Genshin Impact: Watch me turn the tables and kill my servants at the start!

Yakoda O_O: Ah! Really?

When Fanes led Yakoda out of the Northern Bank, the chubby guy behind them followed. The heavy armored figure, a stony gray, struggled to squeeze through the not-so-wide doorway, its voice muffled beneath its helmet.

"My lord, let me lead the way! I know Liyue Harbor well! Crescent Moon Pavilion is over there, it'll take about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn!"

Fanes looked up at him. Although the fat man was much shorter than when he was standing, he still looked like a shrunken fortress.

Fanes thought about it and decided that having a local acquaintance guide him was definitely better than wandering around aimlessly on his own. Besides, the chubby guy seemed kind and easy to get along with, and he'd have someone to talk to along the way. So he nodded: "Okay, you lead the way."

Shui Pang stood up with a cheerful grin—the process of standing up was quite impressive, with a series of creaking sounds coming from the joints of his armor—and then strode towards the alley to the left.

Fanes and Jakoda followed behind, and Jakoda whispered, "Boss, he seems very happy."

Fanes lowered his voice as well: "Taking care of children is easier than going on missions, I'd be happy if I were in their shoes."

Shui Pang walked ahead with a brisk pace, although to onlookers his "brisk pace" was just moving step by step, but his speed was indeed not slow.

After winding along the cobblestone streets of Liyue Harbor, passing through several bustling market streets, and crossing a stone bridge, a grand restaurant comes into view.

The three-story wooden building, with its upturned eaves, has a black plaque with gold lettering hanging above the entrance—"New Moon Pavilion." The aroma of food wafts from inside, mingled with the laughter and chatter of diners; just by smelling it, you know the food here is definitely not cheap.

Fanes took a deep breath and stepped inside first. The waiter's gaze lingered for a moment on Fanes' overcoat, clearly a style for late winter, but his professional smile remained unchanged: "Please come in, esteemed guests! There are still seats available in the window seats!"

The VIP seat was indeed in a good location; opening the window revealed a view of Liyue Harbor's cityscape and the distant, layered green mountains. Fanes climbed onto the chair and sat down, with Akoda beside him, her legs dangling in the air, swinging back and forth, her starry eyes shining like two little lanterns.

Shui Pang sat down opposite him—or rather, he sank into the chair. The mahogany chair groaned under his weight, so he had to move the chair back to a position that wouldn't crush it before carefully taking off his helmet and placing it on the corner of the table.

Beneath the helmet was a round, chubby face, the skin slightly red from the helmet's heat. His features were solid and honest, the kind of person who always had a smile on his face. He grinned at Fanes and Yakoda, "Order whatever you like, sirs! It's on me!"

Fanes glanced at the menu, then closed it again. The menu names were like gibberish to him—"Liyue Three Delicacies," "Golden Shrimp Balls," "Matsutake Stewed Chicken"—he couldn't decipher what they were just by looking at the words. He simply tossed the menu aside and waved it away.

"Waiter! Bring one of each of your restaurant's signature dishes!"

The waiter paused for a moment, then asked, "Sir, one of each... please?"

"Yes, bring as many varieties as you can."

(Water Fatty's inner thoughts: That's it, I'll never get a salary in my life!)

After confirming he hadn't misheard, the waiter turned and ran towards the kitchen. Yakoda, leaning on the edge of the table, her eyes sparkling, asked, "Boss, what are we going to do with all this food?"

"We can pack up any leftovers. Anyway, the Northern Bank definitely has a refrigerator... no, a freezer." Fanes said confidently.

Shui Pang rubbed his hands together, his round face beaming with an ever-widening smile. He glanced back at the kitchen, then turned back and spoke to Fanes in a low voice.

"My lord, to be honest, I've been stationed in Liyue for half a year, and this is the first time I've ever been to a place like Crescent Moon Pavilion. Usually, when I'm on a mission, I just squat by the roadside eating dry rations. I've never had this kind of treatment before."

Fanes slapped the table: "Don't worry, you'll have plenty of good days ahead if you follow me. I may not have any other skills, but I'm good at freeloading."

When the dishes were served, Yakoda's eyes nearly popped out.

Starting with the first plate of golden, crispy shrimp balls, the dishes kept coming. Steamed Liyue sea bass, braised pork ribs in a rich, dark sauce, the aroma of matsutake mushroom and chicken soup filling the room when the lid was lifted, and a beautifully presented assorted platter that looked like a work of art. In the end, the table was too full, and the waiter had to move a small table next to it to barely arrange all the dishes.

Yakoda had never seen anything like this before. Holding her chopsticks, she didn't know where to start. Her starry eyes scanned the food around three or four times before she finally picked up a piece of golden shrimp and stuffed it into her mouth. Her cheeks bulged, and after chewing a couple of times, she was completely stunned.

"Boss—this is delicious!"

Fanes picked up a piece and tasted it himself. Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, the shrimp meat was sweet and bouncy—definitely a million times better than all the black bread he'd eaten in his six years in Fontainebleau combined. He nodded, then picked up a piece of braised pork ribs and stuffed it into his mouth. Suddenly, he felt that the Ice Queen's words, "Just being alive is enough," were absolutely true. What's the point of living if you don't eat well?

