Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue.

"Alright, alright, I get it, Old Ancestor. I'll definitely be a good kid."

Gu Sanqiu sighed helplessly. Having a little girl ancestor patting the head of a grown man and demanding he behave was as awkward as it was bizarre.

"Mm, good. Be an obedient child."

After finishing applying the herbal medicine, Gu Sanqiu, ever the bootlicker, pulled out a handkerchief and wiped Qiqi's hands clean.

"Old Ancestor, what's that Bai Zhu guy up to lately? Making you deliver medicine all by yourself over such a long distance—don't tell me he's still holed up in Bubu Pharmacy doing research?"

"Mr. Bai seems very busy. After the Lantern Rite, he's been even busier."

?

Gu Sanqiu blinked. "Shouldn't he have had some time to relax after the Lantern Rite? Why would he be busier?"

"After the Vigilant Yaksha appeared, many people celebrated. They overate and upset their stomachs. Many, many people."

Gu Sanqiu rubbed his temples. He suspected those so-called celebrations were just excuses for people to gorge themselves on feasts and party wildly under the pretense of the Lantern Rite.

The esteemed Bai Zhu of Bubu Pharmacy was likely now knee-deep in research about digestive health, mixing remedies for Liyue's citizens. Just imagining it made him oddly satisfied.

Gu Sanqiu grinned. "Old Ancestor, wait a moment. I've got something you might like."

He rummaged through the items he'd pulled from his golden cheat system, finding some snacks. After glancing at Qiqi's medicine basket, he stuffed them all in at once.

"Old Ancestor, even when snacking, you need to control the quantity. Overeating is bad for your health."

Qiqi pulled out a lollipop, licked it, and her usually blank eyes flickered with a faint light.

"Mm, this is sweet... I think."

"Yes, it's sweet," Gu Sanqiu confirmed with a chuckle.

Qiqi didn't have a sense of taste. Her fondness for coconut milk came solely from its smooth texture. But this lollipop seemed to remind her of the cold noodles he had once made for her—she could taste it, likely due to some quality of the ingredients themselves.

"Don't think you can bribe me."

Qiqi reached out again, and Gu Sanqiu bent down obediently.

"I'm leaving now. Remember to be a good child."

"Take care, Old Ancestor~"

Gu Sanqiu opened the door and saw Qiqi off. Stretching lazily, he returned to the stone table and resumed playing dead.

Day Four of House Arrest: Clear skies.

Another uneventful day. Thankfully, the morticians from Wangsheng Funeral Parlor didn't deliver another bill. Small blessings.

Day Five of House Arrest: Light rain.

It rained. Retreating indoors, Gu Sanqiu played games. With his honed abilities, even tackling two-player games solo on the hardest difficulty was a breeze, though the experience felt somewhat lonely.

Day Six of House Arrest: Light rain.

More gaming. Games that used to seem difficult were now laughably easy. His enhanced reflexes and fine motor control were a huge help.

Day Seven of House Arrest: Clear skies.

Having beaten all the games except for those with impossible achievements, boredom crept in. Perhaps competitive multiplayer games could spice things up—he was itching to play the role of a cunning troll.

Day Eight of House Arrest: Cloudy.

In a desperate bid to pass the time, he started studying the wallpaper software's collection of beautiful character designs. Maybe he could use them as inspiration for new clothing ideas to pitch to Xingqiu and overcharge him.

Still, considering Xingqiu might misuse his designs for personal indulgence, Gu Sanqiu resolved to bring Chongyun and Xiangling as witnesses during negotiations.

Day Nine of House Arrest: Cloudy.

One day left—just one more day! Gu Sanqiu vowed to let out a cathartic roar the moment his house arrest ended. Whether it'd be a requiem or a dirge depended on his mood.

Day Ten of House Arrest... Forget it, not writing anymore!

Thwack!

Gu Sanqiu slammed his pen to the ground. With Anemo energy swirling beneath his feet, he shot into the air, determined to disrupt the tranquility of the natural soundscape.

Bang!

Mid-air, his face collided with an invisible wall. The recoil was so strong it sent him tumbling back into the courtyard.

"What the heck?! There's an air wall? This has to be the old man's doing—why won't he let me out?!"

Wait...

Gu Sanqiu paused, deep in thought. House arrest for ten days... That doesn't mean freedom on the tenth day. They're not the same thing.

He remembered how, during a meal at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, he'd used a clever wordplay trick to redefine "one day" and successfully kept Hu Tao and Keqing from heading to work with ink smeared on their faces.

"So, the old man used my own trick against me?"

His lips twitched. "By this logic, I have to wait until the end of today—or worse, until tomorrow night, when the old man visits me in a dream—to go out?"

Glancing at the journal on the stone table, then at the pen he had thrown to the ground, Gu Sanqiu sighed and went to pick it up.

Day Ten of House Arrest: Clear skies.

The weather is lovely, but my mood is grim. I feel thoroughly outplayed by the old man. Contemplating whether to invite Brother Zhongli for an extravagant fish feast—on second thought, I'll pass. The power gap is too wide.

That evening, estimating the time was right, Gu Sanqiu rose into the air. This time, he didn't feel the air wall barring his way.

Ten days. Ten whole days! Do you know how I survived these ten days?!

Taking a deep breath, he sprawled out, letting Anemo energy form a green carpet beneath him. It carried him lazily out of the city.

"Hmm... It's late. No idea where to go. I'll just fly aimlessly for a bit."

With a flick of his wrist, the Anemo carpet spun in place, and he extended a finger.

"Eeny, meeny, miny, moe... This way."

The carpet began moving in the direction of Guili Plains. Gu Sanqiu pulled out a flask of wine and took a swig, even stopping at a hilichurl camp to pour some fine aged liquor into their hot spring.

Revealing himself with a mischievous grin, he gave a Mitachurl a firm kick in the rear before soaring away.

Enraged, the Mitachurl roared and chugged some of the spiked water.

"Hm. Not bad."

Satisfied, Gu Sanqiu whistled, urging the carpet to speed toward Wangshu Inn.

True, his mood-lifting method was a little harsh on the hilichurls, but it worked.

---

"Yo, young master! What brings you to Wangshu Inn at this hour?"

"Huh? You're still up, boss?"

Gu Sanqiu was surprised to see Verr Goldet still awake.

"This is when most guests are settling in, so it's our downtime," she said with a laugh. "Also, young master, you're a lot like that other one—always flying here. I strongly recommend trying our elevator for the view."

"Sounds good. I'll suggest it to Brother Xiao sometime."

"No need to wait—your Brother Xiao is here at the inn."

"Wait, what?"

---

"..."

- Gardevoir

(End of Chapter—Support the translator at [patreon.com/WiseTL]!)