In the live stream, the screen displayed the scene inside Angel's Share.
Lydia, clutching the hem of her skirt with reddened eyes, cried out, "I don't want to be left behind!"
Then she bolted out the door, instantly silencing the barrage of teasing comments that had filled the screen.
Just seconds before, viewers had been spamming "Lydia's blush is so cute!" Now, watching the girl's stumbling figure retreat, the tone of their comments shifted abruptly:
"?? She was fine just a moment ago. Why did she suddenly start crying?"
"Wait! Did she secretly drink some wine? No wonder she reacted so emotionally—she used the alcohol to let out all her pent-up grievances!"
"Something's off about what Lydia said. Could she have been abandoned by someone before?"
"What's with the act? A little wine and she's this dramatic. I don't get it."
"..."
Lu Nanqing's hand tightened unconsciously on the mouse.
The comments grew denser.
Reading them, Lu Nanqing fought to control her emotions and said, "Don't worry too much, everyone. Venti has already gone after her."
Despite her words, her gaze remained fixed on the empty tavern doorway on the screen.
"I'm just worried... What if Lydia runs off alone? She can't use a Vision, and she's been drinking. She has no way to protect herself."
Her words immediately resonated with the viewers' concerns, and the bullet comments flooded with similar worries:
"Venti, hurry up! Don't just focus on comforting her—get her back safely first!"
"Mihoyo, if you dare let anything happen to Lydia, I'm mailing razor blades to your office!"
"Qingbao, don't worry! Venti is the Anemo Archon. Even if it's not explicitly stated, he'll definitely protect Lydia!"
Just then, Jean and Diluc began to recount Lydia's backstory.
She was found by the Anemo Archon on Dragonspine seventeen years ago, her parents leaving behind two extinguished Visions. For years, she had been searching for them.
When Lu Nanqing heard the word "orphan," tears finally streamed down her face.
The image on the screen—Lydia running out the door, her snow-white hair whipping wildly in the wind—pricked her heart like a fine needle.
She recalled the earlier scene in front of the cathedral: Lydia leaning on the railing, her eyes filled with unconcealed longing as she watched a family of three.
What she had said to Venti then was never shown to the players.
But now, thinking back to how she'd lost control while drunk and run off...
Lydia must have been suffocating under the weight of her emotions back then, right?
Lu Nanqing quickly grabbed a tissue and wiped her eyes, her voice hoarse. The memory of her own deceased sister intensified the resonance she felt. "I know that feeling all too well—the desperation of searching for family you can't find."
"When my sister passed away, I always felt like she was still around, always hoping I might see her again someday... Lydia has it even harder. She doesn't even know what her parents look like. All she can do is clutch those Visions and secretly imagine."
The bullet comments filled with a mix of comfort and heartache:
"Qingbao, don't be sad. Lydia will find her parents. Weren't you the one telling us to look forward to the rest of the story?"
"Alright, where are the bastards who were calling Lydia a troublemaker earlier? Get out here and take your beating!"
"I'm guilty, I deserve to die..." (This user has been kicked from the live stream)
"Seriously, is the mod crazy?! Why kick them? I wasn't done yelling at them yet (smile)."
"Barbatos, do something useful for once!"
"Mihoyo, if you have any conscience left, give Lydia a happy ending!"
-
By the time Venti rushed out of Angel's Share, the night was already thick and impenetrable.
He ran down the street, sweeping past The Cat's Tail and rounding the corner by Good Hunter Restaurant.
But the wind carried only the faint scent of Lydia's wine; her snow-white figure was nowhere to be found.
"Where did that girl run off to?" Venti frowned, gathering Anemo energy at his fingertips. He whispered, "Wind, tell me where Lydia is."
The Anemo energy swirled around him once before drifting toward the Favonius Cathedral.
Venti's heart tightened—that direction led to Mondstadt's cemetery, a place rarely visited except by the nuns who tended it.
He quickened his pace. Just as he rounded the corner of the cathedral wall, he saw a small figure huddled in the shadow of an old tree.
Moonlight filtered through the leaves, illuminating the girl's snow-white hair and the crooked wooden cross before her.
The cross bore no name, only two shallow, hastily carved lines.
Lydia hugged her knees, her face buried in her arms, her shoulders still trembling slightly.
The two Visions in her arms were clutched so tightly that the cold metal pressed into her palms.
