"Huh?"
No matter how Hu Tao thought about it, she still couldn't wrap her head around what had just happened. She had been this close to swearing that the boy in the coffin was absolutely dead—only for him to flip the lid open the very next second.
Cael gripped the Dull Blade, his gaze locking onto Hu Tao and Zhongli standing not far away. He froze.
So this is Hu Tao and Zhongli from the game…
Seeing them up close felt completely different. Unreal. Almost dreamlike.
After scanning his surroundings, Cael looked at Hu Tao and asked,
"Where… is this?"
"The Wangsheng Funeral Parlor," Hu Tao replied.
"…Then why am I here?" he asked again.
"Because you're dead."
"No, I'm not. I'm clearly alive."
"Yes, you are dead. I checked personally."
"I'm alive. I have a heartbeat and a pulse."
"That's just psychological suggestion. I've seen plenty of people like you."
"Then I'll go have Baizhu check me."
"WAAAH—!! Big brother, please, I beg you—just die for a little while!!"
Hu Tao suddenly slid forward, dropping right in front of Cael. Tears streamed down her face like pear blossoms in the rain as she straight-up knelt to beg him.
"I finally got my first client this month! It wasn't easy! How can you just walk away?!"
Cael's entire body shuddered.
He instinctively staggered backward several steps.
Before transmigrating, Cael had been a full-fledged shut-in—three years certified. Sure, he'd made around three hundred thousand writing novels, but when it came to real women…
He had basically zero experience.
Aside from 2D ones.
Even though the girl in front of him was Hu Tao—someone he'd once casually called "wife" while playing the game—when she suddenly appeared in real life like this, his instincts screamed danger.
This was… something he'd need time to adapt to.
Hu Tao, however, didn't care about his retreat at all. She clasped her hands together pitifully.
"Just think of it as owing me a favor! I—I already took the Mora… and I really don't want to give it back!"
Cael twitched at the corner of his mouth, staring at her in silence.
Is this really the Hu Tao from the game?
Why does she feel… kind of dumb?
"May I ask," he said carefully, "what day is it today?"
"The first," Zhongli answered calmly.
"..."
"..."
"ZHONGLI!!"
...
Ehe.
...
That was how Cael and Hu Tao first met—in pure chaos.
In the end, to make up for this… minor mistake, Hu Tao agreed to let Cael stay in Liyue Harbor for the time being.
Zhongli helped him register as a resident, which naturally cost quite a bit of Mora.
Thankfully, the Millelith didn't demand a refund for the funeral expenses. Instead, they were genuinely happy that Cael was still alive.
Cael was deeply moved by that.
They're really… I'm about to cry.
Later on, he learned that the Rite of Descension was still a long way off.
Over in Mondstadt, something seemed to have happened, though details were unclear.
Meanwhile, Inazuma had just issued the Vision Hunt Decree.
And there was still no sign whatsoever of a blond Traveler or an emergency food companion.
Which meant—
The main storyline hadn't started yet.
With the plot still far off, travel costs to Inazuma or Sumeru outrageously expensive, and no clear goal in sight, Cael could only settle into a temporarily laid-back life.
He worked part-time at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, while also taking a side job at the Yun-Han Opera Troupe in Yujing Teahouse, helping out backstage.
He might've been a shut-in, but he couldn't survive without Mora.
Back on Earth, as a Traveler, Captain, and Doctor, earning a little money had always been effortless.
He definitely wasn't some social reject who spent his days listening to music, teasing birds, and sending bills to his own house.
All in all, life in Teyvat—for now—was peaceful. Almost too peaceful.
Although the "Fifty-Fifty" ability hadn't been useful at all, Cael didn't mind.
He didn't like fighting in the first place.
Still… this calm probably wouldn't last.
...
...
That day, while working at the Yun-Han Opera Troupe, Cael happened to catch Yun Jin's performance.
With nothing else to do, he sat down with the older patrons to watch.
Being able to see Yun Jin perform live was incredibly exciting for him.
Back on Earth, after hearing Divine Damsel of Devastation, he'd even made a special trip to Sichuan to experience Peking Opera firsthand—and had studied it for a while.
He'd nearly joined an opera troupe back then, but for various reasons, hadn't stayed.
Because of that, he could actually understand parts of Yun Jin's performance.
"Oh? Little Cael, you're here to watch Miss Yun's opera too?"
An elderly man beside him—Grandpa Liu Erqiang—smiled warmly.
"That's rare. Young folks these days usually have no interest in this sort of thing."
Cael had gotten along quite well in Liyue Harbor. Between working hard and being polite, he'd become familiar to many locals.
"Uncle Liu," Cael said with a gentle smile, nodding politely,
"to be honest… I do know a bit about opera."
Strangely enough, compared to pretty girls, Cael felt far more comfortable chatting with elderly folks.
No nerves. No pressure. Just easy conversation.
Liu Erqiang laughed and patted him on the back.
"You're young—don't act like an old man already. Young people should be full of fire. Watching opera like this feels a bit out of place."
"By the way, there's a girl named Xinyan lately—started that thing called rock music. Young people love it. Why not go check it out?"
Cael was momentarily stunned.
He hadn't expected Uncle Liu to think that way. Most of the other elders were practically cursing rock music to disappear as soon as possible.
Yeah… this uncle's values are solid.
Cael smiled and shook his head.
"Thanks, Uncle, but while rock is interesting, I don't really enjoy noisy places. And tickets are hard to get—I only came today because I happened to have time."
"I see, I see," Uncle Liu said with a smile, turning back to the stage.
Onstage, Yun Jin wore her opera costume. It shared many similarities with traditional Peking Opera attire, yet blended perfectly with Teyvat's aesthetics.
Combined with her solid vocal technique, it was an absolute feast.
Both visually and audibly.
Yun Jin herself noticed the striking young man in the audience. Her eyes lit up slightly.
"I didn't expect someone my age to be watching my performance," she thought happily.
She could tell he wasn't just casually watching.
Eyes didn't lie—and his gaze was focused and appreciative, just like the elderly patrons'.
She remembered him.
He was the new worker at the Yun-Han Opera Troupe.
After the performance… I should properly meet him.
Cael, however, didn't notice her gaze at all.
At that moment, he was wondering—
What kind of reaction would Earth's Peking Opera have when it truly met Teyvat?
Suddenly, a famous work from his past life came to mind.
Farewell My Concubine.
He couldn't help but grow curious.
What would it be like if Yun Jin performed that?
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