Hu Tao, like a triumphant little fox wagging an invisible tail, left the teahouse with Feng Yi and Zhongli.
Old Man Fan, looking at the still-wet ink of the tragic story on the table, found a fresh piece of paper and rewrote the ending of "Farewell My Concubine."
"Miss Yun Jin, are you busy? I've found a wonderful story for you!"
Old Man Fan, holding the rewritten story, arrived at Yun Jin's residence and knocked on her door.
"Is that Old Man Fan? Please come in!"
A sweet voice called out from inside, and Old Man Fan eagerly pushed the door open.
"Miss Yun Jin, I have a great story here. Do you think it could be adapted into a play?"
As soon as he entered, Old Man Fan saw Yun Jin sitting at her desk, frowning in deep thought. He then handed her the adapted version of "Farewell My Concubine," hoping it would bring great profits to the Heyu Teahouse.
"Let me take a look."
Yun Jin spread out the paper and began to read.
"Can this be adapted into a play?"
Seeing Yun Jin frown and ponder from time to time, Old Man Fan became anxious and quickly asked.
"There are no major issues, but it feels a bit off, as if something is missing. Old Man Fan, where did you get this story?"
Yun Jin asked, knitting her brows. She couldn't quite articulate the feeling, only that it was awkward.
"It's about a young man named Feng Yi who met Mr. Zhongli. He wrote this story. Ah, forget it, this is the story he wrote himself!"
Old Man Fan couldn't hide the truth. He had wanted to take credit for himself, but if it were revealed, it would damage his reputation. Old Man Fan pulled out Feng Yi's original story from his sleeve and handed it to Yun Jin.
He couldn't understand, wasn't a happy ending good?
Upon seeing the original story, the awkward feeling in Yun Jin's mind finally disappeared.
"This is the true grandeur of this work!"
Yun Jin put herself in Concubine Yu's shoes, re-experiencing the tragedy of parting with the Hegemon, and tears welled up in her eyes.
"Is that Mr. Feng Yi still at the teahouse?"
Yun Jin, with eyes brimming with tears, remembered the important matter and asked with a sob.
"They just left. Shall I go invite them back?"
Old Man Fan felt ashamed of his unnecessary meddling.
"Never mind. If fate has it that we missed each other this time, then let it be. We will meet again if we are destined. Inform me immediately if he visits the teahouse next time!"
Yun Jin dabbed her tears with a handkerchief and reread the story. Although she longed for more information to better embody the character, since Feng Yi had already left, she feared forcing the issue might offend him.
Yun Jin reread the original story multiple times, each reading bringing a new realization. She decided to perform this story for the people of Liyue to enjoy.
Meanwhile, it was lunchtime. Feng Yi, Zhongli, and Hu Tao headed to Wanmin Restaurant for a meal. Along the way, Zhongli constantly praised Feng Yi's creative talent, much to Feng Yi's embarrassment. Feng Yi repeatedly stated that he was merely a disseminator, but regretfully, no one believed him. However, truthfully, as a descendant of Huaxia, Feng Yi wished for traditional Chinese culture to spread across the continent of Teyvat. If that young lady Yun Jin could understand this story and adapt it into a play, it would be a fortunate event.
After enjoying a lavish lunch at Wanmin Restaurant for free, Hu Tao returned with Zhongli to learn the art of Talisman making. Feng Yi, with free time, then headed towards the Sea Moon Pavilion with some sweets. On the way, Feng Yi coincidentally met Childe.
"Childe, why are you running? Am I that scary?"
Feng Yi noticed Childe's expression drastically change upon seeing him, as if he were going to eat him.
"Uh, of course not. Feng Yi, long time no see. Nice weather today, huh?"
Childe patted the coin pouch at his waist and forced a smile.
Feng Yi: "See? You say not, but look at you, you're stuttering!"
Didn't they just meet this morning?
"Don't worry, I've already had lunch!"
Hearing Feng Yi's words, Childe finally breathed a sigh of relief. His meager Mora was safe!
"Feng Yi, don't misunderstand. It's not that I'm reluctant to spend money to treat you to a meal."
Childe put on a performance of "protesting too much." It wasn't that he didn't want to treat him, but Feng Yi's appetite was simply outrageous! This morning, he had eaten fifty-seven and a half baskets of buns in one sitting. Was that even human? Fortunately, the buns weren't expensive. If it had been lunch dishes, he would have gone bankrupt! Luckily, Feng Yi had already eaten. Once he saved up more Mora from doing tasks, he would be able to afford to treat Feng Yi to lunch.
"Actually, lunch was only a partial meal, so having another one isn't impossible."
Feng Yi's whispered self-muttering sent a cold sweat down Childe's back.
"However, I'm in a hurry to get to the Sea Moon Pavilion. If I delay too long with these sweets, they won't taste as good."
Childe wiped the sweat from his brow, hoping Feng Yi would say everything he had to say at once next time. He couldn't handle this kind of stimulation.
As they walked, Childe's eyes suddenly sharpened. He abruptly turned and locked onto a passerby, then darted towards them at high speed. The person, realizing they had been spotted, immediately took to their heels, weaving through the crowd with incredible agility. But in the end, they couldn't outrun Childe. Before Feng Yi had walked far, Childe had brought the person back.
As Feng Yi walked, he suddenly realized Childe was gone. Before he could ponder why, Childe returned, dragging a shifty-eyed fellow.
"Childe, who is this?"
Feng Yi knew Childe enjoyed a good fight, but he would never bully innocent people. There must be a reason he didn't know.
"This guy was tailing you all the way. When I found out, he tried to run, slippery as an eel. I almost didn't catch him!"
Childe shook the man he held, who had nearly escaped. He had promised to protect Feng Yi's safety and would not go back on his word.
"What do you want, following me? Are you going to tell me yourself, or do you want to be beaten first?"
Feng Yi was startled. This person had been tracking him for so long, and he hadn't even noticed. If he hadn't coincidentally met Childe, who knew what would have happened? Did he have something on him that others were coveting?
"Your Excellency jokes. I was merely walking normally. Why would I be following you?"
The shifty-eyed man spread his hands, appearing very innocent.
"Then why did you run?"
Childe sneered.
"If someone suddenly chased you, wouldn't you run?"
"How did you know I was chasing you? If you have nothing to hide, why are you afraid?"
Childe's intelligence seemed to skyrocket today, successfully trapping the man in a conversation. If it weren't for his proficiency in tracking and counter-tracking, he might have been deceived by the man. This man's tracking skills were clearly professionally trained, and his escape skills were also quite good. The man fell silent. He had been careless this time!