The morning light of Liyue Harbor shattered across the street, scattering fine golden specks.
The calls of street-side shops drifted by, wrapped in the bustle of daily life. The granny selling Glaze Lilies was calling out to customers, and the aroma of Wanmin Restaurant's food mixed with the pungent scent of chili, making one's nose itch.
Lumine and Paimon walked side by side. Paimon hovered in mid-air, clutching half a piece of Almond Tofu in her hand, still chatting away incessantly.
"Look! The flower shop that was smashed before has actually reopened!" Paimon suddenly pointed to the street corner, her voice full of delight.
But just as she finished speaking, her tone sank: "If Yunqin were still here, she would definitely pull us to pick out flowers..."
Lumine's footsteps paused, her gaze falling on the flower shop's entrance.
The petals were covered in morning dew, crystalline and translucent.
She nodded gently, her voice hiding an imperceptible sense of loss: "Yeah..."
Just as the two were immersed in their regret, a gentle voice suddenly came from behind: "The two of you have the leisure to stroll in Liyue Harbor today."
Lumine and Paimon turned their heads at the same time, only to see Zhongli dressed in a black robe, walking slowly toward them.
After Yunqin's funeral, the Geo Archon had been living in seclusion under the identity of "Zhongli." Ordinarily, he would either be helping Hu Tao at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor or strolling through the streets.
The people of Liyue had long known that Rex Lapis had not "passed away," so the previous Rite of Parting had naturally come to nothing.
As for whether the next Rite of Descension would be held, no conclusion had been reached to this day. After all, the "faked death" plan had fallen through, and this thousand-year-old Rex Lapis ultimately could not leave this land he had guarded for a millennium.
"Zhongli!" Paimon immediately flew over, circling him twice. "Is Hu Tao feeling better? Last time we saw her, her eyes were red from crying. Is she okay now?"
"Thank you both for your concern. The Director has almost recovered and is currently busy pondering a new 'buy one get one free' promotion." Zhongli's gaze fell on Lumine, his tone gradually softening. "I heard you two mention Yunqin just now. I suppose you are missing her again."
Lumine nodded, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the Festering Desire at her waist. The sword was still wrapped in cloth strips to conceal this "sword of ill omen."
After the great war, Venti had returned the Festering Desire to her.
Although she didn't know how the Festering Desire had been repaired again, nor why it had ended up in Venti's hands...
"Yeah, seeing the streets getting better and better, I always feel like she's still here... She did so much for Liyue, yet she never got to see this peace."
Hearing this, a layer of melancholy spread across Zhongli's eyes: "Liyue will not forget her kindness."
"Last year's Lantern Rite, she once tugged at my sleeve and said she wanted to try the osmanthus wine, even saying she'd compete with me to see who could guess the wine's vintage." He paused, his voice as light as osmanthus petals scattered by the wind. "Now the osmanthus tree at the alley entrance has bloomed again, the wine is still here, but the person is gone."
As his voice fell, he slowly recited that line of poetry: "I wish to buy osmanthus wine and drink it with you, but alas, when will we meet again, old friend?"
This line of poetry was like a fine needle, gently pricking the hearts of the two.
Paimon sniffled, tears welling in her eyes, and said softly: "Zhongli, don't be sad... Yunqin definitely wouldn't want you to be like this. She loved Liyue so much, and seeing it doing so well now, she would definitely be happy."
Zhongli nodded slightly and turned his gaze to Lumine, his tone suddenly becoming grave: "Speaking of which, there may be something related to you."
"I happened to meet Venti at the Wangshu Inn yesterday. Though that friend of mine is fond of the bottle, he also knows how to distinguish the important from the trivial."
"He said he's recently seen a blonde-haired outlander within Mondstadt's borders. This person always lingers alone near the Statue of the Seven, occasionally fighting Abyss monsters, but never speaks to anyone else."
Lumine's pupils suddenly constricted, and her heart skipped a beat. She took a step forward, pressing urgently: "Venti... did he see that person's face clearly? Do they look very much like me?"
"Venti said the person's hair color is nearly identical to yours. He didn't notice anything else, as it seemed his stalking had already been discovered." Zhongli spoke slowly, a trace of solemnity in his golden eyes. "He was afraid to startle the target and didn't dare get any closer to investigate, only watching from afar for a moment."
"According to his judgment, that person is very likely to be the Brother you've been searching for all this time."
"Brother..." Lumine's voice trembled uncontrollably.
For so long, she had traversed Teyvat's mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas, yet always failed to find any trace of her brother.
Now that there was finally a clue, she could barely restrain her steps, grabbing Zhongli's arm: "What else did Venti say? Exactly where in Mondstadt was that person seen?"
"He only said he had seen them several times near the Statue of the Seven and didn't dare pursue them too closely." Zhongli gently patted the back of her hand, his gesture a gentle reassurance. "Don't be anxious. Though Mondstadt is large, as long as he is still there, you will surely find him with your abilities."
"Mm! Thank you, Zhongli!" Lumine quickly gave her thanks, then turned and grabbed Paimon's hand, her voice urgent. "Paimon, let's go to Mondstadt right now! We'll go find Brother there!"
Paimon was pulled off balance by her, hurriedly stuffing the last bite of Almond Tofu into her mouth, calling out unclearly, "Hey hey hey! Wait for me! Shouldn't we buy some emergency food first?"
"There's no time! Let's go to Mondstadt first!" Lumine's voice gradually faded into the distance.
The figures of the two quickly disappeared from the alleyway, leaving only a gust of wind passing through.
Zhongli watched their hurried figures retreat, shaking his head gently, a soft smile flitting through his eyes.
He slowly turned his head, his gaze sweeping past the street corner to land on the nearby Xinyue Kiosk.
At a window seat, Osial was clumsily serving Yunxuan food, his chopsticks nearly slipping from his grasp several times.
Beisht held a silk handkerchief, gently wiping away a smear of sauce from the corner of Yunxuan's mouth, her eyes filled with an unshakeable warmth.
The scene of the family of three was as heartwarming as a painting, and no one could tell that they were once gods Liyue had feared.
"Another instance of Erosion," Zhongli murmured softly, his voice carrying the weariness unique to the thousand-year-old Rex Lapis.
Yunqin's departure had been Liyue's pain, yet it had also fully awakened Osial and Beisht, allowing Yunxuan to escape the shadows of the Abyss and find a true home.
This Erosion, tinged with regret, had ultimately brought a measure of warmth.
He did not step forward to disturb them, but simply watched for a moment before turning to leave.
His dark robes fluttered gently in the morning light, like a steady cloud gradually vanishing at the end of the alley.
And inside the restaurant, Yunxuan just happened to look up, her gaze meeting Zhongli's retreating back.
Her movements paused, a flicker of complex emotions crossing her eyes.
Osial noticed her distraction, put down his chopsticks, and asked softly, "What's wrong, Little Xuan? Is the food not to your liking?"
"No," Yunxuan shook her head gently, drawing her gaze back as she picked up a piece of fish with her chopsticks and placed it in Beisht's bowl. A smile returned to her lips. "I just think the fish is very delicious today."
She did not chase after him, nor did she say anything more.
Zhongli's kindness, she kept in her heart.
Yunqin's wish, she would fulfill on her behalf.
For now, she would simply stay by her parents' side and cherish this peace that Yunqin had bought with her own life. This was enough.