"Come, old uncle, sit here!"
As the outgoing and cheerful little Yoimiya-oneesan, she naturally wouldn't let a guest stand outside. She directly took the old uncle's hand and invited him to sit on the chair.
The old uncle noticed that little Yoimiya, sitting in front of him, kept glancing at Kirara with interest, so he gently patted the cat's head.
Kirara, having lived with the old uncle for so long, naturally understood what he was thinking.
With a small leap, she jumped onto little Yoimiya's lap.
"C-Can I pet her?" Little Yoimiya looked at Kirara and asked with a hint of delighted surprise.
The old uncle smiled and nodded. "As long as Kirara is willing."
Kirara rubbed her head against little Yoimiya's belly, found a comfortable position, and settled down with a leisurely air.
Little Yoimiya reached out and placed her hand on Kirara's fluffy fur, stroking it back and forth repeatedly.
It was obvious that, as a cat raised by the old uncle, Kirara's fur felt amazing to pet—after all, she had long been thoroughly trained by the old uncle's petting techniques.
Seeing the blissful expression on little Yoimiya's face, the old uncle knew that she had already been completely won over by the cat.
Ah, the old uncle just loved watching cute creatures together like this…
He suddenly remembered how, back in Liyue, little Hu Tao had no friends and ended up sleeping with little Eula…
Oh… If the Hall Master Hu hadn't held him back that day, he might never have seen how peaceful and adorable those two little ones looked sleeping side by side…
He wondered how everyone in Liyue Harbor was doing now.
With the child leader he had arranged, the dedicated Millelith brothers, and the Lord Rex Lapis, their days were surely going well, right?
At that moment, little Yoimiya finally snapped out of the cat's allure. Her face flushed as she apologized to the old uncle.
"S-Sorry! I got too absorbed in the kitty. Guest, let's continue with the earlier topic!"
The old uncle flashed an auntie-like smile, clenched his left fist, gently pressed his thumb against the second joint of his index finger, then raised his left hand to support his chin.
"It's fine. I like it too." The old uncle made no effort to hide his fondness for cute children.
But he hadn't forgotten the reason he came here.
To prepare a special set of fireworks for little Eula—and one for himself as well.
"My traveling companion is an older sister around your age. Her family once fought for the happiness of the people,
but in the end, they were manipulated by evil and committed great wrongs. To this day, her family has not escaped that evil's control.
She saw the truth—that her family was being manipulated by evil—and so she followed the old uncle, me, to search for a way to save them.
She is a noble young lady. What kind of fireworks do you think would suit her?"
Little Yoimiya fell into thought. For a moment, her little hand even stopped petting the cat.
"How about I give you some feelings to work with? This noble young lady is a cute child just like you.
Though she was a bit standoffish at first, now that she's traveling with me, she's become surprisingly honest?"
On a sudden whim, the old uncle began imitating little Eula's future self.
"Glacial Bloom! Sever all deep grudges!"
"Vengeance will be mine!"
"Quick, come under the umbrella. Don't get soaked. If you fall ill and your body gives out too soon, who will I take my revenge on?"
At that moment, little Yoimiya looked behind the old uncle.
The old uncle immediately knew who had arrived.
There was no helping it—little Eula had said she was going shopping, but without the old uncle there, how could she possibly be in the mood?
"Old uncle! Don't spread rumors that I hold grudges…"
Little Eula reached out and vigorously rubbed the old uncle's face. The old uncle laughed his usual hearty laugh.
"When have I ever held a grudge? Really now."