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The Djafar Tavern at Port Ormos.
The tavern was nestled in a corner of the port, its exterior blending seamlessly with Sumeru's natural motifs, exuding the region's distinctive charm.
The tables and chairs were all hand-crafted from local wood, polished to a smooth finish that felt fine and pleasant to the touch.
Shao Yun gazed around the tavern before turning to glance at Kamisato Ayato beside him.
"This is the specialty tavern you were talking about? It feels rather ordinary to me."
Ayato's lips curved slightly, showing that standard, polite smile of his as he calmly replied, "It's quite Sumeru-styled, isn't it?"
Shao Yun gave a helpless shake of his head, rolling his eyes at the tavern before him as he muttered to himself, 'Yeah, what exactly was I expecting? This is Sumeru—of course, every place would have this kind of Sumeru aesthetic.'
With that, he casually picked a seat and sat down.
Just then, the waitress, Nesmil, approached them.
With a warm smile, she greeted the two politely. "Hello, dear guests. What would you like to enjoy today?"
Ayato reached out and took the menu that Nesmil handed over.
After a quick glance through the dishes, he passed the menu to Shao Yun.
"Take a look for yourself."
Shao Yun casually ordered a few appetizers that went well with drinks—after all, when drinking, the focus was on the drinks themselves.
What intrigued him most was Sumeru's fruit wine. He couldn't help but wonder what difference there was between Sumeru's fruit wine and Mondstadt's grape-based ones.
While waiting for the food, Shao Yun leisurely lit a cigar. Taking a deep drag, he exhaled a thin wisp of smoke.
As he idly twirled the cigar between his fingers, he asked Ayato with a faint tone of curiosity, "How's Inazuma these days?"
Ayato watched Shao Yun puff out clouds of smoke, his brows furrowing slightly—perhaps bothered by the smell—yet he said nothing.
Or perhaps, he didn't dare to say anything.
After a moment's thought, he answered in a calm, measured voice. "Inazuma now… well, let's say it's still pretty much the same as when you left."
Shao Yun took another drag from his cigar, then followed up, "What about the Tri-Commission?"
Ayato took a second to organize his thoughts before replying concisely, "The Kanjou Commission and Tenryou Commission have been taken over by people from Watatsumi Island, under Lady Yae's arrangement. As for the Yashiro Commission, we haven't been greatly affected—everything continues as usual."
Hearing that finance and military had been handed over to Watatsumi, Shao Yun couldn't help but tease, "So, both the military and the treasury have been taken by Watatsumi? Wow, sounds like Yae Miko's getting sidelined."
Though "sidelined" might not be the right word—knowing Yae Miko, she probably only truly cared about her Yae Publishing House.
As long as the Tri-Commission didn't cause trouble, she wouldn't care who ran it.
And if she did want to reclaim power, she was certainly capable of doing it. In all of Inazuma, she was arguably the strongest individual.
What Shao Yun didn't know, however, was the secret deal once made between Sangonomiya Kokomi and Yae Miko.
…
Ayato listened to Shao Yun's unreserved teasing, but his expression didn't waver—he remained composed as ever.
He explained gently, "That's not quite right. The people of Watatsumi Island are also citizens of Inazuma. Having them manage the two Commissions is far better than letting the Fatui take over, don't you think?"
Shao Yun gave a short, thoughtful sigh.
"You're right. When it's family business, how they fight among themselves is no one else's concern."
He had said it casually, just to express a simple thought.
But the listener took it differently.
To Ayato's ears, those words carried another meaning—he thought Shao Yun was subtly hinting at the time when they had used his help to resolve Inazuma's internal crisis.
Realizing that, Ayato quickly lowered his head slightly, his tone laced with guilt. "My apologies. Back then, it's true that we had intended to rely on your strength to help Inazuma through its troubles…"
Seeing Ayato starting to overthink things again, Shao Yun couldn't help but sigh in mild exasperation.
He waved his hand. "That's not what I meant. Don't overthink it."
Then he added, "The past is past. Even if you can't let it go, you can't go back and change it either."
Ayato thought to himself, 'If I don't overthink every word you say, I might not even survive a conversation with you.'
Still, despite what he was thinking, Ayato's face remained calm and pleasant, as he nodded with that ever-polite smile. "Mr. Shao Yun is quite right."
