Walking through the streets of Liyue Harbor, Shenhe felt a bustle that she wasn't used to. The people here seemed full of hope for life, with smiles on every face. But if she focused, she could tell that many of those smiles were fake.
"Boss, why is your smile so fake?"
"What do you know, little girl? This is called service with a smile. Go on, get lost. Don't get in the way of my business. If you really want to know, buy some flowers, and I'll tell you."
"But I don't have any Mora."
"Huh? No Mora? A little brat with no Mora—stop hanging around me. What bad luck."
A flower vendor shooed Shenhe away. It was a festival, and the foot traffic was huge. If he could seize the opportunity, he'd make a killing off the flower-loving women. After chasing Shenhe off, the vendor thought of the golden Mora and his smile grew even wider.
Shenhe looked at Su Bai, her expression full of confusion. Su Bai narrowed his eyes, took her hand, and walked over to another flower vendor nearby.
"Boss, these flowers look nice. How much?"
"You are... Adeptus Su Bai! Adeptus Su Bai, if you like them, just take them. No need for Mora."
This vendor seemed to be meeting Su Bai for the first time and didn't know what to say. Su Bai hadn't bothered hiding his tails—his four fluffy tails drew a crowd of onlookers, many of whom wanted to touch them.
"I don't need them for free. I just want to buy a Glaze Lily for this lovely lady beside me. Could you wrap one up for me?"
"Of course, of course. I'll wrap one up right away."
After some hurried work, the vendor wrapped up a Glaze Lily noticeably larger than the usual ones and handed it to Su Bai. After Su Bai gave the flower to Shenhe, he took a second look at the vendor. A businessman with such high emotional intelligence was rare. This one had potential. He'd probably make a lot of Mora in the future.
After paying, Su Bai led Shenhe to a high rooftop overlooking the commercial street. Shenhe looked at the Glaze Lily in her hand, confused. Su Bai didn't explain much, just pointed at the vendor who had chased her away. Shenhe's gaze sharpened—she noticed the vendor's smile had grown even faker, and this time, his eyes were filled with envy and regret.
"The reason his smile was so fake earlier was because there was another flower vendor right next to him. Rivals are natural enemies. With a competitor right there, of course he wouldn't be happy."
"But since he couldn't afford to scare away customers with a sour face, he had to force that fake smile."
Su Bai leaned against a pillar, letting the warm breeze wash over him. The wind carried the aroma of various dishes—the preliminary rounds of the cooking competition must have been fierce.
"Then why did his smile get even faker? No one was buying from him either way."
Shenhe was puzzled. When she had asked the vendor questions, no one was buying. No one was buying now either. Yet his smile had grown faker.
"That's jealousy at work. Earlier, neither of the two flower vendors had any customers, so the one who yelled at you had no reason to envy the other."
"But now, because I, an adeptus, bought from one vendor, it drew a crowd of customers to him. So the vendor who yelled at you started feeling jealous. After all, seeing others make money feels worse than losing money yourself—that saying isn't just empty talk."
Shenhe nodded, though she only half understood. The human heart was truly complicated. She still had much to learn. Once the Moonchase Festival was over, she'd definitely buy more light novels to study.
"Isn't this Su Bai? Long time no see. What, did Ningguang invite you to dinner too?"
A hearty voice came from behind Su Bai. Hearing the familiar voice, Su Bai smiled and let the person sling an arm around his neck. Shenhe, however, didn't like that. She stepped in and quickly freed Su Bai from the "clutches" of the newcomer.
"Whoa, you've got a girlfriend now after half a year? Good for you, Su Bai! Back when we first met at Inazuma's port, you were just a kid with a lollipop. Now you're old enough to date. Time really flies."
Beidou pulled some souvenirs from other nations out of a spatial pocket Su Bai had given her. These were gifts for her friends. Since she'd run into Su Bai, she'd give him his share now.
"Beidou, you're back! Why didn't you come find me at Wangsheng? What, afraid Ningguang might get jealous?"
Taking the gift Beidou handed him, Su Bai teased her, but he didn't deny that Shenhe was his girlfriend. Shenhe, for her part, didn't mention it either.
"Afraid of that woman? The only reason I came to see her first was because her people told me she had something good to show me. Otherwise, I'd have found a tavern and started drinking already."
Beidou complained. She'd barely docked when Ningguang had piqued her curiosity. That wasn't a good sign. She'd have to find a way to tease Ningguang over dinner.
Hearing that Ningguang had something good, Su Bai immediately thought of the phones. An idea formed. He pulled out a phone and handed it to Beidou. She looked at the metal block in her hand, puzzled.
"Hey, Su Bai, we haven't seen each other in half a year, and this is what you give me?"
"Haha, this is exactly the 'good thing' Ningguang was talking about. When she tries to show it off later~"
The knowing lilt in Su Bai's voice made Beidou immediately understand. It looked like Ningguang was in for an awkward moment. Su Bai really was a fox—this gift was perfect. She couldn't have asked for a better one.
Taking the phone, Beidou and Su Bai exchanged a mischievous grin, though their reasons were different. After all, Su Bai hadn't told Beidou how to use the phone. She'd have to ask Ningguang for help later. Too bad he wouldn't be there to see it.
"Good kid. If you ever run into trouble, just come find me. I'll sort it out."
Beidou patted her chest and made a bold promise. Though she was a captain, in Liyue she was a well-known figure on the other side of the law. Her title, the Uncrowned Lord of the Ocean, wasn't just for show.
"Actually, I do have a favor to ask, Beidou. Next time you head to Inazuma, could you take me along? It's been years since I've seen my friends there. I miss them."
"Pfft, I thought it was something serious. Taking you along? That's easy. The Crux Fleet is heading to Inazuma right after the Moonchase Festival. You can come with me then."