Ganyu Is Moved, a Thousand Years of Savings

[For the people of the Douluo Continent, six years old was an exceptionally important age...

As I said before, Martial Soul Awakening is much like being reincarnated. A good Martial Soul can carry an entire family soaring into the heavens, while a mediocre one will get you the cold shoulder even if you're born into a great clan.

Most of the more powerful factions on the continent today have powerful inherited Martial Souls of their own. Spirit Hall's inherited Martial Soul could be called the strongest, having already reached the divine level. As for the Heaven Dou Imperial Family's Swan Martial Soul...

Never mind, that's an exception. Better not to talk about it.

Come to think of it, is it really because I once lived on Teyvat that the Martial Souls I awakened were a Geo Archon's Vision and a qilin? Twin divine-level Martial Souls are far too conspicuous, so I hid the Qilin Martial Soul. I don't know whether that was the right choice. Though... Rex Lapis's apparition was conspicuous enough already.

But I actually got to see Rex Lapis today!

Although it was only an apparition, and I don't know whether Rex Lapis's true consciousness descended, he told me at the end that Sister Ganyu missed me. That, along with how he acted during the awakening ceremony, means he probably wasn't an inanimate thing with no consciousness at all.

I hope it wasn't a projection of the world's will. If it really was him, then there's a chance I can go back. I miss Sister Ganyu too...

Never mind, this isn't the time to pine away. What happened today has most likely already spread across the Douluo Continent.

Grandpa Dugu is among the very strongest people on the Douluo Continent, but there are quite a few whose strength is still far above his, including plenty who aren't on good terms with him. If they harbor ill intentions, there'll be no shortage of trouble ahead.

Still, there are ways to deal with that trouble. The simplest would be to join Spirit Hall. After all, on the continent today, only Spirit Hall has the strength to withstand the pressure from all the other Soul Master factions combined. But after what happened today, my choice will most likely represent Grandpa Dugu's stance. Grandpa Dugu is used to living as freely as an idle cloud or a wandering crane, so joining Spirit Hall... I'll have to think it over carefully.

Fortunately, the Sigil of Permission Rex Lapis left behind still has some power to protect me, so I have enough time to consider my options. Later, I should have a proper talk with Grandpa Dugu and Sister Yanzi.

Ah, it's already been so long, but I'm still not quite used to it. I really want to touch Sister Ganyu's horns before bed.

Sister Ganyu probably won't be angry when she sees this, right?

Probably...]

Meanwhile-

Only one last candle flickered in Yuehai Pavilion late that night. Ganyu had just finished checking the final harbor account and was about to put the files in order when her gaze suddenly stopped at the corner of the desk. A thread-bound diary with a yellowing cover had appeared there.

At some point, notebooks like this had begun appearing one after another across Teyvat, and their contents were all exactly the same.

Moreover, everyone who received a diary was a figure of some influence.

At first, the people of Teyvat had all been somewhat suspicious that it might be some kind of scheme. But as Gan Lin's identity and circumstances gradually emerged in the notebooks, more people began to pay attention.

When she opened it, she found the same familiar handwriting and familiar tone...

Ganyu read quietly, from the Martial Soul Awakening to the twin divine-level Martial Souls. When she saw him carefully hide the Qilin Martial Soul, her fingers tightened on the page without her realizing it. She knew what it was like to conceal one's edge; how exhausting it must be to weigh everything so carefully at such a young age.

When she reached "Rex Lapis's apparition was conspicuous enough already" and "Rex Lapis told me Sister Ganyu missed me," her breath caught slightly. The candle flame wavered, casting tiny glimmers in her pale violet eyes. So it was Rex Lapis... So he knew, and he was thinking of them here too.

The words "I miss Sister Ganyu too" fell upon her eyes like a pebble dropped into the glassy lake of her heart, sending ripples of tenderness and sorrow spreading outward. The tip of Ganyu's nose tingled, and she raised a hand to touch the corner of her eye, only to discover it had become wet without her knowing when. They had been apart for so long, and she had always thought she was the only one missing him. Yet there he was, in a distant world, counting the days and wishing to return.

Reading on, she saw him analyze the situation on the continent and weigh whether to join Spirit Hall. Every word carried a steadiness beyond his years, yet Ganyu's brow only furrowed more deeply. He was only six in that world, yet he had to face those open spears and hidden arrows alone. Though he had an elder's protection, he still had to tread carefully at every step. She wished she could cross the barrier between worlds at that very moment, stand at his side, and shield him from the wind and rain.

Then her eyes swept over the last few crooked, hastily written lines-

"I really want to touch Sister Ganyu's horns before bed."

Ganyu froze, a flush sweeping from her ears to her temples in an instant. Even the qilin horns atop her head grew faintly warm. She almost snapped the diary shut, but her fingertips hovered above the page for a long while before settling back down. She read the line twice more, her heart both bashful and tender.

"Honestly..." she murmured, her voice as soft as the wind. "You've run into so many things over there, and you're still thinking about this."

Though that was what she said, her fingertips gently brushed over the words, and the corners of her lips curved upward ever so slightly. Of course she wouldn't be angry. Let alone touching her horns—if he could come back, anything would be fine.

Ganyu stood and walked to a cabinet at the very back of the inner room, then opened a wooden box she rarely touched. It held no precious curios or jewelry, only neatly arranged stacks of Mora deposit certificates and the savings she had accumulated since the Archon War and scarcely ever touched.

She usually lived very simply. Since her clothes were adeptal creations, she had worn the same outfit for years and saved most of her salary. Even Ningguang sometimes teased her for being Liyue's most "money-grubbing" secretary. But now, without the slightest hesitation, she took every possession of value from the wooden box, sorted them into categories, and stacked them neatly. She did not hesitate; in her eyes, it was all worthwhile.

Rex Lapis had previously advised her to exercise restraint and wait and see. Out of trust in him, she had only tipped small amounts and had not acted on impulse and risked everything.

But now that she knew Gan Lin missed her too, she naturally wanted to do what little she could to help.

There were so many things that even Ganyu took a long time to sort them.

When Ganyu entered the Jade Chamber carrying the wooden box, Ningguang was leaning against the railing, watching the morning mist over Liyue Harbor. The Tianquan turned and saw the load she was carrying, then glanced at the deposit certificates Ganyu handed her. She touched the figure on the topmost one, and her usually composed voice held a note of surprise:

"Secretary Ganyu, have you... brought out every last bit of the fortune you've saved over a thousand years?"

The sum was so enormous that even Ningguang, who was accustomed to mountains of gold and seas of silver, could not help clicking her tongue in astonishment.

"I want to help him."