Lin Feng's silence made Nahida realize she'd lost control of her emotions.
She tried wiping away the tears pooling in her eyes—but the more she wiped, the faster they spilled.
"D-Don't look at me…"
Realizing how she must look right now, Nahida lowered her head again, voice trembling.
Like a child bullied outside, who finally ran home to cry—only to be scolded by her parents—the little Archon trembled, shoulders shaking as her sniffles grew into quiet, crushed sobs.
For once, the normally mischievous Lin Feng didn't tease her.
He simply sat beside the crying little girl in silence, staying with her while she let everything out.
After a long while, the trembling eased.
"Am I… useless?"
Nahida lifted her head. Her face was still tear-streaked, but her once-empty eyes now had a glimmer of color in them.
"No. You've already done more than enough. Gods and dragons alike acknowledge your achievements."
Lin Feng gently rested his hand atop her head.
"Really? You're not lying?"
Nahida looked at him like a child desperate for reassurance.
"Really. I swear by the name of the God of Contracts."
It was the most serious expression Lin Feng had ever worn.
"…Mm. I believe you."
Feeling the warmth on her head, Nahida didn't try to avoid the touch. Instead, she nudged closer, rubbing lightly against him like a little cat seeking comfort.
Staring down at the tear-soaked patch on his shirt, Lin Feng suddenly realized he'd been wrong from the start.
—Could a short in-game lore entry really summarize the girl in front of him—
this tiny Archon trapped for five centuries, trapped between duty and instinct, struggling all alone?
If the real Nahida were a movie, the game's descriptions were nothing more than scattered fragments.
Looking at the still-shivering girl, Lin Feng gently pulled her—small enough to barely reach his chest—into his arms.
She didn't resist. She simply leaned quietly against him.
A long, peaceful moment passed.
Then Nahida abruptly pushed him away, cheeks flaming, looking as if she'd returned to her usual sunny self.
"T-Thank you… for comforting me. I, um, I'm really sorry!"
She glanced at the wet stain on Lin Feng's chest, mortified.
"It's fine. It's good to let things out."
Lin Feng patted her head again. "But next time you're upset, don't deal with it alone. Talk to me, okay?"
"…Mm."
Nahida accepted the touch honestly, her voice soft and trusting.
"Um… how did you bring real food into a dream?"
Now back to normal, Nahida's curiosity overflowed as she peered at him.
"I'm not too sure myself. I just… can. Within certain limits, I can use myself as an anchor point and turn a dream into something like Vanarana—half real, half not."
Lin Feng was as puzzled by his own ability as she was.
"So that's the power of an outworlder… Completely unreasonable."
Nahida spoke with genuine envy.
"After today, I guess I can't act like a dignified god in front of you anymore."
"—Though someone never treated me like a god to begin with."
Nahida shot him a fierce glare—but still didn't push his hand off her head.
"I actually like this honest version of you better. Even gods have the right to cry."
Lin Feng looked down at the Nahida who no longer dodged his touch and thought,
That Patisserie Pudding was the best investment I've ever made.
"Back to business. I came to ask for leave."
"For the next few weeks, I'll be traveling through ley lines to look for answers. I won't be able to visit you every night."
Having spent quite some time in the dream, he finally brought up his reason for coming.
"I know. Ranaram told me already."
Nahida glanced at the pile of snacks she'd prepared. "That's why I prepared so many… though I didn't expect I'd end up eating most of them."
Her gaze drifted toward the glass pudding cup on the table—clean enough that even the spoon had been licked spotless. She wanted to hide her face.
"If it's for defeating the Withering… do you still need more of my power?"
Nahida asked softly.
"I can give you more this time."
The little Archon had clearly forgotten the terms of their exchange.
"No, no. Your divine power isn't easy to accumulate—you're drained constantly by research tasks already. I don't want to see you turn into a baby the next time I visit."
Seeing how absurdly generous she was being, Lin Feng felt both touched and helpless.
—One pudding and she's like this?
Back in his past life, he'd have taken her to an entire dessert expo.
Nahida's cheeks puffed slightly. "…Say more things like that if you dare."
"I'll head off then. Next time I come, I'll bring you more gifts—look forward to it a little."
Lin Feng waved as he stood from his seat.
"Wait!"
Nahida hurried to him, grabbed his hand, and firmly pressed a leaf into his palm.
"Take this. If you're ever in real danger—tear it. I'll come help you."
She stared at him with unwavering determination.
"Alright, alright. I'll take it, stop glaring at me…"
Lin Feng surrendered. Even Nahida had a stubborn streak, it seemed.
He tucked away the palm-sized emerald leaf.
"Also, go outside more. Play a bit. Spend time with the Aranara. You won't be this free for long."
Right before he vanished, Lin Feng tossed Nahida a line whose meaning she couldn't decipher.
Then he disappeared from the dream entirely.
As he left, the emerald dreamscape grew still again.
A scene she'd seen countless times—yet tonight, for once, Nahida didn't shrink from the idea of sleep.
Slowly, she walked back to the table where Lin Feng had sat.
She stared at the little glass cup.
And suddenly realized—
Tonight would be a rare, precious good dream.
Back in his portable storage, Lin Feng let out a long breath as he felt the half-real, half-dreamlike leaf resting within.
Who could've guessed that one tiny cup of Padisarah Pudding would cause Nahida to react like that?
If he'd given her such a gift from the very start…
would things have turned out the same?
…No.
He already knew the answer.
Without everything they'd shared beforehand, he would've been just another face among the countless people she'd quietly helped.
She wouldn't have relied on him.
She might not have even agreed to meet him again.
Nahida's breakdown wasn't caused by a simple sweet treat.
It was the result of countless quiet moments, countless small accidents, and the tiniest cracks spreading through the mask she'd used to protect herself for five hundred lonely years—
until one unexpected gift made everything overflow.
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