It was as if nothing had happened, everything returned to normal.
Clorinde and Navia didn't tell Yuxie about the strange dream they had.
But tonight, Yuxie noticed that Clorinde and Navia were acting a bit differently compared to usual.
For example, during dinner, they both sat next to him and kept piling food into his bowl.
After dinner, he moved a lounge chair to the porch and sat down, and Clorinde and Navia also brought their own chairs over, sitting beside him. Their eyes were almost glued to him, unwilling to look away.
"Did I get something on my face?" Yuxie couldn't help but ask.
"No," Clorinde and Navia both answered at the same time.
"Then why are you staring at my face?"
When Yuxie said this, the two of them suddenly realized they might have been acting a little out of line and quickly shifted their gaze away.
Unconsciously, their faces turned slightly red.
"Yuxie, I fell asleep on the sofa last night. That blanket you covered me with, was it you who put it on me?" After a moment of silence, Navia asked.
"I was worried you'd catch a cold, and I didn't want to wake you up, so I just grabbed a blanket," Yuxie explained.
"Thank you." Navia's voice was soft, and she smiled faintly.
"Yuxie, I think your complexion doesn't look as good as before. Is something wrong with your health?" Clorinde asked with mild concern.
"I was about to ask that too," Navia added.
Yuxie paused for a moment before looking off into the distance.
When they returned to Poisson Village, Yuxie had specifically asked Bai Zhu to give him some portable medicine for regulating his breathing, which he took when Clorinde and Navia weren't paying attention.
Though it didn't completely restore him to perfect health, it was enough that most people wouldn't notice.
But it seemed that Clorinde and Navia weren't that easily fooled.
It made sense though. With their Vision, Clorinde and Navia's observational abilities were far beyond those of ordinary people.
"It's nothing, I probably just caught a chill. A little rest should do the trick," Yuxie said, as if dismissing it.
He hadn't figured out how to tell Clorinde and Navia the truth yet.
"I see..." Navia nodded, "Well, make sure to take care of yourself. Don't overwork your body."
"Speaking of which, today it seems like Mr. Callas is in really good condition. He hardly seems sick at all." Clorinde remarked.
"Yeah... I noticed that too," Navia thought for a moment, "It's probably because he's been getting some appropriate exercise lately, plus he's been resting well these past few days, and the medicine doctor Bai Zhu prescribed is probably helping."
It was clear that Navia was feeling more at ease now.
Yuxie hadn't mysteriously disappeared, and Callas' condition had improved.
Everything seemed to be getting better.
Everything could get better.
"Ahem..." Suddenly, Yuxie's coughing interrupted Navia's thoughts.
"Yuxie, it really seems like you've caught a cold. Why don't you go inside and rest? Don't stay out here in the wind," Navia suggested.
"I agree, you should go inside. Your complexion looks even worse than before," Clorinde said, her concern more pronounced than before.
"Alright, if you insist." Yuxie took a deep breath and got up from the lounge chair.
As the night grew deeper, the world around them became quieter.
In the past, Yuxie always felt that the night was short, that the sun would quickly rise from below the horizon, and the dawn would soon announce the end of the night.
But today, he suddenly felt that the night had become long.
The lights flickered, and Callas was still working in the study, not yet resting.
He found it strange. After waking up this morning, his body felt unusually light.
He no longer felt frail; his limbs were strong, and he didn't feel tired no matter what he did.
It was as if the illness in his body had disappeared, as if he had returned to the time before he was sick.
Had the illness cured itself?
That was impossible—how could such a miracle happen in this world?
It must be the medicine that Doctor Bai Zhu prescribed that was effective.
With this thought in mind, Callas finished his work for the day and finally went to rest in his room.
....
The next morning.
Yuxie was awoken by a knock on the door.
"Yuxie, wake up, someone is looking for you."
Navia's voice sounded a bit anxious from outside the door.
Yuxie climbed out of bed and walked to the door to open it.
"Who's coming to find me so early?"
"The Fatui Harbinger, 'The Knave.'"
"Arlecchino?" Yuxie was surprised.
"Yeah, she said she wants to talk to you alone." Navia stared into Yuxie's eyes, "She seems to be very familiar with you. You're not… with her, are you?"
"No, what are you thinking?" Yuxie quickly said.
Although he said that, Yuxie couldn't help but feel some doubt.
Was he really not familiar with Arlecchino?
At least not in this life, but what about the previous one?
The feeling grew stronger and stronger in Yuxie's heart.
"Alright, I'll go meet her."
"Wait!" Navia stopped him, "Although 'The Knave' doesn't seem to have any ill intentions, she's still a Harbinger of the Fatui and the Fourth Seat… so be careful, and keep your guard up."
"Don't worry." Yuxie stopped just before taking another step and reached out to pat Navia on the head.
He then walked outside, where Arlecchino was standing by the roadside.
As the guest, Navia had initially invited her inside, but Arlecchino politely declined.
She simply stood there, watching Poisson Village, with the breeze gently moving the hair by her temples.
"Did you need something from me?" Yuxie walked up behind Arlecchino.
"I'm about to leave Fontaine and head back to Snezhnaya, so I wanted to come say goodbye." Arlecchino turned around, offering a soft smile.
This Harbinger's image in rumors was that of someone cold-blooded and calculating, but today, Yuxie felt that she seemed to have a more ordinary, feminine side.
"Why come all the way to say goodbye to me? We… were we really that close?" Yuxie hesitated, then continued.
"I don't know what happened, but we really were close back then." Arlecchino continued smiling, her eyes showing a hint of emotion, as though she was recalling the past.
"I don't remember." Yuxie replied.
"Hmm, I can tell."
"…" Yuxie fell silent, unsure of what to say next.
"I'll be gone for over two months this time." Arlecchino continued. "I'll be back in over two months. Can you spare a day for me when I return?"
Two months… Yuxie thought to himself. By then, I probably won't be here anymore.
But he didn't say it out loud. For some reason, he felt that saying it directly might hurt a strong yet fragile heart.
"If I have time when you return." After a moment of contemplation, Yuxie responded.
"Then it's settled." Arlecchino turned to leave, "See you in two months."
With that, Arlecchino's figure gradually receded into the distance.
Yuxie stood silently, but suddenly, he felt as if his heart had been struck by something.
End of chapter
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