Ye Xi felt quite helpless. Ei's direct, blunt personality was a bit taxing to deal with. She had been the sovereign of Inazuma for far too long, standing at a lonely peak of power, and possessed a haughty attitude where she expected everyone to obey her every whim.
Back when they first met, she had given him quite the headache. He was constantly terrified that this Electro Archon would take a dislike to him and simply cut him down with a Musou no Hitotachi.
Even now, he was no match for Ei. Although Ei's current level was the same as Yae Miko's stuck at level 40 without being able to breakthrough the divine power she had accumulated over her long reign and the protection of her Gnosis provided her with unparalleled strength!
Fortunately, he had been very close with the ladies in charge of the Raiden Shogun's character design project back in the day, often treating them to milk tea. Because of that, he was quite familiar with the Shogun's background.
For instance, Raiden Ei bore a striking resemblance to Stygian Nymph and had an elder sister. When the project was first established, it wasn't designed without references. To ensure the production went smoothly, the company had brought over several heavyweights who had worked on the character designs for Honkai Impact 3rd.
Using Bronya and Seele from Honkai Impact 3rd as templates, they created the Raiden sisters. Originally, the characters were very well-developed, but one of the design leads felt that something was missing. Later, Ye Xi realized what it was: the "knife" the tragic twist.
Following the company's usual habits, Beelzebul's sister was indeed "knifed" when the project was delivered. When he first saw that design report, he was so upset he couldn't eat for three days.
And that wasn't even the worst part. The worst part was that one "knife" wasn't enough; they kept coming one after another. Everyone around Beelzebul Sasayuri of the Yougou Tengu, her beloved general Mikoshi Chiyo, her friend Kitsune Saiguu... almost every single relative and friend she had was dead.
At the time, Ye Xi had almost stormed into the design department with a blade of his own to give the project leader a piece of his mind. What galled him the most was that he, the director, had to take the blame for it!
Because she had lost far too many friends, he didn't oppose Ei's Sakoku Decree. The one who tied the knot must be the one to untie it; getting Ei to change her mind required time. It was like depression; it wasn't something that would get better just because someone else said, "It's no big deal."
He sighed and brought out a lunch box containing Tricolor Dango. "Ei, I prepared some snacks for you."
"Tricolor Dango?"
The coldness in Ei's eyes vanished instantly. With a look of pure anticipation, she snatched the box and opened it impatiently. Sweets were the one thing she could never refuse.
However, when she saw only a few measly sticks of Tricolor Dango inside, her face fell with disappointment.
"Xi, with such little sincerity, it's going to be very difficult for me to help you with your affairs."
Ye Xi almost blacked out, utterly stunned by her words.
Who did she learn that catchphrase from? Can she stop being such a brat? I don't think I wrote any of these playful memes into my novels, did I?
Hearing his inner thoughts, Ei secretly laughed to herself. Those words were, of course, things Ye Xi had thought to himself before.
Yae Miko, who also heard Ye Xi's heart, covered her mouth and giggled, gloating at his expense. "Xi, Ei feels your sincerity is lacking, so you can forget about leaving. Just stay here in Inazuma peacefully. The royalties from the Yae Publishing House are more than enough to support you."
This sly fox! She actually dares to add fuel to the fire!
Ye Xi glared at Miko and said, "You're blaming the wrong person. I originally made a lot, but a certain greedy fox stole quite a few."
Immediately, Ei looked at the Yae Miko beside her, her eyes filled with displeasure. Sweets and light novels were sacrosanct and inviolable!
Miko turned her head away, avoiding Ei's gaze as if it had nothing to do with her.
"Humph."
With a flick of her mind, Ei manifested a wooden table and tea, then sat down to enjoy her snacks. "I heard you intend to travel to gather material for your novel?"
Hearing her question, Ye Xi nodded slightly while pouring himself a cup of tea to quench his thirst.
"My Inazuma is so vast; is it not enough for you to explore?" Ei asked, looking at him. "Do you really think you can only find inspiration by leaving Inazuma? Are you looking down on the land and culture of this nation?"
Ye Xi sighed as he watched Ei elegantly eating her dessert with a blissful expression while simultaneously feigning anger to prevent him from leaving. She wasn't being persuasive at all...
"Ei, don't make things difficult for me. This trip won't last long; I'll be back soon. I'll make you more snacks then. Besides, don't you want to taste the treats from Liyue?"
Ei paused for a moment, seemingly finding those words very reasonable. Liyue's pastries were indeed world-class. Back when she had met with the other Archons in Liyue for drinks, she had tasted a Lotus Flower Crisp that was absolutely delicious. Ever since the Sakoku Decree was enacted, she had begun to miss that flavor.
Seeing her best friend about to cave at the mention of food, Yae Miko let out a light cough. Ei snapped out of her memories. If Ye Xi left Inazuma, wouldn't she be unable to eat Tricolor Dango? More importantly, there were the novels! She was a loyal fan of "Teacher Ye Xi" and read every one of his books multiple times!
Miko whispered a reminder, "Ei, didn't you say you had a plan?"
Last night, when she had come over to bicker with Ei, Ei had mentioned she had thought of a brilliant strategy. With that reminder, Ei's eyes lit up.
"Xi, Inazuma is currently fraught with hidden dangers. The Fatui are two-faced, and while the Tri-Commission governs Inazuma, trouble is still hard to avoid. I have decided..."
Ye Xi raised his tea bowl to take a sip, trying to suppress the ominous feeling in his heart. It was coming. The trick that the sly fox and Ei had cooked up together was coming. How should he respond?
Beside them, Yae Miko had a playful look in her eyes, her lips curled into a fox-like smirk. She knew her best friend's thoughts best. Although Ei had kept her in suspense and hadn't told her yet, Miko was a fox spirit who had cultivated for five hundred years. With her wisdom, she could easily deduce it.
Without even thinking, she assumed Ei's plan was to abdicate the position of the Electro Archon to Ye Xi, thereby binding him to Inazuma. Ei only wanted to pursue eternity and avoid Erosion anyway, and she didn't care much for external affairs.
Instead of leaving it to that "puppet" outside, it would be better to give it to Ye Xi. Not only would it tie him down, but it might even lead to unexpected gains. This method was truly killing two birds with one stone.
"I have decided" Ei said slowly, revealing her "brilliant plan."
"To have you and Yae Miko get married!"
"Cough! Cough!"
Ye Xi choked on his tea, coughing uncontrollably. Yae Miko froze on the spot, and in the next instant, the fur on her tail stood completely on end.
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