With the Geo Archon's funeral all sorted out and Lili finally finding her way into Liyue Harbor, Aether and Paimon got an invitation to the Pearl Galley and of course, what's a luxury ship without their financial aid?

"a luxury ship?" Lili blinks, confused. "This isn't one of those secret brothels, is it?"

Aether choked on his spit in surprise at Lili's words. "Where did you get that idea?!"

Lili, who was now out of her typical Mondstadt clothes and now wearing red and gold cheongsam that could be described as risqué and impossibly form fitting, shrugged as she boarded the boat that would bring them to the Pearl Galley, shooting the boatman a charming smile accompanied by a sweet 'thank you', making the normally stoic boatman smile and tip his straw hat. Aether and Paimon shot each other looks as the boatman and Lili waited for them to board.

"Now that's what Paimon call 'pretty girl privilege'." The floating girl says with a nod to herself as she and Aether board the boat, the boatman chatting with Lili, his A-game flirting literally flying past Lili's head as the ditz laugh his attempts off, which made the boatman try harder.

"Thank you!" Lili shouts after the boatman who is now rowing away with one hand as he waved, two passengers in his boat, Aether and Paimon nervously standing beside their ditzy financial aid as the men aboard the floating gentlemen's club eyes Lili, some of them drooling at the sight of their financial aid.

"Please put on a coat." Aether deadpans at their financial aid who merely laughed as she looped a long silk scarf around her forearms and walked, arm linked with Aether's which earned him glares from the perverts on board.

"Paimon thinks the silk scarf made it worse." The floating tour guide whispers to the two of them as Aether wander around aimlessly before his eyes focusing on the familiar figure of the Geo Archon sitting on one of the tables.

"Calm down Paimon," Lili whispers back as Aether guided his two companions towards Zhongli. "It's all part of the plan."

"Plan? What plan?"

And with a mischievous wink, Lili let Aether go and wandered towards one of the tables with cards and sat with the men playing and chatted with them, acting surprised and more ditzy than usual.

"…Paimon is starting to think that Lili isn't actually ditzy." The floating tour guide whispers to Aether as the two of them stare at Lili who was subtly pushing her chest forward as the men on the table focused their eyes on the diamond-shaped boob window. Paimon then shrug as Lili won the round. "Oh well, as long as she's winning us mora."

Aether stared at Paimon in disbelief. What a shameless user.

-0-

"Ah, Traveler and Paimon, I didn't think I will see you both here." Zhongli greets the two of them who were still subtly watching over Lili who now has stacks of mora around her, most of the men now crowding around her, giving her their mora for no reason as she continued to play.

"Hello, mister Zhongli." Aether greets with a smile as he stepped closer towards the taller man.

"Do you know these two?" a girl asked Zhongli who nodded in response.

"Yes, we've met not too long ago."

And after that introduction, Aether was once again roped into shit he had no business being in. what's worse, they left Lili all alone on the ship!

"We should've brought Lili with us!" Paimon gripes as their little group descended into Sal Terrae's previously sealed entrance. "she's all alone with those perverts!"

"Lili?" the Fatui representative butts in. "you mean the hot babe who was hanging off his arm?"

"Yeah, her. Got a problem?" Paimon then made a gangster face that was- in her humble opinion, threatening and totally fear-inducing.

"No, nothing, I just wanna know more about her." He then let out a chuckle. "She seems like a good lay."

"Hmph! She's too good for you, Paimon knows! You're a dirty sneaky Fatui!" Paimon screeches, which echoed in the cave they were in, causing Aether, Zhongli, and the two tourists to wince as the floating girl's voice echoed.

As their little group progressed further into the ruins and found two of Havria's artifacts, which caused an altercation between the two tourists, leaving Aether and Zhongli to fix it.

"Those who violate the contract must suffer the consequences." Zhongli reminds the Fatui grunt before casting the guy out of the ruins.

"hmph! That's what he gets!" Paimon then floats towards the group happily.

-0-

"No! you're a liar!" the female tourist shouts at Zhongli's revelation about her God, the God of Salt.

"She was betrayed by her people." Was Zhongli's calm response to the girl who was quite literally having a mental breakdown.

And so, with her beliefs shattered beyond recognition, she fled the ruins, leaving Aether, Paimon, and Zhongli inside.

"Is it true...?" Aether whispers as he stood in the 'scene of the crime', people now nothing but salt and a small salt flower in the middle.

"Hm, that is a good question." Zhongli then turned towards a pillar. "How about you answer this question yourself, Havria."

Startled, Paimon and Aether turned towards the pillar Zhongli was looking at. A female sighed and stepped out of the shadows.

-0-

"Lili?!"

"Hello, having fun with the tour?" the sweet and ditzy smile on her face now seemed forced as she walked closer to them, her red heels clicking on the stone ground and the silk scarf now floating behind her.

"you're Havria?!" Paimon screeches in shock, the ditzy Lili they know slowly melting away as she walked closer and closer until she was within arm's reach, her face now bored.

"Not quite." Lili answered noncommittedly, now crouched down as she stared at the salt flower on the ground. "She and I are two different people."

"You must be the voice she was talking about then." Zhongli comments as he watched Lili pluck the salt flower off the ground and crushed it in her palm before raising her hand and letting the salt grains fall into her mouth.

With a wince, she swallowed the salt and turned to the retired Geo Archon. "it's nice to know that you're listening when she talked."

"Guizhong was worried about the voice that was bothering her and told me."

Lili let out a sarcastic bark of laughter, her face that usually had a gentle smile now making expressions Aether and Paimon could only imagine seeing on the short Fatui Harbinger's face.

"What a caring friend," Lili's smile is now sharper and unfriendly. "at least you grew out of it, yeah? Only took you what? Death of the Dust God?" Lili then pulled the Archon lower to reach his shoulder so she can pat it comfortingly. "Good for you, you war freak."

"Hearing those words from Havria's mouth is quite disconcerting." Was Zhongli's only response as he straightened his back once more, unaffected and dare Aether say, playful.

"So are you Havria or not?! Paimon's confused!" the floating tour guide screeches in frustration.

"I guess a story time is needed." Lili sighed in response before the same sweet and ditzy smile came back on her face in a blink of an eye. Weird. "let's meet up later, okay? I gotta go meet up with a gentleman from the Pearl Galley soon!"

"Oh no you won't!" Paimon screeches as Lili disappeared, her tinkling laugh echoing sweetly in the ruins.

surprise! or maybe not? Lili's actual identity revealed. Lili POV next chapter and after that, a flashback into the olden days. maybe.

Replies:

Redaer Copious: Lili pov next update sorry it took so long :( also, Lili's delivery service is top tier and that hawk is strong enough to carry timmie i think. her ancient dress is a hanfu in whites and creams and browns made out of silk! very flowy it looks alive! and that 'oh' was more of a 'ah, a fellow immortal. how nice. hopefully, he wouldn't recognize me as a fellow immortal.'