The next morning.
The two ate a large bowl of hot porridge at the inn.
Bai You held her bowl and saw groups of people on the pier heading south—those carrying loads and those pushing carts all had smiles on their faces, all going in the same direction.
"Are they all heading towards Liyue Harbor?"
"Yes, the Rite of Descension over there is about to begin."
Bai You stared at it for a while, then suddenly put down the bowl.
Varesa turned her head and glanced at her.
"Want to go?"
Bai You paused for a moment, then subconsciously shook her head.
"No, no..."
But her eyes betrayed her.
Varesa looked at her insincere expression and suddenly laughed.
"Let's go."
She put down the bowl.
"I'll take you there."
Bai You opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end, she only murmured, "Mmm."
Varesa reached out and gently wiped away a little bit of porridge stain from Bai You's lips.
Bai You's ears turned red instantly.
"What are you doing... It's daytime now..."
"Silly boy, it wasn't wiped clean enough."
Varesa withdrew her hand, but did not look away.
She just stared at her for a long time.
Bai You's face turned red from her ears to the roots of her neck.
"Why are you staring at me like that?"
"You're beautiful."
Bai You was speechless after hearing what she said, so she could only lower her head and pretend to stir the porridge in her bowl.
Suddenly, Varesa stood up.
She walked behind Bai You, bent down, and gently hugged her from behind.
His chin rested on her shoulder.
" Little Bai You."
"... Hmm?"
"Do you know, even during the day..." Varesa's voice was very soft.
Bai You's heart skipped a beat.
She tried to turn around, but Varesa hugged her even tighter.
"Don't move."
"I'm not teasing you anymore, just let me hug you for a while."
Bai You remained frozen, as she was hugged from behind.
It was a long time before Varesa finally let go.
She walked around to Bai You, lowered her head, and very lightly touched her lips.
"Let's go."
She stepped back, a hint of a laugh in her voice.
"Go see what you want to see, Rite of Descension."
Bai You covered her mouth, her whole body turning bright red.
After a long while, she finally let out a soft "Mmm".
The two checked out of their room, packed their bags, and walked onto the pier.
The morning mist hadn't yet dissipated, and dew clung to the reeds.
Varesa walked ahead, took a few steps, then suddenly stopped, turned around, and reached out her hand to Bai You.
" Little Bai You, come here."
Varesa led Bai You along a path behind the inn, winding her way into a secluded reed bed.
Bai You was about to ask, "What are you doing here?"
Varesa suddenly stopped, turned around, looked at her, and had a slight smile in her eyes.
" Little Bai You."
"Hmm?"
"Let's... swim there."
"Swim, swim to the past?"
"Hmm." Varesa pointed to the patch of water at her feet that connected to the water in the distance.
"I've been to Liyue before. The waters of Dihua Marsh connect to Bishui Plain to the south, and further south is the sea at Liyue Harbor."
"Going with the water is faster and shorter than taking the mountain path."
Bai You lowered her head, gazing at the tranquil water.
But...
Varesa spoke very softly.
"No buts, haven't we had a proper swim in a long time?"
Bai You was stunned.
Back in Mondstadt, they transformed into fishtails once by the sea. But that was in a bay, and she was still a bit reserved.
But here, in the reed marshes, is a completely different landscape.
She looked into Varesa's eyes, which reflected the morning mist and the shimmering water, and also reflected her.
"Okay."
She said in a low voice.
The moment Varesa's figure disappeared into the water, the outline of her legs blurred and lengthened in the shimmering water—
Varesa popped her head out of the water, her wet blue hair clinging to her shoulders and neck. She shook off the water and reached out to Bai You on the shore.
"Come down."
"Otherwise, I'll drag you down."
Bai You bit her lip.
She walked to the water's edge, just as the water reached her ankles.
Her legs dissolved in the water, scales spreading out layer by layer—
Bai You looked down at her fishtail submerged in the water and unconsciously swayed it.
"It looks good."
Varesa looked at her, her voice very soft.
"... Don't keep looking at it."
Bai You's ears turned bright red, and she shrank further into the water, only revealing half of her face.
"Then pursue me."
Varesa suddenly laughed, flicked her tail, and the whole fish shot off like an arrow.
"Sigh--"
Bai You paused for a moment, then, without knowing where the strength came from, she suddenly flicked her tail and chased after it.
