Very quickly, the wall issue was resolved.
On the surface, there wasn't a single sign of construction—it looked as though the two shops had always been connected.
As expected of the Geo Archon.
His construction skills were impeccable.
Next ti sothing like this cos up, they would definitely ask him again.
With this, the shop had also received Morax's blessing.
Xia Zhi thanked Zhongli, invited him to sit and have so tea, and then returned to the kitchen to continue cooking.
The enticing aroma from the kitchen grew richer and more irresistible.
Zhongli took a sip of tea and watched Greater Lord Rukkhadevata chatting with Yaoyao, his eyes showing a hint of reminiscence.
Before long, the al was ready.
The table was filled with dishes.
There were traditional Liyue dishes, as well as delicacies from another world, using both ordinary and extraordinary ingredients.
"Thank you for your hard work today, Mr. Zhongli!"
"You're welco."
"Eat plenty!"
"I shall."
"This fish was bought fresh this morning from Brother Liu, sa with the shrimp. Try so."
"…Alright."
Under Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's peculiar gaze, Zhongli ate both fish and shrimp without hesitation.
Wasn't Morax supposed to dislike seafood?
Was he really giving his "cousin" this much face?
Greater Lord Rukkhadevata tasted the braised fish and oil-braised shrimp as well.
She had to admit—the flavors were superb, without a trace of fishy taste.
---
After lunch, Xia Zhi, Zhongli, and Greater Lord Rukkhadevata sat down for a chat.
Xia Zhi tried to subtly probe whether Zhongli had t him before, but he didn't manage to get any useful information.
After finishing a pot of tea, Zhongli bid farewell.
Ganyu stayed for a little longer before returning to Yuehai Pavilion for work.
The other girls headed out shopping, both for personal items and for supplies needed after the shop's expansion.
Xia Zhi, having spent the whole morning cooking, was a bit tired and decided to stay behind and rest.
---
The girls wandered toward Chihu Rock's market. Shopping there was more cost-effective.
As they passed Scent of Spring, they saw Miss Ying'er standing at the entrance.
Zhu Zi quickly walked up to greet her.
"Miss Ying'er!"
"Ah, Miss Zhu Zi, and everyone else. Another day off?"
"Yes!"
"How nice…"
"Hehe… Oh right, Miss Ying'er, we need more cups delivered to our shop!"
"Already used up so quickly? Got it."
"This ti, send more."
"Oh? How many more?"
"About twice as many as before."
"That many?"
"Yes! Our shop has expanded—now the neighboring shop is ours too. We can host more custors, so we'll need more cups."
"I see. Congratulations!"
"Thanks! We'll leave the cup order to you, Miss Ying'er."
"Of course, I'll have the kiln send them over as soon as possible… Hmm?"
Suddenly, Miss Ying'er leaned closer and sniffed Zhu Zi lightly.
Zhu Zi was puzzled. "Miss Ying'er, what's wrong?"
"You sll…"
Miss Ying'er's eyes lit up with excitent, like soone who had just discovered a treasure.
"A very faint but very pleasant fragrance."
Zhu Zi blushed under her intense gaze. "Do I?"
"May I ask what perfu you're using?"
"I… I don't use perfu."
"That's impossible! This alluring, layered fragrance had to be carefully crafted—only a master could create it."
"Really?"
"Diona, you have the sa wonderful scent on you!"
"Huh? But I don't use perfu either!"
"It might not be perfu… Maybe sothing else… You all have the sa fragrance."
The girls exchanged glances, looking puzzled.
Greater Lord Rukkhadevata suddenly spoke.
"Miss Ying'er, you're probably slling the essential oil."
"Essential oil?" Ying'er turned to her.
"Yes, we all had an essential oil massage last night. The scent must still be lingering on our skin."
"I see. Where did you buy this essential oil?"
"We didn't buy it."
"Huh?"
"Our boss made it himself."
"Mr. Xia?"
"Mm."
Miss Ying'er froze for a mont.
Xia Zhi again?
She had already spent over a month trying to analyze a piece of incense Xia Zhi had given her, but she still had no clue about its ingredients or formula.
Now he had created an entirely new and superior aromatic essential oil…
If she was only half-suspicious before, now she was completely convinced.
Xia Zhi was definitely a master of fragrances.
She desperately wanted to discuss perfu-making with him. There was so much she could learn…
Miss Ying'er sighed as she watched the girls walk away, laughing among themselves.
Unfortunately, she had to work every day. Her perfu research could only be done at night, leaving her no ti to visit Xia Zhi.
Besides, she didn't even have a reason to go. They were just business partners, nothing more…
Wait!
Zhu Zi had just said their shop had expanded? That the neighboring store was now part of Sumr Shop?
A spark of realization flashed through Ying'er's mind.
There were two shops next to Sumr Shop.
The one closer to Chihu Rock was Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, a long-established business that wouldn't be selling anyti soon.
Which ant…
It had to be the other shop.
She rembered that store—it sold antiques and was actually larger than Sumr Shop.
If the shop had doubled in size, and business remained as good as before, then demand for cups would definitely double as well.
But that also ant the number of employees needed should increase as well…
And with Rainbow Juice being so popular, business was bound to keep booming.
In other words, Sumr Shop was now hiring!
Miss Ying'er's breath quickened slightly.
This was a rare opportunity!
Before, she hadn't known. Back then, Sumr Shop was still new, and no one could have predicted that the job benefits would be so incredible. Even if soone had told her, she wouldn't have left the familiar Scent of Spring for an unknown drink shop.
But now, Zhu Zi had told her everything.
Not only did they get two days off per week, but their working hours were shorter than at Scent of Spring, and their pay was significantly higher!
None of that mattered.
The most important thing was that Boss Xia was a fragrance master!
He had created both the incense and the essential oil that fascinated her.
For soone passionate about perfu-making, this was the perfect ntor!
If she beca an employee there, she would have endless opportunities to learn from him!
Miss Ying'er turned back to look at Scent of Spring, a determined gleam in her eyes.
Forget this boring sales job.
She was quitting!
----
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