Landed Xumi: There is no problem with my numbers!

"I'm not doubting the authenticity of the story, but I'm saying that this story is as beautiful as a fairy tale and its ending shouldn't stop here."

He took a step forward under Barbara's curious gaze.

Lin Feng took out the handicraft that old Finch had just given him and said with a smile:

"——To be honest, we really like this story and deeply understand the emotions behind it."

"Although reality often ends in regret, if it is a fairy tale told to children, then the story should always have a happy ending."

"Just as the dragon will eventually be defeated, the prince and princess will eventually be together."

"Coincidentally, I happen to have some friends who are good at finding people. If you don't mind, I would like to add a few more strokes to this fairy tale."

"Your friend is good at finding people?"

"Looking for someone."

!!!

"Could it be? --You know where Carlylu is!"

It was like a window that had been covered with dust for a long time was suddenly polished, and old Finch's originally lifeless eyes suddenly had light.

When he shifted his gaze from the windmill daisies in the hands of the two to the owner, Old Finch somewhat slowly noticed the peculiarity of the little girl next to him:

"Such characteristics? This special temperament"

"You'd be interested in our story. Surely your partner would be too?!"

The unusually exquisite appearance, the temperament that was very different from his apparent age, and the promise he had just made.

Before he could finish his words, Old Finch looked at the young man in front of him and realized that the companion beside him might not be an ordinary human being.

"Eh? Grandpa Finch, what are you talking about?"

"What happened to Mr. Lin Feng and Miss Nashida?"

It feels like there's some encrypted conversation going on over there.

Barbara, who was standing by, looked at the old man in front of her, whose attitude had become inexplicably friendly, and she had many question marks in her head.

"No, it's nothing. I'm just getting older and I miss my old self."

I took a deep breath. After decades, I finally met someone who was willing to believe that everything was true and who could understand me.

Old Finch turned to the two listeners, who had extraordinary temperaments and a hint of nobility, and his tone was filled with a bit of heartfelt pleading:

"—I know that Kalilu is not human. She is like a free stream. Perhaps she has long been tired of me, a coward who always cries."

"—But even if it's just selfish of me, I beg you to let me see Kalilu one more time. Even if we have to part ways from now on, I will definitely be able to give an answer to the boy who always stood by the spring."

"Don't worry. I will find a way to convey this message, along with the previous story, to the elf who once stayed here."

"In fact, those friends who are responsible for helping to find people also like fairy tales."

"If such a beautiful story could have a happy ending, then there would be another shining shell in their memory."

During the conversation with Old Finch, I had already gathered enough information from the wind around me.

After Lin Feng roughly determined that Kalilu was currently recuperating in a water vein somewhere in the northern part of Liyue, he wanted to find some work for the little ones, so he decided to leave the rest of the work to Lanaro who was hanging out there.

Meanwhile, Liyue.

Just like a cicada buried deep underground finally waiting for the time to shed its shell, numerous green cabbages-like Lanaro also jumped and clustered beside Liyue's water veins:

——Finally, they received the long-awaited commission from the gods. The many little fellows who had been idle for a long time were extremely excited, and even their small eyes showed a strong enthusiasm.

"Go to the water and find the blue elf!"

"Help Haonala find friends! It's a new fairy tale!"

Although I don’t quite understand what love is, I still like the half of the fairy tale I just shared with you.

Like children who have found something interesting, a large group of cabbages quickly scattered.

Able to teleport freely within the earth veins, they quickly covered every water vein in the area north of Guiliyuan, relying on their general location, images, and auras for reference.

At the border of Mondstadt and Liyue, on the west side of the Dragonspine Mountains.

Beneath a serene paradise surrounded by mountains, in the center of an area once known as the "Salt of the Earth,"

Because of the continuous supply of water from the Clear Water River, a huge freshwater lake has been formed that is no less impressive than Mond Wine Lake.

Surrounding a small island sealed somewhere in the middle of the lake,

Under the water, a strange creature with a deep blue body, a fish tail and two wings was wandering lonely in the water.

As if it had lost something very important, the creature's movements were very depressed, and it just instinctively watched the fish swimming around.

——There is no doubt that the woman who lives alone in this uninhabited paradise is the pure water spirit "Kalylu" that Lanaro and others were entrusted to find.

As the followers of the previous water goddess Egolia, the pure water elves were originally widely distributed in the water bodies throughout Teyvat. They scattered after the death of the water god.

Although the lifespan and strength of elemental life are far greater than those of ordinary humans, there is also a huge gap in the strength between pure water spirits.

As a not-so-powerful individual in the tribe, Kalilu even finds it difficult to condense into a physical form and maintain her human form.

"."

He turned his body and looked away from the fish that were only reacting instinctively.

Since leaving Qingquan Town, I have no idea how many times I have looked towards that peaceful and tranquil little village.

Trying her best to suppress the urge to go back, she lowered her head slightly, unable to understand her current mood.

".Sure enough, even though I went back so many times, I still didn't have the courage to see him."

".Will he forgive me for leaving without saying goodbye? Probably never again."

"I'm too slow and don't know how to respond to human emotions. If he stays with me, a non-human being, he will definitely regret it in the end."

He originally lived near Qingquan Town just to recuperate, and he didn't care too much about the humans living in the town.

