Genshin Impact's Sweet and Hard Free People

She wore a dark blue coat with a collar similar to a men's tuxedo, the pale gold buttons undone. Underneath, she wore a light blue wool V-neck top, slightly longer than the coat, all the black buttons fastened.

The innermost layer was a white shirt, but Hu Tao didn't seem to have worn such clothes before, and she buttoned up the collar of the shirt.

The lower half of the dress is a very short skirt with many folds, white lines, light blue lines, and light brown lines interwoven, creating a rich and novel color scheme.

Hu Tao was still holding the ghost [Bai Ye], who had never appeared in front of Ke Qing and Gan Yu before. Her reddish-brown hair was still tied into pigtails with black cloth strips, and she wore a plum blossom hair ornament on the left side. Her red plum blossom eyes blinked slightly, too shy to look at Xin Hui.

"What kind of clothes are you wearing? The skirt is so short. I think you're a pervert." Because Xin Hui's gaze was fixed on her, and he was definitely looking at her bare legs, Hu Tao couldn't help but spit out.

Xin Hui felt somewhat innocent, not expecting Hu Tao to look so cute in this outfit, so he coughed lightly twice to prove his innocence.

He then explained to her, "This is clothing from a world I visited before. They call it uniform clothing, and it's very popular among young people. It's even known as a 'boy killer'."

Chapter Sixty-Three: Ke Qing's Abnormality

“This uniform suits someone like Hu Tao who has a girlish feel very well.” Xin Hui nodded in satisfaction, then remembered Hu Tao’s earlier words about being a “pervert” and needed to clarify them.

"Hu Tao, I'm not a pervert, it's just that you look too attractive in this outfit."

Xin Hui said with a serious expression, and nodded meaningfully. Yes, that's right, he was just stating the facts.

After all, uniforms are the heartthrobs of that world; countless people are captivated by the silhouette of a girl wearing such clothes.

"Isn't that still being a pervert?" Hu Tao didn't quite agree with his explanation, but since Xin Hui praised her, it meant that her image was satisfactory.

I'm quite happy. I can finally take off my work clothes at the funeral parlor and go out without being stared at by others.

"And your buttons..." Xin Hui suddenly reached out and touched Hu Tao's chest. He meant no harm, he just wanted to remind Hu Tao that the innermost shirt didn't need to be buttoned up completely, and the top button should be undone.

But Hu Tao had no idea what he meant. Judging from his actions, she could only think that Xin Hui was being a hooligan.

It took Xinhui a lot of persuasion to explain this clearly.

However, since Kurumi suits this uniform so well…

"So, what do you think of this outfit?" Xin Hui asked Ke Qing and Gan Yu for their opinions. If they were also satisfied, Xin Hui could consider getting one for each of them.

Ke Qing and Gan Yu were naturally very keen, expressing that they would be willing to wear this new style of clothing if it were feasible.

"Okay. I'll design it again later." Xinhui already had a plan in mind, but there was no rush.

He now has an even more important task.

The clothes that Ying'er and the others needed have all been made and should be sent to them now. Otherwise, what if they get impatient and cancel their orders?

He had learned the importance of making money from buying a house. In the face of urgent material needs, without money, everything is nonsense.

Xin Hui carefully packed the finished garments into paper bags and delivered them to the customers one by one. This made him realize that there weren't many bosses as good as him.

However, even running errands was enjoyable. Seeing the surprise and admiration on people's faces when they received their new clothes, Xinhui felt inspired and secretly pleased.

As a result, this feeling persisted until he delivered the goods to Ying'er's door.

"Oh, isn't this Boss Xinhui?" It was the same familiar opening line, which Xinhui was already used to, but he always felt that Ying'er's tone was slightly provocative, making him feel itchy and restless.

Xin Hui could only smile and hand her the clothes wrapped in the paper bag. "Sister Ying'er, here are your clothes. Please take a look and see if you're satisfied."

Ying'er naturally took it. Seeing that Xin Hui was carrying so many paper bags, hers was the only one that was relatively large, so she couldn't help but be a little curious.

Was it because it was a formal dress that she needed a larger bag to prevent wrinkles? But regardless, she wanted to see it for herself as soon as possible.

