"Can you not steer every conversation toward love and lust? You're making it sound like I'm obsessed with that stuff."
"Isn't it true, though? Keqing told me you can barely go three days without indulging in some midday debauchery—and you even like it when she... helps out in the bath—"
"Ahem!"
Keqing, face flushed red, cut off Lumine's scandalous storytelling, her eyes gesturing sharply toward the little white-haired spirit who had paused mid-chew, clearly eavesdropping.
(Paimon's still here! Mind your words!)
That was the message Keqing's lips silently mouthed.
(Oh really? And who was bragging just last night about how full and satisfied she always feels afterwards—and how nice it'd be to share the load?)
(Keqing!! You told her about that? Do you not realize Lumine's moral alignment is deep in the negatives?!)
(Hmm~ I'm the villain? What a shame, low-tier Aqu.)
(Waaah, okay! I was wrong, I'll never run my mouth around Lumine again!)
"???"
Paimon, utterly confused, crossed her arms in protest. "Are you seriously whispering secrets right in front of me?! Do I not exist to you?!"
"Two chicken legs!"
"Deal!!"
Paimon, ever the child, let her annoyance melt away the moment food entered the equation. With her hands full and her mouth happier, the matter was promptly dropped.
Breakfast ended in high spirits. The group gathered at the Teyvat Gate nestled inside the Serenitea Pot, where Gongqu had temporarily stationed them.
"Keqing, you sure you don't want to come with me? We're recruiting people from all over Teyvat, after all."
"I came earlier than Lumine. I can help her out a bit while she's traveling here. Plus, if neither of us is around, how will she unlock the map?"
It was a fair point—but did she know how many girls with maxed-out affection levels were eyeing her man?
Gongqu was still mentally translating that concern into something palatable in the common tongue of Teyvat when Lumine cut in:
"Relax. Keqing's way more level-headed than you give her credit for. Besides, it's not like you've built all those romantic entanglements without putting in the effort. You're on your own with those."
No one knew Gongqu better than Lumine. The moment he adjusted his belt, she could already guess what kind of nonsense was about to spill from his mouth.
Keqing stepped forward and gently straightened Gongqu's collar.
"Meeting you early because of some lucky pull... I already feel blessed.
Lately, I've been thinking: if it hadn't been me—if you'd drawn Kamisato Ayaka instead—would I be the one in the crowd, watching from afar, full of quiet envy?"
Even though it was just a hypothetical, Gongqu could hear the undercurrent of sadness and longing in Keqing's voice.
He couldn't imagine the strength it must've taken her to share the person she loved most.
Gongqu pulled Keqing into a soft embrace, his face nestled in her lavender hair.
"I'm sorry, Keqing. I've been a poor partner… I haven't given you the security you deserve."
"It's alright, Gongqu. You know I've never cared much for rituals or rules. Actually, after I talked it all out with Lumine yesterday, I realized how... quiet our home has become."
"But still—doesn't it feel unfair to you?"
"Then what, you're saying I can go out and find another man?"
"No! I'd never let that happen!"
"Such possessiveness... my dear Creator. Don't worry. My world is small, and it already feels full—with just you in it."
Their eyes met, brimming with emotion, and they kissed.
Click!
A faint shutter sound broke the moment.
Lumine, from a short distance away, lowered her Kamera, having just captured the tender scene on film. Keqing's words from earlier still lingered in her mind.
Yes—there was always someone in the crowd watching with envy.
That someone was me.
Three people. Two worlds. One photograph. Countless emotions.
A moment only Paimon could witness in its entirety.
She tilted her head in confusion.
"Strange… why are they all crying again? No one's even leaving this time."
…
"She's already gone. Why are you still watching?"
"Lumine…"
"Don't give me that pitying look. I'm not that fragile. And I sure as hell don't need your sympathy."
"Alright."
Gongqu looked to the sky, gathering the emotions that had been swirling within him. When he turned back to the screen, his eyes were calm as he gazed at the girl who had stood beside him for two and a half long years.
"A long-overdue greeting… It's good to see you again."
"That's more like it. Gongqu, I'm counting on you for the rest of this journey."
"Hah, you turning all serious like this is kinda throwing me off."
Gongqu raised his fist.
Lumine smiled like a blooming gardenia, lifting her hand to meet his.
"And I wasn't joking earlier during breakfast. I've been to the modern world too, you know—I can strike all those poses you're thinking of. Splits, backbends, whatever you want."
She winked at him, playfully suggestive.
"Ahem, let's, uh… talk about that another time. I've got a bard to hunt down."
Her gaze was just too aggressive.
Gongqu had a sneaking suspicion she stayed behind just to say that line.
And he had to admit—it left an impression.
He could already see the images playing in his mind.
A streak of light flashed past.
And Gongqu was pulled out of the Serenitea Pot.
…
Inside a Mondstadt Inn.
Fingers deftly forming seals, Gongqu channeled elemental energy to store the Serenitea Pot, utilizing the domain-folding technique passed down from Granny Ping to Lumine, then to him.
"I want to ask Venti about this change in my Vision… but finding him is the real challenge."
He stepped out into the street.
Though the working day was well underway, the streets were sparse.
Mondstadt—city of the Anemo Archon, Barbatos.
A city that flies the flag of freedom so high, it's turned morality itself into a test.
A paradise for the idle. A nightmare for the responsible.
"No wonder Diluc can't stand the Knights. Without divine intervention, this city surviving at all would be a miracle."
"Still, when it comes to freedom… dandelions… wine…"
The scent of alcohol wafting from afar caught Gongqu's attention.
Drinking at this hour? Very Mondstadt.
He smiled faintly, an idea blooming in his mind.
…
One hour later.
Gongqu stood before the Anemo Archon's statue in the northern plaza, clutching a bottle of vintage dandelion wine.
Few people were around—just a few sisters tending to the grounds.
"Excuse me, Sister. May I go up there?"
He politely pointed to the statue's outstretched hand.
The nun eyed the counterfeit dual-colored Vision at his waist, visibly concerned.
"Mondstadt doesn't forbid citizens from climbing the statue. But forgive my honesty—even with a fake Vision, I doubt you have the ability. It's dangerous."
"Thank you for your concern."
Gongqu smiled, then launched himself upward, agilely scaling the statue's flowing skirt until he reached its massive hand.
Below, the nun was left speechless, her robes fluttering in the breeze.
But the bard was nowhere in sight.
Undeterred, Gongqu uncorked the bottle and poured two glasses.
One for himself. One left out in the wind.
Suddenly—
A cheerful voice called from behind him:
"Well, well… Drinking alone is such a lonely thing. Traveler, might you be in need of a drinking companion?"