Ganyu slowly pushed herself up from the makeshift grass mat, supporting herself with one hand on her forehead. She looked around, realizing she was in a Fatui encampment.
Her gaze drifted down to her own body—her wounds were almost fully healed, and the bitter taste of medicine still lingered in her mouth. There was no need to ask; she already knew that Luo Qing must have been the one to save her.
But considering the severity of her injuries, even the adepti would have required some time to heal her without leaving any lasting damage.
How had Luo Qing managed to restore her so quickly?
"Luo Qing… was it you who saved me?" Ganyu asked softly.
"Uh, can I say it wasn't...?" Luo Qing hesitated, but seeing the gentle and trusting look in Ganyu's eyes, he couldn't lie. "Alright, yes. It was me."
"Thank you… Luo Qing," she murmured, her voice soft but genuine. Her eyes wandered over the camp's distinctly Fatui decorations, and she hesitated before asking, "Can you tell me... why are you doing all this?"
From what she understood, Osial's attack and the tensions with the adepti had all been orchestrated by the Fatui. In other words, if it weren't for them, these events might never have occurred.
Even though she was grateful to Luo Qing for saving her, her doubts and the clash between their factions made it hard to fully trust him.
"Well, that's a bit complicated..." Luo Qing sighed, realizing he had expected this question the moment he carried her away. He removed his hood and pulled down his mask, revealing his face.
"Yes, Ganyu, it's exactly as you suspect. We were behind all of this."
He didn't attempt to shift the blame onto Childe. After all, he was a trainee Harbinger of Snezhnaya's Fatui, and no matter what, he couldn't separate himself from their actions. Denying the truth would only make him look irresponsible.
"W-Why? Why would you do something like this?" Ganyu's tone remained gentle, but her voice carried a hint of frustration and urgency.
Luo Qing looked off into the distance, his expression serious. "We're here for the Gnosis. As for why we had to go through all of this..."
He paused, then gave a regretful smile. "Sorry, that's a secret."
The agreement he had with Zhongli was not something he could share, and Childe's involvement was nothing more than a convenient tool—there was no point in revealing that.
Besides, even if he explained the truth, would Ganyu believe him?
So, he decided it was better to say nothing. Eventually, when Zhongli revealed everything in a dream, Ganyu would understand.
"I see..." Ganyu's hands clenched tightly at her sides. She looked at Luo Qing, realizing that he wouldn't divulge anything more, and slowly stood, taking a hesitant step back from him.
She offered a slight bow. "Thank you for saving me today, Mr. Luo Qing. I must return now."
With that, she turned to leave.
"Ganyu, wait," Luo Qing called after her.
"Yes? Is there something else, Mr. Luo Qing?"
"Never mind... it's nothing. You can go."
"...Alright."
Without another word, Ganyu hurried back toward Liyue Harbor.
Watching her retreating figure, Luo Qing sighed, brushing his hair out of his eyes. He thought to himself that any goodwill he had earned from Ganyu had likely plummeted into the negatives once more.
He had initially stopped Ganyu to ask her to keep his secret—that he was the one behind the "Li Feiyu" identity. Although she probably hadn't heard him shout that name during the battle, she would certainly piece it together once she compared notes with Ningguang and the others. They would all realize that the "Li Feiyu" persona was his disguise.
But then he reconsidered. Asking Ganyu, a devout Liyue Qixing member, to keep the identity of a Fatui operative a secret was unreasonable. In the end, he decided to let it go. If the alias was compromised, then so be it.
He could always create a new identity the next time he needed to stir up trouble.
After tidying up the outpost and restoring it to its original state—though knowing the owner likely wouldn't be returning—Luo Qing headed back to Liyue.
The normally bustling streets of Liyue Harbor were eerily quiet, with many of the townspeople still sheltering in the mountains. Only the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor remained open, its doors wide.
Hu Tao, who had been hypnotized by Zhongli to rest, had woken up halfway through being escorted to safety and stubbornly insisted on returning to the parlor. Now she stood at its entrance, cheeks puffed in frustration, demanding an explanation from Zhongli, who could only shrug helplessly.
Luo Qing didn't bother greeting them, instead slipping quietly past. A few quick steps and he was back at the Northland Bank's attic.
Inside, Teresa—whom he had handed off to Natalia and the others—was now awake. She sat on the bed, bandaged but animated, surrounded by the three Fatui members, all staring at each other awkwardly.
As soon as Luo Qing appeared on the balcony, Teresa perked up and waved excitedly, despite wincing in pain. "Mr. Luo Qing! Thank you for saving me… Ah, ow, ow!"
Her enthusiasm had caused her to tug at her bandaged wounds, and fresh blood began to seep through the dressings.
"Seriously? We just changed those bandages!" Natalia said, exasperated, wondering where the electro mage got all her energy.
Teresa gave a sheepish grin, holding her injured arm tightly. "Hehe… I just got too excited seeing Mr. Luo Qing. It's fine! I'll just hold it like this, and it'll be okay!"
Natalia, Sergei, and Igor exchanged helpless looks before turning to Luo Qing.
"Here, eat this, and you'll be fine," Luo Qing said, summoning another Tenfold Vitality Pill from his system and tossing it to Teresa.
She caught the large, brown pill, staring at it in confusion. "Mr. Luo Qing, it's so big… I don't think it'll fit…"
"I didn't say you had to swallow it whole. Just take bites," Luo Qing replied dryly.
"Oh… alright..."
Realizing her mistake, Teresa blushed and began nibbling the pill slowly.
"You three, take these too," Luo Qing said, pulling out his last three Tenfold Vitality Pills and handing them to Natalia and the others. "Use them if you're ever seriously injured."
The trio accepted the pills with gratitude, and Luo Qing turned back to Teresa.
"Was it Childe who sent you up there?" he asked.
"Yeah… he said whoever managed to destroy that ballista would earn a first-class merit," Teresa explained bitterly. "But there were Vision users everywhere! Not to mention those adepti! It was clearly a suicide mission! I should've known better than to fall for his promises!"
She grumbled louder with every bite, as if venting her frustration on the pill.
"Alright, I get it," Luo Qing interrupted with a sigh. Turning to Natalia, he said, "Once she's finished eating, help her fill out a transfer request. Get Snezhnaya's approval to reassign her. From now on, she'll be the only subordinate you three have."
"Wha—? Mr. Luo Qing, are you saying I'll be one of your direct subordinate?!" Teresa nearly leaped off the bed, beaming.
"Finish your medicine and handle the paperwork," Luo Qing said, giving Natalia a meaningful look before hurrying out.
He had to find Zhongli quickly. He needed to make sure that when Zhongli decided to reveal the truth, he'd make it clear to Ganyu that he, the Geo Archon, was the one behind everything—and that Luo Qing had nothing to do with it.