To Lovia, that encounter with Tartaglia at the market was merely a small interlude that left her with some lingering fear. Since that day, she had never again seen that striking orange figure in the streets and alleys of Liyue Harbor.
She buried the tension brought by that chance meeting deep in her heart and continued her Liyue life, which was gradually getting on track. She would relax and stretch her wings in the backyard of Wanmin Restaurant, share novel foods with Xiangling and Guoba, and occasionally turn red-faced from Xingqiu's well-meaning teasing before returning to her quiet little house clutching various "special" snacks Xiangling had stuffed into her hands.
The wooden Round Sparrow that had been forced into her hand was placed on the windowsill. Looking at its charmingly naive appearance occasionally reminded her of those icy blue eyes, but the thought was quickly dispersed by the taste of Xiangling's newly developed snacks or the inspiration for a new manuscript.
It was nothing more than a passing encounter.
However, for Tartaglia, it was not.
Rewinding time to the afternoon of the market encounter.
The subtle hand gesture Tartaglia made to the air was not in vain. Almost the instant his hand dropped, a man in the crowd nodded slightly, naturally adjusted his pace, and followed Lovia at a leisurely pace.
This Fatui spy was highly experienced and skilled at concealing himself in a crowd; following a small child seemed like an incredibly simple task to him. He maintained a perfect distance, locking his gaze on the white Hood ahead, blending into the market's hustle and bustle like a shadow.
However, just a second after he followed his target into the mouth of an alley, a lazy yet slightly cold female voice rang out like a ghost extremely close behind him.
"Haven't you gotten tired of following me for so long?"
The spy froze all over and whipped his head around. He saw a blue-haired woman dressed in traditional Liyue attire leaning against the alley wall, playing with a die in her hand, looking at him with a faint, knowing smile.
He tried to force himself to stay calm: "Miss, I don't understand what you're talking about. I'm just passing through."
"Passing through?" Yelan let out a soft laugh, the die on her fingertip stopping its spin. "From the market all the way to Chihu Rock, and then 'passing through' this little alley? Friends from Snezhnaya, your way of 'passing through' is quite unique."
She directly exposed his identity and purpose in a flat tone, yet one that carried unquestionable pressure.
The spy knew disguise was now meaningless. His expression darkened, and his hand instinctively reached for a hidden weapon at his waist. But Yelan was faster; before the spy could even see how she moved, a cord of elemental power glowing with a watery light coiled around his wrist like a spirit snake, tightening instantly and rendering him unable to move.
"Relax." Yelan took a few steps closer, looking down at him with a sharp gaze. "I'm not interested in you—at least not right now. Go back and tell your boss that Liyue has Liyue's rules. Some little ones aren't for you to touch."
Her tone was very calm, but it carried a cold sense of warning.
The spy's face looked grim as he tried to struggle, only to find the cord exceptionally firm, and it seemed to faintly suppress the elemental power within his body (if he had any, haha).
He gritted his teeth and said, "What do you mean by this? Can't we Snezhnayan merchants even care about a lone child in Liyue?"
"Care? Merchants?" Yelan seemed to have heard a funny joke, the curve of her lips turning up with irony. "'Caring' in the unique way of you Fatui? Save it."
"Furthermore, you Fatui aren't supposed to be here at all, are you?"
The color instantly drained from the spy's face, his pupils constricting slightly in shock. The Fatui had long been fully expelled from Liyue Harbor; once their identity was exposed, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Yelan was very satisfied with the effect of those words. She released the cord and waved her hand as if merely shooing away an annoying fly.
"I'm not interested in settling your little maneuvers one by one, as long as you behave yourselves. But today's matter is an exception."
"Beat it. Don't let me find any of your Fatui people near that child again. Otherwise, next time it won't be as simple as a verbal warning."
Rubbing his aching wrist, the spy gave Yelan a wary look, knowing today's mission was a total failure. He didn't dare say more, turned quickly, and disappeared dejectedly into the other end of the alley, preparing to report this unexpected turn of events to the Lord Harbinger.
Yelan watched the direction the spy disappeared, her eyes narrowing slightly... Not long after, this "warning" from Yelan was passed into Tartaglia's ears through the spy who had returned in defeat.
"Yelan..." Inside Northland Bank, Tartaglia rubbed his chin, repeating the name. A flash of realization crossed his eyes, followed by even deeper interest. "Even she stepped forward to protect her? Heh, it seems that 'little friend' is even more interesting than I imagined."
Then, he clicked his tongue softly, feeling a bit of regret, but more of a rational decision: "Forget it."
His presence in Liyue Harbor was originally to handle some secret "aftermath" matters that had to be dealt with by him personally, not to stir up new waves. Following that little one with the curious aura was just a whim.
Since the Liyue authorities had clearly drawn a line, he naturally wouldn't act rashly again.
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Time flowed quietly, and Liyue Harbor welcomed another day amidst its peace and bustle.
Of all these surging undercurrents, Lovia—who was currently lying on a small table in the backyard of Wanmin Restaurant—was still completely unaware. She was taking small bites of Chef Xiangling's special "almond tofu" (the texture was strange, but Lovia liked it very much) while listening to Xiangling excitedly tell the story of a giant Whopperflower she encountered while gathering ingredients with Shenhe.
She just felt that the sunlight in Liyue seemed to get warmer day by day. The familiar bustle of Wanmin Restaurant's backyard, Xiangling's hearty laughter, Guoba's fluffy touch, and the occasional look of approval from Master Mao all gave her an unprecedented sense of peace.
That white Hooded cloak was still her "protective shield" when she went out, but at Wanmin Restaurant, it would only be quietly folded and placed on a stool nearby. Her blue antennae would wiggle slightly when she heard something interesting, and the small tail behind her would unconsciously sway gently because she was eating something delicious.
Even when she occasionally thought of that orange-haired young man, the initial sense of tension was gradually diluted by the trivial happiness of daily life.
[Progress Bar: 31%]
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