"How did the talk go?"
Ryou had barely turned away from Cloud Retainer when Keqing came to his side.
Before he could answer, she glanced at the sky beyond the hall. The lingering adeptal mist still hung over the estate, turning the light outside soft and strange until even the hour felt hard to judge.
"The sky looks so strange right now that I can't even tell what time it is," Keqing said, frowning slightly. "But by my estimate, we should be close."
Ryou drew his gaze back from Cloud Retainer.
"All right. Then let's get ready to leave."
Keqing looked as if she wanted to ask what Mountain Shaper had discussed with him in the study, but this was not the moment. There were too many people around, and the performance would not wait for them.
Ryou looked over the hall.
Dunyarzad, Dehya, Collei, and the others all seemed interested. Tighnari's gaze, in particular, had become hard to ignore. After the meal had weakened Collei's Eleazar, Ryou could guess what Tighnari wanted to ask.
But not now.
Yun Jin's new opera was about to begin, and he and Keqing had already promised to go.
"Everyone," Ryou said, "you're all guests in my home, so I should be entertaining you properly. But Keqing has probably already told you—we promised a friend we would attend her new performance tonight."
He smiled apologetically.
"If you're interested, come along and enjoy the show with us. If you'd rather rest, I'll have the steward take you to the guest rooms."
He paused, then added, "As for anything else, we can discuss it after we return tonight. How does that sound?"
"Liar," Tabibito said at once from the side. "Keqing didn't tell them anything."
"Tabibito!" Paimon yelped, grabbing her arm.
Ryou glanced at Tabibito, then at Keqing.
Keqing's face had already gone red.
Before Ryou could tease her, Tighnari spoke.
"Ryou, I'd like to go with you to hear the opera," he said. "I've prepared the Mora. Also… there's something I'd like to speak with you about tonight, if that's convenient."
Ryou looked at him, then at Collei, who was watching him with quiet hope.
"We can talk tonight," Ryou said. "That's no problem. But forget the Mora. You're all guests in my home today. Isn't it normal for me to treat you?"
He looked around again.
"Anyone planning to stay here and rest?"
Shenhe met his eyes.
"I'll stay and cultivate at home."
"That's fine," Ryou said.
Cloud Retainer seized the opening at once.
"One shall take Yaoyao home. Ganyu, you will come with one as well."
Yaoyao immediately looked toward Ryou, her small face full of disappointment.
Ryou softened.
"Cloud Retainer," he said, "I already promised to take Yaoyao to the opera. If it gets too late, Keqing and I will send her home."
"Auntie," Yaoyao said, lifting her face, "Yaoyao wants to go."
Cloud Retainer looked at her.
For a moment, the adeptus seemed to want to object. Then she turned her head away, as if the sight was simply too troublesome.
"Very well. Since that is what you want, one shall not play the villain."
Then she looked at Ganyu.
"Ganyu. Come with one."
She left with Ganyu before anyone could say more.
Ryou watched them go without stopping her, but Yaoyao tugged at his sleeve almost immediately.
"Ryou-nii," she asked in a small voice, "did Yaoyao make Auntie angry?"
Ryou patted her head.
"No. I'll explain it to Cloud Retainer later."
Baizhu rose as well.
"Ryou, there have been many patients in Liyue recently. At this hour, Qiqi and I should return to prepare medicine. Otherwise, tomorrow may be difficult."
"Then I won't keep you," Ryou said.
Baizhu left with Qiqi, and the group finally settled.
In the end, Ryou brought Keqing, Mona, Tabibito, Paimon, Tighnari, Collei, Amber, Dehya, Dunyarzad, Diluc, Xiangling, Hu Tao, and Yaoyao with him to the opera.
The moment they stepped outside, passersby began turning to look.
It was hard not to.
The estate and nearby streets were still wrapped in the mist from dinner. It drifted between rooftops and lanterns, turning the whole area hazy and luminous, like a piece of Liyue had accidentally slipped into an adeptal realm.
Keqing tugged lightly at Ryou's sleeve.
"Ryou, look… it's beautiful."
"The adeptal mist covered the whole area," she said, her voice softer than usual. "It really does look like a dream."
