Baizhu waited beside her, watching as she finished eating.
Once she was done, he took the bowl back. "You shouldn't eat too much at once. Rest for a while first."
The girl nodded almost imperceptibly.
After Baizhu left the room with the bowl, Changsheng couldn't resist asking, "Aren't you curious about what happened to that girl?"
"The Millelith will handle the investigation," Baizhu replied. "Even if I knew, I couldn't help. Besides, I have other patients waiting."
After Baizhu left, the girl sat alone for a while, confirming the room was truly safe before lying back down on the bed.
When she awoke again, dusk had fallen. Her strength had mostly returned. She opened the door and stepped outside.
Baizhu was busy behind the counter. Seeing her emerge, he paused his work.
"You're awake. How are you feeling?"
The girl shook her head to indicate she was fine.
"Go wash up in the back courtyard. The Millelith have some questions for you, and they'll be here around the time you're finished."
Still silent, the girl quietly walked toward the back courtyard.
Qiqi gazed at the young woman with wide eyes, then followed her to the back courtyard at Baizhu's gesture.
"I... came to help you... with your bath. The supplies... are over there..."
Qiqi led the young woman to a room containing a large wooden tub, presumably for bathing.
She pulled out her notebook, flipped to the latest page, and said, "This one is... Mr. Baizhu's... and that one is yours."
This time, the young woman didn't remain silent. She murmured softly, "Thank you."
Qiqi tilted her head. "You're welcome."
After some time, the young woman finished washing and changed into the clothes Baizhu had prepared for her.
When she returned to the front hall of Bubu Pharmacy, she found several Millelith soldiers present, in addition to Baizhu.
Freshly bathed, the young woman looked as radiant and delicate as a lotus emerging from water.
Her damp hair cascaded over her shoulders like a waterfall, with a few stray strands clinging playfully to her jade-like cheeks.
Her slightly trembling lips seemed to betray her inner unease.
The Millelith soldiers froze, stunned by her beauty.
The leader of the group, a woman, addressed the young woman. "We have some questions for you. Would you mind coming with us?"
The girl nodded, turning to Baizhu and bowing deeply. "Thank you, Doctor Baizhu."
"So you can talk after all," Changsheng remarked.
After speaking, the girl followed the Millelith officers as they temporarily left Bubu Pharmacy.
Outside, the female Millelith officer led Chu Xi to a quieter spot and asked, "What's your name?"
"I... I'm Chu Xi," the girl replied.
"Chu Xi, we need to know what happened to you before you came to Liyue Harbor."
Chu Xi lowered her head slightly, her voice trembling with emotion.
Hearing her sobs, the Millelith Captain's heart sank. Considering her beauty and the disheveled state she'd been in earlier, he couldn't help but imagine something terrible had happened.
Chu Xi sniffled, forcing herself to suppress her grief. "My parents... they were killed. They burned our house down. I only survived because I hid in the cellar..."
"They? Who are they?"
"I don't know. They kill anyone they see. I'm so scared..."
Tears welled up in Chu Xi's eyes, tugging at the hearts of the Millelith officers.
The Captain placed a hand on her shoulder and gently patted it. "Don't be afraid. This is your home now. The Millelith will help you find justice."
As Chu Xi slowly began to connect with Liyue, Mondstadt was experiencing its own developments.
After days of arduous travel, the Puppet Rola had finally reached the Whispering Woods outside Mondstadt, having journeyed from the Celestial Nail.
Stepping onto Mondstadt's soil again under Rola's identity after so long evoked complex emotions, even though this wasn't the real Rola.
Draped in a voluminous black robe, Rola slowly walked along the narrow path through the Whispering Woods.
Reaching the bridge outside Mondstadt, she paused, gazing at the city's illuminated skyline. She hesitated, taking a step forward, then retreating, until the overwhelming sense of impending doom subsided. Only then did she proceed with confidence.
It seems Venti isn't in Mondstadt today, perhaps not even in Mondstadt at all. This makes things much easier.
Even at night, Mondstadt remained guarded, its gates still open.
Rola crawled under the bridge, hugging its underside, then stealthily approached the city gate's right side, scaling the wall with practiced agility.
Unexpectedly, guards were stationed atop the gate. Rola quietly slipped into their blind spot and successfully infiltrated Mondstadt.
It was now the dead of night, and most of the city's residents had retired for the night.
The streets were quiet, but even in such stillness, Rola couldn't openly walk through Mondstadt. She skirted the city's edge, silently making her way to the back of Favonius Cathedral.
To the true Rola's grave.
Rola was cautious. Mondstadt at night was guarded by Sister Rosaria and the righteous Diluc. With Malice defeated, Diluc had likely returned to Mondstadt to after avenging his family.
If she were caught by either of them before completing her mission, things would become complicated.
She crept forward, finally reaching the cathedral's rear without being detected.
For added security, she crouched nearby for a while, only revealing herself once she confirmed no one was around.
Approaching Rola's tombstone, she read: "Here lies Rola Ragnvindr, Hero Knight..."
Several fruits lay before the grave. Rola picked up a Sunsettia, took a bite, and spat it out with a grimace.
Even though we share flesh and blood, we're fundamentally different, she thought.
Food tasted like nothing to her now, and her body instinctively rejected it.
Kicking aside the offerings, Rola toppled the tombstone with a single kick.
She carefully controlled her strength, kicking the tombstone without making too much noise.
Unlike the small graveyard in the game, this burial ground was vast.
Rola extended her hands, her once-beautiful fingers twisting and transforming into a shovel.
The puppet Rola bent over and began digging with gusto.
Digging my own grave? This is actually kind of thrilling!
Rola unearthed the coffin and pried it open. Inside, her frozen corpse lay perfectly preserved, showing no signs of thawing.
Kaeya's Cryo power couldn't be this strong. It must have been Venti.
Rola hauled out her frozen body, stored it in her Storage Space, then vaulted over the back of the grave and plunged into the lake.
While Rola's mission proceeded smoothly, Qingge's situation was far more complicated.
Puppet Qingge reached the mountainside of Tianheng Mountain. With each step forward, a terrifying dread suddenly descended upon her heart. She had almost given up, but when she retreated, the same dread returned.
Now she was trapped, unable to advance or retreat, utterly miserable.