Chiori held the phone in her hands, staring down at the photo of the outfit on the screen, murmuring words of admiration under her breath.
For an ordinary person, it might just look like a nice outfit—maybe the girl wearing it was even more eye-catching.
But to Chiori, a master tailor, the shock this piece of clothing gave her was immense. It overturned everything she thought she knew.
It was a long while before she finally lifted her head to look at Kirara, her voice urgent and burning with excitement.
"Kirara, the girl in this photo… she's your friend, right?"
Kirara nodded. "Yeah. Her name's Xia Le. I met her a few days ago in Mondstadt—she's a new friend."
Chiori pressed, "Then do you know where she bought the outfit she's wearing?"
Kirara shook her head. "Outfit… that I don't know."
A wave of deep disappointment flashed across Chiori's eyes. "You don't…?"
"Chiori, are you really that interested in Xia Le's clothes?"
"Yes! This outfit has to have been made by someone truly extraordinary. Kirara, next time you go to Mondstadt, you have to ask your friend for me…"
"No need to make it that troublesome! I'll just ask her for you now."
"Now?"
"Mhm! I'll call Xia Le. She should be up by now."
Kirara took the phone back from Chiori and dialed.
Chiori just stood there blankly, watching.
"Hello? Xia Le?"
"Morning, Kirara."
"Good morning! So, I've got a friend who wants to know where you got that outfit you were wearing."
"Which outfit?"
"The one in your profile picture."
"Oh, that one? Big Brother gave it to me."
"You mean Mr. Xia? Got it, thanks."
"You're welcome! Make sure to take lots of pictures in Fontaine and send them to us."
"Don't worry, I will."
Kirara hung up, turned back to Chiori. "Chiori, I asked! That outfit was made by Mr. Xia."
"Mr. Xia?"
"Another friend of mine!"
Chiori finally snapped out of it. "Wait… just now, you were…"
"Talking to Xia Le on the phone!"
"So you just contacted someone all the way over in Mondstadt?"
"Yep!"
"How?"
"By using a phone, of course."
"…"
"I don't really know the details, but this phone was made by Mr. Xia too. He also makes really delicious food…"
The moment Kirara mentioned Mr. Xia, her eyes lit up and she couldn't help swallowing a little.
Chiori was quiet for a moment before asking cautiously, "Then… Kirara, can you get in touch with this Mr. Xia right now?"
"I can call him. Do you want to talk to him, Chiori?"
"Yes! Please!"
"Okay."
--
The phone on the bedside table rang.
Shenhe reached out, picked it up, and glanced at the screen.
"Boss, it's Kirara."
"Got it."
Xia Zhi took the phone and answered.
"Good morning, Kirara."
"Mr. Xia! I didn't wake you up, did I?"
"No, I've been up a while."
"Good! So, the thing is, I've got a friend who wants to ask you some questions about clothes."
"Clothes?"
"The outfit you gave Xia Le. She thinks it's amazing. Hold on, I'll pass the phone… Chiori, here."
A moment later, a new female voice came through.
"Hello, are you Mr. Xia?"
"That's me. And you are?"
"I'm the owner of Chioriya Boutique. Just call me Chiori."
"Miss Chiori, what can I do for you?"
"I saw Xia Le's photo on Kirara's phone. That outfit she's wearing—there isn't a single seam. It's unbelievable! How did you do it?"
Xia Zhi remembered—the outfit had been commissioned through the system. Clothes made that way never had seams.
Of course, he couldn't tell her that. He needed a reasonable excuse.
Like the item in his inventory: [Suture Needle].
Effect: Instantly grants master-level tailoring skills. When used, stitches clothing without thread, leaving no visible seams.
"I used a special sewing tool."
"A… special sewing tool?"
"Mm. Hard to explain over the phone. If you're interested, once we travel to Fontaine we can discuss it in person."
"When will you be coming to Fontaine?"
"End of this year, maybe next."
"That's so far off…"
"We still have to head to Inazuma and Sumeru first, for the Summer Festival and the Sabzeruz Festival."
"I see… I was also hoping to ask about the design style of that outfit. Would that be convenient?"
"Of course."
Thanks to the [Suture Needle], Xia Zhi really was a tailoring master now. He had his own ideas about how to craft clothes. Talking about a new field like this was actually pretty fun.
And even if they weren't close, she was Kirara's friend. The little cat worked hard running deliveries—helping out a bit here felt only right.
"That's wonderful… Mr. Xia, you think…"
Her tone was deeply respectful. If other Fontaine tailors heard her, they'd be shocked—this proud foreigner bowing her head and asking advice?
Xia Zhi listened carefully to Chiori's questions, thought for a moment, and started discussing seriously with her.
Beside him, Shenhe and Ganyu sat quietly on the bed, watching.
At some point, Shenhe slid lower against him.
Xia Zhi's body tensed, his voice on the phone pausing. "Hhss…"
Chiori picked up on the oddity. "Mr. Xia, are you all right?"
"I'm fine. Where were we? Let's continue…"
"Oh, okay…"
—
Over ten minutes later, Chiori finally, reluctantly, hung up and handed the phone back to Kirara.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome, Chiori. How was it, talking with Mr. Xia?"
"I learned a lot. He's incredible. Shame I couldn't take up too much of his time—I still have so many questions… Oh, right, Kirara, I heard him say he's going to Inazuma for the Summer Festival?"
"Yeah. After the Windblume Festival in Mondstadt, he'll head to Inazuma."
"By my count, the Windblume Festival should be ending soon. Which means next month, Mr. Xia will be in Inazuma."
"That's right."
Chiori lowered her head in thought.
Waiting until Mr. Xia came to Fontaine would take too long.
She really couldn't wait.
She'd been working in Fontaine for years now, and she'd finally made a name for herself. With the Sakoku Decree lifted, it was about time she went home to Inazuma to see her parents.
She could bring the Kamisato order back personally, too.
With that in mind, she looked up. "Kirara, when are you heading back to Inazuma?"
"I've got to deliver something to Lady Furina at the Palais Mermonia first, then I'll hang around Fontaine for a few days before heading back."
"Perfect. I'll go with you then."
--
Morning.
Rosaria bought a piece of toast on the street, looking sleepy as she returned to the nuns' dormitory.
When she opened the door, there was no familiar meow to greet her like the past two days.
Rosaria froze, then quietly shut the door.
She sat on the bed, slowly ate the toast, then took a shower before lying down.
She couldn't fall asleep.
Turning over, she caught sight of the cat bowl still sitting in the corner.
Rosaria stared at it for a while, the room feeling emptier than usual.
She closed her eyes.
After I wake up, I should go to the pet shop. No point pining after someone else's cat. Might as well buy my own.