"This... you must have misheard, Keqing."
Qin Yu feigned calmness, but his eyes darted nervously towards the sea as he subtly shifted away. He had to protect the Lion's Roar. *Kekemao, why are you so silent when you walk!* In an instant, Qin Yu's mind raced with a cascade of dreadful possibilities.
"..."
Keqing narrowed her beautiful eyes, staying close to Qin Yu. *Trying to escape?* Her suspicious gaze intensified.
"Keqing, are we done talking?"
Qin Yu deployed his topic-changing skill, feeling increasingly guilty and sensing he was about to be exposed. *Wait, I didn't even do anything, did I? Just chatted with the adorable little angel, Nahida...*
"Why are you sweating? Be careful not to catch a cold."
Suddenly, the sense of danger dissipated. Keqing smiled and gently placed a hand on Qin Yu's shoulder.
"Haha... I'm fine."
Qin Yu secretly tried to move, but Keqing held him firmly in place. His small attempt at evasion was exposed, leaving him a bit embarrassed. *Kekemao's intuition is truly sharp.*
"Honestly, you should be more careful."
Unexpectedly, Keqing didn't question him directly. Instead, she delicately wiped the sweat from Qin Yu's forehead with a handkerchief, her concern evident. Yet, a shadow of something unfathomable began to gather in her lovely eyes.
"Ahem, I understand."
Qin Yu coughed lightly, clutching the Lion's Roar tighter. *Don't ask, just pretend I'm clueless.*
"Qin Yu, are you alright?"
Nahida's soft voice was filled with tender concern and worry. Qin Yu's tension eased slightly. *Is it because of her presence?*
"It's fine, don't worry."
Qin Yu felt somewhat reassured, thinking to himself, *Of course, little angel Nahida is still so gentle. We're communicating mentally; no one will ever know. It's perfectly safe.*
As expected, Keqing observed for a while with no concrete findings.
"Alright, let's end this call quickly."
Keqing let out a soft hmph and pressed the communication device against Qin Yu's chest. With that, she turned and left with a cold expression. *It's not like I'm unhappy because Qin Yu is going to talk to Sandrone.*
Qin Yu nodded silently and looked at the communication device.
"My partner, what's so mysterious about this?"
On the screen, Sandrone sipped her tea with elegant composure.
"..."
Qin Yu glanced back at Keqing's retreating, huffy figure. It seemed Sandrone had gained the upper hand in their brief encounter. *As expected of you.*
"Actually..."
Before Qin Yu could speak, Sandrone blinked and smiled suddenly, "You asked Sister Keqing to leave, she won't be angry, will she?"
Yes, she was the older sister, and Keqing was the younger sister. As for who was senior in their playful rivalry, it was determined by the outcome of their conversation just now. When it came to banter, she had never lost among the Fatui Harbingers. *The tsundere Kekemao was ultimately handled.*
"!"
From a distance, Keqing stopped in her tracks, taking a deep breath. *She's definitely saying that deliberately to make me hear.* *Damn it, when I get to Inazuma City...!*
"Hmph, I'm going to get some fresh air."
Keqing turned and glared at Qin Yu, puffing out her cheeks before storming off. *Kekemao is starting to hold a grudge.*
Finally, the surroundings became quiet.
"My partner, are we finally going to discuss our private matters?"
"Stop joking, Sandrone."
Qin Yu shook his head and quickly stopped her. *Little sister Nahida is here, no funny business allowed.* Saying that, he turned the communication device in a different direction.
"Look."
Qin Yu gestured towards the boundless sea and spoke softly. This was also for Nahida. *This is the power of your good mother, the First Dendro Archon, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata.*
"This...!"
In his mind, a soft voice expressed a newfound awe. A colossal tree, obscuring the sky, spread its branches over the ocean. *Such immense Dendro power. If only I could wield such power, then...*
"My partner."
Sandrone's eyes widened slightly in surprise. The giant tree piercing the ocean also caught the Fatui Harbinger's attention.
"Did you find anything?"
"My partner, what a huge tree."
Sandrone lightly covered her mouth, her eyes sparkling.
"..."
Qin Yu clicked his tongue, not wanting to engage further.
"This level of Dendro creation, is it your doing?"
Sandrone quickly ceased her teasing and began to inquire.
"Yes, do you have any leads?"
Qin Yu nodded, not denying it.
"I don't know."
Sandrone sighed softly and shook her head. The scene before her was beyond her expectations. The core derived from Khaenri'ah's technology, and it could manipulate Dendro. *Then what about other elements?*
"..."
In the spiritual world, Nahida blinked. *So familiar, I've met a second person who doesn't know.* Indeed, even the wise Dendro Archon was clueless.
"Qin Yu, this is truly marvelous."
