The next day.
Lumine woke from her slumber.
Last night, after listening to Cloud Retainer's words, she had a bad dream.
As she stepped out of her room and stretched, she saw Shenhe already standing guard at the doorway.
"Good morning, Shenhe."
Paimon popped out from behind, "Hehe, did Shenhe rest well?"
"Mm." Shenhe nodded, "...You must have heard about my situation from Master, right?"
Paimon had been wondering how to subtly show concern for Shenhe without her noticing.
After all, Shenhe's past was deeply heartbreaking.
But bringing it up carelessly would only stir painful memories.
Unexpectedly, Shenhe saw right through her.
"How did Shenhe know?"
Shenhe explained that last night, as she was about to rest, she sensed Cloud Retainer's presence.
Looking toward the window, she confirmed it was her.
But given her Master's personality, it was best not to confront her directly at such a time.
Letting her know she was doing fine was enough.
"This is what Master Mu Yang taught me."
[Old Yang effortlessly handles Cloud Retainer]
[That tsundere Adeptus probably fled the moment she was found out]
So, Shenhe only glanced at Cloud Retainer from the window before noticing Lumine and Paimon's figures.
"You've already spoken with Master."
"Combined with your attitude this morning, I guessed Master told you about me."
Shenhe's reasoning was naturally based on the fact that: "After all, Master... is very good at conversation."
Caught red-handed, Paimon scratched her head, a bit embarrassed.
"Hehe... anyway, sorry, Shenhe. I used to think you were an Adeptus too."
Shenhe told her it was fine, that she didn't mind.
"It's my fault for not explaining clearly before, as past experiences have shown that explaining is futile."
"You thought I was an Adeptus, yet you didn't keep your distance out of reverence. Instead, you treated me as a friend."
Shenhe paused, "I know it's because I'm Master Mu Yang's disciple."
"But still, I'm very grateful to you..."
Lumine shook her head, correcting her. It wasn't just because of Mu Yang.
At first, their quick familiarity with Shenhe was indeed partly due to her connection with Mu Yang, that much was true.
But the adventures and teamwork from yesterday were real.
Friendship didn't require complicated ties or ceremonies to prove itself.
If Shenhe enjoyed being with them, that was enough.
Shenhe could accept Lumine and Paimon's kindness with peace of mind, just like last night.
There was no need to put up a front in front of friends—it was okay.
Paimon chimed in, "Yup, yup! From now on, we're good friends!"
"It doesn't matter if you're an Adeptus, a human, or whatever. Just plain old good friends!"
A warm current seemed to flow through Shenhe's heart, a feeling she hadn't experienced in a long time.
When had she forgotten this warmth?
Was it when the red ropes bound her soul, or was it from that cave?
"I'll remember that. I don't know what I should do, but I really like the term 'friend.'"
Lumine and Paimon gave her a different feeling.
Was this what 'friends' meant?
Leaning against the wall behind the door, Mu Yang felt a sense of 'my disciple has finally grown up.'
For Shenhe to feel these emotions again, it really took Lumine's special qualities.
Mu Yang alone might not have been able to pull it off.
At least, the 'Mu Yang' in this setting couldn't do it yet.
He tucked away these thoughts and gently pushed the door open. "Everyone's up? I came to..."
Before Mu Yang could finish, he suddenly felt something off in his body, his mind buzzing.
Thankfully, his right hand grabbed the doorframe in time, preventing him from collapsing backward.
Shenhe and Lumine, quick on their feet, rushed over and supported Mu Yang's body.
"Master, are you okay?"
"Your complexion doesn't look good. Come rest over here first."
Lumine noticed something was wrong with Mu Yang's state; he seemed exhausted.
— — — — — —
Guinaifen, observing the scene's setup and the interplay of light and shadow, remarked,
"It's clearly highlighting Mu Yang's weakness right now, isn't it?"
Little Gui didn't show any signs of anger, and she was a bit worried about the story's direction. "Are we really heading into angst territory?"
[Put on sunglasses, I'll fear nothing. Bring on the pain!]
[Weak Mu Yang, defeated Mu Yang, slurp let me comfort him!]
[Feels like he could shatter at any moment?]
[What's this crisis in Liyue Harbor? Could it be related to Mu Yang?]
— — — — — —
Mu Yang gently patted their hands, signaling they could let go.
He was fine, no need to be so worried.
"But..." Lumine hesitated.
"It's fine, Lumine. I just overdid my training last night, that's all."
"Overdid your training?"
Mu Yang nodded. "You probably heard from Cloud Retainer that a great calamity may befall Liyue Harbor."
"Just in case, I need to have the strength to protect you all, but it seems I pushed myself too hard."
Lumine felt something off about Mu Yang's words.
For some reason, she had never doubted Mu Yang's words before.
But today, it felt like Mu Yang was lying.
How could someone like him let himself get so weak from training?
Mu Yang was hiding something from her.
She glanced at Shenhe, who was looking back at her. They understood each other.
Mu Yang was keeping something from them.
"Mu Yang, rest here for now. We'll go make breakfast for you."
"Master, I'll help too."
As Lumine and Shenhe headed to the kitchen, Paimon followed along.
Though it was unclear if Paimon, with her Schrödinger-level intelligence, grasped the situation...
Watching everyone leave, Mu Yang returned to his usual self.
Though he had diverted a significant portion of his power back to the sword pool,
he wasn't actually weak to this extent—it was all an act.
With version 2.4 and the Lantern Rite approaching, he had to make an appearance and deliver a small dose of drama.
But it wasn't time for the main course yet—just a little scratch for now.
It was also a chance to stack some rage for little Shenhe and see how much she could unleash.
At the kitchen,
Lumine had Paimon prepare ingredients while she spoke with Shenhe.
"Shenhe, about Mu Yang's condition just now, do you know anything?"
Shenhe shook her head honestly. She didn't know why Mu Yang was like that.
"Actually, I've never seen Master Mu Yang during the Lantern Rite."
This revelation was explosive.
Everyone knew the Lantern Rite was a major festival in Liyue.
It was a time for reunion and celebration.
From Mu Yang's past behavior and Cloud Retainer's conversations, it was clear
that Mu Yang cherished his disciple Shenhe dearly. There was no reason for him to miss such an important festival entirely.
Unless...
It wasn't that he didn't want to see his disciple, but that he couldn't.
He was held back by something more important!