Genshin Impact's Sweet and Hard Free People

Gan Yu's state of mind is actually like the calm sea surface at this moment. At first glance, there is no ripple, but if the sea breeze breaks it, then it will constantly create waves.

The moonlight of Liyue, the lights of a thousand years.

Only I know that the stars that are about to rise did not look like this a thousand years ago.

Only I remember what time the dew on the glass lily appeared and disappeared.

One hundred and six thousand three hundred and twenty-seven heartbeats is the time since I last closed my eyes to sleep.

The market stalls were closing, and the restaurants were shutting down. You could even hear the soft crackling of the streetlights.

Today is the same, and every night is the same. The distance between us is too vast.

The night in Liyue has ended...

Just as Gan Yu's thoughts were drifting away, a soft sound suddenly came from behind her.

"Is this your secret of the night?" the voice said, causing Gan Yu to involuntarily turn around.

When she saw that it was Xinhui there, she greeted her with a smile, which immediately perked her up.

Xin Hui put his hands in the pockets of the blue dress, walked slowly down the steps above, and sat down beside her as if nothing had happened.

"I can't sleep, so I've come to keep you company." Xinhui looked relaxed and content, even placing his hands behind his back on the ground as if he were about to lie down.

Gan Yu felt a little embarrassed. She hadn't expected Xin Hui to come looking for her, and he had guessed that she would be here.

"Are you tired?" Xinhui asked softly.

"No, I'm not tired," Gan Yu replied somewhat flustered.

“I’m not asking about your body, I’m asking about your heart.” Xin Hui sighed helplessly when he heard Gan Yu’s usual answer. “Hasn’t your soul and heart felt weary after a thousand years of lamplight?”

Gan Yu shook her head slightly, and the golden cowbell on her collar rang crisply.

It wasn't that her answer was negative, but rather that she wasn't sure if she was tired.

"Then lie here like me, feel the sea breeze, and try to fall asleep with all your current thoughts." After Xinhui finished speaking, he put his hands behind his head, looked at the sky, and then slowly closed his eyes.

Gan Yu didn't sleep like him, firstly because that sleeping posture was too barbaric, and secondly because it was even harder for her to fall asleep next to Xin Hui.

This made Gan Yu even more sober, but she still sat next to Xin Hui.

However, to Gan Yu's surprise, Xin Hui actually fell asleep in no time. His rosy lips were slightly parted, and he was breathing out air from time to time. His expression was very relaxed and comfortable.

Looking at his sleeping face, Gan Yu felt a sense of peace. She rested her head in her hands, gazing at the night sky, the sea breeze blowing – it was truly a feeling of enjoyment.

So easy, so easy...

As dawn broke, she was startled awake by a voice asking, "Are you asleep?" Gan Yu realized that she had almost fallen asleep right next to Xin Hui.

Thinking of this, Gan Yu's sense of shame no longer allowed her to appear in front of Xin Hui...

Chapter Thirty-Three: The Renewed Demand for Formal Wear

"No, I didn't, I wasn't asleep..." Gan Yu shook her little head, trying her best to deny it. Her voice became very soft, as soft as a mosquito's buzz, and in the end, it was even impossible to hear what she was saying.

"I know, I know," Xin Hui replied with a smile, but as soon as he turned around, he caught a glimpse of Gan Yu's slightly aggrieved and resentful eyes, so he immediately added solemnly.

"I see."

At this moment, the sky is just beginning to lighten, and the rising sun is about to appear over Liyue Harbor.

As the crowd approached, Xin Hui worried that going back when there were many people would make him stand out, so he grabbed Gan Yu's hand now and led her back.

"Does Gan Yu come to the dock to relax when she feels like she has nothing to do?" Xin Hui kept asking as the two walked back.

“Yes.” Gan Yu then showed an excited and gratified expression, “Every time I look out over the harbor of Liyue, I always feel a sense of peace.”

“Is that so?” Xin Hui knew that this was one of Gan Yu’s ways of passing the time; she was the only one who could manage to look out over the harbor before dawn.

"Then why did you almost fall asleep tonight?"

"Because Ah Xin is by my side, I feel... much more at ease."

