Original God Zhongli BG Xiao Qinglong traveled through time

The heavy door of the castle tower slowly closed behind him, completely isolating the space drenched in divine might and eternal lightning. Lin Huan descended the last stone step, the hem of his blue shirt brushing against the stone surface, polished by time, making a subtle rustling sound.

The evening breeze blew against her face, carrying the unique scent of crimson cherry blossoms and sea salt from Inazuma Castle. She took a deep breath, trying to let the hustle and bustle of life dispel the lingering cold pressure in her lungs. Her back, which had been straight in the temple moments before, finally allowed a hint of fatigue to show—not physical fatigue, but the emptiness that emanated from the depths of her soul after a direct confrontation with the will of the gods.

The lightning talisman on her sleeve pressed against the skin of her wrist, emitting a chill that didn't belong to her, a sense of alienation. This token, personally bestowed by General Lei Dian, was more of a silent warning than a permit, a constant reminder of their recent, regretful encounter.

She did not return to her guesthouse, but instead, following her instinct, she followed a faint, refreshing scent in the air, a stark contrast to the scent of Inazuma's crimson cherry blossoms, towards the high cliffs overlooking the sea on the outskirts of the city. There she could see the boundless, inky sea, freed from the constraints of the thunderstorm, and the fragmented moonlight that fell upon it.

The night breeze picked up, ruffling the hair across her forehead, but it couldn't dispel the lingering melancholy between her brows. Earlier in the castle tower, she had calmly answered Ying's question, "Carrying the river on your back... doesn't it feel heavy?" But only she knew how intensely and turbulently the branch of that "river," belonging to "Yu Qing," surged, nearly scalding her heart.

At this moment, a burst of unfettered singing, mixed with the melodious sound of a zither, drifted over on the wind. There was none of the sadness and restraint of Inazuma poetry in that song, but rather the vastness and spontaneity of the Mondstadt grasslands and the high sky, like a clear mountain spring leaping over gravel, its crisp drumming echoing in the silent night.

Lin Huan looked up and saw Wendy leaning against the twisted trunk of a sakura tree at the end of the cliff. Moonlight cast a silver hue on his emerald cloak, like a gentle lotus leaf. His slender fingertips expertly plucked the strings, the scattered notes unexpectedly weaving a soothing rhythm. Those azure eyes, always smiling, now gazed upon her quietly, with a knowing understanding.

"Yo!" The bard paused plucking his strings, his voice filled with his unique, carefree levity. "It seems our elegant cat has just gone to a less-than-pleasant place for a feast."

Lin Huan didn't answer. She simply walked over to his side and found a flat rock to sit on. The warmth of the day's sun still lingered on its surface, a touch of warmth filtering through the thin fabric of her clothes. She cast her gaze toward the waves rolling in the darkness beyond. She needed this silence, and also this free wind that didn't belong to Inazuma.

Wendy smiled and didn't press the issue. He put down his zither and, as if by magic, pulled out a simple ceramic wine flask from behind him. The moment he uncorked it, the rich, sweet aroma of apple cider filled the air, miraculously diluting the burning sensation of the lightning element around him.

"Want some?" He handed over the wine jug, the body of which shone warmly in the moonlight. "Mondstadt's fine wine, specially used to cure all kinds of... well, 'stone-in-the-foot'-induced mental distress."

Lin Huan hesitated for a moment, then took the wine jug with her slender fingers. The cool pottery walls touched her, and she tilted her head back to take a sip. The wine wasn't acrid, but rather had a sweet, fruity aroma and just the right warmth. It flowed down her throat like a gentle stream, quietly soaking her tense nerves.

Yet, the resentment hadn't completely dissipated. She closed her eyes, her thick lashes casting a faint shadow beneath them. Uncontrollably, she recalled Ying's calm, yet deeply veiled, purple eyes, filled with paranoia and pain. And the question about "Yu Qing" that had been stuck in her throat, unspoken, still lingering in her mind.

At this moment, an extremely tiny object with a slightly cold scaly touch gently hit her temple.

Lin Huan was slightly startled and turned his head.

She saw a "little dragon," barely the length of a finger, covered in cyan crystal scales. It flapped its translucent wings, struggling to find a safe place to rest amidst her hair. It had shrunk countless times, but its eyes, like the finest lapis lazuli, were still clear and ancient. It stared at her unblinkingly, filled with undisguised worry and a kind of clumsy intimacy.

It was Tevarin, the Dragon of the East Wind, who had shrunk himself to the size of a hair ornament.

