Outside Liyue Harbor, two children sat side by side on the grass, feeling the morning chill beneath them. Little Shenhe and little Li Mo held the paper detailing the commission to find Lady Ganyu.
According to the information on the paper, Lady Ganyu had gone missing the previous night around Tianheng Mountain after dinner. She had not reappeared all night. That was why the commission had been posted this morning.
For two children, finding a missing figure of such importance seemed nearly impossible. At least, after reading the details, they had no idea where to start.
But when they saw the reward—10,000 Mora—both Shenhe and Li Mo grew excited.
To others, 10,000 Mora was not much—barely enough for a meal or a few drinks. But to these two children, it was a fortune.
With that money, Shenhe could buy medicine for her mother, good food, and plenty of thread so her mother could make her new clothes.
Shenhe said seriously, "It's just finding someone. Even if it's Lady Ganyu, I'll find her. Before Mother got sick, I was really good at hide-and-seek."
She did not understand how important Ganyu was to Liyue. Though Ganyu was only the secretary to the Liyue Qixing, she handled more affairs than any single member of the Qixing. If she disappeared, much of Liyue's important business would grind to a halt.
Li Mo looked at Shenhe's determined face and nodded. "Alright. Finding Lady Ganyu sounds like fun."
"Though I've only heard her name. I've never seen what she looks like."
Shenhe thought for a moment. "I've never seen her either, but I've heard stories. They say she has two red horns. She's amazing!"
Her eyes sparkled as she spoke. How wonderful it would be to become someone as great as Lady Ganyu.
Li Mo grabbed Shenhe's hand and pulled her up from the grass. "Since Lady Ganyu went missing near Tianheng Mountain, let's start our search there."
Shenhe nodded eagerly. "Alright. Don't worry, I won't let you help for nothing. When we finish the commission, I'll split the reward with you."
Half of 10,000 Mora was 5,000—still a huge sum to two children.
Together, they set off, searching the slopes of Tianheng Mountain, calling out Ganyu's name.
"Lady Ganyu—where are you?"
But they found no trace of her.
Then Li Mo's stomach growled. He was hungry.
But the sound gave him an idea. "Lady Ganyu went missing last night. It's morning now. Even she must be hungry, right?"
Shenhe caught on. "You mean…"
Li Mo grinned. "If she's hungry, where do you think she'd go?"
Shenhe's eyes lit up. "Wanmin Restaurant! She might have gone to Wanmin Restaurant!"
"Let's go check!"
They ran all the way from Tianheng Mountain to Wanmin Restaurant.
But again, they found nothing. Even the waitstaff said they had not seen Lady Ganyu.
Had they been looking in the wrong places?
Seeing Shenhe's disappointment, Li Mo said earnestly, "Don't worry. Even if we have to dig up every inch of Liyue, we'll find her. And we'll get that 10,000 Mora."
He grabbed Shenhe's hand, and they ran to the harbor. No sign of Ganyu.
They ran to a teahouse. Only a leisurely man playing with his bird, drinking tea, and listening to stories—no Ganyu.
But they did not give up.
"Let's try Yun-Han Opera Troupe," Li Mo said. "I've never heard of Lady Ganyu liking opera, but we can't leave any place unchecked."
Breathless but determined, they ran to Yun-Han. They saw opera performers and audience members, but no Ganyu.
They kept searching—the legal advisory office, Bubu Pharmacy, even Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. No one had seen Lady Ganyu.
Time was running out. If they did not find her soon, the commission would expire.
Dejected, the two children trudged through Liyue's streets, heads bowed, exhausted, unsure where else to look.
Then they bumped into an adult. They nearly fell over.
Li Mo looked up. It was the man they had seen at the teahouse earlier—the one who carried a birdcage everywhere, playing with his bird while drinking tea and listening to stories.
They quickly apologized. "We're sorry. We didn't mean to bump into you."
The bird-keeping man looked at them indifferently. Seeing the children's distress, he said, "You seem to be having trouble. Tell me about it."
Perhaps he had nothing better to do. He struck up a conversation with the two children.