Chapter 22

As Xia Zhi descended the stairs of the inn, he overheard several guests discussing the mysterious fruit fragrance that had wafted through the air the previous night.

In the first-floor lobby, he noticed some guests inquiring with the staff about whether the inn sold fruit juice. The staff apologetically explained that they didn't offer such service, leaving the guests visibly disappointed.

Xia Zhi hadn't expected that the faint scent from the "Rainbow Fruit Essence" would cause such a commotion.

Then again, considering its source—the "Rainbow Fruit"—was a gold-tier item, it made sense that its essence would be so "delicious."

He thoughtfully glanced at them before quietly walking past and stepping out onto the street.

A cool sea breeze greeted him, carrying a slight briny scent.

Though Xia Zhi wasn't quite used to this smell, he didn't find it unpleasant.

The harbor district was as lively as ever today.

For breakfast, Xia Zhi bought a Fisherman's Toast from a harbor food stall.

This was a dish that originated from Mondstadt.

Legend had it that in Mondstadt, fishermen would fill their bags with this toast and spend entire days crouching by the riverside.

The original recipe called for toast topped with onions, but the vendor here had adapted it to Liyue tastes by adding grilled chicken and spicy sauce, making it more like a sandwich.

It tasted excellent.

Xia Zhi leaned against the harbor railing, eating his breakfast while watching the sea.

Several white seabirds descended from the sky, their orange feet perching on the railing beside his hand, tilting their heads and chirping affectionately at him.

This was clearly due to the hidden effect of his special equipment "Wings of Radiance" (which granted friendly initial disposition with the Avian species).

Xia Zhi smiled, tearing off some pieces of his toast and offering them to the birds.

The little creatures happily gathered around to peck at the food, their beaks gentle against his palm, causing a slight tickling sensation.

After they finished eating, Xia Zhi ate the remaining toast and dusted off the crumbs from his hands.

"Alright, I need to go now. You all go play by yourselves."

The seabirds flew away with cheerful chirps.

Xia Zhi turned away from the harbor district and made his way to a quiet street in Feiyun Slope.

This street was lined with shops selling antiques and jewelry, with frighteningly high prices.

Regular tourists rarely ventured here for such expensive purchases.

The street was famous for two old establishments.

One was called Xigu Residence, specializing in various historical antiques.

The other was called Mingxing House, specializing in intricately crafted glazed ornaments.

Xia Zhi walked straight toward Mingxing House.

There were reception ladies at the entrance, though they were dressed more conservatively. Compared to the qipao and half-skirts worn at other shops, their attire showed less flair and more refinement.

Seeing a customer approach, one of the ladies displayed a professional smile and came forward: "Welcome to Mingxing House, dear customer."

Xia Zhi nodded to her and stepped inside, finding the spacious store completely empty of other customers.

The lady walked behind him, explaining with perfect timing: "Dear customer, Mingxing House is a long-established jewelry business, though currently we only accept pre-orders for jewelry. However, we do have some other items for sale if you're interested in taking a look."

"Jewelry only by pre-order?"

"Yes, my apologies. Mingxing House often runs short on stock... As you may know, Liyue's glazework is world-renowned, and only Liyue's special sand can be used to create it. Moreover, not to sound immodest, but Mingxing House has always been the leader in this industry. Many wealthy merchants travel great distances just to purchase one of our glazed crescents."

The lady explained with a smile, her practiced speech flowing smoothly—clearly something she had told customers many times before.

"But who would have thought that the mines in the Chasm would be sealed off recently, suddenly cutting off our supply of raw materials. As you can see, we only have some existing stock left. In principle, these are for display only, and as for the price... well, it would be a number that wouldn't make you happy to hear."

The lady spoke very tactfully. Having worked at Mingxing House for quite some time, she had developed an eye for customers.

The young man before her wearing black glasses, though quiet in demeanor and not appearing awkward like most people who entered the store to view these beautiful ornaments, was wearing very ordinary clothes rather than the silk and brocade favored by the young masters of Yujing Terrace.

She didn't feel he fit the profile of Mingxing House's target customers.

Xia Zhi chuckled softly, looking at the various shimmering ornaments carefully displayed on the shelves, and said, "That's fine, please introduce them to me. The higher the price, the happier I'll be."

The lady paused for a moment, surprise flickering in her eyes, but she didn't question it and continued with professional courtesy to introduce the items.

"Customer, please look at this glazed peony. It took our master craftsman a month to create."

"How many Mora?"

"100,000 Mora."

"Hmm."

"How does the customer find this piece?"

"It's quite beautiful."

"Then...?"

"Please continue with the introduction."

"This glazed silk garment piece was..."

"How many Mora?"

"150,000 Mora."

"Indeed, this one is more beautiful than the previous piece, so the higher price is warranted."

"Customer, then..."

"Please continue showing me more."

The lady gave him a look and continued introducing other ornaments, finally reaching the piece displayed at the very back of the shelf.

"This piece is our store's crown jewel—the Glazed Lily, modeled after the glazed lilies that bloom in Yujing Terrace."

"It's truly lifelike. How many Mora?"

"500,000 Mora."

"So this is the highest price..." Xia Zhi turned to look at the lady beside him. "Thank you for the introduction. I understand everything now."

"Does the customer have any favorites?"

"I like them all, actually." Xia Zhi shook his head and said, "Unfortunately, I don't have the money to buy them right now."

A flash of disappointment crossed the lady's eyes, though she maintained her professional smile.

"That's alright. If the customer has any jewelry needs in the future, please feel welcome to visit Mingxing House again."

"Mm."

Xia Zhi nodded, feeling that this century-old establishment truly lived up to its reputation for excellent service.

"Though I'm not buying anything today, I actually came here to sell an ornament to your store."

???

The lady was taken aback by his words.

"Please help me inform your master." Xia Zhi smiled gently at her. "My item won't disappoint her."

He glanced at the so-called crown jewel on the shelf and added softly.

"I guarantee it won't be inferior to this Glazed Lily."