Genshin Impact's Sweet and Hard Free People

Xinhui looked in the direction he was speaking.

He was currently in bed, bathed in bright light streaming in from the window, enjoying a pleasant warmth. A cute little head peeked out from under the bed at his feet.

That's Qiqi.

Qiqi wore a zombie hat and a blue-purple dress. Her light blue hair covered her forehead, and beige talismans hung down from her small head. A long red and blue cloak trailed behind her, and her legs were wrapped in stockings that looked like bandages. Mingze's bright red eyes blinked, making her look extremely cute.

Ok……

Qiqi clearly heard Baizhu's warning, paused for a moment, and then prepared to leave tactfully.

Then, just as she was about to run away, she turned back and said mysteriously in her childish voice, "God falls, divine punishment..."

Xinhui: "..."

"Qiqi, what nonsense are you talking about again?" Bai Shu said reproachfully, his tone revealing a hint of helplessness, as he had no way to deal with her.

Then, Qiqi ran to the side and happened to see a strangely colored butterfly outside, so she chased after it and ran out.

With only Xinhui and Baishu remaining, the atmosphere became awkward.

"Brother Baishu, how did I get back?" Xinhui's mind was still a little hazy.

"You're quite the talker! When Lord Yuheng carried you on his back, even I couldn't believe it. He took off your shoes and put them on the bed, and told me to take good care of you. You know, Lord Yuheng doesn't usually show this kind of concern for someone easily," Bai Shu said in a slightly teasing tone.

"However, I'm curious, how did you dare to go to the snow mountain to find Lord Yuheng, when even the Thousand Rock Army couldn't..."

Xinhui was stunned for a moment.

“I was also trying to understand some things, and now I remember them,” Xinhui said slowly.

"By the way, how long was I unconscious?" Xinhui asked hesitantly.

"Three days," Bai Shu replied calmly.

what? !

When Xin Hui heard this shocking news, he almost jumped up!

No, I have to get up! Lady Ningguang still has so many formal dresses!

Just as he was hurriedly preparing to get up, a girl with two horns on her head and beautiful blue hair walked in.

A smile graced the girl's fair face, and her slender body moved with light steps, her hand still carrying that familiar basket.

The person who arrived was Gan Yu.

"I forgot to tell you, these past few days, Lady Gan Yu has been cooking and bringing you food. When I asked her, she just said you're her friend and she's here to take care of you." Bai Shu first pushed up his glasses, then covered half his face, and whispered to Xin Hui.

Xin Hui's lips twitched upon hearing this, clearly not expecting such a situation.

"Ah, Xinhui, you're awake." Gan Yu suddenly stopped and said, her soft and gentle voice seemingly melting one's heart.

She placed the basket on the bedside table beside her, then looked at Xinhui with concern in her eyes.

Bai Shu smiled knowingly at this scene and patted Xin Hui on the shoulder before leaving.

Ah this...

Xin Hui couldn't understand his behavior at all, and before leaving, she gave him a "I'll see what you do" look.

"Xin, are you alright? I was so worried about you after you were unconscious for several days," Gan Yu said softly, placing her small hand on Xin Hui's forehead.

"It's not like she has a fever, why would she do this?" Xin Hui thought. "Adorably silly" perfectly describes Gan Yu. And why call her "A-Xin"?

"Ah, is it that you don't like being called A-Xin? I'm sorry, I've always used that term when we were together before..." Gan Yu seemed to have noticed Xin Hui's discomfort.

"No, I'm just a little not used to it," Xinhui could only quickly deny.

"That's good." Gan Yu's smile widened as she opened the basket and took out the fragrant dishes inside.

"This is my carefully prepared 'Immortal Jumps Over the Wall,' a highly nourishing dish that will benefit your health." As she spoke, she used a small spoon to scoop up the exquisite ingredients from the dish and was about to feed it to Xinhui.

Xinhui had no choice but to take a bite.

The flavor is rich and delicious, with a thick broth that coats the taste buds, leaving a lingering aftertaste.

Did Gan Yu make this herself? She's such a virtuous person!

“Keqing said she will come to find you after you wake up, saying she has something important to discuss with you,” Gan Yu said while blowing on the scalding hot Xian Jumps Over the Wall.

"Lord Yuheng, is she alright?" Xinhui paused slightly before asking.

He was relieved only after Gan Yu shook her head.

"I really appreciate Gan Yu's help in buying the fabric for me," Xin Hui said, about to express his gratitude.

"Between friends, this little thing is nothing."

After that, the atmosphere became delicate. Neither of them spoke much, except that Gan Yu kept feeding Xin Hui.

After finishing the "Immortal Jumps Over the Wall" soup, Xin Hui fled Bu Bu Lu as if he were escaping. He was truly afraid of falling for Gan Yu's gentle and considerate nature.

Back at Yiyu Pavilion, Xinhui looked at the familiar desk, sat down comfortably, and resumed making the dress.

Xinhui quite enjoyed the tranquility, the freedom to be undisturbed, and the way she wove needle and thread, as if they would become the finest objects.

He was only thinking about finishing the dress that Lady Ningguang needed first.

Three busy days passed in the blink of an eye.

The breakfasts Gan Yu brought these past few days remained the same, but when she mentioned that the wild boar meat in a certain dense forest had been hunted to extinction and that she had moved to a different forest, Xin Hui truly felt sorry for those pigs. Unable to repay her kindness, he could only eat them with tears in his eyes.

This morning, after enjoying the delicious food that Gan Yu brought, Xin Hui somehow fell asleep again, perhaps because he stayed up too late last night.

