"The sky has grown late. Leave the remaining work to me, Hu Tao. You should go back and rest!"
Zhongli: After you leave, I can dedicate myself fully to the work!
Hu Tao had spent the entire afternoon here without being of much help; instead, she had hindered his efficiency.
Hu Tao had just taken over the Wanmin Restaurant, and there were many matters to attend to, which Zhongli had to teach her slowly. kanδん
Generally, after Hu Tao reviewed any documents, Zhongli would have to go over them again to double-check.
This was how efficiency was brought down!
Feng Yi leading Hu Tao away could, in a sense, be considered helping him.
"Alright, then I'll leave the rest of the work to Mr. Zhongli! I'll come back tomorrow to continue learning..."
Hu Tao put down her pen and paper and pulled Feng Yi to leave.
"Oh, right, Zhongli, after the Lantern Rite, would you like to come to the Serenitea Pot for a hot spring? I helped Yuanbao build a new hot spring pool in there..."
As Feng Yi was about to leave, he suddenly remembered this matter and invited him.
After all, when soaking in a hot spring, one's mood relaxes, making it easier to foster deeper connections.
"That sounds excellent! I will certainly accept your invitation!"
Upon hearing Yuanbao's name, Zhongli immediately nodded in agreement.
It had been a while since he had last enjoyed a hot spring.
Seeing Zhongli agree, Feng Yi then led Hu Tao out of the study.
"Feng Yi, what hot spring? Can I join too?" Hu Tao asked, tugging at Feng Yi's sleeve.
"Of course, even if you hadn't asked, I would have invited you. I was planning to formally invite you on the day of the Lantern Rite..." Feng Yi smiled. How could he possibly leave Hu Tao out?
"Hehe~"
It was good that Feng Yi hadn't forgotten her.
Feng Yi took Hu Tao to wash up. She snuggled into bed, listened to a short story, and quickly fell asleep.
After all, today she had experienced two large-scale battles.
The night passed uneventfully. They woke up with the dawn.
Feng Yi, along with Hu Tao and Zhongli, who was there for a free meal, had a hearty breakfast at a tea house.
Then, he headed towards Wangshu Inn alone. Today, besides his usual martial arts training, he also needed to ask Xiao if there was any way to quickly create a clone.
"A spell for creating a clone quickly? There's no such possibility. Feng Yi, have you encountered any difficulties?"
Xiao shook his head helplessly upon hearing Feng Yi's idea. The cultivation of magic most vehemently disdained seeking quick success.
Furthermore, cultivating a clone involved the soul, which required utmost patience and a gradual approach.
"Uh... it's not a big problem. It's a long story, and since it can't be done quickly, then forget it!" Feng Yi waved his hand. Since creating a clone quickly was impossible, he would just have to try to stagger the timing for releasing the sky lanterns.
If arranged properly, he should still be able to manage.
"Is Yuanbao not here today?" Xiao asked Feng Yi, who was warming up, while eating almond tofu.
"I've entrusted Yuanbao to Zhongli's care!" Feng Yi stated. With Yuanbao around, his training intensity would significantly decrease, which would hinder his progress.
So, after breakfast, he simply left Yuanbao with Zhongli for care. Perhaps he could even get a few Talismans of Heavenly Stars from Zhongli!
"This... sigh~"
With Yuanbao's absence, Xiao felt a sense of disappointment and lost his appetite.
The almond tofu he was chewing no longer tasted good.
"Let's start quickly!"
"But you haven't finished your tofu yet..."
"It's fine!"
After a bout of exertion, Xiao's pent-up frustration had subsided considerably.
Feng Yi: This is more like it! This intensity of training is what I wanted!
Indeed, he shouldn't have brought Yuanbao along!
"Xiao, after the Lantern Rite, would you like to come to the Serenitea Pot for a hot spring? I helped Yuanbao in the Serenitea Pot..." Feng Yi invited casually as he was leaving.
"Yuanbao will be there too?"
"Of course!"
"I will be there on time..."
Upon hearing that Yuanbao would be there, Xiao immediately agreed.
It seemed he would have to work overtime for the next couple of days, clearing out the evil spirits within Liyue. When it was time for the hot spring, he could leave behind a clone to deal with any newly spawned weak evil spirits.
When Feng Yi requested to suspend training tomorrow, Xiao readily agreed, which was precisely what he wanted!
After leaving Wangshu Inn, Feng Yi made trips to the Jade Chamber, the Millelith Headquarters, and the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
He finalized the meeting times with Ningguang, Keqing, and Ganyu for tomorrow.
Feng Yi scheduled Ningguang for the morning, Keqing for the afternoon, and Ganyu for the evening, before heading to Wuwang Hill to pick up Hu Tao.
If nothing went wrong, he should be able to manage tomorrow.
Feng Yi had a simple, free lunch at the Wanmin Restaurant and then headed to the Heyu Teahouse to rehearse a play with Yun Jin.
"Oh! Mr. Feng Yi, you're finally here. Miss Yun Jin has been waiting for you in the backyard for a while. I'll lead the way!"
The waiter, who was wiping tables, greeted Feng Yi enthusiastically upon his arrival.
Miss Yun Jin had repeatedly instructed him to keep an eye out for Feng Yi here.
"Alright, thank you!"
As Feng Yi left the hall, he glanced at the private rooms on the second floor. Seeing that Zhongli was not in his usual room listening to music, he wondered where he had taken Yuanbao to play.
"Mr. Feng Yi, Miss Yun Jin is inside. I'll escort you this far..." The waiter stood to the side, pointing to the archway leading to the backyard, and said to Feng Yi.
"Thank you for your trouble. Please accept this token of my gratitude!" Feng Yi took out a pouch of Mora, about a thousand coins, and handed it to the waiter.
Although it might not have been necessary, the waiter was quite perceptive, which left a good impression on him.
Besides, he was not short of Mora now, and tipping a thousand coins was insignificant.
"Thank you for your generosity, sir. Please feel free to call me if you need anything..." The waiter weighed the money pouch in his hand and immediately broke into a smile. Feng Yi's tip was equivalent to several days of his wages.
Feng Yi smiled and said nothing, then stepped through the archway.
"The King is filled with sorrow and sighs, bringing tears to my eyes. Would a song and dance from your concubine offer some solace?"
Before Feng Yi could enter the garden, he heard a line of singing from not far away.
Upon entering, he found Yun Jin already on stage practicing.
"You honor me, my concubine!"
Feng Yi recalled the lyrics Yun Jin had shown him before and responded with the next line.
"Then this concubine shall be shamed!"
Yun Jin was midway through her rehearsal when she suddenly heard Feng Yi's voice, uttering the next line of the lyrics.
The corners of Yun Jin's lips curved upwards. She turned back with a smile, her beauty captivating, and naturally continued with the next line of the lyrics.
"I urge the King to drink and listen to the song of Yu, to soothe his troubled mind with a graceful dance.
The tyrannical rule of Qin destroyed the empire; heroes rose from all directions to wage war.
As the ancient saying goes, it never deceives me; success and prosperity are but a fleeting moment.
Drink with a relaxed heart and sit in your treasured tent..."
The lingering operatic melody flowed from Yun Jin's mouth, winding and poignant, captivating the heart. Her dancing was as graceful as a startled swan, fully demonstrating her solid skills.
Her light steps, soft as clouds like a swallow nesting; her swift leaps, soaring like a magpie startled at night.
Her dance was nimble, her body as supple as mist!
After finishing the song, Yun Jin turned back with a smile to look at Feng Yi.
"My King, how was this concubine's dance?"