"Huu..."
Perception gradually cleared, heavy breaths accompanied by heartbeats echoing in his ears.
The pure white maiden from the dream departed, consciousness returning to reality.
In the night sky, stars twinkled.
It was still the mountaintop of that unnamed island.
The once biting wind had become gentle.
It caressed his cheeks softly, bringing a ticklish sensation.
"Wait..."
Qin Yu opened his mouth, a flicker of confusion in his eyes.
The sudden clarity left him feeling a sense of loss.
He recalled the melody they played together under the sunlight in the hall.
Was the pure white maiden, like an angel, just a dream, or...?
"You're awake?"
A clear, light voice suddenly sounded beside his ear.
Qin Yu startled, instinctively trying to turn his head.
The next moment, his head was turned back by a small hand.
"My partner, please look at me properly."
The elegant and exquisite doll girl leaned against Qin Yu's shoulder, blinking.
As she spoke, she naturally reached out a hand, intending to poke Qin Yu's face.
But back in reality, she quickly realized she couldn't reach.
"My partner, could you move your face closer?"
Qin Yu looked at her, feeling a bit tired, and said,
"Sandrone, I knew it was you."
As he spoke, he sat up.
He also pulled Sandrone off his shoulder and cupped her in his palm.
"My partner, that's more like it."
Sandrone gently hugged Qin Yu's finger, a slight curve to her lips.
Their movements had long since become a habit.
Qin Yu smiled and looked around.
He indeed spotted a wild Keqing.
"Keqing?"
He tentatively called out softly, but there was no response.
Moonlight cascaded down, and the girl was sleeping soundly.
In her sleep, her small mouth pouted, and her brows furrowed slightly.
"Qin Yu..."
Keqing murmured softly.
She clutched a doll tightly, like a small kitten afraid of being abandoned, looking pitiable.
"..."
Qin Yu instinctively softened his breathing and slowly stood up.
This Keqing is asleep, maybe we should...
"!"
Sandrone, in his palm, stamped her foot.
"Shh."
Qin Yu approached Keqing and squatted down.
As expected of Keqing, her sleeping posture was tranquil and adorable.
"No looking!"
Sandrone pried Qin Yu's fingers, expressing her displeasure.
"Don't mess around."
Qin Yu shook his head and placed the doll girl on his shoulder.
He then picked up the sleeping Keqing.
It was so cold tonight; how could he let Keqing catch a chill.
With the beauty in his arms, Qin Yu thought righteously.
"Mmm."
Keqing seemed to sense a familiar presence, and her brows gradually relaxed.
A barely perceptible smile curved her lips.
"?"
Sandrone's eyes flickered, sensing something was wrong.
She smelled a trap.
"Qin Yu..." Keqing murmured.
Hearing the soft call, Qin Yu leaned closer.
What could the sleeping Keqing want with him?
"I like..."
Qin Yu's eyes widened slightly.
"...working overtime together."
Someone chuckled helplessly.
Even in her dreams, she's working. As expected of you.
Wait, won't he be working overtime too?
When he wanted to hear Keqing say something else,
"No."
Keqing's slightly flushed cheeks rubbed against Qin Yu as she hid in his embrace, unwilling to come out.
She seemed a bit shy.
Qin Yu smiled faintly; sleeping Keqing was so cute.
"Tsk."
Sandrone narrowed her beautiful eyes, a cold glint flashing within them.
This woman... it's definitely her.
She was pretending to be asleep in front of Qin Yu!
I must expose her!
However, Sandrone subconsciously ignored one thing.
That was that she had also pretended to be asleep...
"Let's do something important first."
Qin Yu, holding Keqing, looked into the distance.
Before the ruined and desolate buildings,
Lifeless figures were suspended by sharp metal wires, their appearances tragic.
Under the moonlight, cold glints flashed.
Judging by the grotesque contortions of their bodies, they were like puppets being manipulated.
It was evident they had suffered extremely cruel torture in life.
These figures were naturally Doctor's slices.
"Did you do this?"
Qin Yu looked at the elegant and exquisite, spotlessly clean doll girl.
She had been quite ruthless.
If those metal wires had been any tighter, they would have been slices of slices.
"I don't know."
Sandrone, dressed in a simple white dress, sat on Qin Yu's shoulder, swinging her little legs.
She blinked her bright eyes, her face innocent.
Fighting and killing were not lady-like at all.
"..."
Qin Yu chuckled and glared at her.
An Executor puppet, quite "fragile."
I haven't settled the score with you for slacking off in my dreams yet.
"How much of his secrets have been recovered?"
"Not much, mostly records of human experimentation."
Sandrone pointed at a stack of documents in the distance, showing little interest.
Qin Yu walked over and scanned the list.
"Research on Demonized Sickness."
"Sumeru Academia... Greater Lord Rukkhadevata... Lesser Lord Kusanali..."
"Electro-Dendro reactions... Hypotheses on the possibility of reviving decaying young bodies into adult states..."
His voice soon trailed off.
Qin Yu rubbed his temples and looked away.
It was better to put this away for others to read.
After all, these research papers and materials were unlikely to be of any use to him.
"My partner, why aren't you reading anymore?"
Sandrone poked Qin Yu, her beautiful eyes curved.
Her tone was full of teasing.
"I don't understand."
"Oh... if you want to learn, you can ask me."
Sandrone swung her little feet and said casually.
Qin Yu immediately shook his head and refused, "Please spare me."
"What about that modified experimental subject?"
"The Doctor is dead, so it was naturally dissolved and recovered."
Qin Yu nodded, relieved.
He looked at the dark mist coiling within the buildings.
"Now, only the lingering resentment of the Geo Archon Osial remains."