The first rays of the morning sun pierced through the mists of Mt. Aocang, shining obliquely through the hole in the corner of the room's wall and casting a long, thin patch of light on the floor.
Yunqin lay on the bed, her fingertips chasing the patch of light as she waved them.
Last night, she had still been debating whether to sneak out through this "secret passage" to Liyue Harbor, but the memory of Master tapping her forehead with such seriousness suppressed the playfulness in her heart.
She rolled off the bed and struggled to move the life-sized Rex Lapis clay figurine over, blocking the hole perfectly.
She patted the figurine's robe before tiptoeing out of the room.
The morning dew outside the adeptal abode had not yet dried, and stepping on it brought a slight, cool dampness.
Yunqin saw the figure sitting by the stone table from afar. Cloud Retainer, in her human form, was slowly brewing tea.
The pale green tea was poured into the cups, and the tea fragrance mixed with the morning breeze, carrying the unique, light scent of tea leaves.
Three teacups were placed on the table, their rims still glistening with tiny droplets of water, clearly prepared long ago.
"Master!" Yunqin quickly ran over.
She stared at the three teacups, tilting her head curiously as her ink-black hair brushed against her cheek. "Why did you set out three cups? Is a guest coming? One or two? Should I go prepare some snacks?"
Xianyun lifted her teacup and took a sip, her gaze sweeping over Yunqin as the corners of her mouth curved into a faint smile: "Yes, the guest will be here soon."
Before Yunqin could ask who it was, Xianyun suddenly looked up behind her, her tone carrying a hint of imperceptible solemnity: "He's here."
Yunqin turned her head sharply to see Zhongli walking slowly toward them, carrying an oil-paper bundle.
Every time Mr. Zhongli visited, he would use this kind of oil paper to bring her snacks, so Yunqin recognized the delicious treats at a glance.
Yunqin rushed over excitedly, and Zhongli's gaze immediately fell upon her Vision, which should have been glowing with a warm golden light.
The Vision now seemed covered in a layer of gray, its remaining faint glow so dim it was nearly transparent, and even the Geo element symbol was unusually blurry.
What made his heart sink even further was the few wisps of extremely faint black mist clinging tightly to the edges of the Vision.
The Abyssal aura... was slowly eroding this Vision of unknown origin at an imperceptible speed.
Zhongli looked into Yunqin's eyes.
Although the girl's eyes shone with anticipation for Almond Tofu,
upon closer inspection, a trace of extremely faint bewilderment lay hidden deep within that light, as if covered by a thin veil.
When she had run over just now, her footsteps were slightly lighter than usual, and even her tone of speech lacked some of her usual liveliness, replaced by a touch of deliberately concealed fatigue.
From this, it seemed this Vision must be a fake, a mere facade used by the Abyss to deceive everyone.
And the Yunqin before him was likely, as he suspected, already replaced by the Abyss!
"Good morning, Mr. Zhongli!" The girl's voice was as sweet as honey as she reached out to take the oil-paper bundle from his hand.
Zhongli imperceptibly withdrew the hand hidden behind his back into his sleeve; in that palm, he held Yunqin's true Vision.
Then he raised his hand, using his free one to gently pat the top of Yunqin's head, feeling the softness of her hair.
Only after doing all this did he hand the oil-paper bundle to Yunqin, his tone so gentle that not a single anomaly could be detected: "Good morning. I just brought this Almond Tofu from Wangshu Inn. It's still hot, hurry and try it while it's warm."
He deliberately avoided the topic of the Vision, staring only at the girl's joyful expression as she took the oil-paper bundle, but a flicker of imperceptible solemnity crossed his eyes.
"Wow!" Yunqin took the oil-paper bundle, her fingertips feeling its warmth, and the rich, fresh fragrance of almonds immediately enveloped her nose.
"Thank you, Mr. Zhongli! I knew you would bring me something delicious!" She squinted her eyes and took a deep breath, like a satisfied little kitten.
With that, Yunqin quickly ran back to the stone table and carefully unfolded the oil paper.
Snowy white Almond Tofu was served in a white porcelain bowl, sprinkled with fine almond slivers that shimmered enticingly in the morning light.
She produced two pairs of bamboo chopsticks from somewhere, handed one pair to Xianyun, and then ran over to give the other pair to Zhongli, who had just reached the table.
"Master, Mr. Zhongli, you should try some too!"
"I can't hog all the delicious food for myself!"
Xianyun took the chopsticks and picked up a small piece, placing it in her mouth. The soft and chewy tofu instantly melted on her tongue, its sweet but not cloying flavor mingling with the fresh fragrance of almonds. A flicker of satisfaction crossed her eyes as she nodded gently: "The craftsmanship of Wangshu Inn is still beyond reproach."
Zhongli, however, looked at Yunqin. The girl was resting her chin in her hands, staring at the Almond Tofu, yet she had not taken out her own pair of chopsticks.
"Why aren't you eating? Do you not like the taste?" Zhongli asked.
"No, no!" Yunqin hurriedly waved her hand, scratching her head awkwardly as the tips of her ears turned slightly red. "I'm going to Liyue Harbor later to find Lumine and Tartaglia! We agreed to help the Traveler pick out a gift for Ningguang together today. If I eat my fill now and we end up having another meal with them, it will be a disaster."
Zhongli nodded thoughtfully, his fingertips lightly tapping the tabletop. Suddenly, he spoke, his tone tinged with a hint of approval for a junior. "Ningguang, the current Tianquan, though a mortal, possesses a vision that rivals even the Adepti."
"Based on Morax's contract, she restructured Liyue's trade with decisive methods. Even the Adepti hold her in high regard. She is a rare pillar of support."
"Indeed," Xianyun added, setting down her chopsticks. "She has more boldness and foresight than previous members of the Qixing."
Yunqin, however, frowned and retorted unconvinced, her tone carrying a childish earnestness: "But no matter how powerful the Qixing are, aren't they still mortals? Their lifespans are short, and their vision and methods certainly can't compare to yours, Rex Lapis!"
She leaned closer, her eyes sparkling with pure admiration: "Zhong... Rex Lapis, since you are still in this world, you shouldn't have handed the actual power of Liyue to the Qixing! If you're willing to return to your throne, I'll be the first to support you!"
"Mortals, huh..." Zhongli murmured softly, a flicker of complexity crossing his eyes.
Looking at the girl's sincere gaze, he nodded gently, his tone carrying a touch of reassurance: "I will consider it."
Yunqin immediately beamed, revealing two small canines. The light in her eyes was even brighter than the morning sun.
She glanced up at the sky. The morning sun had already crested the mountain peak, casting golden light across the slopes. Standing up, she tucked her hands behind her back like a child awaiting permission. "Master, Mr. Zhongli, it's almost time for me to head to Liyue Harbor."
Xianyun looked at Zhongli. Seeing his eyes closed as he gently traced the rim of his teacup with his fingers, his expression serene, she nodded to Yunqin. Her tone held a hint of instruction: "Go on. Be careful. If you run into any trouble, remember to send a message."
"Great!" Yunqin cheered. Before the two could even react, she sprinted toward the edge of the cliff.
With a single leap, she plunged straight down from the mountain's peak.
"Goodbye, Master, Mr. Zhongli! I'll be back at the adeptal abode on time tonight!" Her voice carried on the wind, her clear laughter echoing through the mountains.