A short while later, Yi Chen, Lumine, and Paimon returned to Mondstadt's city gate.
Lumine and Paimon, fully energized again, rushed straight toward the Adventurers' Guild.
Yi Chen strolled into the city at an easy pace, unconsciously rubbing the queen chess piece between his fingers.
The piece felt warm and smooth, almost alive, carrying a strange attraction.
Suddenly, his fingers felt empty.
He looked down.
The chess piece had vanished—like a drop of water soaking into a sponge—silently merging into his palm.
Yi Chen raised his hand in surprise, turning it over and over. His skin was smooth, unmarked, and completely normal.
He tried sensing his elemental energy. Nothing felt different, as if the piece had never existed.
"…Weird. What exactly did that guy give me?"
He muttered, but since his body showed no warning signs, his carefree nature won out.
"Eh, whatever. Venti's unreliable, but he probably wouldn't actually harm me… right?"
He shrugged and tossed the incident aside, continuing his leisurely walk through Mondstadt's streets.
The sun was bright. The breeze gentle. Everything felt peaceful.
Then, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a figure completely out of place in Mondstadt.
A tall, aloof white-haired woman stood quietly at the edge of the fountain plaza, her gaze calmly sweeping over the bustling crowd and foreign architecture.
The immortal aura around her and the cold, unapproachable presence she radiated made her stand out like a crane among chickens.
Yi Chen stopped.
He blinked. Took a closer look.
White hair… red ropes… a cold yet stunning profile…
"Senior Sister?!"
He recognized her instantly.
His eyes widened in shock, mouth dropping open.
The next second, like a rocket igniting, he whooshed across half the plaza and appeared right in front of her.
"Senior Sister?! It's really you! Why are you here?! How did you come to Mondstadt?!"
Shenhe had been frowning slightly at the unfamiliar noise and crowds. When she heard that deeply familiar voice, she immediately turned around.
The moment she saw Yi Chen's shocked yet vibrant, sunlit face, all the coldness and confusion in her eyes melted away.
Her voice was as calm as ever, yet softer than it had been on Mt. Aocang.
"…It has only been a few days."
She paused briefly, studying him carefully as if confirming he was unharmed, then continued naturally—almost matter-of-factly:
"…Senior Sister missed you."
In truth, after Yi Chen had turned into a streak of wind and vanished from Mt. Aocang that day, Shenhe had stood there staring in the direction he left.
Concern—and the sense of responsibility she had long since accepted—grew uncontrollably.
After enduring just one night, before dawn even fully broke, she ignored Cloud Retainer's warnings and silently descended the mountain, following only vague directions and sheer determination toward Mondstadt.
Unfamiliar with the route and traveling on foot, she arrived much later than Yi Chen.
Now, seeing him at last, the tightly wound tension inside her finally eased, and the icy aura around her softened noticeably.
"You missed me? I missed you too!"
Yi Chen paused briefly, then naturally interpreted her words as pure senior–junior affection.
He even added proudly,
"I was planning to head back to Liyue in a couple of days once things settled here!"
As he spoke, he reached out—smoothly, naturally—and took her cool, slender hand, just like the countless times they'd trained or walked together on Mt. Aocang.
"Since you're already here, perfect!"
He smiled brightly, eyes curved, tugging her toward the center of the plaza.
"Come on! I'll show you around Mondstadt! It's not as grand as Liyue Harbor, but there's tons of fun stuff and great food! I guarantee you'll like it!"
Shenhe looked down at the warm hand holding hers, feeling the closeness he treated as entirely natural.
A faint trace of satisfaction flickered through her eyes.
Her junior should be close to her—just like this.
She gave a small nod and let Yi Chen lead her through Mondstadt's streets.
Yi Chen enthusiastically introduced windmills, fountains, Good Hunter's specialties, and the curiosities at With Wind Comes Glory, chattering nonstop.
Shenhe, however, barely glanced at the scenery.
Her gaze remained fixed on Yi Chen's profile. She listened quietly, and whenever his eyes lit up with excitement, the faintest curve would appear at the corner of her lips.
To her, all of Mondstadt was merely a backdrop to her junior.
Unbeknownst to them, their natural closeness was being fully observed by a calculating pair of eyes in the shadows.
Kaeya leaned casually in the shade of a building, fingers stroking his smooth chin, wearing the unmistakable grin of someone who'd uncovered a major secret.
He'd noticed the uniquely elegant white-haired woman the moment she entered Mondstadt.
At first, it was professional vigilance.
But now?
This gossip was personal.
"Tsk tsk tsk…"
Kaeya clicked his tongue, shaking his head with an "as expected" expression.
"Yi Chen, Yi Chen… just how many romantic debts did you rack up in Liyue? You've only been back a few days, and one's already come knocking…"
Watching Yi Chen's utterly oblivious, cheerful self dragging the woman around—
and comparing it to the unmistakable focus and near-possessiveness in the white-haired woman's eyes—
Kaeya's grin widened.
"Well then… don't blame me for being a bad brother."
He touched his nearly-empty wallet—ravaged by villas and furniture—and sighed dramatically.
"My poor little savings are almost dry… time to make some Mora back!"
"Hehehe…"
A villainous chuckle escaped him as visions of overflowing Mora danced in his mind.
"Yi Chen, don't blame me. Blame your cursed charm and your uncanny ability to attract every type of beauty."
He could already imagine the betting frenzy once rumors of
"Acting Grand Master's Assistant Spotted Touring Mondstadt with Mysterious White-Haired Beauty"
spread—especially when they reached a certain overly serious Acting Grand Master.
And he, Kaeya—the great intelligence officer and bookmaker—would profit handsomely.
"Don't worry,"
he muttered insincerely at Yi Chen's retreating back,
"When you get married, every Mora I earn will be your wedding gift. Not a single coin missing!"
With that, Kaeya could no longer contain himself. Covering his mouth, shoulders shaking as he suppressed laughter, he melted back into the shadows.
It was time to "report" Mondstadt's latest security developments to the Knights' headquarters.