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

And that's how it was settled.

The rain is about to stop.

As night deepened and the udon noodles were finished, it was time for Kiyono Sara to say goodbye.

The white cherry blossoms had formed a thick layer in front of the threshold, as clean and pure as snow.

As she put on her white socks and wooden clogs, pushed open the wooden door, and stepped onto the soft cherry blossoms, Kiyono Sara turned around with a feeling and looked at the old but cozy shop.

The boy named Qingnuoyan leaned against the door. Noticing his gaze, he waved and smiled at him.

He was wearing a plain white kimono, with cherry blossom shadows scattered across it. Because of the darkness and the backlight, his face was not clearly visible.

The figure was blurry and indistinct, yet it vaguely overlapped with someone else.

Familiar yet unfamiliar.

It was just an illusion in the end.

Kiyono Sara opened her mouth, as if suddenly wanting to say something, but the words stopped in her tracks. After a long while, she finally said, "Can I try your Kiyono tofu again in the future?"

“Of course.” Qing Nuoyan smiled gently. “The doors of Qingye Tofu Shop are always open for you—provided you have money.”

“...That’s good.” she said softly.

"What did you say?" Qing Nuoyan didn't hear clearly.

"I mean, it's cold, and it just rained," Kiyono Sara said loudly. "You should wear more clothes."

"oh oh."

"besides."

For some reason, she also felt confused, and she said something that even she thought was illogical: "Don't learn to smoke in the future."

Wear more clothes and don't smoke—this comes from a conversation with a shadow today.

"You should wear more clothes too," Qing Nuoyan said with a smile. "See you next time, Qingye Shaluo."

"See you next time, Qingnuoyan."

-

P.S.: Whew. So sleepy, time for a nap!

Chapter 125 "Would you like to meet me as I am now?" 2.5

"What are you doing?"

"The Eightfold God Child asked."

"Snacks," Qing Nuoyan replied. "I'd like to give it a try. A tofu shop can't just sell tofu, can it? I'm planning to expand into desserts."

He stared intently at the steamer in front of him.

It's early morning now; a heavy rain fell last night, and the air is crystal clear.

This tofu shop faces the sea. The sky is azure blue and the sea is azure blue, each color occupying half of the window. If it weren't for the sea breeze gently stirring the white clouds, this summer would look like a painting hanging on the window frame.

The boy stood with his back to the blue painting, waiting quietly and patiently. When the time was almost up, he tentatively lifted the lid, and a steaming mist rushed in, filling his eyes. The translucent mist reflected the sky-blue light.

Lying in the steamer are rows of golden-brown pastries.

"It failed." Miss Fox gloated.

"...Why did it fail again?"

Qing Nuoyan looked disappointed—he thought he was quite talented in cooking, just like that fox udon, he had learned it naturally after watching the fox make it once.

"I thought I was a genius. I can even imitate that fox udon so quickly..."

"What kind of dessert is this?" Yae no Miko stood on tiptoe, looking at the dark dessert in the steamer, her two fox ears standing up high, and asked with a hint of curiosity.

“Ugh… Milk dumplings. It’s a famous Inazuma specialty dessert,” Qing Nuoyan replied. “Milk is used to mix rice and dough… that’s what the recipe says, so why did it fail?”

"It's very simple."

Yae no Miko twitched her fox ears; thankfully, she hadn't revealed her fox tail, or it would have been wagging by now. She remained slightly on her tiptoes, her head tilted, her long, pale pink hair cascading down, revealing her slender, smooth neck, and her narrow eyes curving into crescent moons.

"You prefer fox udon to milk dumplings, don't you?"

Is that so?

Qing Nuoyan found what she said strange.

“That’s how it is.” Miss Fox nodded smugly. “Otherwise, why wouldn’t you know how to make it? You prefer fox udon—isn’t that a fact?”

The boy stared at the dark, hard pastries on the desk and fell into deep thought.

Perhaps so.

"Let me think about it a little longer, maybe I'll be able to learn it. Making desserts requires patience."

"If you had five hundred years of patience, perhaps you could make this dessert," Miss Fox said mockingly.

Qing Nuoyan had a feeling that this guy was implying something... but he couldn't figure it out.

If you can't figure it out, give up thinking about it.

"Don't discourage my confidence in cooking."

One day, he will be able to learn how to make pastries, so that he can entertain more guests. As the saying goes, you have to love what you do. Qing Nuoyan has clearly regarded running this tofu shop as a career - because running a restaurant is indeed very profitable.

During their time in Liyue, he and Grandpa Zhongli couldn't even scrape together a single Mora. They had to be so stingy with money that they had to ask Ying for money just to buy a fish. It was an absolute disgrace!

