On the other side of Teyvat —
Mondstadt.
While the Liyue Qixing were holding a meeting, Yilan was already preparing to depart.
Although it doesn't take long to run from Mondstadt to Liyue in the game, in the real, fully expanded continent of Teyvat, Mondstadt is still quite far from Liyue.
Even with Yilan's current strength, it would take more than a day of traveling at full speed, so of course, he had to set out early.
To be honest, after realizing that the Liyue of reality was most likely the same Liyue for which he had once burned his life in the simulator, Yilan felt complicated emotions.
He wanted to go there and see for himself.
He wanted to see what the Yuheng Mountain — which had been transformed from his body — looked like now.
He wanted to see how majestic Jianmen Pass, which he had raised from the ground, had become.
He wanted to see those familiar places — and those familiar people.
But deep down, he was afraid.
He was afraid that although the landscapes had remained the same, the memories of the people had faded.
He was afraid that Ganyu might have forgotten him after so long, and when she saw him, she would only ask politely, "Excuse me, who are you?"
Or maybe, after a thousand years, her feelings had dulled, and upon seeing him, she would just offer a faint smile, like greeting an ordinary acquaintance, and say:
"Long time no see, Yilan. I didn't expect you to still be alive."
—If something like that really happened, Yilan felt that he might not be able to bear it.
Having nothing was not frightening.
What was truly terrifying was to have something, and then watch it slip through your fingers little by little.
Of course, the dream he had that night was also part of the reason he hesitated… though, it was truly just a small part.
After all, he believed that with Ganyu's gentle and pure heart, it would be impossible for her to become dark and yandere-like.
But then again — if his simulations in Liyue had come true, then wouldn't the two simulations in Inazuma also come true…?
Shaking his head, Yilan collected his scattered thoughts.
No matter what, he had decided: he would go to Liyue.
On one hand, to confirm whether his simulations had indeed manifested into reality.
If they had, then his future life plans would need some major adjustments.
On the other hand — as mentioned before — to perform a new simulation, Yilan needed to consume positive energy points.
And right now, the 900 positive energy points initially provided by the system had already been depleted.
If he wanted to continue simulating, he would have to earn more points by doing good deeds.
Over the past few days, Yilan had discovered that different actions yielded different amounts of points.
For example, guiding Noelle in her training every morning earned him 2 points; writing songs for Barbara earned him another 2 points.
But the time he rescued a child imprisoned by the Fatui, he had earned 40 positive energy points in one go.
Currently, he had 56 positive energy points.
Presumably, as long as he resolved the Yuheng Mountain incident in Liyue, he would accumulate enough points to start a new simulation.
But before that —
Yilan looked at Noelle, who was squatting on the ground packing his luggage, and a helpless smile appeared on his face:
"That's enough, Noelle. At least, I don't think you need to bring bedding and pillows."
"But what if Master can't get used to sleeping on Liyue's beds?" Noelle argued stubbornly.
"And there's no need to bring food either. If it gets cold on the way, the taste will change," Yilan reminded.
"But, but Lord Yilan, you're already used to the food I cook! If you can't get used to the food over there, you might even get an upset stomach…"
Yilan shook his head, then slowly squatted down in front of Noelle.
He was two heads taller than her.
He stretched out a hand and gently patted the girl's head.
In the warm morning breeze, his silver hair fluttered slightly. Under Noelle's tearful gaze, he smiled and said warmly:
"Don't worry. I'll only be gone for a few days and will be back soon.
I'd like you to help keep the house clean while I'm away."
"Yes! I promise that when Lord Yilan comes back, the house will still be as clean as ever!" Noelle nodded vigorously.
"The house needs to be cleaned, and Noelle needs to stay tidy as well," Yilan added. "I've already notified the florist — they'll send you roses every day while I'm away.
Also, I've written down the next phase of your training plan. Remember to follow it."
"I will definitely train hard!" Noelle nodded firmly.
Yilan patted the head of the well-behaved silver-haired girl affectionately, then stood up, picked up his luggage, and left.
Noelle watched him leave, biting her lip, but ultimately unable to say the words she wanted to —
"Please take me to Liyue…"
She knew very well that she wasn't qualified yet to stand by Yilan's side.
Even if she followed him to Liyue now, she would only become a burden to him.
…When had it started?
Lord Yilan had become more and more outstanding.
Outstanding women like Barbara, Eula, and even Captain Jean had all drawn closer to him, one after another.
She was merely a humble maid — how could she compare to those remarkable women?
She was clearly standing the closest to Lord Yilan, yet she felt herself growing farther and farther away from him.
But…
The Windblume Festival would arrive in less than two months.
At that time, the new recruitment exam for the Knights of Favonius would be held.
As long as she could become an official knight, she would finally have the qualifications to stand proudly by Lord Yilan's side, right?
"With Master Yilan's careful guidance, I'll definitely succeed this time!"
"I wonder… if Master will give me a special reward after I become a knight?"
In the morning light, the little silver-haired maid stood lost in thought.
A shy, expectant smile gradually appeared on her tear-stained but beautiful face.
***
The next afternoon,
As the sun was about to set.
At the location where the Statue of the Seven stands in the game, near the main road from Guili Plains to Liyue Harbor,
Keqing was already waiting.
Although she had been standing there for some time, she showed no signs of impatience.
Her long, slender legs, wrapped in black stockings, stood firm and straight.
With her dignified demeanor and adorable appearance, she attracted countless glances from passing merchants and travelers.
But under her sharp, commanding gaze, all of them quickly lowered their heads, not daring to look her in the eyes.
However, after a while, Keqing couldn't help but frown.
A man not only met her gaze but was even walking straight toward her.
He was wearing an extremely luxurious red ceremonial robe, his tall figure outlined by the fabric embroidered with gold and silver thread, decorated with intricate religious runes.
His silver hair fluttered slightly in the wind, and his eyes were as deep and dark as ink.
He approached quietly, his presence radiant like the sun itself — clearly, this man was no ordinary person.
Most strikingly, he wore a silver mask that covered two-thirds of his face.
This instantly put Keqing on alert —
After all, Fatui agents were known for wearing masks.
"Stop!" she called out sharply.
A longsword appeared in her hand, and she stared at him with her sharp amethyst eyes:
"State your name, your affiliation, and your reason for entering Liyue!"
"..."
The man seemed briefly stunned by her barrage of questions.
Then he gently placed a hand on his chest and replied:
"My name is Yilan Eastland Gunnhild, Knight of Glory of the Knights of Favonius, and High Priest of the Church of Favonius.
I am here to assist you in dealing with the Fatui."
He blinked and smiled slightly.
"Is this answer satisfactory, Miss Keqing of Liyue?"