But the next second, Yunqin returned to her usual lively self. She skipped over to Zhongli and sweetly called out, "Mr. Zhongli."
Immediately after, she waved to Tartaglia, then turned to Cloud Retainer, tilting her head curiously, "Master, why are there so many guests in the adeptal abode today? This isn't like your usual style."
Before Cloud Retainer had time to answer, Yunqin seemed to remember something. She turned and lunged at Lumine and Paimon, firing off questions like a rapid-fire cannon:
"Lumine! Paimon! Hurry and tell me what happened later in Madame Ping's Serenitea Pot! How did we get out safely? Did you get your hands on the Cleansing Bell? And what on earth was the deal with that Black Sword that obviously wasn't anything good?"
The barrage of questions left Lumine and Paimon dizzy.
Paimon scratched her head and looked helplessly at Lumine, her eyes full of the panicked look of "how do I answer this?"
Lumine exchanged a glance with Zhongli.
Regarding the god bloodline and the existence of the Hydro Element "Yunqin"...
These truths couldn't be revealed to Yunqin just yet, otherwise things would only become increasingly troublesome.
Looking into Yunqin's curious, starry-bright eyes, Lumine said gently, "We successfully retrieved the Cleansing Bell, and we've already offered it to Rex Lapis."
"After you fell unconscious inside the Serenitea Pot, you used the powerful energy within your body to awaken my consciousness. Then, Madame Ping used her adeptal energy to bring us out."
"Really?" Yunqin's eyes instantly lit up, full of pleasant surprise. "I was actually that amazing after I fell asleep! When I was entangled by the aura of the Black Sword, I felt like all the strength had been drained from my body. Who would have thought I'd be stronger asleep than awake!"
She clenched her fists excitedly, anticipation gleaming in her eyes: "Looks like I'll need to cultivate some 'get stronger by sleeping' techniques from now on! Maybe next time I encounter danger, I can just take a nap and beat the enemies away!"
"You silly girl, always dreaming up nonsense." Cloud Retainer patted her head in exasperation, though her tone was full of doting affection. "If such a technique truly existed, the Adepti would have rushed to learn it ages ago. Where would it leave a little brat like you?"
Yunqin stuck out her tongue, pulled a face at her Master, and said with a laugh, "True, ha! If there really were such a great thing, Master would have taught me long ago!"
Looking at the young girl's sweet, unclouded smile, Tartaglia stood up, straightened his slightly wrinkled collar, and cupped his hands in a polite salute to everyone. "It's getting late, and I should take my leave so as not to delay your journey," he said, his tone carrying a hint of apology.
"How come you're not dragging me into a fight today?" Yunqin asked, a little surprised. She tilted her head to look at him, her eyes full of confusion.
"Next time. I was just passing by as a guest today, and I have important matters to attend to later," Tartaglia replied.
Yunqin's eyes flashed mischievously as she suddenly took a step closer, her tone carrying a hint of teasing. "You know, you're a lot more handsome when you're being serious. If you only think about fighting every day, how are you ever going to find a girlfriend?"
This remark made Tartaglia laugh out loud. He raised an eyebrow and deliberately leaned in half a step. "Well, if I really can't find one, how about you introduce someone to me?"
The distance between them closed in an instant, and he could clearly see the panic in Yunqin's eyes.
Tartaglia lowered his voice, his tone laced with playful teasing. "If worse comes to worst, the two of us making a pair wouldn't be a bad idea either."
Yunqin's face instantly flushed completely red, the color spreading all the way down her neck.
She stood frozen in place, her heart beating so fast it felt like it would leap right out of her chest.
Is... is this a confession?
No!
It's definitely not that simple!
If she got together with Tartaglia, she'd probably be dragged into fights every day. How exhausting would that be!
Right!
He must just be looking for a free sparring partner!
Thinking of this, Yunqin quickly took two steps back and hid behind Zhongli. Poking out only half her head, she waved her hand at Tartaglia: "Who wants to be with a little weakling! You can keep dreaming until the day you can actually beat this lady!"
Tartaglia laughed even more joyously, fine crinkles forming at the corners of his eyes: "Then I'll wait for that day. Don't go back on your word when the time comes."
With that, he waved to the crowd, turned around, and walked out of the adeptal abode.
His fluttering clothes carried the carefree and easygoing air of a young man.
When Tartaglia reached the foot of Mt. Aocang, he stopped and glanced back at the summit.
Amidst the swirling clouds and mist, it felt like he could still see the girl.
A gentle smile curled the corners of his lips as he murmured softly, "An god's descendant, Yunqin, is it... Truly an interesting piece of intel."
As he continued on his way, Yunqin's puffed-up expression from earlier involuntarily surfaced in his mind, and he couldn't hold back a chuckle.
Sparring with her every day, watching her act stubborn after a loss and jump for joy after a win, actually... wouldn't be a bad kind of fun.
-
"TartagliaxYunqin Ship! Is this an official ship?!"
"Yunqin is blushing, and she didn't reject him!"
"Genshin Impact, you really know how to play us! The angst earlier had me in tears, and now suddenly you're dropping sweets—my emotions are on a roller coaster!"
"Did anyone get a screenshot of Tartaglia looking back and smiling when he left? That look in his eyes definitely means he likes Yunqin!"
"Does that mean The Traveler hit the jackpot? One husband and one wife!"
In Xiao Guizi's live stream, just as she finished analyzing "Hydro Qin" with Dr. Pineapple, her phone suddenly began vibrating frantically.
It was a call from "The Mysterious" Lu Nanqing.
"Quick! Look at the latest story quest! Mihoyo is dropping sweets!"
Lu Nanqing's voice trembled with excitement; she couldn't even string her words together coherently.
Xiao Guizi quickly switched back to the game screen. Upon seeing the scene where Tartaglia leaned in close and Yunqin dodged away with a red face...
She slammed her hands on the desk and shrieked, treating Pineapple Head on the other end of the line to a complimentary wave of eardrum massage benefits.
-
Inside the Mt. Aocang Adeptal Abode, Yunqin's liveliness after waking up was like a warm ray of sunshine that drove away the lingering gloom.
The four others exchanged glances, everyone tacitly agreeing not to bring up the "god bloodline" again.
Some truths were better left unsaid until she could withstand the shock.
Yunqin skipped over to Zhongli, her toes lightly tapping the ground like a little kitten hesitating over whether to act spoiled.
"Mr. Zhongli..." she began, a hint of shyness in her eyes. After hesitating for a long time, she finally stammered, "If I... if I accidentally... while I was asleep..."
"If you have any questions, you might as well speak your mind." Looking at her hesitant demeanor, a hint of gentleness flashed in Zhongli's eyes, and his tone softened. "No matter what it is, we will help you figure out a solution. There is no need to be afraid."
Yunqin secretly glanced at Cloud Retainer, then peeked at Lumine and Paimon, whose faces were filled with confusion.
She took a deep breath and finally mustered up her courage: "What if I... accidentally kill someone when I fall asleep?"
"What?!" These words exploded like a sudden clap of thunder within the adeptal abode, instantly dumbfounding everyone.
A few seconds later, however, Lumine and Paimon exchanged glances and quickly caught on.
The person Yunqin was talking about was definitely Venti!