Genshin Impact, I, a mere mortal, cannot accompany you to the very end.

They were dressed in old kimonos. When eating tofu, they tremblingly picked up a mouthful of plain tofu with their chopsticks, put it into their mouths where their teeth had fallen out, chewed it slowly, and closed their eyes slightly, as if savoring something.

The warmth of the tofu seeped into their throats, into their lungs, and transformed into a gentle steam. Their complexions flushed, and they let out soft sighs that sounded like expressions of admiration.

"It's so delicious..." they whispered.

This is an old shop, and the customers who come here are mostly old-fashioned ones.

"Well done." Kiyono Raimei stood next to Miss Fox and commented, "However, the tofu was overcooked a bit, and the cooking time was still a bit lacking."

Miss Fox ignored him and simply said softly, "Then do it yourself. Don't be a lazy dog."

“I’m retiring.” Kiyono Raimei took another drag of his cigarette. “You’ve already mastered eighty percent of my skills, so I’m very confident in handing the shop over to you. I’m the boss, and you’re the employee. An employee should listen to the boss.”

"No smoking."

Yae Shenzi said angrily.

"I'm not smoking anymore, I'm not smoking anymore."

The old geezer stubbed out his cigarette and leaned against the counter. Old people do get talkative, and this guy was especially garrulous:

"I need to get up on time every day. Although it's summer, it's still quite cold on Kagura Island, so I need to wear more clothes and not catch a cold... I need to take good care of myself. Time flies."

He seemed to be remarking with emotion as he gazed at Miss Fox and said softly, "Time flies... Silly fox has grown into a young lady. How wonderful."

...

Running this shop is very hard work.

Unlike running Yaedo, he simply delegated all matters to his editors.

Many things at the tofu shop require hands-on involvement.

How to control the pressure when grinding tofu, how to purchase ingredients for the shop, and how to communicate with customers—especially the very old customers who often speak incoherently due to their advanced age—all these things had to be handled personally by Miss Yae.

Time really flies; the tofu shop has been open for almost half a year now.

Although I was very tired, I felt fulfilled...full and peaceful.

Their daily routine consisted of arguing, making tofu, arguing, making tofu. In the morning, Kiyono Raimei would say "Good morning" to her, and she would say "Good morning" to Kiyono Raimei in return. In the evening, they would say goodnight. The sun would rise and set, and the cycle would continue.

"You said summer is here, so the Lantern Festival must be just around the corner," Miss Fox suddenly whispered.

Kiyono did not respond to her, as if he had not heard what she said.

This is the last guest for today.

He was a very, very old man, the oldest man in Konta Village, who was over a hundred years old. Despite his advanced age, his back was ramrod straight—he used to be a soldier, though he had now retired.

Before the disbandment of the Pillar Army, this veteran was among the last batch of new recruits.

The former recruit's temples were now gray. He stared blankly at the pale yellow tofu soup, with tender white tofu and green vegetable leaves floating on the surface. He gently picked up a spoonful, and suddenly lowered his head. "So delicious. So delicious."

The old soldier murmured.

"The old man, Zhuguo, also made this tofu dish before. I was fortunate enough to taste a bowl of it, and it was delicious. The taste hasn't changed. It's been a hundred years already; time really flies."

Time flies so fast.

Yae no Miko remained silent.

"Lord Gongsi..." The old man raised his head, his eyes slightly moist and glistening with tears. He asked earnestly, "How is the Pillar of State... doing now?"

“He’s in very good health. And he doesn’t smoke,” Miss Fox said softly. “He could live for hundreds more years.”

"Ha...that's good, that's good." The old soldier nodded. "He can live for several hundred more years."

"It's a pity, I'm too old, I'm afraid I'll never see him again. Time flies so fast." The old soldier shook his head gently again. "Do you know where he is?"

The old soldier left, and he ate his food clean, even drinking the soup clean—perhaps, as Kiyono Raimei said, the brilliant and intelligent Lady Miyaji had mastered 80% of his skills, and this tofu shop could be well entrusted to her.

The last guest left.

The sun had already set.

Kiyono Raimei told her that it was time to prepare the ingredients for the next day.

After a busy day, wipe every dish clean and arrange them neatly in the cupboard.

Prepare the ingredients needed for tomorrow and grind the soybeans finely in a grinder.

Kiyono Raimei lit that damned cigarette again. He squatted on the threshold of the tofu shop, the afterglow of the setting sun casting a shadow on his thin back. He smoked the cigarette, exhaling wisps of smoke that swirled in the twilight. Without looking up, he spoke to Yae no Miko.

"good evening."

The afterglow of the setting sun mingled with the millstone, and with each creaking sound of grinding, time was ground up along with the soybeans, turning into pure white tofu. In the slightly intoxicating fragrance, Miss Shenzi leaned against the millstone and gently closed her eyes.

“Hey, old man.” Miss Fox’s ears drooped slowly as she spoke softly.

"Where are you...?"

