Xia Zhi walked through the corridor and out to the shrine's back courtyard. Beneath the Sacred Sakura Tree, he saw a familiar silhouette sitting in meditation.
"Ei?"
He approached quietly. "You're out here this late?"
Ei opened her eyes, returning from her meditative state. "Yes. I've been cultivating here the past few nights."
"Didn't Miko arrange a room for you?"
"She did," Ei said, shaking her head. "But I prefer sitting here under the Sacred Sakura Tree to sleeping in a room."
He nodded. Qiqi did the same—always meditating before bed. He understood the habit.
Ei looked at him. "You came looking for me?"
"No, I have an appointment."
"Shenhe?"
"No."
"Ganyu?"
"Not her either."
"Cloud Retainer?"
"It's Ping."
"Streetward Rambler?"
Ei blinked, then stood up.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"Leaving," she said simply. "You two have a date. I'll come back after you're done."
He sighed. "It's not that kind of date. I'm just playing a song for her."
"Just a song?"
"Yeah, that's all. You don't have to leave. But if you'd rather not listen, feel free."
After thinking for a moment, Ei sat back down. "I'd like to listen."
Always so straightforward.
He sat beside her. There were still ten minutes before Ping's arrival. As they chatted idly, Xia Zhi browsed the Shop interface, looking for something special.
He'd promised Cloud Retainer he'd give Ping a truly memorable performance. Though his musical mastery already made his compositions flawless, Ping had specifically requested the piece Cloud Retainer sent her—so he wanted to make it even better.
After browsing a while, he found the perfect item.
[Heart Flutter]
Quality: Gold-tier
Type: Skill Book
Trait: Emotion Resonance
Effect: Grants the passive "Heart Flutter." When performing music, listeners have a chance to experience a feeling of romantic infatuation. The higher your Charm, the higher the chance.
Hidden Effect: While a target is under "Heart Flutter," Charm counts as doubled. The higher your Luck, the longer it lasts.
Cost: 500 points.
He bought it, used it immediately, and saw the passive appear in his skill list. With his absurdly high Charm, the trigger rate would be more than enough.
Ten minutes later, Ping arrived.
She hesitated briefly when she saw Ei sitting under the tree beside Xia Zhi, but her expression soon returned to calm. "Mr. Xia, sorry to keep you waiting."
"I just got here myself."
She sat on his other side, phone in hand. From his perspective, she looked as serene as ever—no makeup, no perfume, simple clothes thrown on without effort. It was clear she wasn't treating this as anything romantic, just an evening to enjoy music.
That was fine. Pure-hearted, as always.
He took out the Dragon's Call Guqin and placed it across his lap.
"Ping, you wanted the same song Cloud Retainer sent you, right?"
She nodded. "Yes."
"Alright."
Since it was already late, he cast a time-still barrier over the shrine so the music wouldn't disturb anyone sleeping.
Of course, it didn't escape Xia Le's notice.
Big brother's up to something again? …Wait, is he playing music? I wanna hear too!
Xia Zhi placed his fingers on the strings and began to play.
Ping listened, eyes half-closed, as the familiar melody filled the quiet night. The live performance far surpassed the recording—richer, warmer, impossibly beautiful.
Ei, seated nearby, watched him silently, eyes softening as the music wrapped around them.
Halfway through, Xia Zhi glanced at Ping through divine sight. Her expression remained calm, eyes still clear.
Still no reaction? My Charm's not enough?
He smiled faintly and activated the Embrace of the Vampire trait—Alluring.
Charm effects on the opposite sex doubled.
Almost instantly, Ping's gaze began to waver, her expression softening, while Ei's eyes also shifted subtly.
Meanwhile, back in her room, Xia Le was already lost in a dreamy daze, heart full of her big brother's melody.
When the final note faded, silence lingered.
Ping sat there with her eyes closed, savoring the echo.
He coughed softly. "Ping, it's over."
"Mm…"
Even after being pulled from her reverie, she didn't look annoyed—just thoughtful.
Something in her eyes had changed.
"This is all for tonight," he said with a polite smile. "I should go see Cloud Retainer."
At that, a flicker of something unreadable—almost wistful—crossed Ping's face.
He hesitated, then took out a small bound booklet and handed it to her.
She blinked. "What's this?"
"The Seed-Converting Box is… important to me. I might need to borrow it for a while. So as an apology, I compiled a collection of my original compositions for you."
Ping's eyes brightened with surprise and delight. "The Box is just a keepsake to me. If it's useful to you, please keep it as long as you need. As for the music… thank you. I love it."
He rose to his feet. "It's late. Let's all get some rest."
"Good night, Mr. Xia."
"Good night."
Ei nodded slightly as farewell.
Xia Zhi left. Xia Le, too, drifted off to bed, still humming his tune.
On her way back to her room, Ping turned on her phone.
The screen showed a recording in progress.
She stopped it, finger brushing over the file name, and let out a soft, knowing laugh.
---
Under the Sacred Sakura Tree, Ei sat alone once more, eyes closed. Though it looked like meditation, she was speaking within her consciousness—to the Shogun.
"You're proposing time-sharing?"
"Yes."
"How will we divide it?"
"Fifty-fifty."
"…"
"We'll split the daytime hours. At night, when we dream, we exist separately."
"And the fifty-fifty part?"
"We can alternate between morning and afternoon… or switch every hour."
"…"
"Have you decided?"
"We'll switch every hour."
"Alright."
Ei opened her eyes again, gazing up at the Sacred Sakura Tree. Her expression softened. The Shogun's tone had changed—her will growing stronger, her consciousness more independent.
That wasn't a bad thing. It was what the Shogun deserved.
After all, Ei had abandoned this body long ago. It was hers now.
Then, a quiet voice echoed in her mind.
"Do you regret it?"
"Regret?" Ei whispered to herself, then shook her head. "No. If not for you, I don't think I could've survived these five hundred years. I would've gone mad long ago."
The Shogun said nothing more.
----
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