Nahida cupped her small face in her hands, gazing at Qin Yu's handsome profile. In her reverie, a gentle smile bloomed. She wanted to know more about Qin Yu.
In the real world.
"My partner, what did you do?"
The only lingering question now was Qin Yu himself. Sandrone had already witnessed enough of Qin Yu's wonders; one more wouldn't hurt.
"It's this."
Qin Yu raised his fingertip, displaying a verdant glow to Sandrone. Their relationship had long since transcended the ordinary, and they chose to trust each other implicitly. There was no need for further concealment.
"You infused the core's energy with this?"
Sandrone furrowed her brows, quickly grasping the key point. But it was precisely this realization that astonished her further. This meant the verdant glow was an extremely potent energy source, at least Archon-level.
"You have such a treasure on you."
Sandrone glanced at Qin Yu with a hint of jealousy, her gaze filled with intense desire. Not for the energy source, but for Qin Yu himself. She couldn't wait to tie him up and drag him to her laboratory, to study him inside and out.
"What are you thinking?"
Qin Yu's expression darkened as he watched Sandrone's excited demeanor on the screen. *Boys must learn to protect themselves.*
...
"Let's demonstrate it now."
Sandrone pondered for a moment and offered her suggestion. Qin Yu was already intending to do so. If Keqing hadn't interrupted him earlier, he would have tried again.
"Sister Nahida?"
"I will help."
A soft voice responded. The green leaves, empowered by Nahida's strength, seemed to unfurl even more, on the verge of sprouting. The power of Greater Lord Rukkhadevata had truly responded.
"Alright, I'm starting."
Qin Yu nodded and began. With Nahida's help, it was bound to succeed this time!
"Krrrk—"
Lightning struck the verdant glow again, emitting a humming sound. The green leaves trembled in response.
"It must succeed."
Qin Yu murmured, his eyes filled with anticipation. However, fate always held surprises. The two elemental forces, when intensified, suddenly became unstable.
"Nahida?"
Qin Yu frowned and subconsciously called out. *It's better to withdraw the power now...* To his dismay, Nahida didn't respond. In the spiritual world, she seemed to be lost in the power of Greater Lord Rukkhadevata.
"My partner, something feels wrong."
Sandrone warned urgently. Based on her experience of frequently blowing up experiments, the energy was on the verge of losing control!
"..."
Qin Yu nodded and was about to retract his Electro power when suddenly, the world before his eyes blurred.
"What is this?"
Qin Yu murmured, his gaze becoming unfocused. He seemed to see... his Electro power, Nahida's spiritual power, and Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's Dendro life force. The several powers converged. A new verdant leaf began to sprout, bearing a tiny fruit. His vision darkened.
"The world... forgets me..."
"Cannot let death... happen again..."
These were the last words Qin Yu heard. *Plop.* He collapsed onto the ground, losing consciousness. Only that ethereal voice remained in his ears, along with the anxious calls of Sandrone and Keqing.
...
Qin Yu had a dream. He had successfully planted a seed, waiting for it to bloom and bear fruit. But strangely, after the fruit fell to the ground, it transformed. It became a small, white-haired loli.
"What a ridiculous dream."
Qin Yu mumbled, gently picking her up. The moment he brushed aside her hair, he froze. The little loli had a perfectly sculpted, doll-like face, cute and sweet. She was sleeping soundly, her long eyelashes fluttering. Her side ponytail held back her white hair, the tips gradually turning verdant green.
"..."
Qin Yu held his breath and instinctively raised his hand. His fingertip lightly touched her elfin, pointed ear.
"Mmm."
The white-haired loli frowned slightly and pouted her rosy little lips. She seemed to sense a familiar presence and reached out her hands, hugging Qin Yu tightly and nuzzling against him.
"Where is your mother?"
Qin Yu's gaze softened as he murmured. There was no response.
"Alright, I will protect you."
Qin Yu sat down, leaning against the tree behind him. It was an unimaginably vast tree, piercing through the world. He looked up, gazing at the dreamlike pink expanse. *World Tree*, a gentle voice said.
"Good dream."
Qin Yu whispered.
...
In reality.
"What the... Don't press on me."
Groggily, Qin Yu frowned. A warm presence was lying on his chest, making him increasingly uncomfortable as she slept. He tried to lift his hand, but something was pinning it down.
"No..."
A soft voice mumbled, holding him tightly.
"Help... I'm going to be crushed..."
Just as Qin Yu was struggling with the unknown entity, the door creaked open. Keqing carefully entered with a pot, walking quickly.
"Qin Yu, I've finished brewing the medicine. You have to be alright..."
Her worried, caring voice abruptly stopped. Her eyes slowly widened. Reflected in her trembling gaze was a small shadow. It was a white-haired loli. She was lying on Qin Yu's chest.
"???"
Kekemao was utterly stunned. *When did Qin Yu have a child?!*