Time passed, and Lumine and Paimon took Klee, that Mondstadt arms dealer, to meet with the Inazuma arms dealer.
Albedo had completed the portraits of "Green Light" and "Elder of Sunflower."
As expected, the person who had been stealing books from the warehouse was, unsurprisingly, that Onodera from Yae Publishing House.
The reason was simple—Onodera wanted a "book signing event," but he had been fooled by the meticulously prepared handwriting of Xingqiu.
Now that he knew Xingqiu's handwriting… if it were exposed, it would be troublesome.
Once everything was explained, Xingqiu was locked away on the second floor of Wu You Pavilion to practice his calligraphy…
As for Shao Yun, he was basically holed up at the Outlander Affairs Agency, taking advantage of Yae Publishing House.
…
At dawn, as the sun had just risen, golden light spilled over Ritou.
Shao Yun stepped out from the Outlander Affairs Agency' room, which had become his temporary "hideout," where he rested at night.
He walked outside, casually found a chair, and sat down, holding a light novel in his hands to pass the time.
A gentle breeze drifted by, carrying a faintly cool breath.
Suddenly, a maple leaf floated down with the wind, landing precisely on the page he was reading.
Shao Yun paused for a moment, then reached out and picked it up.
He held the leaf up, examining it carefully in the soft morning light.
It resembled a flame in full blaze, its colors vivid.
Shao Yun muttered under his breath, 'A maple leaf? Could it be that Kaedehara Kazuha will come here?'
No sooner had the words left his lips than he chuckled at himself, saying in self-mockery, "What on earth am I imagining? Judging by the current timeline, he should be waiting at the Ritou docks for Lumine and Paimon to receive him as a guest."
Yet fate always seemed to enjoy its little coincidences.
Just as Shao Yun was about to return to reading, a familiar voice rang clearly in his ears.
"Hello there, Mr. Shao Yun."
Recognizing Kazuha's voice, Shao Yun's eyes widened in disbelief. 'No way? Is my mouth really that magical?'
He then slipped the maple leaf into the book as a bookmark, closed it, and placed it gently on the table beside him.
Lifting his gaze toward Kazuha, Shao Yun reminded himself there was no deep hatred or complicated history between them—merely a simple acquaintance.
Seeing Kazuha take the initiative to greet him, Shao Yun naturally returned the courtesy with a smile. "Well, well, long time no see, Kazuha!"
Kazuha approached with a warm smile. "I heard you were here, so I thought I'd drop by and say hello."
Ah, so that's why. Shao Yun nodded in sudden realization, then rose to his feet.
He removed his hat, giving a proper hat-tip, and said politely, "I truly appreciate you coming to see me, Kazuha. How have you been lately?"
Kazuha thought for a moment before answering honestly. "Before participating in the Irodori Festival, the Shogunate rescinded my wanted status. So, I first went to Inazuma City."
"After that… I went to pay respects to my dear friend, and of course, Kujou Sara…"
At this, a complex look flashed in his eyes before his calm composure returned.
He went on to share his thoughts about Kujou Sara. Since she was now dead, Kazuha spoke with measured restraint, avoiding overly harsh words.
"To be honest, I can't quite understand her aiding tyranny like that. But… sigh… I suppose judging her too much now serves no purpose."
Hearing this, the corner of Shao Yun's mouth twitched.
'So now it's not Beelzebul we're talking about, but Kujou Sara again? Is this some kind of posthumous revenge campaign from her?'
To others, perhaps it was just casual conversation about the two women; but to Shao Yun, hearing her name pop up every so often was simply irritating.
Quickly, he steered the topic elsewhere with genuine sentiment. "Sounds like you've been keeping busy, Kazuha. By the way, if you're here, what about Captain Beidou? Did she come for the festival too?"
Kazuha, sensing Shao Yun was fishing for news about Beidou, answered honestly.
"No. Recently, the Shogunate implemented a tax incentive policy for Watatsumi Island—something about reducing export duties…"
"The big sis took on Sangonomiya Kokomi's commission to export 'Loach Pearls' to Liyue, so she couldn't attend the festival."
Shao Yun had no idea this was part of a secret deal between Kokomi and Yae Miko. He simply took it as Miko helping to revive Watatsumi Island.
He didn't think much of it, replying calmly, "Alright then. I actually had something I wanted to tell her."
Kazuha's curiosity was piqued. "What is it? You can tell me, and I'll pass it on to the Captain."
