After Yunqin fully regained consciousness, her gaze immediately locked onto Lumine. She rushed to Lumine's side like a gust of wind, gently taking hold of her arms.
Her brows furrowed into tight knots, and her eyes were filled with anxiety. "Are you okay? Did I hurt you just now? Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?"
Lumine instinctively flinched back, her grip tightening on her Dull Blade.
After all, just minutes ago, this same girl had been attacking her with closed eyes, the fierce power of the Geo element still fresh in her memory.
But Yunqin's concern seemed genuine, not feigned.
Gradually, Lumine relaxed her grip on the sword and shook her head gently. "I'm fine. Just a few scrapes. It's nothing serious."
Paimon quickly floated over, circling Lumine twice, inspecting her shoulder one moment and her back the next. "Lumine, are you really okay? That elbow strike she landed was so brutal! Paimon was so scared she had to close her eyes!"
"I'm really fine," Lumine said, smiling at them both. She reached out to pat Paimon's head, her fingertips brushing against her soft hair. "See? I can still swing my sword."
With that, she lightly swung her Dull Blade, the wind from the blade stirring the grass clippings on the ground.
Her movements were fluid, showing no signs of injury or stiffness.
Yunqin finally let out a sigh of relief, patting her chest as her shoulders slumped.
Thank goodness. If I'd seriously injured her...
Not only would I have had to take her to Bubu Pharmacy, but if it was really bad, I might've even had to ask Master for help.
And if the Adeptus found out I'd sleep-fought and injured someone again, who knows how many days of confinement I'd get!
The memory of her previous confinement by Cloud Retainer made Yunqin shudder. Back then, she'd spent her days either lamenting how bleak life was or feeling like death would be better than living.
She plopped down on the ground, not caring that her clothes were getting dirty.
The tense atmosphere finally eased.
Paimon floated in front of Yunqin, circling her curiously. "How did you end up getting eaten by a monster in the middle of the night? And how could you sleep so soundly after falling from such a height...?"
Yunqin scratched her head sheepishly, the tips of her ears turning slightly red. "I've always been a deep sleeper. And when I'm asleep, I become extremely aggressive toward my surroundings. As Master puts it, 'vigilance is etched into my very bones.'"
She paused, recalling an embarrassing incident from her childhood, and couldn't help but laugh, her eyes curving into crescents. "The worst time was when I took a Geo platform to Liyue Harbor and fell asleep right in the middle of the street."
"Some passing Millelith soldiers tried to wake me up, but I ended up beating them half to death. Later, even a whole group of them couldn't hold me down. It wasn't until the Yuheng herself intervened that I finally woke up."
"Millelith?" Lumine repeated, a flicker of confusion in her eyes. It was the first time she'd heard that name.
"They're Liyue's guards, kind of like Mondstadt's Favonius Knights. They're responsible for protecting Liyue," Paimon quickly explained.
Then she turned back to Yunqin, her voice filled with shock. "You're so strong that even the Millelith couldn't handle you while you were asleep? That's incredible!"
Yunqin grinned, revealing two small canine teeth. Suddenly remembering something, she raised her hand and condensed a Geo platform.
Geo energy gathered in her palm, quickly forming a smooth disc identical to the one Lumine had shattered earlier. Its edges shimmered with a fine luster, and she even thoughtfully added a low Geo ridge around half of it.
"The 'monster' you were talking about... it wasn't this, was it?"
Lumine and Paimon nodded.
Yunqin gave a helpless smile, then shook her head and patted the Geo platform, lifting her chin proudly.
"This is my ride! I call it 'Little UFO.' It can fly, and it's super comfortable to sleep on!"
Lumine and Paimon exchanged a look.
After all that trouble, the "Liyue rock monster" they'd been anxiously fighting turned out to be Yunqin's elemental construct!
Lumine quickly explained the misunderstanding, recounting everything in detail: from spotting the Geo platform and mistaking it for a monster, to shattering it and seeing Yunqin fall, and finally the ensuing battle.
Her voice was filled with apology. "I'm so sorry. It was dark, and I didn't see clearly. I mistook your ride for a monster."
Yunqin burst out laughing so hard she couldn't stand up straight. She braced one hand on the ground and clutched her stomach with the other, tears welling in her eyes. "Hahaha! This is the first time anyone's mistaken my Little UFO for a monster! It's lived a full life now!"
She waved her hand dismissively, her eyes still sparkling with amusement, showing no sign of blame.
"It's fine, it's fine! It's normal not to see clearly in the dark. Besides, with Little UFO's protective instincts, even I might have made the same mistake."
After she'd had her fill of laughter, Yunqin suddenly remembered something. She pointed to her hair and asked, "Right! You said I used the Hydro Element and my appearance changed? How come I don't know anything about that?"
"I only know how to use the Geo element and martial arts. I'm completely clueless about Hydro—I can't even swim without a floatie!"
Lumine and Paimon froze.
So Yunqin herself didn't even know about the anomaly just now?
Paimon quickly described Yunqin's appearance: her hair suffused with the Hydro Element, fish scale patterns at the corners of her eyes, and her abdomen glowing with starlight.
"You really don't remember any of it? You even conjured a violin made of water, and there was a half-moon behind you! You looked just like an Adeptus!"
Yunqin frowned and thought hard, her head starting to ache from the effort, but she still shook her head, her voice filled with confusion. "No impression at all! Maybe I was sleeping so deeply that I unconsciously tapped into some hidden power?"
"Whatever! If I can't figure it out, I won't dwell on it—Master always said that obsessing over useless things makes you lose hair!" She clapped Lumine's shoulder with a hearty, but not too forceful, pat. "By the way, what are your names?"
"I'm Lumine, the Traveler, and this is Paimon." Lumine smiled and nodded, gesturing to Paimon beside her with a gentle look. "We're heading to Liyue Harbor for the Rite of Descension."
"What a coincidence!" Yunqin's eyes lit up as if she'd discovered a new continent. "I'm planning to go to the Rite of Descension tomorrow too! I can take you there—consider it my apology."
After all, she thought, I did attack them without a second thought.
Her conscience wouldn't let her rest without compensating them somehow.
As she spoke, Yunqin clapped her hands together. The Geo Element surged around Lumine and Paimon's bedrolls, quickly forming a small earthen hut.
The roof was a curved slab of rock, perfect for blocking the dew. The walls were smooth stone blocks, with a small window left for ventilation. Though simple, the structure exuded a cozy warmth.
"Come on in and sleep! It'll keep you warm at night and block the wind."
Yunqin pulled Lumine and Paimon into the hut, then used the Geo Element to conjure two small stools on the ground.
"Let me tell you, the Rite of Descension in Liyue Harbor is so lively! Not only do you get to see Rex Lapis himself, but you can also..."
She chattered away, treating Lumine and Paimon not as strangers but as old friends sharing exciting stories.
Lumine watched the unguarded girl before her, marveling inwardly at how trusting she was.
Paimon, meanwhile, was captivated by Yunqin's descriptions of food. She kept interrupting with questions like, "Is Almond Tofu good?" and "Which is better, Li-style cuisine or Yue-style cuisine?" The two of them quickly hit it off, chatting away like old friends.
After talking for a while, drowsiness began to creep in, and they each lay down to sleep.
Outside the earthen hut, the evening breeze of the Guili Plains blew gently.
Moonlight spilled onto the hut, casting a soft glow.
No one noticed that within Lumine's elemental space, the Festering Desire flickered twice. Black and white light intertwined, as if responding to something, before quickly falling silent again.
It was as if... it had just been a trick of the light.