Heyu Tea House
Walking up the steps, Bonanus glanced at the sun in the sky. She shielded her eyes with her paw, blocking the harsh rays.
She hadn't noticed it inside the room, but out here, it was quite hot. Uncomfortable, really.
At this time of day, Ms. Yun probably wouldn't be performing anyway. Bonanus thought to herself.
"I'll only know if I go see."
Bonanus said to herself, hands on her hips. If she didn't get to see anyone today, she could only blame herself for poor timing.
In the middle of the day, most people would be resting, except for those working hard to make a living.
Not that it was a big deal. They lived in the same nation. If not today, then next time.
She let out a soft breath and shifted her gaze from the sun to the burly men passing by.
These men were probably porters, carrying large and small boxes.
There were quite a few of them, all with muscular arms. They were clearly laborers accustomed to heavy lifting.
"So strong."
Bonanus glanced at their muscles, then at her own, and quickly concluded: No comparison.
She was so skinny. These porters could probably knock her out with a single punch. Of course, that was if she were an ordinary girl.
She stepped aside to make way for them.
As they passed by, Bonanus could feel the heat radiating from their bodies.
Sweat dripped from their heads onto the ground. Clearly, what they were carrying was very heavy.
The porters were extremely focused, afraid of dropping and breaking the contents of the boxes.
Watching them, Bonanus felt a little puzzled. She was a whole adeptus standing right here, and they didn't even notice her!
What was in those boxes? Gold?
She shook her head. Whatever it was, it wasn't her concern.
As long as it wasn't something that could harm Liyue, it didn't matter.
With that thought, she continued climbing the stairs.
Along the way, besides the porters, she also spotted security guards. They stood with their arms crossed, looking very serious.
In front of them were reporters holding pens and paper. Their faces looked anxious as they kept repeating themselves.
"Just let us in! The people of Liyue need to see how hard Ms. Yun works!"
"Ms. Yun's dedication deserves to be seen by everyone!"
The reporters kept saying the same things over and over, annoying the security guards.
The guards rubbed their ears and closed their eyes. They didn't make any aggressive moves. They weren't about to give these reporters a story about guards attacking the press.
They never showed friendly faces to these reporters.
But they also wouldn't physically remove them. If they did, the reporters would spin the story however they wanted.
If these reporters reported the truth, the guards' boss would probably let them in. But clearly, that wasn't the case.
These so-called reporters loved to add fabricated details to their stories just to grab attention.
...
Seeing this scene, Bonanus frowned. She never had a good impression of such reporters.
In her previous life, she lived in a massive internet era.
As a homebody, she had seen plenty of manipulated and edited news stories.
In the world of journalism, there were all kinds of people. If it made money, they would paint a white person black.
They never cared about others' feelings. Only themselves. Slander was their specialty. Fake news was their favorite.
In front of such people, a single sentence could be twisted into a hundred different meanings. Disgusting.
Of course, there were also good journalists. The ones who reported the truth and brought real information to the people.
After all, the world wasn't all bad.
"What's going on here?" Bonanus stepped forward and asked, looking at the tall guard.
The guard, initially annoyed, thought another reporter was trying to bait him.
But that feeling quickly vanished when he recognized the person before him. His expression turned respectful.
Wow, an adeptus! Why was an adeptus here?
"It's you, Lady Bonanus! Do you need something here?" The guard looked at her with admiration. She was his idol! The legendary leader of the Yakshas!
Though the young Conqueror of Demons was also strong, this gentle adeptus was clearly more popular among the people.
"Nothing much. I just came to drink some tea and listen to some opera. But it seems I came at the wrong time." Bonanus said calmly, glancing at the suddenly silent reporters. She found it amusing.
Why did they stop talking the moment she showed up?
Oh, right. She remembered. These mortals were superstitious. Many believed that lying or speaking ill in front of an adeptus would bring bad luck.
So they shut up immediately when they saw her. They weren't even trying to hide it.
"I'm sorry, but Ms. Yun is currently practicing. This isn't the time for performances." The guard said sheepishly.
"See? It's not open yet. No one should disturb someone who's working hard. You can all leave now, right?" Bonanus said with a kind smile.
The reporters exchanged glances, gritted their teeth, and sighed reluctantly.
They were just looking for scoops, hoping to make it big. Picking a fight with an adeptus was something they wouldn't do even in their next life.
With that, the group of reporters shuffled away without a word, leaving no complaints.
Watching them leave, Bonanus was amazed.
Reporters were usually persistent. She hadn't expected it to be this easy.
A few casual words and they all scattered. Was this one of the perks of being an adeptus?
She was pleasantly surprised. She had honestly expected one of them to challenge her, leading to a classic "adeptus vs. reporter" showdown.
"Thank you so much, Lady Bonanus, for helping us out." The guard said happily. With the reporters gone, their jobs would be much easier.
The other guards also gathered around. This was their first time talking to an adeptus. They had to get a few words in and soak up some good fortune!
"Lady Bonanus! Can I ask you a few questions?"
"It's my first time being this close to an adeptus!"
Looking at the guards swarming her with questions, Bonanus's smile stiffened. Great. The reporters left, and now a new batch of "reporters" had arrived.
"Alright, you're not reporters. It's best not to ask too much about an adeptus's affairs." Bonanus said flatly, hands on her hips.