"This place is pretty nice… Menogias, what do you think?"
Menogias crossed his arms, smiling amiably.
He nodded and said, "Of course, it's great. Let's go with this one."
Jiang Ning nodded as well: "Alright, let's settle on this place."
The merchant nearby quickly added, "Here's the deed to the property, and the keys are here as well."
"Lady Ningguang said that if there's anything you need to renovate or decorate, just let us know."
Menogias replied, "Hmm, I'll need some raw materials later. See if you can get those for me. As for the design and layout, I'll handle that myself. It's more satisfying that way."
The merchant immediately responded, "Of course. I'll make sure to gather all the materials you need soon."
Jiang Ning waved his hand, and the merchant quickly excused himself.
Menogias teased, "It really helps to have connections in high places, huh?"
Jiang Ning chuckled, "How can you say that? This is just friends helping each other out… Besides, look at the deed. There's a shop downstairs and a spacious loft upstairs."
Menogias shrugged, "Well, that settles both the living and business spaces. Once everything's ready, I'll drag Xiao over here."
Jiang Ning smiled, "Sure, I'll definitely come support your grand opening."
Jiang Ning wasn't worried about Menogias' shop overshadowing others in the market.
For one, Menogias' craftsmanship was on par with Liyue's top tailors, and his designs were in a completely different style.
Plus, knowing Menogias, he'd probably only take orders when inspiration struck and laze around otherwise.
The clothes he designed, along with the materials used, would likely only be affordable for the wealthy and influential.
So, it was more of a "three years without business, but one big order to last three years" kind of situation.
They weren't competing in the same market, so there was no risk of disrupting it.
Menogias looked around the bare space and stretched lazily:
"Alright, the next few days will be all about pulling all-nighters to finalize the shop's design… Good thing I've got a bunch of old designs I never got around to making. I just hope they're not outdated."
Jiang Ning suggested, "Why don't you ask Madame Ping for her opinion?"
Menogias thought for a moment, then shook his head, "Nah, I'll ask Ganyu instead. Madame Ping's gotten a bit… old-fashioned lately. Who knows if her taste has aged along with her?"
Jiang Ning fell silent. If Madame Ping heard that, Menogias would definitely get an earful.
Besides, Madame Ping was the epitome of "young at heart."
Just look at the designs she came up with for the Serenitea Pot—modern and stylish, something even young people like him couldn't fault.
After saying goodbye to Menogias, Jiang Ning strolled through the streets, picking up whatever caught his eye and experiencing the joy of sending bills to his "old man."
Though, instead of sending them to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, he sent them to the Jade Chamber.
Some bills also went to Keqing, though. Otherwise, the "Cat Queen" would throw a fit.
Why spend Ningguang's money but not mine? Do you not love me anymore?
Of course, Keqing wouldn't say it out loud, but she'd definitely sulk, and Jiang Ning would have to spend a lot of effort (and stamina ;-; ) to soothe her frustrations.
"Lumine? And Paimon?"
At a food stall, Lumine and Paimon were waiting for their skewers.
Jiang Ning greeted them with a smile.
For some reason, Paimon looked a bit rounder than before.
Seems like Paimon's been eating well lately.
"Ah, it's Jiang Ning! Lumine, look who's here!" Paimon exclaimed happily.
Lumine glanced at Jiang Ning, her face lighting up for a moment before she quickly suppressed it, letting out a soft "hmph."
Jiang Ning was puzzled. What was wrong? Why was she upset? He hadn't done anything to annoy her.
Lumine actually regretted her reaction. Why had she acted so petty?
Shouldn't she have been overjoyed, rushing into Jiang Ning's arms to snuggle and fawn over him?
The truth was, Lumine was frustrated with herself.
She'd been a bit too carefree lately, thinking she had the upper hand.
Then she'd gone to Yun-Han Opera with Zhongli and gotten acquainted with the famous Yun Jin.
But in just one day and night, her husband had been "claimed" by two… no, three women!
How infuriating.
Lumine felt a pang of jealousy.
Jiang Ning said, "Alright, I'm not sure what's wrong, but don't be mad. My treat, okay?"
Paimon immediately cheered, "Yay!"
Lumine, seeing the olive branch Jiang Ning was extending, decided to take it: "Fine… but you don't have to spend your money. Ever since we got to Liyue, Ningguang has been covering all our expenses."
"She said something about 'family not keeping tabs' and how it's only natural to take care of family when they're home."
Lumine couldn't help but feel a little smug saying that.
After all, she was part of the family now. Hehe.
As for Paimon, she was thrilled that she didn't have to worry about Mora anymore and could eat to her heart's content.
No wonder she'd gotten rounder in such a short time.
Plus, Paimon spent most of her time sitting on Lumine's shoulder while eating, so all that food with no exercise equaled weight gain.
Jiang Ning smiled, "That's great. As long as you're eating well, that's what matters."
Ningguang's methods were truly impressive, getting the ancient "blonde auntie" to call her "sister."
Lumine asked, "I heard Menogias has been revived?"
Jiang Ning nodded, "Yeah, he's planning to open a clothing shop… By the way, if you ever want custom clothes, just go to him."
"And… I couldn't help but notice you've been wearing the same outfit this whole time."
In the game, characters only had one outfit unless they got a skin, and some of those outfits were quite revealing.