Fatty Shui had completely let loose. His gloved hands clumsily tried several times to pick up a piece of fish, but when he put it in his mouth, his expression was one of pure joy.

He ate quickly and voraciously, his cheeks bulging even more round than Jakoda's, clearly showing he'd been craving this dish for a while. Watching him eat, Fanes silently labeled this chubby guy: a glutton. A true glutton.

The fact that he could grow to this size under the conditions of the Fools' diet shows that his love for food has surpassed all professional qualities.

The meal took a full hour. Yakoda went from initial excitement to later satisfaction, and finally slumped back in her chair, patting her stomach. She looked like a well-fed kitten, curled up in the chair with her eyes half-closed and her goggles askew to one side of her neck.

After stuffing the last piece of matsutake mushroom into his mouth, Shui Pang leaned back in his chair with a happy smile on his round face.

After a satisfying meal, Fanes let out a contented burp and prepared to call the waiter for the bill. He reached into his vest pocket—empty. He reached into his coat pocket—still empty. He looked down and searched carefully, finally pulling out a solitary Mora in the corner of each pocket, probably not even enough to pay for a cup of tea.

Fanes looked up at the mess of cups and plates on the table, then at the three people sitting opposite him—two adults and one child—and remained silent for a moment.

"Um... about this bill..."

The waiter deftly handed over a bill covered in densely packed numbers. Fanes took it and glanced at it; there were so many zeros at the end that he almost couldn't count them all. He took a deep breath, flipped the bill over and then back over again, finally sighing resignedly.

"Can this bill be charged to my Northern Bank account?"

The waiter paused for a moment, then said, "Northern Bank? Sir, you are...?"

"I am the twelfth seat of the Fools."

Fanes took out the silver-white executive badge and showed it to him. The waiter's expression changed from "What's going on?" to "I see," and then from "I see" to "Okay, okay," nodding repeatedly: "Sure, sure! The Northern Bank has a cooperative relationship with our restaurant, you can just sign it!"

Fanes took the pen and signed his name at the bottom of the bill with a flourish—his hand was trembling slightly as he signed, after all, this was the largest bill he had ever signed in his two lifetimes.

After signing, he put the pen on the table, picked up Yakoda who was slumped over next to him, and called to Shui Pang to walk out together.

As Fanes pushed open the door of Crescent Moon Pavilion, he was still basking in the euphoria of "I just had a royal meal and didn't even pay a penny." In such a good mood, he walked too fast and, not looking where he was going as he turned the corner, bumped into someone with a thud.

Fanes steadied himself and looked up. Standing before him was a tall, handsome young man with dark brown hair, amber eyes, and wearing a well-tailored dark robe with an exquisite dragon-shaped jade pendant pinned to his collar.

His posture was composed and unhurried, his refined demeanor like that of a figure stepping out of a traditional Chinese ink painting. He didn't even frown after being bumped, but simply looked down slightly at the child who had bumped into him, asking gently, "Young friend, are you hurt?"

The moment Fanes looked up and saw that face clearly, he felt his heart skip a beat.

Zhong Li.

Morax.

Rock god.

A series of memories from his past life about this god flashed through Fanes' mind—his lifespan of over six thousand years, the rock spear that suppressed sea beasts, the legend of Lonely Cloud Pavilion, and those fan-made explanations that "although Morax has relinquished his divine position, his combat power still crushes everything."

At this moment, the living, breathing Geo Archon was looking down at him, his amber eyes filled with a hint of doubt and concern, waiting for his answer.

Fanes' mind raced for three seconds. Then he took a deep breath and used all his acting skills to switch his expression from "Holy crap, Morax" to "a kid who's a little embarrassed after bumping into someone," and bowed properly.

"Excuse me, I bumped into you! I wasn't watching where I was going! I'm so sorry!"

Zhongli's lips curved slightly, a small but gentle smile: "It's alright, young friend, just watch your step."

After Zhongli finished speaking, he turned and walked into the gate of Xinyue Pavilion. The hem of his robe brushed slightly across the threshold, and he disappeared like a quiet breeze.

Fanes stood there, a thin layer of sweat already forming on his back. He took Jakoda's hand and quickly left the doorway, walking three blocks before turning into a quiet alley to catch his breath.

Yakoda looked up at him, her starry eyes blinking twice, and whispered, "Boss, was that person just now the Rock God?"

Fanes suddenly looked down at her, his expression like a cat whose tail had been stepped on: "What the hell? Are you cheating? How did you know just by looking at me?"

Yakoda tilted her head, causing her cat-ear hat to sway, and her goggles hit the brim with a thud. She started analyzing, counting on her fingers.

"Boss, have you forgotten? We've only been in Liyue for two days. Generally speaking, the first person you meet when you arrive in a new place is usually someone special. And when that person was standing at the entrance of Crescent Moon Pavilion, everyone around him deliberately avoided him. Although it wasn't obvious, I could tell. The most important thing is that after you bumped into him, you froze completely. I could feel your heart beating at least three times faster when I held you around the waist."

After Yakoda finished speaking, she tilted her head back, waiting for feedback. Her eyes sparkled, and she had a smug look on her face that said, "I'm so smart, aren't I?"

Fanes stared at her for a long time, opened his mouth, then closed it again, finally uttering only one sentence: "Holy crap, that's awesome."