The Infinite Journey of a Certain Flame

The three, reunited after a long separation, helped and looked after each other, each using their unique skills to boil a pot of... scalding hot bathwater.

"Kiana, aren't you going a little too far?"

"Oh, this," Kiana reached out and touched the scalding hot bath water, "I don't think so, the water temperature feels okay. Actually... when I was bathing with you, Mei, the water felt a bit cold."

"Cool? Not at all. I feel like I'm sitting next to a fireplace when I'm with you... Well, I guess we just feel things differently."

Mei sighed.

Seeing this, Bronya stroked her chin, then took out her Heavy Bunny 0019 and quickly assembled it, eventually releasing an extremely cold laser beam.

Before long, the originally scalding hot bath water cooled down considerably under the laser's irradiation.

Seeing this, Kiana couldn't help but give Bronya a thumbs up and exclaim in admiration:

"As expected of Bronya, her advanced technology is always so amazing."

"It's nothing, I just expected it a long time ago."

After the bathwater was prepared, Bronya didn't waste any time and immediately started taking off her clothes.

Such a frank reaction is honestly surprising.

Kiana and Mei stared in disbelief as she swiftly and decisively stripped naked, at a loss for words.

Bronya, the person involved, showed no embarrassment whatsoever. Instead, she openly placed her hands on the edge of the bathtub, closed her eyes, and asked them in a deep voice.

"what happened?"

Well, it seems she really isn't shy at all.

Kiana and Mei exchanged a glance, then smiled. They then both turned back to rest.

The two lay on the bed gazing at each other.

"Don't kick off the covers in the middle of the night, Kiana."

Looking at Kiana so close to her, Mei couldn't help but tease her.

"How could that be, Mei?"

Feeling slighted, Kiana reached out and gently stroked her beloved's nose, then smiled serenely.

Mei returned the same smile.

The two gazed at each other silently, as if time had stood still...

......

The next day.

When Kiana opened her eyes, she found that Mei was already awake, sitting in front of the dressing mirror, tidying up her appearance.

"Good morning, Kiana," Mei said with a smile.

"Good morning, Mei."

Kiana raised her head, smiling as she tried to get up.

As soon as she stood up, she felt someone put their arms around her neck and clamp her right leg between their legs.

Strange, who's bothering me? Could it be that little rascal, Sirin?

The idea was immediately rejected. The reason was that no matter how much the little thing wriggled around, it couldn't possibly wrap its arms around his neck and clamp its legs around his, could it? It would have to be at least the size of a normal person to do that.

So, excluding her...

"Bronya, I'm not a body pillow. And don't get so close to my lips, hurry up and kiss me!"

'Thud!' The katana, sheath and all, slammed heavily onto the guest table.

The sharp sound instantly snapped Bronya out of her daze.

"I'm telling you guys," Mei slowly drew her sword, revealing a hint of cold glint, "what are you doing right in front of me?"

"Uh-huh?"

Bronya looked puzzled, while Kiana looked embarrassed.

After a few moments of hesitation, Bronya finally realized that she... had actually used Kiana as a body pillow?

Alas!

She immediately stopped, stood up, and while putting on her clothes, said:

"Whatever you do, don't mention this to Seele, otherwise..."

"I understand, you'll chase me to the ends of the earth with a scythe, right?"

Kiana gave a simple reply, then got up and dressed.

Before long, the two of them finally finished putting on their combat suits.

Just as Mei sighed and smiled helplessly at the two of them, intending to say something, there was a knock on the guest room door.

'Knock knock knock!'

A gentle knock on the door, accompanied by soft, hesitant 'um, uh...' The pleasant and melodious voice made the three people inside feel at ease.

"Excuse me... is Ms. Mei in here?"

Soon after, Gan Yu's voice came.

The question, asked by name, startled Mei at first, but she quickly agreed and ran to open the door.

"Huh? It's really here?"

The moment Mei opened the door, Gan Yu froze on the spot.

Upon seeing Gan Yu's appearance, Mei smiled slightly:

"Hi, Ms. Gan Yu, good morning!"

