"Alright, I'm sure you came to me because you need some scented balm, right? Let me guess, is it for a wedding celebration?"
"Then I'll give you a few bottles as a gift, just as a little token of my goodwill."
Ying'er's gaze darted back and forth between Su Bai and Lumine, looking genuinely happy for them. Su Bai held his forehead. This mischievous personality was really a match for Sister Miko.
"Alright, Sister Ying'er, stop guessing. The balm we need is for the Rite of Parting. Just don't give us something meant for a happy occasion."
"Haha, don't worry about that, Adeptus Su Bai. I would never mix up the balm for the Rite of Parting."
"I have three types suitable for the ceremony. But do you two know what kind of scent Rex Lapis preferred?"
Ying'er's question stumped both Su Bai and Lumine. They looked at each other, then, under Ying'er's confused gaze, turned and went back into Wanmin Restaurant.
"What's going on? Could there be something Rex Lapis left behind in Wanmin Restaurant? But I've never heard of anything like that in all these years."
"How strange."
Ying'er was puzzled by their actions, but she didn't follow them inside. Knowing too much wasn't always a good thing.
"Zhongli, Zhongli, do you know what kind of scented balm Rex Lapis liked?"
"Hmm, that is a good question."
"Perhaps we'll take all three."
Zhongli thought for a moment. He truly didn't know what scent he liked. Unable to come up with an answer, he stopped worrying about it. Since he didn't know, he would let the Statues of The Seven choose for him.
Lumine wasn't surprised by his answer. After spending these days with him, she had a good understanding of how quickly he could spend Mora. With Childe footing the bills, Zhongli didn't seem too concerned about Mora.
Outside Chunxiang Boutique, Ying'er was quite surprised when Lumine said they wanted all three types. She leaned close to Lumine's ear and breathed softly.
"Little girl, if you're playing with three options at once, you not only have to decide which foot to step out with first, but also be careful not to get caught by the big ship. Otherwise, you might sink yourself."
"Cough, Miss Ying'er, what are you talking about? I don't understand."
"Oh? I was just suggesting that this young lady go buy some Silk Flowers. Did something happen?"
Seeing Lumine's flustered reaction, Ying'er was very satisfied. It seemed her skills hadn't dulled. At the same time, she played dumb.
Paimon noticed Lumine's face turning red and scratched her head in confusion. She tugged at Lumine's sleeve.
"Lumine, what did Miss Ying'er say to you? Tell me, I want to know too."
"Shoo, shoo. This is adult business. Kids shouldn't poke their noses into it. Go get Zhongli so he can come with us to buy flowers. That guy shouldn't be slacking off."
"Fine~"
Inside the Liyue Harbor market, Su Bai and Paimon each held a candied hawthorn skewer. Lumine was nibbling on a Mora Meat. It seemed Xiangling's cooking hadn't agreed with her. If she weren't truly hungry, she wouldn't have eaten three Mora Meats.
Zhongli certainly deserved his reputation as the most popular customer in Liyue Harbor. In just a short walk, over a dozen vendors had approached him to promote their products.
Lumine could accept that. But some vendors treated her completely differently from Zhongli. Take this guy Bolai, for example. He barely acknowledged her, a young and beautiful lady. But the moment he saw Zhongli, his obsequiousness was infuriating.
"May I ask what kind of Silk Flowers you distinguished customers are looking for? I'm not boasting, but nowhere else in Liyue has as many varieties as I do."
"Huh? Right, Lumine, did you ask Miss Ying'er which variety we need?"
"Um, well..."
Lumine shook her head sheepishly. She had been in such a hurry that she forgot. Did she have to go back and ask again? That was too much trouble.
"Then how about we just take the best one? The best should be fine."
"Hmph. A bunch of clueless foreigners."
Bolai's gaze was full of contempt. If not for the Mora, he wouldn't sell his Silk Flowers to such ignorant foreigners. People who knew nothing were practically insulting the flowers.
"'Hidden Within a Golden Chamber,' 'Cluster of Mountain Shade,' and 'Ethereal Adepti Encounter.' Please show me one of each."
"Oh! It seems not only is Mr. Zhongli knowledgeable about antiques, he's also an expert on Silk Flowers! Those two with him must be servants. Servants shouldn't speak before their master."
"@#￥%...&*"
Bolai flattered him and eagerly brought out three Silk Flowers. Even Lumine could tell they were worlds apart from ordinary Silk Flowers. Zhongli examined them carefully before explaining.
"Depending on their growing environment and lineage, Silk Flowers display different characteristics. These are all good. They've been kept fresh."
"For example, this one is lush and full. The pistil looks like it's hidden in a golden chamber. The leaves stay green for a long time. It usually grows in areas with complex hydrology. As for those in shaded or damp places, the petals are larger and the pistils denser. They have a strong fragrance, truly worthy of being called a cluster. The last type is proud and aloof. The branches, leaves, and flowers are sparsely arranged. When in bloom, the scent is subtle but very long lasting. It was discovered by ancient people when they climbed mountains to seek the adepti."
"Nowadays, most wild Silk Flowers have disappeared due to Liyue's changing geography. Most of them are cultivated artificially."
Clap, clap, clap.
Applause broke out. Bolai gave Zhongli a thumbs up, genuinely impressed. Even he, a flower seller, didn't know these things.
"Just a passing familiarity. My traveler friend here is the one to watch. She will eventually set foot across the entire continent."
"Haha, we're not that great, as Zhongli says."
Paimon scratched her head, a bit embarrassed. This was the first time someone had praised her like that. Still, she had confidence in Lumine. She believed Lumine would become a very capable person.
"You're done buying already? That was fast."
Su Bai squeezed out from a crowd of vendors. As an adeptus frequently seen in Liyue Harbor, every merchant in the market wanted him to accept their products. That way, they could advertise that an adeptus had used them.
"Now that we've been introduced to the flowers, which one should we choose?"
"Hmm, that is a good question."
Zhongli thought for a moment, then said calmly.
"I'll take all of them."
"Huh? Again?!"