At Wangshu Inn, on stage, as Li Mo spoke, the Electro projections above shifted rapidly.
In the images…
It was late at night. Shenhe's mother looked at her daughter in her arms, her expression full of tenderness.
As Shenhe's mother, as a wife, she wished she could have more time to spend with her husband and daughter.
But her illness had dragged on too long. It had worn down the whole family.
Her husband spent his days searching for medicine. Little Shenhe often went to Liyue Harbor to work, doing everything she could to cure her mother's sickness.
But Shenhe's mother knew the truth.
Her time was running out.
In the time she had left, she wanted only two things.
First, to use her remaining days to make Shenhe a beautiful dress. One she could wear when she grew into a young woman. Not only beautiful—it should be ethereal and immaculate to match the beauty Shenhe would become.
Second, to see her husband one last time before she died. To place Shenhe in his hands, to ask him to take good care of their daughter after she was gone, and to raise her into someone Liyue would be proud of.
So Shenhe's mother thought of these things as she picked up her needle and thread and picked up the fabric. Her hands trembled.
By moonlight, she carefully stitched the pieces together, embroidering patterns with colored threads and embellishing the garment. It was far from finished, but she felt it would be the most beautiful dress she had ever made.
The night passed. Near dawn, she finally fell asleep.
The next morning, when Little Shenhe woke, she saw her mother sleeping soundly, her face haggard, and the unfinished dress beside her. Worry gnawed at her heart.
She leaned down and kissed her mother's forehead softly.
"Mother, I'm going to the city to earn Mora to buy medicine for you. Wait for me to come back."
With that, she slipped carefully out of bed, left the room, and closed the door.
As always, Shenhe hurried through the forest and climbed the hills, and when passing through Hilichurl territory, she moved cautiously, careful not to attract attention.
Finally, she reached Liyue Harbor safely again. When she approached the notice board, she found it empty—all the commission papers had been taken.
Just as her spirits sank, a voice came from above.
"Little Shenhe, what are you crying about? Who bullied you?"
Startled, Shenhe looked up and saw Little Li Mo crouching on top of the wall.
She said stubbornly, "I'm not crying. Even if all the commissions are taken, I wouldn't cry."
Shenhe was strong-willed; it was true she had not cried. But her eyes were watery, rimmed red, as if she had been wronged.
Seeing this, Little Li Mo smiled. "Good, you're not crying. Look what I have."
He jumped down from the wall and handed a paper to Shenhe.
It was a commission from a teahouse.
Little Shenhe's face lit up. "A commission! Li Mo, you're so mean—you were teasing me again."
Little Li Mo grinned. "I wanted to surprise you."
As usual, they went to the teahouse to help serve tea. Simple work, easily done even by children.
That day, they saw the leisurely bird keeper again. What was his name? Right, Zhongli.
The two children approached him to express their thanks. "Thank you, Master Zhongli, for your advice. Yesterday, we—"
Before Shenhe could finish, Li Mo cut her off and whispered in her ear, "Don't forget Lady Ganyu's commission. We can't tell anyone what happened yesterday."
Indeed, according to their agreement, they could not reveal anything—not even to Zhongli, who had given them the clue.
Shenhe understood immediately.
Beside them, Zhongli, who was no ordinary man, heard every word, quiet as they were. He understood at once.
His expression remained indifferent, but his tone grew more serious. "A contract is a contract. Those who break their word shall suffer the Wrath of the Rock. That is the law of Liyue Harbor. Even children must abide by it."
Though he did not know the details, Zhongli could guess from Ganyu's sleeping habits and the commission.
He was reminding the children to keep their promise to Ganyu.
Little Li Mo nodded seriously. "We understand. But we still thank you for your help, Master Zhongli."
Little Shenhe added, "Yes, thank you, Master Zhongli."
They were both curious. This young Master Zhongli seemed to be in the prime of life—why did he have so little to do? They could not figure it out, so they gave up trying.
And so Zhongli spent the day at the teahouse, playing with his thrush and listening to stories, while Shenhe and Li Mo worked as helpers, earning four thousand Mora.
Little Shenhe handed two thousand to Li Mo. "Li Mo, will you wait for me here tomorrow?"
Little Li Mo nodded. "Don't worry. I'll always wait for you here."
Hearing this, Shenhe said, "You said it. If one day you're not here, I'll come looking for you."
Without waiting for a reply, she took her Mora to the pharmacy to buy medicine for her mother.
As the sun set, Shenhe hurried home with the medicine and food.
She made it back before dark.
"Mother, Mother, I'm home!"
She brought the medicine and food to her mother. But the first thing she noticed was the beautiful finished dress lying nearby.
When she looked at her mother, she saw her face was even paler. Her illness had worsened.