Boom!
Inside the Abyss Order's base—
Aether had officially lost it.
The surrounding Abyss Heralds stood frozen, trembling slightly.
The braver ones dared to sneak a glance—only to see their prince wearing a full-blown mask of pain.
"If only I'd known…"
Now, regret gnawed at him.
But alas—there was no medicine for regret.
"Why did I have to act tough… look at me now…"
He was utterly numb.
"Forget it. Maybe watching the video will calm me down a little… I wonder if Lumine's sad because I left?"
He took a deep breath, steadied his mood, and turned his gaze to the screen—
There, his sister's face appeared, calm and radiant as ever.
His expression softened immediately.
If not for certain reasons, he'd never have chosen to part from her in the first place.
In the video—
"They're gone," Gu Chen said quietly, watching the Abyssal portal vanish.
"Uuuh… Lumine, don't be sad! We'll find them!
And hey, look on the bright side—this time we've at least got some valuable clues!"
Paimon floated to Lumine's side, patting her shoulder comfortingly.
But Lumine only stood in silence.
After a long pause, she glanced at Paimon, then at Gu Chen—lost in thought nearby.
Finally, she spoke in a calm, even tone:
"I'm not sad."
"Huh?"
"Really?"
"But you finally found your brother, and then he left again after saying all that weird stuff.
I thought you'd be heartbroken…"
Paimon blinked in confusion.
Lumine smiled faintly, placing her hands on her hips.
"Don't think I'm that fragile. Besides, this is actually good news!"
"Good… news?" Paimon tilted her head.
"Knowing that he's still alive—that's all that matters."
Watching from the Abyss, Aether: "…"
What did that even mean?
"Knowing I'm alive is enough"?
So you were just checking whether I was dead or not?!
Was this… sister even worth having anymore?!
Aether's brows knitted tightly. He wanted—needed—to hear what came next.
"What do you mean by that?" Paimon asked, puzzled.
Lumine leaned closer, glancing around to make sure Gu Chen wasn't listening.
Then she whispered in Paimon's ear:
"If I know my brother's alive, then there's no rush to find him.
That means I can travel across Teyvat at my own pace, enjoy the journey, and live my own life."
Paimon's eyes widened in realization.
She glanced toward Gu Chen, then whispered back, half-covering her mouth:
"So basically… this means it's romance arc time, right?"
Lumine's face flushed scarlet.
She didn't answer—but she did nod.
"Oooh~" Paimon giggled mischievously.
Aether, watching: "…"
What the hell?!
So my little sister doesn't care about me anymore?!
She just wants to live her best life because she knows I'm not dead?!
Aether clutched his chest.
The pain was real.
His precious little cabbage was about to be stolen by another man!
Rage boiled up inside him—he couldn't hold it in any longer.
[Abyss Prince]:@#￥%!!&￥#%草!!!
[Kaeya]: I get it, man. I really do.
But relax—it's the past-life version of Lumine, not the current one!
[Lumine]: Finally, someone gets it! (Klee·yay)
[Paimon]: Then why did you smile right after saying that in the video, huh? (suspicious)
Liyue, Dihua Marsh — Wangshu Inn.
Lumine sat by the window, waiting for the people Ningguang had sent for her.
At the same time, she was enjoying Liyue's cuisine.
But when she saw Paimon's comment pop up in the chat, her expression darkened.
She shot Paimon with a sharp glare.
"Don't you dare post everything I say in the group!"
"Mmph! Got it!" Paimon clamped her hands over her mouth and nodded repeatedly.
Still, she couldn't quite figure Lumine out anymore.
At first, Lumine had been strongly resistant to how close her past self seemed to Gu Chen.
But gradually—thanks to everyone's teasing, maybe—she'd started to accept it.
From an outsider's view, it looked like Lumine had distanced herself from her past self emotionally, becoming an observer like everyone else.
But now… she was slowly slipping back into it.
Why?
Even Lumine didn't really know.
She could feel those emotions bubbling up inside her, uncontrollably vivid and real.
It didn't matter that this was a "past life"—they were still hers.
If she truly wanted to suppress them, she probably could.
But something deep within told her not to—
To simply let it happen.
"Do I… actually like Gu Chen?"
She muttered quietly to herself.
Recalling everything she'd seen of him in the videos—
He wasn't perfect; he did strange things at times, acted unpredictably…
But she couldn't name a single true flaw either.
"Maybe being with him… wouldn't be so bad," she thought.
[Kaeya]: Time for the male lead to speak! @[Gu Chen]
[Gu Chen]: I know I'm handsome. Don't fall for me—I'm just a legend. (Kaeya·rose thief entrance)
[Yae Miko]: Then the heroine, it's your turn! @[Lumine]
[Lumine]: I know I'm charming, but don't fall for me—I'm the woman you can't have! (Yoimiya·chin pose)
[Kaeya]: 6/10. Points for style.
[Venti]: Alright, alright! If that's how we're playing it, I'll just bring over the Anemo statue for your wedding! (Hu Tao·grin)
[Zhongli]:What?! A wedding?! (alert)
[Azhdaha]: Morax, look at yourself—pathetic!
[Vortex God]: Since we're all in this group, we're friends, right?
So if my friends are getting married, it's only fair that I attend the ceremony! (Nahida·excited)
[Nahida]: (nods earnestly)
[Raiden Ei]: (thinking) Reasonable. (nods)
[Abyss Prince]: Absolutely not! I refuse!!
[Kaeya]: Uh oh, big brother-in-law disapproves. What do we do? (smirk)
[Furina]: Easy!
[Venti]: Go on, let's hear it.
[Neuvillette]: (nervous)
[Furina]: So what if Aether disapproves?
Once Gu Chen and Lumine have… consummated things and given him a nephew,
he'll have no choice but to approve!
[Gu Chen]: Didn't I say the Hydro Archon was full of wisdom?! (applause)
[Furina]: (Hu Tao·smirk)
[Lumine]: You're all ridiculous!!
[Paimon]: Oh-ho~ Why the blush then? (photo: flustered Lumine)
[Lumine]: Cut it out! Focus up—
We just found a lead to Inazuma! I saw Kaedehara Kazuha!
[Kazuha]: Oh, there's nothing special about me.
Let's go back to the previous topic—this one's far more interesting! (Kazuha·grinning)
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