Devils Roll The Dice, Angels Roll Their Eyes

Chapter 2 - The Request

"You look lovely today, Yanfei. Far from this old lady to pry, but could there be an occasion? A courtship perhaps?"

"No-nothing like that, Miss Huang. I'm afraid I'll be checking out. Thank you for the room on such short notice, it was lovely."

"No problem, dear. Do take care... and send him my regards."

"Ha."

Yanfei was getting ready to leave the inn she'd been staying at the last few days. While she hadn't managed to get much work done, it had been far from a vacation.  The challenges had come one after the other from the night she checked in. 

That night, her first impressions were those of awe. The room itself could be considered lavish. Where Liyue met Fontaine, the ideas mixed into something Yanfei never would have imagined. Furniture and walls were aligned perfectly with principles of feng shui, and the craftsmanship was done in a traditional Liyuean style. Meanwhile, ornate metallurgy, in gold and silver, lined the walls in flowing designs. The work's lavish nature was clearly that of the artisans of Fontaine.

Even better, some of the newest technology from the self-proclaimed land of Justice was on display. Yanfei had heard rumors that they'd been working on kameras that could capture motion and sound. She never thought the results could be so extraordinary as when turned the machine on to play a film. "The Seven Samurai" was the title, and as she watched the warriors hunting down bandits in the countryside, she was enthralled. It was like nothing she'd seen before, a novel (perhaps a cheesy one) come to life.

She started mumbling to herself while she watched.  The expert in law could only wonder about the legal codices that might apply to this. Of course, that was only if it became widespread enough in Liyue. As much as Yanfei adored studying all of the intricacies of the law, she was happy to keep her knowledge to the nation she worked in. In her mind, the rules were fair, and the best outcomes usually happened. She was a part of that and took immense satisfaction in saying so.

Meanwhile, Fontaine probably already had a rulebook a foot thick about the medium. More than likely, the rules contradicted somewhere along the line. It was a perfect symbol for what she considered the dark side of the law. Anyone their courts wanted to punish could easily find themselves arraigned on next-to-nothing. As such, ideas that got out were often incredible because they were the only ones allowed the privelege. Most people happily indulged. It wasn't hard for Yanfei to see the underlying circumstances.

She tried her best, unsuccessfully, to stop thinking about it. It was almost as if somehow, the idea gave the film a sour taint. The story soon enough wrapped up, a few dead in remorseful victory. Yanfei turned the camera off, shaking her head. As she was trying to make the recording rewind for the next guest, she heard a noise.

Over the whirling of tape reels, the lightest little swoosh came from the hallway. Not a single audible footstep accompanied it, and that made her all the more certain of the cause. Sure enough, just past the threshold of her door, a note was left behind.

The scent hit her first as she picked it up. Orchids and fresh tea leaves. It was reminiscent of the first days of Spring, the snow clearing to reveal a new world for the year. Though, this was the Spring of someone else, a world that was as alien as it was familiar. After all, the snowfall in Liyue Harbor never stopped.

There wasn't much else to go on as the card was unfolded. Plain blue ink, plain cardstock, clearly done without so much as the touch of a finger on the paper. To Yanfei, a girl with the nose of a bloodhound when it came to evidence, this was slightly infuriating. Although it did tell her that Hua was someone who knew how to cover their tracks. Most people didn't go to this depth without a reason, and Yanfei knew well to be wary.

"Come to the Blackcliff Mines entrance at the next full moon. Look pretty for me."

Those were the instructions on the inside. Yanfei couldn't swear to it, but the handwriting looked as if someone was using a template. Of course, that was only a minor note, as the last sentence drew much more attention.

"That bitch," Yanfei mumbled. Both her hands went to fists. The paper was, in turn, quickly turned into a smoldering pile of ash. It wasn't like her to destroy evidence, but there wasn't anything worthwhile there. Letting off this steam wouldn't hurt. Right now, Yanfei had much, much more in the tank.

The audacity of this woman. Hua clearly had something to hide. She was clearly dealing with a lawyer. She was flirting. Flirting!

For whatever reason, Yanfei wasn't working to shut it down. It wasn't like the opportunity was there yet. Some might even say she was egging it on, she thought, while walking into the bathroom to wash her hands.

"'Like a date', what were you thinking?" Yanfei mumbled to the ornate mirror. Scrubbing the ashes off her palms, she started talking to herself.

"There's clearly more going on with that teahouse. Come on, Yanfei, you can't be getting yourself involved like this. But... she likes me, pretty blatantly. If I can get something out of that, maybe it's worth it? A bit unethical, sure, but she started it! Ugh, what am I saying? I need to get some rest. Yeah, maybe I'll have some perspective come morning."

As the fiery tongued woman finished her monologue and turned the faucet off, her state was made even more aggravated by another detail. Framed by twisted, patterned gold, her cheeks were nearly as red as her vision in the glass.

"Trick of the light," she declared, rapidly turning off the lamp in the room. Making her way to the bedroom, she tried to focus on anything else. On how similar the bed was to the one she had as a kid. On how gently the moon, now about three quarters full, seemed to rise between the viridian trees out the window. On the relative peace, beauty and comfort that seemed to exist in Qiaoying Village, even if there was darkness under the surface. That was tomorrow's problem. It had been a long day of travel and vexation. A peaceful, dreamless night followed.