"Were you a merchant from Liyue?" Xiu Yuan asked amiably.
"Yes. My ship was wrecked in a storm. Thankfully, I met Gongshu, who saved my life."
"Otherwise, I'd be dead by now."
Yide also expressed his gratitude to Gongshu.
Although his story had no holes in it, Xiu Yuan caught a trace of fear in his eyes.
The man was afraid of Xiu Yuan.
Yet he had deliberately approached Xiu Yuan in the middle of the night.
This strange behavior left Xiu Yuan rather baffled.
There were plenty of possible explanations, though. For instance, the man might have intended to kill Xiu Yuan last night, but had held back for some unknown reason.
Perhaps he feared that acting too soon would draw the villagers' attention.
After all, Xiu Yuan had been perfectly fine before his arrival. If Xiu Yuan died at home the very day he arrived, there was no way he wouldn't fall under suspicion.
Thinking of it that way, he might make his move if given a little more time.
Xiu Yuan was curious to see what tricks he would pull.
"I see... How unfortunate..." Xiu Yuan sighed.
"Yes. Without Gongshu, I'd probably be a corpse floating out at sea by now," he lamented.
"No need to thank me. Anyone would have done the same. I just happened to come across you."
Gongshu was straightforward, too. His words were crisp and to the point; he was an easygoing, forthright man.
"Do you need to return to Liyue now? I can help you," Xiu Yuan offered.
"Thank you very much for your kindness, but I'd like to stay and help the man who saved my life a little longer." Yide declined Xiu Yuan's offer.
"I see. That's fine, too. If you want to go back, just come find me