He gently patted the fox's head. "It's getting late, time to open for business—by the way, where are Ying and Paimon? It's so early in the morning, are they still slacking off?"

...

"Clang, clang clang."

Ying placed a wreath on Qingnuoyan's head. It was a wreath woven from white and light pink cherry blossoms. The pure white and light pink blossoms were intertwined and staggered, with two thin vines entwined and linked together.

"As is customary, present Qingnuoyan with a flower wreath!"

She smiled smugly. "This is Inazuma's share."

A wreath... Ah, Qingnuoyan still remembers that.

Ying once made a promise with him: if he gave her a flower wreath, he would accompany her on a trip and cross off a place in her "Teyvat Travel Guide". Now that they have arrived in Inazuma, she is going to drag Qingnuoyan along to play again.

"Sister, I'm wanted by the authorities..." Qing Nuoyan stared at Ying as if she were a ghost, somewhat frantic. "The Fools are after me, the Shogunate is looking for me, and you're telling me to go out and wander around?"

"Then you can owe it to me for now." Ying showed no sign of backing down. She stared intently into Qing Nuoyan's eyes. "You can owe it to me for now. Once everything is settled, you have to come with me to Daoqi to play—anyway, I've already given you this wreath."

She nodded emphatically and declared without room for argument, "You are not allowed to give it back to me!"

Really.

Qing Nuoyan shook his head helplessly. "Breakfast is ready. Go and eat. You need to work hard and stop slacking off, or the fox won't pay you—how can you travel if you don't earn money?"

"Fool."

Ying said confidently, "If I work hard, what the pink-haired fox gives me is called wages, which are equivalent to my labor. This is not called making money, but at most it is called bartering. Only when I slack off at work, and my labor is not equivalent to my wages, can I be said to have made money from the fox!"

The way she spoke, with her neck held high and hands on her hips, the morning sunlight shining on her golden, tousled hair, perfectly captured her smug demeanor—like the little squirrel in Ice Age who found a pine cone.

It seems that in her view, being able to steal money from that vixen and take advantage of that stinky pink-haired fox was a very fulfilling and meaningful thing.

Miss Ying wins!

They were absolutely right and justified in their claim that he stole their salary, and they presented a very reasonable and well-founded argument.

This is no longer just stealing wages, it's robbing wages.

Qingnuoyan disdained to associate with him.

What a despicable guy.

Qing Nuoyan was helpless against this robbery of winning and losing wages, and could only nod: "Whatever makes you happy... I'll be going now."

"Are you going to Shadow Mountain again...?" Ying asked.

"Yes, ever since Narukami struck, the filth deep within the Shadow Mountain has almost disappeared, with only some monsters scattered around the outskirts. It won't be long before they disappear too."

As Qing Nuoyan said this, he carefully wiped Shenqie, "I need to hurry up and level up - I'm leaving the tofu shop in your care."

"More miners?"

Ying got a little agitated.

"Idiot," Qing Nuoyan said matter-of-factly, "Slacking off at work only earns you small change, miners are the ones who really make a fortune! Do you even know anything about making money?"

That's why Qing Nuoyan disdained associating with such thieves. To be a gangster, one must be ruthless; it would be shameful for someone to go to work.

"..." Ying stared at him for a long time before letting out a helpless sigh, looking like she really couldn't do anything with him, and instructed, "Remember to come back for dinner before dark. Be careful."

"Oh, right," she added, like a nagging old woman, "if they're not back by dark, they're not allowed to go next time."

She knew Qing Nuoyan's current wish—to become the strongest in history. It might sound childish and immature, but Ying believed in him.

"besides."

She emphasized again, the warm sunlight falling into her bright golden pupils, scattering into translucent colors. On this early summer morning, Miss Ying said earnestly, "Once I've saved enough for the trip—you must come with me to Inazuma."

"We have to go everywhere!"

Ok.

Qing Nuoyan looked at her and nodded seriously.

Once they had saved enough for their journey, once he had cured the pollution on his body, and once all the annoying Fools had disappeared, he really wanted to go and see the country of Inazuma properly.

...

The early summer afternoon wasn't too hot, and because Yingxiang Mountain is adjacent to the sea, the sea breeze, carrying damp and cool air, blew coolly through the forest, making people feel very refreshed.

The afternoon sun slanted through the birch forest, shining obliquely into the gaps between the trees. Qingnuoyan wiped the fine sweat from his forehead.

[Twenty-one Beast Hounds (lv41) have been defeated; three Hilichurl Kings (lv39) have been defeated...]

【Qingnuo Rock】

Current level: lv30

Half a month has passed since Narukami unleashed that thoughtless slash. The deepest filth has been almost completely wiped out, but some remnants always remain. For the past half month, Kiyono Iwa has been training himself by exterminating these remaining filth.