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

Fanes reached out and pushed open the door.

The sound of the door hinges turning was particularly clear in the quiet corridor, but Fanes pushed the door open faster than he expected. By the time the door was fully open, Fanes could see the entire room—Shen He was sitting on a low stool, her posture upright, her light-colored robe slightly open at the shoulders, the neckline a little lower than her usual outer garment, revealing a section of her collarbone and shoulder lines that she rarely showed.

Shen He's posture was the most relaxed of the three, with her hands folded in front of her knees. However, the collar of her bathrobe shifted slightly by half an inch when she bent over to adjust the fabric, revealing the undulating contours that ran down her collarbone.

Hu Tao was squatting to Shen He's left, one hand resting on his shoulder. The neckline of her loose-fitting nightgown was slightly open, but it didn't attract attention because everyone's eyes were focused in another direction.

Fu Ningna sat to Shen He's right, one hand just withdrawn, a fading pressure mark still remaining on her fingertip, and a look on her lips as if she were confirming whether what she had just experienced was real.

Fanes stood at the door, still holding the cloth bag containing the little black thing.

Fanes' gaze shifted from Shen He to Hu Tao, then to Fu Ningna, and then back to Shen He.

Fanes felt as if he were standing at an angle where he wasn't quite sure of his exact location, in an area where he hadn't found his seat number yet. The people on both sides had already chosen their seats, but there was an empty chair in front of him. He didn't know if it was reserved for him or if no one was supposed to sit there.

Hu Tao noticed the change in light at the doorway first. She looked up towards the door, then paused for a moment, as if using that brief pause to confirm something: "...Why are you here?"

Funina heard the sound too, turned her head, and when she saw Fanes standing in the doorway, her fingertips paused on the back of her hand, then she slowly withdrew her hand: "You...when did you get here?"

Shen He also turned her head to look at the doorway. Her expression didn't change much; she just tilted her head slightly and said, "Junior brother? You've come."

Fanes stood at the door: "I just arrived. Little Black ran out to eat, so I went to fetch him. When I passed by the corridor, I saw the light was still on here, so I came in to check."

Hu Tao had already withdrawn her hands, placing them folded on her knees: "Um... I was just exchanging ideas with Sister Shen He."

Fanes remained standing in the doorway: "What insights are you sharing?"

Hu Tao sat up a little straighter: "It's just some everyday insights that female friends occasionally share."

Funina sat up a little straighter: "I was just satisfying my curiosity."

Fanes looked at her: "Curiosity?"

Shen He sat on a low stool, looking at Fanes, as if answering the information gap corresponding to that gaze in his own way: "They are asking me why I am so big."

Fanes stood silently at the door for a moment, then went into the room and placed the small black bag containing the cloth bag by the door.

Before Fanes could speak, Hu Tao said, "Come on! Anyway, she'll be your wife in the future, so don't worry."

"...Are you trying to cause trouble?"

"Didn't you say before that you wanted to find a master and get married? I remember you said back in Liyue that you would definitely marry Shen He and Gan Yu in the future."

Furina turned to look at Fanes, her tone carrying a sense of confirmation as if something was being verified: "I never thought such a thing could happen."

Hu Tao sat on the edge of the bed: "Oh right, I remember you even made Chongyun call you 'Uncle-in-law.' Yes, I even filmed it. That video should still be saved in my photo album. The scene is clear, the audio is stable, and the evidence is conclusive."

Fanes stood in the center of the room, as if organizing his next move in his own way: "...No, you can't expose my secrets like this. Wait, now's not the time to talk about this."

Hu Tao looked at him and said, "Oh, we're best friends. It's fine to chat occasionally. Besides, we'll both be yours sooner or later. It's not a bad thing for us to get to know each other a little beforehand. Just consider it satisfying my curiosity."

Fanes remained standing: "While that's true, I find it very impolite. What do you mean by 'my harem is attacking my harem'?"

Hu Tao remained seated on the edge of the bed: "Believe me, we really only touched each other. And Shen He herself agreed. Ask her yourself if you don't believe me."

Shen He sat on a low stool: "They did get my permission."

Little Black peeked its head out of the bag, looked around the room, then at Fanes, and finally its gaze fell on the outline of Shen He's chest: "Is it really that comfortable? I'll try it too!"

After Xiao Hei finished speaking, it jumped out of the bag, adjusted its posture in mid-air, and landed in Shen He's arms, nuzzling its head against her chest.

Little Black lingered on the contact surface for a moment, then withdrew its head: "I don't feel anything has changed. I don't feel anything."

Fanes walked up to Shen He, bent down, reached out, and lifted Xiao Hei from her arms, holding it in mid-air. His tone carried a final confirmation: "Get down here right now. This is my wife."

Xiao Hei was being held up in mid-air by the back of his neck, but he remained calm and said, "Okay, okay, stop pulling me."

Fanes put it back on the ground. Little Black shook its scales, then jumped back into the bag and curled up at the bottom: "Master, don't be so stressed. I'm not going to steal your wife."

Fanes squatted down next to the bag and looked at it: "...Shut up."

Fanes straightened up and looked at Hu Tao and Fu Ningna: "Are you finished talking? If you are, get some rest. Aren't we going to the port tomorrow? If you can't get up, I won't provide breakfast."

Hu Tao leaned back against the edge of the bed: "We're done talking. You can go back now, we need to rest too."

Funina also got up from the bedside, picked up the cup of tea that had gone cold, took a sip, and then turned and walked towards the door.

Fanes bent down, picked up the bag, and walked towards the door. He paused as he stepped outside, glancing back into the room. "What would you like for breakfast tomorrow? I'll have the kitchen prepare it."

Hu Tao's voice came from the room, carrying a satisfied tone that suggested she had confirmed the information: "Whatever. Do whatever you want."

Fanes carried the bag down the corridor back to his room. He pushed open the door, went inside, and placed the bag beside the bed. The door closed behind him, and moonlight slowly seeped in through the curtains, forming a pale band of light that moved slowly between the bed and the floor.

Fanes bent down and untied the bag, letting Little Black crawl out. Little Black rolled over in the bag, found a comfortable position in Fanes' arms, curled up quietly, and closed its eyes.