"Luo Qing, what's wrong?"
Lumine noticed that sothing about Luo Qing's expression was off.
"Did you find sothing?"
"No..."
Luo Qing shook his head slightly, his usual playful deanor returning.
"It's just that the writing on this wall is so ugly—it's ruining my mood."
"..."
Lumine was montarily speechless.
She turned and joined Neuvillette to discuss the engravings and the stone tablets while Luo Qing remained fixated on the ancient text below the wall, lost in thought.
He couldn't shake the feeling that the person who inscribed these prophecies might have so connection to him.
But that didn't make sense—he was only in his twenties, while these ruins were centuries old.
Even if he told soone, who would believe him?
After mulling it over, Luo Qing decided to consult soone who might know more.
"Hey..."
Luo Qing waved to the group, a sly smile on his face.
"I just rembered I left the gas on at ho. You guys keep discussing—I've got sothing to take care of. Later!"
Before anyone could respond, Luo Qing's golden eyes glimred, and he disappeared.
Watching the spot where he vanished, Paimon scratched her head.
"Is it just , or does it feel like Luo Qing's hiding sothing from us again?"
"You really need to ask?"
Lumine couldn't help but retort. "When isn't Luo Qing keeping secrets from us?"
Paimon nodded in agreent. "Now that you ntion it..."
"Listening to you two..."
Neuvillette, who had been quiet, now looked contemplative as he turned to Lumine.
"Has that man always kept so much from you?"
"Yes!"
Paimon bobbed her head vigorously.
"That guy—he's always like this. Whether it was in Liyue, Inazuma, or even Suru..."
Paimon began listing all of Luo Qing's past exploits, recounting his involvent in the Archon War in Liyue, his battle against Raiden Shogun alongside the resistance, and his trip to Suru to diate a crisis involving a new god.
By the ti she finished, she looked satisfied, as though venting had relieved her frustration.
On the other hand, Neuvillette was deep in thought.
So, all those things he did... That explains why Furina is so close to him.
---
Having left the ruins, Luo Qing raced ho at full speed. By the ti he arrived, it was almost dusk.
The house was brightly lit, and when he opened the door, he found several of his wives lounging in the living room. They barely reacted to his return, feigning indifference.
"Oh, so you do rember where you live," Makoto muttered, shooting him a sidelong glance. She huffed. "I thought soone had forgotten all about us after finding himself a new fla."
The others also adopted mock expressions of cold indifference, as though sulking.
"Alright, alright... Once everything settles down, I'll make it up to you. Deal?"
To show his sincerity, Luo Qing went around and planted a kiss on each of their cheeks, eliciting begrudging smiles.
Then he turned to Bu'er, his tone suddenly serious.
"Bu'er, co to the bedroom with for a mont."
"Huh...?"
Bu'er was montarily taken aback.
Is he really going to pick my card tonight? And this early?
Though surprised, she wasn't about to refuse. Shooting Makoto a victorious grin, she followed Luo Qing to the bedroom.
"Luo Qing, what's going on?" Bu'er asked, concern evident in her voice. "You seem anxious."
"There's sothing important I need to ask you. Co, sit here."
Luo Qing patted the spot next to him.
Once Bu'er sat down, he placed his hands on her shoulders, his expression earnest.
"I recall you once said we first t before the Archon War. Is that correct?"
"Why are you bringing this up all of a sudden?"
Bu'er's heart raced, thinking he might have recovered so mories. "Luo Qing... Did you rember sothing?"
"Sorry..." Luo Qing said softly, a trace of guilt in his voice. "I still haven't recovered my mories from that ti. But I want to ask—back then, did I leave anything behind? Words, creations, battle marks—anything?"
"This..."
Bu'er lowered her gaze, her mood sinking.
"That's sothing I've always wondered about, too... Luo Qing, I once returned to the ancient tree where we made our vow. But there was nothing left—no carvings, no trace of you.
"I even searched the archives of the Akademiya, but... nothing. Everything about you was erased.
"The Akademiya itself was your idea... even the Void Network was your creation.
"And yet, Suru's history contains no ntion of you."
"I see..."
Luo Qing fell into deep thought.
If his traces had been erased by so unknown force, it was clear the inscriptions in the ruins weren't his doing.
But why did those words feel so intensely familiar?
"I understand, Bu'er."
Luo Qing gently tousled her hair and cupped her face, planting a soft kiss on her forehead.
"It's fine. If the traces and stories are gone, we'll just create new ones. We still have plenty of ti, don't we?"
"Mm..."
Bu'er nodded slightly, warmth blooming in her chest. She was about to suggest he stay the night, reminiscing about the coziness of sleeping as a family of three.
But Luo Qing stood up abruptly.
"I have more to take care of. Be good while I'm gone, okay?"
And with that, he dashed out of the room.
"..."
---
Luo Qing's unanswered questions led him to seek out Furina.
Though her power was weak, she was still a god and had lived for centuries. Surely, she would know sothing.
After searching her chambers and questioning a servant, he learned she had been summoned by Neuvillette for an important matter.
With little choice, Luo Qing made his way to Neuvillette's office.
Thanks to his status as Furina's openly acknowledged partner, the staff didn't stop him, and he reached the office without issue.
As he approached the door, he overheard an argunt inside.
Neuvillette's voice was cold and composed:
"Furina... You're not as shallow as you pretend to be, nor are you truly foolish. Yet your actions lack coherence and defy logic.
"If you want to prevent another tragedy like White Birch Town, I suggest you reveal the secrets you've been hiding."
Furina's reply was weaker, tinged with desperation—and a trace of tears.
"I've already told you... As a god, I have my own plans. Your role as my subordinate is to obey, not to question or doubt ."
---
T/N: check out my first fanfic! Is It Wrong To Stay Composed In A Dungeon!
...
If you're reading this, then you've wandered all the way to the end. I'm impressed. Stories are like wine—ant to be savored, not rushed. So if you took your ti? Thank you.
Of course, the real thanks goes to WiseTL—the one who turned tangled words into sothing beautiful. I just got asked to wrap things up with a ribbon. Hopefully this counts!
If you enjoyed the journey and want to support the person who made it possible, you can find them here:
👉 /WiseTL]
Go on. Be generous. They've earned it.
Until next ti—read well, rest often, and maybe co visit at the Hostess of Fertility soti.
– Syr ✨
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