Hu Tao Is Monetizing My Existence. [226]

By two in the afternoon, the monsters attacking Mondstadt gradually retreated, marking a temporary end to the crisis.

Standing atop the city walls, Jiang Bai stretched lazily.

Even though he hadn’t actually fought, just witnessing a monster siege firsthand was an exciting experience—another story he could brag to the Director about later.

“Now that the siege is over, how about joining me for a drink? My treat,” Kaeya drawled lazily, leaning against the wall.

“Shouldn’t you be counting casualties or managing the aftermath right now?”

“With Albedo holding the bridge, those monsters barely crossed an inch. What casualties? As for cleanup, Amber’s got it covered,” Kaeya shamelessly shrugged off responsibility.

“Alright, but are there even any taverns open at this time?”

“Relax, Mondstadt’s taverns never close. Who knows, we might even overhear some interesting discussions about the siege.”

Jiang Bai followed Kaeya all the way to Angel’s Share.

Though Mondstadt had several taverns, Angel’s Share clearly held Kaeya’s favor.

Diluc had already returned, calmly polishing a glass behind the bar.

Kaeya pushed the door open, taking a seat on one of the high stools. “Two Death After Noons, please.”

Diluc glanced at him briefly before placing two glasses on the counter.

Handing one glass to Jiang Bai, Diluc explained briefly, “Mondstadt’s special sparkling white wine mixed with three parts Dandelion Wine. I hope you enjoy it.”

Jiang Bai sipped cautiously. The drink was sweetly fragrant, surprisingly good—though definitely strong.

“Not bad.”

“It’s my favorite drink, after all,” Kaeya remarked, casually leaning against the bar and eyeing Jiang Bai playfully. “So, how’s your tolerance? Death After Noon is pretty potent—don’t embarrass yourself or I’ll tease you for a year…”

“Honestly, I have no idea. I haven’t had any alcohol back in Liyue,” Jiang Bai replied truthfully.

Although Zhongli occasionally enjoyed a quiet drink in the courtyard, Jiang Bai always stuck to tea whenever he visited. He’d never actively sought alcohol himself, so his tolerance remained unknown.

“You really have no memories from before you woke up?” Diluc suddenly asked.

“None at all,” Jiang Bai confirmed simply.

Kaeya blinked, glancing back and forth between Jiang Bai and Diluc with genuine surprise.

“Woke up? What are you two talking about? Are you hiding something from me?”

Diluc’s eyebrows rose slightly in real surprise. “Oh? You really didn’t know?”

Given Kaeya’s cunning nature, if he had any suspicions about someone, he’d easily figure out their origins. Unless, of course, he never doubted Jiang Bai to begin with.

“What exactly should I know?”

Kaeya genuinely hadn’t doubted Jiang Bai. After all, who would suspect someone who introduced himself by enthusiastically handing out funeral flyers and had such a clearly defined background?

Being suspicious of everyone he met would be exhausting.

Diluc glanced at Jiang Bai, silently asking permission to speak.

“It’s not exactly a secret,” Jiang Bai chuckled lightly, already feeling warmth from the potent drink but far from tipsy.

“I woke up inside a coffin and nearly got buried by my Director…”

Jiang Bai briefly summarized how he’d appeared at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. Kaeya listened in astonishment.

“Who would’ve guessed my dear friend had such a dramatic backstory!”

He never would’ve guessed Jiang Bai had amnesia. Jiang Bai might not know much about Mondstadt, but that was normal for someone from another nation. Besides, Jiang Bai lacked the distinctive four-pointed-star pupils characteristic of Khaenri’ah survivors, leaving Kaeya no reason to doubt him.

Honestly, distributing funeral flyers was simply too misleading…

“So, do you have anything linking you to your past?” Kaeya asked, genuinely curious about his friend who crawled from a coffin.

“I do, actually.” Jiang Bai dipped his finger into his drink and traced the triangular mark from his shoulder onto the countertop. “Have either of you ever seen this symbol?”

Kaeya and Diluc both shook their heads. Compared to Teyvat’s intricate designs, the two simple triangles stood out as oddly minimalistic.

“I’ll keep an eye out. If I hear anything, I’ll tell you immediately,” Diluc offered seriously.

“Thanks, I appreciate it.”

Kaeya nudged Jiang Bai lightly with his elbow. “So, dear friend, what do you think your past was like? Do you want to recover your memories?”

Jiang Bai shrugged easily. “Honestly, I don’t mind either way. My current life is pretty good, and whether I remember my past or not doesn’t really matter to me.”

Kaeya sighed appreciatively. “I admire your attitude. There’s no point obsessing over the past—people should always look forward.”

Diluc shot him a sharp glance. “Heh. If only a certain someone could take that advice.”

“That line applies to you more than anyone. I wonder who’s really stuck dwelling on the past,” Kaeya retorted smoothly.

Diluc’s eyes narrowed dangerously, clearly struck a nerve. A tense, charged silence filled the air as the two men stared each other down.

Noticing the sudden tension, Jiang Bai quickly intervened, trying to ease the atmosphere. “Hey, weren’t you treating me to a drink? Why get all awkward now…”

He really was curious about the history between these two—but clearly, neither would willingly explain.

Kaeya drained his glass in one gulp. “Fine. Out of respect for our friendship, I won’t argue with this guy.”

Diluc merely scoffed, looking away.

Eager to shift the mood, Jiang Bai changed the subject entirely.

“Actually, I’ve always been curious—why do you wear that eyepatch? And your visible eye looks a bit different from other people’s.”

Kaeya crossed his legs casually, lips quirking up in a mischievous smile. “Would you believe me if I said I wanted to be a pirate as a kid, so I started wearing an eyepatch?”

“Nope,” Jiang Bai responded decisively.

If Kaeya had been a teen with a flair for drama, maybe he’d believe it—but an adult? If Kaeya wanted to be a pirate, he could simply become one. Why bother expressing his pirate ambitions through an eyepatch?

“Alright, I’ll tell you the truth. This eyepatch belonged to my grandfather, who was a pirate himself. I wear it in memory of him. As for my eyes—it’s a family trait. My father and grandfather had similar eyes…”

Diluc glanced briefly at him but said nothing.

Ever since Kaeya had arrived at the winery, he’d worn that eyepatch without fail. Diluc had never seen what lay beneath it. He didn’t believe Kaeya’s sentimental reasoning for a moment.

Whatever was hidden beneath was likely something Kaeya desperately wanted to conceal, hence the consistent cover for all these years.

—

This is a fan translation of 胡桃拿我冲业绩 by 余溯. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!