So people have a thing for a well-endowed chest, others for long, shapely legs.
But Luo Qing?
Over ti, he'd co to realize that his thing was Cryo Visions.
There was just sothing about girls who carried a Cryo Vision that enthralled him, igniting a strange excitent he couldn't quite control.
Maybe this was the Tsaritsa's fault...
After escorting Furina back to the Palais rmonia, Luo Qing wandered the empty streets of Fontaine alone under the veil of night.
Suddenly, he sensed a familiar presence behind him. Without much thought, he chose a random bench by the roadside and sat down.
"Why don't you join for a seat?"
At his invitation, a figure erged from the shadows—an elegant woman clad in black.
Luo Qing turned to look and saw her distinctive black-and-white hair flowing beneath a dark hood. Her nightwear accentuated her flawless figure.
"What's this? Co to offer an explanation?"
Arlecchino lowered her hood and removed her mask without a word. Instead, she silently sat beside Luo Qing.
"Would you care for a drink? It's from Snezhnaya," Luo Qing said, pulling two cans of strong Snezhnayan liquor from his inventory. He opened one for himself and handed the other to Arlecchino.
"Been a while since I've seen you in this getup. Years have passed, and your figure is still as perfect as ever."
"Even the best blade dulls if left unused for too long," Arlecchino replied, taking the drink without hesitation. She wasn't concerned about Luo Qing poisoning her and drank a sip right away.
"And you—you've only grown harder to read as the years go by."
"Average, at best," Luo Qing replied, feigning modesty with a polite smile.
"Without you, I'd probably have starved to death on the wild plains of Liyue back then."
The mories of his past life had gradually rged with his own, until they felt like his real history—an orphaned childhood he'd lived through.
"That's why..." Luo Qing smiled faintly.
"There's no need for us to waste energy fighting each other, don't you think?"
Luo Qing operated in the open, while Arlecchino worked from the shadows. If they joined forces, obtaining the Hydro Gnosis would be all but guaranteed.
"This matter has nothing to do with you," Arlecchino said flatly. "You already know my true goal..."
"Of course."
Luo Qing nodded slightly.
"To save Fontaine from the prophecy's judgnt, your efforts far surpass Lady Furina's. But..."
He took a sip of his drink before continuing.
"You can't do it alone, can you? Like you once told us, maybe you should try relying on your comrades."
"You're lecturing now?"
"Just an observation. Take it or leave it."
"..."
Arlecchino found herself at a loss. Luo Qing's smug grin always seed to stir up complicated feelings within her.
She knew that if she and Luo Qing worked together to acquire the Hydro Gnosis, the chances of breaking the prophecy would increase dramatically.
Otherwise, why would she have vied with the Doctor to recruit him back in Snezhnaya?
But half a year ago, the Tsaritsa herself had appeared before her with a strict command: do not collaborate with Luo Qing. She was to rely solely on her own strength to retrieve the Hydro Gnosis—and even create obstacles for him if necessary.
Arlecchino didn't know the reason for this, but as an order from the Tsaritsa, she had no choice but to comply.
"We can't work together, Brighella," Arlecchino said, shaking her head to refuse Luo Qing's offer.
"Because of the Tsaritsa?" Luo Qing leaned closer, his tone probing.
"..."
Arlecchino remained silent, her gaze lingering on the Pure Ice crystal in Luo Qing's hand. She dared not speak.
Regardless of their true feelings, all Fatui Harbingers held absolute reverence for the Tsaritsa.
All except for Luo Qing, it seed.
He treated deities with casual indifference, as though they were no different from ordinary friends.
"Co on, her orders are just guidelines. You've got , don't you? Anything she can't help you with, I can handle. We're in Fontaine now—why stick to her words so rigidly? When in the field, a soldier must act as the situation demands. All that matters is bringing the Gnosis back, right?"
Luo Qing's rapid-fire comntary left Arlecchino stunned.
She couldn't fathom how he dared to say such blasphemous things while wearing the Tsaritsa's enchanted necklace—a device capable of relaying their conversation directly to her.
Was he not afraid of being frozen into shards of ice on the spot?
"Luo Qing..."
For the first ti in years, she addressed him by na, her tone almost parental.
"I think you need to show more respect to the gods."
"Respect for the gods?" Luo Qing's lips curled into a sly smile.
His mind wandered to his ho and the retired deities who bickered over his attention: one lounging around reading light novels and occasionally clinging to him for warmth, and another as endearing as a daughter, sweet and clingy.
Respect?
He felt sothing closer to affection.
"Gods have emotions too, Arlecchino. If you can connect with their hearts, you'll find they're not so different from ordinary people. They feel joy, anger, sorrow, and worry, just like anyone else."
And sotis, they'll even cling to you in bed, begging for cuddles to keep you from leaving.
Luo Qing added this thought to himself.
He held up the Pure Ice crystal and smiled at it in mock sincerity.
"Hey, hey, hey, Tsaritsa, can you hear ? If you can, give a 'ow,' won't you?"
As expected, the crystal remained unresponsive.
But Arlecchino stared at him in disbelief.
"See? She doesn't mind," Luo Qing said, waving the crystal like a toy. His confidence was unshakable.
"..."
"So, do give my offer so serious thought," Luo Qing said, standing up.
"After all, wouldn't it be better to collaborate with your 'forr son' than to stand opposed to him?"
Before Arlecchino could respond, Luo Qing's eyes glimred with gold. His figure shimred, then vanished into thin air.
"This..."
Arlecchino was left pondering his parting words.
It was clear he was urging her to defy the Tsaritsa's orders and work with him instead, to prevent infighting among comrades and resolve Fontaine's crisis through unity.
But how could she choose? One side held the authority of a divine ruler, while the other was rely a Harbinger.
If she were to place her bets, logic dictated she should side with the Tsaritsa.
Why, then, did the idea of trusting Luo Qing tug at her mind?
"That man..."
"...is growing more unpredictable by the day."
For a mont, her thoughts wandered back to the day she had first found Luo Qing—a mory etched deeply into her mind.
---
"Gar~de! Voir voir."
- Gardevoir
(End of Bonus Chapter—If you like my work, consider supporting at /WiseTL]!)
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