Hurrying up to the second floor, to the private room on the far right, Yun Jin took a gentle breath to steady her nerves before lightly pushing open the door.
The next moment, she discovered that nearly everyone inside was looking her way at the same time. The girl was startled, and a little surprised.
"I didn't expect everyone to come see my new play. I'm truly honored."
After reacting, Yun Jin first offered a modest remark, then—barely concealing her anticipation—met Luo Li's gaze.
"Mr. Luo Li, how was today's performance?"
"Mm. It leaves one wanting more. At this point, Mr. Yun can already be considered a leading performer."
Given Yun Jin's age, reaching the level of a famous lead so young meant her future prospects were virtually limitless.
It was hard to imagine how far she might ultimately go.
Receiving his praise, Yun Jin beamed with joy.
No matter how others flattered her, nothing compared to a single sentence from Luo Li.
Though they had not known each other long, the girl's fondness for him ran deep.
As the saying went, the depth of feelings had nothing to do with the length of time.
"You flatter me, Mr. Luo Li. Please, just call me Yun Jin. If I have a new play in the future, I hope you'll continue to guide me."
While chatting with Luo Li and the others, Yun Jin greeted everyone in turn.
Paimon said enviously, "Ms. Yun Jin, could I learn too? It was really amazing!"
Lumine shot her a disdainful look. "You? Better forget it."
With such a tiny body, her voice probably wouldn't even carry across the stage.
Paimon was indignant. Even if she knew it herself, there was no need to say it out loud!
Yun Jin laughed softly. "If you want to learn, I can teach you."
"Wouldn't that take a really long time?"
"Mm-hmm. I've trained since childhood and endured a lot of hardship to reach this level."
Paimon smacked her lips. "Then never mind. We're heading to Inazuma in a few days—there's no time."
"That's fine. When you come back to Liyue in the future, I'll perform for you. Since you're all Mr. Luo Li's friends, you're naturally my friends as well."
Her tone was light as she pressed a hand to her chest and smiled.
The gorgeously dressed girl made Lumine and Paimon rather envious.
Her grasp of presence and temperament was simply impeccable.
At this moment, Luo Li spoke up.
"Perfect timing. As a farewell—since we won't be seeing each other for a while—let's have dinner at Wanmin Restaurant later and have Xiangling cook."
Yun Jin blinked in mild confusion. "Eh? Mr. Luo Li, what do you mean…?"
"I'll also be heading to Inazuma with Lumine."
"I see…"
For some reason, Yun Jin looked a little disappointed.
At this moment, she had completely forgotten that the person who first made her happy as an audience member was Zhongli.
But she quickly composed herself and smiled.
"Then I'll go remove my makeup. Please wait a moment."
Before long, Yun Jin returned after changing clothes and removing her stage makeup.
The group then headed together to Wanmin Restaurant.
The opera had lasted over an hour, and it was now close to six in the evening.
Though Wanmin Restaurant couldn't compare to Liuli Pavilion or Xinyue Kiosk in terms of luxury, its inclusive cuisine made it easier to truly enjoy food.
The moment Chef Mao saw the group, he hurriedly called Xiangling out and had her lead Luo Li and the others to a private room.
The energetic girl, Guoba in tow, exclaimed cheerfully, "Why are you all here?!"
She was pleasantly surprised. Her father had originally been cooking today, but with friends visiting, Xiangling decided to take charge herself.
"Have a seat—I'll go help my dad in the kitchen!"
As the group entered the inner room—
To his surprise, Luo Li spotted a familiar face inside.
The handsome young man with a tied braid smiled faintly upon seeing them.
"It seems we share some fate today."
Though he said that, the seven or eight cups already placed in front of Zhongli showed that he had long known they would come.
Luo Li wasn't surprised either. He took the seat opposite him.
"Meeting again like this—after who knows how many years—counts as my belated congratulations."
Zhongli poured wine for Luo Li and Raiden Makoto, then raised a toast.
Their friendship spanned thousands of years. Many things needed no words to be understood.
Having transcended life and death, meeting again was nothing more than a shared smile.
Though many old friends had long been buried by time, the fact that they could still stand in the present world was, in itself, a rare blessing.
Luo Li lightly clinked glasses with him, without saying a word.
After several rounds of drinks, he finally spoke.
"You really picked your timing well."
Over the next three days, he still needed to visit old adeptal friends, introduce his current partner to his ex, and take care of everything before leaving.
For example, Eula and Noelle had been away from Mondstadt for quite some time—it was time for them to return.
As for Shenhe, whom he had agreed to guide, he still needed to finalize her training plan, with Raiden Makoto taking over her cultivation afterward.
Zhongli smiled calmly. "After tinkering with those strange arts alongside you for so long, I've gained some insight."
Once upon a time, Morax had been nothing but a brute, subduing all opposition through force.
Only later did he begin cultivating his temperament, accumulating the wisdom and composure he possessed today.
This also included Luo Li's research into fate, astrology, and other esoteric arts.
After all, being constantly toyed with and feeling like a fool eventually became unbearable, pushing Morax to study all sorts of strange and arcane techniques.
Luo Li couldn't help but laugh heartily. Only with a friend he had known for so long could he be this unguarded.
Beside him, Raiden Makoto quietly poured him more wine, behaving exactly like a virtuous wife.
The others chatted among themselves, occasionally listening to the three recount ancient stories, treating them like gossip.
So many memories, so much reluctance—yet all wrapped within laughter.
At some point, even Guoba gathered around, listening quietly, occasionally letting out a soft gurgle in response.
Four ancient gods, crossing the flow of time, seemed to return to their old days.
Sadly, the past could never truly be reclaimed.
Thus, until the moon climbed the branches, this belated farewell banquet hosted by Zhongli showed no sign of ending.