After lunch, everyone took turns stepping outside the car for so fresh air. But with little to see, they soon retreated back into the Serenitea Pot.
Then, mahjong began—two tables' worth.
Ganyu, however, was banned from both due to her overwhelming skill and rank.
Resigned, she went to find Xia Zhi instead.
He was busy modifying Akasha Terminals with Xia Ci.
Ganyu recognized the small device in his hand imdiately.
"Is that a phone?"
"Mm."
"It doesn't seem to have signal."
"Of course not. The signal towers aren't up yet, but it won't be long."
"How far will the range be?"
"With Liyue at the center, nearby nations like Fontaine, Suru, and Mondstadt should be fine. Inazuma's too far—hard to say."
"Oh, that's still impressive."
Ganyu didn't fully understand, but she was impressed nonetheless.
---
Fontaine, Palais rmonia.
Furina took out the small cube again, tapping it to turn it on.
The screen lit up, displaying Xia Zhi's wallpaper.
She sighed.
"Still no signal…"
----
"Ganyu, why did you co alone?"
"Because I was bored."
"Where are the others?"
"Playing mahjong."
"You didn't join?"
"They won't play with . They say my luck is too good."
Ganyu let out a soft sigh.
Xia Zhi couldn't help but chuckle.
Xia Ci handed over a modified Akasha Terminal: "Here."
Ganyu blinked in confusion. "Huh?"
"You said you were bored, right? This is the first Akasha Terminal I ever used. I've loaded so fun things into it—you can use it to pass the ti."
"Fun things?"
"Go explore it yourself."
"Oh."
Curious, Ganyu took the small device and sat down by herself, tapping the screen.
It lit up, displaying a handso wallpaper of Xia Zhi.
This angle… Did the forr Dendro Archon secretly take this photo?
Ganyu thought to herself.
Neither she nor Xia Ci knew that this wallpaper was identical to the one currently displayed on the small device in Fontaine, held in Furina's hands.
Ganyu tapped the screen again.
A lock screen appeared.
It needed a password?
She looked up. "Xia Ci, what's the password?"
"1027."
Ganyu entered the numbers and unlocked the device.
The ho screen displayed a [Gas] icon.
She tapped it, only to find just two simple gas inside: [Tetris] and [Snake].
In the past, Ganyu might have enjoyed them, but now that she had experienced the thrill of AAA gas these primitive gas couldn't hold her interest.
She closed the gas and returned to the ho screen to explore further.
There was a [Music] icon.
She tapped it and found recordings of Xia Zhi and Yun Jin performing opera.
Ganyu already had these recordings—she'd listened to them countless tis.
Next was a [Books] icon.
She tapped it, and a long list of titles appeared on the screen.
Living with My Cousin, My Domineering Cousin, My Cousin is a Fox Spirit, Cousin Conquest…
Dozens of bizarre "cousin-thed" novels!
No need to guess—these were definitely all written by Xia Ci, since this was her device.
Ganyu was stunned.
She randomly opened one.
Then, her face slowly turned red.
What… what kind of writing was this?!
Flustered, Ganyu quickly tapped the screen to exit the scandalous text.
There was nothing else on the ho screen.
She couldn't help but glance at Xia Ci.
Noticing the gaze, Xia Ci looked back. "What? Didn't find anything?"
"No."
"It's all in the [Books] section. There's a lot of interesting stuff, different styles—see what you like."
"..."
Blushing, Ganyu silently handed the device back.
She was in a sensitive state right now—reading that kind of material would only make her feel… uncomfortable.
"Never mind. I'll just go watch my junior sisters play mahjong."
Xia Ci watched Ganyu's retreating figure with amusent and shook her head.
Xia Zhi asked, "What's wrong with Ganyu?"
"Nothing… By the way, why are you calling her just 'Ganyu' now?"
"Calling her 'Miss Ganyu' all the ti felt too formal."
"Fair enough."
---
They played mahjong all afternoon.
Before they knew it, it was ti for dinner again.
Everyone marveled at how quickly ti had passed.
The main reason was that the Serenitea Pot had no sun, making the passage of ti feel vague.
Without the changing light, it was hard to tell how much ti had actually gone by unless they checked a clock.
After a delicious dinner, Xia Ci suggested they all play "Werewold."
This ga relied more on logic and acting than luck, so Ganyu could participate too.
The first few rounds were spent learning the rules, so they weren't too intense.
But once everyone got the hang of it, the real competition began.
Xia Ci, Xia Zhen, and Mada Ping were all old foxes at this ga.
Among the rest, Ying'er turned out to be the most skilled—unsurprising, given her past as the top salesperson at the Scent of Spring. Her eloquence was truly impressive.
After three hours of fun, they took a dip in the artificial hot spring. By then, everyone was feeling drowsy. They bid each other goodnight and returned to their treehouses to rest.
---
Xia Ci went to Xia Zhen's treehouse and tossed her a small bottle of [Essence of Sun and Moon].
Xia Zhen fumbled to catch it, shooting her a reproachful look.
"Be careful! What if it broke?"
"You could just lick it off the floor within three seconds."
"Ugh! Where did you get this one?"
"From our cousin this morning."
"Tch…"
"Jealous?"
"A little."
"I don't need it right now. You can have it. I'm heading back."
"Thanks."
Xia Ci waved and left.
Xia Zhen uncorked the bottle and took a sip of the golden liquid.
Feeling her spirit replenish, she couldn't help but smile in satisfaction.
But the bottle was small—after a few sips, it was empty.
Xia Zhen shook the bottle, frowning.
Not enough.
And relying on her friend's charity like this wasn't sustainable.
She needed a plan.
A way to get more essence from her cousin.
Xia Zhen stared at the empty bottle, lost in thought.
User Comments
0 comments from readers