Delicate lanterns hung from both sides of the eaves, casting a bright, gentle glow that illuminated the restaurant's signboard, upon which three elegant calligraphic characters were etched—rich with history and nostalgia.
"Xinyue Kiosk."
Mona looked up, her eyes glittering with anticipation.
She knew this place!
It was one of the most renowned restaurants in all of Liyue, perhaps the finest Yue cuisine establishnt in Liyue Harbor. Frequently packed with custors, it was said that only a few tables were served during set slots each day, requiring reservations three months in advance.
And the prices? Outrageously high. Definitely not sothing she—no, not sothing normal folks—could afford on a whim.
Mona turned to Charlotte, her voice carefully laced with caution.
"Editor… Charlotte, are we really dining here tonight?"
"That's right."
"You already made the reservation?"
"Nope."
"Huh? But… I heard you have to book way in advance to even get inside—"
"That's for regular people."
Charlotte smiled and began walking toward Xinyue Kiosk's entrance.
A lovely server in uniform stepped forward with a polite smile to greet them.
"Welco to Xinyue Kiosk! May I ask which table you've reserved?"
"Private Room One," Charlotte replied, holding an exquisitely fine golden card.
The server froze for a split second—then, her smile beca extra courteous, and she gave a deep bow.
"This way, please, honorable guests."
"Mhm."
With the server leading the way, Charlotte, Mona, and the two intern reporters followed through the lavish main hall into a luxurious private dining room infused with opulence and class.
Mona glanced around the room, silently amazed by the elegant decor.
She had the distinct feeling that if she casually pocketed one of the ornate cups and sold it outside, she'd be financially set for a month.
Charlotte took a seat by the table, placing her Kara aside before stretching in a relaxed manner.
The ease in her posture and composure made it clear—she was very familiar with this place.
"Ms. Mona, how do you like it here?"
"It's quite nice."
"Right? This is the finest private room in Xinyue Kiosk. It's never open to the public. I'm only able to use it thanks to Lady Ningguang."
"The Tianquan Star?"
"Mhm. This room is Ningguang's personal suite—reserved so she can dine here whenever she wants. Sotis, it's also used to host important guests."
"I see… then, what about Liuli Pavilion?"
"Oh, sa thing. Over at Liuli Pavilion, there's also a Room One—Ningguang's personal box. But due to certain reasons, she hasn't visited either restaurant in quite so ti. Since I've been helping her with an assignnt recently, she lent this identity card she doesn't currently need."
Charlotte handed the nu to Mona.
"Go ahead and order whatever you like, Ms. Mona. It'll all go on the Liyue Newspaper tab."
"Okay."
Mona scanned the nu—entirely filled with mouthwatering nas and terrifying prices. She swallowed almost imperceptibly before recovering and getting excited, boldly ordering a few dishes that sounded delicious on na alone before handing the nu back.
"I'm done!"
Charlotte smiled and nodded, handing the nu to the two interns.
"You both order too."
"Editor…"
"Think of it as an employee benefit."
The interns chuckled and each selected a couple of dishes.
Once she saw there was more than enough food for everyone, Charlotte refrained from ordering more and passed the nu to the server.
Inviting others to dine while keeping an eye on their needs… Mona glanced at Charlotte.
This editor definitely understood social niceties. She had a good personality, too.
Soon, the food arrived.
Mona savored a bite, her face full of joy. "Mmm~"
It was leagues better than the cooking of that old hag!
Now this—this was authentic Liyue Yue cuisine!
Absolutely phenonal!
But when she looked up again, she found Charlotte eating with quiet poise, as if this luxurious feast were utterly ordinary.
Mona's cheeks flushed with embarrassnt.
As a proud and enigmatic astrologer, how could she let herself look so uncouth compared to a simple newspaper editor?
Humiliating… Thankfully, no one noticed!
Mona quickly toned down her enthusiasm and began eating with an air of calm grace.
