Then another familiar voice entered the shop from behind him.
"Well… business seems lively."
Henry turned toward the source before grinning almost immediately, his expression brightening the moment he saw her.
"Elena," he greeted cheerfully. "I hope you've been well?"
Yelan side-eyed him almost instantly, perhaps still remembering his shameless flirting from their last meeting, though unlike before, there didn't seem to be any real annoyance behind it anymore. Today she looked more curious than guarded, her sharp eyes drifting past Henry toward the rows of bikes lined neatly beside the shop entrance while the noisy crowd continued gathering around them.
"So these are the 'vehicles faster than carriages' you mentioned?" she asked.
Henry stepped beside her with an easy smile. "Impressive, right?"
"They certainly look expensive."
"They are expensive."
Yelan glanced at him again. "Then how exactly are you planning to sell these?"
Henry shrugged as though the answer was obvious. "Because they're good products, and good products deserve confidence."
Then, gesturing toward the increasingly crowded counter where Xingqiu was busy handling customers, he added, "Besides, people can pay in installments too."
That seemed to interest her more than the price itself.
Yelan crouched slightly beside one of the bikes, examining the metal frame and wheels with visible curiosity while Henry, meanwhile, shamelessly examined her instead.
Her curvy figure definitely wasn't helping him stay focused.
Back on Earth, people simping for Yelan had truly been onto something. Granted, some of them had gone completely insane with the whole "step on me mommy" and "let me lick your armpits" thing—
[You were one of those people, weren't you?]
"Shut up, Orianna."
Yelan's eyebrow rose slightly. "Hm?"
"Nothing."
Unfortunately, his face had already betrayed him slightly, because the sudden mental images flashing through his mind had caused blood to rush south before he forced himself to recover his composure.
"Focus."
The real Yelan was standing right in front of him.
Gathering what remained of his composure, Henry casually leaned beside the bike she was examining.
"You know," he said, "you'd probably look pretty good riding one."
Yelan slowly turned her head toward him.
"…Do you flirt with every woman you meet?"
"Only the pretty ones."
Yelan actually looked momentarily speechless before letting out a soft sigh that sounded halfway between amusement and disbelief.
"…You really are troublesome."
"And yet you still came."
That earned him another long side-eye, though Henry caught the faint twitch near the corner of her lips before she looked away again.
"Ahh…"
"My heart's gonna burst."
"She gave me the signature smile."
Before he could continue bothering her further, movement near the entrance caught his attention as two more familiar figures stepped inside the shop.
Kuki Shinobu.
And beside her stood another young woman with pink hair, a unique hat decorating her head and clothing red enough to stand out even in the middle of crowded Liyue Harbor.
Kuki noticed Henry approaching through the crowd.
"We came to see what all the noise was about."
Henry grinned slightly as he looked at Kuki.
"Miss Shinobu, welcome to my shop." His eyes swept briefly across her outfit before he added, "And may I say you look gorgeous in that kimono."
Kuki blinked, visibly caught off guard by how directly he said it, while Henry continued looking entirely pleased with himself.
Meanwhile, the pink-haired girl beside her openly grinned.
"So this is the person you mentioned?"
Kuki sighed quietly. "Unfortunately."
She then gestured toward the girl beside her. "This is Yanfei."
Henry immediately straightened slightly before greeting her politely. "Hello, Miss Yanfei. Nice to meet you."
Yanfei smiled easily. "Likewise."
Unlike Kuki, who still looked mildly exhausted already, Yanfei seemed openly entertained by the entire interaction.
"So these are your inventions?" Yanfei asked while looking toward the bikes lined around the shop.
"Yep."
Henry pointed outside toward Atsuko, who was currently riding another slow demonstration circle near the city exit while several children watched her with sparkling eyes and adults whispered among themselves in fascination.
"Seeing it is easier than explaining it."
Both girls turned toward the demonstration almost immediately.
Atsuko rode past again, noticeably smoother than she had been just a few days ago, and Yanfei's eyes widened slightly.
"Wow."
Even Kuki looked genuinely interested now, her eyes following the bike carefully as Atsuko slowed, turned, and rode back again without falling over.
"…How difficult is it to learn?" Kuki asked.
Henry immediately smirked. "Why? Interested?"
Kuki realized the trap in his tone almost instantly.
"…I was asking generally."
"Sure you were."
Yanfei burst into laughter while Kuki gave Henry the kind of completely unimpressed stare that suggested she regretted coming already.
A few moments later though, both girls quietly drifted toward Xingqiu's counter, curiosity clearly winning over caution.
Henry barely had time to enjoy the sight before another disturbance rippled through the crowd outside.
People moved aside almost instinctively this time, murmurs spreading rapidly through the gathered customers as several attendants entered first, dressed neatly and carrying themselves with the composed professionalism of trained staff.
And behind them—
A woman walked forward with such effortless elegance that the entire atmosphere near the entrance seemed to shift around her, conversations lowering almost unconsciously as people moved aside to make way for her and the attendants accompanying her. Long white hair flowed behind her with every step she took, golden eyes calm and observant beneath a composed smile that carried both beauty and authority in equal measure.
Henry's face immediately split into a grin the moment he recognized her.
"Miss Ningguang," he greeted warmly as she approached, "how have you been?"
Ningguang's gaze settled on him almost immediately, amusement already visible in her eyes as though she had expected him to greet her like that. "Quite well," she replied smoothly while one of her attendants quietly stepped aside for her. "Though I must admit, every time I hear your name lately, it seems attached to something unusual."
"I'll take that as praise."
"You should."
By now, several people nearby had started whispering among themselves again, clearly surprised to see the Tianquan of the Qixing personally visiting the strange new shop that had appeared near Wanmin Restaurant, but Ningguang herself paid them no attention as she stepped closer to inspect one of the bikes. Her elegant fingers brushed lightly against the frame while her eyes studied the structure with clear curiosity rather than polite interest.
"So this is the invention causing such a disturbance in Liyue Harbor," she said.
Henry folded his arms confidently beside her. "And this is only the beginning."
That earned him another glance from Ningguang, the faint smile on her lips deepening ever so slightly as though she found his confidence more entertaining than arrogant.
"You certainly know how to speak ambitiously."
Henry leaned slightly closer without losing his grin. "I could say the same about the Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing."
A soft laugh escaped her at that, low and elegant enough that even the nearby attendants briefly looked surprised, because the Tianquan rarely laughed so openly in public.
Then, to Henry's complete surprise—
She flirted back.
"Careful, Mr. Henry," Ningguang said, a knowing amusement visible in her golden eyes while her elegant smile gained the slightest teasing curve, her voice carrying a faintly sultry edge. "Flattery becomes dangerous when used too confidently."
"Well," he said after clearing his throat lightly, "if you're free, I could personally teach you how to ride one."
One of the attendants behind Ningguang looked mildly horrified at the sheer audacity of the invitation, while another quietly looked away like this entire conversation was above their pay grade.
Ningguang, meanwhile, merely tilted her head slightly.
"…Personally?"
"Premium customer service," Henry replied shamelessly.
[That's cap]
"Shut up Orianna"
That finally earned him a proper smile from her, small but genuine enough that even Henry felt slightly victorious seeing it.
"Very well."
---
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