Eula: Lady Keqing and a Cat Actually Look Pretty Good Together!
"You know, that actually makes a lot of sense!"
Lumine's eyes lit up.
The more she thought about it, the more she liked Paimon's idea.
If she set the Anywhere Door's fixed point to the Manga shop, she could instantly return whenever she wanted to read.
Convenient, safe, and no risk of startling strangers by appearing out of nowhere.
The only problem was… the rent.
Last time they stayed here, Boss Han had charged them 100,000 Mora for just one night.
That worked out to a million Mora per month!
And if she factored in the cost of comics for both her and Paimon,
they'd be spending three million Mora every month!
Just the thought of it made her shoulders heavy.
Maybe she could try bargaining a little…
And if that failed, well, wasn't Paimon here?
She could always sweet-talk more customers into coming.
Lumine gave Paimon a big thumbs-up.
"Not bad, Paimon. I didn't expect you to think it through this carefully."
She didn't doubt Paimon's intentions at all— just thought her floating companion was seriously looking out for her.
Maybe she'd been a bit too harsh on Paimon in the past.
Sure, Paimon teased her about Boss Han from time to time, but still… she meant well.
Alright then— next time she pinches Paimon's cheeks, she'll go easier.
"That's me!"
Paimon puffed up with pride.
She'd racked her brain to come up with this plan— and now Lumine was on board.
Only thing left was whether Boss Han would agree.
Glancing toward the counter, Paimon noticed Boss Han staring at her with an amused look.
Her little heart skipped a beat.
Uh oh.
What if he didn't agree?
That would ruin everything!
She quickly zipped behind him, kneading his shoulders with a fawning grin.
"Hehe, Boss Han~ so, what do you think?"
"Out with it—what are you scheming?"
Han Feng snorted.
If Lumine had brought it up, it'd be one thing.
But since it was Paimon?
There was no way she didn't have some kind of "conspiracy" cooking.
Paimon didn't hide it.
On the contrary—this was the perfect moment to "negotiate terms."
After making sure Lumine was busy eating and not paying attention,
she leaned close and whispered her plan.
When Han Feng heard it, he nearly choked.
So just to see more comics, eat more food from the Gourmet Tablecloth, and secure free meals and lodging…
you actually sold Lumine off?!
What's worse, Paimon wasn't even the first to come up with this.
Little Klee had once said something similar.
Tsk tsk.
Han Feng was starting to realize his Manga shop had a rather terrifying charm.
"Hehe, Boss Han, what do you think? Lumine's a real catch—adorable and charming!"
Paimon pitched Lumine like she was advertising merchandise.
But deep down, she wasn't really selling her out.
She'd noticed Lumine's subtle fondness for Boss Han, and with Boss Han's strength and reliability…
well, wasn't this a win-win?
"Fifty thousand Mora per month for rent. As for the rest…"
"I got it, I got it! Leave it to me, Boss Han."
Paimon nodded knowingly.
Then she dashed off to share the "good news" with Lumine.
"Only fifty thousand Mora?! Thank you so much, Boss Han!"
Lumine's eyes glowed with gratitude.
It was still a little expensive,
but far cheaper than she had feared.
"It's nothing—thank Paimon for that."
Han Feng waved casually.
Money wasn't what mattered to him.
What mattered was having two regular customers locked in.
That meant more draws, more system rewards.
He'd deliberately set the rent at fifty thousand Mora— because Paimon's little scheme amused him.
He wanted to see what would happen later, once Lumine discovered the "mole" right by her side.
Wouldn't that be a sight?
"Thanks, Paimon!"
Lumine smiled warmly.
"No problem, no problem!"
Paimon beamed, secretly thrilled.
Selling someone out and then being thanked for it?
This feeling was… amazing!
After settling things, Lumine and Paimon left to collect their belongings from Mondstadt's inn.
Noelle, seeing they'd be living here, cheerfully went upstairs to help tidy their new room.
Han Feng, meanwhile, stayed downstairs, awaiting the next guest.
Quiet Reading Area.
"Phew—finally finished!"
Keqing closed the comic with a long exhale.
Reading Tom and Jerry had been… agony.
Not because it wasn't good— on the contrary, it was brilliant.
Fun, hilarious, unlike anything she'd ever read.
But that was exactly the problem.
It was too funny.
Every page made her want to laugh, but this was the quiet area.
Other customers were around.
And of all people—Xiangling was here too!
After that embarrassing scene earlier,
the last thing Keqing wanted was to lose face again.
So she'd suffered through the entire read— clamping her mouth shut, her face twitching uncontrollably as she stifled her laughter.
Pure torment.
At last, it was over.
Any longer and she doubted she could've held it in.
"Xiangling, Miss Eula, I'll go claim my reward."
She nodded politely to them and headed for the counter.
"What do you think Miss Keqing will get?"
Watching her go, Eula's eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"No idea. I haven't read that comic.
But with a title like Tom and Jerry, probably something cat-related?"
Xiangling propped her chin thoughtfully.
"A cat, hmm…"
Eula blinked.
Somehow…
that sounded oddly fitting for Keqing.
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