Su Ming opened his eyes.
Looking up at the rising sun, he realized that he had unwittingly cultivated through the entire night. He felt no fatigue at all; on the contrary, he felt completely refreshed. Aside from a slight numbness in his legs from sitting cross-legged all night, there was no discomfort.
Just then, a fragrant aroma drifted to his nose.
Turning his head, he saw a bowl of steaming noodles sitting on the stone table beside him. Next to the bowl, Shenhe sat with her head resting on one hand, her face turned toward the sunrise. She let the pale gold sunlight pierce through the clouds and the misty vapors rising from the Aocang Pool to wash over her features.
Sensing Su Ming's gaze, Shenhe pulled her hand back in a slight fluster. She quickly adjusted her posture and rested both hands properly on her knees.
"You're awake?"
Su Ming smiled at her. "Why are you here? Didn't your blood relatives invite you over as a guest?"
"Why run back up the mountain? Even if you didn't want to go there, wouldn't it be nice to chat with Master? Liyue Harbor has so many fun things to do and delicious things to eat. Surely it's better than this mountain."
"If my face hadn't become so famous in Liyue Harbor that it's a hassle just to go out and buy a bowl of Zhongyuan Chop Suey, I wouldn't have come back up here myself."
The corners of Shenhe's mouth curled slightly. "They... they were far too enthusiastic."
"I wasn't used to it, so I bid them farewell early."
"And..."
Shenhe paused, the blush on her cheeks less obvious under the glow of the morning sun. After a moment, as if summoning all her courage, she spoke again. "And... no matter how good Liyue Harbor is, in my eyes, it is always lacking something."
"To... to me, as long as it is a place where you are, with you by my side, no matter where we are, it is better than everything else in the world."
Su Ming was momentarily stunned. But he quickly broke into a grin. "So... was that a confession?"
Shenhe looked away, not daring to meet his eyes any longer.
Her understanding of matters between men and women mostly came from the romance novels and local love stories Lumine had dragged her into reading over the past few days in Liyue Harbor. But she knew with certainty that her feelings were real.
Whether it was the worry she felt on the Jade Chamber when Su Ming resolved to face Osial alone, or the joy in her heart when he returned in triumph... or even the loss and distraction she felt when he left her side to be alone. Her heart was simple. The moment she realized she couldn't let go of Su Ming, she had set off through the night, rushing back to Mt. Aocang at her fastest speed.
When she arrived and saw Su Ming in deep meditation, she hadn't disturbed him. Instead, she had found a spot some distance away and, using her clumsy culinary skills, had hurriedly prepared a bowl of clear broth noodles. She hadn't expected that just as the noodles were finished and she took a moment to watch the sunrise, Su Ming would emerge from his meditation.
Shenhe didn't know what else to say, so she simply reached out and pushed the bowl of noodles toward him.
Su Ming didn't stand on ceremony. He took the bowl and prepared to dig in... but wait, where were the chopsticks?
Shenhe realized her mistake as well. She had made the food but forgotten the utensils.
Su Ming laughed and reached out to rub her head. Gathering his mana, he manifested a pair of temporary chopsticks and began to eat heartily.
"How does it taste?"
Shenhe watched him nervously, her hands behind her back clenching tightly.
Without looking up, Su Ming said honestly, "To be fair... the taste isn't that great."
"Oh." Shenhe's expression fell instantly.
But Su Ming's next words made her brighten up again.
"However... for a beginner, this is already very good. At least you didn't forget the salt, nor did you add too much, and there are no strange seasonings. It's just that the noodles might have sat a bit too long and gotten soft, and the seasoning is a bit light."
"From now on, I'll teach you how to cook."
"Once you've learned, I'll leave my three meals a day to you, Senior Sister."
Su Ming teased her with a smile, then lifted the bowl and drank every last drop of the soup.
Shenhe smiled brilliantly and nodded. "Mhm."
Su Ming then turned to more serious matters. "By the way, what's the situation in Liyue Harbor now? Anything happening?"
Shenhe replied, "Nothing too major. The Rite of Parting is imminent, so everyone is busy. Even Lumine was pulled away by the Lord... ah, he doesn't want us calling him that. Lumine was pulled away by Zhongli to help."
"After your battle with Osial, nearly half of the Sea of Clouds was frozen over. Zhongli took care of the massive iceberg formed by the tsunami, but the floating ice and the frozen surface are still issues."
"The Liyue Qixing are currently exhausted trying to clear a navigation channel as quickly as possible."
"As for other things... Oh, that Fatui Harbinger came looking for you once and left a letter."
Su Ming was surprised. "Tartaglia? He hasn't run away yet? Isn't he afraid the Liyue Qixing will settle the score with him?"
"He left right after delivering the letter," Shenhe explained. "The letter is here."
Shenhe retrieved a sealed letter from her Vision. Su Ming took it, broke the wax seal, and skimmed through it.
After reading it, he sighed. "Some people really are just asking for a beating. One good thrashing and they become so polite."
"What does it say?" Shenhe asked curiously.
"Nothing much. Just telling me not to forget my promise. He says once his mission is complete, he'll come back to spar with me again."
Su Ming smiled and tucked the letter away, waving it slightly at Shenhe. "He also promised that as long as the amount isn't too extreme, I can send any of my bills to the Northland Bank, and he will use his status as a Harbinger to reimburse me. I've essentially secured a long-term meal ticket. Now I won't have to 'borrow' from Master's private stash anymore."
Shenhe asked, "Have you spent all that Mora from before?"
"No, but who would ever complain about having too much money? Especially when it's someone else's money. Why use my own if I can use his?"
"He even attached a certified document with his signature and seal... Tsk, he's certainly meticulous. No wonder he became a Harbinger at such a young age."
Su Ming satisfiedly stowed away his meal ticket. He had originally thought about taking some commissions from the Adventurers' Guild once his Mora ran out, but it seemed that wouldn't be necessary now.
Su Ming looked at Shenhe. "Alright, staying on the mountain too long is boring. Let's head back to Liyue Harbor. Everyone else is working; I can't just be here slacking off, right? While I can't show my face too publicly, I can still help out on the Jade Chamber. Oh, let's pick some Qingxin for Ganyu; she likes to snack on them."
No sooner said than done. After gathering a few Qingxin around Mt. Aocang, they were ready to go.
"Then let us set off," Shenhe said, picking up a medicine basket and preparing to hike down.
Su Ming stopped her. "Walking back is too slow. I'll take you back."
Shenhe's eyes lit up with anticipation. She had heard Paimon talk about how Su Ming had taken her and Lumine down to Wangshu Inn before. Could it be... that he's going to carry me and fly back?
A crimson blush flooded Shenhe's face, one she couldn't hide no matter how hard she tried. Her face looked like it had been painted with red lacquer.
However, what happened next was both marvelous and a bit disappointing to her.
Su Ming closed his eyes and traced a circle in the air. Golden light flowed from his fingertips, creating a circular door of shimmering light in mid-air. Through the portal, one could see the Jade Chamber! The Millelith on the other side were already staring toward them!
Su Ming turned and took Shenhe's hand. "Let's go. Don't daze out."
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