At that moment, Hu Tao—who had been barely containing her blazing curiosity—finally sidled up to Yi Chen and lightly nudged him with her elbow.
"Hey, Yi Chen, let me ask you something…"
"Why are you so obsessed with the whole 'reassembly' part?"
"Most people booking services only worry about coffin materials or how grand the funeral will be. But you—asking about body parts, reconstruction—don't tell me you've actually got a premonition that you're about to be chopped into minced meat or something? Hahaha!"
She said it jokingly, convinced the idea was far too ridiculous to be real.
However, Yi Chen turned to her and nodded with absolute certainty.
"Yeah. That might happen."
Hu Tao's smile froze instantly, her eyes going wide.
Before she could process that answer, Yi Chen calmly dropped an even bigger bomb.
"Because I'm planning to confess to Lady Keqing, the Yuheng Star, tomorrow."
"So I'm worried she might just draw her sword and cut me down on the spot."
"Preparing professional reconstruction services in advance feels like proper risk management, don't you think?"
The air froze.
The Wangsheng Funeral Parlor fell so silent you could hear a pin drop.
Hu Tao turned completely to stone, her mouth forming a perfect "O" as the client registry slipped from her hands and hit the floor with a clatter—which she didn't even notice.
Her brain was clearly struggling to process this overload of information.
Even Zhongli—normally unshakable—lost his composure.
The teacup in his hand tilted slightly, a few drops of expensive tea spilling onto his sleeve… and he didn't notice at all.
Confessing to Keqing.
Expecting to be cut down.
So he came to pre-order corpse reconstruction services?!
Even with millennia of experience, the Geo Archon had never encountered someone whose logic was this clear, preparation this thorough, and reasoning this utterly… unfathomable.
Zhongli felt that thousands of years of wisdom were being severely tested.
How could someone use the most serious expression to say the most outrageous things—
and still arrange everything so… internally consistent?
"In short, Director Hu, Consultant Zhongli,"
Yi Chen clasped his hands together earnestly.
"My recovery ability is quite strong, so I might not die completely right away. If I get chopped up but am still alive, I'll be counting on you for the follow-up repairs!"
Feeling that goodwill alone might not be enough, he added very conscientiously:
"And of course, if extra fees are required, I'm happy to pay more! Please use the best materials and the most professional techniques!"
Zhongli cleared his throat twice, attempting to steer this young man back toward reality.
"Yi Chen, forgive my bluntness. From what I know of Lady Keqing, while she is decisive and highly skilled with a blade, she is by no means one who kills indiscriminately."
"Your level of concern… is somewhat excessive."
He truly couldn't comprehend what kind of worldview naturally linked confession and dismemberment.
Yi Chen waved a hand dismissively, clearly unmoved.
"Ah, Mr. Zhongli, you can't say that."
"One must always prepare for the worst. After all, everyone dies eventually."
His logic remained unbeatable.
After saying that, Yi Chen actually began inspecting a display coffin nearby, knocking lightly on the wooden boards to test thickness and material.
"Besides, Director Hu and I get along really well, and her professionalism seems extremely reliable."
He turned and flashed Hu Tao a brilliant smile.
"So let's book the coffin first! Oh right—Director Hu, can I try lying in this one? I want to check the size and comfort."
Hu Tao stared at Yi Chen's earth-shattering yet somehow self-consistent reasoning, and at his perfectly natural attitude—as if shopping for a bed.
Her plum-blossom eyes sparkled with ecstatic joy.
"Aiya! Yi Chen, my dear client!"
"You are the most forward-thinking, best-prepared, most practically minded customer I've ever met!"
"No exceptions!"
She nearly wanted to shove a Wangsheng VIP gold card straight into his hands.
"Try it! You must try it!"
"Lie in whichever one you like! If you're not satisfied, we'll switch!"
"I guarantee we'll find you the most comfortable, sturdiest, most suitable—uh—for all possible scenarios!"
Zhongli stood there watching one person dare to ask and another dare to agree, as they enthusiastically discussed coffin comfort and interior padding.
He silently raised a hand and pressed his temples again.
Today's sense of helplessness surpassed the total of the past year.
This Yi Chen… was truly extraordinary.
Several hours flew by in what could only be described as a coffin tasting session.
One was lively and whimsical.
The other had an unorthodox but intensely practical mind.
Hu Tao deeply admired Yi Chen's outlook of seeing life and death lightly, planning ahead, and even being picky about coffin comfort.
Yi Chen, in turn, was in awe of Hu Tao's impromptu dark poetry full of Wangsheng flair—he found it wildly creative.
The two nearly swore siblinghood on the spot.
Finally, after confirming the coffin choice, Hu Tao dashed off to personally supervise its custom production.
Only Yi Chen and Zhongli remained in the side hall.
The lively chaos settled.
Zhongli calmly brewed two cups of tea, the steam dispersing the oddly lingering scent of coffin discussion.
Yi Chen relaxed and sat opposite him naturally.
From chatting with Hu Tao earlier, he'd learned that this refined consultant was basically a living encyclopedia of Liyue.
Zhongli slid a teacup toward him.
"Yi Chen, you seemed to converse very well with Director Hu. That is rare—her thinking often outpaces others."
Yi Chen sniffed the tea appreciatively and grinned.
"Director Hu is amazing! Talking with her is really fun!"
Zhongli nodded.
"Indeed. Though playful, she possesses great clarity."
Then he shifted topics.
"You are from Mondstadt?"
"The city of freedom blessed by the Anemo Archon differs greatly from Liyue. Are you here on official business?"
This casual question was, in fact, Zhongli finally taking the long-awaited first step of truly getting acquainted.
Yi Chen straightened slightly and nodded.
"I came with the Knights of Favonius delegation—partly for diplomacy, and partly to learn how to make money."
Zhongli took a sip of tea.
"With your abilities, I imagine your progress has been substantial."
"Diplomacy is mostly handled by Captain Kaeya," Yi Chen waved a hand.
"But regarding commerce, I've learned a little from Lady Ningguang, and I also compiled some of my own thoughts."
He reached into his bag and respectfully presented his thesis.
"This contains my recent studies. There are surely many rough ideas—please advise."
Zhongli accepted the thick manuscript.
As his eyes scanned the pages, his casual calm shifted to focus… then surprise.
Clear structure. Solid data.
Bold yet meticulous thinking.
Not only did it grasp the essence of Liyue's commerce, it carefully evaluated feasibility and risks within Mondstadt's environment.
This was no brute.
Zhongli looked up again, genuine admiration in his eyes.
"You are too modest."
"This work is far from superficial."
"Your understanding of Liyue's contracts and guild systems is solid, and your proposals—especially combining Mondstadt's wine industry with adventurer demand—are insightful and feasible."
"You possess both talent and diligence. Given time, you will go far."
Yi Chen scratched his head shyly, unable to hide his joy.
"Really? Thank you! Actually, I still have questions—about long-term risk management and—"
The moment learning came up, he dove straight back into student mode.
Zhongli answered patiently, each response striking the core.
The two spoke as if in an academic salon rather than a funeral parlor.
Only when Hu Tao burst back in shouting that the coffin frame was ready did they finally stop.
Zhongli watched the eager, clear-eyed youth and sighed inwardly.
If guided well, his future was boundless.
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