Carefully taking the blue and white dress out of the paper bag, Ying'er was immediately attracted by its shiny appearance.

That dress looked luxurious and elegant. It accentuated the beauty of her figure, making it perfect for someone as tall as her.

It has to be said, Xinhui really put his heart into it.

"Boss Xinhui, how would you like me to praise you?" Ying'er's smiling gaze was actually what Xinhui feared most. He always felt that if that smile suddenly changed, it would definitely cause a lot of unease.

"Let's not praise her anymore, I'm afraid others will misunderstand if they hear it," Xinhui declined. Having learned from his previous experiences at Chunxiang Kiln, it was best to leave as soon as possible. "Since Sister Ying'er is very satisfied, then I'll take my leave."

Having said that, he fled as if he were escaping.

Ying'er chuckled as she watched his flustered back, letting out a soft hum.

They really escaped quickly...

Delivering dozens of pieces of clothing one by one nearly exhausted Xinhui. Even with the addresses left by each person, he couldn't find them immediately and still had to wander around for a while.

Because there were too many clothes to take them all at once, he had to return to Yiyu Pavilion every now and then to pick up the rest of the clothes after delivering some.

Therefore, under these circumstances, it took Xinhui almost a whole day to deliver all the goods to the customers.

Almost every customer was satisfied and paid, which brought Xin Hui a considerable income.

However, to Xinhui's dismay, the plant dye he had originally planned to use did not work at all.

No plant dyes were used at all when making these clothes; otherwise, the time cost would have been too high, and customers couldn't afford to wait.

So, in the following days, Xinhui occasionally took on some orders to make clothes, but spent most of her time researching plant dyes.

Extracting dyes, comparing colors, adjusting colors... every step is crucial. Problems can lead to low efficiency, and the most difficult part is the dyeing stage.

Xinhui's real purpose in using plant-based dyes was to cover the original color of the fabric with dye. However, this seemingly difficult task was actually as arduous as trying to do it without any real expertise.

Xinhui slowly began to explore, constantly trying each ratio. He would write down each failure on a piece of paper. With many failures, successes naturally followed.

Xinhui enjoyed it.

This continued for a few days until a light drizzle fell on a rainy afternoon.

A light drizzle slowly began to fall from the sky, as if trying to mist everything outside. It was almost dinnertime, but Keqing still hadn't returned.

Gan Yu efficiently finished handling the affairs of Yuehai Pavilion and rushed home. Hu Tao also had nothing to do because business at Wangsheng Hall was not good. However, Ke Qing did not return on time.

Logically speaking, once Keqing left traces of her journey to Qunyu Pavilion, the time would usually not be too long. However, today's wait seemed somewhat unusual.

Xinhui said that dinner could wait a little longer, and if Keqing didn't come back, he would have dinner with Ganyu and Hutao.

Before long, the darkness in the sky did not deepen, and Ke Qing's purple figure finally entered the main hall of Yi Yu Pavilion.

Xinhui and the others wanted to say hello, but they noticed that her expression was a bit off and unusual.

Her petite figure, carrying the dragon's roar from the box, seemed less energetic, and judging from her expression, she seemed to have something to say...

Chapter Sixty-Four: The Operation is About to Begin

"Dry your hair first, and it would be best to take a shower afterwards." Xin Hui didn't ask any questions. Although she knew Ke Qing might have something to say, it was up to her whether to speak or not.

All Xinhui could do was silently support her work at Qixing.

So, when he brought the towel over, to prevent Keqing from ignoring the layer of water on her body, he went straight to her with his hands. He started with her purple hair, gently wiping it.

At first, Keqing did not struggle, but when Xinhui was about to stroke her face with the white towel, Keqing showed her unwillingness.

"Don't move." He said softly, with a slightly stern tone.

Keqing, just like a kitten, stopped resisting after his rebuke and let Xinhui do as he pleased.

"Do you still want to take a shower? It will take some time to prepare the food." Xin Hui gently pinched Ke Qing's nose, his meaning clear: he wanted her to take a hot shower while he prepared the food.

"it is good."

The soft reply was like a settled matter, and Ke Qing's expression changed from a furrowed brow to a slight smile.

