**Chapter 18: Columbina and Shenhe**
Just as Jingchen was preparing to take Columbina and Qiqi out for a stroll to clear their minds, Vlad and Nadia called him back.
"Lord Jingchen, there's one more thing."
Jingchen turned to face them, his expression calm. "What is it?"
"The Lady has obtained the Wind God's Heart and will arrive in Liyue early next month."
Jingchen frowned at this news.
Rosalyne had succeeded, meaning the Rite of Descension, the Emperor's staged death, Lumine's arrival, the Adepti's descent, Tartaglia unleashing Osial—the entire Archon Quest sequence was about to begin!
The fragile ties between Snezhnaya and Liyue were about to shatter completely.
On one side stood Columbina, whom he loved, and the Ninth Company—his trained subordinates, including Katarina and the others.
On the other side were his mentor and two senior sisters, who had shown him kindness, and friends like Doctor Baizhu.
The weight of these choices pressed heavily on him.
Yet no matter what happened, no matter the cost, he would choose Columbina.
But would his relationships with the people of Liyue—his mentor and his friends—ever be the same again?
*Sigh.* The position of Fatui Harbinger wasn't as glamorous as he'd imagined.
We must seize the Geo Archon's Heart before Rosalyne does.
And get Tartaglia back to Snezhnaya as soon as possible.
Columbina immediately sensed Jingchen's thoughts and quietly nestled closer to him.
With her eyes tightly closed, she whispered gently into his ear, "A'chen, it'll be alright. If all else fails, we'll just stab Tartaglia and Rosalyne in the back and beat them back to Snezhnaya."
Hearing Columbina speak so tenderly about backstabbing Tartaglia and Rosalyne and beating them up, Jingchen couldn't help but laugh. He replied, "They'd definitely run back to Snezhnaya and report us to the Ice Queen."
Columbina smiled, pressing closer to Jingchen and declaring confidently, "Then I'll write to the Ice Queen myself and tell her they're more trouble than they're worth, constantly hindering us. After all, we're the Third Seat, and they're much lower-ranking. I'm sure the Ice Queen will side with us."
Jingchen gently stroked Columbina's hair.
*Ah, my dear Maiden,* he thought. *To put it kindly, she's ice-cold and brilliant.*
"Almost. She's like that with everyone except me. I really love her personality."
"Aya, backstabbing among the Fatui Harbingers is practically tradition, right?!" Columbina declared, hands on her hips, nodding with mock righteousness.
"I'd backstab any Harbinger except you—Doctor's slices, Pierro, I don't care."
Jingchen knew better than anyone that Columbina's seemingly joking words were entirely sincere.
They shared a seat, their hearts aligned, destined to be together for life. Every day spent with her was filled with such beauty.
Columbina, sensing Jingchen's thoughts, smiled warmly.
With her left ring finger, she traced words in his palm:
*One life, one love; one love, one life.*
*Never apart at dawn, never forsaken at dusk, forever entwined through all seasons.*
"Aya, you're truly the most..."
Columbina widened her ruby-like eyes, her face brimming with curiosity. "The most what?!"
"The most understanding of me..."
Columbina burst into laughter.
The two guards felt utterly stuffed with this dog food, utterly annoyed. Yet they couldn't show it, forced to endure the spectacle and pray for these two high-ranking Harbingers to leave soon.
***
That afternoon, Jingchen took Columbina and Qiqi on a tour of Liyue Harbor.
They bought oiled paper umbrellas, kites, and various snacks.
The most satisfying moment came when they beat up Stone, the owner of the fraudulent "Jadeite Row."
He had claimed the stones contained ancient rocks thousands of years old.
With a wave of her hand, Columbina tossed out jade energy and purchased all his stones for thirty million Mora.
Jingchen and Columbina pried them open, only to find not a single ancient rock.
Without a word, Columbina smashed the stone stall to pieces.
Jingchen seized the opportunity to give "Stone" a thorough beating and reclaim all thirty million Mora.
When the Millelith arrived to restore order and saw the one being beaten was the black-hearted Stone, they chose to look the other way and quietly withdrew.
As evening approached, the trio, having thoroughly enjoyed their afternoon in Liyue Harbor,
ascended the stone steps to Madam Ping's teahouse outside Moonsea Pavilion.
Madam Ping squinted and waved at Jingchen and Columbina.
"Hmm? I didn't expect you'd bring Qiqi along, Jingchen."
"Madam Ping, Doctor Baizhu is away from Liyue Harbor, so Columbina and I are taking care of Qiqi for a while."
"Are you hoping Qiqi can help resolve Hu Tao's inner turmoil?"
"This... Could it be that Hu Tao's troubles aren't really about Qiqi, but about me?"
Madam Ping poured tea for Jingchen and Columbina, her voice calm as she spoke.
"The one who tied the knot must untie it.
Jingchen, without realizing it, I've lived for over three thousand years without witnessing the Martial God's splendor."
Jingchen smiled awkwardly. *The Martial God's splendor...* This...
*The Rock Archon's splendor is best left unseen in this era.*
A few minutes later, Senior Sister Ganyu and Senior Sister Shenhe unexpectedly arrived.
Ganyu sat beside Madam Ping, her gentle smile unwavering, and greeted Jingchen and Columbina with polite formality.
"Good evening, Junior Brother Jingchen, Columbina."
"Good evening, Senior Sister Ganyu."
Beside them, Shenhe glared fiercely at Columbina, her icy gaze showing no restraint.
Columbina opened her eyes and returned Shenhe's stare.
Shenhe addressed Jingchen in her usual cold tone: "Junior Brother, is she your wife?"
"Yes, Aya. This is my Senior Sister Shenhe."
Columbina stepped forward slightly and extended her hand. Shenhe reciprocated.
Their hands clasped tightly.
A melting reaction erupted between the icy chill and the terrifying heat radiating from their grip.
Neither Shenhe nor Columbina loosened their grip; instead, they squeezed harder.
Jingchen froze, stunned. Columbina was actually having a strength contest with Senior Sister Shenhe?!
He frantically tried to rush forward and separate them, but Madam Ping held him back.
"Jingchen, it's alright. Your wife isn't as fragile as you think."
Ignoring her, Jingchen still charged forward, forcibly pulling Columbina away. He took her hand and gently blew on it, anxious that Shenhe's terrifying strength might have injured her.
........
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(End of Chapter)