As the Hood was removed, soft light fell upon Lovia's face, clearly illuminating the pair of shimmering blue antennae trembling slightly amidst her hair, as well as those moist, crystal-clear large blue eyes.
She tilted her head slightly, her large eyes gazing unblinkingly at Xingqiu with a mix of supplication, pitifulness, and expectation; the moment he looked over, her antennae also gave a gentle wiggle.
Xingqiu: "..."
He felt as if he had been struck by some invisible force.
So... so cute... He subconsciously shifted his gaze away and picked up his teacup, intending to take a sip to mask his awkwardness, only to discover to his embarrassment that the cup was already empty.
"Mi—Miss Lovia, you..." Xingqiu was uncharacteristically at a loss for words, feeling his rationality rapidly Melt under the gaze of those eyes.
The words of refusal were at the tip of his tongue, but seeing Lovia's expression—which seemed to say "I'll cry if you don't agree"—he forced himself to swallow them back down.
He took a deep breath, attempting to regain his usual composure, but to little effect.
"...Fine."
"Just one passage."
The moment the words left his mouth, he saw Lovia's eyes instantly light up as if filled with stars. Her expression shifted from cloudy to clear, and she broke into a sweet smile.
Under his gaze, those antennae bobbed up and down cheerfully.
Lovia cheered inwardly and quickly picked up "the lonely cry of the remnant night," flipping to a page she had prepared long ago—it was the passage where Xiao, before resolving to meet his end, wrote in his diary: "Though this body is stained, the heart can turn toward the bright moon."
She cleared her throat and, using a tone tinged with immersion, began to read: "...The world says I have betrayed it, and I seek no one's understanding. I only wish to use this remnant husk to burn away the karmic fire and cleanse the demons. Though the bright moon is distant, its clear radiance remains, illuminating my solitary shadow and comforting my loneliness. Though this body is mired in the slough, this heart... can turn toward the bright moon."
Her voice was not loud, but it sounded exceptionally clear in the quiet side hall; every word was like a small hammer, gently tapping against Xingqiu's heart.
Xingqiu almost held his breath. Hearing the plot he had conceived being read aloud by Lovia, the feeling was more intense and shameful than any face-to-face praise or criticism. He subconsciously looked away, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly.
After Lovia finished reading the passage, she closed the book and looked up, unsurprisingly seeing that subtle mix of embarrassment and helplessness on Xingqiu's face.
Xingqiu slowly let out a breath at the soft sound of the book closing. He set down his teacup, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the smooth rim, and finally turned his gaze back to Lovia.
"Miss Lovia," he spoke, "you visit today; saying farewell is the first reason, and this... would be the second?"
The sense of success from her prank was like a full bubble, popping gently and leaving behind a skipping ripple of joy. She gave a soft "Mm," the end of her voice carrying a lightness she hadn't even noticed herself.
"I just... think this book is written really well," she added, trying to keep her voice sounding "sincere." "Especially the reflections on heroes and history, and this sentence—Mr. Zhenyu seems to have a deeper meaning. Don't you think so, Brother Xingqiu?"
Only, her small tail was wagging stealthily behind her, hinting at her current delight.
"Heroes and history..." Xingqiu repeated softly, his fingertip tracing a circle around the edge of the empty cup. "Since ancient times, what is recorded in history books may not be the whole truth. And what people pass down by word of mouth may not be entirely false. What's important is whether anyone is willing to listen to those voices covered in dust, and whether they are willing to believe that beneath the radiance, in the shadows, there might also be an unknown persistence."
"That you can read such things from it shows the depth of your attention. I think if that Mr. Zhenyu knew he had a reader like you, he would surely consider you a kindred spirit." He skillfully shifted the focus of the topic from "what Xingqiu thinks" to "what Mr. Zhenyu might think."
Lovia nodded and put her Hood back on. The shadow softly enveloped her face once more, leaving only a well-behaved silhouette.
She pushed "the lonely cry of the remnant night" toward Xingqiu again, saying obediently, "I hope Brother Xingqiu doesn't mind this gift."
Xingqiu looked at the book. This time, he no longer showed any embarrassment; instead, he accepted it with a smile and placed it properly by his side.
"I shall naturally treasure your gift," he said with a sincere tone. "It's just a pity that I didn't realize you were coming to say goodbye today and didn't even prepare a gift. My apologies."
"Since we are about to part, I wonder what your plans are? If your itinerary isn't too busy, perhaps..."
However, his words were interrupted by a commotion at the door, accompanied by a youth's clear and somewhat urgent voice: "Xingqiu! I found that... uh?"
Chongyun's figure appeared at the door. He seemed to be holding something, his face filled with the excitement of having discovered a new continent. But when he saw Lovia still sitting in the hall, that excitement instantly stalled, turning into an embarrassed, sheepish grin.