When she opened her eyes, there was nothing on the threshold of the tofu shop, only the pale sunset covering the old wooden door, and the dim lanterns blending into the aging sun.

In that old, narrow, and empty shop, Miss Fox was the only person there from beginning to end.

There is no such thing as a peaceful and thunderous scene in this world.

—That was just her longing.

A bolt of lightning streaked across the night sky in 0.3 seconds, leaving behind a clear rumble, but no echo followed. All that remained of that lightning was people's longing for it.

Miss Fox also sat on the high threshold, burying her head in her snow-white knees, hugging her fair legs, her fox ears drooping, watching the sunset slowly disappear on the coastline.

"Today was so tough...I'm so tired."

She hung her head and repeated, "I'm so tired."

"It's the same with grinding tofu. I don't have the strength. You have to come with me to buy the ingredients. If you think I'm not making it well or the tofu is too overcooked, you have to fix it yourself. Don't just stand there talking. Please don't do this. I... I'm really so tired."

"I'm working so hard running this shop all by myself. Please don't hand over the tofu shop to me, please don't give me everything."

Everyone tells her how fast time flies, all the customers tell her how fast time flies, of course time flies!

Time flies, the little fox has grown into a young woman, and Qingye Leiming has been dead for 213 days.

She has said good morning and good night 213 times.

She leaned against the old wooden door. "Hey, spring has passed, summer has come, and after autumn, it will be another year. You promised that the Lantern Festival would be here soon... You clearly promised that we would go to see the lanterns together every year."

"We should go together."

"I don't want to do it anymore... You clearly said you wouldn't smoke. You said you'd live for hundreds of years..." She clutched her clothes, "I told others you could live for hundreds of years, don't make me, Lord Miyaji, go back on my word."

Time flies!

Miss Fox bit her lip as the last rays of the setting sun slowly faded away, disappearing at the horizon and into the eyes of the goddess. A cool night breeze gently caressed her cheek.

A gentle breeze wafts through the picturesque landscape as late-blooming cherry blossoms bloom in the alleyways of Konta Village.

There are still so many things to do.

I've had enough rest.

I have to get up early to open the shop tomorrow.

She lowered her head, and after a long while, she finally raised it, seemingly regaining her energy. She patted her cheeks, stood up, and took down the red lantern in front of the door.

Night slowly fell, twilight began to settle, and the fiery clouds gathered on the horizon. She said goodnight for the two hundred and fourteenth time to the descending dusk and the setting sun.

—Goodnight, Kiyono Raimon.

She said this.

...

He was a boy with long, light-colored hair.

He didn't look very old, and didn't seem to be a local from Inazuma.

Wearing a Liyue jacket with shimmering gold trim, the thin garment rustled in the night breeze, and the shadows of late-blooming cherry blossoms danced on the boy's fair profile.

Miss Fox stood on the steps of the tofu shop, tiptoeing, and took down the red lantern; the boy was below the steps, the gentle breeze blowing through his stray hairs, the setting sun falling between them, and in the distance, a shimmering sea reflected the summer twilight.

The wind also blew down the late-blooming cherry blossoms, the dark cherry blossoms scattering softly in the air, and a light rain with a slightly intoxicating floral fragrance fell, the fallen cherry blossoms landing on Qingnuoyan's shoulders.

Qing Nuoyan stared at the tofu shop with a hint of curiosity.

Or rather, they stared curiously at the furry ears on Yae's head.

Wow...it's a fox.

He had heard of the reputation of Zhuguo Tofu, so he thought that since he was in Inazuma, he should definitely have a good taste of it.

Perhaps it wasn't just for that reason, but in short, he felt that he should try this restaurant no matter what.

Unfortunately, they barely made it through the blockade on the Hokuto ship... The guy named Thomas received them, and by the time they arrived in Inazuma, it was already quite late.

Moreover, one of the three commissioners, the "Kan-ding Commissioner," also extorted money from them.

Because of the lockdown order, all foreigners coming to Inazuma need to register and obtain a pass... costing a whopping three million Mora.

Miss Ying and the others are currently busy with the travel permit issue, while Qing Nuoyan, who loves to slack off and has a carefree personality, has sneaked into Narukami Island as an unregistered resident.

Unfortunately, the tofu shop is closed today.

"Sorry, little one." The shopkeeper with fox ears closed the wooden door, and Yae no Miko said softly to the boy, "We're closed today. I need to rest too."

The priest put away the lantern and closed the wooden door.

Oh, I see.

This is quite frustrating.

Tomorrow... and for the time being, he won't be able to enjoy it anymore. After all, he's an unregistered resident; if he's caught by the magistrate... he'll probably be kicked out of Inazuma.

I need to think about the travel permit tomorrow.

Qingnuoyan was somewhat disheartened.

But there's nothing that can be done about it; after all, the boss needs to rest too.

Qing Nuoyan had always planned to live a lazy life, so naturally he couldn't force others to work overtime for him.

He was a polite young man, and he said to the wooden door, "Good night, Miss Fox."

...

The wooden door creaked open a crack.