——Side note
Perhaps these two chapters' titles could also be called the "Zhongli Story Quest Act I Speedrun Condensed Version."
——Main text
"Jun Bai, do you mean that from now on this little one will be traveling with us?" Paimon's eyes sparkled as she looked at Yiya.
Jun Bai nodded: "I believe that traveling with you two will give Yiya an unforgettable journey."
Yiya peeked out from behind Jun Bai. Sensing Jun Bai's thoughts, Yiya walked over to Lumine, stretched out a small hand, and grasped the girl's soft one: "Yiya~" (Hello, big sister)
Lumine felt all the fatigue of these past days instantly and effectively relieved. She solemnly promised Jun Bai: "Don't worry—I will definitely take good care of her. Even if it means Paimon goes hungry."
Paimon subconsciously nodded in agreement, but the next moment realized something was wrong and glared wide-eyed at Lumine.
[Paimon's incredulous expression—so fun!]
[With little Yiya around, who still cares about Paimon's feelings?]
[Head out and find a kitchen—stew Paimon.]
"No need to go that far. Yiya's appetite is actually quite normal. And since she's a puppet, she wouldn't have any problem even if she doesn't eat." Jun Bai smiled. "The premise is—you have to be willing to see Yiya cry."
Yiya cooperatively put on a teary expression.
"Paimon's food budget is halved." Lumine made this heartless decision without the slightest hesitation.
"This is unreasonable!" Paimon let out a wail.
After a round of playful chaos, Lumine and Paimon officially welcomed Yiya to the team.
"But speaking of which, little Yiya's role seems to overlap with mine." Paimon looked at the seemingly harmless Yiya and fell into thought.
Yiya didn't speak. She simply raised her hand silently—a cluster of flames rose from her palm.
She said nothing, yet it felt like she had said everything.
"She can fight alongside me too. At the very least she can start fires—she's more useful than you." Lumine exposed Paimon's lie.
"Uh~ I get it. From now on I won't push all the work onto you." Paimon sighed heavily.
With Yiya around now, she would actually have to do work too—otherwise she'd eventually be completely outdone by Lumine.
"Actually, Paimon, you don't need to worry about that." Jun Bai comforted her. "To Lumine, you are irreplaceable. That fact won't change because of anyone."
[That used to be true, but now that there's Yiya, the situation has changed a little.]
[After Yiya joins, Paimon gets promoted to emergency rations. As long as little Yiya wants it, dinner is served immediately.]
"Oh, right—Yiya is the name I gave her. If you want, you two can give her a nickname."
The player received a rename item usable twice—but only on Yiya.
"Then I have to give her a really nice nickname." Paimon smiled. "I need to think hard about this."
"Yiya~"
Yiya appeared in front of Paimon, looking forward to her nickname.
Lumine watched the two little ones getting along so well, then sat down beside Jun Bai and asked softly: "Entrusting Yiya to me isn't just because you want her to travel with us, right?"
"Mm, you're sharp." Jun Bai nodded.
"Yiya represents my past. She symbolizes my life in Qingce Village."
"I am an innate god. I don't know whether I will suffer erosion. But if I do, I will eventually forget that period of memory. I don't want that."
"So I want to leave myself an anchor. Yiya is that anchor."
Lumine said: "But now you're entrusting that anchor to Paimon and me."
Jun Bai looked at Yiya, his eyes filled with nostalgia: "Wanting to travel with you two is true—and it's one of the reasons. But there's another reason… you're the Recorder."
"Recorder?" Lumine asked puzzled.
"One day you will find your blood kin and leave Teyvat. Erosion cannot shake your memories."
"As long as you exist, the history you have witnessed will continue to exist—including the segment of memory that Yiya symbolizes." Jun Bai looked at Lumine. "Thank you—for ensuring this memory won't be forgotten."
"So that's how it is…" Lumine looked at Yiya, then smiled and walked over. "Have you thought of a nickname yet? If not, let me do it."
[So the protagonist is basically a living notepad.]
[Afraid of forgetting, so he entrusts his memories to someone else's hands—is this like entrusting an orphan?]
[Feels a little knife-like. At times like this only little Yiya can comfort my wounded heart.]
[Little Yiya, let big sister give you a nice name!]
——Reality
Stelle's livestream room.
Because Silver Wolf was the first in her stream to max out Fengdeng Lou's management level and receive Yiya along with the rename item from Jun Bai, now all players were rushing to max Fengdeng Lou.
Forget Yiya's cuteness and strength—who would refuse a free five-star character?
Moreover, Silver Wolf discovered that after receiving Yiya, a shop appeared on the Fengdeng Lou event page.
Currently the shop only had two items: one Acquaint Fate and… Yiya's constellation stars… six of them.
Summary: one free C6 five-star.
Non-whale players were ecstatic.
The shop could only be exchanged using specific items, which were obtained only from Fengdeng Lou's management level rewards and weekly performance rewards.
Currently only three constellations could be exchanged—the other three required more time to accumulate.
So right now, players without Yiya were grinding Fengdeng Lou's management level, while those who already had Yiya were raising Yiya's level.
Silver Wolf, far ahead, had even begun researching Yiya's support capabilities and suitable team comps.
And amid this wave of management frenzy, one person's style stood out as particularly bizarre.
While everyone was grinding for C6 Yiya, Stelle started doing Zhongli's Story Quest in her stream.
[As expected of Stelle—always reasonable in the most unexpected places.]
[Stelle really isn't planning to grind max-level Fengdeng Lou? There's cute little Yiya~]
"It's a permanent event—she'll be there forever and won't run away." Stelle waved her hand grandly. "No rush—first do Zhongli and Jun Bai's Story Quests."
Jun Bai's Story Quest required completing Zhongli's first, so Stelle started Zhongli's Story Quest.
Quest step one: head to the Pearl Galley at sea.
Stelle: "…"
[This familiar marker—it's that ship at sea after all.]
[I still remember the pain of searching for the last Geoculus on that ship.]
[Now thinking of Stelle experiencing that pain again—I feel sadistic joy! Hahahaha…]
While the livestream viewers waited to see Stelle awkwardly swim, Stelle silently placed Yiya in the party.
Hold Space—transformed into little phoenix and landed on the ship.
Met Zhongli, triggered the quest, captured the famous scene: "Do you understand Rex Lapis, or do I?"