After dinner—
"Ms. Mona, did you enjoy your al?"
"I did. Very much."
"About the newspaper column… I hope you'll devote extra care to it."
"Don't worry, I'll submit the articles on ti."
"I trust your integrity entirely. But Liyue is the nation of contracts—so by our customs, we at the Liyue Newspaper still require a signed agreent."
"A contract, huh…"
"No need to worry. Our terms are the best in the industry—you can have a look, and if anything feels off, we can negotiate."
Charlotte took out a standardized contract and passed it over with a smile.
Mona read through it carefully.
Everything matched the conditions they'd discussed earlier.
She'd submit one article a week, and the paynt was 10,000 Mora per article—on a trial basis for one month.
If she decided to stop writing, all she had to do was notify the newspaper half a month in advance.
40,000 Mora a month—an impressive inco even by Liyue standards. On top of that, the work was flexible and far more comfortable than telling fortunes on cold, windy streets.
Without hesitation, Mona signed the contract.
Each of them tucked their copy away safely.
"Ms. Mona, I'd appreciate it if you could get the first article done soon."
"I'll start tonight! You should have it by tomorrow."
"Perfect! In that case, once you've submitted it tomorrow, how about I take you to Liuli Pavilion for dinner?"
"I'd love that!"
After leaving Xinyue Kiosk, Mona parted ways with Charlotte and made her way back to where she was staying.
With little money to her na, she was currently residing in a shared hostel in the harbor district—a cheap, single-room setup like the one Zhu Zi had stayed in before.
On the way, she passed through Xiao Market.
Beneath the soft darkness of night, Mona wandered through the bustling streets, pondering how best to begin her first horoscope column.
After all, it would directly impact her quality of life going forward.
A poorly received trial month would imdiately void the contract.
"I need a topic that'll spark conversation… perhaps sothing Liyue is currently fascinated by…"
Mona stopped, her gaze drawn to the large, still-under-construction Mingxiao Lantern by the docks.
Though unfinished, its shape vaguely outlined a feminine figure.
As it turned out, this year's lantern design honored the adepti IceHeart—a disciple of Cloud Retainer. She'd recently fought alone at Guyun Stone Forest, defeating Beisht and famously lifting a massive Sunset Vermillionite with one hand. She was also the heroine of "The Divine Damsel of Devastation."
"Maybe I could use her as the subject... and analyze her fate astrologically… hmm, no, no… that might tread the line of disrespect. It could be seen as impertinent toward the adepti…"
Mona shook her head, continuing toward her hostel, thoughts still swirling.
Upon arrival, she noticed a stack of Liyue Newspaper issues at the front desk.
"Excuse , may I borrow these for a look?"
"Sure, those are old issues—help yourself."
"Thank you kindly."
Mona took the bundle back to her tiny room and began reading through them. Gradually, her expression turned strange.
"I didn't expect this rumored romance between Lady Ningguang and the Sumr Shop owner to be so popular… Wait a mont. Lady Ningguang is far too powerful and influential to analyze in a casual divination."
"But that Sumr Shop owner should be an ordinary guy… which could make him a great entry point—"
"Still, what if there's so truth to those rumors…"
"And casually publishing a reading of a random person's fate like that… Kind of unethical, isn't it? Could bring trouble his way…"
"Aahh, this is such a headache…"
"Maybe I should just divine the weather for next week. Liyue Harbor's by the sea—people care about mariti conditions. I'll teach readers how to read the stars to forecast weather. That should attract attention…"
Mona pulled out her Astrology Orb, studied upcoming constellations based on the stars, and started writing right away.
After finishing, she gave the article a ticulous revision before storing it away, satisfied.
It was already deep into the night.
"Tomorrow, I get to eat at Liuli Pavilion… I can't wait. The paper says the Rainbow Juice Wine at Sumr Shop is amazing—but so expensive… Still don't have enough Mora. Luckily, the column fees are weekly. Once the paynt cos in, I'm definitely going to try it!"
