When the door clicked shut, Mei cupped her burning cheeks. Her mind went blank.
"I actually asked it out loud…"
"But… they aren't that kind of relationship?"
Her feelings were a tangle. She glanced toward the bed—
—and nearly jumped.
Himeko was sitting up, smiling at her.
"H-Himeko! Weren't you drunk?"
Himeko brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "That little bit of wine? How could it knock me out~"
"You're very interested in what's going on between me and the boss, aren't you?"
Mei frantically shook her head—then realized how guilty that looked and nodded just as hard.
"I-It's you, after all, Himeko. Of course I'd be curious…"
"Only curious?" Himeko rose and sauntered over, teasing. "With how nervous you are, it's not just curiosity~"
Mei herself didn't know why she needed the answer so badly.
And the nerves… that was probably because of what happened in the office…
Yes. That had to be it.
Thinking so, she looked up at the slightly flushed Himeko. "S-since you're fine, I won't bother you, then…"
She had barely turned when Himeko took her hand.
"Don't rush off. I have something to tell you~"
"Me?"
Himeko laughed, guiding Mei to sit on the edge of the bed. "Let's talk slowly."
…
On the other side, Mo Li had lost all mood for event planning.
He slumped in his chair, thoughts drifting who knew where.
"Boss, what happened with Himeko just now?"
He turned. Rita stood there.
"She… probably got drunk."
Rita blinked, surprised. Himeko was usually either perfectly sober or out cold—what was that "tease the boss, then flop over" routine?
Curious as she was, Rita didn't pry. "Did you need anything from me?"
"Ah—right. Do you remember the orphanage where we adopted Klee?"
Mo Li nodded. "Of course. What about it?"
"The director cares a lot about Klee's life after adoption and wants to visit."
"Easy." He'd never refuse that—and he'd wanted to visit the orphanage himself anyway. "When's the director coming?"
"She should be arriving any minute."
Mo Li was a little surprised.
Rita smiled. "I knew you wouldn't say no, so I agreed in advance."
"Fair. Ping me when they're here."
"Bronya already went to pick them up," Rita added.
"Them?" Mo Li picked up on the plural. "How many?"
"Three girls." She thought for a moment and explained, "Two of them also grew up at the orphanage—they're adults now and just wanted to tag along and see Klee."
"And the other?"
"The director's daughter. Bronya says she'll take over once the old director retires."
"So the old director isn't coming in person?"
"In a sense, Arlecchino is already acting director of the orphanage," Rita said. "That's the daughter's name, by the way."
"Arlecchino…" Mo Li rolled the syllables on his tongue.
"Why does that sound so familiar…"
He couldn't place it and let the thought go.
…
He turned back to Genshin's Lantern Rite plan.
The next patch would roll into the real-world Spring Festival.
No way he'd skip Liyue's Lantern Rite.
He could just pull the original event straight from the system…
But he had new ideas.
Back on Earth, Lantern Rite had been a little too restrained—understandably so. That studio tiptoed around "not mapping to any real country," so they only borrowed pieces of Dragon Kingdom culture.
He got it.
But in this world, Mo Li had no such scruples.
Genshin and Honkai 3rd were global hits—this was a perfect moment for cultural export.
As long as you don't belittle anyone else, go wild.
If something blew up, he wouldn't even flinch—there were always more games to make.
So his goal now was to pack in as many Spring Festival flavors as possible.
For example—firecrackers and driving off the Nian.
Solo or matchmade—four-person Nian Hunt.
Fun, festive, and a way for players abroad to feel the Spring Festival's charm.
Of course he wouldn't just jam it in raw. He'd adapt it for Teyvat:
Make the Nian a demon-god–class entity.
In ancient times, Liyue's people and the adepti forced it back; the firecrackers and Nian-chasing customs commemorate that defense…
And that was just one piece. There was also… house cleaning, spring couplets, reunion dinner, staying up for the year's turn, New Year's visits, lion dances, temple fairs, lantern shows…
Too many to do at once.
He'd have to pick and rotate—add some each year.
Start from Little New Year, push a daily update—so players could celebrate in real life and feel the festive atmosphere in-game.
Right, and players always said the "Liyue" symphonic suitealready had New Year vibes…
With a full Spring Festival slate? The atmosphere would be thick enough to cut.
Music, seasonal gameplay, heart-tugging quests—total immersion.
No game had ever attempted something like this here.
Domestic players would feel how sincere he was.
And he was confident the Spring Festival's culture could make the whole world fall in love with this event.
Beside him, Rita stood quietly, reading as he typed.
"What a wonderful idea…" she breathed. "As expected of Boss Mo Li…"
She'd seen enough events in this industry: "top-up rebates," "points lotteries," minor drop-rate boosts, extra reward weekends.
A New Year event? Usually just skins for sale or meta gear.
But this—folding Dragon Kingdom traditions into a seasonal—she'd never seen it.
Movies and games were saturated with Western motifs.
Compared to Western cultural export, the Dragon Kingdom had lagged.
Suits, haute cuisine, Western weddings—say the words and people pictured "classy."
But truthfully, Dragon Kingdom culture—backed by millennia of history—was on another level.
It was just that, a century ago, they'd been weak—and culture got invaded.
Suddenly, Rita understood Mo Li's intent.
When these dazzling seasonal activities swept the globe, it wouldn't only make foreigners curious about the Spring Festival—
It would, quietly, boost cultural confidence at home.
Against the Spring Festival, Christmas looked… small.
The meaning and the scope shot up by an order of magnitude.
Mo Li didn't make games just to make money…
Rita nearly moved herself to tears.
…
Mo Li finished his initial Lantern Rite outline.
Next: build the most exciting module first—Hunt the Nian.
Step one: visual design for the Nian.
He stretched, then noticed Rita watching him with a soft smile.
That flawless face, that elegant posture—Sister Taisa was lethal.
"Rita, any brilliant ideas?"
She smiled. "Boss's plan is already brilliant. I'm in awe~"
He waved it off. "We'll still adapt a bit."
Then grinned. "How about we brainstorm it together this time—let everyone help build the event?"
Rita's eyes lit up. She loved the idea.
In the past, Mo Li handled events solo. The girls just voiced and maintained builds—hence all the free time.
Himeko, for instance—no lines to record lately. Aside from maintenance, she'd basically been… fishing.
But this Spring Festival project? Rita was very interested.
"I'm sure the others will be, too," she said, already itching to move. "Shall I go round them up now?"
"Do i—" His thought was cut off by Rita's ringtone.
"Excuse me, Boss—it's Bronya."
"They must've arrived," Mo Li said. "Let's host our guests first. We'll regroup tonight and hash out the event."
"Gladly~" Rita's eyes curved in a crescent, her smile as dazzling as ever.
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