To be honest, Gan Yu's answer was unexpected by Xin Hui. It was bold and straightforward. Although she was still a little shy, she was very different from her usual self.

"By the way, I haven't prepared breakfast yet. I was going to Guili Plain to get some forest pork, but I don't know if I have enough time now."

Gan Yu also realized that this matter had not yet been dealt with, so she prepared to say goodbye to Xin Hui and go to Guiliyuan alone.

“I’ll go with you,” Xinhui suggested. He had nothing to do back home anyway, and business at Yiyu Pavilion hadn’t been good lately, so he might as well spend more time with Ganyu and find out what she did outside of work.

However, when the two arrived at Guili Plain together, Xin Hui realized that he had only come to observe.

While defeating the Forest Boar isn't particularly difficult, if you try to catch it with your longswords, it will inevitably fight back fiercely, potentially sending you flying. But now, with Gan Yu's Frost Arrow, things are different.

Seeing Gan Yu shoot an arrow and hit the target easily, he thought to himself, "Luckily I didn't make a move," otherwise he would have been embarrassed in front of Gan Yu.

Gan Yu's movements were swift and graceful, executed in one smooth motion. Although these were all basic techniques for Gan Yu, Xin Hui still felt that using the divine artifact Amos's Bow to fight the Forest Boar was somewhat of a waste of its potential.

Due to the ice elemental power attached to the Frost Arrow, a layer of frost formed on the surface of the Lin Pork, making it look exactly like chilled fresh meat.

Gan Yu said that they would only take a portion of the pig to last them a few days, and send the rest to Yuehaiting to improve the secretaries' meals.

Therefore, when Xinhui met his secretary Huixin in front of Yuehai Pavilion, he felt somewhat embarrassed, after all, he had deceived her last time and had never made things clear to her.

"Lord Ganyu, where have you been going at night lately? I haven't seen you in the Moon Sea Pavilion, and I feel even more lonely at night."

Xin Hui, listening from the side, felt rather embarrassed. Secretary Hui Xin was giving the same excuse as last time. He was still by Gan Yu's side this time, and if Gan Yu asked him about it, it would be difficult to explain.

Gan Yu blinked, somewhat surprised, and said, "Oh, is that so? Actually, I've been spending all my nights lately at ah..."

Before he could finish speaking, Xinhui stopped him.

Heaven knows how Huixin's secretary will react after she finishes speaking; Xinhui can't stand being joked about.

"Lord Ganyu, I need to handle the matters assigned by Lord Ningguang recently, so I will be staying at Yiyu Pavilion for the time being."

Xin Hui stammered his answer, but still revealed some clues. He felt that he couldn't keep it a secret forever, and the fact that Ke Qing and Gan Yu were living in Yi Yu Pavilion would eventually spread. It would be better to give them a reason to live in Yi Yu Pavilion, so as to avoid others from suspecting anything.

"Temporarily staying at Yiyu Pavilion, huh? Boss Xinhui, I remember Yiyu Pavilion isn't very big, is it? It's located to the west of Wanmin Hall, and the rent isn't cheap..."

"Oh dear, not at all. Our Yiyu Pavilion is quite large. You can rest there if you're tired. Don't worry, Lord Ganyu is doing very well there," Xinhui said with a smile.

After decisively handing over the pork to Yue Haiting, he prepared to leave with Gan Yu.

However, as Yue Haiting's secretary, Huixin was naturally perceptive, so how could she not see through Xinhui's tricks?

She simply watched the two well-matched figures walking together into the distance and chose not to expose them...

As soon as Xinhui and Ganyu arrived at the entrance of Yiyu Pavilion, they found that the area in front of the pavilion was completely surrounded by people.

Xinhui was surprised. What's going on so early in the morning?

Upon approaching, I discovered that most of those people were the girls whose clothing sizes I had asked about last time. They had all entered Yiyu Pavilion, and some of them were still searching for something, calling out things like "Where is Boss Xinhui?"

Are they coming to attack me?

Xin Hui thought to himself. "Fine, has he really become some heinous criminal this time?"

"Quiet down, everyone." The sudden stern voice surprised not only the girls but also Xin Hui.

That was Ke Qing's voice.

