A little later, Miss Ningguang arrived.
Mona glanced at Yelan and Ningguang chatting away in perfect harmony, then looked toward the kitchen, her thoughts wandering.
Dinner was served.
With an extra guest tonight, Xia Zhi had gone all out with the cooking.
After tasting it, Mona finally understood why Charlotte always seemed so unimpressed by the food at Xinyue Kiosk and Liuli Pavilion.
To win a woman's heart, you must first conquer her stomach.
Mona glanced at the satisfied expressions on Yelan and Ningguang's faces and suddenly felt like she'd grasped some deeper truth.
After the meal, Xia Zhi gave massages to both Ningguang and Yelan.
That, too, was just part of the daily routine now.
Mona sat alone in the main hall, listening to the... peculiar sounds coming from inside, her expression growing more and more awkward.
As a pure and innocent girl freshly descended from the mountains, she had never encountered... this kind of situation before.
Charlotte, far more worldly, leaned in and whispered, "Don't worry, Miss Mona. Mr. Xia is just giving Lady Ningguang a massage."
"Oh… a massage, huh…"
Mr. Xia really was a man of many talents.
Eventually, the sounds inside quieted down, and Xia Zhi stepped out.
Mona rose to her feet and was just about to say, "Thank you for the hospitality, I'll be heading off now—"
But Xia Ci immediately piped up, "Miss Mona! Didn't you say you'd take me as your student? Ask Cousin already!"
"...Mr. Xia's knowledge far surpasses mine. You'd be better off learning from him than from me."
"But Cousin won't teach me."
Mona hesitated. "I'm sure Mr. Xia has his reasons… and besides, it's getting late…"
Xia Zhi spoke up, smiling gently. "Miss Mona, the skies are clear tonight—perfect for observing the stars, don't you think?"
Mona glanced outside at the deep indigo sky. "True… I was just about to head out and stargaze."
Xia Zhi's smile deepened. "Such a rare opportunity. Why not stay a little longer? We're going out for a walk anyway—perhaps we could continue our conversation from earlier?"
Mona looked tempted. "Well…"
Xia Zhi adjusted his glasses. "I can't see the stars with my own eyes… But if a brilliant astrologer like you were beside me, you could become my eyes. Maybe then, I could catch a fleeting glimpse of the secrets... But of course, if you have other obligations, forget I mentioned it."
Mona's expression turned serious. "Since you've put it that way, Mr. Xia, then I shall stay."
Xia Ci tugged at his sleeve. "I wanna be Cousin's eyes too!"
Xia Zhi gently ruffled her hair. "Enough out of you."
Watching the two of them, Mona couldn't help but smile. Their bond really was something special.
Once Ningguang and Yelan had left, the rest of the group stepped outside to walk the streets.
Xia Zhi and Mona lagged behind, chatting as they strolled.
It started as a conversation between equals, but soon shifted—Mona was looking up at the constellations overhead, eagerly consulting Xia Zhi about every detail, even pulling out a small notebook to jot down his insights.
Shenhe and Qiqi walked a few steps ahead, occasionally glancing back. Their expressions remained unreadable. Who knew what the two of them were thinking?
The Lantern Rite had come and gone. Xiao Market was no more.
The once-bustling harbor district had lost the warmth of the festival and returned to its usual tranquility.
They rounded a corner when Mona suddenly stopped and stared at something.
It was a small street stall.
Behind it stood a petite Sumeru merchant.
Noticing Mona's gaze, the girl turned to meet her eyes with a bright, welcoming smile. "Greetings, dear customer!"
Mona felt her wallet tremble in fear.
This place… This was the very stall that had driven her out of a luxurious inn and into a shabby little corner room!
That said, as expensive as the items on this stall were, the quality was genuinely excellent.
Now that she thought about it, the last time she came here to buy astrology equipment, she was sure she saw an Astrology Orb for sale.
Back then, she still had the one from that old hag, so she didn't pay it much attention.
But now that she recalled, it wasn't bad at all—certainly a step above the beginner-grade Astrology Orb she'd been using before.
And now that the old woman's orb had broken, she'd gotten used to high-quality tools… going back to her starter orb felt downright clunky. Maybe she should go over and ask if that one was still available...
If it hadn't been sold yet, she could grit her teeth and buy it. After all, Miss Yelan had just gifted her a million Mora—no point letting it sit there doing nothing.
Mona stared at Dori's ever-smiling merchant face, her mind racing.
Xia Zhi noticed and asked, "Something on your mind, Miss Mona?"
"Oh, Mr. Xia, it's nothing… I was just thinking, maybe I should get a new Astrology Orb. You know…"
"An Astrology Orb? On this street?"
"There's a little stall over that way. I bought something there once before, and I remember seeing one… just not sure if it's been sold since."
"I see. In that case, let's go check it out with you."
"Alright."
As the group approached, Dori beamed. "We meet again, dear customers!"
Xia Zhi recognized her immediately.
Dori had visited his shop before for Rainbow Juice and even tried to buy the recipe from him—unsuccessfully.
She carried a Vision, and had previously shown a Silver Tier Progress Bar, though that had been wiped out entirely during the Jade Chamber banquet thanks to him.
Mona got straight to the point. "Is that Astrology Orb I saw last time still available?"
Dori nodded. "Still got it!"
She smiled as she took out a crystal orb.
"Eight hundred thousand Mora, right?"
"Nope!"
"!"
"That was last time's price. This time it's one million Mora."
"Why'd it go up again?!"
"Come now, prices always shift with the market~"
"That's way too fast! And it went up by two hundred thousand just like that?!"
"Ah, but dear customer, if you'd bought it last time, you'd have saved two hundred thousand! Still, it's not too late—give it a few more days, and who knows, the price might go up again."
"..."
Mona fell silent.
So expensive… but she really wanted it.
Just as she was caught in indecision—
Xia Ci and Xia Zhen returned from a nearby shop with some purchases.
"What's going on here?"
"Miss Mona wants to buy a new Astrology Orb, but the seller's asking way too much."
"What! You're telling me that's allowed?!"
The two girls immediately lit up, eyes gleaming.
"Leave the haggling to us!"
And then… well, that was that.
What followed could only be described as a fierce, no-holds-barred verbal duel.
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