"Why did you suddenly decide to come down the mountain? Did Cloud Retainer send you?" Ganyu asked, concern in her eyes as she glanced at Shenhe. With the death of the Geo Archon, the relationship between the Adepti and the Liyue Qixing had grown increasingly strained, and Ganyu, caught between two worlds, was struggling to manage her half-human, half-adeptus existence.
"No, it wasn't on my master's orders. I... came to Liyue to find someone," Shenhe replied.
"Find someone?" Ganyu seemed unable to believe her ears.
Traveling alone from Jueyun Karst to Liyue just to find someone—this was something Shenhe would actually do?
Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Ganyu asked softly, "Is he from Liyue?"
"He has black hair, knows how to use a spear, so he's probably from Liyue."
"What's his name?"
"I think his name is Li Feiyu."
"Mhm. How old is he?"
"Judging by his appearance, he seems to be around my age."
"And... how did you two meet?"
"It was in Jueyun Karst... But why are you asking so many questions, Senior Sister?" Shenhe glanced at Ganyu, sensing something odd about her rapid line of questioning.
"N-No reason! I was just curious. You don't have to answer if you don't want to," Ganyu stammered. She looked around nervously before leaning closer and whispering, "But, Shenhe, with matters like this... you must be cautious. Don't rush into anything."
Shenhe paused, thinking deeply.
Getting revenge and cutting down her foe with her spear was something that couldn't be rushed, she reasoned. That man was strong—she needed to take her time and plan carefully.
"I understand, Senior Sister. I'll think it through before taking action."
"Good..." Ganyu was relieved to hear Shenhe's agreement.
Shenhe had a fierce temperament and was easily impulsive. The fact that she was willing to come down the mountain to find someone showed remarkable self-restraint, but in matters of men and women, one couldn't be too careful—lest she fall for someone untrustworthy.
Thinking this over, Ganyu hesitated for a moment before asking softly, "By the way... does Cloud Retainer know about this?"
"I informed my master of my purpose before leaving."
Ganyu's eyes widened in surprise. "She agreed?!"
Shenhe looked puzzled. "Why wouldn't she, Senior Sister? If my master hadn't agreed, I wouldn't be here, would I?"
"Well... you're right," Ganyu muttered, feeling slightly embarrassed for prying too much.
It's best to wait until Shenhe finds that man, then I'll help her judge if he's worthy...
Although tensions between the Adepti and Liyue were high, Ganyu decided it was necessary to make sure Shenhe was settled properly in Liyue before she returned to her duties at Yujing Terrace.
As she pondered whether to take Shenhe to Bubu Pharmacy for some Qingxin tea, a familiar scent caught her attention—a scent she recognized from that night when someone had intruded while she and Yaoyao were bathing.
Luo Qing's scent.
"He's nearby?!"
Startled, Ganyu's eyes darted around, but there was no sign of Luo Qing.
She had previously tried to find him at the Northland Bank during a rare moment of free time, only to be told by his subordinates that he was away on official business and currently not in Liyue. She had no choice but to drop the matter then.
But now, suddenly catching a whiff of his scent on the street—did that mean he was back?
It wasn't that she had to confront him. It was just that...
He saw both her and Yaoyao completely exposed.
That can't just be forgotten...
Seeing Ganyu's anxious searching, Shenhe asked curiously, "Senior Sister, are you also looking for someone?"
"Y-Yes... but it seems he's already gone. It's nothing. Let's move on."
"Alright."
After another quick scan of the surroundings to ensure there was no sign of Luo Qing, Ganyu led Shenhe towards Bubu Pharmacy.
Meanwhile, on a nearby rooftop...
Luo Qing was lying low, hiding on the roof tiles. He only let out a sigh of relief when he saw Ganyu and Shenhe leave.
Running into Ganyu wouldn't have been a big deal—she was likely only looking for him because of something involving Ningguang. It wouldn't have been too awkward.
But Shenhe was a different story.
He never expected that just as he returned from Jueyun Karst, Shenhe would show up in Liyue.
According to the storyline's timeline, it wasn't yet time for her to leave the mountains.
Was she really here to settle a score with him? Or...
Did she want him to take responsibility?
He recalled that Liyue's social norms were somewhat conservative...
Yikes...
Either way...
Luo Qing decided it would be best to delay any formal encounter with Shenhe for now.
Maybe if she couldn't find him, she'd eventually give up and go back.
After wandering aimlessly for a while longer, Luo Qing still hadn't managed to find Lumine and her group. Left with no other choice, he left Liyue Harbor and headed for the research camp to see Childe.
According to Natalia, Childe had been spending a lot of time at the camp recently, supervising Ovilia and her team as they replicated the Delusion research. As the person in charge, he was sure to know where Lumine and the others were.
Since Yelan's discovery of the camp's previous location, Ovilia had moved it under cover of night. The new site was supposedly so hidden that even if the entire Qixing searched together, they'd never find it.
Being the third-in-command of the Fatui in Liyue did have its perks—Luo Qing knew the location of every Fatui hideout in the city, including the research camp.
Before long, he arrived at the camp, and as expected, Childe was there.
Seeing Luo Qing unexpectedly show up at the research camp, Childe couldn't resist a playful jab.
"Well, well, look who's here! I thought you'd be off fishing now that you're finally back."
Luo Qing glanced at the camp, taking note of the stolen mechanisms and the Delusion prototypes scattered around. Pretending to be indifferent, he chuckled.
"Couldn't find my fishing buddy, so I came to ask if you knew where Zhongli was."
"..."
"I knew I shouldn't have expected more from you," Childe sighed, shaking his head.
For a moment, he'd hoped Luo Qing had come to help with his plans, but it turned out he was only here to ask about Zhongli—so they could go fishing together?!
"Zhongli is at Dihua Marsh. He won't be back anytime soon."
"Dihua Marsh?" Luo Qing thought back, piecing together the timeline. It must have been because Zhongli was gathering some wild Glaze Lilies.
"Alright, thanks, Childe. Good night. I'm heading back to sleep."
Having gotten the information he wanted, Luo Qing turned to leave, but Childe's voice called him back, suddenly serious.
"Tell me—why do you keep seeking out Zhongli? Is it really just to go fishing?"
Luo Qing glanced back at Childe, puzzled.
Did he suspect something?
"Yes," Luo Qing replied casually, "Zhongli has a lot of patience, and he's got good luck too. He's a great fishing companion. What's wrong with that?"
Seeing Childe's skepticism, Luo Qing's tone turned more earnest as he gestured to the Delusions on the synthesis table.
"But Childe, are you seriously planning to release it? Liyue is a harbor city—if it goes wild, the casualties could be unimaginable."
"That's a last resort," Childe said with a dismissive wave. "Besides, why worry? This world belongs to the strong. If they can't survive a wave, then they're weak. And the weak... well, they deserve their fate."
"Wow, only you could say something like that with a straight face." Luo Qing gave a half-hearted shrug and walked away from the camp.