Venti slowed his steps, his mind filled with astonishment.
Even a Vision holder sprinting at full speed would need a quarter of an hour to get here from Angel's Share.
Lydia is just an ordinary person without a Vision, and she's been drinking. How could she have gotten here so fast?
But seeing her trembling back, he couldn't bring himself to ask.
Venti quietly sat down on the grass beside her, the fallen leaves rustling softly beneath him.
They sat in silence for a long time, so long that Venti thought Lydia had fallen asleep. Then, the girl slowly lifted her head.
Her eyes were as red as a rabbit's, and her voice was still hoarse from the wine. "Venti... do you think... Mom and Dad are gone for good?"
Venti's heart clenched. He opened his mouth, but no words came out.
He had known the truth about Lydia's parents for a long time but had never dared to tell her.
Over the years, he had countless times heard her whispering to the Visions late at night, carried on the wind:
Asking when her parents would come for her, where they had gone, if they had abandoned her...
But Venti could only pretend he hadn't heard.
He wanted to comfort her, but all he could do was use the wind to brush away the tears from the corners of her eyes.
Lydia didn't wait for his answer and continued on her own.
"Every time I see other people holding hands with their families, I feel so envious..."
"The nuns are all very kind, and Barbara always plays with me... but whenever I go back to my room alone, it still feels so empty."
She clutched the Visions tightly, her voice laced with a hurt complaint.
"How could they be so irresponsible? They just abandoned me on Dragonspine and never looked back..."
"Even if they died, they should have taken me with them... I don't want to be alone..."
"Don't say such foolish things," Venti quickly interrupted, ruffling her hair. "You're not alone. You have me, Barbara, Noelle... We all care about you."
He paused, recalling what Jean and Diluc had said earlier, and tried a different approach.
"When everyone told you not to go to the Fatui stronghold, it wasn't because they were leaving you behind. It was because they were afraid you'd get hurt."
"Without a Vision, you can barely protect yourself if you run into danger. If the Fatui captured you, can you imagine how worried we'd be?"
Lydia remained silent, clearly unconvinced.
Seeing this, Venti pointed to the Visions in her arms, his tone growing serious. "Have you forgotten these two Visions? They're the most precious gifts your parents left you."
"Visions are treasures bestowed by the gods. The fact that they entrusted something so important to you shows how much they trusted you." He paused, deliberately lowering his voice. "Besides, just because the Visions have gone dark doesn't necessarily mean their wielders are gone. It might just mean they're not by your side for now."
"You have to stay safe and well, so you can return the Visions to them when they come back."
Lydia's eyes lit up. "Really?"
"Of course it's true!" Venti nodded quickly, then deliberately furrowed his brow. "But if you go to the stronghold, it'll be dangerous."
"The Fatui are so wicked. What if they find out these Visions are your most precious treasures and steal them? How would you ever return them to your parents then?"
Those words struck Lydia's weak spot instantly.
She shot her head up, immediately shifting into her "Spine Dragon" form and clutching the Visions tightly.
"No! These are mine! No one can touch them!"
Lydia looked utterly adorable, her earlier hurt replaced by fierce vigilance.
Venti couldn't help but smile, flicking her forehead gently. "Exactly. Staying in Mondstadt isn't just about protecting you; it's about protecting these two Visions as well. Once we retrieve the Holy Lyre der Himmel and calm Stormterror, I'll take you to Dragonspine to find your parents, okay?"
Lydia finally let out a long sigh of relief and nodded.
The two of them leaned against the tree, gazing at the starry sky as they talked.
Nestled beside Venti, the effects of the wine and her exhaustion gradually washed over her.
Before long, Lydia had fallen asleep, her head resting on Venti's shoulder.
She murmured softly in her sleep, "Dad... Mom... Vision..."
Venti gently lifted her into his arms. The girl was still remarkably light.
Just then, he felt a faint fluctuation of Anemo energy emanating from his embrace.
One of the Visions Lydia clutched tightly in her hand had unexpectedly begun to emit a soft cyan glow.
Venti froze, his eyes wide with shock.
Visions only reacted when their wielder's emotions were intense or when they used elemental power.
But Lydia's parents were gone. Why would this Vision suddenly light up?
He glanced down at the sleeping girl, then back at the faintly glowing Vision.
His mind filled with questions, but he didn't wake her.
Instead, he held her carefully and began walking toward the Favonius Cathedral.