"It does."
Ryou slipped an arm around her and smiled, but the smile faded almost as soon as it came.
Someone was watching them.
He turned his head, scanning the street.
The feeling vanished.
Whoever it was had hidden themselves well—too well for an ordinary passerby.
Keqing noticed his change at once.
"What's wrong? Your face looks strange. Did Mountain Shaper tell you something?"
Ryou tightened his arm around her slightly and leaned close to her ear.
"Someone is watching us. They're careful, so don't make a scene, but stay alert."
Then he lowered his voice even more.
"As for what Mountain Shaper told me, I'll explain tonight."
Keqing nodded.
"Let's go hear the opera first," Ryou said.
He kept walking as if nothing had happened, but in the shadows around them, faint movements slipped through the dark.
Keqing had acted.
Shadow Ninjas were already spreading out to search.
Ryou did not say anything about it. Those shadows belonged to Keqing, and only she could command them properly.
When they reached Heyu Tea House, the place was already busy.
The first floor was crowded with guests, and when Ryou's group entered, more than a few people looked over in surprise. Several familiar shop owners even nodded to him and Keqing. Ryou returned the greetings and was about to look for seats when Hu Tao grabbed his arm.
"Ryou, look upstairs!"
She pointed up with a grin.
"My consultant actually saved us good seats. Let's go to his table."
Ryou looked up and saw Zhongli sitting above them with a cup of tea in hand. When Zhongli noticed Ryou and Keqing, he gave them a small nod.
Ryou led Keqing upstairs.
The spot was good, but once everyone gathered around, the problem became obvious.
There were not enough seats.
Ryou looked around, then turned to Keqing.
"Keqing, give your seat to Hu Tao. You can sit on my lap."
Keqing immediately smacked his arm lightly, her cheeks flushing red.
"What nonsense are you saying?"
Ryou simply pulled her into his arms and sat down with her settled against him.
"Isn't this perfect?"
Hu Tao rolled her eyes at them.
"Ugh, do you two have to show off like this in public?"
Then she looked around the table, her mood recovering instantly.
"Hey, should we order some pastries? The snacks here are pretty good."
Then she pointed at Ryou. "But you're paying today."
"No need."
Ryou raised a hand, and several trays appeared on the table.
"I prepared fruit, snacks, and juice. The taste should be better than anything the tea house serves."
The fruit platter alone looked tempting, piled with slices of cantaloupe, watermelon, strawberries, and all sorts of other fruit. Next to it sat bowls of popcorn, mung bean cakes, and chocolate, while pitchers of watermelon juice, orange juice, and mixed fruit juice completed the spread.
The snacks were not difficult for Ryou to make, especially with his mental power helping with the finer steps. More importantly, every item had been infused with adeptal energy. Their quality, fragrance, and taste were all beyond ordinary snacks.
Unfortunately, the breath-enhancement effect from earlier had already faded. Otherwise, the flavor could have climbed even higher.
Even so, the moment the food appeared, its aroma spread across the top floor.
People below began looking up, drawn by the fragrance as surely as moths to lanternlight. Conversations on the lower floor began to falter. Curious glances turned into outright staring. A few guests even craned their necks, trying to identify what kind of delicacy could produce such an irresistible aroma.
Ryou, meanwhile, seemed entirely unconcerned by the attention. With Keqing resting comfortably in his arms, he gestured toward the spread laid across the table.
"I made these for everyone," he said. "Once the opera begins, help yourselves. Have some snacks, enjoy a drink, and relax while you watch the performance."
The invitation had barely left his mouth before a familiar culprit made her move.
Tabibito's eyes had been locked onto the food from the moment it appeared. The instant she thought nobody was paying attention, her hand began creeping across the table with all the subtlety of a treasure hunter approaching a chest.
Unfortunately for her, Ryou had been expecting exactly that.
Just as her fingers were about to reach the nearest snack, his hand shot out and caught her wrist.
"Hold on."
Tabibito froze.
Her hand hovered halfway to the snacks.
The look on her face was so stricken that anyone watching would think something terrible had just happened.
Ryou raised a brow.
"The opera hasn't even started yet."
