Chapter 231

"Boss, we're back from grocery shopping!"

"Mm, thank you."

"Huh? Who's this little girl?"

"Let me introduce her. She's my cousin from my hometown, Xia Ci."

"What? The boss has a relative?!"

A gentle smile appeared on Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's slightly pale face as she softly greeted, "Hello, everyone."

"Hello!"

"Xia Ci will be staying here at the shop from now on. Her health isn't great, so please take good care of her."

"Got it, Boss!"

After introducing them to each other, Xia Zhi headed into the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

Before long, he could hear the cheerful laughter of the girls coming from outside.

As expected of the God of Wisdom, whose demeanor and charm naturally drew people in. She had already bonded with everyone so quickly.

Breakfast was red bean and Glaze Lily porridge, paired with steamed buns and bread—all made from extraordinary ingredients.

With his masterful culinary skills, the food naturally tasted amazing.

Greater Lord Rukkhadevata had a bowl of porridge and two steamed buns. Her appetite was decent, but the pallor on her face hadn't improved noticeably. 

It seemed even extraordinary ingredients weren't enough to replenish her lost strength.

After breakfast, Shenhe cleaned up the dishes and carried them to the kitchen for washing.

Zhu Zi couldn't help but glance at Shenhe, feeling that something about her seemed different today. Her expressions, movements, and even her posture seemed gentler and more alluring… almost captivating.

Maybe it's because I stayed up all night writing a novel and got up too quickly this morning, she thought.

Later in the morning, Xia Zhi handed over the task of making juices to Diona and took Shenhe with him to visit the neighboring shop owner about potentially buying their property.

When they arrived, they found a group of people moving things out of the shop.

It looked like someone was moving out.

After asking around, Xia Zhi learned that the shop had been sold just last night.

They were one step too late.

What bad luck... But wait, his current luck should be quite high. Maybe not enough to guarantee success, but things should generally work out in his favor. Could it be that returning to the past to save Greater Lord Rukkhadevata had used up his good fortune for the time being?

It wasn't clear if the new owner would be willing to sell. Since they'd just acquired the property, it wouldn't be easy to convince them to let it go.

This might take some extra negotiation… and probably more Mora.

He decided to wait until the new owner came by before proceeding.

Shaking his head, Xia Zhi returned to the shop with Shenhe. When they got back, he "saw" Greater Lord Rukkhadevata sitting quietly in a corner, holding a cup of Rainbow Juice and sipping it through a straw.

Her calm and quiet demeanor reminded Xia Zhi of Yaoyao.

Both were small in stature and Dendro-affiliated. However, while Yaoyao exuded childlike innocence, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata carried the wisdom and gentleness of someone shaped by centuries of life.

Xia Zhi walked over and sat beside her. "How's the Rainbow Juice?"

"It has a very unique flavor. Teyvat doesn't seem to have a fruit like this."

"True. With your powers, could you replicate this type of fruit?"

"It would be difficult, but if you have seeds, I could help them grow."

"Got it."

"Why did you decide to open a drink shop in Liyue?" she asked.

"It was a whim."

"Zhu Zi told me this shop has only been open for about two months. You've only been here that long?"

"Not long, yes..." Xia Zhi hesitated briefly before softly adding, "I have a question."

"What question?"

"About last night…"

"What about it?"

"I altered the past by saving you, and even though you split into another self as originally planned, the future hasn't changed at all. It's as if…"

"As if history always intended for it to happen that way, and you merely completed the time loop."

"Exactly. I suspect that the voice I heard in my dream wasn't a remnant of your consciousness but something I had you record with the [Looping Player]."

"In other words, the past never changed. You simply returned at a future moment to do what was already meant to be done."

"Right."

"The future caused the past. As paradoxical as it seems, matters involving the rules of time can't be judged by normal logic."

Xia Zhi fell silent for a moment.

"I don't think this will be my only time traveling. Future me will likely return to the past again to do something. This feeling of changing nothing but still doing something is strange."

"But you did save me."

"...That's true."

With nothing pressing to do, Xia Zhi chatted idly with Greater Lord Rukkhadevata.

He also used [Skill Steal] to copy her skills in the meantime.

[Dendro Sovereign]: Automatically masters botany, fully understanding the properties of all flora. 

[Innate Wisdom]: Passive, +100 Intelligence. 

[Dream's Blessing], [Natural Affinity]...

Greater Lord Rukkhadevata was incredibly intelligent. As the God of Wisdom, she might be the smartest person in all of Teyvat. Conversations with someone like her could be exhausting for ordinary people.

Even chatting with another highly intelligent individual could be difficult without shared interests.

Thus, over the centuries, her only close friend had been the Goddess of Flowers, whose interests and wit matched her own.

As for King Deshret and the other six Archons, they were merely cordial acquaintances.

But now, she found herself deeply engaged in conversation with Xia Zhi.

No matter the topic, he always had a thoughtful response. He was, simply put, the perfect conversation partner.

"You know about flower arranging?"

"A little."

"And perfume?"

"I know a bit about that, too."

"Zhu Zi mentioned your shop offers massages?"

"Yes, but it's not like the ones in Sumeru that involve floral essential oils."

"If you know how to make perfumes, why not incorporate that? Is it too much trouble?"

"The trouble isn't the issue. It's just that such intimate physical contact might feel too ambiguous for some of them."

"I see."

Greater Lord Rukkhadevata nodded thoughtfully.

"Actually, it's quite relaxing. The Goddess of Flowers used to ask me for such massages frequently. Afterward, her skin would feel soft and smell fragrant…"

"I've never tried it, but if you want, I could help you relax like that."

"You have ulterior motives."

"...?"

"I'm your cousin."

"...?"

Greater Lord Rukkhadevata chuckled softly at her own teasing.

"Your world's culture is fascinating… I'd love to see it someday. Have you thought about going back?"

"Going back? I've thought about it… but I can't for now. Maybe someday. If I do, I'll take you with me."

"Mm."

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