……

Today, Xinhui and Ganyu prepared a meal together, cooking Liyue Harbor's signature dishes: Rock Harbor Three Delicacies, Lotus Pastry, and Sky Pivot Meat. They also steamed some fine rice, making it quite a sumptuous feast.

The ingredients used in Yan Gang San Xian are potatoes, matsutake mushrooms, and glass bags.

Vegetarian dishes stir-fried in plenty of oil. The aroma of earth, the coolness of shade, and the moisture of the mist combine to create a delicious flavor on the plate. Paired with a simple bowl of white rice, it provides a satisfying meal that warms both the taste buds and the soul. Three locally sourced ingredients from Liyue are selected and stir-fried. Although the method is simple, it fully brings out the rich umami flavor of the ingredients, making it in no way inferior to delicacies.

Lotus pastry is one of Liyue's traditional desserts. It is made by wrapping an oil-based pastry with a water-oil dough made of flour, then stuffing it with a sweet filling and deep-frying it. The petals unfold layer by layer, making it a beautiful sight to hold in your palm.

Tian Shu Meat, on the other hand, is prepared according to recipes. It's braised meat made by simmering lean and fatty meat with seasonings until tender. The finished product is translucent, soft, and not greasy. It's said to be a masterpiece painstakingly developed by the "Tian Shu" star among the seven stars of Liyue in a certain generation.

Xin Hui's personal cooking, combined with Gan Yu's exquisite plating, made these dishes in no way inferior to those from Li Yue Ting.

The two of them took off their aprons and walked out of the kitchen, carrying the fragrant dishes, both feeling a sense of pride.

Seeing this, Hu Tao obediently sat down at the table, waiting for Xin Hui and the others to sit down as well. Just as Xin Hui was about to call Ke Qing's name, Ke Qing, who seemed to have finished taking a bath, poked her little head out and looked around.

However, seemingly because her purple pigtails weren't tied up, she hurriedly ran back to her room. When she came out again, she was wearing her usual purple dress. It was a very simple, ancient-style short skirt, adorned with peacock tail-like patterns.

"Dinner's ready," Xinhui called out softly.

“Yes, Ah Qing, come and sit down,” Gan Yu chimed in.

"Alas, if you don't come soon, I, the master of this hall, will eat all of these delicious golden shrimp balls."

"..."

It was such a heartwarming scene that it truly melted and warmed Keqing's heart, which had already been nourished by the rain.

Moreover, when Ke Qing heard that there were her favorite golden shrimp balls, she was immediately tempted and wanted to try them.

As she put the golden, crispy shrimp ball into her mouth, Gan Yu smiled gently beside her and said, "I wasn't originally planning to make golden shrimp balls, but Ah Xin said you like them, so I added this dish on the spot."

Deep-fried shrimp dishes. Golden and crispy potato shreds with a rich potato flavor, a satisfying crunch accompanied by the sweet juices of the shrimp meat. One bite at a time, leaving a lingering fragrance in your mouth.

Hearing Gan Yu's words, Ke Qing no longer had the solemn and worried expression she had when she first entered the room.

Was it encouragement or motivation? When she looked at Xinhui, her emotions shifted—a mixture of gratitude and relief. She was moved by everything Xinhui had done for her, and relieved by the choice she had made.

Naturally, the meal came at a more opportune time than ever before.

"Tomorrow, Gan Yu and I need to go on a long trip." This was Ke Qing's own suggestion; Xin Hui didn't force her.

Xin Hui's consistent philosophy has always been not to press Ke Qing and the others about their affairs. If they are willing to talk, they should open up; if they are unwilling, she should simply observe from the sidelines. Ultimately, if she can offer help, she should do so.

Going on a long trip with Gan Yu? Is it about the Seven Stars and the Immortals again?

Not only Xin Hui, but even Gan Yu herself was unaware of this; she had never heard of it before.

"Is there some important operation?" Hu Tao asked, while still eating the Tian Shu meat with her chopsticks.

Keqing's answer wouldn't be lacking; since she'd already brought it up, revealing a little more wouldn't hurt. Although… Ningguang had warned her not to reveal too much to outsiders,… there weren't any outsiders here, were there?

So, while enjoying the delicious food, the group listened to Ke Qing recount an upcoming joint operation.