Tabibito stared at him for a moment, as if seriously considering whether there was any possible excuse that could get her out of this.
There wasn't.
Ryou shot her a knowing look before continuing.
"And try to remember that this isn't one of those times when it's only you and Paimon at the table."
He gestured toward the others.
"Diluc, Amber, Dehya, Dunyarzad, Tighnari, Collei—everyone's a guest tonight. If I let you start now, there won't be much left by the time the performance begins."
Several people around the table immediately looked toward Tabibito.
A few of them seemed to find the accusation entirely believable.
Tabibito coughed awkwardly and looked away.
For perhaps the first time all evening, she actually appeared a little embarrassed.
Only after making sure she wasn't about to launch a second sneak attack did Ryou release her wrist and lean back in his seat.
Tabibito scratched her head and, for once, withdrew her hand with a guilty look.
If it had only been him and Keqing, Ryou would not have cared. But with so many guests present, letting Tabibito sweep the table clean before the show began would be a little too much.
At that moment, footsteps came up from below.
Ryou turned and saw two people arriving on the upper floor.
One was Yun Jin.
The other was familiar as well.
Xinyan.
Ryou remembered her from the Rite of Descension. Back then, he and Keqing had spoken up for her, or she might have been dragged into the Ministry of Civil Affairs for questioning.
"Something smells amazing," Xinyan said as she came up. "Yun Jin and I could smell it from backstage."
She looked toward the table and laughed.
"I was wondering who was eating good food up here. Turns out it's Zhongli-sensei and Director Hu."
Then she noticed Ryou and Keqing.
"Wait, Keqing? Ryou? You're here too?"
Her eyes brightened.
"I still haven't thanked you two for what happened last time."
Ryou shook his head.
"It was only a small thing. I didn't expect we'd meet again here."
Then he glanced between her and Yun Jin.
"You two came together?"
"Yun Jin invited me to hear her new opera," Xinyan said.
Ryou nodded, then looked toward Yun Jin.
She looked very different out of costume. Without the formal stage dress and makeup, her figure and bearing had a softer, cleaner charm. It made him think, again, that Yun Jin's opera costumes would look excellent on Keqing.
If the occasion had allowed it, he really would have asked Yun Jin for a few sets.
A sharp pain pinched his waist.
Keqing's voice reached his ear, low and dangerous.
"No strange thoughts."
Then she added, "I'm watching you today. You are not buying opera costumes."
Ryou kept his expression calm, but inwardly sighed.
If Keqing was watching this closely, getting those costumes really would not be easy.
Yun Jin seemed unaware of their silent battle and turned to Ryou.
"Ryou, didn't you say last time that you had something you wanted my help with? After the performance ends, you can come find me."
Then she bowed lightly to the table.
"Thank you all for coming tonight."
She paused as the fragrance from the snacks reached her, and her eyes drifted toward the table despite herself.
"These smell wonderful."
Xiangling caught the longing in Yun Jin's eyes and grinned.
"Yun Jin, don't tell me you're tempted too."
She pointed toward the floor below.
"Look. Everyone downstairs keeps glancing up here, and it's not because of you this time. They're all trying to figure out where that smell is coming from."
Yun Jin's gaze lingered on the fruit platter, the chocolate, and the neatly arranged snacks, and for a moment genuine regret crossed her face.
"What a shame. I'm about to go onstage, or I really would try some."
With obvious effort, she tore her attention away from the table.
"I need to prepare. Excuse me for now."
Once Yun Jin had gone backstage, Ryou tapped the edge of the table lightly.
"All right, everyone. Help yourselves. Once the opera starts, we can snack while we watch."
That was all the encouragement the group needed. Hands immediately reached for fruit, pastries, and drinks.
Ryou selected a piece of chocolate, carefully unwrapped it, and brought it to Keqing's lips.
Still nestled comfortably in his arms, Keqing accepted the bite without protest.
Ryou was just about to ask how it tasted when someone leaned across Hu Tao and grabbed his sleeve.
"I want some too."
Tabibito looked up at him expectantly.
Then she pointed straight at the chocolate in his hand, showing not the slightest trace of embarrassment.
"Feed me."
[End of chapter]