At this moment, everyone turned their gaze toward Lin Mo, eyes filled with doubt and curiosity.
Who, exactly, was his first love?
Could it be that this mysterious first love was the reason Lin Mo had become such a heart-stealing troublemaker?
Even Lin Mo himself was utterly confused.
His first love?
Could it have been in a different timeline—one where he had arrived in Mondstadt earlier and become Klee's father?
Did that mean Klee's mother, Alice, had entrusted Qiqi with this gift?
Impossible!
Utterly impossible!!!
Just as Lin Mo was about to ask Qiqi directly, she somehow appeared right in front of him.
Her small hand tugged gently at his pant leg as she looked up at him with wide, searching eyes.
"When I… when I see you… my heart hurts so much," Qiqi said softly.
"It's strange… I haven't felt this sad in a very, very long time…"
"The last time I felt this sad… was when Lord Lin Mo passed away."
"You actually still…"
In that instant, Lin Mo felt his heart ache with an overwhelming sourness.
He knew.
He knew that Qiqi had to rely on her notebook to remember most things.
She forgot almost everything.
And yet… she still remembered his name.
Lin Mo couldn't help but squat down in front of her, meeting her gaze.
Suppressing the ache in his chest, he forced a gentle smile.
"Qiqi… what do you remember about Lord Lin Mo?"
"I remember… I remember a lot," Qiqi said blankly.
"I remember… the first time Lord Lin Mo treated me to coconut milk."
"Even though… even though I couldn't taste it…"
"It was still very good…"
"I also remember… the soft exercise Lord Lin Mo taught me."
"He told me… I must practice it every day…"
As she spoke, Qiqi slowly lowered her head.
Though her face showed little expression, Lin Mo knew—this was her way of showing sadness.
"A-and… anything else?" Lin Mo asked quietly, his voice cautious, as if afraid to disturb her memories.
"Before… Lord Lin Mo always seemed very busy…"
"But every time he came to see Qiqi…"
"The little birds he fed would take flight…"
"That's how Qiqi knew… Lord Lin Mo had come to visit me…"
"So… Qiqi likes little birds…"
"Do you remember what Lord Lin Mo looked like?" Lin Mo asked carefully.
Qiqi didn't answer.
She seemed to be searching her mind desperately, even clutching her head.
Her expression remained unchanged, yet she looked as though she were in pain.
"I'm sorry… I can't remember," she said quietly, without lifting her head.
Her voice sounded flat, drained.
"It's okay. Lord Lin Mo won't blame you," Lin Mo said softly, resting his hand on her head.
"Who… is this child?" Rosalyne asked from the side, unable to hold back.
She wasn't the only one.
Yae Miko, Lumine, and Paimon all looked at Lin Mo with the same confusion—and the same heartache.
It was obvious to everyone that the little girl before them had suffered some kind of severe trauma to her mind.
She had lost her expressions.
Lost her ability to remember like a normal person.
And yet, even so…
She still remembered Lin Mo, a figure who had existed in this world thousands of years ago.
Everyone wondered what this child had been through.
And what kind of bond she shared with Lin Mo.
At that moment, Lin Mo slowly began to speak.
"Many years ago, there was a little girl who gathered herbs. She lost her way in the mountains and wandered deep into the desolate ranges where no one lived."
"While picking Glaze Lilies, she slipped and fell from a cliff, badly injuring her right leg. In her panic, she found a cave to rest and bandage her wounds."
"While she was tending to herself…"
"She heard a thunderous sound outside the cave—something that had never existed in the mortal world."
"It was the earth-shaking turmoil born from a war between gods."
"Before the little girl could react, the cave collapsed under the impact."
"A child caught in such a calamity should have died."
"But at the brink of life and death, she unleashed an overwhelming will to survive."
"Through fading consciousness, she murmured, 'I can't die… I still have so many things to do… my family is waiting for me to come home…'"
"In truth… she had already died."
"But the fierce desire of her soul, her longing for her loved ones, and her unwillingness to accept death moved the immortals who returned from the war."
"Led by an immortal named Lin Mo…"
"The adepti each contributed a portion of their power, sealing it within the girl's body in an attempt to revive her."
"She awakened, reborn anew."
"After living alongside the immortals for decades, the immortal named Lin Mo passed away."
"The shock shattered the girl's heart, and she gradually lost control of the power within her."
"At times, she would descend into madness, hurting those around her."
"To prevent the girl from losing all reason, Cloud Retainer was forced to intervene, sealing her within amber."
"Hundreds of years later… she was discovered."
"And eventually taken in by Baizhu of Bubu Pharmacy."
In just a few hundred words, Lin Mo laid bare Qiqi's journey across millennia.
Only then did everyone finally understand.
Looking at Qiqi, they felt the same ache rise in their own hearts.
"You… your name is Lin Mo too…"
"You're just like Lord Lin Mo… very gentle…"
Qiqi stared unblinkingly at Lin Mo.
She still hadn't realized that the person standing before her was the very Lord Lin Mo she had carried in her memories for thousands of years.
After all—
When she learned from the immortals that Lord Lin Mo had passed away, she understood that he was not a god.
That meant there would be no reunion in this lifetime.
Over the years, she had encountered others in Liyue who shared the name "Lin Mo."
But she knew…
They were merely namesakes, not the Lin Mo in her heart.
Still, Qiqi couldn't help herself.
She reached out and gently placed her hand over the one resting on her head.
"Strange… why does Mr. Lin Mo's hand feel… so warm?"
"But Qiqi doesn't dislike it…"
"It feels… like Lord Lin Mo's warmth…"
As she spoke, she raised her head again and looked at him.
"Mr. Lin Mo…"
"Are you Lord Lin Mo?"
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T/N:
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