Beneath the water lies another world.
Schools of small fish swam past them, with one or two occasionally circling the Bai You's tail fin out of curiosity.
Bai You's swimming speed was astonishing, but she was still slightly outpaced by Varesa.
She could feel the water flowing between the scales; the sensation wasn't like "swimming," but more like "flying."
She cried out in her heart, but Varesa was right in front of her, her fishtail swaying as if deliberately teasing her, always just a little short.
Bai You gritted his teeth, suddenly accelerated, circled around from below, and grabbed her waist.
The two became entangled in the water, creating a string of bubbles.
"Gotcha..."
Bai You hugged her from behind, resting her chin on her shoulder, her fish tail unconsciously wrapping around her tail fin.
Varesa didn't struggle; she turned around to face her, her eyes full of smiles.
"You swam too slowly, so I let you swim."
"Oh?"
The two were very close.
Then, a string of tiny bubbles emerged from Bai You's mouth.
With a "glug" sound, it slowly floated up.
Varesa looked at the string of bubbles and smiled.
She didn't speak, but lowered her head and very lightly touched Bai You's lips.
Then, facing Bai You's face, she slowly exhaled a string of bubbles.
Bubbles of all sizes spilled from her lips, circled Bai You's nose, and slowly floated to the surface.
Bai You froze completely.
A kiss underwater is different from a kiss on land.
She realized what was happening and copied her, puffing out her cheeks and blowing a string of bubbles at her.
'Gurgle, gurgle--'
The string of bubbles was rapid and numerous, hitting Varesa's face and scattering her hair.
Varesa was amused by her and laughed so hard that she created a string of even bigger bubbles in the water.
The two of them stayed underwater, blowing bubbles at each other.
Later, when Bai You got tired of playing, she simply floated to the surface.
She popped her head out of the water, sunlight falling on her wet hair and shoulders, her fishtail shimmering in the light.
Varesa floated up as well, gently embracing her from behind, resting her chin on her shoulder.
The two of them floated there, in a deserted reed bed.
The fish tail was underwater, and...
" Little Bai You."
"Hmm?"
"Look," Varesa gestured with her chin towards the water, "A fish."
A group of small fish were nibbling at their tail fins, making them feel ticklish.
Varesa's voice trembled with laughter, "Don't scare them."
Itchy...
Bai You shrank back but didn't move, letting the little fish circle around her.
And they didn't notice.
On the highest roof ridge of Wangshu Inn.
A figure in cyan stood with his hands behind his back.
He landed on the rooftop, his gaze sweeping over the patch of water at his feet—
Then, he paused.
He saw it.
In the secluded reed bed behind the inn, two figures were playing in the water.
No, it's not human.
His eyes narrowed slightly the moment he caught sight of the two fish tails underwater.
Water Nymph.
And there are two of them.
Xiao's hand unconsciously went to the Primordial Jade Winged-Spear at his waist.
Slaying demons and monsters is his duty.
His body was already tense, almost as if he were about to transform into a streak of blue light and sweep down—
But just as he saw clearly what the two Water Nymph were doing, he stopped moving.
They did not harm anyone.
They were just in the water, chasing each other and blowing bubbles, like two... children.
Xiao fell silent.
He remembered last night, on the inn's terrace, the girl who ordered almond tofu and stared blankly at the empty seat where he usually sat.
It's them.
Xiao's brow furrowed even more.
The Water Nymph came ashore, checked into the inn, and even played in the water right under his nose.
Given his personality, he should go down and find out the truth.
But as he watched, his gaze fell upon the bubbles rising from their lips—
He looked away.
Do not look at what is improper.
He silently recited a phrase in his mind, and for some reason, his ears turned a barely perceptible red.
He had lived for over a thousand years and slain countless demons and monsters, but he had never seen anything like this before.
Two Water Nymph, in the Dihua Marsh he had guarded for a thousand years, were flirting and making love as if they were in their own backyard.
Xiao remained silent for a long time.
In the end, he did not make a move.
He could sense that the two Water Nymph ' auras were very clean, without a trace of karmic retribution or bloodshed.
Moreover... one of them also possessed an extremely ancient aura that he couldn't quite fathom.
That aura made him instinctively not want to provoke it.
Xiao took one last look at the reeds, then turned away.
A flash of blue light, and the rooftop was empty.