hair and a bun also turned her gaze toward Suika Ibuki.

Her expression was slightly conflicted. She bit her lower lip and lingered on Xia Xun for a moment, scrutinizing him carefully.

"Oh dear, Xia Xun, what are you two whispering about?" Ibuki Suika suddenly sat up straight, looking drunk and raising her wine bowl with a silly grin. "Such a joyous feast, of course we should enjoy ourselves to the fullest and drink fine wine!"

"Xia Xun, drink up! How can you not drink at a banquet?" she said, handing the wine bowl to Xia Xun once again.

Xia Xun saw the drunken ghost girl handing him a wine bowl once again, took the bowl, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp.

"Haha, that's how it should be!" Suika Ibuki laughed happily, picked up the sake bottle, refilled it, and raised her sake bowl high again. "A party is about everyone being together, lively and fun, it's incredibly enjoyable!"

She finished the wine in the bowl, and leaned against Xia Xun again, seemingly drunk but not quite, a dazed and dreamy smile on her face.

Hearing the laughter and noise all around her, she raised her wine bowl once more.

Haha, it was like this before, it is like this now, and it will be like this in the future.

A banquet is a time for revelry and celebration.

Therefore, as long as the banquet never ends, everyone can stay together and never be separated.

Chapter 89 The Moonlight Is Beautiful

The night deepened amidst the celebrations.

At some point, Xia Xun felt as if the hustle and bustle of the surrounding festival had been separated by a soft veil, becoming hazy and quiet.

He lifted his slightly dizzy head and slowly scanned the shrine courtyard. The yokai who had set up their stalls had stopped shouting and were now sitting in twos and threes under the cherry trees or by the eaves, chatting and laughing in hushed tones.

Fairies glided gracefully through the air, their instruments playing light and melodious tunes. Alice sat a little further away by a stone lantern, and the fairy danced ethereally under the strings of her fingers, creating a tranquil fairytale for the surrounding audience.

All the noise subsided, turning into a gentle background sound in the night.

Marisa Kirisame and Reimu Hakurei were already drunk and fast asleep, leaning against each other, emitting soft, even snores.

Miyo Okunoda had somehow gotten to sit on the straw mat next to him and was quietly watching him.

"Miyo, you're here." Xia Xun's voice was slurred with drunkenness, and the lights in her field of vision seemed to be swirling gently.

"Have some hot soup, it will make your stomach feel better." When Okunoda Miyo saw him wake up, her eyebrows curved into a gentle smile as she handed him the small bowl that she had been keeping warm.

"Thank you, Meixiao," Xia Xun murmured indistinctly, obediently opening her mouth and letting the warm soup slowly flow into her mouth.

The soup had a subtle aroma of kelp and ginger, and its warmth spread from my throat all the way to my stomach, dispelling some of the dizziness and thirst.

He blinked, his mind clearing considerably.

"Are you feeling better, Natsumi?" Okunoda Miyo leaned closer and asked softly.

"Much better, thank you." Xia Xun breathed a sigh of relief, her voice regaining its composure.

"No need to thank me." Okunoda Miyo smiled, her eyes brimming with joy. "After all, Natsumi promised me that we would go to the festival together after business hours, so naturally I have to take good care of you when you're drunk, otherwise I'd be breaking my promise."

“Then let me accompany you to fully enjoy the upcoming festival.” Xia Xun smiled upon hearing this, carefully helped the sleeping Ibuki Suika, who was leaning against her side, to her feet, and gently moved her to Yakumo Yukari’s side, whispering, “Miss Yukari, please look after Suika.”

Yakumo Yukari waved her folding fan and glanced at him with a half-smile: "Oh dear, young man, remember to come back and pick her up."

Xia Xun nodded, turned around and extended his hand to Okunoda Miyo, palm up: "Let's go, Miyo."

“Hmm.” Okunoda Miyo placed her hand in his palm, used the support to stand up, bowed politely to Yakumo Yukari and the others, and then walked side by side with him into the depths of the festival stalls where the lights were flickering.

"Wow, Suika's rival has appeared." Saigyouji Yuyuko peeked out from behind Yakumo Yukari's shoulder, watching the two figures disappear into the distance, and exclaimed softly, "Miyo is a very strong rival. Not only does she have a figure that far surpasses Suika's, but her cooking skills are also terrifyingly good."

"If I could bring Xiaomeixiao home, I could eat countless delicious foods every day~"

As she spoke, she couldn't help but swallow hard and wipe her mouth with her sleeve.

Behind her, Youmu trembled all over, feeling that as Lady Yuyuko's attendant and the gardener of Hakugyokurou, she was undergoing an unprecedented test.

No, she has to work hard to improve her culinary skills, otherwise she will gradually drift further and further away from Lady Yuyuko!

Xia Xun.