"Speaking of which, how charming is this shop owner anyway, to end up in rumors with Lady Ningguang…"
Curiosity stirring, Mona reached for the Astrology Orb and attempted a reading of the Sumr Shop owner.
The result: his fate was extrely ordinary—run-of-the-mill in every way.
Mona felt a bit let down.
He didn't even have a Vision. How could he possibly be worthy of soone like the Tianquan Star?
The rumors must be unfounded.
Oh well—ti for so fun.
She redirected the orb toward Iceheart.
Strange celestial imagery appeared—a lone, blood-red star hung in the sky.
Mona's eyes widened in disbelief.
"This adeptus's fate is terrifying… I can't believe anyone bears such an ominous destiny…"
At that mont, a white thunderbolt split the sky outside, followed by rumbling thunder.
Mona looked up, stunned.
"What?! Didn't my divination say the weather would be perfectly clear all week?!"
—
The Sumr Shop.
Upstairs bedroom.
Shenhe, clad in sleepwear, sat quietly on the bed.
Xia Zhi was preparing to resolve her condition.
First, he opened the Shop function and purchased a bottle of Luck Potion, then drank it down in one go.
[Luck Potion]
Quality: Gold
Type: Consumable
Trait: Luck
Effect: Temporarily increases Luck stat by 100% for one hour
Hidden Effect: None
Then Xia Zhi began drawing a series of talismanic hand signs toward Shenhe.
He had learned this [Red Rope Soul Binding] art from several adepti.
It was a technique with extrely strict requirents—especially regarding timing.
As Xia Zhi activated the hand seals, a translucent spirit slowly erged from within Shenhe.
And over it—countless scarlet strings, like chains, wrapped the soul tightly.
It looked… intense.
"Release."
In the next instant, the red threads dissolved like ice under the sun.
[Warning: Due to the influence of "Surging solitary star," the host's Luck stat has dropped by 90%.]
Almost simultaneously, loud thuds echoed from other rooms—as though soone had fallen right out of bed.
From the street below ca shouts of pain as passersby inexplicably stumbled.
A fork of lightning lit up the sky outside, followed by a booming peal of thunder…
Shenhe blinked, her voice softly puzzled. "Boss…"
Xia Zhi offered calm reassurance. "It's alright."
He opened the Shop again and purchased another item.
[Seven-Star Lamp]
Quality: Platinum
Type: One-ti-use item
Traits: Astral Reflection, Fate Alteration
Effect: Can modify the target's current fate
Hidden Effect: None
Cost: 1600 Points
He retrieved the Seven-Star Lamp set—seven mystical lamps of ancient design.
Activating them, Xia Zhi directed their use onto Shenhe.
The lamps floated into a formation mirroring the Big Dipper and lit up with shimring radiance before her.
Then, under their glow, a celestial diagram appeared above Shenhe's head—taking the form of a lone, comb-shaped constellation.
In the starry sky of this world, a matching constellation existed—symbolizing her cursed fate of solitary star.
That was the essence of astrology.
Astrologists read the physical mirroring stars above to grasp fates written long ago.
Xia Zhi observed the constellation carefully, then reached up.
Under the Seven-Star Lamp's magic, the stellation had gained substance—and could be touched.
It was like gently rearranging pebbles in a sandbox.
With ease, he disrupted the star pattern and reshaped it into a brand-new constellation.
"All done."
Xia Zhi withdrew his hand.
The Seven-Star Lamps blinked out, silently vanishing.
With their light gone, Shenhe's newly altered constellation faded with it.
Outside, the thunder and lightning ceased abruptly.
—
Back in the hostel.
Mona stared at her Astrology Orb in stunned silence once more.
"What the heck? Why did Iceheart the Untainted's fate suddenly change from Great Misfortune to… Brings Prosperity to Husband?!"
"Don't tell … everything that old hag taught is wrong?!"
---
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