The final, high-stakes round of gambling began under the tense anticipation of the onlookers.
This round was also about low numbers. Yelan's expression was grave as she shook the dice cup, shutting out all external distractions and focusing intently on the sound of the dice hitting the cup's wall.
A few breaths later, Yelan slammed the dice cup down with a 'snap,' a confident smile curving her lips.
Feng Yi subsequently placed his dice cup down as well, gesturing for the other party to reveal their numbers first.
Amidst everyone's nervous anticipation, Yelan revealed her score.
"One, one, one. Miss Yelan's score is three points!"
The waiter excitedly announced the score. Miss Yelan was now invincible; at most, she would tie.
If it weren't for considering the opponent's feelings, the waiter would have declared Miss Yelan the winner on the spot.
"As expected of Miss Yelan, when she gets serious, she's unstoppable!"
"Indeed, indeed. I knew Miss Yelan was holding back in the previous rounds. This is her true strength, truly a gambling god!"
"Fortunately, I wasn't the one gambling against Miss Yelan, or I'd have lost my pants."
"..."
The surrounding crowd muttered softly. Clearly, they believed the victory was secured, and this hot-headed Feng Yi would lose again.
"Mr. Feng Yi, your turn."
Yelan smiled at Feng Yi, curious to see how he would beat her this time.
Feng Yi didn't dilly-dally and directly flipped over his dice cup.
The moment the crowd saw the numbers within, the scene fell silent, replaced by gasps of astonishment.
"Is that even possible for a human to roll?"
"One point difference again! Is this kid doing it on purpose?"
"Now I get it. This kid definitely pretended to be a novice to play the 'pig pretending to eat tiger' game!"
"Haha, who would have thought Miss Yelan would ever flip over in a ditch?"
"..."
A few people whispered among themselves, their gazes towards Feng Yi filled with newfound admiration and envy.
"One, one. Mr. Feng Yi's score is two points! Mr. Feng Yi wins!"
The waiter took a moment to recover before announcing Mr. Feng Yi's score to the crowd.
No one could have imagined that Feng Yi's dice had two lucky coincidences stacked on top of each other.
Such luck, such skill, was unmatched by anyone present.
"A bet is a bet. Take it."
Yelan cheerfully removed the bracelet from her wrist and placed it on the table.
It was just a bracelet; she wasn't a sore loser.
This experience had taught her a lot: no matter how confident you are, nothing is certain until the very end.
"Miss Yelan, I'll take my leave then."
Feng Yi, with his spoils of victory, left with a satisfied grin.
Yelan casually sipped the tea on the table. Only after Feng Yi's figure disappeared from sight did she inadvertently crush the teacup in her hand, creating a crack.
How could she lose? The opponent was clearly a novice!
Yelan was certain he wasn't faking; she could tell that at a glance.
Yet, she had lost to a newcomer!
Yelan was quite dejected.
However, she still had important matters to attend to. She quickly took a deep breath to compose herself, her gaze subtly sweeping the room as she strained her ears to gather intelligence.
The teahouse, with its mixed clientele, was an excellent source of information.
She had been tracking this big fish for a long time and absolutely could not let her efforts go to waste.
Feng Yi, on his end, promptly stashed the Mora and the bracelet he had won into the Serenitea Pot, then, with fresh pastries from Wanmin Restaurant, headed to the Liyue Harbor.
*Knock, knock, knock...*
"Please come in."
Feng Yi knocked on Ganyu's study door. Upon receiving an answer, he pushed it open and entered.
"Feng Yi, you're back?"
Ganyu's eyes lit up when she saw Feng Yi. She immediately put down her work, an uncontrollable joy evident on her face.
"You must be tired from working. Come and have some pastries and rest. These are fresh from Wanmin Restaurant, and they're incredibly delicious. Have them while they're hot..."
Feng Yi smiled faintly, pulling Ganyu to the side table. He opened the pastries he had prepared and personally fed Ganyu.
Ganyu, always mindful of her figure, would only take a small bite. The remaining pastries essentially went into Feng Yi's stomach.
"Ganyu, I also brought you a local specialty from my trip to Inazuma – Sea Ganoderma. Try it..."
Feng Yi knew that before Inazuma imposed the Vision Hunt Decree, Liyue and Inazuma traded goods freely, and Yae Miko often sent Ganyu delicious Sea Ganoderma.
Therefore, he had specifically selected a batch of the highest quality to give to Ganyu.
"Thank you, Feng Yi. Since Inazuma closed its borders, it's been a long time since I've had Sea Ganoderma..."
Ganyu smiled sweetly, very happy that Feng Yi remembered her even when he was away.
The Sea Ganoderma Feng Yi gave her, in addition to its juicy and tender texture, also carried a hint of sweetness.
"Feng Yi, I missed you so much while you were gone. Can you stay tonight?"
Ganyu looked at Feng Yi with affectionate eyes, having many things she wanted to say to him.
"Mm-hmm, I won't leave tonight."
With those large, expressive, watery eyes looking at him, what man could resist?
Feng Yi readily agreed.
Kidney: Are you sure? I feel like I'm going to be done for tonight. Brain, brain, this is Kidney reporting. Requesting backup tonight. Repeat, requesting backup tonight!
Brain: Entering Level 1 alert. Kidney, hold steady. Delayed-action potions are in position, the Fountain of Life and Golden Bear Paw are en route. Don't worry, you're not fighting alone tonight!
Time slipped away. The moment the sun set, the Battle of Kidney Preservation officially commenced...
This battle lasted until the early morning of the next day. Feng Yi was utterly exhausted and slept in Ganyu's study for a whole morning.
Ganyu, on the other hand, was full of energy and efficiently cleared two days' worth of work.
In the following days, Feng Yi either took Yuanbao and Klee out shopping and sightseeing, or enjoyed tea and music with Zhongli.
During this time, he inevitably made contact with Keqing, Yun Jin, Shenhe, and the Cloud Retainer to maintain their relationships.
Although life was ordinary, it was exceptionally blissful. This was precisely the beautiful life Feng Yi pursued.
A few days later, Klee and Albedo, having explored Liyue, prepared to return. Feng Yi decided to accompany them.
With good friends in Liyue, he couldn't forget his friends in Mondstadt.
Feng Yi always believed in distributing his affection evenly.
"We're almost home! Yay!"
Klee's footsteps quickened as she spotted the tall towers of Mondstadt City from afar.
On this trip, she had bombed fish near Inazuma, and she had bombed fish in Liyue's rivers. But looking back, Klee felt that bombing fish in Mondstadt's lake was still the most satisfying!
Indeed, she was a good child with a touch of homesickness!
Fish in Mondstadt's Cider Lake: Brothers, for the next few months, I'll be visiting my relatives in the neighboring lake. Don't worry about me. If I have any dreams, I'll tell you...