Jean was now absolutely certain.
The man standing before her, calling himself "Ganqing,"
was the same Lin Mo she had spent twenty years with in her dreams.
That knowing smile at the corner of Jean's lips—Lin Mo recognized it all too well.
Twenty years of working side by side.
They knew each other so well that a single gesture, a fleeting expression,
was enough to read the other's thoughts.
On the surface, Jean was inviting him to join the Knights of Favonius.
But that smile in her eyes seemed to whisper softly:
Grand Master, you've given yourself away.
"Ahem… I yearn for freedom," Lin Mo said awkwardly.
"That's why I want to travel across Teyvat.
Becoming a knight… isn't my goal."
His refusal was clear.
Yet the amusement in Jean's eyes didn't fade in the slightest.
It was as if she had already expected this answer.
"What a pity," she said lightly.
"For Mondstadt's future, we… missed the most beautiful years of our lives."
That seemingly offhand remark made little Klee tilt her head in confusion,
her big eyes filled with question marks.
Lin Mo, however, stiffened.
Those words were exactly what he had once said.
Twenty years.
For Mondstadt's future, the two of them had devoted everything to their work,
letting their best years slip quietly away.
Twenty years later,
they stood together on the rooftop of the Knights' headquarters,
looking out over the vast and powerful Mondstadt Empire.
Only then did Lin Mo realize
that he had entered middle age, gray at the temples.
Jean was no different—
still graceful, still beautiful,
yet time had left faint traces on her refined features.
That was why he had spoken those words back then.
He still remembered Jean's reply clearly:
"If… time could be rewound,
would you be willing, Grand Master,
to share those most beautiful years with me—without regret?"
Lin Mo knew.
After so many years together, Jean had long since fallen for him.
To refuse her then
would have shattered the moment entirely.
Besides, he knew he would soon complete his mission
and leave that parallel world behind.
Rather than rejecting her,
why not leave her with a beautiful memory?
After all, time would never truly rewind.
A promise that would never need to be fulfilled—
why wouldn't he accept it?
"I would," he had said.
…
Now, facing Jean's eyes filled with expectation,
Lin Mo wanted nothing more than to slap himself.
Damn it. Why do I always talk big without thinking?
Great—now she's here to make me take responsibility!
No—this wasn't his fault!
It was the system's fault!
He knew now wasn't the time to summon the system and curse it out.
What mattered was how he should respond to Jean.
"Um… Acting Grand Master Jean," Lin Mo said seriously.
"I can join the Knights of Favonius."
"But I have one condition."
"Hm? What condition?"
A hint of joy flickered in Jean's eyes.
She hadn't realized it yet—
the topic had already been skillfully steered away.
Lin Mo would rather join the Knights
than honor that promise he had casually made years ago.
"My condition is this," he said solemnly.
"I want to serve as the Knights of Favonius' diplomatic envoy."
"Diplomatic envoy…"
A trace of grievance surfaced in Jean's gaze once more.
The role was exactly what it sounded like—
representing Mondstadt and the Knights in dealings with neighboring nations.
In other words, Lin Mo still wanted to travel—
just with official funding instead of on his own.
But as long as he joined the Knights, Jean's goal was achieved.
As for this envoy position…
If she didn't assign him any missions,
would he dare to conduct diplomacy on his own?
The Lin Mo she remembered
would never do something so reckless.
"All right," Jean said without hesitation.
"I agree."
"Yay! Big Brother Ganqing is a Knight too now!"
Klee bounced excitedly in place.
To her, Lin Mo's joining meant he could stay with her for a long time.
"Klee, go inform Noelle," Jean said.
"Have her prepare a room for Ganqing."
"Okay~!"
Klee scampered out of the office on her short little legs.
At last, the room felt just like the dream once more—
only Lin Mo and Jean remained.
"Grand Master Lin Mo… it's been a long time,"
Jean said softly, revealing his real name at last.
"Jean…"
Lin Mo smiled bitterly, then replied gently,
"It really has been a long time."
Seeing the man from her dreams standing before her,
Jean felt a storm of emotions churning in her heart.
"So… why didn't you want to stay in Mondstadt?"
She finally asked the question she'd been holding back.
She suspected that his use of an alias
was precisely because he didn't want to be recognized—
and detained—in Mondstadt.
"I… have my own plans," Lin Mo said.
"After the dragon crisis is resolved,
I want to go to Liyue."
Then his tone softened.
"Jean… you'll agree, won't you?"
That familiar way of addressing her
made Jean's heart tremble.
In those twenty years of dreams,
Lin Mo had so often spoken her name like that.
Every evening after work,
when she pushed open the office door,
he would smile and say:
"Jean, you're here."
Late at night, after overtime,
he would gently wake her from the sofa:
"Jean, time to go home and rest."
Again and again—
"Jean" had been his name for her alone.
Memories surged through her heart.
For a moment, she almost agreed—
almost let him leave for Liyue after the crisis.
But then she clenched her fists, forcing herself to stay firm.
Time had finally returned once more.
This time… she would leave no regrets.
With a polite smile, Jean said,
"Grand Master Lin Mo, we can discuss that later.
For now, why don't we talk about the dragon crisis?"
Damn it—this didn't work either?!
Lin Mo fumed inwardly.
He remembered clearly—
Jean used to melt at this.
Just one soft "Jean,"
and she'd agree to anything.
Why was she immune this time?
…
...
Deep within the Abyss, on the Thirteenth Floor.
"My lord, we've discovered why the Knights of Favonius, the Church of Favonius, and the Adventurers' Guild all mobilized at once."
A Hydro Abyss Herald knelt on one knee before the throne.
A blond youth lounged lazily upon it, speaking calmly.
"Go on."
"Yes, my lord!"
The Herald reported quickly:
"This incident was triggered by Fire Knight Klee sneaking out on her own.
After Acting Grand Master Jean found her,
they returned to Mondstadt accompanied by a traveler."
"So far, it doesn't appear to affect our plans."
…
"A traveler… during the dragon crisis?"
The youth leaned forward slightly.
"Was it my sister?"
"No. It was a male traveler, using the name Mod Ganqing."
"Mod Ganqing?"
Alarm flickered in the youth's eyes.
"Does Teyvat even have such a name? It sounds like an alias."
As someone who had traversed Teyvat five hundred years ago,
he was certain—
There was no such surname as "Mod" or "Ganqing" anywhere on the continent.
"My lord, I can recreate his likeness.
Would you like to see it?"
"Mm. Show me."
A traveler who appeared in Mondstadt during the dragon crisis,
using such a suspicious name—
it was enough to make him wary.
As the Hydro Abyss Herald manipulated water elemental energy,
a figure slowly formed on the ground.
The likeness became clearer and clearer.
The moment the youth saw the face,
his pupils shrank violently.
"What?! You're certain it was this man who came to Mondstadt?!"
The Herald stiffened in shock.
A man who remained unfazed even as mountains crumbled before him—
why had the Abyss Prince lost his composure so completely?
--------
T/N:
You'll also get 5 extra chapters just for being a free member!
Access 40 chapters in advance on my Patreon : [email protected]/furinaimpact