Liyue.
Guili Plains.
Blue sky, white clouds, a gentle breeze. A wooden house, a child of exquisite jade-like beauty lay on a chair, eyes slightly narrowed, face filled with rapture.
'Such fine weather, it's truly a waste to sleep.'
'Oh... sister hasn't returned yet. It's been 200 years since she last came back to see her dear younger brother!'
Just then, a layer of soil was suddenly swept into the air, swirling like a sandstorm.
The child instantly became covered in dust, looking displeasedly towards the door.
'My dear sister! The moment you return, you do this to your dear younger brother.' Saying this, he sighed.
'You really haven't changed at all!'
"Hehehe..." A crisp, bell-like young girl's laughter rang out in the courtyard.
"Li, can you find me?"
The girl's voice seemed to come from everywhere at once, echoing from all corners of the yard. The child called Li, however, just rolled his eyes.
He muttered under his breath.
'Of course she took away most of the authority, that's why I'm so weak!'
"Hurry up! I still have your favorite pear blossom cakes inside. If you don't, I'll eat them all!"
Hearing the child's words, the girl seemed to grow anxious.
"Wait! I'm coming right away!"
Pear blossom cakes were the girl's favorite food. She didn't know why they were called pear blossom cakes; she only remembered her younger brother saying pear blossoms were white, the same color as this cake. Something about 'as if a night of spring wind blew, bringing thousands of pear trees into bloom.'
The dust particles in the air slowly gathered together, and a young girl in a yellow dress appeared before his eyes.
The girl had a graceful figure, her face veiled by white gauze. Even without seeing her face clearly, one could guess it was one of devastating beauty.
The sleeves of her dress were very wide, as if they could contain all things in the world. A wild Glaze Lily adorned her hair, matching her perfectly. The flower accentuated the girl's ethereal beauty, while the girl wearing the flower made it appear even more radiant.
"Quick, hand over all the pear blossom cakes. I haven't eaten them in 200 years. Sister has missed that flavor every day."
"Gone!" Guili shook his head: "Just kidding, the pear blossom cakes were finished long ago."
"Ah!" The girl showed a look of disappointment, then stepped forward and grabbed Guili's ears, pulling them to the sides.
Guili yelped in pain immediately.
"Ow! That hurts... that hurts!"
"Just kidding! The pear blossom cakes are still there. In the kitchen, right?"
Only then did the girl let go of her younger brother with satisfaction, turning and running towards the kitchen.
Guili hurriedly followed.
"Save some for me! Don't eat them all!"
"What are you worried about? If they're gone, you can just make more. Let your sister satisfy her craving first, alright?"
After their playful bickering, evening had arrived.
The siblings lay on the rooftop, gazing together at the curved full moon in the sky.
The younger brother was named Guili, the sister Guizhong. They were twin gods.
The sister held the vast majority of the authority over Dust, her power immensely strong, ranking among the top even among gods.
The younger brother was a slacker, content to just bask in the sun wherever he was; he didn't need great power.
"So, what interesting things have you brought back to tell me this time?" Guili asked with a smile.
Every time his sister returned, she would share amusing stories from the outside world with him. Even if he pretended to lack interest, Guizhong would still finish telling them.
The deep blue sea, the white snow-capped mountains, the giant serpent hundreds of meters long, the multi-headed water monster...
So many, many things.
But the more his sister spoke like this, the more it planted a seed in Guili's heart: 'the outside world is dangerous.'
He wasn't unwilling to venture out. He just knew his own strength was weak, the world was perilous, and he feared being targeted. It was safer to just stay hidden at home.
"I've fallen for someone!"
These sudden words made Guili only nod instinctively?
Then, as if reacting, he turned his head to look seriously at Guizhong.
He reached out and pinched that devastatingly beautiful face, then forcefully stretched it sideways.
"Whaf arr you doinff? It hurfs!"
"Phew..." Guili took a deep breath: "It hurts, so this isn't a dream! Why are you suddenly saying such foolish things?"
"No! I'm serious!" Guizhong swatted Guili's hand away.
"I really like someone... well, a god, actually. Morax, that's his name."
"The Geo Archon Morax? How could you like him?" Guili asked, somewhat puzzled. "His heart is made of stone! How could he understand affection?"
Guizhong shook her head: "No, I believe him. He says he wants to build a beautiful world, to give those mortals a home where they can live and work in peace. A god like that, how could his heart be made of stone?"
Guizhong said with a smile: "Even if his heart is stone, so what? I still like him. One day, even stone will be worn down, turned to dust. My heart will reach his."
Guili fell somewhat silent. His sister was brilliant, but also stubborn. This time, he could see she was serious.
"Isn't it enough? The two of us living here, aren't we happy?"
Guizhong stroked Guili's earth-brown long hair, her face full of tenderness.
"Does little brother not want to let sister go?"
"Don't worry, I'll return soon. I'll bring a brother-in-law back for you. Then the three of us can live happily here together."
Guizhong left in the end, taking the pear blossom cakes her younger brother had made for her.
Time passed swiftly. In the blink of an eye, over two thousand years had gone by.
During that time, Guizhong returned twice. Each time, she would tell stories about the Guili Assembly.
She spoke of how happy those mortals were, how they had dealt with this or that god, how the Guizhong Ballista she designed dominated the battlefield.
At the same time, she also complained. She complained that Morax was too straightforward, as if he couldn't understand her feelings at all, his eyes only on those ordinary people.
One day, Guili was making pear blossom cakes when a message arrived from his sister. She would be returning soon, and he should have all the food ready.
Guili simply smiled, rose from his reclining chair, and entered the kitchen.
Pearl-white flour was poured onto the counter. He skillfully added water and began kneading the dough.
But then, Guili's body suddenly began to tremble. The dough ball in his hand fell to the ground.
His frame began to grow, his arms becoming strong and powerful, his body nearing adulthood, his features becoming sharp and handsome like carved stone.
Yet, his eyes began to stream with blood, and his hand clutched tightly at his own heart, enduring a tearing, rending pain.
"Sister... sister..." He kept muttering the words.
A conversation echoed in his mind.
"Sister, when will I be able to grow up?"
"That'll be when I die!"
"Then... then I'll never grow up."