"What I said just now was that Mr. Qiu Nian and Miss Qinglan are already in a relationship."
"Is there something wrong with that sentence?"
Ying'er looked at Lumine and Paimon in confusion.
[There's definitely something wrong with that sentence!]
"Uh…"
Paimon's expression became rather strange as she turned to look at Lumine.
Lumine spread her hands helplessly.
"Alright, we'll deliver it to Qiu Nian for you."
Lumine nodded to Ying'er.
"Wait here while I go get it."
Ying'er walked back into the Spring Fragrance Kiln.
After a while, she returned holding an exquisite gift box.
Inside were five bottles of high-quality perfume.
After taking the box, Lumine and Paimon said goodbye and began searching the streets for Qiu Nian.
When they arrived at the entrance of Xinyue Pavilion, they immediately spotted him.
Paimon waved excitedly when she saw him.
Hearing the voice, Qiu Nian turned his gaze toward them.
"Meeting again."
He greeted them with a light smile.
"Qiu Nian, you only returned to Liyue recently, right?"
"In such a short time… did you really start dating the owner of Xinyue Pavilion's daughter?"
Lumine asked suspiciously.
"Yeah…"
"And she's only twenty-two, while you…"
Paimon hesitated awkwardly.
Although Qiu Nian looked young and handsome, his real age was probably several thousand years.
Someone thousands of years old dating a twenty-two-year-old girl…
That was just too strange.
"Well, the situation is actually like this."
Qiu Nian then explained the entire story to them.
"I knew it couldn't be real."
"So Miss Qinglan's cognition was altered by some kind of demon or ghost."
Paimon nodded in understanding.
"But…"
"That's actually pretty terrifying."
Lumine rubbed her chin.
If someone like one of the Qixing had their cognition altered instead of Qinglan—
Liyue would fall into chaos.
After all, even someone with a Vision could be affected.
"And the perfume Ying'er gave us probably isn't needed now… I should just put it away."
"I knew it wasn't possible."
Xuehua also breathed a huge sigh of relief.
[Obviously that kind of thing couldn't happen]
[I almost thought my husband was about to be stolen]
[But after hearing the explanation it really is scary]
[Now I'm actually worried about Qinglan]
[No wonder this quest is called "Something From Nothing"]
"Let us come along too!"
"Paimon wants to see what kind of demon it is!"
Paimon put her hands on her hips.
"You're not scared?"
Lumine looked at her in surprise.
"Well, Qiu Nian is here."
"He's so strong, he'll definitely protect us, right?"
Paimon grinned at him.
"Haha…"
Qiu Nian chuckled and nodded.
"But you really don't care about your reputation at all."
"Look at the way people on the street are staring at you."
"Just being watched like that already feels weird."
Paimon glanced around.
The onlookers were staring at Qiu Nian with obvious curiosity and gossip.
At that moment, Qinglan walked out of Xinyue Pavilion.
She wore a white dress and had long black hair, her face carrying a gentle smile.
Light blue flowers decorated her clothes.
Among the flowers was a Cryo Vision in the style of Liyue.
Her overall appearance was soft and elegant.
The moment Lumine and Paimon saw her, they froze.
She was… unbelievably beautiful.
"Mr. Qiu Nian, I didn't make you wait too long, did I?"
Qinglan walked over and asked softly.
"Oh my god, she's so pretty!"
"And her voice is so nice!"
Xuehua stared at the screen in amazement.
She's really beautiful…
[Qiu Nian's rumored girlfriend (trollface)]
[Her voice sounds amazing]
[She looks and speaks so gently, I love this type]
[She's really pretty though. Put her in the banner!]
"I didn't wait long."
"By the way, Miss Qinglan, these two are my friends—Lumine and Paimon."
"They'll be assisting me as well."
Qiu Nian introduced them.
"My name is Qinglan. It's a pleasure to meet you."
She greeted them politely.
Lumine nodded.
"By the way, Mr. Qiu Nian…"
"I don't know who has been spreading rumors about us."
"If this causes you any trouble, I'll compensate you afterward."
Qinglan said apologetically after noticing the attention from passersby.
"This actually benefits what we're about to do."
Qiu Nian shook his head.
"Since the news has already spread…"
"Let's head straight to the house of the childhood friend you mentioned."
Qinglan nodded.
Then she and Qiu Nian walked side by side down the street.
Lumine and Paimon followed a short distance behind.
"This feels a bit strange…"
Paimon whispered.
"I feel the same."
Lumine nodded while watching the two in front of them.
[Paparazzi squad hahaha]
After a long walk, the four of them arrived at a wooden bridge.
Crossing it meant leaving Liyue Harbor behind.
Along the way, Qinglan occasionally tried to start conversations with Qiu Nian.
But she noticed something unusual about him.
No matter what topic she brought up—
his expression and tone never changed.
It felt like he understood everything, yet cared about nothing.
As if he and she belonged to completely different age groups.
Even though they were walking close together, she always felt a faint sense of distance.
It was completely unlike any man she had met before.
"Other than her cognition being altered, I can't sense anything unusual…"
"The entity that changed her cognition doesn't seem to have harmed her…"
Qiu Nian thought silently as he walked.
So…
Was it really just targeting him?
After crossing the bridge, they entered a mountain path.
After several turns, they reached a narrow trail through the hills.
Looking back at Liyue Harbor gradually disappearing in the distance, Lumine and Paimon couldn't help but feel puzzled.
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