"Slurp~ Ah, this tea is so refreshing~"
Paimon hugged a large teacup almost as big as herself and happily took a big gulp of the cold tea. The refreshing tea aroma blended perfectly with the vendor's special heat-relieving recipe. Even Lumine, who didn't usually like tea, drank an entire pot.
"Zhongli, don't think buying us tea will stop us from telling Hu Tao you're slacking off. Have you finished buying everything for the Rite of Parting?"
Lumine was clearly still annoyed with Zhongli. She had walked all morning while he sat leisurely drinking tea. If she didn't have an opinion, she wouldn't be Lumine.
Despite Lumine's complaints, Zhongli showed no sign of embarrassment. Instead, he pulled three pieces of Noctilucous Jade from his pocket. The stones glowed blue under the sunlight, clearly not ordinary.
"I've already prepared some items for the Rite of Parting. Not many, but they're important."
"Also, these three pieces of Noctilucous Jade weren't paid for by Wangsheng. Anything you buy can also be billed to Northland Bank, just like me."
"Of course, if there's anything you want to buy, feel free to take advantage of this opportunity. Childe isn't stingy. I'm sure he won't get upset over such a small matter."
Zhongli sipped his tea slowly. On such a hot day, rather than wandering around Liyue Harbor, it was better to spend a little Mora to have this Traveler help with the shopping.
"If anyone asks, just show them this token."
Zhongli handed Lumine the token Childe had given him. He didn't need it for now—his face was enough. After all, nearly every merchant in Liyue Harbor knew that he, Zhongli, had found himself a wealthy benefactor at Northland Bank.
It turned out Zhongli's judgment was spot on. The moment they heard they could spend Childe's Mora on themselves, Lumine and Paimon weren't tired anymore. Ignoring Su Bai's protests, they dragged him away from the tea stall.
Zhongli quickly flicked a note to Su Bai. The note originally contained the items Hu Tao had asked him to buy. Zhongli added a few things to the list. After all, this was his own funeral. There was nothing wrong with preparing a few things he liked, right?
As the saying went, "I've fought my whole life. What's wrong with enjoying myself a little?" This would be the last time anyway. If he ever wanted to appear before the world again, he would have to use a disguise.
Meanwhile, Su Bai was also confused. You two go shopping. Why are you dragging me along? The weather was too hot. Su Bai just wanted to lie in bed and sleep. If he could catch a Cryo Slime and put it by the bed to cool down, that would be even better.
"Seriously, why are you dragging me along to shop? I want to rest."
Su Bai was dragged all the way to the commercial street by Lumine. Looking at the bustling street before him, his head was spinning. What was this all about? He didn't need to buy anything.
"Hehe, Su Bai, you're an adeptus~ Maybe your presence will get us a discount."
"You're spending Mora from Northland Bank. Why would you need a discount?"
"Oh, right!"
Lumine and Paimon exchanged glances. Su Bai made a good point. Their purchases were being billed to Northland Bank. Why should they save Mora for the bank?
"Paimon being silly is one thing, but you've gotten silly too, Lumine. Is stupidity contagious?"
Su Bai sat down at a tea stall and complained weakly. Those two really knew how to make things difficult for him. He had wanted to ask Zhongli his thoughts on Rex Lapis's assassination while no one else was around. Now he couldn't even ask. Knowing Zhongli's nature, he was probably long gone.
"You two go pick out what you want. I'll wait here. On a hot day like this, going outside is torture."
With that, Su Bai ordered a pot of cold tea and began sipping slowly like Zhongli. His lack of energy confused Lumine. She had traveled through many worlds and never heard of foxes hibernating in summer. Was this a Teyvat fox thing?
Whatever. Shopping was more important. Ignoring whether Su Bai had summer hibernation habits, Lumine took the note Zhongli had given Su Bai and started her shopping spree with Paimon.
"Are you sure that blonde girl is some rich young lady?"
"Yes, boss. I've been watching her all afternoon. She hasn't stopped shopping once. She even bought a bunch of useless things."
"Alright. Round up some men. We're going to borrow some Mora from her."
At the thug leader's command, several began to disguise themselves. They were well-known extortionists on this commercial street, specializing in targeting wealthy young people without bodyguards.
Unaware they had been targeted, Lumine and Paimon continued their shopping spree. Lumine hadn't enjoyed the pleasure of shopping in a long time, and she was making the most of it.
"Sunsettias! Sunsettias! Sweet Sunsettias! If they're not sweet, no Mora!"
"Huh? Lumine, there's a Sunsettia vendor. I'm thirsty. I'll go buy one."
With that, Paimon flew over to the vendor, grabbed a Sunsettia, and took a bite. Lumine was about to grab one herself when she noticed Paimon had gone quiet after one bite. Something was off.
"Lumine, this Sunsettia has a bland taste. Not sour, not sweet."
"Paimon, speak plainly."
"Um, the more I eat this Sunsettia, the worse it tastes. After the first bite, I lost all desire to eat more. You shouldn't buy any."
Paimon made a disgusted face. She had never eaten such a bad Sunsettia. Not only was the fruit tasteless, but the skin was also astringent. This Sunsettia was even worse than the food Lumine had made when she first learned to cook.
The vendor overheard Paimon and his face darkened. He threw down the Sunsettia in his hand and stood up. At the same time, several burly men slowly surrounded them.
"You're saying my Sunsettias taste bad?"
"Yes, they're awful!"
Unaware of the danger, Paimon put her hands on her hips, very displeased. Eating this Sunsettia had killed her appetite. This scar-faced fruit vendor was a villain.
"Hmph, you're lying! How could my fruit taste bad? You're slandering me! Pay me compensation for emotional distress!"
"Huh?? Emotional distress?? Are you kidding me? I ate this horrible Sunsettia. If anything, you should be paying me compensation! And you want me to pay you?"
"Try one yourself and see if it's good before you say that."
Scarface Liu's face twitched. He knew perfectly well how bad this batch of Sunsettias was. After one taste, he never touched them again.
"Hmph, enough talk. My Sunsettias are sweet. You're just slandering me to steal my business!"