But in reality, while the designs were based on the originals, they were more modest. After all, neither male nor female characters had exhibitionist tendencies—no one wanted to show off their body to strangers.
As for only having one set of clothes? That was impossible. Just look at Keqing, who loved shopping, or Ningguang, who had her own personal designer. Even Ganyu and Shenhe, who didn't care much about appearances, had a variety of outfits in their wardrobes.
But Lumine, the "blonde auntie" protagonist, always wore the same white-themed battle dress.
Seeing Jiang Ning's odd look, Lumine quickly explained:
"I just really like this outfit, okay? It's versatile—I can wear it casually, dress it up for formal occasions, and it's practical for combat too."
"Besides, I have multiple sets of this outfit! It's not like I've been wearing the same one for ages!"
She was a clean and tidy girl, after all. If conditions allowed, she'd bathe and change clothes daily.
Jiang Ning said, "Alright, my bad… But maybe you could try some other styles? Like, for example, wearing something local whenever you visit a new nation. What do you think?"
Lumine was tempted but felt that wearing generic local clothes would feel cheap. She preferred outfits with unique flair, like Hu Tao's or Ganyu's.
"Let's see if there are any spare clothes you can try on…"
Jiang Ning suddenly remembered that Lumine's figure was similar to Ganyu's… well, Ganyu's figure before her "second growth spurt" under his care.
So, the smaller-sized clothes Ganyu had outgrown might fit Lumine.
Plus, Jiang Ning really wanted to see Lumine in a knight's outfit or a full-body black stockings version.
The thought alone was exciting.
Lumine, unaware of Jiang Ning's "ulterior motives," nodded happily, "Sure, let's do it!"
If her beloved little brother wanted to see her in different outfits, then why not? It meant he cared about her!
Besides, what girl didn't love new, pretty clothes?
As for wearing someone else's hand-me-downs…
They weren't just "someone else." Once she officially joined the family, they'd be sisters!
And at least these clothes had only been worn by one person. Buying clothes from a store meant trying on items countless others had tried before.
So, Lumine was quite happy with the idea.
After grabbing their skewers, Jiang Ning took Lumine back home.
They happened to run into Ganyu.
"Senior, why are you home?"
Jiang Ning was surprised. Shouldn't she be working at this hour?
Ganyu smiled, "I finished today's work at Yuehai Pavilion, so I came home early… No point staying there with nothing to do."
Now that Ganyu had a family and a life of her own, she no longer spent her free time doing extra work or preparing for tomorrow's tasks.
Instead, she'd adopted the habit of slacking off and leaving early like a normal person. After all, she was the head of Yuehai Pavilion, overseeing even the Qixing.
And with the Geo Archon retired and Jiang Ning, her husband, as the next in line, who dared to question her?
Jiang Ning said, "Perfect timing. Lumine wants to try on some Liyue-style clothes but doesn't want to buy generic ones from the market. I thought she might fit into your old clothes… Could you lend her some?"
Ganyu nodded, "Of course, just give me a moment…"
She led them to her room and opened her wardrobe, revealing a collection of expensive, stylish outfits.
However, they all had one thing in common: they either required full-body black stockings or thigh-high stockings.
The only bare-legged outfit was a formal dress.
Lumine felt a bit awkward. Full-body stockings? She'd never tried those before.
Jiang Ning pulled out one of Ganyu's default outfits—though with more fabric than the in-game version—and handed it to Lumine:
"Try this one."
"Wait…" Ganyu quickly stopped them, "Let her try this one instead. It's an older outfit…"
"The newer ones might not fit her well in the chest and hips… since I've, uh, grown a bit recently."
Ganyu's big, innocent eyes were full of sincerity.
But to Lumine, it felt like a thunderbolt.
She glanced at Ganyu's figure and realized, with dismay, that Ganyu had indeed become more curvaceous.
Compared to her, Lumine felt like a beanpole.
Wait, how could a thousand-year-old half-adeptus have a second growth spurt? That's just unfair!
Lies don't hurt; the truth cuts like a knife.
Lumine tearfully took the clothes and went to change.
Ganyu looked confused, "Did… did I say something wrong?"
Jiang Ning patted her shoulder with mock solemnity, "It's not your fault. The blame lies with fate and genetics."
He couldn't help but think that Lumine and Aether's genes weren't the best. Look at Lumine—compared to the other ladies of Teyvat, she was flat-chested.
And Aether? He was short.
Completely ignoring the fact that he and Aether were about the same height, Jiang Ning mercilessly concluded.
Lumine took a while to change, even poking her head out at one point, her face red, to ask Ganyu for help.
The full-body stockings looked simple but were tricky to put on without practice, so Ganyu had to assist.
When Lumine finally emerged, though the outfit wasn't particularly revealing, her face was beet red, and her eyes sparkled with the wonder of discovering a new world.
Wait, so that's why Ganyu's outfits never showed bra lines—they used adhesive strips!
This was Lumine's first time trying such an outfit, and after the initial embarrassment, she felt a strange sense of freedom and liberation.
For a moment, she fell in love with the feeling.
But she quickly squashed that thought.
No, no, no! She couldn't get used to this. She had to stick to her usual outfits.
If she got too comfortable with this…
Lumine didn't even want to imagine the consequences.
"Hmm, not bad. You look great…" Jiang Ning nodded approvingly.
The blonde auntie still had her charm.
Lumine beamed, "Of course! Who do you think I am?"
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