"I understand."
Ningguang's eyes narrowed slightly at the Millelith's report. The Northland Bank again?
Without another word, she and Keqing stepped into the Liyue Bank headquarters to begin their investigation and damage control.
Time flew by, and soon it was noon.
Back at the jar shop, Felix raised an eyebrow as Hu Tao strolled back in, carrying takeout boxes. "Director Hu, isn't the Funeral Parlor busy?"
"Not at all," Hu Tao chirped. "I told you—I'm bringing breakfast and lunch from now on. We'll eat together. Dinner, though, you're on your own."
Felix: "..."
He stared at the overly enthusiastic director and fell into deep thought.
Why is she so keen on feeding me? I'm not Qiqi.
Whatever. He wasn't about to turn down free food.
They enjoyed lunch together in the quiet shop. Afterward, Felix lounged in his chair, lazily waiting for customers while the afternoon drifted by.
Hours passed. Outside, the sun began to dip, hanging like a giant jade disk in the sky, casting a golden glow over the harbor.
"Hey," Hu Tao sighed, blinking her plum-blossom eyes at him. "Don't you get bored lying there all day? Seriously, I need some new entertainment. Doing nothing is scarier than death itself."
"What's boring about it?" Felix chuckled. "I'm a shopkeeper. My goal is to sell jars. Waiting is part of the job. You, on the other hand… don't you have work? As the Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, shouldn't you be handling business instead of loitering here?"
"You can relax occasionally, but neglecting your duties isn't good for the soul."
"You make a fair point," Hu Tao nodded solemnly. "Alright then! This Director is off. See you tomorrow!"
Truthfully, chatting all afternoon had been a bit dull. She hopped up and dashed out the door to find mischief elsewhere.
Felix watched her leave with a bright smile. He knew she wouldn't sit still for long. Hu Tao wasn't like Ganyu; she needed chaos, not quiet.
With the shop empty, Felix focused his mind.
Open Exclusive Jar.
Flash!
A blinding white-gold light erupted from nowhere, illuminating every corner of the shop.
"Whoa! My eyes!"
"What is the Shopkeeper doing in there?!"
Outside, the two Millelith guards, Wenqi and Doyle, shielded their faces as the brilliance pierced through the windows. It felt like staring into a miniature sun.
When the light finally faded, they blinked spots from their vision and peered inside.
The shop looked normal. Felix was just sitting at his table, holding… a piece of cloth?
"Am I seeing things?" Wenqi muttered. "I swear there was a flash."
"I saw it too," Doyle whispered back. "But look, everything's fine. It's probably just the Shopkeeper testing some magic item. Let's ignore it."
"Agreed. Our job is crowd control, not asking stupid questions."
While the guards rationalized the supernatural event, inside the shop, Felix was staring at the cloth in his hands, lost in thought.
This is what I get from an Exclusive Jar?
[Gourmet Tablecloth] — Speak the name of any dish, and the tablecloth will manifest it instantly. The food is real, free, and unlimited. Restriction: Only produces "ordinary" food (no magical/divine ingredients).
Felix rubbed his chin.
Infinite food on command? Not bad at all.
The "ordinary food" restriction made sense. If he could summon Dragon Liver or Phoenix Marrow, he'd be a god. But for daily meals? Perfect.
"Give me a family-sized bucket of fried chicken, a platter of beef hotpot, and a bowl of rice," Felix ordered the cloth.
Poof! Poof! Poof!
Three puffs of white mist appeared, and instantly, the requested items materialized on the cloth.
Golden, crispy fried chicken; bubbling, savory beef hotpot; and steaming white rice. Everything was piping hot, as if fresh from the kitchen.
"Nice. Very nice." Felix grinned.
It wasn't limited to Teyvat's cuisine either. Anything he knew of worked.
He picked up the rice and started eating.
A rich, mouth-watering aroma wafted out of the shop, hitting the guards like a physical wave.
"What is that smell? It's incredible!"
"I've never smelled anything like it."
Wenqi and Doyle gulped, their stomachs rumbling loudly. They peeked inside again.
On the table, steaming dishes they didn't recognize had appeared out of nowhere. The smell was driving them crazy.
"It must be from a jar," Wenqi whispered. "He sells magic jars; makes sense he opens some for himself."
"Makes sense," Doyle agreed.
Passersby began to stop, sniffing the air.
"Damn, that smells good. Is this Chihu Rock?"
"No, it's coming from that Jar Shop. Look, the Millelith are guarding it."
"Oh, that place? I heard it sells jars for 100,000 Mora. Too expensive for me."
"I bought one yesterday and got a rock. Total scam. But I heard Ningguang pulled a youth elixir from there."
"Seriously? A youth elixir?"
"It's all luck. Just look at the guards—must be legit if the Qixing are watching it."
The aroma acted like the best advertisement. A few curious souls, eyes bright with interest, walked toward the shop, wallets in hand. Liyue was huge, and news traveled unevenly; for many, this was their first time hearing of the "magic shop."
Meanwhile, outside the city.
At the mines, Cai Zihao walked out of the tunnel, beaming with pride. He carried two massive baskets effortlessly.
Inside, they were overflowing with sparkling White Iron chunks.
"Holy… how did he do that?"
"Two full baskets? I found maybe five pieces all day!"
"Did he find a new vein or something?"
"He must have! That haul is worth a week of my wages!"
The other miners stared, jaws on the floor.
Cai Zihao soaked in the admiration, grinning from ear to ear.
All thanks to the Jar Shop! Thank you, Shopkeeper!
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