To prove he wasn't some swindler, the vendor reached into the box and pulled out a ball himself. When he opened it, the words "First Prize" appeared before Keqing's eyes. At that point, she had to admit her luck was just terrible.
And so, what followed was...
"Congratulations! You've won a Pyro Slime keychain!"
"Again!"
"Congratulations! You've won a Hydro Slime keychain!"
"Again!"
"Congratulations! You've won a Cryo Slime keychain!"
"Again!"
Watching Keqing walk away with a pile of keychains, the vendor's face under his mask was practically splitting from smiling. He never expected a bunch of keychains could bring in so much Mora. All he could say was Liyue's economy was truly prosperous.
After collecting keychains of all seven Slime types, Keqing also gathered plush toys representing the seven Slimes. She even pulled over thirty Electro Slime plushies. Already deep in the throes of obsession, she slammed all the Mora she had left on the table, rolled up her sleeves, and was ready to go all the way.
The vendor, inwardly overjoyed, dutifully counted her pulls. When she reached ninety, he generously handed over a half-human-sized Electro Slime plushie. Seeing it only darkened Keqing's expression further.
"I refuse to believe I can't get the Rex Lapis doll!"
Keqing patted her pockets, ready to continue, only to find them completely empty. Damn it, if only she had brought more Mora. Should she borrow from her friends?
The thought barely formed before she dismissed it. No one else could know about her love for the Rex Lapis doll. It was her deepest, most guarded secret.
"Oh, isn't this Keqing? Looks like someone really wants that Rex Lapis doll."
A familiar teasing voice reached Keqing's ears. Her expression froze as she slowly turned around. There behind her stood Su Bai, munching on a candied hawthorn skewer, looking at her with amusement.
"Su Bai, how long have you been standing there?"
Her voice trembled slightly. Su Bai thought for a moment before giving her the answer she least wanted to hear.
"Hmm... I've been here since you started drawing."
As if anticipating her reaction, he quickly added before she could speak.
"Don't worry, I'm just waiting for someone. I won't compete with you for the doll. Go ahead."
"You—!"
Keqing's face flushed red. All her usual composure and efficiency had vanished. Seeing Su Bai's innocent expression, she clutched the fabric of her clothes and muttered quietly.
"Su Bai, could you lend me some Mora?"
"Huh? What did you say?"
Su Bai could hardly believe his ears. Even more unbelievable was that this was Keqing saying it. The Ke family was one of the wealthiest in Liyue, and as their eldest daughter, she was asking him for Mora. Few would believe it if word got out.
"What do you mean 'huh'? Just hand over all the Mora you have. I'll pay you back when I get home this afternoon."
"Hehe, we may be close, but Keqing... you don't want anyone else to find out about your little hobby, do you? As long as you—"
"Enough talk! Just give me the Mora. I'll put in a good word for Hu Tao the next time she causes trouble."
Keqing cut him off before he could finish. After two years of knowing each other, she had a good read on Su Bai. The only person who truly gave him headaches was Director Hu.
She and Su Bai had once worked together outside for two months drafting a proposal to improve workers' conditions. They had shared hardships. She trusted that he would lend her the Mora.
Since Su Bai had already seen everything, Keqing figured she might as well embrace it. Once she got the Rex Lapis doll, a few teasing remarks from him wouldn't hurt.
And with only Su Bai knowing, she didn't think it was a big deal. They had a decent relationship, and she trusted he wouldn't spread it around.
"Well, Keqing, you know me. When do I ever have Mora on me? If it's inconvenient, you could put it on Wangsheng's tab and just pay it back later."
Seeing that Keqing didn't want to reveal herself further, Su Bai stopped teasing and offered the method he often used in Liyue Harbor. Keqing's eyes lit up. That actually wasn't a bad idea.
"Boss, keep going! I'm not stopping until I get it. Put it on Wangsheng's tab."
"You got it! Just keep drawing."
The vendor clearly recognized Su Bai as one half of Wangsheng's twin pillars. But more than Mora, what he valued was Su Bai's status as an adeptus. If he could build a good relationship and get the adeptus's signature, in a few hundred years, it would become a family heirloom. Even if his descendants squandered the family fortune, that signature alone would ensure a comfortable life in Liyue.
Unfortunately, Su Bai didn't seem interested in this masked merchant. In his memory, the merchant he had met in Inazuma—Liben—was far more honest, even if Liben always ended up losing money on his trades. Speaking of which, where had Liben gotten to by now?
"Yes! Finally!"
Keqing clutched the slip of paper marked "Grand Prize" and jumped up. For the first time since being appointed Yuheng, she was this happy.
"Congratulations, Miss. . Here is your grand prize—the Rex Lapis doll."
"I, Mihawai, have traveled across many nations and have never seen a devotee as devout as you. The Geo Archon truly is a great god."
Watching Keqing hug a doll that was nearly as tall as her, Su Bai realized he might not have known her as well as he thought. The radical things she had said before now seemed to carry different meaning. Still, she hid it well. If he hadn't seen it himself, he would never have believed Keqing loved the Rex Lapis doll this much.
"Whoa, Su Bai, this lady is terrifying with her spending. Counting the times you mentioned, she did a hundred and eighty draws before getting that Rex Lapis doll. That's insane."
"Still, she must be a really devoted follower of the Geo Archon, right? Like Barbara."
Paimon munched on her Mora Meat while marveling at Keqing's devotion. A devoted follower? Su Bai thought about Keqing's past statements and couldn't quite decide how to categorize her.
"Who? Who's there?"
As the excitement settled, Paimon's voice caught Keqing's attention. Seeing two strangers beside Su Bai, her face flushed bright red again.
She had thought only Su Bai knew her secret. Now there were two more. At least they seemed close to Su Bai, so hopefully they wouldn't spread it around.
"Lumine, maybe we should go. If we don't leave now, trouble might find us."
"Wait. It seems we're too late. Trouble's already here."
Keqing's friends had finished buying their silk and were looking for her. They didn't find Keqing, but they did spot Su Bai—the fox adeptus.
Su Bai's face fell. He turned back to the stall, but Keqing was long gone. Seeing the swarm of young women rapidly closing in on him, Su Bai felt his entire fox being shudder.
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Translator's Note
New fanfic with Dottore as MC dropped:
Genshin Impact: The Fool's Delusion