Elysia looked at Mei, spread her hands, and sighed, "Ah, everyone left."
"The typewriter is fixed... So, Mei, should we go back too?"
Mei looked at Fu Lin's departing figure, raised her hand as if wanting to stop him, but the situation in front of her was also important. In the end, torn between the two, she glared at Elysia.
Elysia smiled without speaking, quietly watching Mei, who was caught in her dilemma, as unknown thoughts crossed her mind.
Mei crossed her arms and urged, "Let's go. I don't want to waste any more time."
-------------------------
Elysia clasped her hands together and skipped ahead, cheering excitedly, "Oh! It looks like I'm still very important in Mei's heart. I'm so happy~!"
"I thought you were going to follow Fu Lin over there~"
Mei, "..."
However, Mei didn't respond to Elysia's words. All she was thinking about was how to end this journey as soon as possible and spend some alone time with Fu Lin.
The kind where no one would come to interrupt.
....
Griseo's eyes sparkled as she gazed at the scenery, which looked like something out of a fairy tale. She eagerly took out her paintbrush. "This scenery is so beautiful, perfect for painting."
"Uncle Fu Lin, do you want to paint with me?"
Fu Lin pointed at himself and quickly waved his hand. "Me? I think I'll pass. I don't really have any talent for it."
Griseo put her hands on her hips and looked at Fu Lin seriously.
"It's okay. I can teach you little by little… But Uncle Fu Lin, you should try painting something first. That way, I can guide you on what needs improvement."
Fu Lin nodded with a half-understanding expression, took the paintbrush Griseo handed him, and looked at the blank paper before taking a deep breath. "...Alright, since you want to guide me, I might as well give it a try. Why not?"
Then, Fu Lin firmly gripped the paintbrush, stared intently at the canvas, and moved his wrist fluidly, applying the paint with smooth yet forceful strokes.
He would pause occasionally to observe, frowning slightly as he scanned the canvas before continuing to paint again, appearing incredibly professional.
Griseo silently watched from the side. She didn't know what Fu Lin was painting, but seeing his serious expression, she nodded in satisfaction.
However, as time passed and Fu Lin's painting neared completion, Griseo's once clear and innocent eyes filled with confusion. She stared blankly at Fu Lin.
'Uh… How should I interpret this?'
Fu Lin put down his brush, looked at his painting with satisfaction, then excitedly turned to Griseo. "Phew~ Finally done. Little Griseo, come take a look at what I painted!"
Griseo, "..."
Seeing Griseo holding her head in distress, Fu Lin's expression changed, and he stepped forward to ask, "What's wrong, Griseo?"
Snapped out of her thoughts, Griseo bit her fingertip, looking troubled as she stared at the painting. It depicted a sparrow… with the head of a T-Rex? Perched on a branch, opening its mouth wide as if preparing to crack open a can of Chilled Beer?
"I'm fine, it's just… Uncle Fu Lin's painting…"
"It gives off a feeling I can't quite describe."
Hearing this, Fu Lin stared at his painting. The more he looked at it, the prouder he became. Stroking his chin, he muttered, "I think this 'Terror-Sparrow Opening a Drink' piece is quite good."
Griseo clutched her head, murmuring, "If I remember correctly, peacocks aren't supposed to look like this…"
Fu Lin, full of determination, ripped off the previous painting and tossed it aside, starting anew. "Alright then, I'll draw another piece, 'Peacock Crying Out.'"
...
When Fu Lin finished his second painting, Griseo pointed at the image of Su and, with a trace of confusion in her eyes, asked, "This is Uncle Su… but I don't see a peacock."
Fu Lin crossed his arms and pointed at Su's portrait. "This is the peacock."
Griseo tilted her head, not quite understanding.
Seeing this, Fu Lin chuckled calmly, patting Griseo's head as he explained, "Your Uncle Su's Honkai Beast fusion is Mahamayuri. And doesn't Mahamayuri look just like a peacock?"
Griseo's eyes lit up with realization after hearing Fu Lin's explanation. "So that's how it's interpreted! This is what Sister Hua called using objects to symbolize people… No, using people to symbolize objects!"
"So you can paint like this too! Thank you, Uncle Fu Lin!"
"Not bad. You are teachable." Fu Lin placed a candy in Griseo's palm, nodding in satisfaction.
Griseo pointed at a speech bubble beside them and asked, "But Uncle Fu Lin, what does Uncle Su mean by 'Don't confuse voice actors with characters'?"
Fu Lin scratched his cheek and made up nonsense with a serious face. "Well… This painting is called 'Peacock Crying Out,' and that phrase is a metaphor for the sound of a peacock's cry."
"But why does Uncle Su look so angry in the painting?"
"Because… that expresses how loud and clear a peacock's cry is."
"Then when do peacocks usually cry out?"
"...When they're in heat."
"So, is Uncle Su in heat in this painting?"
"That's right!"
"Uncle Su."
"Alright, Little Griseo, let's skip this topic."
Fu Lin wiped the sweat off his forehead and hurriedly cut off Griseo's questioning. If this continued, even he wouldn't know how to explain it anymore.
Griseo waved behind Fu Lin and said, "No, I was just greeting Uncle Su."
"Hm, I didn't expect to run into you here."