Genshin Impact's Sweet and Hard Free People

"I won't sell it for any price!" Before Ying could even speak, Paimon's exasperated voice rang out. As she spoke, she stamped her foot in frustration and then put her little hands on her hips in mid-air.

"Hahaha, I'm a bit short on cash lately, so I really can't afford to pay that price. After all, I'm just an ordinary businessman, and I don't deal in rare and exotic treasures." The shopkeeper was quite easygoing and laughed heartily.

“...Your tone sounds suspicious,” Paimon thought to himself.

"Don't say that, little one, do you want some candy?" The shopkeeper chuckled.

“I think this person can be trusted!” Paimon’s expression changed instantly.

She placed her small hands at her sides and looked at Ying with a serious expression.

As expected of Painmon...

Ying was exasperated. What could she do? This guy loved to eat so much, even though she was still within the emergency food category…

"By the way, you guys came to Liyue for the Lantern Festival, right? Hehe, this year's Lantern Festival is going to be spectacular! The Floating Stone used to make the giant lanterns float is the largest one in twenty years. It's so big that it makes you think of the floating cities in the clouds from mythology..."

"That sounds amazing!" Paimon exclaimed, kicking his legs and looking on with longing.

A floating city in the clouds is a very dreamlike thing.

"Hahaha, see you again someday. Welcome to Liyue—this doesn't represent Liyue Harbor, but my little shop will always welcome you..."

Ying truly felt the warmth and enthusiasm of the people of Liyue. It's a happy thing that everyone is doing their best for this shared festival.

In particular, you can better enjoy the joy and relaxation it brings when you immerse yourself in this atmosphere.

Making a lantern shouldn't take too much effort, right? Ying thought.

Ying didn't know that it was this simple thought that would make her realize her own youth...

Inside the Yiyu Pavilion, when Xin Hui had been working overtime for several days and was finally about to finish making all the dresses, he couldn't help but feel relieved.

Three men's suits are still needed.

That's simple enough; making men's formal wear isn't this complicated. However, the previous batch of fabric had already run out; even he hadn't expected his tailoring to be so wasteful of fabric.

Too much material was used for the edges and corners of the main women's dresses.

Looking at those exquisite dresses, Xin Hui even felt a little reluctant to let them gather dust and wanted to send them to Lady Ning Guang as soon as possible.

Now, all they can do is wait for the next batch of fabric to arrive. With nothing else to do, Xinhui was preparing to go out for a walk and experience the local customs and culture of Liyue.

However, before they even stepped out the door, a familiar figure in purple came to greet them, accompanied by an elderly man with a white beard.

It is Ke Qing and Ke Yun.

"It's Elder Yun and... Lord Yuheng! This humble shop is truly honored to have such an honor today!"

Regardless of the reason for their visit, Xinhui did not skimp on the proper etiquette.

"Why are you still calling me 'Lord Yuheng'? Ah Qing?" Ke Yun immediately became unhappy upon hearing Xin Hui's address, and looked at Ke Qing with some accusation. He probably thought that it was Ke Qing's "pride" that caused the two of them to still seem distant.

"They risked their lives to save you, can't Xiaoxin call you more affectionately?"

In Ke Yun's opinion, Ke Qing is a good person in every way. It's just that she was affected by the family's struggles when she was young, which made her taciturn and not value relationships. Otherwise, she would be a respectable young lady.

"Xiao Xin, you can just call me A Qing, just like me."

This... Elder Yun is really decisive. How come I never noticed before? He was so amiable when we played chess, and I didn't know his identity back then. He was very casual in his conversations.

There was nothing he could do; even Ke Qing couldn't handle Elder Yun. Xin Hui could only invite the two of them inside.

Once everyone was seated, Keyun began to explain his purpose.

"Xiao Xin, I mainly want to thank you for going to the snow mountain to find A Qing without hesitation. Therefore, I invite you to visit our Ke family."

“Grandfather!” Ke Qing expressed her strong dissatisfaction after he said that.

Why are we visiting the Ke family? Didn't we say on the way that we were going to take Xinhui to Wanmintang to thank him? That's why Keqing agreed to come here with her grandfather.

Didn't Grandfather know that he hated those "family members"?

However, Xinhui ultimately agreed, not for any particular reason, but because Keqing had already informed him beforehand. Besides, he figured that Keqing had made thorough preparations before inviting him, and he felt it would be impolite to refuse.

"Alright, let's set the date for tonight. Our family welcomes you to the banquet."

Before leaving, Ke Yun deliberately slipped Xin Hui a delicate little wooden box, his expression particularly mysterious.

"Give this to Keqing tonight, she'll definitely like it." As she turned around, she gave him a thumbs-up while making a fist.

Who are you? Selling your granddaughter?

Xin Hui was very puzzled. He went back to the desk, loosened the clasp of the box, and opened it.

Inside lay an exquisite hairpin.

As for how exquisite it is, just look at its materials and appearance and you'll understand.

The hairpin itself, made of magic crystal ore, star silver ore, and some unknown but absolutely precious metals, would probably shimmer at night because of the materials, and even during the day, the sunlight it casts would be incredibly dreamlike.

In terms of craftsmanship, Xinhui believed that his skills in making clothes were also excellent, but even he had to admit the luster and smoothness of this hairpin.

Xinhui suddenly remembered something else.

