That night, in the warehouse illuminated only by a sliver of moonlight seeping through the leaky roof's gap, Mochen sat huddled in the corner. He had finished moving the goods from the cargo ship that afternoon; his task was done, but his feet refused to carry him home. Going home meant passing through deserted streets.
Going home meant risking encountering "Him" again!
Mochen's body trembled. Not a subtle shiver, but a violent quake that rattled his ribs. His eyes bulged wide, staring into the darkness ahead as if a demon were dancing there. His fingers gripped his own upper arms tightly, his nails whitening as they pressed into his flesh, trying to convince himself that he was still alive, still bleeding, and not yet a statue of ice.
His breaths came short and ragged, gasping like a fish thrown onto land. The air in the warehouse felt thin and dusty, but to Mochen, it was as cold as the poles.
At this moment, he tightened his embrace around his own body even more. The memory of the incident in that narrow alley crashed over him like a tidal wave.
He remembered the sensation. The sensation when his body suddenly stiffened, unable to move. The sensation when an unnatural cold crept from the tips of his toes to his head in seconds. He remembered how he was trapped in his own position, a helpless spectator as his boss was frozen into a monument of foolishness.
With trembling, pale lips, he spoke in a soft voice, barely audible amid the creaking wood of the warehouse.
"He... can... freeze living beings...."
He paused for a moment, his eyes trembling wildly, darting left and right, scanning every shadow in the warehouse.
"Cryo Vision...."
He clutched his head with both hands, yanking at his dirty, oily hair. He wanted to pull that memory out of his brain.
"That Adeptus... he has... a Vision just like Miss Ganyu's!"
He never imagined that Adeptus possessed such immense power that he could freeze living beings with a snap of his fingers or even without any movement at all, just by will!
"He's so powerful and terrifying!"
"And... me and the boss have angered a monster like that....."
In the darkness of the warehouse, he imagined that handsome man's face, smooth and flawless.
In his imagination, the man no longer looked like an ordinary human. He floated in the air, his clothes billowing in a blizzard wind. His eyes glowed with a blinding blue light. His right hand raised upward, and in his palm swirled a ball of ice energy capable of freezing oceans. He stared at Mochen with a gaze full of hatred, the gaze of a god judging a sinner.
"You will freeze forever, Mochen." whispered the voice in his head.
His fear-fueled imagination began working overtime!
Suddenly, Mochen shuddered, every hair on his body standing on end. His body trembled even more violently until his teeth chattered.
And he muttered, his voice full of despair.
"My life is over...."
At this moment, when the terror in his head reached its peak, the warehouse door suddenly opened.
BRAK!
The sound of rusty hinges forced open and wood slamming against the wall echoed throughout the warehouse.
Mochen immediately stopped trembling. His body went rigid. His heart seemed to stop beating.
He slowly stood up, his legs wobbly like jelly. He peeked from behind a stack of wheat sacks to see who had entered.
The streetlight from outside dazzled his eyes for a moment. But then, his eyes caught a familiar silhouette.
A large, muscular body. Broad shoulders. And when the figure stepped into the slightly lit area, Mochen saw a fierce face with a scar on the cheek and a dragon tattoo peeking from under his rolled-up sleeve.
It was his boss!
The boss stood there. He looked around slowly, his eyes sharp, searching for something in the warehouse's darkness. Then he clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"Come out. I know you're hiding here, Mochen!" he shouted, his voice hoarse and harsh, chasing away the silence.
Mochen jolted. But then, relief flooded him. It wasn't the Adeptus. It was just his boss.
Yes, just the boss!
He let out a long sigh, releasing the air trapped in his lungs.
He slowly emerged from his hiding spot and revealed himself. His steps were hesitant. "Yes?" he replied softly.
Mochen stared at his boss's face.
The boss also slowly looked at Mochen.
The atmosphere fell silent. Only dust danced between them.
Then the boss spoke in a somewhat harsh voice, but with a strange tremor in it that he tried to hide.
"Why are you cowering in the corner like a sewer rat?"
He paused, spitting on the floor.
"Coward."
The word was uttered with a mocking tone, but the boss's eyes weren't focused on Mochen. His eyes kept moving. He looked around once more, then stopped on Mochen.
"Come out, help me carry the goods. We're working overtime. A new ship has docked. The pay's decent."
The boss turned around and left the place without waiting for an answer. His steps were quick, as if he too didn't want to linger in that dark place.
Mochen stared at his boss's back in silence. He noticed how the boss's shoulders were slightly tense, not as relaxed as usual.
