Tempted by the Dragon Rolls, Paimon, being the foodie he was, decisively chose to keep the secret for Miyashiro. Lumine, seeing this, could only shake his head helplessly and then joined Paimon in his complicity.
After that interruption, no other interesting events occurred during the welcoming phase. The banquet hall was now filled with distinguished guests, and it was at this moment that Lumine and Paimon, Teyvat's social butterflies, truly displayed the extent of their connections.
The entire venue was practically filled with acquaintances of Lumine and Paimon. They spent quite some time just exchanging pleasantries and catching up with everyone, eventually even worrying about which table to sit at.
The guests all had their own small circles; the Mondstadters sat at one table, the Liyue people at another, the Inazumans at another, and the Sumeru people at yet another. The key point was that everyone at every table was desperately inviting Lumine and Paimon to sit with them; no matter which side they chose, it would be detrimental to the other three sides.
For the first time, Paimon and Lumine felt that knowing too many friends was not necessarily a good thing.
One side claimed Lumine was Mondstadt's Honorary Knight, another said Lumine was the great hero who saved Liyue, another said Lumine was one of the meritorious contributors to lifting Inazuma's Sakoku Decree, and yet another said Lumine was the key figure in reforming the Sumeru Akademiya. This left Lumine and Paimon in a difficult dilemma, the scene even more intense than the competition in Miyashiro's harem, which some people watched with great relish.
In the end, under the gaze of everyone, Lumine and Paimon finally chose to sit at the same table as the two gods, Ei and Nahida. Although the crowd was unwilling, they could barely accept this outcome.
As for Venti and Zhongli, the two of them dared not openly sit at the same table as Ei and Nahida; otherwise, they would never be able to hide their identities. One was an unemployed bard, and the other was a consultant for the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. Without the appropriate status, how could they dare to sit at the same table as the gods?
Once the dust settled, the newlyweds, Miyashiro and Shenhe, finally made their slow entrance amidst the cheers of the guests.
The guests below, looking at the golden boy and jade girl on stage—the man confident and sunny, the woman elegant and dignified—could not help but nod; they were indeed a match made in heaven.
Below, the three Adepti—Cloud Retainer, Moon Carver, and Mountain Shaper—watched their radiant disciple complete the steps of the ceremony with Miyashiro under the guidance of the Emperor, feeling deeply moved.
Among them, the more emotional Cloud Retainer already had faint tears in her eyes. In Shenhe, she seemed to see the shadow of her own youth. Watching her disciple achieve a happy ending with Miyashiro could be considered making up for her own regrets, though, being tsundere by nature, she forcibly restrained herself from showing it.
Watching Miyashiro and Shenhe complete the final ritual, Zhongli solemnly announced: "The auspicious ceremony is set, the contract is fulfilled. The two of you were long since bound by the red thread of fate. Today, you have forged a good marriage and become a happy couple. May this love last until your hair turns white, may it last until the seas dry and the rocks crumble. I wish you both a life of mutual respect and harmony. Ceremony complete!"
After Zhongli finished speaking, the Vision behind him shone with golden light, and an exquisite lock of unity appeared out of thin air in front of Miyashiro and Shenhe, with both their names clearly engraved upon it.
This romantic and solemn scene caused the guests present to applaud involuntarily. Among them, the unmarried men and women could hardly suppress the excitement in their hearts; those who already had sweethearts felt their desire to confess, or even go straight to marriage, becoming clearer and clearer.
As for those who were still young and had no sweethearts, their hearts began to stir, and the urge to have a sweet romance could not be stopped.
It must be said that it was a waste for Zhongli, the God of contracts, to merely build Liyue into a commercial capital, as his influence was limited to just a corner of Liyue. If he were to apply this contract to love—where those who break their word suffer the punishment of eating rock—and become the so-called God of Love, Miyashiro dared to guarantee that he would definitely become a god worshipped by all of Teyvat.
However, among the crowd below, there were quite a few women with close relationships to Miyashiro. After Zhongli's display, Miyashiro, who was on stage, seemed to sense that something was wrong. Why were some people below looking at him so strangely, with some even showing a hint of aggression in their gaze? What was going on? Was it just an illusion?
Shenhe, as the bride, also sensed the strangeness of the crowd below, but she did not show anything, only secretly noting down the owners of those strange gazes one by one.
The ceremony was over, which also declared that the banquet segment Paimon had been most looking forward to could finally begin serving dishes. Meanwhile, the newlyweds, Miyashiro and Shenhe, needed to take this opportunity to toast the guests one by one.
This was one of the necessary procedures for the bridal chamber teasing. After all, a slight tipsy feeling could, to a certain extent, promote emotional exchange and also give the newlyweds courage. The wisdom left by the ancestors, which has been passed down, always has its reasons for existing.
Moreover, to prevent the groom from getting dead drunk and being unable to complete the task of the bridal chamber teasing, Kuki Shinobu and Zhongli had specially prepared a person with the best alcohol tolerance to act as a substitute drinker. With this candidate, Miyashiro and Shenhe could just drink one small cup per table, and the rest of the alcohol would be borne by him.
And this candidate, without asking, was obviously Venti, who had volunteered and strongly requested it. However, to avoid controversy, Kuki Shinobu still chose to hold an open competition. Venti had directly downed three large jars of wine at that time, drinking all the other candidates for this position under the table to win, a well-deserved victory.
This wasn't any Anemo Archon; this was simply the God of Wine!
The primary targets for Miyashiro and Shenhe's toasts were naturally the most distinguished guests at the main table: Ei, Nahida, Cloud Retainer, Mountain Shaper, Moon Carver, Ganyu, Yae Miko, Chiyo, Lumine, and Paimon. Except for Paimon, whose combat power was unknown, everyone was at the Adeptus-level or higher.
At this moment, Zhongli, who had been acting as the wedding officiant, also 'happened' to come to this table to express his gratitude to the hosts. The four gods, in this way, completed a toast at the same table in public without arousing suspicion from the crowd.
As the person with the highest status among those present, Ei naturally took the lead in congratulating Miyashiro and Shenhe: "Miyashiro, Shenhe, first of all, congratulations to you both. That you two could achieve a happy ending is Inazuma's blessing, and I can finally rest assured. I am a god who pursues eternity, so naturally, I also hope that the love between you two can be eternal."
"Miyashiro, if I find out that you are bullying Shenhe, not to mention that Shenhe's masters will not agree, I will not let it slide either. Shenhe, if Miyashiro bullies you, you don't need to endure it. My Tenshukaku is right next to the Regents Office; just report it to me."
Miyashiro smiled and said: "I will respectfully follow the decree of the Narukami. Shenhe and I toast you all."
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