But one night, lit by a sky full of stars, the boy came to the spring.

She sensed something she had never understood from those tears, and unable to suppress her curiosity about humans, she agreed to the other party's request and began to try to become friends with him.

The perspectives between each other are different, and the worlds we see are completely different.

The originally uneventful life suddenly became colorful. At that time, she and her partner looked forward to every night, sharing their stories with each other.

Even often stayed up all night, playing many silly and ridiculous games

"I know I can't respond to that feeling. I should have understood it all when I ran away."

"But why is it that even though I've been away for so long, this urge to respond, this uncontrollable urge, is growing stronger and stronger?"

Ever since she left the village where she had so many memories, she has been plagued by extreme contradictions and struggles.

I am worried that because of the difference between pure water elves and humans, the other party will regret it, and I am also worried that if I go back now, I will face the inevitable pain and separation.

"It's too late. I thought Finch would move on after I left and eventually meet me again in the dark night, but he..."

"——Huh, I found it! The "blue" spirit! Lan Bailijia is the first after all!"

"—This is something given to you by the God of Trees and Grass. If you don't like it, show it to Lan Bailijia!"

???

Before I could finish expressing my sorrow, I was suddenly interrupted by a round green cabbage in front of me.

Even after this green cabbage came over, it was as if a chain reaction was triggered, and a large number of green cabbages quickly appeared around him.

Unfortunately, judging by the smell of these seemingly harmless cabbages, any one of them seemed to be able to easily deal with him.

"Um, sorry, did I do anything wrong? If I did something wrong, I will immediately..."

He huddled together shivering, looking rather helpless because of the pile of green cabbages looking at him with curious eyes.

She is just a pure water elf that is not that powerful, but from what these little guys said, it seems that a god is looking for her.

？ ！！

"—Wait? Finch? What happened to Finch?!"

“——Could this be…”

Looking at the familiar stone in front of me, I immediately thought of the worst possible outcome.

Even the panic she felt in the face of the unexpected situation was dispelled by some sudden fear. Kalilu tried hard to overcome the pure water elf's escapist nature and took the stone that she had used to make Finch laugh as quickly as possible.

"."

I rushed forward instinctively, and only then realized what I had done.

I was a little confused to find that in my heart, the boy I once was had already occupied such a heavy position without my realizing it.

Before she could regret her actions, a brilliant white light flashed by, and she was like a spectator of a certain memory. From the perspective of a bystander, she saw the now old Finch and heard the "fairy tale" he said.

".Hey, where are you taking me? Are you going to meet your friend who's helping you find someone?"

"At least let me go back and change my clothes, and then bring some gifts, otherwise what if I neglect you guys?"

After the other party agreed to help, he just chatted with some interesting things in his memory as a supplement.

It's like a two-person fishing competition where he loses miserably before even getting in the water, or a tree-climbing competition where he's too far from shore to reach Kalilu.

As they were talking, the little girl next to him suddenly said something to the boy in front of him, and then he was pulled over and said he wanted to meet someone.

"Don't worry, it's not far away."

"The next time belongs to you two, we will leave first."

"."

The words in his ears gradually became blurred, or perhaps it could be said that old Finch was no longer able to pay attention to anything else at this moment.

From a distance, I saw the blue-haired figure with his head slightly lowered, his hands clasped together, and an overall look of anxiety and nervousness.

Although this look was somewhat different from the most beautiful and charming one in his memory,

But he still stopped, shook his head and smiled, just like he did when he was a child decades ago, and greeted in a hoarse voice:

".Kalylu? Hahaha, just like me, you've changed too."

"Unfortunately, I'm getting older. Even if we were to compete in tree climbing, I probably wouldn't be able to climb as high as you."

I thought that after half a lifetime of pursuit and waiting, I would be even more excited.

But at this moment, there was only a faint sense of peace and joy in his heart that filled his entire chest.

It’s like when I was a child I found a stone I had longed for by the water, and it happened to be a mild sunny day when I planned to go out to play.

".Well, sorry to have kept you waiting, Finch."

"It wasn't long, it wasn't long. It was just a blink of an eye and it was over in a flash."

"I'm sorry. I promise I won't leave again."

"."

".People have told stories that I gave you a kiss before I left. When I heard that, I regretted not doing that several times."

"But now I don't regret it anymore."

"Because the kiss in the story represents silence and rejection, but the kiss I give you now represents a vow and a gift of love."

The pure water elf who had been escaping for decades raised his head slightly and looked at the boy in front of him who was no longer a boy.

Finding out that she had actually made the choice decades ago, she smiled with some relief and decided to put a not-too-perfect end to the story of the past.

".What do you think, Narcida? Are you satisfied with this fairy tale?"

"Ah."

"Their hearts at this moment are shining like gold that has been melted away.

Although there are still some concerns, I am very happy to see the ending of the story like this."

"Hidden worries? Are you talking about the lifespans of humans and pure water elves?"

On a cliff next to Qingquan Town, the Tree King pulled Nashida to stand on the edge of the cliff, whispering about what was happening in the distance.

"Well, the scale of time is different, and the perspective of looking at things will also be different, if the destined separation comes."

"—Speaking of which, where are he and Miss Barbara? Why did they suddenly disappear?"

"Hehe, he wants to explain to the little girl what happened.