Tartaglia stumbled forward in front of Zhongli, unable to support himself any longer, and fell to one knee. A violent cough caused him to double over.
He raised his head, his gaze piercing through his blurred vision to land on Yunqin in Zhongli's arms. His eyes churned with heartache, despair, and resentment, and his voice trembled uncontrollably. "Yunqin..."
Yunqin seemed to hear that familiar call, and her empty eyes slowly turned toward him.
Seeing her like this, Tartaglia's heart felt as if it were being clenched tightly by an invisible hand, aching so much he could hardly breathe.
"I'm sorry... I came too late."
He reached out, his hand trembling as he tried to touch her cheek, but stopped abruptly just before making contact.
Her skin was as cold as ice, as fragile as if it would shatter at the slightest touch.
In the end, his hand merely hovered gently beside her cheek, feeling the warmth so faint it was almost imperceptible. His voice was as soft as a sigh.
"I haven't... I haven't told you yet..." He took a deep breath, seemingly using all his strength. His voice was so tender it could have dripped with water, yet it was wrapped in irredeemable regret.
He looked at her pale face, his voice choking so badly it was barely recognizable. "I know... it's too late to say this now."
"But I still want you to know, you were never a jinx. You are the bravest, gentlest person I've ever known." Tartaglia took a deep breath, the bitter ache churning in his chest nearly drowning him.
He gazed at Yunqin, clinging to her last breaths in Zhongli's arms. His pale lips trembled, every word draining his entire strength.
"I wanted to say... Yunqin, whether it's protecting Liyue, or seeing all the mountains, lakes, and seas of Teyvat, I wanted to be with you."
"You don't have to carry everything alone anymore, you don't have to fear being abandoned, I will always..."
A faint, almost imperceptible smile seemed to touch the corners of Yunqin's lips, like the first breeze of early spring brushing across a lake, vanishing in an instant.
Before the word "always" could even land, an incredibly light, cold touch suddenly covered his lips.
Tartaglia froze. Tears instantly blurred his vision.
Looking down, he saw Yunqin's hand, which had originally hung lifelessly, slowly lift as if driven by a final shred of willpower.
Her slender index finger, pale and cold with the chill of death's end, pressed gently against his lips, steadily silencing his unspoken confession.
Her movements were utterly weak, her entire arm trembling uncontrollably as if it would collapse and fall at any second.
In her hollow eyes, a sudden, brilliant light flared, a mixture of tenderness, reluctance, and resolve, like a star burning out in the dark night, so bright it brought tears to his eyes.
"Don't... say any more, Tartaglia." Her voice was as thin as a silk thread, each breath a broken tremor, almost scattered by the sea breeze, yet every word pierced his ears with clarity, the final notes carrying a faint, relieved smile. "Your feelings... I understand them all."
Tartaglia's heart felt as if it were being crushed by an invisible hand, the pain so intense he could barely breathe.
Tears streamed down, splashing onto her cold fingertips, yet he dared not reach out to move her hand, fearing the slightest force would shatter this fragile life.
He could only let that coldness linger against his lips, a thousand words choking his throat, yet he couldn't utter a single one, left only with silent sobs.
Yunqin's index finger gently brushed the corner of his lips, the gesture so tender it carried the last remnants of warmth.
"You shouldn't have... set your heart on me." Her breathing grew more labored, her chest heaving slightly as a sickly flush spread across her pale cheeks. Every word she spoke seemed to drain her final reserves of life. "I am... someone who is about to vanish."
"The winds of Liyue cannot keep me here, and your feelings... cannot either." Her gaze slowly drifted toward Liyue Harbor.
The city glowed with brilliant lights, the distant murmur of voices carrying the vibrant essence of life.
That was the homeland she had protected with her life, the place she would forever cherish.
"You are still so young. In the future... you will meet many people."
"There will be a girl who loves you, who will accompany you over high mountains and across deep seas, who will... peacefully watch every sunrise and sunset by your side."
"But I..." Her voice paused, a flicker of relief crossing her eyes as if she had shed all her burdens. "I am merely... a brief interlude in your life. Whether you remember me or forget me... do not let these feelings become a shackle that binds you."
The strength in her fingertips gradually faded, the last touch of coolness slowly vanishing as her hand fell, unable to be raised again.
Yet, her hollow eyes still reflected Tartaglia's figure, carrying a final wish and blessing, as if saying, "Live your life well."
The feelings she could never voice ultimately became an eternal regret.
Zhongli held Yunqin tighter, his long robe wrapping around her cold body, his golden eyes filled with a sorrow that could not be dissolved.
He gazed at this young girl who had always been gentle and considerate of others, at the sight of her still trying to fulfill others' wishes even at the very end of her life.
His thousand-year composure finally collapsed, and a heavy sigh escaped his throat, carrying endless heartache and regret.
Osial and Beisht slowly lowered their massive heads, the sea rippling slightly with their grief, echoing an unspeakable heaviness.
They were guilt-ridden for failing to protect their daughter, and all the more heartbroken by her kindness so pure it was painful.
On the sea's surface, the sunlight remained bright, making the water glimmer, yet this light could no longer pierce the gloom in everyone's hearts.
With her last ounce of strength, Yunqin pushed away Tartaglia's feelings and the shackles they imposed, leaving only a bone-deep regret etched into everyone's hearts.
Her breath grew weaker, the light in her eyes gradually dimming, yet that gentle smile remained on her lips, as if saying: "Don't be sad for me. To have been able to protect Liyue and to have known you all, I am already very happy."
Paimon sobbed so hard her whole body trembled, her small form curling into a ball.
Words of comfort felt so pale and powerless at this moment; she could only convey their shared grief through silence, her heart filled with regret.
Lumine walked to the other side and slowly knelt down, her gaze tenderly fixed on Yunqin.
She raised her hand, gently brushing the stray hairs from Yunqin's forehead, her movements as delicate as if she were handling the most precious treasure in the world: "Yunqin, thank you."
Her voice carried a suppressed sorrow, yet it was exceptionally firm: "Liyue will be fine. I will protect it for you, guarding every lamp here, every person, and everything we cherished together."
Yunqin's breath had grown so faint it almost merged with the sea breeze, the rise and fall of her chest as light as a butterfly's fluttering wings.
Yet that gentle smile on her lips never faded, as if she had long since seen through life and death, but only remained concerned for that "self" who had never truly lived.
The hand that had just dropped from Tartaglia's lips slowly lifted, driven by her last wisp of obsession, her fingertips glowing with an extremely faint blue light.
It was the Hydro Divine Power she had forcibly stripped from her exhausted body, wrapped in a weak yet resilient consciousness, struggling to coalesce into a crystalline water sphere in her palm.