The spirit demon's eyes were resolute: "I need your help in my cultivation."

Yukari Yakumo chuckled softly, glancing down at Suika Ibuki, who was sleeping soundly with her head on her lap. She picked up her sake cup and sipped it, then said, "Go!"

"Huh?" Saigyouji Yuyuko tilted her head, looked at Ibuki Suika, then at Okunoda Miyo's slender back, and nodded in realization, "Yeah, a human body like Natsumi's might not be able to withstand it."

"We might have to remind Suika to be a little gentler."

"Lord Yuyuko!" Youmu Konpaku blushed instantly and rushed forward to cover her master's mouth.

"Ahem!" Yukari Yakumo coughed lightly, glancing irritably at her innocent-looking best friend, and shook her head helplessly. "That's not what I meant."

“However, if he really does manage to do it,” she said, extending a slender finger and gently tapping the demon horn on Suika Ibuki’s head, a playful smile curving her lips, “we really need to make Suika go easy on him.”

"Lady Purple!" Yakumo Ran, who was standing to the side, also blushed and whispered a reminder.

"Oh my, Ran is so grown up, yet still so innocent," Yukari Yakumo teased with a smile.

On the other side, amidst the festival lights, Natsumi and Okunoda Miyo were strolling side by side.

Having gained experience during the day, Xia Xun skillfully guided the girl, who was enjoying the festival for the first time, through various activities.

Traditional activities include catching goldfish, throwing teapots, ring toss, stir-frying noodles, and takoyaki.

There are also Gensokyo-specific items such as stroking the fox spirit's tail, the kappa's magical machinery, and demystifying the tengu's news.

Along the way, they also encountered Fujiwara no Mokou and Houraisan Kaguya.

The white-haired girl still looked impatient, but was being dragged around by the black-haired princess, who seemed very interested in the various games and occasionally let out a clear laugh.

They nodded to each other from a distance and then disappeared into the crowd.

"Let's begin, meow!"

In front of a treasure hunt stall filled with strange shells and ores, the cat stall owner with short brown hair suddenly perked up his ears and looked excitedly at the night sky in the direction of the Human Village, his two tails wagging happily behind him.

"Natsukasa, look in the direction of the village," Miyo Okunoda said, tugging at Natsukasa's sleeve with anticipation in her eyes. "The fireworks festival is about to begin."

This was the first time she had ever watched fireworks go off in their entirety at a festival.

At this time in the past, she could only catch glimpses of scattered light, cut off by the eaves, through the window panes of the swan-swallowing pavilion.

And now, standing on the open edge of the shrine, side by side with those I cherish, I await the arrival of that splendor.

This sense of fulfillment warmed Okunoda Miyo's heart.

"Boom-bang!"

The first sharp whistle shattered the silence, and an orange streak of light rose into the sky, bursting open into a giant golden chrysanthemum wheel.

Then came the second, the third… The continuous ringing was like a pounding heartbeat. Countless particles of light shot up one after another, exploding into wisteria, weeping willows, butterfly wings, and star showers on the dark blue sky, scattering light and making the entire Gensokyo look as beautiful as a dream.

At this moment, everyone in the festival turned their attention to the fireworks. Even Reimu Hakurei and Marisa Kirisame, who were originally asleep, were awakened and watched the fireworks in the distance together.

Miyo Okunoda looked up, her eyes illuminated by layers of vibrant colors.

She gently grasped the front of her dress and whispered, "It's so beautiful."

Suddenly, Okunoda Miyo turned her head, tiptoed, and whispered in Natsumi's ear.

Her warm breath brushed against his earlobe. The girl raised her hand and pointed to the bright moon behind the fireworks, her voice as soft as a feather: "Xia Xun, look, the moonlight is beautiful too."

Xia Xun was jolted awake and turned to look at her, his heart pounding in his chest.

What does this sentence mean?

"Mei-Meixiao, what did you say?" Xia Xun asked again, somewhat incredulously.

"Hmm?" Okunoda Miyo blinked, her smile clear as water, and said again, "I said, the moonlight is beautiful tonight too, and I want Natsumi to see it as well."

Looking into her pure and unadulterated gaze, Xia Xun's turbulent emotions gradually calmed down.

That's right. Miyo is a resident of Gensokyo, so how could she know the metaphor behind Natsume Soseki's "The moonlight is beautiful"?

The outside world of Gensokyo is not his former world; perhaps even Natsume Soseki does not exist there.

She was simply sharing the beauty before her eyes, nothing more.

but--

Xia Xun looked up at the sky. The silver moon hung still, its clear light scattering down, intertwining with the fireworks to create a dreamlike scene.

Her gentle voice still echoed in my ears.

“Yes,” Xia Xun murmured, a smile unconsciously creeping onto her lips, “The moonlight is truly beautiful tonight.”