Genshin Impact: It All Began With Me Being Stepped On by Arlecchino

The next morning, having just completed his mission, Lu Li had the next few days off. Although Arlecchino had demanded a demonstration of his new power, as Snezhnaya's diplomat and a Fatui Harbinger, she was rarely idle. Thus, the demonstration was tentatively scheduled for that evening.

This left Lu Li with the entire day to himself.

After his usual morning exercises, he headed to Café Lucerne, not far from the Hôtel Bouffes d'été. He ordered a black coffee and a Mille-Feuille from Arouet for breakfast and found a seat.

While the Mora he earned from missions was meager, essentially the life of a beast of burden, he only had himself to feed. Plus, thanks to habits from his past life, he was a diligent saver and had amassed about a million Mora—an average amount for the middle class.

Usually, during his time off, Lu Li would enjoy a solitary life: watching a show at the Opera Epiclese, fishing in the Beryl Region, or occasionally chatting with Liyue sailors about life and tea at Romaritime Harbor. Though Liyue wasn't his home country from his past life, their cultures were quite similar.

But those were his old habits. Now that he had power and a monthly gift from the myriad worlds... it was only natural to want to explore his newfound strength and see how he could grow.

As he was lost in thought, he looked up to find that a beautiful woman had quietly taken the seat opposite him.

Like Lu Li, she had features reminiscent of someone from Liyue, but her custom-made Inazuman kimono, her high-tied bun, and her combination of black stockings and high-heeled geta sandals proved she was not from Liyue, but Inazuma.

"The Thundering Seamstress"—Chiori, the owner of "Chioriya Boutique" in the Court of Fontaine and a renowned fashion designer from Inazuma.

Surprised to see one of his few friends here, and by such a coincidence, Lu Li paused for a moment before pushing the Mille-Feuille towards her. "Long time no see. Want some?"

"It has been a while. You've been completely out of sight these past few days. Where have you been?" Chiori glanced at the cake, shook her head, and took a sip of her bitter coffee, her fine brows furrowing as she asked.

"You know how it is. Sometimes you're just caught up in things you can't control," Lu Li replied softly with a shake of his head. "So, you should be glad to see me alive and well."

Chiori's wine-red eyes flickered. After a moment of silence, she said, "If you're in trouble, you can come find me in secret."

Lu Li smiled faintly. "Mm... So, seeing you here, are you in a bad mood and looking for inspiration, or did you come looking for me specifically?"

Chiori rarely stayed in her shop unless she was in a particularly good mood. Generally, her mood was as unpredictable as spring rain, and she was rarely in a good one. This might make her seem irresponsible, but it was worse than that—she was sharp-tongued, completely inconsiderate, and brutally direct with her customers. Even so, "Chioriya Boutique" was a booming success, with sales far surpassing every other clothing store in Fontaine.

Hearing his question, Chiori nodded slightly. "Some business disputes have put me in a very bad mood. I came out for a walk to clear my head and happened to run into you. Well? Interested in taking a walk with me?"

Lu Li fell silent for a moment, meeting Chiori's dangerous gaze that left no room for refusal. He sighed and nodded. "Alright. Where do you want to go? You're not going to drag me along to beat up your unruly competitors, are you?"

"As long as they don't go too far, I won't resort to violence. It would be hard to explain to Chevreuse," Chiori said softly. "This time, it's mainly just a walk to gather some materials. I recently imported a batch of high-quality silk cloth made from Liyue's Silk Flowers. I feel like getting some fresh air might give me new inspiration."

After finishing his Mille-Feuille, Lu Li wiped his mouth with a napkin and said with a smile, "Alright then, let's go, Proprietress Chiori. I'm quite experienced when it comes to gathering materials in the wild. So, Romaritime Harbor or the Beryl Region?"

"Those places are a bit far. A round trip would take too much time. So, a walk on the beach just outside the city will do. Even though I'm in a bad mood, I still have to get back to work tonight," Chiori said gently. "But actually, the real reason is... I just want to pet a Bubbly Seahorse."

Lu Li smiled, stood up, and invited Chiori to leave with him.

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