Not wanting to prolong the awkwardness between them, Shao Yun swiftly shifted the topic.
"By the way, Ayato—do you know Arataki Itto?"
Ayato blinked, momentarily surprised by the sudden question.
But he quickly regained composure and nodded. "I do. Why?"
Shao Yun leaned forward slightly. "Do you know what he's been up to lately?"
Ayato frowned, mumbling softly, "Hmm… I heard he returned to Inazuma from Liyue recently. As for what he's doing now, I'm not too sure."
"After all, he hasn't challenged me to any beetle fights in quite some time," he said with a slight shake of his head, clearly limited in knowledge.
Shao Yun shrugged. "Alright then, nothing more to ask."
…
After sharing a few drinks, Shao Yun smacked his lips, savoring the flavor before commenting, "This fruit wine tastes like fruit juice! Mondstadt's wine is way better."
He shook his head.
Ayato gently set down his glass and said mildly, "It's just a light drink for relaxation. Getting drunk in broad daylight wouldn't do your health or your reputation much good."
Shao Yun leaned back in his chair, waving a hand lazily. "Haha, fine, fine. Thanks for the treat."
Seeing this, Ayato stood, bowed slightly, and said, "Then, I shall take my leave."
Shao Yun chuckled. "Wow, why do you make it sound like I'm threatening you? Weren't you the one who invited me for a drink?"
Ayato gave an awkward smile. "My apologies, but I truly must excuse myself now."
Shao Yun waved him off. "Alright, alright. See you. Don't let me keep you from your duties."
After thanking him, Ayato paid and left the Djafar Tavern.
…
Once Ayato had gone, Shao Yun sat idly at his seat, killing time. After all, Lumine and Paimon were still out searching for suitable Fungi, which would take a while.
Time trickled by, and Shao Yun entertained himself with small gestures just to stay occupied.
As he did, a man and a woman entered the tavern.
The girl had a pair of striking amber-golden eyes shaped like inverted triangles.
Her twin ponytails of light green hair swayed playfully with each step, brushing against her shoulders.
A distinctive "+"-shaped hair clip adorned her head, adding a lively touch.
Her attire—a soft, light-blue off-shoulder dress that resembled a blooming flower—complemented her graceful figure, exuding a fresh and natural aura.
The man beside her was just as eye-catching, his golden hair nearly identical to Lumine's, except that the tips faded into a deeper brown.
A blue feather quill was tucked behind his left ear, giving him a scholarly flair.
Gold earrings, each inlaid with a ruby, hung from both ears, gleaming brilliantly under the sunlight.
The two were none other than Kaveh and Faruzan.
Faruzan sat elegantly, her youthful face betraying an air of seasoned wisdom and poise.
At that moment, she looked at the listless Kaveh sitting across from her and said earnestly, "Young man, don't sigh so much. Your senior is treating you to lunch—at least smile a little."
Kaveh slumped over the table, sighing heavily.
"Professor Faruzan, it's not like I want to keep sighing, but you know… my design has already gone through five revisions!"
"And the client still says there's room for improvement! Ah, it's exhausting beyond belief…"
He shook his head helplessly, fatigue written all over his face.
Seeing this, Faruzan offered a gentle smile. "Kaveh, don't lose your patience. I'd say your client's budget is quite generous—in that case, a little extra work is worth it, isn't it?"
"After all, it's far better than dealing with those stingy types who want a horse to run but won't feed it. This one's a blessing compared to that."
That familiar yet faintly nostalgic voice reached Shao Yun's ears, prompting him to turn his head.
'That voice… sounds familiar…'
He turned slightly, his gaze landing on the pair sitting just one table behind him.
Faruzan gracefully took the menu from the waitress and passed it to Kaveh with a kind smile. "Come on now, Kaveh. Order whatever you like. It's my treat today, so no more gloomy faces, okay?"
Kaveh sighed but sat up straight, taking the menu.
"Alright then, since you insist, let's see what looks good…"
When Shao Yun looked closely, it really was Kaveh. What a coincidence—that saved him some trouble.
He stood, walked over to their table, and stopped in front of them.
Extending his right hand toward Kaveh, he greeted with a friendly tone, "Hello there. You must be the famous Mr. Kaveh, right?"