Then he sighed as his boss's back disappeared behind the warehouse door.
The boss seemed fine even after that incident... thought Mochen.
But he seemed much quieter. Usually, he would curse more. Usually, he would boast about women or liquor.
After that, he suddenly shuddered again. The memory of the ice stung him once more.
But then he immediately slapped his own cheek lightly. Plak. Plak.
Snap out of it, Mochen. You have to work. Work makes you forget. At least work keeps you safe in the crowd.
After a long sigh, he chased after his boss out of the warehouse.
Arriving at the dock, the night atmosphere was quite bustling. Ship lights swayed over the black water. Laborers shouted, foremen gave orders, cranes creaked.
He saw the piled-up cargo on the dock. Wooden crates filled with exotic fruits whose aroma was sweet and sharp, woven baskets of fresh fish smelling of the sea's brine, and wooden barrels of liquor.
Then he started working. He lifted a heavy crate of fruit, his arm muscles straining. He moved it to the docked transport ship.
One by one. Lift. Walk. Place. Return.
The monotonous rhythm of work somewhat calmed his mind. As sweat began to soak his back, replacing the cold sweat of fear from earlier.
At this moment, Mochen, who was bending down to lift a crate of silk fabric, suddenly felt his shoulder grabbed by someone.
The hand felt heavy and sudden!
"!?"
In an instant, Mochen's body jerked violently. He almost dropped the crate!
His eyes bulged immediately, his pupils shrinking in panic. His shoulders rose stiffly in a flash, as if protecting his neck from a vampire's bite. His heart leaped to his throat.
He found me! screamed his inner voice.
He slowly turned with a deathly pale face, full of pure fear, staring at the figure who had patted his shoulder.
He prepared to see the cold face of the Adeptus!
However, what he saw was a face grinning widely.
The man wore a dingy towel around his neck, his body somewhat muscular but lean, and he looked cheerful despite being covered in sweat and dock dust.
It was Henri!
The laborer who acted friendly with everyone!
Instantly, Mochen went limp. His legs wobbled. He exhaled harshly.
"Are you okay?" asked Henri with an annoyingly friendly smile. "You look like you've just seen the ghost of Rex Lapis."
Mochen immediately narrowed his eyes, his anger exploding to cover his embarrassment.
"You startled me, idiot!" he snapped harshly.
"Haha, sorry, sorry," Henri laughed crisply, not offended at all. He paused, then bent down and lifted the crate next to Mochen's. "You seem to have a lot on your mind. Your face is so tense."
Mochen stayed silent. He lifted his crate and walked toward the ship. Talking to this guy would only annoy him more. Henri was too relaxed, too chatty, too... normal.
But on the other hand, Henri's ordinary presence was calming, proving that the world was still running normally. It kept him from thinking about the Adeptus incident.
At this moment, all the cargo had been loaded onto the ship. The dock began to empty of loads.
Henri, standing beside him, placed his hands on his hips, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his neck towel. He stared at the large ship with a dreamy gaze.
"Good work tonight," murmured Henri.
Then he nodded toward the ship.
"Aren't you curious where this cargo is being taken?" he asked suddenly.
A strong night wind blew from the open sea, hitting their faces. The sea's scent was very clear—salty, fishy, and full of adventure. The ship's sails flapped in the wind.
Mochen stared at Henri, who seemed to be looking up at the night sky, gazing at the stars that served as sailors' navigation. He stayed silent, too tired to guess.
Then, Henri looked at Mochen and smiled.
"It's Inazuma!"
...
"Indeed. You should stay away from this man. His actions are highly suspicious!"
The bespectacled woman's voice shattered the night's silence like shards of glass falling on a marble floor. Sharp and cold.
Hearing this, you looked at Ganyu, then at the woman. Your gaze shifted back and forth several times.
In an instant, your ears, which had been catching distant conversations, laughter from liquor taverns, footsteps of merchants, suddenly fell into utter silence. The world around you seemed to press the mute button. Only the woman's words entered your ears clearly, echoing in your skull, bouncing with an accusatory tone that stung.
You felt isolated in a world where only the three of you existed!
At this moment, the woman stared at you, locked on. Her eyes behind those thick lenses radiated pure hostility. There was no doubt there, only absolute conviction that you were a parasite to be eradicated.
Soon after, she narrowed her eyes, emphasizing the lines of distrust on her face. Showing hostility with no intention of looking away, as if blinking would make you disappear or do something evil.
You swallowed, your throat feeling dry and rough.
You didn't know what to say!
To you, self-defense felt futile in front of this fierce woman!
