"So... what do you want me to do then~?" Lin Mo asked with a wary expression.
"Mmm-hmm~" Yae Miko wore a look that suggested she had something specific in mind.
Venti, seeing the ambiguous atmosphere between the two, immediately caught on.
"Hehe, they're calling me back over there for drinks. You two chat, have fun~" Venti said before hastily slipping back to the banquet.
Dumbfounded.
Now, on the viewing platform of the Jade Chamber, only Lin Mo, Yae Miko, and the curiously watching Paimon remained.
"What kind of apology is it?" Paimon asked, looking at Yae Miko and Lin Mo with a naive, clueless expression.
Lin Mo also cast a puzzled glance at Yae Miko.
As one of the people who knew Yae Miko best, Lin Mo didn't think she would use this opportunity for any ambiguous gestures with him.
But one thing was certain: she definitely wanted to use this chance to cause trouble!
Or make him do something for her.
Under the gaze of Paimon and Lin Mo, Yae Miko looked at Lin Mo and slowly asked, "Lord Sasayuri, have you ever heard of Miss Hina?"
"I know~!" Paimon happily raised her hand. "She's the popular idol from the Yae Publishing House, Miss Hina! I heard she's even holding an offline autograph meet-and-greet soon~!"
"Uh..." Lin Mo was momentarily stunned.
Regarding Miss Hina, Lin Mo had only heard about her during recent cycles of his reincarnation missions.
Mainly, he had seen flyers distributed by Miss Hina's fans in Inazuma. The flyers featured Miss Hina's portrait and the promotional tagline: "Teyvat's Most Caring Big Sister, Gentle and Beautiful, Wholeheartedly Solving Your Worries."
In Lin Mo's impression, this Miss Hina seemed to enjoy popularity among the common people of her nation, similar to Barbara in Mondstadt and Yun Jin in Liyue, reaching idol-level status.
However...
Lin Mo always felt this Miss Hina looked very familiar.
A young woman from the crimson-fox clan.
She bore a sixty percent resemblance to a certain general from Watatsumi Island named "Gorou."
Was it because they were from the same clan... causing him to have this illusion?
Oh! Right!
His so-called "plastic brother" Arataki Itto seemed to be a fan of this Miss Hina, didn't he?
He remembered during that part of the storyline, that guy often sighed beside him, saying things like, "Miss Hina is so warm-hearted~" or "Miss Hina is so understanding~" and the like.
"What about Miss Hina?" Lin Mo couldn't help but ask curiously.
Yae Miko smiled and asked, "Do you think Miss Hina is pretty?"
The faintly overflowing amusement in her eyes clearly showed she was looking forward to Lin Mo's answer.
"Uh... she is quite pretty..." Lin Mo answered honestly, yet still puzzled, he added, "But... I always feel she looks a lot like a resistance army general I know named Gorou."
"Well then, Lord Sasayuri, would you like to meet Miss Hina?" Yae Miko asked again.
"I'm not really interested in that," Lin Mo shrugged.
He genuinely didn't have much interest in meeting a strange girl.
So, he couldn't help but give Yae Miko a curious look, wondering why she suddenly brought this up.
Yae Miko smiled and said, "This year's Lantern Rite performances have invited Miss Barbara from Mondstadt, and Yun Jin and Xinyan from Liyue."
"But... for our Inazuma, we really don't have any standout popular idols, do we?"
"So, I was hoping to invite Miss Hina to represent Inazuma and participate in this year's Lantern Rite performances~"
Hearing this, Lin Mo thought it was about something trivial and waved his hand dismissively. "No problem, you arrange it."
Yae Miko, upon hearing this, smiled and waved towards the distant banquet. "Gorou~ come here for a moment~!"
A young man could be seen rising from the table where the Inazuma delegation was seated and walking towards Yae Miko.
Lin Mo looked.
Wasn't that Gorou?
"Huh? Why is he here?" Lin Mo wondered curiously.
Yae Miko smiled and explained, "After hearing that Kokomi had left Inazuma for Liyue, this little fellow, worried about his leader, also brought a fleet and came to Liyue~"
At that moment, Gorou approached Yae Miko warily. "Guuji Yae, did you need something from me?"
"Gorou, let me introduce you. This is Lord Sasayuri~" Yae Miko said with a smile.
Gorou, unimpressed, looked at Lin Mo and said bluntly, "So this is the Lord Sasayuri I've heard so much about."
"Gorou, long time no see," Lin Mo gave a faint smile.
Back when he was pursuing Kokomi on Watatsumi Island, it was this guy Gorou who took over the island's administrative affairs. They were already quite familiar with each other.
"Since you're acquainted, this makes things easier," Yae Miko explained with a smile. "Your Lord Lin Mo hopes you can become Miss Hina and participate in the Lantern Rite performances~"
"Wh-what Miss Hina!?" Gorou was utterly bewildered.
Yae Miko, still smiling, took out a flyer and handed it to Gorou. "See, it's her~"
"Ah~!! Guuji Yae! You're going too far~!" Gorou looked at the flyer, his face instantly turning as red as an apple.
In that moment, various confusing fragments and clues in his mind connected one by one.
He finally understood why people in Inazuma City occasionally said he looked like Miss Hina!
The replies for the Yae Publishing House advice column that Guuji Yae had asked him to write, all signed with his name "Gorou"... had all been changed by Yae Miko to "Hina"!
Miss Hina! She was a virtual idol all along!
And the prototype for Miss Hina... was himself!!!
And right then, Gorou felt Lin Mo's gaze upon him—an ancient and complex look.
"L-Lord Lin Mo, it's not what you think, please don't misunderstand!" Gorou anxiously tried to explain.
But Lin Mo just patted Gorou's shoulder with one hand and said meaningfully, "Gorou, it's okay, I won't discriminate against you."
"After all... everyone has their own unique quirks. Cross-dressing or whatever, I don't look down on it."
"N-no, it's not like that, Lord Lin Mo!" Gorou explained frantically. "This is entirely Guuji Yae's prank!"
"What prank?" Lin Mo looked curious. "I have a brother, Arataki Itto. He's your number one fan, your top supporter. He's even planning to attend your fan meet-and-greet. How could it possibly be a prank?"
"Ah~!! Guuji Yae~!!" Gorou seemed on the verge of a breakdown.
"I am not Miss Hina!"
"And I don't want to dress up as Miss Hina and perform in some Lantern Rite show!!"
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T/N:
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