Cradled by the warmth of Xiao's palm, Yunqin felt as if she had been enveloped in a soft, protective shield.
The night wind swept across the Guili Plains, carrying the scent of withered grass and damp earth. The tension that had kept her nerves taut with fear gradually unraveled in this newfound security.
She had tried to force herself to stay awake, terrified that closing her eyes would plunge her back into the Abyssal Black Miasma.
But her eyelids grew heavier. The blue glow of the Hydro Element surrounding her body mingled with Xiao's faint scent, wrapping around her like a childhood wool blanket and warming her heart.
Before she knew it, her breathing slowed and deepened. Her head tilted gently to the side, coming to rest softly on Xiao's shoulder. Even the crease between her brows smoothed out as she fell into a deep sleep.
Xiao's body froze instantly. He could feel the tickle of the girl's hair brushing against his shoulder and the weight of her leaning against him—a weight as light as a feather, yet one that made him afraid to move a muscle.
He lowered his gaze to Yunqin, who rested against his shoulder. Unshed tears still clung to her eyelashes, shimmering in the moonlight. Yet, her brow had finally relaxed, and a faint, almost imperceptible smile had touched the corners of her lips.
It seems... she has finally let down all her defenses.
The Yaksha, who had always walked alone and grown accustomed to the company of Karmic Debt, now felt a trace of awkward tenderness.
He slowly adjusted his posture, making his shoulder more steady, and remained perfectly still, keeping the same position as Yunqin, accompanying her.
Watching the lights of Liyue Harbor in the distance gradually extinguish, his eyelids also grew heavy.
Perhaps it was because the girl beside him breathed so steadily.
Perhaps the words from last night had not only comforted Yunqin, but had also quietly smoothed the creases in his own heart.
Even the piercing pain brought by Karmic Debt had faded a little.
As dawn broke, the first rays of morning light pierced through the clouds, scattering like fine gold foil across the grass of Guili Plains.
Yunqin opened her eyes groggily, her head still a bit muddled, and she subconsciously leaned closer to the source of heat.
Only when she felt a slight stiffness from the shoulder did she suddenly snap back to her senses.
She had actually slept on Xiao's shoulder all night!
She slowly lifted her head and saw Xiao leaning against the earthen wall of the small earthen hut, his eyes gently closed, his eyelashes casting fine shadows in the morning light. Even his usually sharp brow had softened in his sleep.
His Yaksha mask was carefully placed on the grass nearby, revealing his true face. His lips were pressed into a straight line, and the faint dark circles under his eyes couldn't hide his fatigue, yet he slept exceptionally peacefully.
"So even a Yaksha can have such a quiet moment..."
Yunqin thought quietly to herself, her fingertips unable to resist gently touching Xiao's cheek, feeling the warm sensation.
As if possessed, she extended her finger and lightly pinched his cheek. The soft feel made her lips curl into a smile, and she even softened her breath, afraid of disturbing him.
"Is it soft?"
The sudden voice made Yunqin freeze instantly, her finger still resting on Xiao's face, as if she had been cast with a immobilization spell.
She abruptly looked up and met Xiao's open eyes.
Those eyes still held a hint of drowsiness from just waking up, yet his pupils clearly reflected her figure, even showing her flushed cheeks in perfect detail.
Yunqin's face turned completely red in a flash. As if burned, she quickly withdrew her hand and hurriedly lowered her head to stare at her own legs, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz: "S, sorry! I... I thought you hadn't woken up yet, I didn't do it on purpose..."
Xiao slowly stood up and moved his stiff shoulder, which let out a slight "crack."
He looked at the girl who was so flustered she almost buried her head in her chest, his tone lacking any hint of blame, instead carrying a trace of an imperceptible smile: "It's fine."
He had slept unusually soundly last night, and even the recurring stabs of pain brought on by his Karmic Debt had subsided considerably.
It must be that the young girl's aura was too tranquil, like a barrier quietly blocking out those surging negative emotions.
His gaze fell upon Yunqin and found she had already stood up, her eyes watching the sun slowly rising in the distance.
The morning light spilled over Yunqin's face, rekindling the light of hope in her eyes.
It was no longer full of fear and vulnerability like last night, but instead resembled the focused glow in her eyes when she sculpted statues on ordinary days.
Xiao secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
In fact, he had struggled with a dilemma for a long time last night: the night wind of Guili Plains was cold, and he feared she would catch a chill if she fell asleep outside.
But if he carried her into the small earthen hut, he feared disturbing her rare peace.
In the end, he could only endure holding his posture, silently protecting her with his own aura.
Now, seeing the light in the young girl's eyes, he knew that this perseverance had not been in vain.
Just then, Yunqin suddenly looked up, her voice carrying a hint of hesitation, as if she had carefully weighed her words in her mind for a long time: "Xiao... could you not tell anyone else about yesterday?"
Xiao froze for a moment, then turned to look at her.
Yunqin's face reddened even more, even the tips of her ears flushed pink as she explained in a small voice, "I don't want Rex Lapis and the others to know... I was such a mess yesterday, I'm afraid they will be disappointed..."
Looking at her flushed ear tips, Xiao remembered her breaking down in tears last night, repeatedly asking "Am I really that terrible?" His heart softened, and he nodded gently. "Alright."
"That's great!" Yunqin's eyes instantly lit up, as if a thousand-pound burden had been lifted from her shoulders.
She carefully extended her little finger, her tone carrying a hint of seriousness yet hiding a trace of playfulness. "Then we have a deal! This is a contract between the two of us, you can't go back on it!"
Xiao stared at her extended little finger for a moment, then found himself amused by her "deadly serious way of establishing a contract."
Without a word, he gently hooked his own little finger, lightly tapping her fingertip. It was a very soft touch, yet it felt like a promise, quietly settling into both their hearts.
Yunqin happily withdrew her hand, her eyes curving into crescent moons as she asked curiously, "So where are you heading next?"
"Wangshu Inn." Xiao picked up the yaksha mask from the side and put it back on his face. His eyes were hidden behind the mask, and his voice came through it, carrying a hint of steadiness, "If you encounter danger, or if the Abyssal aura acts up again, just call my name. I will appear immediately."
Yunqin nodded vigorously, waved her hand at Xiao, and her voice was full of vitality: "Then I'm off to Liyue Harbor!"
"Thank you, Xiao! Goodbye!"
Xiao took a deep look at her, his gaze carrying a hint of reassurance and hiding a trace of imperceptible concern.
He said nothing more, his body turning into an afterimage and disappearing in the morning light, leaving only a gust of clear wind that brushed past, curling up a few blades of dried grass and gently stroking Yunqin's hair tips.
Yunqin gazed in the direction Xiao had disappeared and took a soft breath.
The faint scent of flowers still lingered in the air, making her heart feel exceptionally at ease.
She turned and started walking toward Liyue Harbor, the morning light shining on her body and drawing her shadow long.
She touched her cheek, and recalling the feel of Xiao's face when she pinched it just now, she couldn't help but smile.
"Liyue Harbor, I, Lady Yunqin, have returned!"