Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue.

"I feel the same! Can we have something normal for once? I think I'm about to collapse," Chongyun weakly raised his hand, his face covered in sticky notes that had somehow frosted over.

He had been sabotaged far too many times, and freezing the notes was the only way to keep them from falling off.

To put it bluntly, only Chongyun's eyes and mouth were visible at this point.

"Relax! If you don't want to deal with sticky notes, you can always choose something else, like truth or dare," Xingqiu said, slinging an arm around Chongyun's shoulders. "Don't worry, as your friend, I'll stick with you no matter what!"

"Shut up, you jerk! You're the one who's been sabotaging me the most! You even peeked at my cards and used them against me!"

Chongyun slammed his cards face-down onto the table. "You're not trying to look at them again, are you?"

"Of course not. I didn't even draw the Joker this round," Xingqiu said with mock innocence. A pity, really—he'd been hoping to signal Hu Tao and ensure another glorious sticky note adorned Chongyun's face.

"I choose… Number Three and Number Five! You two have to rub cheeks, hug each other, and press your chins to each other's shoulders for ten seconds!"

Hu Tao's eyes gleamed with mischief. "Well, well, let's see who our lucky numbers Three and Five are!"

"Th-three! I'm Number Three!" Keqing's face turned crimson as she looked hopefully at Xiangling and Xinyan, her peers.

"Number Five must be one of you, right? Right?"

"Sorry, no can do." Xinyan shrugged and placed her card on the table.

"Apologies, Keqing. I'm not Number Five either," Xiangling said with a playful grin. "Good luck~!"

"How could this happen…" Keqing's hopeful gaze shifted to Ningguang and Beidou.

"Ah, sorry, Little Keqing," Beidou said with an amused grin. "I'd love to check how smooth your skin is, but I don't have the luck for it this time."

How is this good luck?!

(〃＞皿＜)

Ningguang raised her hands with a slight smile. "As your colleague, I can only wish you the best."

Devastated, Keqing turned to the three men in the room, her expression a mix of resignation and despair. "Alright, who's Number Five?"

"That would be me," a calm voice responded.

As the others turned, Hu Tao's grin grew wider. Her eyes sparkled as she stared at the golden-eyed man. "My dear Consultant, I've finally caught you this time!"

Zhongli nodded serenely. "Indeed, I am Number Five. However, given the principle of propriety, I believe such an action is inappropriate. I request the Hall Master to choose another punishment."

"Exactly!" Keqing suddenly came alive with relief. "I second that—let's change the punishment!"

"No way!" Hu Tao wagged her finger with mock seriousness. "How can you cultivate a sense of steadfast determination if you can't even handle a small forfeit in a game? This is for your own good!"

Chongyun straightened up, his respect for Hu Tao soaring. Leaning toward Xingqiu, he whispered, "This nonsense sounds just like Gu Sanqiu's handiwork. She's definitely picked up a thing or two from him."

"Be confident—it's more than just a thing or two," Xingqiu replied with a laugh. "But I'm more interested in how Keqing plans to handle this."

"Miss Keqing, as it stands, you could choose to accept the punishment or opt for another," Zhongli said gently. "What do you think?"

"I… I have no objections," Keqing muttered hesitantly.

"Wait, I have objections!" Hu Tao suddenly smirked, her face lighting up with realization. "You're just trying to push the punishment onto Keqing while getting away scot-free, aren't you?!"

Keqing froze and glanced at Zhongli's stoic face, which betrayed no hint of emotion or reaction.

"Zhongli is a knowledgeable man, revered as a consultant for Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. With such refined character, he'd never stoop to such behavior," Keqing reasoned aloud.

"Hall Master, you jest," Zhongli replied evenly. "Rules are rules, and forfeits are meant to enhance the fun of our gathering. This is all in good spirit."

"Then why are you—"

"Dinner is ready!" Gu Sanqiu entered, balancing a tray of aromatic dishes infused with Geo energy in one hand and a platter of snow-white, dumpling-like treats in the other.

"Sanqiu, what's that?" Hu Tao asked, pointing to the second dish.

"These are Snowy Mooncakes, a dessert. I added some fruit chunks to enhance the texture and flavor."

Guoba happily carried a small pile of mooncakes, munching away as he went. Spotting Xiangling staring longingly, even drooling slightly, he quickly shoved another into his mouth and glared at her protectively, his cheeks bulging with effort.

"Guoba!"

"Alright, everyone, clean up those sticky notes. Don't toss them anywhere—they're a hassle to clean up," Gu Sanqiu called out as he set the food on the table.

Hu Tao froze, glancing between Gu Sanqiu and Zhongli, her expression stiffening.

So that's his plan, huh? Letting Keqing avoid the punishment and using dinner as a convenient excuse to end the game. He's been stalling for time, waiting for Sanqiu to finish cooking.

Hu Tao silently translated Zhongli's unspoken words in her mind and gritted her teeth. Unbelievable!

No, this wasn't over.

"Sanqiu!" Hu Tao dashed over, her eyes shimmering with tears.

To avoid burning her with the hot food, Gu Sanqiu instinctively raised the tray. "What do you want?"

"Can't you set the table yourself? We're not done yet!" Hu Tao tugged lightly on his sleeve with two fingers. "I've been waiting ages to corner Zhongli—I'm not giving up now!"

Her childlike actions contrasted sharply with her gritted determination, making Gu Sanqiu glance sideways at her. For a moment, he thought she might actually snap.

What he didn't realize was that, if not for his perfectly timed arrival and Zhongli's calculated remarks, Hu Tao wouldn't have been this frustrated.

Still, teaming up to corner the old man?

Not a chance.

"I'm not that crazy," Gu Sanqiu muttered under his breath. "Dinner's ready. Let's eat."

"Sanqiu!"

Whoosh!

One of the Snowy Mooncakes floated into the air, propelled by an unseen gust of Anemo energy, and shot toward Hu Tao's mouth with pinpoint accuracy.

Special Move: High-Speed Mooncake Launch!

"So? How's it taste?" Gu Sanqiu asked smugly.

Hu Tao froze, then cradled her cheeks, her expression melting into pure bliss. "It's… delicious…"

"Glad to hear it. Now go get the others for dinner."

---

T/N: They stayed over for lunch AND dinner!

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