Shao Yun said plainly, "It's about me, Lumine, and Paimon leaving Inazuma. You know—we need to head to the next nation, so we can't stay here forever."
Knowing the Alcor's sailing was second to none, Shao Yun hoped to leave aboard it, ensuring safety along the way.
Kazuha nodded in understanding. "I'm sure the Captain will be happy to give you a ride, just like she brought you here."
Then, remembering something important, Kazuha informed Shao Yun of the Alcor's upcoming itinerary. "But the Alcor has no plans to go to Sumeru. Sending you back to Liyue—would that work?"
Shao Yun nodded lightly. "That's more than enough. Please tell Captain Beidou when you get the chance. Likely after the Irodori Festival."
Kazuha agreed without hesitation. "No problem. I'll pass it along."
"Thanks a ton!" Shao Yun replied earnestly.
They chatted a while longer before Kazuha took his leave.
Watching him go, Shao Yun guessed he was off to advance some plot somewhere, and quickly returned to his captivating Yae Publishing House light novel.
…
As time passed, the editors at Yae Publishing House were busy preparing for the grand "book signing event" that was Onodera's ambitious plan.
It seemed Kazuha's suggestion had been accepted—the event would go ahead as planned.
…
"Delivery's here."
"Miss Kuki Shinobu, thank you so much. Here's your payment."
…
Shao Yun was leisurely reading an amusing light novel when the words "Kuki Shinobu" reached his ears.
He set the book down and looked toward a figure not far away—green hair, hairstyle similar to Yoimiya's. Was it Kuki Shinobu?
"Miss Kuki Shinobu?" he called out.
Shinobu turned at the sound of his voice, and upon meeting his gaze, greeted him warmly. "Mr. Shao Yun, what a coincidence to meet you here."
Shao Yun's eyes, however, shifted to the package in the editor's hands across from her. "Hello, Miss Kuki Shinobu. Are you… making a delivery?"
For some reason, he suddenly thought of that courier from Komaniya Express—'Kirara.' He hadn't seen her in Inazuma yet. Could she have been kept outside by the lockdown, running outfield jobs? Possible.
Shinobu nodded, brushing dust from her hands. "Yes, that's right."
Not wanting to disturb her work, Shao Yun simply said, "Then work hard, but don't overwork yourself."
She smoothed a few stray green strands from her forehead and thanked him softly. "Thank you for your concern. Also…"
Here she hesitated, as though wanting to say something but struggling to get it out.
Finding her expression amusing, Shao Yun joked, "Hey, don't tell me Itto's coming to take revenge on me, and you want me to hide so we don't fight?"
At present, that seemed the only logical explanation to him.
Shinobu adjusted the "mask" over her face and replied, "As for the boss causing you trouble… I don't think it'll be that soon."
Realizing it wasn't about Itto, Shao Yun grew more curious. "If it's not about him, then why the hesitation? What's going on?"
After a pause, Shinobu recounted how she had recently led Itto and the Arataki Gang around the festival.
Originally, the boss had been in high spirits, enjoying himself, until they passed a shop selling fox plushies—where he spotted the rare, near-discontinued figure of "Statue of Her Excellency, the Almighty Narukami Ogosho, God of Thunder."
He decided then and there to work on Ritou during the festival to buy it as an offering for Sara's memorial.
Shao Yun found it odd—he'd expected Itto to avoid soy milk due to allergies, not buy figurines. But thinking again, Sara had liked Raiden-related items, so Itto must have learned of it during the funeral.
"So… let me guess—you want me to buy one of those figures for Itto so we can reconcile?"
Shinobu shook her head, thinking, 'If only it were that simple.'
She spoke frankly. "Actually, the whole Arataki Gang wants to help the boss buy it. But as I've told you before, we spent all our funds on Sara's funeral. We don't have the money."
Her voice lowered slightly. "And… I'm not comfortable asking my family for it either."
"So… could you lend me some mora? I'll definitely pay you back."
Shao Yun froze, brain blank. After a moment, he stammered, "I thought you'd be making money from odd jobs during the festival…"
After a short pause, he organized his thoughts. "From what I know of you, you're not the type to borrow money. So… why me?"
Shinobu explained patiently. "At first, I thought the same. We've all been doing odd jobs. But that figure is expensive—and the boss really wants it."
If someone else got it first, it'd be bad.
"As for why I came to you… it was a sudden idea."
And just like that, Shao Yun's mind was filled with scenes of "debts and other sins."
His gaze went distant, lost in memory, unable to reply.