Gan Yu then realized what was happening and quickly put on a sweet smile:

"Good morning... cough cough, I went to your room earlier. But I didn't see anyone there, so I looked for a long time before I thought of coming here to check!"

Upon hearing this, Mei immediately snapped out of her daze and said somewhat embarrassedly:

"Oh? So you were looking for me specifically earlier, Miss Gan Yu? I'm so sorry, actually..."

Out with the old, in with the new, an unforgettable Lantern Festival (Liyue New Year): Chapter Fourteen: The Demon Slayer with a Request

Realizing she had caused trouble for others, Mei explained that she had mistaken the room for someone else's. Of course, she also mentioned that she was staying there to sleep because of her friend's request.

“You guys have such a good relationship. I... I actually wish I could be that close to people too. But everyone is very polite to me, except for travelers who are a little more enthusiastic.”

For some reason, Gan Yu expressed such a sentiment with a hint of envy.

"Alright, let's not waste your time. I'm preparing to return to Liyue Harbor. May I depart after breakfast? If you wish to continue your travels, I won't stop you. However, please understand that if you travel in Liyue without cultivating good relationships, and are questioned by the Thousand Rock Army..."

As the secretary of the Seven Stars and the number one workaholic in Liyue, Gan Yu lowered her head and gently reminded him. She had a gentle and refined appearance, but her words were not to be refused. What was even more interesting was that she 'inadvertently' reminded Thousand Rock Army.

The implications are truly intriguing.

Kiana pondered for a moment, and based on her understanding of Gan Yu, she roughly understood her good intentions. Essentially, she was being urged to finish breakfast quickly and then go with her to the General Affairs Department to report for duty.

That's alright. I've already tried it before, so there's no harm in trying it again.

Just consider it as fulfilling the proper etiquette for a guest.

Mei should understand such a simple and easy-to-understand principle, right?

"oh, I understand now."

Almost without Kiana's surprise, Mei nodded with a smile. She also politely greeted Gan Yu:

"Thank you for your hospitality. This is truly a wonderful hotel; I would love to relax here sometime. Haha, don't be so nervous. I know you're busy and in a hurry. Is someone urging you?"

It can only be said that masters exchange blows with a single smile or frown. Mei and Gan Yu exchanged a smile, but their smiles were forced and their eyes held a tense, confrontational air.

Just watching the two of them confront each other, Kiana felt the atmosphere on the scene gradually freeze.

It gives the impression that a full-blown fight is about to break out...

That said, why did Mei say that Gan Yu was very busy and in a hurry? Was someone urging her?

Could it be that someone is urging Gan Yu to leave?

Who is that person?

At that moment, Kiana suddenly realized that she seemed to have overlooked something very important.

That was Gan Yu's relationship with her; it seemed unnecessary for her to explain so much to Mei.

This is a dangerous sign.

"Actually, no one is rushing me. You've misunderstood."

Gan Yu shook her head.

However, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly. This girl's reaction was too sharp; she actually noticed this from just one of his sentences.

It seems this girl is quite something...

After secretly being surprised by Mei, Gan Yu patiently urged her on:

"Let's stop with the small talk, shall we? I'll take you downstairs for breakfast now."

Seeing Gan Yu's calm demeanor, Mei's eyebrows twitched slightly. She felt something was off, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. So she stopped worrying about it and nodded slowly.

"Okay, let's go then."

After saying that, Gan Yu turned around and led everyone toward the stairs of Wangshu Inn.

As they passed the counter, they made sure to greet the shopkeeper and the proprietress. After a few simple greetings, the slightly somber atmosphere eased considerably.

Kiana, Mei, and the others headed down to the inn, only to encounter Void Manzou disguised as Miss Otto on the way.

At this very moment, this elegant and beautiful woman in a green dress was descending the stairs, her face grim. Unfortunately, she hadn't yet gotten used to wearing dresses, especially such an elaborate floor-length gown.

So as she moved forward, she would occasionally step on her skirt and sway from side to side, almost falling over several times.

"trouble!"

Finally, after several near misses that nearly caused her to tumble down the stairs, she couldn't help but utter a complaint. It must be said that seeing Void Treasury, disguised as Archbishop Otto, say such a thing was quite novel, with a certain endearing contrast.