"Wow!"
Klee's eyes sparkled. Crowds like this were her favorite.
While Kael wasn't paying attention, she slipped her tiny hand free with surprising strength.
"Hey—Klee!"
Before he could react, she darted into the sea of people, her small body slipping through gaps so quickly she vanished instantly.
Kael had originally thought the crowd seemed lively and fun.
He didn't expect the little troublemaker to bolt the moment she saw an opening.
Helpless, he squeezed forward with Keqing following behind.
"Excuse me, coming through."
He pushed his way deeper. The man in front of him turned around with an irritated glare.
"What are you pushing for? Miss Yun barely performs in public. You think you can just.."
The man's voice cut off with a sharp gasp, drawing everyone's attention.
The moment they saw Keqing beside Kael, their attitudes flipped instantly.
"Oh! Lady Keqing, it's you. Are you also here to see Miss Yun? Why didn't you reserve a seat?"
Keqing nodded politely. "I'm just passing by to take a look. Please don't mind me. Enjoy Miss Yun's performance."
The Liyue Qixing held immense influence and were deeply respected.
Even though Keqing had told them not to fuss, the crowd parted automatically, forming a clear path.
"Lady Keqing, you're always so busy. Please, go ahead."
"Yes, Lady Keqing, come this way. There's more room."
"Lady Keqing, over here…"
With Keqing's presence clearing the way like a shield, Kael was able to make it all the way to the inner seats without trouble.
He kept scanning the crowd, searching for the missing child.
Finally, he spotted her in the VIP seating area, happily waving her arms and chatting animatedly.
Next to her sat two very familiar figures.
Barbatos and Rex Lapis.
Kael brought Keqing over.
"Venti, Mr. Zhongli, you're here for Miss Yun's performance too?"
Venti grinned. "Yep! I dragged Zhongli along."
Zhongli's eyes lingered on Keqing for a beat before he nodded in greeting.
"Boar King Brother, you know Venti too? He said he's from Mondstadt like me!"
Kael crouched slightly and looked at Klee with a serious expression. "Why did you run off by yourself? Do you know how worried we were?"
Klee froze. The fear on her little face was instant.
She lowered her head, voice tiny. "Sorry… Klee didn't mean to… Please don't hate Klee, Boar King Brother… Keqing big sister…"
Seeing her pitiful expression, Keqing shot Kael a glare and gently patted Klee's head.
"It's alright. Just don't do that again, okay? Wherever you go, you have to tell an adult first."
"Klee understands."
She shuffled closer to Kael and clung to his arm, tilting her chin up with the sweetest smile she could manage.
"Boar King Brother, please don't be mad?"
…Sigh.
He had only wanted to scare her a little.
But nobody could stay stern while looking at Klee.
"Alright, I'm not mad."
Venti chuckled. "You three look just like a little family."
Keqing's cheeks turned bright pink.
Her thoughts had been exposed.
Because she had felt it too… Walking around together with Kael and Klee really did feel like a family of three.
If only she could actually build a family with Kael someday…
Manager Fan of Heyu Tea House quickly noticed that one of the Liyue Qixing had arrived and immediately arranged VIP seats for them.
As the elegant music began, Yun Jin stepped onto the stage with graceful poise.
---
Her voice rose with the melody, sharp and soft in turns. Sometimes it tore like silk, sometimes it lingered like thin threads, sometimes it flowed like mountain streams, and sometimes it drifted like spring rain.
Everyone fell into the world she wove.
Kael finally understood how someone so young had become the brightest star of the Yun-Han Opera Troupe.
Her voice was mournful yet beautiful, gentle yet gripping. It was truly mesmerizing.
Wait… this opera sounded like a Mondstadt story?
He listened more carefully.
A distinctly Mondstadt legend, seamlessly blended into Liyue's opera style without the slightest clash.
Kael raised a brow at Venti. "Your doing?"
Venti swayed happily to the music. "I only provided the story. Yun Jin wrote the lyrics and composed everything herself."
Zhongli nodded approvingly. "Miss Yun Jin is remarkably talented."
Kael's current talent from the previous life simulation—Beethoven—was bound to him.
His understanding of music now surpassed ordinary human limits.
Yun Jin's composition was impressive, but a few transitional notes could be adjusted to make it truly perfect.
When her performance ended, the entire room erupted into applause.
After bowing, Yun Jin stepped offstage and went straight to Venti.
"Mr. Venti, how was my interpretation of Mondstadt's legend?"
"It was enchanting," Venti said without hesitation.
Kael couldn't help speaking up. "Miss Yun, your performance was wonderful. But in the second section, when you sing about the King's tyranny plunging Mondstadt into suffering, adjusting a few notes might bring out the emotion better. For example…"
He sang a short passage.
"If you lower these notes a little here, it better expresses the people's pain. And also—"
He stopped when he noticed everyone staring at him in shock.
"…What?"
Venti gasped. "Traveler, you can sing that well?"
Kael's voice, enhanced by his talent, was smooth, resonant, and impossibly beautiful.
Yun Jin softly hummed the revised notes he suggested. Her eyes lit up more and more.
"Mr. Kael, your adjustments are brilliant."
Her usually composed demeanor vanished. Right now she looked like a child discovering a new treasure.
"Is there more? Which other parts should I change? Please tell me!"
"And also…"
Kael sighed inwardly.
The Beethoven talent had always felt useless to him.
He only picked it because the System's choices were limited. It seemed like the most normal option at the time.
After the life simulation ended, he had completely forgotten about it.
Cooking talents were practical. Music had no real use in daily life.
He never imagined it would cause such a reaction today.
After hearing his suggestions, Yun Jin was practically vibrating with excitement, eager to return to the Yun-Han Opera Troupe to revise the entire composition.
Just a few small changes had completely transformed the piece.
"Mr. Kael! Please join the Yun-Han Opera Troupe. I'm willing to pay any price to hire you as our consultant!"
Kael's schedule was already packed.
Every morning he helped Xiao clear karmic debt, then trained for the Master Chef Competition, then worked to ease everyone's emotional suffering to repay the "knife wounds" he'd inflicted.
And soon he would have to travel to Inazuma…
He barely had enough time to breathe. Joining the Yun-Han Opera Troupe was impossible.
Yun Jin wasn't one of the heroines from the life simulation, and Kael didn't have any deep connection with her, so refusing didn't bother him at all.
"…Sorry. I can't join."
"I see…" Yun Jin's shoulders dropped. "That's truly a shame. Your musical mastery surpasses mine. It would be wonderful if more people could hear it…"
Zhongli nodded. "Indeed. It has been a long time since I have heard such a stirring voice."
Of course it was stirring.
In the life simulation, his voice had been praised by the people of Mondstadt as the voice of an angel.
Yun Jin felt that if she let Kael slip away, she would regret it forever.
So she asked again, unwilling to give up. "Then… would you at least be willing to serve as a special consultant for the Yun-Han Opera Troupe? If we have new compositions, could we come to you for revisions? I'll also visit you often…"
Rejecting her again felt far too cold.
Kael could only give in. "…Alright, if I have time."
A bright smile spread across Yun Jin's elegant face. "Then I'll be in your care."