By the time Su Bai and the others got the scented balm, it was already past midnight. After returning to Wangsheng and getting some sleep, they finally headed to the Statue of The Seven to find Zhongli.
"Wow, there's a lottery stall over there! Let's go check it out."
"Keqing, look! The dolls there are so cute! And look, there's a doll of Rex Lapis! It's so exquisitely made."
While Keqing, who rarely took breaks, was out shopping with a few young ladies, one of them pointed at a stall and gasped. Keqing normally didn't care for these lottery games. She always felt they were just ways to cheat people.
But when she heard about the exquisite Rex Lapis doll, she couldn't help sneaking a few glances at the stall. One look at that finely crafted doll, and she was completely hooked.
Why was there such a beautiful doll? No, such a good thing shouldn't be displayed so plainly on the street. She absolutely had to take it home and let it reflect alongside the clay figurines in her cabinet.
Keqing silently resolved to get it. The doll was so beautifully made that it would be perfect for self-reflection. And it looked soft too—it could work as a decoration on her bed. That way, even when she was resting, it would remind her to give her all for Liyue.
"Um, the Moonchase Festival is coming up soon. Aren't you going to prepare new clothes?"
"Huh? Keqing, why are you suddenly bringing that up? I thought you didn't care about these things."
Her friend's question caught Keqing off guard. She didn't normally care about clothes—hers were usually prepared by her family.
As someone who had once questioned Rex Lapis, Keqing didn't want people to know she liked the Archon's doll, even if these were her friends who wouldn't spread it around.
"I get it! Keqing, you want us to help you pick out some good fabric and make you a new outfit, don't you?"
"I remember you said you were too busy with work to design clothes. Since you're out today, you must want to design something and have us help you make it."
Her friend's words struck a chord with the others. Even if Keqing weren't their friend, they would still help.
After all, Keqing, the Yuheng, had a team that specialized in surveying feng shui and searching for Liyue's ruins every day. The noble families had no choice but to appease her, hoping to get information about these ruins out of her. They didn't really care about whatever treasures might be in them. What they really feared was that their own ancestors' graves might be mistaken for ruins and reported to Keqing.
If Liyue Harbor ever ran out of funds and ended up digging up a noble family's ancestral tomb, and then they saw their ancestors' belongings being sold in the market, where would their dignity go?
The families had tried to convince Keqing to disband the team more than once. But every time, she sent them straight to Ningguang. And Ningguang would just brush them off and send them out of the Jade Chamber. There wasn't much the families could do about it.
As for that team, they had originally been a group of treasure hoarders—no, adventurers. After getting deported from Mondstadt for some minor offenses, they had not only helped the Knights escort them back many times but also saved a squad of Millelith soldiers in the wild.
Since their contributions couldn't be overlooked, these adventurers were temporarily assigned to the Millelith so they could better understand their mistakes.
"Yes, that's right. I just want a new outfit."
"I've never really celebrated the Lantern Rite properly all these years. So I was thinking of getting a new outfit this year and really taking in the sights of Liyue."
Since someone had already come up with an excuse for her, Keqing gladly went along with it. She did actually want a new outfit, so having others help was even better.
"You go pick out some good silk. I'll wait here."
"If I go, the shop owner will be uncomfortable."
Her friends didn't suspect a thing. Keqing's meticulous nature was well known. Many shop owners felt nervous just seeing her, like mice seeing a cat.
Seeing her friends happily head toward the silk shop, Keqing let out a small sigh of relief. She stopped hiding her love for the Rex Lapis doll and quickly walked over to the stall.
"Boss, do I have to draw a lottery to get the Rex Lapis doll?"
"Yes, yes, miss. Would you like to try? The grand prize is the Rex Lapis doll."
"Oh? I heard that merchants who sell things through lotteries are all swindlers. Maybe you don't even have a grand prize or first prize in your box."
Keqing shook the large box in front of her, listening to the clatter of balls inside. The owner replied unhurriedly:
"Miss, this lottery is different from others. If you haven't won a first or grand prize within ninety draws, I'll give you a first prize for free."
Looking at the face mask with the word "Wei" written on it, Keqing found the owner suspicious. But since Liyue law didn't ban wearing masks while selling, she didn't say anything. Instead, she examined the prizes on the shelf.
From common Sweet Flowers to Slime keychains, and from keychains to the exquisite Rex Lapis doll, Keqing nodded slightly. The prize selection was reasonable.
"Miss, I've just arrived from overseas. Since you're my first customer, I'll make you a deal. One draw is 1,600 Mora. If you go for the 6,480 Mora pack, I'll throw in an extra. What do you say, want to give it a try?"
"Miss, look—the first prize has a stamped replica of Rex Lapis's personal signature on it. I went through a lot of trouble to get it and had a skilled artisan embroider it."
Seeing Keqing waver, the owner immediately started promoting the first prize. Keqing leaned in and saw the signature on the doll's stomach. It looked exactly like the one she had seen before. Without hesitation, she pulled out a bag of Mora and handed it to the owner.
As Keqing drew balls and opened them one by one, an Electro Slime keychain was pushed toward her.
"Boss, you wouldn't be a swindler too, would you? Looks like I'll have to report you to the Ministry of Civil Affairs tomorrow."
Seeing Keqing's expression turn sour, the owner quickly pulled out a signed contract and handed it to her.
"Miss, don't question my business. This stall has Lady Yanfei's approval. I'm completely honest."
Keqing leaned closer to look at the contract. The Pyro Seal symbolizing Yanfei's approval was genuine. Could it really be that her luck was just that bad?