"Ah, sorry, sorry, I forgot you were seeing a guest again..." He scratched his head, his feet stopping outside the threshold, looking a bit torn between entering or leaving.
Xingqiu seemed long accustomed to this, shaking his head with a smile. "No matter, Chongyun. Come in. Miss Lovia is no stranger."
"Brother Chongyun!" Lovia saw her familiar friend and greeted the young Taoist Practitioner at the door.
Only then did Chongyun see clearly that it was Lovia. He let out a sigh of relief and walked in quickly, saying to Xingqiu with some embarrassment, "Did I interrupt you two talking about serious business?"
"It's fine, Miss Lovia has come to say goodbye," Xingqiu explained.
"Goodbye?" Chongyun hadn't expected this at all and looked at Lovia in surprise. "You're leaving Liyue?"
Lovia nodded and simply repeated what she had just told Xingqiu: "Mm, my journey is coming to an end, and I'll be leaving soon. Since I happened to run into you, I'll say goodbye to you as well."
Reluctance immediately showed on Chongyun's face. "So soon... You haven't even tasted all the delicacies of Liyue yet. Xiangling mentioned a few days ago that she wanted to research some new dishes and invite you to try them."
At the mention of Xiangling and new dishes, a warm smile appeared on Lovia's face. "I'm very happy to have met you all in Liyue."
As she said this, her gaze fell sincerely on Xingqiu and Chongyun's faces, but only for a moment before she naturally looked away. She still didn't quite like looking directly at others, especially their faces.
Xingqiu gave a slight smile, while Chongyun rubbed his nose somewhat sheepishly.
"Since you're leaving, take this!" Chongyun seemed to suddenly remember something and handed over the item he had been holding.
It was a Peace Talisman folded from talisman paper, with intricate patterns drawn in cinnabar upon it.
"I made it myself. Carrying it can calm the mind and ward off evil... Uh, although you're a Melusine and might not need it, it—it's a memento!"
Lovia carefully took the exquisite-looking Peace Talisman, her antennae wiggling gently to show her joy. "This is wonderful! Thank you, Brother Chongyun. I will treasure it!"
She tucked the Peace Talisman away carefully and then pulled her Hood tight again, wrapping herself back into her cloak.
"Then... Brother Xingqiu, Brother Chongyun, I'll take my leave now." She gave a slight bow.
Before Lovia could leave, Xingqiu let out a soft "Oh my," looking at Chongyun with a touch of well-timed complaint. "You, oh you. Usually so straightforward, how are you so clever today? You even prepared a parting gift in advance."
"Sending out such a unique gift makes me look completely unprepared." He shook his head, his tone laced with half-real, half-fake chagrin. "With you making a move like this, what should I, who accepted her book and listened to her read a passage, do?"
Chongyun finally understood and defended himself somewhat sheepishly, "I—I didn't mean to! I just heard Lovia was leaving and gave it to her in a hurry."
Chongyun's voice grew smaller as he spoke, also feeling that he had indeed jumped the gun and put Xingqiu in a passive position. He seemed completely unaware that Xingqiu was teasing him on purpose.
Sure enough, seeing him like this, Xingqiu laughed instead and stopped teasing him. He just looked at Lovia, his eyes holding a gentle apology. "I wanted to make some preparations, but it seems there's no time."
Lovia naturally knew Xingqiu was teasing Chongyun rather than blaming him for not having a gift. Seeing this, she quickly waved her hands, the antennae under her Hood wiggling gently with her movements. "It's alright, Brother Xingqiu! Really, no need to go to any trouble!"
Her voice came from under the Hood, filled with urgency. "I only came to say goodbye today. To—to be able to hear your thoughts on that passage already makes me very happy. Receiving a gift from Brother Chongyun was an unexpected surprise."
She paused, as if feeling it wasn't enough, and added in a soft but firm voice, "Memories between friends are the best gift of all."
Xingqiu looked at her urgent explanation. Those clear blue eyes seemed to shine even in the shadow of the Hood, and the slight chagrin in his heart vanished, replaced by a sense of tenderness.
He smiled slightly, no longer dwelling on it, and said warmly, "In that case, I will keep this sentiment in mind for now. May you have a safe journey, Lovia."
Lovia nodded vigorously. After bidding them farewell once more, she turned and quietly left the side hall.
Xingqiu and Chongyun both stood up to see her off.
Xingqiu said warmly, "If fate permits, we shall meet again in the world."
"Take care! When you come to Liyue again in the future, you must come find us!" Chongyun waved his hand vigorously.
Lovia took one last look at the two youths, nodded, and then turned to leave the Feiyun Commerce Guild.
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