"And so, the ashes of the Crimson Witch were reassembled by the God of Ice."
"The pure and innocent past was buried by her own hands, and from then on there remained only the executor of the Tsaritsa's will—La Signora."
"That… is the story of that young girl."
Bai Ge finished his narration with a trace of melancholy.
"Wuu… wuu…"
As if perfectly matching the mood, faint sounds of sobbing drifted through the air.
"Hm? Wait—"
Hearing the sound, Bai Ge suddenly froze.
He turned his head, only to realize that this wasn't the wind wailing at all, but Yun Jin quietly crying.
"Wuu… it's too moving… this story is just too touching…"
The Yun Jin who usually looked heroic and commanding on stage, stirring storms with her presence, now listened to Bai Ge's story like a little girl, wiping away tears.
Seeing her like this, Bai Ge was a bit surprised.
But after thinking it over, he understood.
Signora's story had everything people loved most:
A hero and a beauty brought together by song.
A tragedy born of calamity and the impermanence of the world.
A girl who became a witch for the sake of vengeance.
And finally, salvation by a god.
And in the end, repayment of that god's grace by becoming a Fatui Harbinger—
the kind of loyalty and righteousness Liyue folk adored.
So many elements woven together—it was no wonder Yun Jin was so deeply moved.
Being stared at by Bai Ge with such surprise, Yun Jin's cheeks flushed.
She composed herself, wiped away her tears, and said with determination:
"Thank you, Brother Bai, for bringing me such a wonderful story!"
"Starting today, I'm going into seclusion. I will bring this story to life! When it's finished, I'll invite that Lady to come and listen!"
"No, no, no—absolutely not! You mustn't!"
Bai Ge hurriedly stopped her.
Inviting Signora directly to listen? That was practically asking her to explode on the spot.
The best approach was to let the play become wildly popular first, so that Signora would hear about it through fragments and rumors, and only then come to understand it.
By then, she would have heard many different perspectives—perhaps it might even help her step out of her own dead end.
Bai Ge explained this to Yun Jin.
"I see. I understand!" Yun Jin nodded firmly.
"Don't worry—I'll make sure this play becomes a huge hit! I swear it on my name as Yun Jin!"
Hearing this, Yun Jin grew even more resolute.
For her now, there was suddenly a strange new sense of mission—
as if she were about to save a lost young woman.
"Ah… this…"
Looking at Yun Jin's state, Bai Ge felt numb.
Well… as long as you're happy.
Creative motivation was a good thing, after all.
After parting ways with Yun Jin, Bai Ge returned home.
The next day.
When Bai Ge arrived at the Yuheng Office, he was surprised to find that Keqing still hadn't shown up, leaving him once again with nothing to do.
"Looks like the Qixing are really struggling with that proposal Gan Yu and I submitted…"
Seeing Keqing's empty seat, Bai Ge made his guess.
"But that has nothing to do with me."
Since Keqing wasn't there, Bai Ge simply clocked in and out as usual—and after work, headed straight for the Yun-Han Opera Troupe's grounds.
With his high-intensity involvement, Yun Jin's new opera progressed at remarkable speed.
As for things like "Childe" or "Tartaglia"…
Who? Never heard of him. Totally unfamiliar.
For some unknown reason, after that day, Childe never came looking for Bai Ge again.
With Keqing absent and Childe nowhere to be seen, Bai Ge enjoyed the peace and quiet.
However, while he was at ease, the Liyue Qixing were anything but.
Liyue Qixing Assembly Hall.
Inside Yuehai Pavilion, arguments that had lasted nearly a full week showed no sign of stopping.
"All of you—quiet!"
A beautiful silver-haired woman with crimson eyes let out a sharp command.
Looking at the scene before her—chaotic like a marketplace—Ningguang's eyes flashed with irritation.
Dressed as always in her elegant qipao, Ningguang sat with one leg crossed over the other, arms folded, appearing no different from her usual self.
Still very much giving off that "rich lady, hungry, feed me" aura.
Yet the fingers resting on her arm, tapping incessantly, revealed just how impatient she truly was.
It had to be said—thankfully, the Liyue Qixing numbered only seven.
Otherwise, this wouldn't just be a marketplace—it'd be a riot.
And at the same time, Ningguang's authority still carried weight.
The Tianquan had spoken.
Below her, the argument between one side—Yuheng Keqing, Tianshu Uncle Tian, and Tianxuan—and the other three stars finally ceased.
"We've argued long enough. Everyone must be tired," Ningguang said calmly.
"Let's settle this by vote. The proposal regarding reform of Liyue's administrative departments."
Thus began one of Liyue's traditions—the Qixing council vote.
"Yuheng Star votes in favor!"
"Tianshu Star votes in favor!"
"Tianxuan Star votes in favor!"
"Tianji Star votes against!"
"Kaiyang Star votes against!"
"Yaoguang Star votes against!"
The opposing votes concluded swiftly.
Three to three.
All eyes turned to the final vote—
The Tianquan Star, Ningguang.
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