Genshin Impact, I'm Slime

In Paimon's eyes, the little flames of gossip were still flickering incessantly.

The traveler, however, gently tapped Paimon's little head with one finger and whispered in a helpless tone:
"Stop thinking about irrelevant gossip and get down to business first."

"Well……"

Paimon covered the spot where he had been hit, dragging out the last syllable with a hint of coquettish grievance, finally reluctantly suppressing his little thoughts about Bu Yun for the time being.

While Paimon was lost in thought, the Traveler overheard Huixin say, "It must be delivered to Miss Ganyu as soon as possible."

"Could it be that Miss Ningguang is not currently at the Moon Sea Pavilion, which is under reconstruction?"

In the blink of an eye, the traveler's steps did not falter. She pulled Paimon around the scattered wooden sandbags on the ground, nimbly traversing the messy area that was still being leveled, and stopped by the main hall's entrance.

Rejected by Huixin, Buyun leaned against a brand-new but unpainted pillar, his back slightly hunched. His brows were furrowed, his gaze blankly following the swirling dust motes in the air, and his face was filled with an overwhelming sorrow.

He was startled by the faint sound of the traveler's heels stepping on the gravel.

"Uh!"

Bu Yun suddenly looked up, a hint of panic flashing in his eyes as if he had been caught out of control. He quickly tried to straighten his back and suppress the dejected aura that permeated his body.

Upon seeing the person's face clearly, his eyes widened suddenly. After the initial surprise, a surge of fervent admiration and gratitude welled up within him.

How could he not recognize the girl before him? Oser's solitary struggle amidst the towering waves, the breathtaking battle at Sunbreak Harbor... the traveler's figure had long since become a part of hope and legend in Liyue Harbor.

"Oh my! It's Miss Traveler! And Paimon too!"

Bu Yun almost instinctively tensed his relaxed shoulders and back, and put on a habitual, professional smile. But this smile was like a pattern on ice, with a deep sense of loneliness stubbornly settling in.

"Welcome! It's really a pleasure to have you two distinguished guests here... Ah, but right now the Moon Sea Pavilion is under construction and everything is in a mess, it's really not a good sight, please excuse us."

He subconsciously rubbed his hands, which were covered in sawdust and dust, and his voice lowered, carrying a hint of self-deprecating embarrassment.

"Is there anything I can help you with? It's a pity that I'm no longer in charge of guiding people."

"Sigh, I've become a jobless hoodlum too..."

Bu Yun shook his head with his hands behind his back, while the traveler nodded understandingly, his tone becoming even gentler:
"Mr. Buyun, you are too modest. We have something we would like to discuss with Miss Ningguang. It is very important."

"Is she currently inside the Moon Sea Pavilion?"

The traveler went straight to the point, making no mention of what he had just witnessed.

"Lord Ningguang?"

Upon hearing the name, Bu Yun was taken aback for a moment, as if his ingrained professionalism had instantly awakened, suppressing the personal emotions swirling in his heart. His back seemed to straighten slightly, and his speech regained its usual clarity and efficiency:

"Oh! I see! Lady Ningguang was indeed reviewing documents at Yuehai Pavilion this morning."

"But look at this construction site..."

Bu Yunyang swept his hand across the surrounding scene of hammering and banging, the noise was deafening and the dust was everywhere.

"It is indeed too noisy and chaotic. Lady Ningguang found it difficult to concentrate on her important matters, so she moved to the 'Yiyan Palace' at Yujing Terrace half an hour ago. I'm afraid the two of you will have to go there to look for her."

As he spoke, the instinct that had become muscle memory naturally surfaced. Bu Yun raised his right hand, pointing smoothly and accurately in the direction of Yujing Terrace. His fingertips paused briefly in the air, carrying a hint of habitual certainty, before slowly lowering again, as if only then remembering that the familiar position of the guide no longer belonged to him.

"So Miss Ningguang went to Yiyan Palace."

A knowing look flashed in the traveler's eyes, and he nodded slightly.

"Mr. Bu Yun, thank you for informing me."

The traveler nodded his thanks, and just as the two were about to turn and leave, the girl paused and suddenly turned to the side.

A playful glint appeared on her face, incongruous with her identity as the "hero who saved Liyue." Like a precocious old friend, she tiptoed and patted Bu Yun's shoulder firmly yet encouragingly. Her clear eyes gleamed with a mischievous yet knowing light as she spoke in a voice only they could hear:

"Although the Jade Pavilion has been destroyed, I believe Miss Ningguang will definitely rebuild an even better one."

"There are some things... when you need to muster up your courage, you should never shrink back into your shell."

"I have high hopes for you, Mr. Bu Yun!"

After saying that, without waiting for Bu Yun's face to change from blank to embarrassed, the traveler winked at Paimon, turned around neatly, grabbed the still somewhat bewildered Paimon, and strode without hesitation along the mountain path toward the higher Jade Capital Terrace Yiyan Palace.

Bu Yun was left standing there, frozen in place, his face turning pale and then red, his fingertips unconsciously touching the rough pillars.

The traveler's words of encouragement and joke, which struck right to his heart, poured into his heavy heart like the wind, leaving him at a loss.

Bu Yun is already forty-eight years old this year, while how old is that Miss Huixin?

She's probably not even twenty-five yet.
He is twice her age, and moreover, Bu Yun was just an ordinary guide, and now he has lost his job as a guide, while Hui Xin is the daughter of Tian Shu Star, and may take over Miss Gan Yu's job in the future.

"What am I thinking? How could this be?"

Because of the nature of his work, Bu Yun has never been married. He is also very chaste and afraid of revealing any secret codes. He can't even sleep soundly. His death more than half a month ago was probably the most relaxed period of his life.

Although Buyun has returned from the other shore, he seems to still be living in the memories of the end of his life.

He could never forget the smile Miss Huixin gave him before she passed away.

Or perhaps Buyun should indeed be braver, as the traveler suggested.

However, Bu Yun quickly shook his head with a self-deprecating smile and refocused his attention on the progress of the construction site's repairs.

After leaving the bustling Yuehaiting construction site, the traveler and Paimon did not linger for long before following the familiar path to the "Yiyan Hall," which still stands majestically at the highest point of Yujingtai.

As a sacred shrine dedicated to the Geo Archon in Liyue Harbor, the Rock Temple is not only the center of faith but also a symbol of Liyue's millennia of history and unparalleled glory. Its soaring eaves point like swords to the sky, and its pillars are like solid rocks rooted in the earth, exuding a solemn and dignified aura that seems to naturally possess an inviolable majesty.

It is no exaggeration to say that this is the most prestigious face of Liyue.

However, as the two climbed the steps and stepped onto the open bluestone platform in front of the hall, they sensed something unusual.

Under the eaves outside the palace gate, Ningguang's three trusted secretaries, Baishi, Baiwen, and Baixiao, who should have been sitting firmly in their positions like rocks, were not performing their duties or standing respectfully as usual.

The three of them were unusually huddled together, their shoulders almost touching, talking rapidly in hushed tones.

Although the distance was too great to hear the exact words, the furrowed brows, the solemn exchange of glances, and the pervasive anxiety in the air were like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, creating unsettling ripples. (End of Chapter)