Yelan returned to Yanshang Teahouse, where she processed some of the new intelligence that had come in today. Afterward, she headed out and made her way to the Millelith training grounds.
The entrance was guarded by soldiers with spears.
Yelan took out her identification and handed it to them for inspection.
"Madam, please proceed."
"Mm."
Yelan nodded slightly and walked in, heading to a quiet corner of the archery training area.
The sky was dark, and a row of fire basins lit up the sides of the training ground, their flickering red light faintly illuminating the distant targets.
Yelan stood still, her eyes focused on the target in the distance.
Despite the dim lighting, she could still see it clearly.
Indeed, the strange sensation she had felt after soaking in the bath this afternoon wasn't an illusion—her vision had truly become sharper than before.
Yelan lowered her head and gently clenched her hands.
Her hands, once calloused from years of training and scarred from missions, were now smooth and delicate, as if they belonged to a pampered young lady who had never done a day of hard work.
But Yelan could feel that these beautiful hands now held more strength than before.
She shook the bracelet on her wrist and took out her weapon—a long bow.
This bow had been custom-made for her at Hanfeng Ironmongers and had accompanied her on many missions. She had always found it comfortable to use.
But now, as she held it, Yelan felt that its weight seemed a bit too light.
"My strength seems to have increased," Yelan muttered to herself.
She drew an arrow, nocked it on the bowstring, and aimed at the distant target.
Her fingers released, and the arrow flew toward the target.
Bullseye.
But Yelan didn't feel pleased. Instead, she frowned slightly.
"The bow feels too light now, and it's a bit unstable."
Yelan continued her training, shooting arrow after arrow until she had fully adjusted to the new feel of the bow. Only then did she put it down and wipe the fine sweat from her forehead.
"Such a heavy training session, and I'm only sweating this much. I don't feel tired at all. It seems my stamina has improved too. If I had to guess, it's probably because of Mr. Xia's massage."
Yelan thought back to the events of the day. She had only felt these changes in her body after waking up from her nap in the bathhouse.
"Did Mr. Xia use something special during the massage today?"
She suddenly recalled the powerful effects of certain elixirs mentioned in Liyue's legends. It seemed somewhat similar.
Shaking her head, she remembered the conversation she had with Ningguang in the bathhouse and fell into deep thought.
"The Tianquan Star, huh..."
---
Back in the bathhouse, the girls were still discussing the Teyvat Mahjong King Tournament.
Ganyu said softly, "I was just lucky today. I can't always win so easily..."
Stare!
The girls looked at her with strange expressions.
How can you say that!
Every time we play with you, you're ridiculously lucky! It's always a massacre!
Ganyu weakly added, "Teyvat is a big place. There must be people luckier than me."
"That's true."
"I've heard that some people are so lucky that even if they jump off a cliff on purpose, they won't die. Instead, they'll end up benefiting from it."
"Isn't that just in novels?"
"It must happen in real life too!"
"Senior Sister Zhu Zi is pretty lucky too. She managed to sail all the way from Inazuma to Liyue on a small boat."
"Maybe she used up all her luck on that one trip."
"Nonsense! I also met the boss and found the best job in Liyue. My luck's still good!"
"Then you must've used it all on those two things."
"If only we could save up luck."
The Greater Lord Rukkhadevata listened to their conversation, smiled, and got out of the water. Wrapping herself in a towel, she went to find her cousin for a massage.
Ganyu watched her leave, her eyes momentarily unfocused.
Shenhe, who was sitting beside her, noticed her distraction and asked, "Senior Sister, what's wrong?"
"Oh, it's nothing."
Ganyu snapped out of her thoughts and shook her head.
For a brief moment, she had sensed a familiar aura from Xia Ci, as if she had met someone similar before.
But she couldn't quite recall who that person was.
Shenhe looked at her senior sister, her expression thoughtful.
After a while, the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata returned to the bathhouse, looking a bit exhausted. She slipped back into the water and let out a satisfied sigh.
"Cousin said that whoever wants a massage today should go now."
"Oh, I'll go tomorrow."
"Me too."
"Miss Ganyu, you should go!"
"Mm."
Ganyu stood up, only to find everyone's eyes on her again. She blushed slightly and tightened the towel around her.
But since the towel was wet and made of high-quality material, it became somewhat transparent, making the view even more enticing.
"Wow, Miss Ganyu's figure!"
"Please don't look!"
"Go on, go on. Let the boss give you a good massage. We'll stay here and enjoy the bath. We won't disturb you."
"Ying'er, you..."
Ganyu's blush deepened. She glanced at Shenhe, but her junior sister's expression remained calm and composed, showing no signs of jealousy.
Was her guess wrong?
Normally, Shenhe would feel a bit jealous in situations like this, right?
But because of the Red Rope of Fate binding her soul, Shenhe's emotions were always subdued, and her expression was usually cold. It was hard to tell.
Wait, no. Shenhe's emotions are so restrained that she probably isn't interested in romance, right?
Ganyu felt a bit confused but decided to set aside her thoughts for now. She said, "Well, since I won the Mahjong King Tournament today, I'd like to thank everyone for celebrating with me. So, tonight's massage is on me."
"Awesome!"
"Yay! Long live Miss Ganyu!"
"Go on, go on. We won't hear anything, so you can be as loud as you want."
"!"
Ganyu, her face still red, made her way to the back room.
"Mr. Xia."
"You're here."
"Mm."
As the familiar scent of incense filled the air, Ganyu's previously turbulent emotions gradually calmed down.
"Would you like the full-body massage again this time?"
"Yes! The kind that helps with weight loss!"
"Would you like to add essential oils?"
"Yes, please."
"Alright."
So comfortable.
Mr. Xia's hands are as skilled as ever.
"Miss Ganyu, what are you thinking about?"
"Nothing much."
"I thought you might be thinking about how to spend the ten million Mora prize."
"No, no. I'll probably just deposit it in the Northland Bank for now and earn some interest."
"What's the annual interest rate?"
"I think it's around five percent."
"That's five hundred thousand Mora. That's not bad. Zhu Zi and the others only earn that much in a year working at the shop."
"Eh? Don't they earn ten thousand Mora a month?"
"Plus ten thousand in bonuses and various allowances."
"That's only twenty thousand, so it's two hundred forty thousand a year, right? Even with allowances, it's still half of that..."
"Well, we do have year-end bonuses at the shop."
"! The year-end bonus is over two hundred thousand?"
"Of course. The year-end bonus is the total of the year's salary. Isn't that reasonable?"
"..."
Reasonable... my foot!
----
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