On the desk where he was lying, a yellowish-white sheet of paper depicted a special dress in colorful illustrations—a flowing gown.

The dress, resembling a butterfly's wings, features a wonderful combination of black and deep blue. The sleeves, like dancing wings, accentuate the wearer's figure. The hair ornament is no longer a hairpin, but a ribbon that gradually fades from deep blue to black. In the beautiful setting of the Lantern Festival, the lines painstakingly drawn in the past intertwine to create a light and magnificent appearance.

Perfect.

This is precisely why Xinhui was able to sleep peacefully after completing the design drawings for this piece.

However, after he fell asleep at his desk, a girl as graceful as a butterfly stood hesitantly in front of the Yiyu Pavilion.

That girl was none other than Keqing, the Jade Balance Star, revered by the people of Liyue.

She first calmed herself down and relaxed, and then, as if she had made a decision, stepped through the door and entered the Yiyu Pavilion.

When she saw the person she wanted to see sleeping at a table because he was busy, she couldn't help but find it amusing.

Looking at the exquisite dresses hanging in the store, Ke Qing realized just how much effort Xin Hui had put in.

Among them is the finished product of "Orchid in Gauze" that Ningguang saw last time.

Absolutely breathtakingly beautiful!

Keqing is a young girl, so it's impossible for her not to understand its beauty.

After all, Keqing's hobby—so many styles, so many textures, so many choices. Ah, that's the power of consumption; it's truly irresistible.

When she turned her gaze to the yellowed and white paper that Xinhui was pressing down on, the dress depicted on it deeply attracted her.

"Ah~" Just then, the blue-haired youth opened his sleepy eyes, closed one eye again, and rubbed the other eye with his hand.

Has anyone arrived?

Chapter Fourteen: Will You Help Me Measure?

"Hmm... Did I disturb your rest?" Ke Qing's crisp, slightly mature voice rang out, instantly bringing Xin Hui back to his senses.

"No, no, I did manage to sleep for a while, and Keqing moved very quietly. I thought a guest had arrived." Xinhui could only wave his hands repeatedly. He actually wanted to call her "Lord Yuheng," but he thought that would be too formal, so he simply called her by her name.

Ke Qing: "The clothes are very beautiful."

Xinhui: "Thank you for the compliment."

"..."

For some reason, Xinhui always felt some pressure when chatting with Keqing. Perhaps it was because she was a high-ranking member of the Liyue Seven Stars, but more so because he felt that Keqing's personality was difficult to get along with.

She's someone who's used to being alone, so how would she know how to get along with others? Therefore, her words and actions still need some learning.

"Oh, right, this is a dress I designed for you, a one-of-a-kind dress for the Lantern Festival." Xin Hui suddenly remembered something, grabbed the paper on the table, and handed it to Ke Qing.

"Yes, I see it, it's beautiful." Ke Qing felt a surge of joy. So, this dress was made for me?

"But..." Xin Hui's voice trailed off, a little guilty, "I just don't know Ke Qing's clothing size, like, her measurements or something..."

Xinhui finished speaking with a stiff upper lip, already prepared to be beaten.

Unexpectedly, Ke Qing's face turned bright red in an instant, like a crystal-clear, bright red pomegranate. She was so shy that she covered the red and white paper in front of her.

“Three-dimensional…” she gently bit her red lips and uttered a few words softly.

Xinhui didn't hear her clearly and asked her to speak louder.

Finally, after Keqing repeated it several times, Xinhui finally got the data he wanted. (Author's note: Don't ask me, I don't understand, and I don't know how to write it. Just use your clever brain to imagine it.)

"What happened in the end at the snow mountain?" Xin Hui decided it was necessary to ask about this matter. Since Ke Qing brought him back, she must know very well, right?

Upon hearing this, Ke Qing's proud little face became more serious and solemn.

"Finally, you came into contact with the Frostfire Nail and miraculously merged into its interior. Shortly after you merged into the nail, the enormous Frostfire Nail began to dissipate into thin air, while simultaneously unleashing a massive energy fluctuation."

"The long nail seemed to use its last bit of power to unleash a mysterious pressure, suppressing the dragon's heart back into the Sleeping Dragon Valley. After it dissipated, all that remained was you, floating in the cold sky, gradually falling."

"The effects of the spikes disappeared as well, so I had no choice but to bring you back. The honorary knight and Abedo were surprised, but they didn't say much. Actually, I'm quite curious, how did you get inside the Frost Spikes? And what did you do inside?"

After Ke Qing finished telling the story, she was clearly also very interested in the secrets surrounding Xin Hui.

Although Keqing's few words couldn't describe too many details, the entire trip to the snow-capped mountains could definitely be described as thrilling.

This situation seemed to be expected. Xin Hui's expression did not change. He calmly said, "The Frostfire Nail is originally a part of me and the source of my power. Naturally, it will not reject me."

"At the same time, it also awakened my memories. Although it will take time to recall everything, I also regained my power. Now I can use ice elemental power freely."

As he spoke, he opened his hand, and elemental energy surged around him, gathering in his hand and creating some frost.

He demonstrated his existing abilities. At the same time, a white, snowflake-like mark appeared on the back of Xinhui's left hand.

"It really can drive..." Keqing didn't believe that such a person could exist. After all, the difference between people with the Eye of God and ordinary people is that they can drive elemental power.

"So, you must have been a very powerful person before?" Ke Qing thought. Someone who could even turn the Frostfire Nail into a source of power must be incredibly terrifying.