Looking at the sumptuous spread of meat and seafood before her, Ganyu's expression turned slightly awkward.
The aroma of the dishes was tantalizing, stirring her appetite, but everything laid out was non-vegetarian—and she didn't eat meat.
Smelling the delicious food yet being unable to enjoy it was torture.
"Miss Ganyu, please wait a moment—I'll quickly whip up some vegetarian dishes for you!" Xiangling quickly offered, already rushing to the kitchen with Guoba in tow.
Ganyu didn't visit Chihu Rock often, but as the secretary of Yuehai Pavilion, it only took a single visit for local merchants to memorize her preferences, ensuring they'd have suitable dishes ready next time she stopped by.
Hence, her vegetarian diet was hardly a secret.
Ganyu opened her mouth to insist it wasn't necessary, but Xiangling had already vanished into the kitchen. In the end, she didn't manage to say a word.
"Here, Ganyu, have some snacks," Yaoyao offered sweetly, taking out another piece of dessert to tide Ganyu over until Xiangling's dishes arrived.
"Thank you, Yaoyao."
Ganyu accepted the treat gratefully and began nibbling quietly.
Leaning closer, Jiang Bai whispered to Hu Tao, "Is Miss Ganyu vegetarian?"
"I'm not sure either… Probably?" Hu Tao replied vaguely.
With her keen hearing, Ganyu easily overheard their conversation. Her ears twitched slightly, and she turned curiously to Yaoyao. "Who might these two be?"
Before Yaoyao could reply, Hu Tao enthusiastically introduced herself, "Miss Ganyu has definitely heard of me—even if you haven't met me! I'm Hu Tao, the 77th Director of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor!"
Gesturing toward Jiang Bai, she continued, "And this is our funeral parlor's Soul Ferryman, Jiang Bai."
Realization dawned on Ganyu. She had indeed heard of them before, though her workload had rarely allowed her the luxury of strolling around Liyue Harbor, let alone meeting them.
"It's nice to meet you. I'm Ganyu—please, just call me Ganyu."
"Then we'll gladly take you up on your offer!" Hu Tao responded cheerfully.
Ganyu's eyes curved gently, offering a soft smile.
"Dishes are ready!" After a short bustle in the kitchen, Xiangling returned with several vegetarian dishes.
"Thank you very much." Seeing something she could finally eat, Ganyu's smile grew genuinely warm.
"Oh, that's right—the Rite of Descension is coming up soon. Aren't you busy, Ganyu?" Hu Tao asked curiously.
Given her role as the secretary to the Liyue Qixing, Ganyu was arguably one of the busiest people in the city. Her presence here today was a rare occurrence indeed.
"I'm taking a day off today. I heard Yaoyao was here, so I decided to come pick her up," Ganyu replied softly.
She spoke gently, without any of the pride or arrogance one might expect from someone of her considerable status in Liyue.
"This year, Lady Ningguang is hosting the Rite of Descension. With her assistants helping out, my workload isn't too heavy for now."
"Oh, right! It's already Lady Ningguang's turn to host it? Time really flies…" Hu Tao sighed wistfully.
It felt as though last year's Rite of Descension had happened just yesterday, yet here they were, preparing for another one.
"Yes, time really does fly," Ganyu agreed wholeheartedly.
As someone with adeptus heritage, time truly felt like flowing water to her—passing by swiftly, quietly, yet ceaselessly.
The days she spent assisting Rex Lapis in founding Liyue Harbor seemed as recent as yesterday, yet over three thousand six hundred years had passed since then.
"I've heard that the Fatui are eyeing the power of the Archons. It might be dangerous for Rex Lapis. Miss Ganyu, you should be extra careful."
Even though she'd already mentioned it to Ningguang, Hu Tao couldn't resist bringing it up again upon encountering Ganyu. After all, the Geo Archon's safety was critical for Liyue and its people.
Ganyu glanced at her in surprise, not expecting Hu Tao to be privy to such matters.
But since it had already come up, it clearly wasn't much of a secret anymore.
