𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐨;; 𝐑𝐞𝐱 𝐋𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐬

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐄𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭

Qingce Village was a beautiful place, and Innamorati found himself admiring the scenery the next morning. From the picturesque waterfall flowing through the village, to the terraced rice fields surrounded by the mountains, his eyes drank in the sights.

Meanwhile, the children of the village took one look at him and ran away. It was probably due to his mask, but it prevented him from interacting with others, so he kept it on.

He continued to amble around Qingce Village, ignoring the residents as he made his way up to the highest part. Along the path, near the bamboo fence, was a single Jueyun chili plant. He bent down to sniff the aroma, and found himself recoiling in shock at the spicy sting in his nose. The Jueyun chilies he had imported to Snezhnaya weren't nearly as flavorful; perhaps it was because they lost their freshness? Either way, he'd be a fool to leave such brilliantly red chilies unpicked. He'd just have to ask for permission, first.

Speaking of asking for permission, Granny Ruoxin was a community leader of sorts in Qingce Village. As her title suggested, she was an elderly woman, dressed like a typical village woman with her silvery hair pulled into a bun. She smiled as she saw Innamorati approaching, her eyes almost closing with the action. From what Innamorati had overheard from the residents, she was a well respected figure, so getting on her bad side would probably not work in his favor.

He dipped into the slightest of bows, as was the Liyue custom, and greeted Granny Ruoxin with as much charm as he could summon. "Hello, Madame. You must be Granny Ruoxin."

"Yes, and you're the man Mr. Zhongli asked me to lend that house to for a night - Inamoronty, was it?"

"...Innamorati. But yes. Thank you for letting me use that house for the time being."

"Oh, it's no problem, my dear." She waved him off. "Ever since the previous resident died, it's been difficult to find someone to live there. Not to mention it's a little far from the rest of the village. So really, I'm grateful to you for taking that home."

"Yes..." Actually, the fact that it was far from the village was a good thing in his mind; the distance would probably deter the villagers from bothering him too often.

"Ah, and Mr. Zhongli mentioned your son? Don't worry, this old granny isn't very judgmental. I understand that different families have different situations, but I also know that being a single parent can be very difficult. If you ever need someone to watch over your son, just let us know. We'd be happy to watch over such a well-behaved kid like him!"

Though Granny Ruoxin's offer was very kind, Innamorati was more focused on the son she mentioned. "Son? I've never had a child before. What are you talking about?"

"Hm? I'm talking about little Xue'er. Is he not your son?"

So she was talking about that child. Innamorati scoffed lightly. "No. He's not. He just been following me around."