Chapter 138

Holding his wallet, Childe followed Hiroshi with a bewildered expression.

He glanced back at the seven kites in Zhongli's hands, then turned towards Hiroshi and asked curiously, "Are Liyue's kites always this expensive?"

"No, no, no." Hiroshi waved his finger in front of Childe, speaking earnestly, "These are kites representing the Seven Archons, handcrafted by the current heir of a thousand-year-old family in Liyue. Ten thousand Mora is already a discounted price for Zhongli being an old customer. If you don't believe me, ask Mr. Zhongli if this price is reasonable."

"Ten thousand Mora is indeed not overpriced," Zhongli confirmed, nodding at Childe. "Now that the kites are ready, the next thing we need is some Everlasting Incense from Bubu Pharmacy."

Childe couldn't help but smile, letting go of the concern over his wallet. After all, the bank belonged to his people—money wasn't an issue.

"So, Mr. Zhongli, are you heading to Bubu Pharmacy next?"

"Would you like to join us?"

"Can I?!"

"Yes, and it's perfect timing. The funds you provided earlier have already run out."

Across the street from them, Granny Shan at her kite stall shook her head while looking at several pouches of Mora in front of her. "What should I do with so much money? I was told that if I refused, they would throw it into the ocean. Oddly enough, my back doesn't ache today, and my legs feel so nimble—it must be the blessing of Rex Lapis."

With the sun slowly setting, Hiroshi and the group arrived at the entrance to Bubu Pharmacy.

Gently pushing open the door, Zhongli asked Baiwen, who was cleaning, "Excuse me, does your shop have any Everlasting Incense?"

"Everlasting Incense?" Baiwen looked up, resting on her broom as she tried to recall, "I think we do. Please wait a moment while I ask our boss, Baizhu."

"Oh! Qiqi, you're back!" Baiwen exclaimed when she noticed Qiqi beside Hiroshi. "The boss has been asking for you—you should go see him."

"Qiqi... doesn't want to," Qiqi said, clutching Hiroshi's hand as she looked up at Baiwen and shook her head slightly. "Qiqi wants to stay by Brother Hiroshi's side."

"Brother?!" Baiwen looked up at Hiroshi in shock and asked incredulously, "Qiqi, haven't you been a zombie for a long time?! How do you have a brother?!"

"Haha, hello there, I'm Hiroshi." Hiroshi smiled and greeted Baiwen. He casually took out a talisman and pasted it on his forehead, saying, "I'm also a zombie. Now you can understand, right?"

"Please, guest, don't joke like that," Baiwen said, shaking her head, with a smile tinged with helplessness as she looked at Qiqi holding onto Hiroshi.

"Please wait here. I'll bring out Boss Baizhu right away."

After hurriedly setting aside her broom, Baiwen ran to the back of the pharmacy.

"Hoho~" Childe turned to Hiroshi, sitting with Qiqi in his arms, an intrigued smile on his face. "It looks like something interesting is about to happen." He leaned closer to Hiroshi and asked in a low voice, "Hiroshi, do you need my help? Just tell me what you need in return later."

Hiroshi raised an eyebrow at Childe's mysterious offer, shaking his head. "This matter doesn't require the involvement of the Fatui's Harbinger, Mr. Childe. It's my personal matter—I'll handle it myself." Then, with a mischievous smile, he rubbed his thumb and index finger together in front of Childe. "But we can discuss that information exchange later."

Seeing the sly smile on Hiroshi's face, Childe brightened up. He nodded as he recalled Hiroshi's earlier bold display at Liuli Pavilion, saying, "Fine, we'll discuss it later."

"Hahaha, who would've thought the esteemed guest from Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Mr. Zhongli, would pay us a visit?"

Baizhu pulled back the curtain and stepped into the room, his eyes narrowing slightly when he saw Qiqi in Hiroshi's arms. He turned his attention to Zhongli, who was sipping tea, and said with a smile, "So, is it Mr. Zhongli who needs the Everlasting Incense?"

