Genshin Impact: Watch me turn the tables and kill my servants at the start!

Ningguang stood on the edge of the terrace, watching the Floating Stone carrying Beidou's silhouette slowly descend into the morning mist until the outline completely disappeared among the layers of rooftops in Liyue Harbor. She withdrew her gaze, turned, and walked back into her room.

The door closed softly behind Ningguang, the sound of its hinges turning traveling a short distance down the corridor before being swallowed up by the deeper silence of the room.

Ningguang walked to the bedside and looked down to see Fanes lying on his side on the edge of the bed, the blanket pulled up to his chin. She bent down and sat back on the edge of the bed, gently patting his shoulder: "Okay, now it's just the two of us again."

Ningguang's tone carried a sense of composure, as if "what happened just now is over."

Fanes remained lying on his side: "I think I just heard the sound of the Big Dipper."

Ningguang said, "She's gone. It's alright, she doesn't bother us."

Fanes remained lying on his side, not turning over: "...Are you sure she's left? She won't turn back halfway?"

Ningguang sat on the edge of the bed: "I'm sure. Although she sometimes likes to join in the fun, she won't turn back in situations like this."

After Ningguang finished speaking, she untied the sash of her outer robe, then lay down again, turning to face him. "We have plenty of time."

The following period of time took much longer than Fanes had anticipated.

Ningguang maintained a steady and continuous rhythm, like a river flowing along a fixed channel, with a uniform flow rate, showing no signs of drying up or surging, just flowing continuously, stretching time into a long line that required repeated confirmation to determine the progress.

When Fanes tried to sit up for the third time, she pulled him back down. His movements had slowed considerably, and each movement required more time to readjust and recover his strength than the last. He rested against the headboard for a long time.

Ningguang lay on her side next to him and touched the edge of his cheek with the back of her hand: "You look like you need to get some water."

Ningguang picked up the water glass from the bedside table and handed it to him.

Fanes took the glass of water, took a sip, and then put it back on the bedside table: "Did you plan ahead for what would happen today?"

Ningguang leaned back against the pillow and turned to look at him again: "I did estimate the possibilities. But you lasted longer than I expected, which surprised me a bit."

Fanes remained leaning against the headboard: "What if I don't make it?"

Ningguang thought for a moment and said, "Then let's rest for a while before continuing."

Ningguang reached out and turned the dimmed lamp back up a little.

"You did seem more energetic than I expected. But now you do look tired."

Fanes turned to look at Ningguang, and after a long while, he spoke, his voice carrying a sense of confirmation as if he were concluding something: "...It feels a bit like death."

Ningguang looked at him, and then she said, "Let's call it a day then."

Ningguang spoke softly, reaching out to brush aside some of the sweat-dampened stray hairs from his forehead. "You should rest for a bit. I'll go ask the kitchen to prepare some light breakfast."

Ningguang sat up as she spoke, put on her outer robe, and glanced back at him as she walked to the door. "You can sleep for a while. I'll wake you up when breakfast is ready."

Phanes lay in bed, and after a while he felt his breathing gradually becoming steady, and the morning light outside the window was slowly seeping in along the edge of the curtains.

By the time Fanes returned to the streets of Liyue Harbor from the Jade Pavilion, it was already the afternoon of the next day. His pace was slower than usual, and he would stop every few steps to catch his breath and stand by the roadside to look at the eaves of the houses across the street.

When Fanes reached the entrance of the Hall of the Dead, the door was ajar, and the aroma of tea wafted through the crack. When he pushed the door open and went inside, Funina was sitting in the row of chairs in the front hall, holding a cup of hot tea, with an unfinished novel lying on the table in front of her.

Hu Tao sat behind the counter, looking down and using a thin bamboo skewer to pick out the longan pits from the fruit plate.

Both of them looked up at the doorway. Fanes stood on the edge of the doorway, his hair a little messier than usual, the collar of his coat rolled up at one corner, and his steps slower than usual.

When Fanes came in, the first thing he did was find a chair, sit down, lean back, and close his eyes for a while.

Furnessa's gaze lingered on him for a moment, then she put the teacup back on the table: "...You look like you've been beaten up from head to toe."

Hu Tao put down the bamboo skewer and leaned forward slightly: "Did you go to discuss business, or did you go to participate in a one-sided war of attrition?"

Fanes leaned back in his chair: "Stop talking. I want to go home."

Funina continued looking at him: "What did she give you to eat?"

Fanes thought for a moment: "A pot of Chinese medicine, a bowl of nourishing soup, and a few dishes."

Hu Tao remained in the same position, his posture slightly straighter than before, but still leaning back in his chair: "So, are you going back today?"

Fanes leaned back in his chair: "I'm not going back. I'm not going anywhere today."

Funina stood up and walked to his side: "So what do you want to eat for lunch? You probably can't handle anything too greasy in your condition."

Fanes thought for a moment: "Something light will do."

Walnut came out from behind the counter, walked to the door and looked at the weather outside: "I'll have them cook a pot of porridge. And a few side dishes, the light and appetizing kind. You probably can't eat too many complicated dishes in your condition."

After a while, Walnut came in carrying a tray with two bowls and three small dishes on it. She placed the porridge in front of Fanes: "Eat it while it's hot."

Fanes lowered his head, picked up the spoon, scooped up a spoonful, and put it in his mouth. The porridge was cooked perfectly; the rice grains were already cooked until they dissolved, melting in his mouth with a slightly salty taste.

After finishing his first bowl, Fanes served himself a second. Although his movements were still slow, they were more steady than before, and he was gradually regaining his rhythm.

Furnessa sat opposite him, slowly sipping her own bowl of porridge. After a few sips, she put down her spoon: "So, what are your plans for the future? Are you going back to Winterfell to rest for a while, or are you going to stay in Liyue for a few days before leaving?"

After finishing his second bowl of porridge, Fanes put the bowl back on the table: "Let's stay here for a few days. We'll consider the next stop once we've recovered our strength."

Hu Tao put down her bowl as well: "Then you can stay in the backyard of the Rebirth Hall for a few days. Anyway, that guest room is reserved for guests, it has everything you need, and it's far enough away from the front hall that no one will disturb your rest."

Fanes thought for a moment and said, "Then let's stay for a few days."

Fanes stood up and took two steps toward the backyard, then stopped and looked back at Funina: "And you?"

Fryna neatly stacked the empty bowls on the tray: "I'll stay here for two more days. Hu Tao said she wanted to take me to see the night market in Liyue Harbor."

Fanes nodded: "Then you guys have fun."

Hu Tao watched his figure disappear behind the screen, then turned to Fu Ningna: "Let's go to the night market tonight. If you like, you can buy some trinkets to take back; it's much more interesting than the shops recommended by tour groups. The lanterns over there are also very pretty, hanging in rows under the eaves, looking like a glowing river from afar."

Frynn said, "Okay. I'd also like to see what the night market in Liyue is like."