The little fellow seemed dissatisfied with the slippery hair. He scratched it a few times with his little claws, and finally simply used his slightly cool dragon body to wrap around a strand of her hanging black hair, and "hung" himself firmly on her temple. As if to please her, he rubbed her temple very lightly with the mini dragon head.

That rubbing carried the pure, airy aura of the ancient dragon, cool and refreshing. It was more like a silent comfort, pure and devoid of any impurities.

The calmness that had been maintained for a long time was cracked at this moment by this tiny but soul-piercing touch.

Lin Huan's nose suddenly felt sore.

She remembered a long time ago, when she couldn't control her strength perfectly and would occasionally lose control and reveal her cat ears. Hu Xingzhi, her noisy brother, would also do this. He would use his thinly calloused fingers to help her smooth out the hair behind her ears, a little roughly but extremely carefully, muttering, "It's okay, it's okay, brother is here!"

Hundreds of years seemed to overlap in this moment. Her brother's clumsy comfort and the pure trust and closeness of the ancient dragon before her crossed time and space and landed on the softest part of her heart.

Wendy took in her subtle reaction. He didn't point it out, simply picking up his harp again. This time, his fingertips no longer played the scattered notes of before, but an ancient and gentle Mondstadt ballad. The lyrics were blurred in the night breeze, but the melody was like a mother's lullaby, or the understanding companionship of a friend.

Wind elements quietly gathered with the sound of his zither, gently enveloping Lin Huan. This wasn't the salty, thunderstorm-scented sea breeze of Inazuma, but rather the gentle breeze of the Mondstadt wilderness, carrying the scent of green grass and cecilia flowers, capable of sweeping away all gloom. It brushed against her hair and the hems of her clothes, as if to patiently peel away the cold, oppressive atmosphere and the weight of the conversation that had stained the castle tower, piece by piece.

Tevarin seemed to be infected by the sound of the piano. He moved restlessly at her temples, making a subtle, almost gurgling dragon sound, and rubbed her again.

The taut string finally relaxed completely.

Lin Huan exhaled softly, a long, lingering breath, the stagnant air that had been lingering in her chest since she left the castle tower seemingly vanishing with it. She extended her finger and lightly touched Tevarin's cool little paw. The touch from her fingertips was delicate and real, carrying the warmth of life.

"Thank you..." Her voice was a little hoarse, but no longer heavy with depression.

Wendy's piano continued, the corners of his lips curved even wider. Moonlight streamed across his smiling face, tinging his unruly demeanor with a rare tenderness. He didn't ask what she'd been through, nor did he ask why she was sad. He simply told her in his own way—through the wind, poetry, fine wine, and his most important companion:

Here, you can remove all armor.

Lin Huan gently leaned her head against the rough trunk behind her and closed her eyes. The grain of the ancient Lei cherry tree rubbed against the back of her neck, bringing a strange sense of solidity. The free-spirited poetry and piano music filled her ears, the ancient dragon leaned on her by her temples, and the warm aroma of cider and the gentle breeze of Mondstadt lingered in her nose.

The coldness of the castle tower, the questioning of the Thunder God, the heaviness of "eternity", the fear about Yu Qing... they did not disappear, but at this moment, they seemed to be separated by a warm, invisible barrier.

She didn't need to speak or think anymore. She just needed to immerse herself in this brief haven of peace built for her by the Wind God and the Wind Dragon, allowing her weary soul to breathe and her parched heart to be soaked by the warmth of friendship.

Moonlight flowed quietly across the clifftop, gently enveloping the huddled figures of a god, an immortal, and a dragon. In the distance, the lights of Inazuma Castle remained dim, but here, only the song of the wind, the singing of poetry, and silent healing flowed quietly through the night. The tip of Tevarin's tail unconsciously brushed her cheek, bringing the unique coolness of scales, like the softest dream on a summer night.

When the last note faded into the wind, Wendy put down his zither and drank the remaining wine from the jug. He turned to look at the woman beside him and found that she had fallen into a light sleep. Her breathing was even and long, the gloom between her brows finally dissipated, and there was even a faint, peaceful curve at the corner of her lips.

Tevarin was still standing by her temples, his dragon eyes flashing with alertness and tenderness in the moonlight.

The bard smiled slightly, took off his cloak, and gently covered her with it.

"Good night, weary traveler returning home." His voice was as soft as a dream whisper. "May the wind protect you and may you have a sweet dream."

The sound of the sea tide can be heard from afar, and together with the crimson cherry blossoms blowing in the wind, it guards this hard-earned peaceful night.