"Are you alright?" Lora turned, looking over the group sprawled across the ground.
Itto lay flat on his back, still a little dazed. Ushi stood beside him, repeatedly butting his leg with soft moos. Nearby, Shinobu crouched down to check on him before glancing up. "He's fine. Nothing serious—he can still move."
"It's finally over." Leaning against a rock, Yanfei let out a long sigh. "Honestly, if we wrote all of this down and published it, I'm sure it'd be a bestseller."
"Perhaps." Yelan stepped forward. "Thank you, Lady Lora, for your help. I still have matters to attend to at the Ministry of Civil Affairs, so I won't stay any longer. Farewell."
"Hey, wait—I'll go with you!" Yanfei quickly got up and waved. "Lady Lora, I'll be taking my leave too! Don't worry—I'll keep your identity a secret!"
Lora nodded. After the two left, she turned to Shinobu. "What about you?"
"We'll head back to Liyue for now. In a few days, we'll return to Inazuma," she replied.
"Alright. I'll be at the Jade Chamber—come find me if you need anything." She gave a small nod, then looked toward Xiao.
Since coming out, he hadn't said a word. His gaze lingered on the spot where Zhongli and Zhongyue had stood earlier, distant and thoughtful. As one of Zhongli's followers, he must have sensed their presence.
She reached out and patted his shoulder. "It's over. Everything you wanted to know—the Fantastic Compass already showed you. Bosacius's past… and how it ended."
"I know." He nodded. "It was the end he chose. The best one he could have had."
There was no trace of restraint in his expression.
The Yaksha were destined to fall in battle. Bosacius died for the people of Liyue—his death had meaning.
And Xiao's own future would be no different.
Lora didn't try to comfort him any further. "Let's go. Back to Liyue Harbor—we'll go mooch a meal off Zhongli."
He followed. "If it's just for a meal… wouldn't asking Rex Lapis be a bit…"
Catching his meaning, she sighed. "Then we'll go to Xianyun. She's rich."
"That's true. Cloud Retainer has sold quite a few rare antiques, along with her inventions. I've heard she's become quite wealthy in Liyue," he said with a nod.
When they returned to Liyue Harbor from the Chasm, they happened to run into Zhongli and Zhongyue listening to Iron Tongue Tian's storytelling.
As composed as ever, Zhongli stood calmly to the side, while the other clicked his tongue, shaking his head in obvious disdain.
"Hey! You two—we're back!" She waved as she called out.
Hearing her voice, they turned and walked over. "You're back."
"Thank you for everything you did within the seal, as well as the final purification," Zhongli said gently as he approached.
"It was nothing." She waved it off.
Off to the side, Zhongyue added, "Though I have to say, I didn't expect you to cry over a room."
"I made a fool of myself…" She sighed, not denying it. Those emotions—buried for thousands of years—only needed the slightest spark to surface.
She hadn't realized what that room was meant for when she stepped inside. Caught off guard, everything she'd held back came rushing out at once. For a moment, the ordinary human called Lora… had all but disappeared.
"Let's drop that." She exhaled, then looked at them. "What were you listening to just now? And why does he look like that?"
Zhongyue spread his hands. "That Iron Tongue Tian was telling some story called 'Finishing Touch to the Dragon.' The whole thing was nonsense—I was cringing the entire time. According to him, Zhongli sculpted me into existence, when in reality, he only gave me a pair of eyes to see the world clearly."
"As stories get passed down, they're bound to pick up a few embellishments," she said calmly. "To a storyteller, the idea that Rex Lapis only granted a pair of eyes probably isn't satisfying—they'd much rather believe he created a divine dragon."
Zhongli gave a small nod. "That's only natural."
"Oh, right—I'm heading to Xianyun's place to mooch a meal. Want to come?" she asked.
He frowned. "Why are you going to my house for a free meal again?"
"Because the food there is good," she replied without hesitation.
Zhongli thought for a moment, then nodded. "Very well. I've heard Xianyun's Supreme Cuisine Machine is already in its second iteration. The dishes it produces are even better than before, and it's more convenient as well. A good chance to see it for myself."
"Then let's go!"
With that, they set off for Xianyun's residence.
Inside, she heard the noise at the door and stepped out. "Is that Zhongyue?"
But when she reached the entrance and saw the others with him, she paused, tilting her head slightly as she looked at him. "And they are…?"
"Did you lose your memory?" he frowned.
"I'm asking why they're here," she replied flatly.
"She mentioned coming over for a meal, and it happened to be about time for dinner, so we came straight over. My apologies for the intrusion," Zhongli said gently.
Xianyun: "…"
Was he doing this on purpose?
"What's with all the formalities? You're always like this. Since you're here, don't just stand around—Lora, come help me wash the vegetables."
"Got it."
When you eat at someone else's table, you lend a hand. Since she was here for a free meal, she naturally helped out.
Xiao stood quietly off to the side. He wanted to help too, but he didn't know how to cook.
The two of them stood by the second-generation Supreme Cuisine Machine, looking it over.
"This is the second-generation model," Xianyun said. "The first was sent to Inazuma a few days ago—it should arrive soon."
She walked around it once. "I don't know how the food will taste, but the design does look better."
"Of course. My aesthetic sense is impeccable." She lifted her chin proudly.
Before long, a full spread was laid out on the table. Lora gestured for Xiao to sit.
"Relax. This isn't the Lantern Rite—just eat. No need to worry."