[That Sassy Fox is smiling like she's up to no good!]
[She better not be plotting something behind my back!]
Seeing the mischievous smirk on the corner of Yae Miko's mouth, Ye Xi felt a sudden sense of foreboding. That woman every time she smiled like that, it was far too seductive.
[Forget it. Since I'm leaving Inazuma, I have to say my goodbyes to my friends anyway.]
[As for Ei, she shouldn't be too hard to handle, right? I'll just make her a few sticks of Tricolor Dango.]
With that thought, Ye Xi's heart settled. He didn't notice that Yae Miko, standing beside him, was stifling another giggle, her pink tail swaying restlessly in the air.
She had heard every word Ye Xi said. Lately, she had realized that Ye Xi was getting to know her better and better; he could actually guess what she wanted to do at night.
Naturally, she wasn't going to just sit by and watch him leave!
"I'll handle the leftovers. Occasionally, let this Lady Guuji do a bit of work."
Yae Miko finished the last piece of Fried Tofu as if nothing had happened and proactively began tidying the lunch boxes on the table.
Ye Xi nodded, his eyes full of appreciation. Despite Miko's lofty position and her authority over the shrine, she was remarkably efficient at clearing the table. In short, if someone were to marry her, she would be a top-tier virtuous wife.
At the very least, a husband probably couldn't handle her at night.
Back when he was involved in setting up this character, he had established one core principle:
With Yae as your wife, even wolfberries can't save you!
After handing the task to Yae Miko with full confidence, Ye Xi returned alone to his small cottage. He took a map from the bookshelf, spread it out on a wide wooden desk, and lit a candle with a flick of his fingers.
He carefully studied Liyue and Mondstadt.
In terms of distance, the trip from Inazuma to Liyue was definitely the shortest. Because of the thunderstorms surrounding Inazuma's waters, there weren't many ships capable of making the journey. The only one familiar with these parts was The Alcor of The Crux.
Over the years, he had become drinking buddies with the Boss, Beidou. Asking her for a favor wouldn't be a problem. However, The Alcor didn't sail to Mondstadt, so he would definitely have to stop in Liyue first.
Anyway, there were still a few days before the story officially began. Going to Liyue to get familiar with things would be good. After all, Liyue was home!
While Ye Xi was making his plans, two pointy shadows appeared on the window frame. The pink tips quivered. After finishing his preparations, Ye Xi blew out the candle and lay on the bed, drifting off into a peaceful sleep.
Outside, a small pink fox jumped down from the window frame and vanished into the courtyard.
...
At the highest point of Inazuma City, inside Tenshukaku.
This was the residence of the Raiden Shogun.
The fox slipped past the guards at the gate and entered the building. At that moment, the Raiden Shogun was sitting cross-legged on a futon, resting with her eyes closed. This was not the true Raiden Ei, but merely a puppet.
The fox went straight to the point, approaching the puppet's blade and entering a miniature realm.
The Plane of Euthymia.
This was the inner world created by Raiden Ei after she sealed herself away.
"Miko?"
"It's so late. What brings you here?"
Raiden Ei opened her eyes and looked at her old friend, but there was a faint trace of hostility in her gaze.
This was entirely because of Ye Xi!
To be honest, every time Ei saw her old friend and Ye Xi being inseparable, her heart filled with envy. If it weren't for her pursuit of Eternity, she would definitely be eating with Ye Xi too! Chatting with him! Watching the moon together!
Every time she meditated, the thought of her old friend keeping Ye Xi company made it impossible to concentrate!
Suddenly, spots of flowing light bloomed around the little fox. A dizzying halo circled her until a human figure gradually emerged.
"Ei, I have bad news for you." Yae Miko's figure materialized. She patted her tail and hid it away.
Raiden Ei's brow furrowed slightly, her expression becoming solemn. "Bad news for you? Let's hear it."
Despite her jealousy, as the Electro Archon and the ruler of Inazuma, she had to set aside her personal grievances for the sake of her people. Besides, Yae Miko held an extraordinary status in the outside world now!
Years ago, Ei had left without a word to enter the Plane of Euthymia. It was only three years ago, because of Ye Xi, that contact had been restored. Since Yae Miko had tacitly accepted her philosophy of Eternity for the nation, Ei naturally had to lend a hand if Miko was in trouble.
Furthermore, as the Guuji of the Grand Narukami Shrine, if something was difficult enough for Miko to call "bad news," it had to be a very thorny issue! She needed to take this seriously.
At that thought, Raiden Ei extended her long, slender legs and descended from her floating state to the ground. Her purple kimono was perfectly smooth without a single wrinkle, and a pair of gold and purple tassels swayed slightly.
Seeing this, a ripple of emotion stirred in Yae Miko's heart. She remembered that Ye Xi really liked Raiden Ei's clothes. Seeing her best friend wearing this outfit made her feel a bit sour.
What was so good about this dark-toned kimono? Wasn't the priestess uniform better?
Or was "defiling the sacred" precisely the kind of taste found in those "study materials" men liked? She really couldn't understand a man's heart.
"What is it? What exactly is the bad news? Why are you dazing off?" Raiden Ei's eyes were full of suspicion.
Yae Miko finally snapped back to reality and said slowly, "For a long time to come, you might not be able to read the next chapter of 'Strange Tales from Another World'."
"The Tricolor Dango Ye Xi makes won't be delivered anymore, either."
"In fact, even seeing him—"
Before she could finish, a swift purple blade-light flashed past Miko's ear. In that split second, a few strands of pink fox fur were sliced off.
Yae Miko had already leaped back several steps. However, the sword shadows did not stop; they pressed in relentlessly.
"Yae Miko—!"
"You sultry fox! Did you sleep with Ye Xi!"
"As the Guuji of the Grand Narukami Shrine, you actually dared to break your precepts so blatantly and even had the nerve to come here and brag about it!"
"A mere five-hundred-year-old stinky fox..."
"How dare you flaunt yourself before me—!"
"Now, you shall perish!"
The blade-lights and sword-shadows fell in a dense web, blocking all of Yae Miko's paths of retreat. This was not the Musou no Hitotachi, of course. Although Raiden Ei was furious and embarrassed, she wasn't about to actually kill her best friend. She was simply venting her frustration.
Yae Miko performed a quick spell, pulling some distance away from Raiden Ei.
"So that's your reaction? Hehe~"
"Ei, you really can't lie to your own heart."
Raiden Ei froze, her cheeks already flushed a deep crimson. When she turned back in shame and anger to look at Miko, she saw that the other woman's face was filled with the sly look of a plotter who had succeeded.
Only then did she realize she had bitten Miko's hook!
She had been played!
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