Heavy girl? I feel worse than Black Hole Trigger!

"That day will never come."

The girl held her head high and her voice was sonorous.

The azure eyes reflected the eyes of the same color, as if they wanted to share each other's sky.

"Don't even think about getting rid of me, even if we end up in another world. I'll hold you tight."

Then, Su Shi suddenly pounced into Zhe Li's chest and sniffed hard, as if she would not stop until the scent of his body was deeply engraved in the depths of her mind.

Her movements were so loud that others looked at her sideways, so Zhe Li had no choice but to smile at them one by one. When Su Shi finally let her go with satisfaction, she was embarrassed by the vague gaze nearby and her cheeks turned red.

"...Let's go."

The girl said hurriedly.

The man grinned helplessly: "That's exactly what I meant."

●

"Wow, look, what beautiful stones."

“But we can’t find any craftsmen to make it.”

"That makes sense. Okay...how about we buy some flowers?"

"I can consider it. But I didn't see any flower shops when I walked over here."

"The flower shop... ah, there's a dandelion on the counter there."

As if hearing their discussion, the receptionist inside the store looked up and called out in their direction, "Welcome to 'Sailing Wind'! If you want to taste Mondstadt's fine wine, look no further!"

Su Shi blinked. "Oh? So they sell alcohol. ...The picture on the sign is actually a wine glass."

Mondstadt, as Manye Kaedehara had previously introduced them, was one of the Seven Kingdoms of Teyvat, the Kingdom of Wind. Manye had mentioned Mondstadt's "developed wine industry" and "renowned among the Seven Kingdoms," and it seemed true enough: the business had grown so much that it could open a specialty store in Inazuma.

The square, which could be explored in just half an hour, was filled with unique shops from all over the world, which amazed the two "country bumpkins." They stopped here and there, occasionally commenting on the goods on display, and buying a skewer of grilled food from a snack stall. In the end, they didn't buy anything, as the market gradually thickened.

To avoid the crowds, they walked together to the stairs leading to the pier and sat side by side on a bench on the street to rest their legs.

Sushi picked up the grilled fish skewer, blew on it a few times, took a bite, and her eyes lit up. To say that a place with a cultural and technological level close to that of ancient Japan could possess any impressive food processing techniques would be sheer nonsense. But when it came to seafood, Sushi, who had always been confined to Tokyo and only enjoyed frozen fish, was experiencing the freshness of freshly caught fish for the first time.

She didn't waste any more time, and finished the remaining grilled fish in a few bites, then looked up at the clear sky.

“It feels like I haven’t had a good time shopping in a long time.”

Zhe Li chuckled teasingly, "Are you feeling better?"

"It's never been wrong." The girl leaned her head against his shoulder and was silent for a moment. Suddenly, she said, "Do you think the 'door' will lead to somewhere else?"

"I don't know either. Even I myself came to your world and met you for no apparent reason."

"Really? That's great." Su Shi said.

Zhe Li also nodded slightly, "Yes. That's great."

““It’s nice to meet you.””

““…….”

Su Shi bit her lower lip and endured for a few seconds, but finally couldn't help but chuckle.

“We’ll go to more places together in the future.”

The girl quietly reached out her hand and held the man's big palm.

The man also clenched the soft little hand in his palm.

"Ah. As you wish."

Until death do us part.

Chapter 17 of the Box: Autumn Frost and Falling Maple Leaves, Snow Clears and Meets the Plum Tree: Chapter : Ask, Ask, Ask

"China, be a good boy at home."

Chisato Hiiragi reached out and gently stroked her sister's little head with a teasing look on her face.

"Sister, you're such a jerk!" The girl looked no more than a teenager, but she already had a golden bun on the back of her head. She puffed her cheeks and pouted at her sister, saying crisply, "I'm not a child anymore! Besides, my uncles and aunts are here, so you don't have to worry about me."

"Haha, is that so?" Hiiragi Chisato pinched her cheek again with a forced smile.

As the eldest daughter of the Hiiragi family, the Kanjo Bugyo, and with her father having no male offspring, Chisato Hiiragi clearly understood that she would one day inherit the responsibilities of the Hiiragi family's head, and she began learning from her father very early on. Her father doted on both of them, and after she took on the family's responsibilities, the younger sister gradually became somewhat unruly.

Needless to say, her father doted on his little daughter too much, and the servants and guards in the house often turned a blind eye to her slightly out-of-line behavior. Probably the only one who could slightly restrain this little brat was herself.

Fortunately, this little sister is not really bad, and she is not a bad person. She has just been spoiled since she was a child and has no sense of propriety. She often needs her elder sister to hold her tightly to prevent her from hitting a wall one day.

"...Oh. Never mind. I'll just let you go free for two days."

Chisato Hiiragi held the girl's shoulders and stared carefully into her ignorant eyes.

"If I hear that you, a brat, are causing any more trouble after we get back from Inazuma Castle, you better hold on tight."

"Yes~"

The elder sister's tone was calm, yet the words were filled with menace. The younger sister, however, seemed oblivious to the underlying murderous intent—or perhaps, at the mere mention of "freedom," her mind drifted to the bustling outlying island market.

Seeing that he couldn't stop his sister from jumping around, Hiiragi Chisato sighed helplessly.

What else can I do? I can only ask the housekeeper to keep an eye on her!

……

……

The leisurely atmosphere between Zhe Li and Su Shi lasted for what seemed like a century, until the clamor from the market finally penetrated their ears.

After Baodeng Zheli gave the girl beside him a confirming look, he stood up and called out to a passerby.

"Excuse me, what's all the commotion over there? Is there some kind of disturbance?"

The man who had been called had just left the square, seemingly heading for the dock. He heard Zhe Li shout, stopped, looked at him, and replied, "Oh, it's the Kanjo Bugyo convoy leaving the island."

