In the courtyard, Ye Xi made a small door leading down to an underground wine cellar.
Using Adeptal Energy, he could freely alter the Serenitea Pot however he imagined.
So making a wine cellar was a piece of cake. It didn't take long before he had finished building this underground space.
After that, he used his [Copy and Paste] ability to create the wine racks for holding the barrels, arranging them neatly in the style of the Dawn Winery's cellar.
Eula glanced around and reminded him, "Ye Xi, the temperature here isn't quite like Mondstadt's. It's cooler over in Mondstadt, and the underground stays nice and chilly too."
"If the cellar is too warm, it won't be good for storing the wine."
With Eula's reminder, Ye Xi suddenly recalled this detail.
So he installed air conditioning in the cellar and sealed the surroundings with glass, turning it into a temperature-controlled room.
This way, the place could maintain a stable temperature.
Feeling the temperature drop, Eula couldn't help but marvel, "I never imagined it could be done like this! So impressive!"
Just as she was speaking, Amber and Collei came following down the stairs.
Collei had been dragged along by Amber.
Ever since Eula and Ye Xi had stepped out earlier, Amber had been distracted, constantly thinking about how good the mood between Eula and Ye Xi seemed to be.
Honestly, she felt like maybe—just a tiny bit—a hint of envy had welled up in her heart, and she really wanted to come along. But she also felt that coming along by herself would be too abrupt. So she'd dragged Collei with her instead.
Seeing this suddenly-appeared space, both girls were amazed.
"Wow! That was fast!?"
"What an awesome cellar!"
Amber had visited the Dawn Winery's cellar before. Back then the Knights were holding a banquet, and they'd organized the knights to go straight to the winery to transport wine, so she'd tagged along too.
That cellar was spacious, but very dim, lit only by Lampgrass as its light source.
The underground was damp and cold, and combined with the poor lighting, the smell of wine in the cellar was unusually thick—strong enough that a single whiff might make you drunk.
But the one Ye Xi had made was completely different. The floor was marble on both sides, dozens of bright incandescent lamps hung overhead, a ventilation fan sat in the corner, and the whole space was clean and dazzling.
Seeing that Amber and Collei had followed along too, Ye Xi teased, "Can't wait to come sneak a drink, huh?"
"Perfect timing—let me show you the good stuff I bought."
As he spoke, he placed all one hundred-plus barrels of wine onto the racks, stacking them neatly.
The girls were stunned.
"Oh my goodness, that's so many!?"
"How long would it take to drink all this! Ye Xi, don't tell me you bought the entire Dawn Winery!?"
Even Eula was dumbfounded.
She had never seen this much Dandelion Wine before!
Amber counted on her fingers and couldn't help sucking in a cold breath, "My whole month's salary couldn't even buy three barrels, and here there are over a hundred!"
"Master Ye Xi really is rich!"
Ye Xi chuckled and said, "With so many beauties at home, I can't afford to be stingy."
"There's no need to be polite either—come grab a drink whenever you like."
As he spoke, he took out quite a few of Diluc's private reserves from his portable space.
These had all been picked out by Venti to help—every one of them was excellent wine.
Eula was a little taken aback, "This... isn't this the private-reserve wine from seven years ago!"
"That year the grapes were especially sweet, the climate was great too, and the wine brewed was of especially fine quality!"
"By all rights it should've sold out long ago—yet there's still some!"
Before she'd even finished speaking, she unconsciously swallowed a mouthful of saliva.
Seven years ago she was still young and couldn't drink, so naturally she'd never had the chance to taste it.
Later, once she'd grown up and developed a love for wine tasting, she'd heard people talk about the fine vintage from seven years ago—it left her drooling with regret, wishing she'd been born seven years earlier!
Who would have thought she'd actually see it here at Ye Xi's place!
"Oh? You've got quite the eye!"
Ye Xi nodded in agreement, "This is the very last barrel from Master Diluc's private reserve. Want a taste?"
Eula's eyes lit up, and she hurriedly nodded.
However, Ye Xi said playfully, "This barrel of the reserve vintage is worth one million Mora, though. What are you planning to trade me for it?"
"Uh..."
Eula pondered for a moment, then suddenly her eyes brightened and she said with a smile, "I'll trade Amber for it! How about that!?"
"Ehh—!?"
Beside her, Amber's face instantly filled with shock, and she flushed red, "Eula! Y-you, what nonsense are you spouting!"
A rare smile surfaced on Eula's face as she explained, "Amber, this barrel of wine is really tasty! Once I get my hands on it, I'll let you have a taste too!"
Amber was so exasperated by Eula that she laughed.
Of course she knew Eula was just teasing her, and she couldn't help but put on a fake-angry look, "I'm being sold off by you, and you still act all generous about it—what's that about!"
"Don't tell me that in your heart I'm worth about the same as one barrel of wine! Eula!"
"Pfft—"
Collei snickered off to the side.
She'd noticed that Eula was opening up more and more.
And this was something Amber, as her close best friend, deeply felt as well.
Back in Mondstadt, Eula had to face cold words and mockery every day, so she usually didn't talk much and carried herself in a rather cold, stern manner.
How many days had it even been since she came to the Serenitea Pot? Yet here she was, already able to joke and chat!
Ye Xi crossed his arms, putting on a look of serious contemplation, and nodded, "Mm, one barrel of wine in exchange for a wife—what a bargain."
"Eula, I accept your terms. And on top of that, I'll even grant you the privilege of free wine!"
"From now on, any wine you drink at home, it's all on the house for you!"
"Such a great deal!"
Eula looked delighted and stretched out her hand, "Then it's a deal!"
"Deal my foot!"
Amber slapped Eula's hand away and said speechlessly, "The way I see it, Ye Xi is trying to sweet-talk you into his grasp with wine too! He's clearly trying to scoop up two wives in one breath!"
Ye Xi's face was a picture of astonishment, "You saw through me? Then I'll just take the one."
"Eula, this wine goes to you, and Amber goes to me—"
"Sure!"
"Hey hey hey! What do you mean, 'goes to you'!"
Amber didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and she changed the subject, "Enough messing around, it's almost time for dinner! Let's hurry back up!"
If this went on any longer, she really would die of embarrassment!
The conversation had already gotten to this point—if it kept going, the last thin barrier would be poked right through!
Even as she spoke, Amber pushed Eula out of the cellar.
The moment they were out, she leaned in close to Eula's ear and started complaining, "Eula, it's all your fault—now the whole mood is so awkward!"
"Whew..."
Eula let out a breath too, calming the embarrassment in her heart, and said, "It's not awkward at all. Didn't you hear? Ye Xi's attitude clearly means he wouldn't refuse you!"
"If you go and confess, it definitely won't fail, right?"
"Eh?"
Amber blanked for a moment, then suddenly it all clicked.
Just now Ye Xi had said that trading one barrel of wine for a wife would be a great bargain—and the one being traded was her!
Wasn't the implication of that exactly that Ye Xi would be willing to accept her too?
Thinking about it that way, it really did seem so.
At this thought, her eyes suddenly lit up, her gaze full of playfulness, "Speaking of which, then Ye Xi wouldn't refuse you either~ Eula!"
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