After returning from Starsnatch Cliff, Lumine and Paimon remained steeped in sorrow for a long time.
Previously, when Lumine was grieving, Paimon had been there to comfort her. But now, it seemed Paimon was the one who needed comfort the most.
Lumine gently patted Paimon's back, offering soft words of reassurance to the little companion.
It took quite a while for Paimon's spirits to gradually lift.
"Traveler, where should we go now?"
"Let's head back to Liyue."
"Mm-hmm."
The vibrant atmosphere of Liyue, thick with the warmth of everyday life, would be the perfect place to soothe their hearts.
-
Liyue.
Mu Qingge brought her younger sister, Mu Qingxu, to Wanmin Restaurant.
"Chef Mao, is Xiangling here?"
"Ah, Qingge! Xiangling's busy in the kitchen right now. Come on in!"
Hearing that Xiangling was there, Mu Qingge led her sister inside and found a quiet spot to sit.
While Chef Mao's cooking was good, Mu Qingge still craved Xiangling's special dishes more.
"What would you two like to order?"
"Chef Mao, just tell Xiangling to make our usual. She knows."
"Alright! I'll have your order ready soon. Please wait a moment!"
After Chef Mao left, Mu Qingxu asked:
"Sis, what's wrong? You've seemed distracted all day."
"Nothing, just a little tired."
Mu Qingge didn't mention anything about Rola.
The food arrived shortly. Mu Qingge took a bowl and began serving rice for Qingxu.
"Sister, I can do it myself. Even though you're a Qixing now, you need to rest properly when you can!"
Mu Qingge chuckled at her sister, amused that the younger girl was now lecturing her.
"Just eat," she said.
"Oh, oh."
As Mu Qingge was eating, she looked up and saw two familiar figures:
Lumine and Paimon!
Having teleportation abilities was so convenient! Just earlier, they'd been in Mondstadt. She couldn't help but feel a pang of envy.
Back when Malice had fled Mondstadt for Liyue, even at top speed, it had taken over a day.
"Lumine, Paimon! Over here!"
Hearing the familiar voice, Lumine and Paimon turned.
"Qingge! Uh... who's this with you?"
"This is Mu Qingxu, my younger sister. Qingxu, this is Lumine, the famous Traveler you've always wanted to meet. And this is Paimon, equally renowned!"
Paimon blushed, embarrassed by the praise.
Mu Qingxu set down her bowl. "So it's you! I've heard so much about you from my sister. I never thought I'd actually meet you! I'm Mu Qingxu, and I'm so glad to meet you!"
Seeing Mu Qingxu's enthusiasm, Lumine's expression suddenly turned sorrowful, as did Paimon's.
Mu Qingxu, feeling a bit flustered, took two steps back and whispered in her sister's ear, "Sis, did I say something wrong?"
Paimon and Lumine, realizing the misunderstanding, quickly assured her, "No, no, it's not because of you at all, Qingxu! We... we just thought of someone else when we saw you..."
"Yes, that's exactly it. Don't misunderstand, Qingxu," Lumine added.
Seeing the awkwardness between them, Mu Qingge stepped forward to ease the tension. "Lumine, Paimon, our food has just arrived. If you don't mind, why don't you join us?"
Lumine and Paimon exchanged a glance before replying, "Then we thank you, Qingge."
Mu Qingge invited them to sit down and signaled Chef Mao to add more dishes.
Paimon immediately started eating as soon as she sat down. She and Lumine had only eaten some grilled fish the previous afternoon and had spent the entire night accompanying Rola, leaving them both ravenous.
The food tasted even better with everyone eating together, though Lumine and Qingge seemed preoccupied, barely touching their meals.
As more dishes arrived, Paimon devoured nearly everything. Even Mu Qingxu watched in astonishment as the tiny fairy ate with such gusto.
How could such a tiny stomach devour so much food?
And despite eating so much, her little belly hardly seems any bigger.
"Qingxu, I have some errands to run later. You should head home first. I'll be back later."
"Mm-hmm, Sis! Be sure to come back soon, and don't overwork yourself!"
Mu Qingxu idolized her older sister, obeying her every word almost without question.
Watching her sister walk away, Mu Qingge turned to Lumine:
"Lumine, Rola... she's already gone, right?"
Noticing Lumine and Paimon's surprised expressions, Mu Qingge sighed. "That girl... she could never hide her feelings. She thought she was being clever, but the truth was written all over her face."
"I understand why Rola did what she did. She just didn't realize that, to me, she mattered more than anything else. I want to ask you both: when Rola left, was she happy?"
What a pointless question, Mu Qingge thought, mocking herself. How could anyone be happy when leaving?
She rephrased her question: "In the end, did Rola... did she have any regrets?"
Lumine and Paimon's thoughts drifted back to this morning, when they had been with Rola.
Lumine said, "Before Rola left us forever, she did everything she wanted to do. She even took Klee to blow up some fish. In the end, we watched the sunrise together, with everyone from Mondstadt by her side."
"You... you were all there?" Mu Qingge asked, her expression downcast. Why had she missed such an important moment?
"Um, Qingge, you don't blame Rola, do you?" Paimon asked cautiously.
Mu Qingge chuckled ruefully. "What are you thinking, Paimon? I'm just... regretful. Rola was my best friend, and I couldn't be by her side during her final moments."
Lumine and Paimon remained silent, unsure how to comfort her.
The atmosphere at the table grew heavy.
Until...
"Yoyoyo, everyone's here! And the Traveler and Paimon too! Hehe, long time no see!"
Hu Tao, the 77th-generation Director of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, strode into Wanmin Restaurant.
"Hu Tao! I didn't expect to see you here!"
"Ahem, this Director is usually quite busy, you know. See? I'm out working today!" Hu Tao said, pulling a stack of flyers from her robe and handing one each to Paimon, Lumine, and Qingge.
"Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's limited-time mega sale! Buy one, get one free; buy two, get three! The more you buy, the more you save! It's a steal! What do you think? Tempted to order a set?"
Paimon waved her hands frantically, ducking behind Lumine. Lumine also declined for the time being.
Mu Qingge took the flyer Hu Tao offered and scanned it. When she saw the words "Professional Team" and "Trustworthy" printed on it, she nearly burst out laughing, but thankfully managed to restrain herself.
"Director Hu Tao, I'll take a set."
"Huh?" x3
Not only Lumine and Paimon, but even Hu Tao herself doubted her ears.
"Qingge, are you serious?"
Everyone had been saying the Kaiyang's mood had been terrible lately, that she seemed off. Could it be...?
"Stop letting your imagination run wild!" Mu Qingge snapped, rolling her eyes at Hu Tao. "I'm just adding some flair for Director Hu Tao, you know? It'll come in handy someday."
And that day wouldn't be too far off...