Chapter 91

After finishing breakfast outside, they returned to the small shop and began the day's business.

Opening the shop door, Zhu zi stood at the entrance with a warm smile, greeting customers, while Shenhe stood beside her, quietly observing her mentor's operations and studying carefully.

First, she would greet customers with a smile, welcome them inside, guide them to an empty table, ask how many glasses of juice they wanted, relay their order to the boss, wait for the juice to be prepared, then serve the drinks and collect payment. When customers finished their juice, she would cheerfully see them out.

These were her tasks, and Shenhe quickly learned them. 

The only difficulty she encountered was her inability to display a smile towards customers like Miss Zhu'zi could.

Not even the polite, slightly distant customer service smile.

In Shenhe's memories, she had not smiled or cried for a long time.

When she was first taken in by her master and brought to the immortal cave of Wuwang Hill, the legendary adeptus had once consulted the divination for the young Shenhe.

The divination revealed that her life's destiny was marked by extreme isolation and catastrophic energy, with an exceptionally heavy killing fate—a once-in-a-thousand-years inauspicious destiny that could harm both herself and others.

To ensure her safe growth without harming innocent people, the adepti performed a red rope soul-binding technique on her.

This mystical art not only suppressed the malevolent and murderous energy within her but also restricted many human emotions.

Since then, trivial matters increasingly failed to stir her heart, and things ordinary people valued were mere passing dust to her.

Her humanity growing weaker, she was like a beautiful sculpture lacking the seven emotions and six desires.

Shenhe herself did not mind this, but her master, Cloud Retainer, felt that such emotional detachment was not good. She had considered lifting the red rope soul-binding technique but ultimately refrained due to certain reservations.

Perhaps this was also one reason why her master sent her down the mountain to experience the mortal world.

Shenhe tried to curve her mouth, discovering she still couldn't produce a natural smile.

She walked to the counter and softly spoke.

"Boss."

"Hmm?"

"I... can't smile."

"It's fine. You don't need to smile. Just do your work as you normally would, without worrying about others' opinions. We're selling juice, not smiles."

"Understood... I'll go help now."

"Go ahead."

Shenhe walked to the shop entrance, looking at the queue, and said flatly: "Next customer, please come in."

At that moment, the customer at the front of the line was the same Mondstadt traveler who had been the first customer when the shop first opened. He paused, then nodded with a smile: "Okay."

He followed Shenhe into the shop and sat at an empty table.

"Sir, would you like one or two glasses of juice?"

"Two! Do you still have takeaway service today?"

"Takeaway service?"

"Like those bamboo tube cups from last time."

"Sorry, not today."

"Oh."

"Please wait a moment."

Shenhe turned and approached the counter.

"Boss, two juices."

"Got it."

Xia Zhi prepared the juices and handed them to her.

Shenhe carried the tray back to the table, placing the drinks down and saying coolly: "Your juices are ready. That'll be 200 Mora."

He paid cheerfully, took a sip, and a satisfied expression crossed his face: "Another unique flavor..."

Then he couldn't help but sigh: "This is much better than alcohol. I don't know what I'll do after the Moonchase Festival ends and I can't drink this in Mondstadt anymore..."

He turned his head and saw the elegant server still standing by the table.

She was lowering her head, carefully counting the Mora she had just received, checking the amount.

Indeed, she was new and clearly unfamiliar with the work.

But her looks were extraordinary. He wondered how the shop's owner, seemingly blind, had managed to hire such a beautiful employee...

Shenhe counted the Mora, confirmed everything was correct, and then turned to continue serving other customers.

He sat at his seat, slowly finishing one glass of juice, then took out the wine bottle he carried.

Unscrewing the cap, he found it was empty—an unusual occurrence for a Mondstadt wine lover.

He carefully poured the second, unfinished juice into the wine bottle, screwed the cap tight, and stood up to leave.

After exiting the summer shop, he went to a small alchemy store.

"What can I help you with, sir?"

"Do you have any small items that can maintain low temperatures for a long time?"

"Yes, they're over here."

"Let me take a look."

After a while, he walked out of the alchemy store with a small black ring emitting a faint cryo energy attached to his wine bottle.

"When I return to Mondstadt, I'll give those wine lovers a little shock from Liyue, and let them experience how it feels when their precious alcohol suddenly becomes tasteless."

Back at the summer shop, time passed slowly. More than an hour had passed since they opened for business.

The queue of customers had gradually thinned, and Shenhe had become more familiar with her new job.

"Next customer, please come in. Young Master Xingqiu?"

Shenhe was about to serve the next customer when she suddenly realized it was someone she had just met two days ago.

Xingqiu smiled warmly: "Good morning, Miss Shenhe."

Shenhe looked at him and asked: "Are you here to see the boss?"

Xingqiu shook his head: "No, like other customers, I'm just here to drink a rainbow juice."

"I see. Please come in."

Xingqiu followed Shenhe into the shop, curiously surveying the interior decorations.

Quite ordinary, nothing special.

Hm?

Xingqiu suddenly noticed a calligraphy piece hanging on the wall.

[Sea rises with bright moon, sky's edge shares this moment.]

Though not beautifully written, the characters were incredibly elegant and evocative.

Through these simple words, Xingqiu seemed to see a scene of a bright moon hanging over the sea, with distant friends gazing up together.

Xingqiu repeated the lines a few times, his eyes growing bright. He couldn't help but ask: "It's beautifully written. Miss Shenhe, who wrote this piece?"

Shenhe flatly responded: "The boss wrote it."

Xingqiu was stunned: "Master Xia wrote it?"

"Yes."

"But Master Xia's eyes..."

"I'm not lying to you."

"No, I'm just... surprised..."

"Please sit."

"Oh, okay."

Xingqiu sat at the table, involuntarily glancing at Xia Zhi, who was preparing juice at the counter.

"Young Master Xingqiu, would you like one or two juices?"

"One juice, thank you."

"Please wait."

Shenhe glanced at Xingqiu and turned away.

This was the first customer who had only ordered one juice. Previously, customers had always ordered at least two, with some even wanting a third.

Approaching the counter, Shenhe spoke softly.

"Boss, Young Master Xingqiu is here."

"Oh?"

Xia Zhi had already detected his arrival through other means, but maintained his blind persona, displaying an appropriate look of mild surprise.

"He said he's just here to drink juice today and only ordered one glass."

"Hmm, I promised to treat him to a drink last time. Don't charge him."

"Understood."

"Xingqiu is an honored guest. Go to the kitchen and bring out some nice-looking mooncakes for him to taste."

"Certainly."

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