Soon after, you turned your face away, looking back at Ganyu.
Ganyu bowed her head in silence. Her blue hair fell, covering part of her face, hiding her expression. Her hands wrung together in front of her stomach, her knuckles whitening. She looked small, squeezed between her subordinate's accusations and your presence as the source of the problem.
The three of you stood in silence. Seconds ticked by, feeling like hours.
The night wind blew, stronger than before. Your face was hit by the wind carrying cold air from the sea, but not cold enough to extinguish the heat in your cheeks.
At this moment, you heard a soft voice. Your sensitive ears, heightened by tension, caught the sound not far from where you stood.
"I know."
The voice was soft, almost inaudible, but carried a surprising weight.
You looked toward the source of the voice.
And instantly, your eyes caught Ganyu's lips, moving slightly. The lips that had smiled sweetly at you earlier now trembled a bit before she pressed them slowly, forming a firm line.
Soon after, she lifted her face.
The bespectacled woman on the other side bulged her eyes. She hadn't expected that answer. Her eyebrows rose high behind her glasses frame.
Then she narrowed her eyes again, dissatisfied. Her protective instinct toward Ganyu—or perhaps her professional suspicion—took over once more. She spoke again with a more urgent tone, almost desperate.
"But... this man, this man! He's not from Liyue! We don't know his background. We don't know who sent him. And he always gives weird excuses when caught snooping at Yuehai Pavilion! Admiring the view? During work hours? That's a ridiculous excuse, Miss Ganyu!"
The accusations rained down on you again. You felt even smaller. You wanted to deny it, wanted to shout that you weren't a spy, but you realized you had no proof. You were just a nameless foreigner.
"That's also...."
Ganyu slowly lifted her face fully. She looked at the Qixing employee's face.
This time, there was no more hesitation on her face. No more shy Ganyu who hid her face when waking up. Standing before you now was the Yuehai Pavilion Secretary who had served for thousands of years.
Her posture was straight, shoulders pulled back. Her face hardened, but her eyes remained soft. She wore a serious expression, the face of a leader taking responsibility.
"I know," she repeated, her voice calm yet firm, cutting off all protests.
The bespectacled Qixing employee bulged her eyes once more. She stepped back, shocked by the firmness Ganyu rarely showed in personal matters. Her lips trembled, trying to find the right words to argue without being rude.
"Then why... why do you let him approach you? Why are you walking with him?"
The question hung in the air.
At this moment, Ganyu opened her mouth. She paused, as if searching for the right words, or perhaps gathering courage to admit something even she hadn't fully understood.
Then she closed her mouth again. She pressed her lips gently, a small hesitation flashing in her eyes.
Then she glanced at you. Just a glance. But in that gaze, you saw something.
Before deciding to speak with a clear and steady voice.
"Because I invited him."
Soon after, a sweet smile slowly formed on her face. Not a bureaucrat's smile, but Ganyu's smile. The smile you saw under the ginkgo tree.
The wind blew once more, this time gentler, ruffling the stiff bespectacled woman's hair, blowing Ganyu's beautiful blue strands, and messing up your already disheveled hair.
The employee opened her mouth with wide-bulging eyes. Her glasses nearly slipped off her nose. She was in heavy shock. This information didn't fit her calculations. Miss Ganyu? Inviting this suspicious foreign man?
Soon after, her lips, which had been trembling softly, suddenly opened.
"Huh?"
You also bulged your eyes hearing this. Your heart, which had been pounding from fear, now pounded for an entirely different reason.
What did she say?
She invited me?
Even though it was clearly you who asked her out. You who requested her to be your tour guide. You who forced your way into her life.
But then you immediately understood.
She was lying.
She, Ganyu, the being bound by contracts and honesty, had just lied to her subordinate to protect you. She took over the responsibility. She made your presence her desire, not your intrusion.
She was trying to save you!
You looked at the woman alternately, seeing the confusion on her stiff face. Finally, you looked at Ganyu.
Ganyu also looked at you.
And in that instant that felt like thousands of years passing, the two of you exchanged silent glances.
Then Ganyu closed her eyes and smiled wider.
Seeing this, your heart immediately pounded. Not a panicked thump, but a warm one spreading through your entire body.
She really saved me.... you murmured in your heart.
The bespectacled woman observed the two of you. She saw Ganyu's smile. She saw your gaze fixed on Ganyu.
She was a smart woman; she worked at Liyue's center of power. She could read the situation, even if it made no sense to her.
Then her gaze stopped on you.