Before she could even think, Ke Qing said again, "Xin Hui isn't at Yi Yu Ge right now. If you need clothes made, he'll explain everything to you when he gets back."

There was an uproar inside Yiyu Pavilion. Clearly, no one expected that the famous Lord Yuheng Star would appear here and even speak up for Xin Hui, the owner of Yiyu Pavilion.

"Ying'er, what's going on?"

Xin Hui saw this scene as soon as he entered the door, and happened to run into Ying'er who was standing next to him.

When Ying'er saw him, she looked slightly surprised and whispered, "It's like this, now everyone knows that the dresses for the Lantern Festival are from Yiyu Pavilion, they are exquisite and gorgeous, and everyone wants one. Since you were not here a few days ago, everyone agreed to come together this morning."

"Actually, they're not in a hurry. After all, I helped you find the glass slippers last time and even promised to make a set for them for free. I'm not afraid you'll go back on your word. But you should think carefully about how to control the situation first. It would be best to explain why Lord Yuheng came out of the room in Yiyu Pavilion."

Specifically, these girls thought the dresses made by Yiyuge were very beautiful and wanted to ask for one. However, they were not at Yiyuge a few days ago, which led to everyone coming here at once today.

As Ying'er finished speaking, she glanced at Gan Yu beside him and gave Xin Hui a meaningful smile, her expression seemingly saying something.

You're really something!

Chapter Thirty-Four: The Not-for-Sale Dress

"Ah Qing, why did you come out from inside? There are so many people around, how can you explain yourself clearly?" Xin Hui emerged from the crowd, pulled Ke Qing aside, and whispered.

"With so many people coming to the door, are you planning to lock them all out?" Ke Qing replied.

In fact, Xinhui meant that Aqing couldn't handle this situation and that he should wait for her to come back and deal with it. But Keqing had no idea. Adhering to her personality of "if you waste too much time, you won't be able to finish the work," she naturally stepped in to take charge of the situation immediately.

Right now, everyone's eyes are on the two of them. Not to mention Ke Qing, even Xin Hui feels a little uncomfortable. Moreover, the way they are "plotting" here makes it hard to ignore their relationship.

"Hahaha, I am Xinhui, the owner of Yiyu Pavilion. Thank you all for visiting Yiyu Pavilion so early in the morning. This Lord Yuheng has been entrusted by Lord Ningguang to complete some special tasks, so he is temporarily staying at Yiyu Pavilion. Due to the rush of personnel, we may not have enough guest seats. Let me understand your needs first, so that I can give you a satisfactory answer as soon as possible."

Xin Hui first gave an awkward laugh, the effect of which was practically the same as suddenly falling ill. Then, he very cleverly diverted everyone's attention to the clothes they needed.

"Let me speak first. I need a dress similar to Lady Ningguang's [Orchid in the Gauze] dress. It doesn't have to be as good, but it can't be too much inferior."

"Does Lord Yuheng have a second set of the 'Rainbow Skirt Dance'? I strongly request a set."

"I need a dress with a similar design concept to the [Starry Night] collection, but with a stronger starry sky feel."

"One set of casual clothes will be fine."

"Buy my boyfriend a light outfit similar to the one worn by Boss Xinhui."

"..."

Opinions varied, and the twenty or thirty people basically had their own demands, which made Xinhui complain endlessly.

Sometimes, having too much business can be a painful thing.

"Let me make it clear to everyone first: the quality of the fabric used for the dresses can be decided by everyone themselves. After all, the fabrics used for the dresses at the Lantern Festival are too luxurious and unnecessary. As for the price, it will be discussed separately depending on the fabric and requirements."

"As for the three dresses, 【Gauze Orchid】, 【Rainbow Skirt】, and 【Starry Night】, there is only one of each. I made them separately for those three adults who have always dedicated themselves to Liyue Harbor. They will not be sold separately. But I promise that the quality of the clothes I make for everyone will not be lowered in order to meet the deadline."

When Xinhui said that the three special dresses were not for sale, there was a hint of disappointment in everyone's eyes. After all, Ningguang, Keqing and Ganyu's three dresses at the Lantern Festival were so dazzling. Who wouldn't want to get such a dream dress?

However, hearing Xinhui make a "quality guarantee" to them was somewhat comforting.