**Chapter 47: A Good Deed a Day Brings Its Reward**
Three days had passed in the blink of an eye.
News of Jingchen and Yae Miko's upcoming wedding had spread across most of Teyvat.
Jingchen sat by the window, gazing into the distance.
The scenery from Narukami Shrine was truly breathtaking, no matter how many times he saw it.
The azure sea, the bustling streets of Inazuma City, and the faint silhouette of Liyue shrouded in sea mist to the east.
Amidst the ethereal mist, autumn's evening chill began to settle.
If it weren't for Yae Miko's presence, he would have loved to live here with Columbina.
From within the Serenitea Pot, Columbina's voice drifted lazily.
"A'Chen, Ayaka and Yoimiya almost changed their minds."
Jingchen blinked in surprise. Just days ago, they had congratulated him and Columbina, and now they were having second thoughts?
"Huh?! I thought they had let go?"
"Sigh, hearing about your engagement to Yae Miko severely triggered them. They started wondering if they could ascend to immortality too.
If they stopped being human and joined you, they figured they could naturally avoid the Immortal Spirit's curse."
Jingchen fell silent. They wanted to become Immortal Spirits too?! No way! They'd even abandon their humanity for him?
"What's their situation now?"
"I managed to calm them down, using a mix of coaxing and deception."
"That's good to hear."
"By the way, A'Chen, do Kamisato Ayaka and Yoimiya's families worry about them?"
"Yoimiya has been traveling and exploring for so long that her uncle has naturally grown accustomed to it. As for Ayaka, I've secretly asked Liudashika to inform Ayato that I'll be taking care of her for a while, so he can rest assured."
Columbina yawned softly, stretching languidly.
"Why hasn't Yae Miko contacted you these past few days?"
"She's been busy writing wedding invitations, arranging for other little foxes to deliver them, and briefly reconciling with Watatsumi Island. She's been quite occupied."
"Oh, do your Master and the others know about this?"
"Well... they probably do by now."
Columbina smiled faintly. If Cloud Retainer already knew, the others in Liyue would naturally find out as well.
*I really want to see them all storm into Inazuma, furious and ready to crash the wedding, only for me to swoop in and steal the bride, pulling off a grand reversal.*
*Yae Miko, Ningguang, Keqing, and all those who once rejected my Jingchen—I'll make them pay this time.*
Columbina yawned again.
For the past few nights, she had been in the Serenitea Pot, her eyes wide open, staring intently at Jingchen's surroundings.
Columbina feared Yae Miko's attacks even more than Jingchen did.
Hearing Columbina's slightly weary and sleepy voice, Jingchen couldn't help but ask, "Aya, what's wrong?"
Columbina paused, then hurriedly explained, "A'Chen, I... I'm fine. I've just been a bit tired lately, taking care of Ayaka and Yoimiya."
"Then you should rest."
"Yae Miko... that sly fox is coming. You won't... you won't have any trouble on your own, will you?"
"Liudashika will be with her. She wouldn't dare get handsy with me in front of outsiders."
"Alright then, I'll take a nap."
"Mm."
Just as Columbina's voice faded away, a peculiar cat suddenly appeared.
This cat had two tails. Jingchen immediately recognized it as a youkai from Inazuma, yet he also felt like he'd seen it somewhere before.
*Kirara?!* No, she rarely showed her true form to people. She usually just appeared as a normal delivery box.
"Are you Kirara?!"
"Meow?!"
"Speak human language!"
"Mew?!"
Kirara instantly transformed into her human form, her cat-like eyes gleaming with an unusual light as she smiled.
"It's been ten years, benefactor."
"Benefactor?!"
Jingchen strained his memory, trying to recall if he had ever saved Kirara a decade ago.
*Ah, not another Changsheng situation, is it?* But no matter how hard he racked his brain, he couldn't remember anything about Kirara.
During his time as Vice Priest of Narukami Shrine in Inazuma, Jingchen had come to believe that all living things possessed a spirit. In his spare time, he often helped small animals, feeding them or tending to their injured wings and paws. Whether they swam in the sea, flew in the sky, or roamed the Byakko Plain as foxes, or were stray cats and dogs in Inazuma City, he had always offered his aid.
*Hmm, it seems I was quite kind back then.*
"Benefactor?! What's wrong?"
"Kirara, I honestly can't remember ever saving you."
Hearing this, Kirara didn't get angry. Instead, she replied with innocent sincerity:
"Ten years ago, during a cold autumn, I hadn't yet transformed into a powerful *nekomata*. I was just an ordinary cat, being chased by three vicious dogs. It was you, benefactor, who drove them away. Then you took me back to Narukami Shrine and cared for me for several months. I only left in the spring of the following year."
Jingchen sighed inwardly. This kind of thing had happened more than once before, but Kirara was likely just another cat among many.
"So, why are you here?"
"Benefactor, I've been working at Komaniya delivering packages these past years and saved up some Mora."
Kirara handed Jingchen a large bag of Mora, then asked timidly, "Benefactor, can I... can I~?!"
Jingchen was dumbfounded. Kirara's thought process seemed even more bizarre than Yae Miko's.
***
"Big Chuchu is sick, Second Chuchu~"
Hu Tao skipped down the street, humming the Chuchu ballad cheerfully.
Passersby murmured around her.
"Have you heard? One of our former Seven Stars is marrying into Narukami Shrine in Inazuma."
"Oh, oh, oh! I know, I know! I heard it's even~"
Because of Jingchen, Hu Tao was particularly interested in the term "Seven Stars."
In a flash, she appeared behind the two men.
Just as one of them was about to finish his sentence, he suddenly found himself unable to speak.
"Hmm? What were you saying?"
"Hall Master Hu? Wait, my throat—ah! It's haunted!"
The two men fled in panic. Hu Tao stood with her hands on her hips, staring after them in confusion.
"Strange... Am I really that scary? I'm just a quirky, petite little Hall Master!"
She approached another group, hoping to continue gathering information about the former Seven Star's upcoming marriage to Yae Miko.
No matter how Hu Tao pressed them, they would suddenly lose their voices, claiming the place was haunted.
"Aiya, what's going on?! Is it really haunted today?! Xiao You, come out!"
A cute, white ghost yawned as it floated out from Hu Tao's sleeve.
"Xiao You, are you involved in this?"
Xiao You innocently shook its head, secretly glancing into the distance.
Hu Tao immediately followed Xiao You's gaze, but found no one there.
"Strange... Oh well, let's head back to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor."
Zhongli calmly sipped his tea, determined to keep Hu Tao from learning about Jingchen. He had deliberately silenced the gossiping crowd, temporarily stripping them of their voices.
He knew he couldn't keep the truth from Hu Tao forever, but delaying it until after the so-called engagement ended would be enough.
*Ah, I have no interest in worldly affairs, only a desire for retirement and peace.*
*Yet here I am, still looking after Hu Tao. I should have sealed Jingchen in Liyue back then and made him wait until she came of age.*
............
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(End of Chapter)