"Ah~ lament~~~"

"The autumn goose, once parted, struggles to reunite."

"Fools cling to obsession, hatred, and delusion."

"All because~ that wicked sacrifice brought calamity~~~"

"Had the heroine not drawn her sword, all would have perished~~~~"

"Mortal ties faint, immortal fate vast."

"Heavenly bonds scatter, the crimson manor beckons."

"Vermilion threads bind, the woodcutter's axe rots."

"Traces like snow and geese, distant~~~"

"The crane returns, but the carved pillar of old is gone."

"Spider silk clings in vain to drifting spirit banners."

"Karma and mortal dust, vast and faint~"

"Vanished~ like smoke~~~~~~~"

This performance nearly made Ye want to cheer loudly—heck, he even felt like singing along for a verse or two. Good heavens! Truly, fame is no empty thing—this is the real Yun Jin, isn't it? His ears felt like they were about to get pregnant from the sheer force of it!

The voice actors back on Earth probably couldn't deliver this segment perfectly to the players, but whatever, it didn't matter. Right now, he just needed to focus on enjoying the opera.

Oh, right—a quick note. Every world in Fantasia is born from fantasy, yet despite that, they are all real, existing worlds. And as these fantasies evolve, they naturally receive various "corrections" from the world itself.

If, say, a game's lore describes someone as a genius with an ultra-high IQ, the person who designed the character "Herta" couldn't possibly be as smart as Herta's in-game portrayal, nor could they fully convey Herta's intellect within the game. But once that fantasy evolves into a real, existing world, the character born from it—Herta—would undoubtedly possess the genius IQ that matches her lore. This is what's known as "world correction."

And in this regard, Yun Jin—no, Director Yun—was no exception.

The Divine Damsel of Devastation that Ye had heard in the game, sung by Yang Yang, and the Divine Damsel of Devastation he was now hearing live from Yun Jin—these were two completely different experiences. So...

Good heavens!—these were the only three words that could describe Ye's current feelings.

This sensation of being utterly, thoroughly shaken—from head to toe, inside and out—was something he hadn't felt in a long time!

No way, he had to get an autograph later.

Unaware that she had just stunned the legendary Supreme Bishop and gained a high-profile fan, Yun Jin continued singing:

"The tale of the Divine Damsel should end here, but today, I shall add another verse—to sing for~ all~ to hear~~~"

"A lofty tune need not lack an audience,"

"For kindred spirits will answer with pure verses."

"Red tassels dart like shooting stars, the sword—"

"Points straight to the raging tides, cleansing the seas~~~~~~~"

And with that, the performance finally drew to a close.

"Back then, the crane returned to a vast, lonely world, with nothing to rely on."

"Departing alone, meeting again today—old friends and new fill the hall, gathered together in this moment."

Clap clap clap clap clap clap clap—

The applause began with Furina.

Furina stared excitedly at Yun Jin on stage, clapping enthusiastically as she grinned at Ye. "Ye, I'm inviting her to perform at the Opéra Épiclèse!"

"Great minds think alike." Ye nodded in agreement. "It's been so long since I've seen such a breathtaking performance."

Hearing this, Furina—who had been delighted—suddenly pouted in displeasure, glaring at Ye. "Oh? So you think my performances aren't as good as hers?"

Could you pick a better time to be competitive?!

Ye sighed. "The last time I saw you perform was years ago, wasn't it?"

"A few years is just a blink of an eye for you, isn't it? How can you call that 'so long'?"

"You overestimate me. Right now, every day feels like a year—I've never experienced 'years passing like seconds.' If I did, would I even be thinking about resigning?"

"Hmph! You expect me to believe that? You're definitely just tired of me, aren't you? That's why you think her performance is better than mine, right?"

"Wow!" Paimon gasped, covering her mouth with her hands before leaning in to whisper into Lumine's ear. "Are those two actually that kind of relationship? No wonder they came to Liyue together."

Lumine's expression darkened. "This is bad. Chisato's completely out of luck now."

"Uh… you still remember that?" Paimon blinked. "That young lady from the Hiiragi Clan never stood a chance from the start, did she?"

"I can hear you two whispering over there, you know."

Ye glanced at Lumine and Paimon, smoothly steering the conversation away from Furina's tantrum.

"Don't misunderstand—I'm still single and actively recruiting for the position of girlfriend. Traveler, if you're interested in applying, your chances are pretty high."

"Whether my chances are high or not, I don't know, but I do know your face is pretty thick." Lumine shot him a disgusted look. "I'm not an option, but maybe someday I can introduce you to my brother instead."

"I have zero interest in that direction. If it's your brother, please keep him far away from me."

Today, Ye finally understood what it meant to meet a true master of deflection. He genuinely couldn't imagine how this conversation would go if it were Aether instead. He was kind of curious now.

Just then, Yun Jin stepped down from the stage and approached them.

"So? How was my performance?" she asked with a smile, striking a theatrical pose.

Paimon immediately forgot about the gossip and cheered, "It was amazing! Paimon wants to learn how to sing like that too!"

Shenhe also nodded at Yun Jin. "It was beautiful. And… thank you."

"You're welcome." Yun Jin's smile softened into something more earnest as she addressed Shenhe. "Thanks to you, The Divine Damsel of Devastation has become even more complete. Though the opera ends, life goes on. I believe you'll find your place in Liyue Harbor."

Shenhe nodded again. "Thank you. I think… I've already found my 'turning point.'"

At this point, Ye cut in, even standing up to approach Yun Jin. "Director Yun, hello. I loved your performance—I've become a fan. Could I trouble you for an autograph?"

"Thank you." Yun Jin turned to face him, tilting her head up slightly as she accepted the signing board and pen he'd somehow produced out of nowhere. She blinked. "And you are…?"

Paimon answered for him. "This is Ye! The Supreme Bishop of the Fontaine!"

Clatter!

Yun Jin's hands jerked in shock, dropping the signing board. She hastily bent down to pick it up. "S-Sorry, I was just… surprised…"

She didn't dare look Ye in the eye, instead turning to Paimon. "Um… Paimon, did you just say this gentleman is the Supreme Bishop of Fontaine…?"

"Yep! It's true! He really is the Supreme Bishop!"

Couldn't you at least pretend it was a joke?!

Yun Jin felt her blood run cold and her muscles stiffen.

Ye watched her curiously. "Wait, are you a fan of mine? Is that why you're so excited to see me?"

"Pfft—!"

Furina couldn't hold back a laugh.

There we go. This is the normal reaction to finding out Ye's identity. Someone like Hu Tao had me questioning my common sense earlier.