"Oh, you've arrived."
"Our agreement has been fulfilled. I've found someone who can help you…"
"Someone capable of resolving the problem of the Geo Archon's body being hidden by the Qixing."
As the saying goes, you don't hit someone who greets you with a smile.
Tartaglia greeted the three of them cheerfully.
After that, he nodded toward Qiu Nian as well.
"Good morning, Mr. Tartaglia."
Qiu Nian smiled and nodded in return.
What he wanted was mystery.
Since Tartaglia didn't bring up yesterday's incident, he wouldn't mention it either.
"Looking at the two of you…"
"It really feels like nothing happened yesterday."
Paimon spread her hands and commented.
"Something happened?"
"What are you talking about?"
Tartaglia asked with a puzzled expression.
"Hey, that last line you said before entering the Northland Bank yesterday."
"That was super misleading!"
Lumine placed her hands on her hips and complained.
"Hahaha."
"Just take it as a joke."
Tartaglia laughed it off and waved casually.
"You jerk!"
"Because of that 'joke,' the Traveler and I spent half the day looking for him!"
Paimon looked like she was about to punch him.
"But…"
"By the way, Qiu Nian, where did you go yesterday? The Traveler and I couldn't find you anywhere."
Paimon turned toward him curiously.
"You were looking for me yesterday?"
"After I left you two, I went to the outskirts of Liyue Harbor to enjoy the scenery."
Qiu Nian explained calmly.
"So that's what happened."
"No wonder we couldn't find you…"
Lumine gave him a slightly sarcastic look.
"Alright, everyone, follow me."
"I'll take you to meet the person I mentioned. He's already waiting at Liuli Pavilion."
"I've arranged a meeting… hmm, in this country they call it a banquet."
Tartaglia smiled as he explained.
Soon, the group headed toward Xinyue Pavilion.
At the entrance, two attendants were waiting.
"It is our honor to welcome Lord Childe. Our humble establishment is graced by your presence."
"The private room is ready. Mr. Zhongli is already waiting for the three of you."
The attendants bowed slightly.
One hand rested over their abdomen while the other gestured toward the doorway.
After entering Xinyue Pavilion, they walked down a long corridor.
Private rooms were spaced apart along the left side.
Before long, guided by one of the attendants, they arrived at a particular room.
Inside, Tartaglia greeted the man already seated at the table drinking tea.
The man wore an elegant yet understated suit.
The base color was deep brown, with gold and silver accents tracing the edges.
His entire appearance radiated dignity.
His hair had streaks of amber-orange highlights.
His eyes were striking—at the corner of his eyes was a touch of cinnabar red, like the finishing stroke of a painting.
Within his pupils shimmered two arcs of pale gold, even brighter than the amber glow of Cor Lapis.
His features were refined and handsome.
Both Lumine and Paimon couldn't help but stare for a moment.
But as they kept looking…
They subconsciously began comparing him with Qiu Nian.
Although their styles were completely different—one ancient and elegant, the other modern and refined—
The comparison was inevitable.
Both were undeniably handsome.
Even their height and aura seemed evenly matched.
The livestream chat exploded.
[Even though I saw him during beta, Zhongli is still unbelievably handsome!]
[How can two perfect men exist in the same world?!]
[One wears traditional robes, the other a suit—ancient and modern at the same time. My preferences are ascending to heaven!]
[So handsome…]
[Why am I, a man, drooling over two other men?]
[MiHoYo, give me back my preferences!]
[This cursed charm]
[AHHH I'm going to faint, they're both so handsome!]
Xuehua ignored the chat entirely.
She stared blankly at Zhongli for several seconds.
Then her face suddenly turned red, and she shyly covered it with both hands.
"So handsome… Qiu Nian is handsome too."
"Two husbands!"
"Compared to them, Childe has already faded into the background."
"I've decided to remove Childe from my harem."
"From now on, my harem only has Zhongli and Qiu Nian!"
Tartaglia: So?
At that moment, a comment appeared in chat.
[Wait, weren't you supposed to be a pure-love streamer?]
Xuehua glanced at it and replied seriously,
"Being purely devoted to two men is also a form of pure love. What do you know?"
"I've already abandoned Childe for these two men."
"How much more pure do you want me to be?"
The viewers were left speechless by her outrageous logic.
Meanwhile, Zhongli set down his teacup and gestured for everyone to sit.
Paimon floated beside Lumine.
"…Hmm."
Zhongli looked across the table at Qiu Nian.
His brows furrowed slightly.
At the same time, Qiu Nian rested one hand on his chin.
He also frowned faintly and met Zhongli's gaze with a look of familiarity.
"Yes… that's the look, Morax."
On the surface, Qiu Nian maintained eye contact calmly.
But inside, he was already laughing.
Perfect.
This will make my mysterious image even stronger.
His popularity still hadn't surpassed Zhongli's.
But the gap wasn't that large anymore.
If they exchanged a moment like this—
Maybe even followed by a mutual "Hmm?" of curiosity—
His popularity would skyrocket.
Of course, with his current mindset, he didn't really care much about those things anymore.
Strength, systems, popularity…
None of it truly mattered now.
After all, the background story he had created for himself was absurdly exaggerated.
It even involved three different worlds.
And he had personally lived through every part of it.
More than six thousand years of experiences.
But still—
Life needed some entertainment.
It had been a very long time since he felt this kind of amusement.
Perhaps it was simply the strange hobby of someone who had lived too long.
Just then, the heavy silence in the room was broken.
"Do you two… know each other?"
Tartaglia asked awkwardly while looking at Zhongli and Qiu Nian staring at each other.
"…Hmm."
"Mr. Qiu Nian…"
"I wouldn't say we know each other."
"But he does feel… strangely familiar."
Zhongli shook his head slightly while looking across the table at him.