Genshin Impact: Awakening in the Darkness

Chapter 180 The Lantern Festival After a Thousand Years (Part Thirteen)

“Ah Qing…”

Xuan Yue remained in a daze for a long time. He was afraid that this was just a dream, and that he would be left alone after he woke up.

He was also afraid that the person before him would transform into a butterfly and fly away again, and he wouldn't be able to hold on to them...

The flowing water had already moistened his eyes, and he couldn't bear to blink.

Xuanqing felt a pang of heartache seeing Xuanyue like this, and said with reluctance, "It's the Lantern Festival, you can't cry..."

"I...I didn't cry!" Xuan Yue was stunned for a moment after hearing this, and then she wiped away her tears in a fit of pique.

This reaction made everyone present burst into laughter.

"Haha, now we can finally say 'everyone' is here.'" Zhongli was overjoyed to see this.

"So, you all knew?! You kept it from me?" Xuan Yue's eyes widened instantly as she scanned the immortals, as if trying to bore a hole through them with her gaze.

"Sigh—, don't look at me, I just found out too." Ruotuo took the initiative to absolve herself of responsibility.

"Uh... Xiaoyue, you go first." Lishui felt guilty under the gaze and could only shift the blame to her good brother.

"Huh? No, Li Shui, you..." Xiao Yue was a beat slow to react. What could he say? Didn't he see that neither the Emperor nor the Heavenly Emperor explained first?

"So, you were actually able to come out, but you just never came to find me?" Xuan Yue's tone was somewhat downcast. Although he was a little angry, looking at that face, he only felt aggrieved.

"..." Xuan Qing was also speechless. He couldn't tell Xuan Yue about his true situation, nor could he tell him that he was afraid of being sensed by Xuan Yue, so he had never "communicated" with him.

(How am I supposed to explain this...) Xuanqing had a feeling that if he told the truth, Xuanyue would definitely be angry. If he concealed something and it was found out later, she would be even angrier and the old grievances would be brought up again.

(Oh dear, this is difficult...)

While Xuanqing was still struggling with his decision, Xuanyue took it as a tacit agreement since Xuanqing didn't say anything.

(So, in your heart, I'm just a pawn...) The more Xuan Yue thought about it, the more desolate she felt, and her eyes became empty: (So, the day I'm no longer useful, you can just abandon me, or even forget me...)

“Xuan Yue, it’s not that we’re hiding it from you, but Xuan Qing’s condition simply means he can’t stay away from home for long.” Zhong Li finally offered an explanation, which eased the increasingly tense atmosphere.

"His physical body is still sealed in the 'Void.' Moreover, you two had a fight recently; it won't be easy for him to recover."

Xuan Qing silently thanked Zhong Li in her heart. "That's all I have to say. Are you telling the truth?" "It's the truth, really." "It's just that I only told half the story. If I'm questioned later, I can just say I concealed something."

After hearing Zhongli's words, Xuan Yue's eyes regained their luster, but she quickly stared at Xuan Qing again: "How are you feeling now?!"

"Alright, sit down and eat first. We still need to watch the lantern festival later." Xuan Qing immediately changed the subject and pulled Xuan Yue to a seat.

"Oh." The Xuan Yue girls nodded blankly and picked up their chopsticks to eat. But their eyes were glued to Xuan Qing, as if afraid he would run away.

Xuanqing frowned as she looked at the rice in his bowl, then picked up her chopsticks and put some of his favorite dishes into his bowl: "How can you just eat rice?"

Xuan Yue paused, looked at the food in her bowl and then at the person beside her, and suddenly smiled sweetly: "A Qing, it's so good to have you by my side."

Xuanqing smiled and said nothing, but simply served food to Xuanyue and told him to eat slowly.

Seeing the two brothers so carefree made him feel gratified. Then, looking at Zhongli beside him, who even ate with an air of elegance, he wanted to play a prank: "Ahem, Your Majesty. I'd like to eat that dish, could you please get it for me?"

After saying that, he handed over the bowl, but then…

Zhongli glanced at the dish he pointed to, nodded slightly, and then placed the whole plate in front of him: "Here you go."

(...) Ruo Tuo was speechless.

Upon seeing this, the immortals immediately turned their heads, their shoulders trembling, looking "extremely heartbroken," as if afraid they would lose their voices at any moment.

Even Xuan Yue and Xuan Qing looked up at the same time, amused by the scene. Only Zhong Li, under so many gazes, still looked puzzled, his eyes filled with confusion.

"I told you he was a stone. A thousand years have passed and he hasn't improved at all." Xuan Yue's criticism was truly merciless.

“Hmm…” Zhongli did not reply immediately, but put the plate back on the table before speaking clearly: “From a generally rational point of view, there are still two stones here. Why don’t we evaluate them together, otherwise it would be unfair.”

Ruotuo: "..." (It wasn't me who provoked you, why are you criticizing me? Are we still brothers?) (=tェt=)

Xuan Qing: "..." (Can't I even be criticized for being so stubborn?) (←_←)

Just as Xuan Yue was about to speak, Xuan Qing stopped him and put a piece of food into his bowl before saying, "Let's give them some face. They're all alone and pitiful."

Ruo Tuo turned her head to look at Xuan Qing again, and even pointed to herself with her finger, her expression as if to say: Are you talking about me?

Zhongli, however, remained calm and composed: "With the Hall Master in charge of the Hall of Rebirth, it is usually quite enjoyable and lively in a unique way."

"But someone keeps running around every day, listening to operas and storytelling—there are so many things to do. If he spends too much time on it, he might scare away such a lovely girl." Xuan Qing said calmly, his expression unchanged, but what he meant was... well, he dared not think too much about it.

"Haha, thank you for your concern, old friend. Please be kind with your words."

"Ask, accept, accept."

The two sides' bickering left everyone bewildered.

Ruotuo: (We're all stones, but I can't understand what you're saying. Can you explain something simpler?)

Immortals: (What are you talking about? And what am I doing here?)

Xuan Yue kept her head down, silently eating her rice, occasionally glancing up to steal a glance, her shoulders twitching slightly as she secretly gloated: (I don't know, I don't know anything, hehe...) (*^w^*)

The meal was quite interesting. After the meal, they parted ways with the immortals and leisurely returned to Liyue.

"Oh, right, Xuanqing, come back to Wangshu Inn with me. I haven't brought the gift to Xiao yet." Xuan Yue touched the jade pendant at her waist and suddenly remembered this. Looking at the sky, she was a little worried that it might be too late.

"Don't worry, I'll go with you. Zhongli." Xuanqing called out to Zhongli.

Zhongli: "Yes, let's go together. It's the Lantern Festival today, so it wouldn't hurt to go and take a look."

"Xiao... that's true, it's been a long time. Shall we go?" Ruotuo had no objections.

“Alright, let’s go then.” Xuan Yue smiled and opened a teleportation channel in the “space,” directly bringing them to the vicinity of Wangshu Inn, where she was then startled—

Who can tell them about the street vendors, the red lanterns, and the energetic shouts along the way? If it weren't for that huge tree next to them, they would have thought they were in the wrong place.

"Uh... Is this really the Wangshu Inn? There aren't usually this many people here..." Xuan Yue looked left and right, doubting her own abilities for the first time.

"Maybe... because it's the Lantern Festival?" Xuan Qing was also a little confused. It was the first time he had ever experienced the Lantern Festival in a thousand years.

“Zhongli, what do you think?” As soon as Ruotuo finished speaking, the three of them looked at the only person present who was not “experiencing the Lantern Festival for the first time.”

Zhongli answered without blushing or skipping a beat, "I don't know either."

The other three: "..."