Autumn was almost over.
The temperature had dropped, and people on the streets were already wearing thick coats.
Clorinde was no exception. She put on a warm jacket and walked alone down the street.
To her, the cold wasn't really a big deal, but she thought if she went out without enough layers, Yu Xie would nag her if he knew.
Today was a holiday, no work, but she still woke up early.
There wasn't anything particularly important to do; she just wanted to go to the market and buy some vegetables.
Buying groceries, such small things, was something she often did with Yu Xie in the dream he gave her.
In the dream, when faced with a variety of ingredients, they might not always agree, but in the end, Yu Xie would always accommodate her.
Today, she wanted to cook something herself—one of the dishes Yu Xie had made for her in that dream.
Soon, she arrived at the market.
Normally, Clorinde didn't visit here often, but in the dream, she and Yu Xie had come countless times. She was already familiar with the layout of the market.
She looked around the whole market, and for a moment, it felt like she saw a familiar figure standing in front of a stall, chatting and laughing with the vendor.
After a brief silence, she entered the market.
It didn't take long to buy the vegetables, and Clorinde quickly returned to her place.
She headed straight to the kitchen and started getting busy.
About an hour later, Clorinde finally finished the dish—Jade Parcels—which was the dish Yu Xie had made for her most often in the dream.
In the plate, crispy and tender vegetable leaves wrapped around slices of ham, forming little bags.
"Looks like it's not as good as yours." Clorinde picked up a piece with her chopsticks and tasted it.
The room was very quiet. She didn't know how much time passed, but it seemed like she could hear faint sobs.
Tears fell onto the dining table.
"Just like this, it's not as tasty as when you made it... Yu Xie, I miss you..."
…
Navia was doing her weekly big cleaning. She spent most of the day cleaning the house, both inside and out, all by herself.
As always, the last room she cleaned was the room that Yu Xie had used.
She pushed open the door to the room, stepped inside, and walked to the window to open it.
The cold wind immediately rushed in.
It was a bit chilly, but it didn't bother Navia.
Just like every time she cleaned, she skillfully tidied up every corner of the room.
When she finished, the sunlight outside had already faded to dusk.
Navia set down the cleaning supplies and sat down at Yu Xie's desk.
On the desk were some books that Yu Xie had read before.
Some of the books, just by reading their titles, Navia felt like they were not something she could get into.
But still, she picked one up and started flipping through it.
"Turns out this book isn't for me." After some time, Navia gently smiled, closed the book, and put it back in its place.
Suddenly, she wondered, when Yu Xie sat here before, besides reading, what else would he think about?
Would he think about work? Or about the little trivial things in life?
Yu Xie always acted so relaxed around her, but surely, he must have had moments of feeling down too, right?
During those times, would he just stare out the window at the scenery?
Navia slowly stood up and walked over to the window.
The cold wind still blew, and the scenery of Poisson Village was unchanged.
Tears unknowingly escaped from her eyes.
"Yu Xie..."
...
Furina arrived at the now-empty office.
The office, with only a desk, chairs, and a sofa, had nothing else left.
She sat down on the sofa, did nothing, and just stared blankly.
In the past, because of Yu Xie, this office had become her "safe haven." Here, she always felt at ease.
Now, though Yu Xie was no longer around, she had gotten used to it. She still occasionally came back, just to sit, to look, to remember.
Like now, doing nothing, just sitting on the sofa, letting time flow by.
The atmosphere was still the same, familiar to Furina. It was as if, with a turn of her head, she could see Yu Xie sitting behind the desk again.
Her eyes began to well up.
As the "Hydro Archon," she knew she shouldn't cry so easily, Furina was very aware of that.
But now, there was no one else here, so perhaps it didn't matter?
"Even gods shed tears. If you want to cry, then cry. Eyes aren't just for holding back tears," Yu Xie's words from the final dream echoed in her mind.
Furina sobbed quietly, but her sobs seemed to fill the entire room.
.....
Though the weather had turned colder, and it wasn't the ideal day for fishing, Callas still took his fishing rod to the beach.
As usual, after fishing for a long time, he still hadn't caught anything.
He remembered clearly, it was here, on this very beach, where Yu Xie first appeared before him—calling him "uncle" right from the start.
He never expected that Yu Xie, that kid, would bring so many changes into his life.
Suddenly, the fishing line jerked as a fish bit the hook, dragging the float under the water.
Callas pulled the rod hard, and after a struggle, managed to bring the fish to the surface.
It was a big one, breaking his previous record.
"Yu Xie, pass me the landing net!"
The moment the words left his mouth, Callas realized: Yu Xie would never be there to fish with him again.
"..."
"Kid, the life I owe you, I'll repay it in the next life."
...
Arlecchino arrived at Romaritime Harbor, gazing at Liyue in the distance.
That nation, which pursues contracts—she still had never been there.
She had originally planned that after returning to Fontaine from Snezhnaya, she would go to the Chenyu Valley area with Clervie and Yu Xie.
Even though Yu Xie no longer remembered her, memories could always be recreated.
But she never expected that all that awaited her was the cold, unmoving gravestone.
This was the second time. The first time, she felt as though a part of her heart was missing. This time, she only felt that this damn fate was playing a cruel joke on her.
"If I am to lose again, why did I even find you in the first place?"
The sea breeze hit her face, and Arlecchino's hair fluttered in the wind.
She closed her eyes, feeling the breeze on her face, and listened quietly to the beat of her own heart.
She wanted to confirm whether her heart was missing another piece.
Anger brings impulse, sadness makes one hesitate—this was a rule she taught the children of the Hearth Manor. Yet, she found that even she herself couldn't always follow it.
"Yu Xie, we will meet again. I will find you."
"And when that time comes, I will never let you slip away again."
A single, clear droplet of water scattered in the wind, like raindrops.
But it wasn't raining today.
End of Arc 3
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