"I'm aware of it. Ningguang has already arranged surveillance on the Fatui. Thank you for reminding me." Curiosity colored Ganyu's gentle gaze as she asked, "But how exactly did you find out about this?"
It wasn't currently mealtime, so aside from their group, Wanmin Restaurant was empty. Xiangling and Yaoyao were Granny Ping's disciples; among such company, there was no need to hide much.
Xiangling also fixed her gaze on Hu Tao, hearing this for the first time.
"You'll have to ask our Soul Ferryman," Hu Tao pushed Jiang Bai into the spotlight. With everyone's eyes fixed on him, Jiang Bai smiled sheepishly yet warmly.
Hu Tao continued smoothly, "I don't know if you've heard about Mondstadt's dragon incident—he was personally involved. His injuries also came from that event. It's probably best if he explains the details himself."
Scratching his head awkwardly, Jiang Bai decided there was no need to conceal anything and summarized the events concisely, much like what he'd previously recounted at Zhongli's courtyard, albeit somewhat simplified.
After carefully listening to his account, Ganyu pondered thoughtfully for a moment.
"...From what you've said, it seems the Fatui might possess something capable of dealing with Archons."
Having witnessed the Archon War firsthand, she knew very well the true extent of Rex Lapis' strength.
She couldn't believe that a Fatui Harbinger alone could match Rex Lapis in combat.
Yet, if they coveted the Archon's [Gnosis], they wouldn't move without preparation.
Could they be attempting to pressure him into surrendering the [Gnosis]? But how? Perhaps by releasing one of the ancient gods Rex Lapis once sealed?
Yet even if an old god were freed, Rex Lapis could simply reseal them, as he had done before.
Unless… the Fatui planned to unleash all the sealed gods at once, attempting to overwhelm the Geo Archon. But faced with such a threat, Rex Lapis would be even less inclined to hand over his [Gnosis].
Given her unwavering faith in the Geo Archon's abilities, Ganyu found it impossible to envision any scenario in which the Fatui succeeded in obtaining his [Gnosis].
Nonetheless, it was better to remain cautious. She decided she'd dispatch personnel to check on the sealed sites later—just in case.
"Thank you for providing this information," Ganyu sincerely thanked Jiang Bai.
Though Liyue's intelligence had already reported the dragon incident in Mondstadt, they hadn't known all the details—especially those involving sensitive information, such as the Anemo Archon who had reappeared after a thousand-year absence.
"I'm a part of Liyue now. Protecting its peace is the least I can do," Jiang Bai replied modestly, waving off the gratitude.
He sincerely hoped Liyue wouldn't end up as chaotic as Mondstadt. He preferred a stable, peaceful life rather than constant turmoil.
Xiangling silently decided that the next time that Fatui Harbinger came to Wanmin Restaurant, she'd add an extra-large helping of Jueyun Chili to his dish.
She turned to Guoba, determination shining in her eyes. "We'll help protect Liyue too, won't we, Guoba?"
"Lulu~!" Guoba nodded vigorously, claws gleaming sharply.
Exactly! No one was going to disrupt the peace of Liyue on their watch!
"Even though Yaoyao's martial arts aren't very strong yet, Yaoyao will help too!" the little girl chimed in earnestly.
"I deeply appreciate everyone's enthusiasm," Ganyu gently interjected. "I'll definitely let you all know if assistance is needed. But remember—until the Fatui take actual hostile action, they're still officially our allies…"
---
T/N:
"Looks like this is the last day you'll be hearing from me—for now, at least."
"Bonus chapters will be released tomorrow, so if you've been hoarding your patience, you won't have to for much longer."
"If you want to support the translator, there's still Patreon: patreon.com/wisetl. It's optional support—early access is just a side benefit, not an obligation."
"And don't forget the Powerstone deal: every 100 Powerstones = 1 bonus chapter (100ps = 1 chp, 200ps = 2 chp, 300ps = 3 chp, and so on). If you want more chapters after tomorrow… you know what to do."
"If you'd rather talk than throw stones, the Discord is open: discord.gg/wisetl. Go scream, speculate, or bully the translator about cliffhangers there instead of in your heart."
say bye bye and thank you to maomao!!