"Convoy?" A word that is rarely heard.

Zheli thought for a while and realized the time and space background here: the so-called "Bukyō" was an official position that existed from the Heian period to the Edo period in Japan, and "Kanjo Bugyo" was even honored as one of the "Three Bugyo" in Inazuma, in charge of Inazuma's finances and taxation, and therefore also responsible for some diplomatic work related to finance, such as international trade, foreign tourist management, etc.

As an entry and exit port, the entire port city of "Island" is under the jurisdiction of the Kanjo Bugyo.

When such a nobleman leaves the city, he definitely needs to be escorted by a large convoy - Baodeng Zheli already has a full understanding of the public security in Inazuma Wild Area.

"Yes, I heard that a big business deal came from Zhidong in the past few days. The magistrate dared not make a decision on his own, so he decided to go to Inazuma Castle to meet the general in person."

"That's it."

However, is it necessary to make such a big fuss just to send a convoy?

Zhe Li couldn't help but sneer: Oh, you are just showing off!

Regardless of what the business is, just show your seriousness first. This way, whether you intend to reject or recommend, you can clear yourself of the charge.

If you want to refuse, you should tell the client that you have done your best, but the "General" has not given his permission and there is nothing you can do to help. If you want to recommend, you should express your feelings and reason to the general, deliberately putting yourself in a very humble and sincere position to make it difficult for the general to refuse.

Even though the times are different, people’s hearts are the same.

Zheli lost interest at this thought. The pedestrians, having finished their conversation, continued on their way to their destination, and Zheli returned to the bench. Nagasaki Suyo looked up at him and asked, "Zheli, do you want to go over and take a look?"

"No. I'm not interested." Zhe Li shook his head.

Why are we, the noble people from another world, going to watch the local nobles and join in the fun?

"After the convoy leaves the city, let's go to the market."

After all, the reason for coming here shopping today is to buy a gift for Shiina Tatsuki, so I can't go back empty-handed.

●

Zhe Li climbed up to a high place and looked into the distance. He saw the "Kanding Fengxing" convoy coming out of the shallows, and then he pulled Su Shi back to the much quieter market.

After all, they had already walked around the place, so this time they headed straight for the souvenir shop. After searching for a long time, they couldn't find any satisfactory gifts, so they bought a cat statue.

"Won't Sushi buy a gift?"

"I've already prepared a gift for Lixi." The girl covered her mouth and chuckled, "I'm just here to help you choose a gift today."

"Is that so? I thought you were asking me out on a date."

At first, I just took a leisurely stroll through the area, even stopping by a roadside stall to buy some snacks. If I hadn't thought about picking out gifts, I'd have thought I was just there to see the scenery! Although the scenery of this coastal city is indeed rare in modern times.

Su Shi paused, then glared at him, "I think Zhe Li's biggest shortcoming is that he doesn't understand girls' hearts."

"Oh, I'm so sorry." The man raised his hands in surrender.

At this moment, applause came from a street performer playing the shamisen on the roadside. It turned out that the street performer had just finished a song and bowed to the sparse cheers of the audience.

Zhe Li only took a glance and then turned his gaze back to the girl beside him.

Her bangs happened to be blown up by the sea breeze, and she raised her hand to hold down her flying hair.

His slightly dazed eyes looked up at the blue sky, and his equally blue eyes seemed to flicker with sparks.

The girl who once stood in the rain, under an umbrella, and was almost overwhelmed by the dark clouds, now stands proudly in the bright sunshine, showing a cheerful smile to the completely unfamiliar world.

"..."

Baodeng Zheli suddenly remembered a picture.

As the picture came, it seemed as if a light melody was dug out from the depths of memory.

The sound of the shamisen in the street performer's hand was gradually drowned out by the clear and distant sound of the piano in my mind.

"Su Shi."

"Ok?"

The man's suddenly deeper voice surprised the girl. She tilted her head to stare at Zhe Li, and seeing the face she had always dreamed of, it was like a breeze stirring the surface of a lake, bringing a faint smile to her face.

"How about I sing you a song?"

"……Eh?"

He didn't wait for Su Shi's response, but walked to the side of the road with a smile on his face. When he turned around, he had an acoustic guitar in his hand.

As slender fingertips brushed across the strings, the lingering sound carved out a small world for the two of them in this chaotic corner. The cacophony of voices, the scattered chirping of birds, even the ancient rhythm of waves crashing against the rocks, seemed to be subdued by the strings at this moment.

The man, standing between the shadows of the building and the brightness of the morning sun, smiled and parted his lips—

"Are you going to Scarborough Fair?"

"Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme..."

……

Among the crowd, a girl suddenly looked up somewhere.

Chapter 18: Scarborough Fair

"Are you going to Scarborough Fair?"

“Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme”

"Please give my regards to the people who live there."

"She was once my beloved..."

The man's melodious singing voice was filled with a smile, and the staggered string sounds attracted the attention of passers-by on the street. However, when they saw a girl who seemed a little at a loss standing in front of the man playing the piano, they smiled and left tactfully.

Nagasaki Suyo stared with wide eyes at Baodō Zeriri who was tapping the guitar strings.

This song is an old English folk song called "Scarborough Fair." In modern times, it has spawned countless adaptations, with the most frequently sung version being the one performed by the music group Simon & Garfunkel.

After joining the wind band club, under the influence of the members, Su Shi gained a certain understanding of the field of music and was deeply impressed by this famous song.

The lyrics tell the story of a young man asking the listener to pass on a message to a woman on his behalf.

"Please ask her to knit me a linen shirt"

“Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme”

“No cuts or stitches left”

"Then she will be my true love..."

The repetitive riff is like a flowing stream, turning his gentle singing into continuous waves.