You felt her stare and immediately felt uncomfortable again. Instantly, you turned to her, and the two of you exchanged glances.
She narrowed her eyes. Reassessing you.
There was no wind at this moment. No sound. The world held its breath waiting for the woman's reaction.
Only, you felt the atmosphere growing colder. The woman's gaze pierced, searching for gaps, searching for lies, or perhaps searching for reasons why her superior could be interested in someone like you.
Feeling pressured, you were about to turn your face away.
But then you were stopped immediately when she suddenly closed her eyes.
She paused for a moment, not a single word escaping. She seemed to be debating with herself. Between her duty to protect Ganyu and her loyalty to obey Ganyu's orders.
Soon after, she let out a long sigh.
And a few seconds later, she opened her eyes again. Her gaze was still sharp, but no longer fiery. She had made her decision.
Then she turned to face Ganyu.
At this moment, Ganyu looked at her gently, the gaze of an older sister to her overprotective younger sibling.
The woman looked at Ganyu, her gaze slightly lowered, looking at Ganyu's relaxed hands. Then up again to Ganyu's face with heavy, regretful eyes.
"I'm sorry...." said Ganyu softly.
Before she left the place, the woman paused for a moment. She didn't leave immediately. She turned slowly to Ganyu again.
"Why are you apologizing, Miss Ganyu? It was I who was presumptuous."
Ganyu shook her head gently.
"If anyone is to blame...." at the moment of saying this, the woman looked at you again. This time not with hatred, but with a stern warning. She narrowed her eyes, sending a telepathic message: "If you hurt her, I'll hunt you to the ends of Teyvat."
Soon after, she sighed again, but this time shorter. She straightened her clothes, returning to being the efficient employee.
After that, she added in a formal tone, "Lady Ningguang is waiting, Miss. At the Jade Chamber. There's an urgent matter regarding the salt tax report. I came only to inform you of that."
After saying that, the corner of her lips lifted slightly, giving a respectful smile to Ganyu, and she left the place with quick, firm steps.
The wind blew again, filling the void left by the woman.
Soon after, the atmosphere returned to silence. Only you and Ganyu on that empty street.
You and Ganyu stared at the employee's back, which was no longer visible, swallowed by the street's bend.
Then you slowly turned to Ganyu. You wanted to thank her. You wanted to ask why she did that.
But when you saw her face, the words stuck in your throat.
You glimpsed her face. The sweet smile from earlier was gone, replaced by lines of fatigue and burden. Moreover, the light in her eyes, which seemed to illuminate the universe, dimmed.
She looked very sad.
Then she bowed her head. She looked at the tips of her shoes.
Ganyu didn't say another word.
And she turned around. She began to walk away, heading in the same direction as the woman, toward her duties, toward a world you couldn't follow.
She left, leaving you alone there, under the dim streetlight.
You kept staring at her receding back. A back that looked small and lonely.
Time felt so slow. Each step she took felt like a clock ticking down your chance.
At this moment, when the distance between you had stretched several meters, she suddenly stopped in the middle of the street.
She didn't turn fully. She only glanced slightly, enough to show her profile.
She forced a smile. A thin, fragile smile full of unspoken apologies. And she said, her voice carried by the lonely night wind.
"I'm sorry."
After saying that, she turned back forward and continued her steps, this time faster, as if fleeing from something.
You were frozen. Your hand moved on its own. You were about to reach out toward her, wanting to grab her shoulder, wanting to hold her back.
"Wait," you said in your heart. Your inner voice screamed.
You wanted to say it directly. You wanted your voice to shatter the night's silence.
But your mouth only opened slightly, your lips trembling without sound. The courage that had appeared when asking her out now evaporated somewhere. You felt unworthy. You felt dwarfed in the face of her duties and responsibilities.
Then your mouth closed tightly again.
At the same time, your outstretched hand in the air slowly clenched, feeling the emptiness she left. In an instant, that hand dropped back to your side, falling limp as if losing strength.
You stood there, alone again, staring at her figure growing smaller and finally disappearing behind the gate of Yujing Terrace.
...
A/N: Forgive me for always uploading on Sundays. Last night I was on my way home to the village, so I didn't have time to write... writing on the train makes me nauseous. So I decided to just sleep during the journey. Well, actually, I wrote it days in advance; I just polished it today. Tonight I'll write again. If there's any issue, please forgive me... if I have to move one chapter to next week 😞
Anyway, if you guys are too tired of waiting for the next chapter… please check my Patreon, where I update much faster than on this platform! (Now there are already 14 chapters I've updated!)
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