He had heard that some ignorant people had made fun of Keqing's hairpin, saying it was a bit old and not in good condition. At this moment, she not only didn't get angry, but also acted with exceptional pride.

"Its weathered appearance is its most charming feature."

Ke Qing usually answers people like this.

I guess Master Yun thought Keqing's hairpin was too old, otherwise he wouldn't have specially gotten a matching hairpin, right?

Thinking of this, Xinhui couldn't help but smile bitterly.

Elder Yun, are you really going to try and match me up with Ke Qing like this?

That's really too kind of you.

Chapter Seventeen: Only Your Stay

"Oh, isn't this Boss Xinhui? What's up? Is the dress finished? Or are you missing someone again?!" Ying'er's boldness gave Xinhui a fright.

I really want to gag her so that others won't misunderstand.

"Tell me, what do you need me to do this time?" Ying'er saw his calm expression and knew she couldn't tease Xinhui today.

“Be serious from now on. Why do you always make me sound like your lover? I came here today to ask Ying’er if you have any presentable gifts to give her.” Xin Hui cleared his throat. He originally wanted to lecture Ying’er, but he realized that he had almost gone off-topic.

"Oh, which girl did you give it to this time? Those crystal shoes last time cost 20 Mora, I was really heartbroken about it..."

"A gift... I actually have one here, but you have to tell me first who you want it for?" Ying'er was not willing to give up such a gossipy opportunity.

Xinhui thought about it and agreed. He didn't hide anything and simply told Ying'er what had happened.

Immediately following was Ying'er's surprised exclamation.

"What?! You're going to give a gift to Lord Yuheng?!"

"Shh~" Xin Hui quickly told her to shush, afraid that others would hear. "To be precise, it's a gift for the Ke family."

"I understand, I understand." Ying'er rolled her eyes at him slightly, then rummaged through the drawers and found a box.

Seeing that the box was somewhat worn, Xinhui couldn't help but want to complain.

"What do you know? Good products don't care about fancy packaging. It's the same principle as good wine needing no bush. Relax, this is some really good stuff..."

"..."

Everyone says that the major families in Liyue are incredibly powerful and have extraordinary status. Xinhui hadn't taken it seriously before, but it wasn't until he stood in the magnificent pavilion of the Ke family that he realized what it meant to be short-sighted.

A building even more extravagant than the Moonsea Pavilion, built against the mountain, and the vast land enclosed by its fence—in Liyue, where land is incredibly valuable, perhaps only a real estate tycoon like Ke Yun could accomplish such a feat.

It is indeed true that Liyue is the place where all wealth is accumulated.

"Welcome, Xinhui. On behalf of the Ke family, I thank you for everything you have done for Aqing."

Although Ke Yun spoke sincerely and was very friendly, apart from Ke Qing and her grandson and servants, the other members of the Ke family did not seem to be interested in him after meeting him.

There was absolutely no sign of welcome.

He couldn't stand this kind of atmosphere. He had even changed into formal attire to try and make a good impression on the Ke family, but now it seemed that some people weren't buying it.

In addition, he also heard sarcastic and harsh words such as, "That girl, Ah Qing, I'm not saying this to be mean, but girls like her who show their faces in public are bound to get into trouble sooner or later."

What kind of family member would say something like that? They must be an enemy!

Xin Hui felt the infighting and power struggles within the large family, and the feeling was truly nauseating.

However helpless he was, he still had to give Elder Yun face. He couldn't just flip the table if he was in a bad mood while asking for a meal, could he?

The banquet, especially since it was a craftsman's creation, was naturally a lavish affair.

A large table of delicious dishes was gradually brought out, including many dishes I had never seen before.

But right now, I'm not in the mood to enjoy it. Because Ke Qing's figure hasn't appeared from beginning to end.

It wasn't until the dinner ended that Xin Hui, unable to contain his curiosity, asked Keyun about Ke Qing.

“Ah Qing, every time guests come, she stays in her room, afraid that others will get close to her, and also afraid that others will see the ‘conflict’ between her and the Ke family.”

Conflict? What kind of conflict could a family have? Xin Hui originally wanted to say this, but when she thought of the attitude of her family members, she swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue.

During their conversation, the Ke family members, who already disliked Xin Hui, left early, and Ke Yun also instructed the servants to leave. Without worrying about being overheard, Ke Yun was able to reveal Ke Qing's secret.

“Aqing’s father, who is my youngest son, passed away very early, and her mother also passed away after giving birth to her. In other words, Aqing has basically been raised by me all these years.”

"As you've seen, a child like Ah Qing won't do things she's not interested in, especially not something from such a large family like hers. The power struggle between her uncles has never stopped, all for the sake of the wealth I've built."

"As for A-Qing, she is still staying in the Ke family because of me, but I suppose she must also hate this family. It's really hard on this child. As one of the Seven Stars, she has to run around for Liyue's affairs during the day, and at night, she can hardly find a place to stay."

Xinhui: "..."

He really didn't know how to answer. After all, it was someone else's family matter, and how could an outsider like him interfere?

Finally, Keyun asked Xinhui to go upstairs and see if he could talk to Keqing and help her comfort her.

Xin Hui had no choice but to agree. He went up the stairs, and because the house was so big and had so many rooms, he had to go around several corners before he found Ke Qing's place.

He stood in front of the door, looking at the two characters "Ke Qing" written on the doorplate, and knocked on the door with a nervous heart.

No one answered.

Xinhui tried pushing the door lock, and it was already open!