"Shenhe? Why are you here?" Lin Qiu asked.
"Working." Shenhe said calmly, as she tidied up the melon seed shells around Lin Qiu.
This scene gave Lin Qiu a strong sense of déjà vu. Was it like his mother coming to clean up after he and his friends finished playing?
Fortunately, he had eaten neatly, so it was easy to clean up.
"Working is a good thing; it can help you integrate into society." Lin Qiu expressed his support.
But if you ask if Lin Qiu had ever worked a proper job, the answer is no.
He transmigrated when he was twenty-one, just about to graduate from university. His job in this world, if you had to call it something, was probably Hu Tao's playmate.
After that, he went to Fontaine and was 'kept' by a rich woman, earning royalties by writing novels. He really hadn't worked a serious job.
Work? It was impossible to work.
Shenhe nodded in agreement. Her senior sister had also told her that working could help her understand human society faster.
Lin Qiu was still a bit worried. Could Shenhe really do this kind of service job well?
He wanted to stay and see if Shenhe could adapt, but then someone quietly approached Lin Qiu.
The person was Yun Jin. She had removed her makeup and was wearing an ordinary maid's uniform, her long purple hair falling naturally.
She hadn't intended to attract attention, and with Shenhe drawing everyone's gaze, no one really noticed Yun Jin coming to find Lin Qiu here.
Yun Jin had asked Shenhe to clear the table precisely because her ethereal, fairy-like appearance could attract a lot of attention, creating a sense of contrast.
Lin Qiu was a bit surprised. He hadn't expected Yun Jin to invite him personally. He had thought that even if Yun Jin wanted to see him, she would send someone to invite him.
This was where Lin Qiu underestimated his influence.
With the death of the Geo Archon, the Liyue people completely believed in the Prophet's abilities.
Now, it wasn't difficult for him to see others; it was difficult for others to see him.
Didn't Ningguang invite him personally, instead of sending someone else?
Even if Lin Qiu wasn't the Geo Archon, his identity as a Prophet was enough for the Liyue Seven Stars to take him seriously.
"Mr. Lin Qiu, may I invite you to a guest room for a chat? Yun Jin requests your presence." Yun Jin said.
Lin Qiu never refused an invitation. He turned to Tartaglia and said:
"Tartaglia, you go back first. I'll find you next time."
"..." Tartaglia was speechless.
Is he calling me Tartaglia?
No, that's not the point. The point is, what do you even consider me? Someone you can summon and dismiss at will?
Friend, I consider you a friend!
However, no matter how satisfied Tartaglia was, he could only choose to listen to Lin Qiu.
There was no other way. Lin Qiu now held key information. He had to listen, he couldn't possibly surrender to Rosalyne and let her help him, could he?
Of two evils, choose the lesser. Tartaglia still chose to listen to Lin Qiu.
Tartaglia left, and Lin Qiu followed Yun Jin into the guest room at the back of the shop.
As soon as he entered, Lin Qiu saw a short figure grinning widely at him.
Venti, that old fellow, still hadn't returned to Mondstadt. He had just been caught by Zhongli for a quick chat.
Zhongli had also asked him why he was still in Liyue.
Venti said that the matter wasn't over yet; there was no reason to leave a show halfway through.
"This is a very skilled Roving Bard, proficient in all kinds of music." Yun Jin introduced.
She had invited Venti to discuss music with him.
Venti could be described as 'master of all weapons' when it came to musical instruments.
"Hehe, Mr. Yun doesn't need to introduce me. Mr. Lin Qiu and I are old acquaintances." Venti said with a smile.
To prevent others from recognizing him, Venti had specifically changed into Liyue clothes.
It must be said that the effect was very good; at least, it was very difficult for the Liyue people to recognize him as the Anemo Archon.
Yun Jin nodded, sighing with emotion. This Roving Bard was indeed remarkable, even knowing the Prophet.
Lin Qiu was a bit confused. Let alone the Rite of Descension, even the Rite of Parting was about to end. Why hadn't he returned to Mondstadt yet?
Don't forget, you're the Anemo Archon who snuck in. The legitimate Hydro Archon who came through proper diplomacy has already gone back.
"Why are you still in Liyue?" Lin Qiu asked.
"Because there's still a good show in Liyue that I haven't finished watching." Venti said as if it were obvious.
When he said this in front of Yun Jin, those who didn't know might think he was referring to Yun Jin's opera as the 'good show.'
But Lin Qiu knew that this old fellow definitely knew that something big was going to happen in Liyue later, which was why he couldn't bear to leave.
"I think you're the Prophet." Lin Qiu retorted.
"Ehe."
Yun Jin's ruby-like eyes blinked, not quite understanding what they were talking about.
"Mr. Yun, what did you want to see me about?" Lin Qiu stopped dwelling on Venti's issue.
"Just call me Yun Jin." Yun Jin smiled politely.
"The reason I invited Mr. Lin Qiu here is because I just learned something from Miss Shenhe."
Yun Jin explained to Lin Qiu that it was because Shenhe had asked an extra question when she applied for the job: 'Do you sing Goddess Splitting the Clouds?'
This itself wasn't a strange question, but the problem lay in Shenhe's identity.
Ganyu had told her in advance that because Shenhe had grown up in the mountains, she knew very little about human affairs.
She hoped they could be more understanding of Shenhe in her work.
So, the question arose: how did someone who knew so little about human affairs, and even basic common sense, know about 'Goddess Splitting the Clouds'?
Out of this curiosity, Yun Jin asked Shenhe this question.
Shenhe told her that her junior brother had told her about it, saying it was a story related to her, so she wanted to understand it.
Then Yun Jin asked about the identity of Shenhe's junior brother, and it was none other than the famous Prophet.
The rest of the story was Yun Jin having Shenhe attract everyone's attention while she secretly invited Lin Qiu.
"Mr. Lin Qiu, I want to know what the relationship between 'Goddess Splitting the Clouds' and Miss Shenhe is?"
Yun Jin had actually vaguely guessed a thing or two. "Could Miss Shenhe be the little girl in the story?"
She could guess the connection, but not the truth, which was why she wanted to ask Lin Qiu.
She didn't ask Shenhe directly, fearing it might bring up bad memories for the person involved.
Lin Qiu also understood Yun Jin's reason for seeking him out.
He had thought that even though he was a Prophet, he had no connection to Yun Jin's opera, so why would she seek him out?
Even if it was to show appreciation to a fan, it should be Zhongli.
He came here every day; at the very least, he should be an SVIP, right?
"You guessed correctly, Shenhe is the little girl in the story."
"It's just that the true experience differs somewhat from the story."
"Opera creation involves interpretation and performance, so it's inevitable that it won't perfectly match reality." Yun Jin said.
"However, if the person involved dislikes it, I can rewrite it."
Lin Qiu shook his head and said, "There's no need to change it."
"Never mind, I'll go call Shenhe. It's better to let the person involved tell this kind of story."
Shenhe herself actually liked the story of 'Goddess Splitting the Clouds' very much, so this opera was not changed in the end; Yun Jin merely added another touch.
"I'll call, I'll call!" Venti was very interested in hearing the story and volunteered.
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Character Voice Line · Yun Jin: About Lin Qiu's Singing
"Mr. Lin Qiu's singing? ...The songs he creates are quite good, very thoughtful and creative."