Ronava's attack left Lin En leaning against the rock wall for quite a while before he recovered.
The Hydro circulated through the meridians several times, blocking the bleeding points, but the dull pain inside did not dissipate so quickly; even the slightest movement caused excruciating pain.
He tried to stand up, but collapsed after only a few seconds. He managed to regain his balance on the second attempt, using his longsword as a support.
"Can you still walk?"
Seeing how much effort he was putting in, Ronava reached out her hand.
"It's alright, but you might need to help me up."
Lin En put the longsword back into his hand and placed his hand on Ronava's shoulder. With her help, walking became much easier.
After the passage made two turns, it began to rise, and the rock strata overhead changed from a thick, solid mass to fragmented shale, with light filtering through the cracks.
The evening breeze blew in through the cracks, carrying the dry, earthy smell. When Lin En smelled this, he felt a sense of relief, as if he were almost at the ground.
When the two emerged from the crack, the sun was already almost touching the west and about to set.
Sparse wild grasses grow along the edge of the fissure in the Chasm, and in the distance, the lights of Liyue Harbor can be seen lighting up one by one, while the eaves of Yujing Terrace are outlined with a golden edge in the twilight.
Lin En took a deep breath; the air outside seemed sweet to him now.
"Finally out! I was suffocating down there."
They sat down to rest on the rocks beside the crack.
Ronava stood to the side, her silver hair still smudged with dust. She had sheathed her spear, but her hand remained at her side, ready to be drawn again at any moment.
She glanced around to make sure there were no ambushes before relaxing her tense shoulders.
"I didn't expect her to run so fast."
Ronava said wearily that using the Delusion consumed more power than she had expected.
I thought she could hold on a little longer.
"She must be badly injured."
Lin En's attack definitely injured the Tsaritsa, but it's unclear how severely.
Ronava looked up at the sky; the stars had already come out, their faint light illuminating the two of them.
"With that hit from you and my gun, she'll need at least a few days to recover. The Jester was already injured, so it's not surprising that she ran away with him."
Will she come back?
If the Tsaritsa returns, the two of them will likely perish here.
"Not in the short term."
Ronava glanced at the fissure in the Chasm once more.
"She likes to plan things out before she acts. She learned her lesson this time, and she won't resort to force again until she understands our situation."
Lin En nodded and leaned against a rock to rest for a while.
I have dull pain all over my body—ribs, shoulders, thighs. I didn't feel the pain when the Jester hit me, but now that I'm relaxed, I can feel it. The Hydro is still slowly repairing me, but it will take some time.
Where is Chongyun?
He suddenly remembered that they hadn't paid any Chongyun; he wouldn't have been killed by the Tsaritsa...
" The Tsaritsa should know what's important; she won't harm a Liyue person now. We'll see when we get back."
Ronava stood up.
"Let's go, let's find a place to rest before dark."
The two walked along the dirt road at the edge of the rift towards Liyue Harbor.
After walking for about half an hour, when it was completely dark, an oxcart came towards them on the official road. The driver was an old man, and the cart was covered with dry grass. Chongyun was actually lying on the dry grass.
" Lin En!"
Chongyun sat up from the hay. Although his face was still pale, he was clearly much better.
"You're out!"
How are you?
Lin En quickened his pace and walked to the oxcart.
The superficial wound is much better now.
Chongyun scratched the back of his head.
"After two people helped me out, they found a car and said they would take me back to Liyue Harbor to see a doctor."
Lin En nodded; it seemed that Snezhnaya hadn't done anything to Chongyun.
"Are you two also heading back to Liyue? Why don't you ride in my oxcart? We should be able to get back before dawn."
The old man at the front of the car smiled and said to Lin En and Ronava.
"Thank you very much!"
Lin En remarked on his good fortune, managing to hitch a ride.
But thinking about what happened today, he sighed. How could someone be so unlucky? That commission turned out to be a trap. It seems he can't take commissions from Katheryne anymore; he has to think of other ways to make money.
The oxcart entered Liyue Harbor, and it was already late at night; no inns were open for business.
Lin En counted the remaining Mora; it seemed he'd have to sleep under a bridge tonight.
The two dragged their injured bodies to a bench in Liyue Harbor and sat down.
"We'll just have to make do tonight. You go to sleep, I'm not sleepy yet."
Lin En wanted to give up the bench. Although he was a little tired, there was only one bench, and he still wanted to give it to Ronava.
"I'm not sleepy either. I'll hold out until tomorrow and then look for a hotel. I'll just sit here for a while tonight."
Ronava replied, then looked up at the starry sky again.
Liyue Harbor was quiet late at night, and the sky was very clear. The bustling docks during the day were now only lit by a few streetlights.
Lin En sat on the bench, leaning back against the chair for comfort. Ronava sat next to him, less than a fist's width apart.
Are you still thinking about what happened today?
Ronava spoke, her voice softer than usual.
"Um."
Lin En didn't hide it from her.
"That commission was fake, does Katheryne know that? If she knew and still assigned us this kind of work, that would be disgusting."
"Have no idea."
Ronava turned her gaze from the night sky to Lin En's face beside her, who blushed slightly under her gaze.
Why are you looking at me like that?
"You've suffered a lot following me, if..."
She voiced her concerns.
"Why do you say that? My life has been one of hardship before happiness, and besides, I've also enjoyed quite a bit of happiness."
Lin En said very seriously.
Hopefully, it will be bitter at first but sweet later.
"With you, everything is sweet."
Ronava paused slightly upon hearing this, then smiled.
They chatted for a long time, then Lin En leaned back in her chair and looked up at the stars.
The two remained silent for a while.
The wind blowing from the water in the harbor carried a slight chill.
Lin En suddenly felt a weight on his shoulder. He turned his head and saw that Ronava's head had tilted to the side at some point, her silver hair hanging over his shoulder, and her breathing was shallow.
" Ronava?"
No response.
Lin En remained still, slowly took off her coat, and gently draped it over her shoulders.
The coat was a bit too big, covering her shoulders and back, leaving only her silver hair exposed.
Ronava stirred in her sleep, snuggling closer to him, finding a more comfortable spot for her head in the crook of his shoulder, and then remained completely still.
Lin En looked down at her for a while.
The streetlights shone from the side, tracing soft outlines on her face, her usually cold, golden eyes closed.
He recalled the first time he saw her; back then, he could never have imagined that one day she would fall asleep on his shoulder.
He reached out and tucked the stray hairs that were falling beside her face behind her ear, then touched her face.
Ronava frowned in her sleep, snuggled against his shoulder, and mumbled something indistinctly.
Lin En chuckled.
"She's so cute when she's asleep."