A blush spread across Ganyu's cheeks, and the head she had just raised lowered slightly once more.
Every time she had asked Luo Qing why he was going to Dihua Marsh during their journey, he always answered the same way.
"Alright, Luo Qing, why do you keep saying that?"
"Because it's the truth."
"Ugh... I'm not talking to you anymore."
Ganyu lowered her head even further and continued walking deeper into the marsh, prompting Luo Qing to quickly follow along.
Flirting with her... it's too fun.
Dihua Marsh was full of low-lying areas. Aside from the main pathway and small bridges, most of the land was difficult to traverse. Occasionally, monsters would appear on the small islands scattered throughout the marsh. Tall reeds obscured the view, making it easy to stumble into danger if one didn't know the way.
Luo Qing trailed behind Ganyu, carefully avoiding the reeds until they suddenly emerged into a clearing. Before them lay a lush green field, where pale blue Glaze Lilies were blooming in abundance.
"Is this the place you were talking about, Ganyu?" Luo Qing asked.
Glaze Lilies had once filled all of Dihua Marsh, but after the Archon War, they had become a rarity. The sight of so many growing hidden amidst the reeds surprised him.
"Mm... When I'm feeling troubled, I come here to clear my mind."
"Did you plant these Glaze Lilies yourself, Ganyu?"
"Mm... How did you know, Luo Qing?"
"I guessed. Smart, huh?"
"Uh..." Ganyu fell silent and sat down on a clean patch of stone amidst the Glaze Lilies. She rested her chin on her hands, her small feet pressed together, her long azure hair blending with the soft blue of the flowers—creating a scene of unparalleled beauty.
Luo Qing stood quietly beside her, unwilling to disturb the tranquility of the moment.
If he had a camera on him, he thought, he'd definitely take a secret photo of Ganyu to... treasure later.
After a while, Ganyu parted her lips, and a gentle, elegant melody flowed forth. Her soft singing brought the Glaze Lilies to life, their stalks straightening and blooms opening even wider, the fragrance growing richer.
When the song ended, Ganyu sat amidst the flowers, looking like a picture-perfect masterpiece.
After a long silence, she finally stood, picking one of the flowers before stepping out of the field.
"Alright, Luo Qing, I need to head back now. What about you?"
This time, it felt like Ganyu was genuinely asking him.
Luo Qing, I'm heading back. Will you come with me?
"Of course, I'll go back with you," Luo Qing said with a smile. "But Ganyu, after all the walking, don't you want to rest a bit longer?"
"No, not really. Honestly, the journey itself already made me feel much better..."
"Hmm?" Luo Qing suddenly heard the rustling of reeds nearby, causing him to momentarily miss Ganyu's words.
"It's... it's nothing." Ganyu's face turned slightly awkward, and she spoke softly, "Let's... let's go back."
Just as they started to leave, they unexpectedly ran into Lumine and her companions.
Hovering above them, Paimon spotted them first and cried out excitedly, "Hey, look over there!"
Lumine and Zhongli turned in the direction Paimon was pointing, only to see Ganyu and Luo Qing walking side by side. Ganyu's head was lowered, her cheeks tinged pink, giving her the appearance of a shy girl on her first date.
Paimon's call also caught Ganyu and Luo Qing's attention, and they turned to face Lumine's group.
Everyone had met before, so it was only natural for them to greet each other rather than pretend not to see. They all gathered together.
"What are you guys doing here? And... um... what's your name again?" Paimon asked, scratching her head as she tried to remember Ganyu's name.
"Wasn't it something like Wang Xiaomei?" Lumine chimed in.
"My name is Ganyu..." Ganyu murmured, feeling a bit embarrassed that the Traveler didn't remember her name. She lowered her head.
"W-We just couldn't remember at the moment!" Paimon said, offering an apologetic smile before looking puzzled. "But Ganyu, aren't you the secretary for the Liyue Qixing? What are you doing with a Fatui Harbinger?"
"Harbinger?" Ganyu was stunned and turned to look at Luo Qing.
She had always wondered how an ordinary Snezhnayan merchant could move faster than her reflexes. It turned out Luo Qing was actually a Harbinger?
So... was his approach to her just...?
"Well, Paimon's right. I am a Harbinger," Luo Qing admitted casually, flashing a smile. Since it was already out in the open, there was no point in hiding it, so he decided to shift the blame onto Childe. "But right now, I'm on vacation. You should know that the one in charge of Liyue is Childe."
"Hmph... The Fatui aren't exactly the most trustworthy," Paimon said, frowning.
"If you don't believe me, you can ask Mr. Zhongli right here. He's my fishing buddy," Luo Qing replied, nodding towards Zhongli, who stood behind Lumine and Paimon.
Zhongli's expression was a mix of emotions.
It was as if he was thinking, I just retired, and you've already managed to steal away my most dependable subordinate?
Zhongli glanced at Ganyu, who was standing quietly with her head down, and then back at Luo Qing. He nodded and said calmly, "Whether Luo Qing is on vacation, I'm not certain. But yes, we do often fish together."
"Hmm... I guess that's fine then."
"By the way, aren't you guys supposed to be in Liyue? What brings you out here?" Luo Qing asked, deciding to steer the conversation before Paimon's curiosity could derail them.
"We're here to find wild Glaze Lilies with Mr. Zhongli!" Paimon explained. "They're needed for the Rite of Parting for the Geo Archon!"
"Have you seen any wild Glaze Lilies? Not the cultivated ones from Yujing Terrace, but the wild ones!" Lumine added eagerly.
"Actually, I have one right here," Ganyu said, gently pulling the Glaze Lily she had picked from her pouch. "I was going to bring it back to my office, but since you need it, you can have it."
"Thank you, Wang—no, I mean, Ganyu!" Paimon accepted the flower without hesitation, inspecting it closely. "It's just like Zhongli said—it's blooming even more beautifully, and the fragrance is much stronger!"
"That's because Ganyu sang to it," Luo Qing explained, purposely not mentioning the hidden field full of Glaze Lilies to prevent Lumine from picking them all.
"So singing really does make them bloom! If only we hadn't run into a Whopperflower earlier..." Paimon said, sighing.
After chatting for a while, Ganyu, worried about the ongoing work in Liyue Harbor, bid farewell to Lumine's group.
Luo Qing initially wanted to speak with Zhongli privately, but seeing Ganyu leaving, he decided to arrange a meeting at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor instead.
He followed Ganyu back to Liyue, walking in step with her.
---
T/N: What a gentleman...