Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps approached.
Both turned their heads to see a woman with slightly darker skin and two afro-like buns in her hair striding quickly toward them.
Her complexion was hard to describe—somewhat deeper than wheat-colored, with an intensity that was striking.
Her sharp eyes radiated strength. While some might see them as fierce, Shao Yun thought they held more heroism than menace, brimming with passion.
This was none other than Liyue Harbor's rock singer—Xinyan.
Xinyan glanced around, as though searching for someone.
Noticing the girl whose presence was usually rather low-key, Shao Yun did not hurry away but instead politely asked, "Hello, are you looking for someone?"
Startled back by the voice, Xinyan turned her gaze on Shao Yun and replied, "Hello, is Yun Jin here?"
Shao Yun nodded, pointing to the road behind Xinyan. "She just left a moment ago, said she was going to find materials needed for rebuilding the Jade Chamber."
At that, Xinyan slapped her forehead in frustration and groaned.
"Ah? Ugh! Just my luck."
Lifting her head again, she looked at Shao Yun with hopeful eyes and asked urgently, "Did Yun Jin say when she'd be back?"
Shao Yun shook his head lightly. "No."
Hearing this, Xinyan sighed helplessly, her voice dropping. "Alright then, I guess I'll just have to wait here at Heyu Teahouse."
Zhongli, watching Xinyan, smiled warmly. Gesturing to an empty chair nearby, he invited, "If you don't mind, Miss Xinyan, please join us for some tea."
When Xinyan shifted her gaze to Zhongli, her eyes widened in surprise before lighting up with joy. "Whoa! You're… Mr. Zhongli of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor! Long time no see!"
"Thanks so much to you and Master Hu for attending my concert last time—and for stepping in to help me out, otherwise the Millelith would've dragged me off for another lecture."
Xinyan's rock concerts in Liyue often drew complaints of disturbance. To make matters worse, her fiery stage effects led the Millelith to constantly bring up fire-safety concerns.
Zhongli gave a kind smile. "It was nothing worth mentioning. But if I recall, Miss Xinyan, weren't you off to Inazuma for the Fontaine's Iridescence Concert Tour? When did you return to Liyue?"
At the mention of Inazuma, Xinyan's face twisted with a look of rare anguish as she sat down, eager to vent.
"Mr. Zhongli, don't even bring it up. Surviving Inazuma at all was a miracle."
And so, she began recounting her trip.
She spoke bitterly about arriving at Ritou.
"The moment I landed, the Hiiragi Clan had a fire break out, and the Kanjou Commission sealed the island and started investigating every foreigner."
If it had been a normal inspection, Xinyan wouldn't have minded. But instead, the Kanjou Commission's men turned it into something else.
"Those sword-wielding Inazumans called it an inspection, but in truth, it was extortion aimed at foreigners. I'd heard the International Trade Association was a safe haven, so I planned to seek their help—only to find they'd already burned down."
Zhongli had assumed she'd been thoroughly extorted and was ready to console her, but then Xinyan suddenly smiled.
"Luckily, I met a guy named Heizou. Without him, the Kanjou Commission would've bled me dry—my travel funds and even my guitar."
With a huff, she muttered, "Hmph! Kanjou Commission? They're worse than treasure hoarders. No—not even as good as treasure hoarders!"
Shao Yun nodded in agreement. Under Hiiragi Shinsuke, the Kanjou Commission was indeed worse than treasure hoarders.
Xinyan went on.
"After that ordeal, I finally got into Inazuma City, hoping to find news about the concert. But wouldn't you know it, more chaos! Someone disrupted the Vision Hunt Ceremony, people died, and the Tenryou Commission declared martial law."
"By the time the city reopened, my temporary pass was nearly expired. Thankfully, a kind soul named Kuki Shinobu took a commission and wrote me a letter of introduction to a general named Kujou Sara."
Hearing that name, Shao Yun rubbed his forehead helplessly. Even back in Liyue, he still couldn't escape hearing Kujou Sara's name.
Xinyan's impression of her was glowing. "I have to say, though Inazuma was hostile to foreigners, that Tenryou Commission general had no airs at all. She patiently extended my pass."
"She even said she'd help me look into the Iridescence Concert Tour."
Grateful, Xinyan kept talking about her. "I even wanted to invite her to my show, but she said the shogunate army was being pushed back hard by the Watatsumi troops on Seirai Island and she had no time for concerts."
"After that, I never saw that kind general again. I don't know what became of her."
Shao Yun thought, If you could run into Kujou Sara now, that would truly be a ghostly encounter—she's already gone to join Baal.
At last, Xinyan described her final days in Inazuma City.
"Everyone was living in fear. Then another island exploded—honestly, it felt like the end of the world."
"That explosion was the final straw. Crowds fled the city, and I followed some back to Ritou."
"After a while, news spread—the Raiden Shogun, Baal, had died, and the Guuji of the Grand Narukami Shrine, Yae Miko, had succeeded her. Only then did Inazuma truly calm down, and I finally had energy to ask about the concert."
At this, Zhongli poured her a cup of tea. "You've suffered much, Miss Xinyan. Please, drink."
Xinyan accepted it gratefully.
After finishing her tea, she revealed the most frustrating twist of her journey.
"But that wasn't the worst. When everything had finally settled, I returned to the city only to learn the Iridescence Concert Tour organizers had been shipwrecked long before—they never even reached Inazuma."
"The shogunate had no time to announce it during the chaos. If not for a kind man named Gorou helping me check the records, I'd still be in the dark."
"In the end, my travel funds were gone, and the concert was canceled. If not for Gorou arranging me a ship back to Liyue, I'd still be stranded."
Turning her empty cup in her hands, Xinyan sighed, "I came back today wanting to pour my heart out to Yun Jin. But she's gone too. Why am I so unlucky?"
Shao Yun thought, Isn't this basically the story of that secret realm with Childe and Maguu Kenki? The "Labyrinth Warriors" event plot? Everything's been scrambled.
Still, her story stirred some sympathy in him. Xinyan had practically endured every disaster Inazuma could throw.
"Truly unfortunate. But at least you returned home safely—that's something."
Xinyan nodded in agreement. "You're right. Coming back safe… that's a blessing in misfortune."