Something's Off at My Bar

The next morning, at the Dawn & Craft Brew.

Jazz music played softly and cheerfully. The fireplace crackled with flickering flames, its warm glow mingling with the faint aroma of alcohol. Lu Chen looked around the bar.

Venti was clinking glasses with a customer, the young bartender was busy wiping tables, and Diluc continued refining his signature Mondstadt drink.

Everything seemed the same as usual—except for one unexpected guest today.

Xiao sat quietly in a far corner, eyes closed in meditation, as if the surrounding noise had nothing to do with him.

Not far away, several young girls stole curious glances in his direction, whispering among themselves and letting out shy giggles.

Word had already spread that the newly opened "Dawn & Craft Brew" was home to a group of drop-dead gorgeous guys rarely seen elsewhere. And with the university break underway, many young women had come just to check them out.

Most didn't even drink. They'd order a fruit juice and then stay nestled in their seats, gazing at the handsome men...

Their eyes darted from one to the next, almost overwhelmed by the selection.

There was the stoic, red-haired manager behind the bar—

His striking red hair made him instantly noticeable. And when one looked closer, his physique was impeccable. Every time he bent over to grab something beneath the counter, the way his tailored shirt clung to his toned muscles, paired with his cold and restrained demeanor... the contrast was enough to make anyone's heart race.

Then there was the resident singer drinking with the guests—

With those emerald-green eyes glinting mischievously and a carefree smile that seemed to light up the room, he looked just like an elf who had wandered into the mortal world.

And now, a new face had joined their ranks—a young man whose beauty was on par with the others.

Sitting quietly in a corner, his aura was cold and ethereal, like an immortal fallen to the mortal realm. He seemed completely out of place in the lively bar, radiating a vibe that made others instinctively keep their distance. No one dared to approach him.

Compared to that, the other handsome owner of the bar seemed much easier to talk to.

"Uh... there's no need for my number. Just come by more often, I'm here all the time…"

Lu Chen politely turned down a girl's attempt to chat him up, a helpless smile on his face. But before long, another girl came over asking for his WeChat.

"Yeah... let's skip that too. I'd rather not get killed when I get home."

Seeing the warm, sunny smile on the young boss's face, the girl was momentarily dazed, but quickly covered her mouth, giggled, and ran back to her seat, stealing glances his way with her friends.

Lu Chen dropped his professional smile and suddenly felt that something was... off about the direction this bar was heading.

Sure, the place was more popular now—but it felt like everyone was coming just to ogle the eye candy. He hadn't sold a single bottle of Mondstadt drink all day.

Maybe it was time to have Barbara do more live performances here...

Diluc, wiping a glass, glanced over at Xiao sitting in the corner.

"This Adeptus from Liyue doesn't seem to enjoy crowds. Why bring him here?"

Diluc couldn't make sense of it.

"To slack off, obviously!"

Venti's voice chimed in from behind. Lu Chen looked past him—his earlier drinking buddy was now slumped over the table, completely wasted.

Diluc shot him a questioning look. Venti elaborated,

"We want Xiao to stay away from the darkness for a while. Let him soak up a bit of mortal life—it'll help with his karmic purification."

"Will that really work?" Diluc still sounded skeptical. He'd heard about Xiao's situation, and the karma problem seemed anything but simple.

"It's just a stopgap." Lu Chen sighed. He and Venti had a handful of ideas and plans still taking shape. Getting Xiao to take a break was just step one.

"I see," Diluc nodded slightly.

"How's our competitor doing?" Lu Chen asked suddenly.

The "Critically Acclaimed Interworld Specialty Drink" still hadn't been completed, and he had no intention of making it a signature product at his own bar. But Diluc's plan seemed to have some serious potential.

"Be patient," Diluc said coolly. "I've made contact with the so-called 'boss' of that place. He's just a lackey—a puppet for someone else. He doesn't have decision-making authority over the bar. If we can track down the true mastermind and pressure them, it could greatly benefit our distribution control in this area."

"Oh..." Lu Chen realized this business had more layers than he expected. Good thing he had someone like Diluc around.

He still had several major challenge missions left—like Old Man Zhongli's Leisurely Travel, All Walks of Life, or Barbara's Become an Idol to Save the World, and now there was a new one: Millennia of Karma.

Fortunately, with Diluc helping shoulder the load, Lu Chen felt a little more at ease.

As the three of them chatted, Lu Chen glanced again at Xiao sitting in the corner.

He hadn't moved, still sitting there with his eyes closed. Honestly, he looked no different than he would back home.

At least at home, he could still chat with Zhongli...

Lu Chen and Venti exchanged helpless looks. Suddenly, it felt like this plan wasn't working at all.

"Let's take him out for a walk!" Venti suddenly said. "Remember the Starlight Carnival? Barbara's going to perform there!"

Lu Chen nodded. The carnival was a major music event, coming up at the end of the month.

"Let's go early!" Venti grinned with excitement. "We can bring Xiao with us—walk around, eat, drink, have fun!"

"You mean you want to eat, drink, and have fun. Stop pretending it's for someone else..." Lu Chen muttered.

Still, it had been a while since the whole family went out for a good time. Lu Chen looked at Xiao, whose face basically screamed "stay away," and felt tempted.

"I think we should—"

Just as he was about to agree, the bar's front door was slammed open again.

"Damn it, can these guys stop breaking our door?!" Lu Chen glared furiously toward the entrance.

This time, the gang brought even more people. Led by a tall, burly man with a scar across his face, around twenty men stormed into Dawn & Craft Brew.

There were quite a few customers today, and the sudden arrival of these thugs sent screams rippling through the room. The atmosphere immediately turned chaotic.

The intruders quickly blocked both the front and back exits. The customers, too scared to run, shrank back into their seats, nervously watching.

Lu Chen focused on the scar-faced leader. The scar ran vertically across his eye socket, covering his right eye—but oddly enough, the eye wasn't blind.

Staring at him, Lu Chen let out a soft "huh." The guy looked kind of familiar.

The scar-faced man scanned the crowd with a grim expression.

"Who's the boss here? Get your ass out!"

As soon as he said that...

Lu Chen, Venti, Diluc, and Xiao all turned to look at him—at the exact same time.