"Hey hey hey! Over here, this lantern isn't lit yet!"
"We're still short on Xiao Lanterns! We're covering the entire sky over Liyue Harbor this year!!!"
"Thanks for all your hard work, everyone! Come try some freshly made Dragon Beard Noodles~"
As time passed, the buildings along the Liyue Harbor coastline had mostly been restored. One couldn't help but marvel at the speed of Liyue's infrastructure.
Now, the entire city was bustling with preparations for the grand Lantern Rite celebration tonight.
…
Meanwhile, inside the Northland Bank, Rosalyne stared at the gaudy floral cotton coat in her hands. A vein bulged on her forehead as she shot a murderous glare at the smiling Shajin.
"Adventurine, this is the gift you were talking about?"
"Yeah, partner, are you seriously messing with us?" Tartaglia chimed in, swinging a toy sword meant for children. The blade even let out goofy "hee-hee-ha-hoo" sound effects.
Lumine and Paimon looked down at the "One Mora Voucher from the Gambler's Den" in their hands.
They exchanged a glance.
They could see the same speechless look mirrored in each other's eyes.
Shajin hunched over, laughing so hard he was nearly in tears.
It took him a while to catch his breath.
"Sorry, your expressions were just too good~"
He snapped his fingers.
Four real gift boxes appeared in front of Rosalyne and the others.
Rosalyne's scowl eased a little, but she still let out a cold snort.
"Adventurine, if you're lying to me again, this Lantern Rite will be your funeral."
With that, she was the first to step up and open a box.
Inside, her eyes were instantly drawn to a vivid crimson hairpin.
It shimmered with a translucent sheen, as if forged from congealed blood—yet it gave off no trace of bloodlust.
Instead, it glowed with a fiery red brilliance, bright and dazzling, yet radiating a warm and gentle aura.
Rosalyne's eyes lit up. A strange sense of joy welled up in her heart.
She reached out and gently touched the hairpin, feeling its cold, unyielding texture.
But after a moment, a subtle warmth began to spread from her fingers throughout her body, washing over her like a wave of comfort.
"This is…?"
Rosalyne asked with confusion.
Shajin explained, "Remember that strange tree we passed on the snowy mountain in Mondstadt? The one filled with crimson crystals?"
Rosalyne nodded. She remembered.
"I went back a few days ago, chipped off a piece from that tree, and after a bit of refining and polishing, I turned it into this."
Rosalyne studied the hairpin more closely, her eyes shimmering with surprise.
She had never seen a piece so beautiful and unique—and never imagined Shajin would craft something like this just for her.
He continued, "I did some research. Turns out that stuff isn't harmful at all. In fact, it has nourishing properties—it soothes the mind and replenishes energy. So I figured I'd give it to you. Hope it helps a bit."
"So Rosalyne, you won't be overwhelmed by all that work anymore~"
Rosalyne rolled her eyes. She knew full well he was teasing her—but she couldn't stop the smile from creeping onto her lips.
"Oh, so this is your excuse to dump your work on me, huh?"
She said it with mock annoyance, but the upturned corners of her mouth betrayed her true feelings.
Shajin raised both hands in mock innocence. "How could you say that? I'm not that kind of person! Want me to help you put it on?"
His voice held a teasing lilt.
Rosalyne folded her arms and turned her back to him, revealing her snowy-white nape.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" she replied with a playful pout, her tone filled with anticipation.
Shajin chuckled softly and stepped behind her, gently undoing her tied-up hair.
His movements were careful and delicate, as if he feared hurting her.
Then, he picked up the crimson hairpin and gently slid it into her silky strands, coiling them bit by bit into place.
Rosalyne, already stunning, looked even more breathtaking with the vibrant red pin adorning her hair.
She tilted her head slightly, feeling the weight and the cool touch of the pin against her scalp.
"Well? How do I look?"
Shajin gave a big thumbs-up.
"Perfect match. Such a beautiful Miss Rosalyne… maybe you could take a little look at that report I just received~?"
Rosalyne let out a laugh and scolded him.
"Hah! I knew you had an ulterior motive."
"But… fine, I'll do it~"
Tartaglia stared eagerly at his own gift box, eyes twinkling with curiosity.
"Whoa, now this looks big! Partner, what did you put in here?"
Shajin grinned and waved his hand. "Hehe, gifts only have their magic when you open them yourself. Go on, take a look."
"True that~"
Tartaglia couldn't wait. He reached out and untied the ribbon on top.
As the lid came off, inside lay a massive, ornate claymore—its blade glimmering with a cold, icy sheen.
Tartaglia's eyes lit up instantly, overflowing with excitement.
"This is…!"
He gasped in astonishment.
Shajin smiled and explained, "Right after I finished carving that crystal, I was on my way back when I stumbled across a hidden cave buried in the snow."
"Inside was a sealed door that looked like it needed some sort of mechanism to unlock."
"But I'm not the puzzle-solving type, so I just… broke the thing down."
"And there it was. The sword was stabbed straight into the ground. The wall nearby called it Snow-Tombed Starsilver."
"I don't know all the details, but I figured you'd love it—so I brought it back for you~"
"Hahaha! You're the best, partner!"
Tartaglia grabbed the weapon, both hands gripping the hilt tightly, feeling its weight and icy aura.
His eyes sparkled with joy and satisfaction.
He couldn't wait to test its might—but the moment he swung it, he realized it was far heavier than expected.
He gave it a powerful swing, the blade arcing through the air—but his strength overcompensated, and the sword flew right out of his hands, smashing into the nearby sofa.
With a loud crash, the couch split clean in two, its stuffing flying everywhere.
Scratching his head awkwardly, Tartaglia looked at the mess in front of him.
He'd gotten a little too excited.
"Haha… I know, charge it to Pantalone, right?"
Shajin's eye twitched slightly.
'There's no way I taught him that… right?'
_
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