The next day.
Lin Qiu crawled out of bed, tidied himself up, and headed out to beg... no, to make some money.
After all, he was flat broke now. If he didn't beg... didn't earn some cash, he'd starve to death in Fontaine.
Sure, he could mooch meals off Charlotte, but he couldn't do that every day. He still needed to make his own money.
And Lin Qiu's way of making money was simple: two words—fortune-telling.
Near the market, Lin Qiu set up a little stall. He didn't put anything out except a flag planted beside him that read "Fortune-Telling." Actually, in the bottom left corner of the flag, there were three tiny words: "Results not guaranteed."
As for himself, he wore sunglasses, sat on a small stool, stroked his nonexistent beard, and struck the pose of a half-immortal sage.
"Fortune-telling. Specially accurate fortunes."
Lin Qiu didn't actually know how to fortune-tell, but it didn't matter. Most people came for readings on their studies, love lives, or careers—they were just lost in their hearts and needed someone to give them the push to keep going.
And if he ran into someone who really needed help, Lin Qiu could just refuse the business and say, "Heaven's secrets cannot be revealed," sending them to find a real expert.
Rather than calling Lin Qiu a fortune-teller, it was more accurate to say he was a motivational coach.
Surprisingly, his little stall was a hit. People strolled by, paused, and soon a crowd gathered to watch, but no one stepped up for a reading.
Most were just curious. Fontaine had fortune-tellers too, though they called them diviners and used crystal balls.
They'd never seen a Liyue-style fortune-teller like Lin Qiu who used absolutely nothing, so they crowded around to gawk.
But the onlookers didn't quite believe in Lin Qiu's skills yet, so no one came forward to patronize him.
"Please don't all crowd here."
"Please maintain order."
Two voices rang out as a pair of figures in Security Team uniforms dispersed the crowd.
Lin Qiu had picked a spot on the street near the market, not inside it. Traffic was heavy here, and the gathering crowd had caused a bit of a jam, which was why the Security Team showed up.
"It's Mr. Lin Qiu?" Xie Ni recognized the "culprit" behind the blockage.
"Hello, Miss Xie Ni." Lin Qiu nodded.
"This is Mr. Lin Qiu, a novelist who just arrived in Fontaine. He's... an acquaintance of Miss Charlotte's." Xie Ni introduced him to her senior, Freyris.
"This is my senior, Freyris. He's a genius, you know."
Hm? That introduction sounds awfully familiar. Am I imagining things?
Lin Qiu felt like this scene had happened yesterday. Was this some endless August loop?
"Hello, hello." The two exchanged greetings and got acquainted.
Once acquainted, Freyris went back to dispersing the crowd, while Xie Ni handled the talk with Lin Qiu.
"We're acquaintances and all, but please apply for a permit before setting up your stall next time. You need to do it in an approved spot." Xie Ni rubbed her forehead.
Seeing the "offender" was someone she knew left her a bit helpless.
"Sorry, I'm not familiar with the rules." Lin Qiu apologized sincerely.
He hadn't expected to cause trouble for an acquaintance on his second day here.
"I understand. I'm not blaming you, but rules are rules, Mr. Lin Qiu. This is a fineable offense." Xie Ni put on her official face.
She was Security Team, after all. She couldn't openly cover for him.
"Ah? A fine!?" Lin Qiu wilted like an eggplant hit by frost.
He hadn't made a single mora, and now he had to pay a fine? Now he really couldn't afford food.
*Gurgle~*
Right on cue, Lin Qiu's stomach growled.
"Mr. Lin Qiu, you haven't had breakfast?" Xie Ni asked.
"Yeah, I just rented a place, and I'm out of money for food." Lin Qiu told the truth.
Xie Ni thought for a moment, then her eyes lit up.
Worried Freyris might overhear, she whispered, "Even for fortune-telling, does my senior have what it takes to invent a breakfast-making machine?"
The question left Lin Qiu baffled. What kind of fortune was this?
But business was business, so he recalled Freyris's character.
This guy wasn't a real genius—he just acted like one. His colleagues all saw through it, but they played along because Xie Ni still believed he was.
Actually, Xie Ni had known for ages he wasn't, but she never called him out. She'd deliberately ask tough questions, watch his reactions, and drop hints at the right moments—for fun.
The more he recalled, the more Lin Qiu wanted to jump off a building. He stopped reminiscing and answered, "He can't invent it."
"Is that so? Hehe." Xie Ni grinned slyly.
It matched what she'd guessed. She asked Lin Qiu partly to confirm and partly to help him out.
"Senior Freyris, how about a bet? On whether a genius like you can invent a breakfast-making machine."
"If you can't, you'll make my breakfast from now on—personally."
Freyris agreed. As a "genius," how could he admit he couldn't?
"?"
Dude, I'm starving here, and you're feeding me dog food?
What good does that do? Does it fill my stomach? I...
"Mr. Lin Qiu, I'll use the fortune-telling fee to cover your fine. You don't have to pay it."
I... thank you. You're feeding me well! I love this stuff—got me shipping you two now.
"Mr. Lin Qiu, no fine, but you still need to pack up soon. I'll help you apply for a stall permit. Set up again after that."
"Sure." Lin Qiu nodded. No fine, and she'd handle the permit too? What a good soul. Wishing you two a baby soon.
After Xie Ni and Freyris left, Lin Qiu packed his things to go.
Not much to pack: the flag, the stool under his butt, and a folding chair for customers.
Just then, a blonde girl stood before him.
Golden locks paired with an intricately designed luxurious dress, a fancy hat on her head, and a gem-and-bow-adorned umbrella on her wrist—she truly lived up to the word "lady."
Seeing her, Lin Qiu blurted out a name. "Navia?"
"Oh? As expected of a fortune-teller master. You even know my name." Navia wore sunglasses, hiding her eyes, but her lips curved up. She seemed pleased.
Maybe thrilled her fame had spread to out-of-towners.
"Ah? What name? I was asking, who might you be?" Lin Qiu played dumb on purpose.
'#!'
'Emotion Value gained: 100'
'Emotion source: Navia'
'Emotion content: He used my name for a lame joke!'
Navia was furious. She could tell he'd called her name, but now he was playing coy and turning it into a pun.
"Pfft..." Silver, following behind Navia, couldn't hold it in.