"Indeed," Zhongli nodded as he put down his teacup. "Does your shop have any in stock?"

"Of course! We have it," Baizhu replied, his eyes narrowing as he chuckled softly. "Three hundred thousand Mora, top quality."

"Hmm..." Zhongli rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Three hundred thousand Mora… doesn't sound unreasonable at first, but by conventional standards, it's a bit tricky."

"Childe, would the Fatui be willing to cover this expense?"

"Liyue's Rite of Parting is turning out to be quite expensive," Childe sighed, walking over to Baizhu and bowing slightly. With a smile, he introduced himself, "I am Childe, Harbinger of the Fatui. If it's not too much trouble, I hope we can collaborate more in the future. This time, I'll cover the cost of the Everlasting Incense."

"Hahaha, many thanks, Lord Harbinger." Smiling, Baizhu stroked the white snake draped around his neck. "We at Bubu Pharmacy are always happy to work with generous customers like yourself. Here's to a fruitful partnership." He then turned his gaze towards Qiqi, a faint smile on his lips.

"Qiqi, now that you're back, why didn't you come to see me? Didn't I ask Baiwen to call you?"

"Mr. Baizhu... Qiqi wants to stay with Brother Hiroshi," Qiqi said, looking up at Baizhu and shaking her head. "So Qiqi... won't go to see Mr. Baizhu."

"Brother?" Baizhu asked, eyeing Hiroshi, who was gently stroking Qiqi's head. There was a hint of amusement in Baizhu's voice. "It seems like quite an interesting event happened after I left today. Right, Mr. Hiroshi?"

"Hahaha." Hiroshi chuckled as he hugged Qiqi closer and brushed his cheek against her cool forehead. "I just happened to feel an instant bond with Qiqi. My fiancée and my sister both adore her, and since Qiqi didn't object, we decided to become family."

Hiroshi stood up, reaching out and shaking Baizhu's hand while eyeing the white snake on Baizhu's shoulder. With a smile, Hiroshi said, "I truly appreciate your generosity, Boss Baizhu. You've taken care of Qiqi when she was lost and without memories, providing her with a place to stay and teaching her survival skills as an apprentice. I am really grateful! No amount of gratitude would suffice."

He pulled out a purple gemstone, and as five different elemental energies swirled around his palm, Hiroshi crushed the gem, then reopened his hand. Now, a chain of golden rock wrapped around the gem. Hiroshi handed the necklace to Baizhu.

"This is a small token of my appreciation. Today, inspired by witnessing an adepti's realm creation, I crafted this gem that contains its own miniature domain. I hope Boss Baizhu accepts it as a token of my gratitude."

"Oh, right!" Hiroshi seemed to remember something and smiled at Qiqi. "Qiqi, hand it over."

"Hmm." Qiqi nodded, standing at Hiroshi's feet. She took out an envelope and handed it to Baizhu.

"Mr. Baizhu... this is Qiqi's resignation letter. From now on, Qiqi will live with Brother Hiroshi. We are... family."

"Well, congratulations to you, Qiqi." Baizhu smiled, accepting the resignation letter. "Since you've officially resigned, Qiqi, you're no longer an employee of Bubu Pharmacy. I'm happy you found a place to belong."

"Thank you... Mr. Baizhu." Qiqi bowed slightly, then took Hiroshi's hand and looked up. "Brother Hiroshi... let's go home."

"Alright, let's go." Hiroshi smiled as he led Qiqi away. "Let's go home."

Within Bubu Pharmacy, Baizhu watched the door slowly close, the smile on his face fading bit by bit. He glanced down at the purple gemstone necklace and Qiqi's resignation letter, his hand tightening into a fist.

"Give it up, Baizhu," said Changsheng, the white snake draped around his neck. It lifted its head, its crimson eyes following Qiqi and Hiroshi as they left. Flicking its tongue, Changsheng continued softly, "As long as that man named Hiroshi is by Qiqi's side, our goal will remain unattainable."