No sooner had they sat down than Paimon piped up, "This system's actually pretty considerate! Even if you don't look up at the sky, you can still see the countdown on the light screen!"
Lumine glanced over and saw that it was just as Paimon said—besides the group chat interface, there was also a separate option to watch the video.
That way, they wouldn't have to keep craning their necks to stare at the sky.
"Only three minutes left!"
"I can't wait~ I wonder what kind of secret it'll show?"
"Hey, Lumine," Paimon said nervously, "what if it shows some huge secret—something the world isn't supposed to know? Wouldn't that cause total chaos across Teyvat?!"
Lumine thought for a moment, then smiled softly and patted Paimon's head. "Don't worry. Even if the sky falls, there'll be someone tall enough to hold it up. And judging from what everyone in the chat's been saying… whoever's behind this 'Exposure System' must be unimaginably powerful. Even if it does reveal something dangerous, no one could do anything about it anyway."
"Ooh… okay."
Paimon nodded vaguely, then planted her hands on her hips. "If only it showed something about your brother! Then we'd finally have a clue on how to find him!"
Lumine's eyes brightened.
Right—if the system revealed anything about her brother, she might finally have a lead!
"The time's almost up!" Paimon suddenly cried.
Lumine's gaze fixed on the countdown—five seconds left!
At that moment, everyone across Teyvat was staring intently at the sky, waiting to see what kind of secret this mysterious system would expose.
[Past Life Series: Episode One]
[Tales from the Journey]
Featured Characters: [Lumine] [Paimon] [Gu Chen]
Keywords: [A Traveler from Another World] [The Best Companion] [You Can Always Trust Me to Watch Your Back]
As the featured names appeared, Paimon shrieked, "Lumine! It's you—and me too?!"
"Yeah…" Lumine nodded, her expression serious. "Looks like it's about us. But… who's this Gu Chen?"
"Gu Chen?" Paimon frowned and scratched her head. "Never heard that name before."
Meanwhile, the Transcendent Group Chat exploded with activity.
[Transcendent Group Chat]
Kaeya: Oh? The Traveler, huh? But who's this Gu Chen fellow?
Jean: Secrets about the Traveler? I only hope she won't blame us for watching.
Venti: Ehehe~ so it's about the Traveler! Then there must be plenty to reveal~ but seriously, who's Gu Chen?
Klee: What do those keywords mean?
Sucrose: They seem to describe the main themes of the video!
Kamisato Ayaka: "The Best Companion"… "You Can Always Trust Me to Watch Your Back." Those phrases sound so warm and dependable.
Collei: So this is supposed to expose secrets? Doesn't really feel like it though…
Amber: "Best Companion" must mean Paimon, right?!
Collei: Amber!! How have you been lately?
Amber: Hehe, pretty good! What about you, Collie?
Collei: I'm okay!
Tighnari: Collei, you should talk more here. It'll help you practice socializing.
Xingqiu: The light screen's changing!
Hu Tao: Oh-ho~ A picture of three people! Huh?! Don't tell me these three are a family of three?!
Following Hu Tao's words, everyone saw the new image appear—
a handsome young man, a smiling golden-haired girl, and a tiny floating child being held in his arms.
Paimon: ??? Who the heck is that guy?!
Lumine: Uhh… I—don't remember him at all…
Kaeya: Oh? Even the Traveler and Paimon themselves don't know him?
Venti: Hehe~ I think I might know who it is…
Zhongli: @Venti Elaborate.
Venti: He's standing right next to me…
After sending that message, Venti turned his head toward Gu Chen, eyes gleaming with curiosity. "So, you actually know the Traveler too?"
"Uh…"
"…Sort of?"
"'Sort of'?! What does that even mean?"
Venti pouted. "Either you know her or you don't—make up your mind!"
Gu Chen's face twitched. He had a very bad feeling about this.
And that feeling was growing stronger by the second.
Judging from the keywords—and that thumbnail image—this had to be from one of his past lives!
Crap.
Realizing that, Gu Chen immediately stood up. "I've got something to take care of—I'll be going first—"
"Don't go! Explain first!"
Venti instantly grabbed his arm, eyes gleaming with gossip.
"Come on, stay! There's only the two of us here. Relax—watch first, you can leave after it's over!"
Gu Chen's mouth twitched.
As if he didn't know exactly what kind of person Venti was!
He sighed. "Fine. Just don't blab in the group chat, alright?"
"Alright, alright! My lips are sealed. But if I don't understand something later, I'm totally asking!"
Seeing Gu Chen sit back down, Venti grinned from ear to ear.
"The video's starting—look!"
The image on the light screen flickered to life.
It was a bright, breezy afternoon—the gentle sound of ocean waves filled the air.
The camera panned across the beach, revealing a young man in shorts and a T-shirt, carrying a bucket and a fishing rod. It was Gu Chen.
"The weather's nice today—perfect for fishing. Hope I get something good…"
He smiled faintly as he walked along the shore. Suddenly, he noticed something out of the corner of his eye and froze. Quickly, he jogged toward it.
Lying on the sand ahead was a white-clad figure with golden hair.
Paimon: Huh?! That's Lumine!!
Lumine: …I seriously don't remember this happening!!!
Hu Tao: Tsk tsk~ this young man's not bad-looking. But why's that girl lying there like a corpse? Should I prepare for Wangsheng Funeral Parlor services?
Lumine: I'm alive! I'm alive!
Hu Tao: Oh, alive? …That's a shame.
Kaeya: Miss Hu Tao, what exactly are you regretting?!
Zhongli: My apologies…
"Hey! Hey?"
Gu Chen crouched beside the motionless girl.
Her body was covered in sand and seawater still lapped at her legs.
Seeing her deathly pale face, Gu Chen sighed softly, then reached out to check her breathing—
and froze.
"…Dead?"
Lumine: I'm not dead!!
Then Gu Chen leaned closer, pressing his ear against her chest. "Hmm… there's a heartbeat. Guess she's not completely dead yet."
Lumine: I'm alive!! Totally alive!!
Lumine: Wait—what are you doing?!!
In the video, no matter how much he shook her, Lumine remained unconscious.
"Her breathing's getting weaker. This won't do…"
"Saving a life is worth more than building seven pagodas of virtue. Guess I'll have to give her mouth-to-mouth…"
He grimaced. "Sorry, Miss!"
Then he gently turned Lumine's head, took a deep breath, and leaned down.
Lumine: !!!
Hu Tao: Am I even allowed to watch this?
Kaeya: Am I allowed to watch this?!
Kamisato Ayato: Shut up! Everyone shut up!! What the—what the hell is this—!
Stone Gate, Liyue.
Lumine's cheeks were scarlet as she clenched her fists, trembling with indignation. "He… he took advantage of me!!"
Paimon rubbed her tiny hands together awkwardly. "But… he was saving you…"
"I know that!" Lumine fumed. "But still—"
"Why did he have to look so reluctant while doing it?!"
"That was my first kiss! My first kiss!!"