There's No Place for You in This House Anymore!

Pushing open the office door, Xingsu let out a long sigh of relief, as if all the fatigue from her journey had vanished at that moment.

Ah, home is the best!

He plopped down in the large office chair without any restraint. After Arlecchino temporarily returned to Snezhnaya, this office, which originally belonged to her, became Xingsu's temporary territory.

Xingsu leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs, and casually picked up the stack of files on the table, flipping through the various events that had occurred at the House of the Hearth in recent days.

Huh? Does this chair have some kind of magical power? Why do I feel like crossing my legs as soon as I sit down?

Remembering that she had previously complained about this habit of hers, Xingsu's lips twitched slightly. She silently pulled her crossed legs back and sat up straight.

"I wonder when Arlecchino will be back. I really want to hug her, rest my head on her broad chest, and let our bodies fly freely~ Hehehe~"

"Xingsu, how's everything at home lately?" The communicator flickered, Arlecchino's cool voice came through the receiver.

Xingsu abruptly jumped up from his seat, the files in his hands slipping from his grasp and scattering across the floor. He frantically gripped the communicator, his voice trembling with embarrassment:

"Pepe, Pei, Pepe! Everything is fine! The clothes have been eaten, the meals have been washed, and the children are behaving well!"

"Hmm? Is that so?" Arlecchino's voice rose slightly, carrying a hint of knowing everything. "But I heard that someone hasn't been home these past few days, just to help a little girl?"

Xingsu felt a pang of guilt and quickly tried to cover it up, putting on a serious face. "Ah~ isn't this just laying the groundwork for my dearest Lady Arlecchino's actions in Fontaine?"

"But I've also heard that some people brought a lot of supplies from their homes to donate to others."

"Ahem," Xingsu coughed twice unconsciously, "This was all from my secret stash... Don't worry, I didn't touch a single penny of the family's public funds!"

A soft chuckle came from the other end of the communicator, the tone full of teasing:

"So some people have millions of Mora in their stash. I remember a few months ago, someone told me they only had tens of thousands of Mora left, and came to me crying and begging for more."

"Why are you crying and sobbing... Besides, that's money I earned from some side jobs after you left. When you come back, I'll give you all the money in my little stash!" Xingsu patted his chest and promised.

thump thump thump--

There was a knock on the office door.

Xingsu Sutong's pupils contracted, as if she had grasped at a lifeline, and she hurriedly spoke into the communicator:

"... Ah, a child is looking for me. I'll go open the door now..."

He hurriedly hung up the call, walked quickly to the door, and flung it open.

A familiar figure stood outside the door.

Arlecchino stood quietly at the door, her long, silver-white and jet-black hair cascading down, her scarlet eyes gazing at him with a half-smile, a playful curve to her lips.

"Hello, Xingsu Su." She slightly raised her eyes, her gaze falling on his flustered face, her tone slow and leisurely, "I wonder if my child has surprised you."

"..."

The young man stood at attention.

Xingsu frozen in place, the color draining from her face little by little.

That's it!

"Um... when did you get back..." Xingsu froze by the door frame, stammering as she looked around, avoiding Arlecchino's eyes.

"Oh, I just got back." Arlecchino responded casually, a hint of mockery hidden in her scarlet eyes.

"That's really... you're back pretty early, hehehe~" Xingsu scratched his head and chuckled dryly, a few beads of cold sweat appearing on his palms.

"I'm afraid if I don't come back soon, some people's hearts will fly out of this little home and go somewhere else, and I won't be able to bring them back."

Arlecchino stepped into the office, gently closing the wooden door behind her to shut out any sounds from outside.

Xingsu hurriedly raised three fingers, pointing them directly to the ceiling, and swore to the heavens, "By Morax, the God of Contracts! I will only Arlecchino in this lifetime! If I break this oath, may the Geo Archon's Rock Spear strike me down in the next second! Hiss... Shouldn't we ask the God of Eternity about this?"

"Alright, stop being so cheeky. You don't seem like the type to believe in those gods." A faint smile appeared on Arlecchino's lips. "But even if you hadn't gone to help the Spina di Rosula, I already had the idea of helping them."

Personally, Fontaine is my hometown, and helping those who are struggling in difficult circumstances is also a long-cherished wish of mine.

Logically speaking, although we have some private collaborations with the Fontaine government, the Fatui ' reputation among the Fontaine people is practically zero, and I had always intended to establish collaborations with some grassroots organizations.

Upon hearing Xingsu, Xing Su's eyes lit up. She tentatively took half a step forward and cautiously asked, "So... you've forgiven me?"

"Hmm, I'll forgive you for this."

"Yay! I knew you were the best to me!"

As soon as Arlecchino finished speaking, Xingsu was overjoyed and hugged her tightly. He bent down slightly, buried his face in her chest, and rubbed against her chest without any hesitation.

Arlecchino's ears turned red, a hint of helplessness flashing in her scarlet eyes. She gently raised her hand and pushed Xingsu away from her.

"Alright, stop fooling around. Aren't you afraid the kids will see you later?"

"It's not a secret anymore, and the kids might even enjoy watching it... Ouch." Arlecchino curled her fingers and gently tapped Xingsu's head.

"Let's talk this out... why did you hit me?" Xingsu covered her head, pouting in grievance.

"We haven't finished our business yet. I also brought news of Snezhnaya's Arrival." Arlecchino turned around and walked deeper into the office.

"Huh? What news?" Xingsu immediately dropped his playful grin and became serious.

"The Tsaritsa wishes to see you."

"I'm not going." Xingsu refused decisively.

"I knew it, that's why I stalled for time by saying you were still out on an operation."

"I see, then..."

"So, you should get out there and take action."

"... So eager?" Xingsu frowned slightly.

"Tartaglia's operation in Liyue was a disaster. The Fatui who were on a mission in the Chasm were abandoned by the Liyue authorities. No one in the Fatui leadership wanted to get involved, and those soldiers became pawns in the struggle."

Are we going to wade into this mess?

Arlecchino paused for a moment, then her voice deepened. "... Among those Fatui, there was a child from the House of the Hearth."

"... Understood, I'll make the arrangements and leave immediately." He walked towards the door, reaching out to turn the doorknob, but it wouldn't budge.

Xingsu tried to pry it open twice before belatedly realizing that the door was locked.

... not good!

brush--

The heavy curtains were suddenly pulled shut, instantly blocking out the sunlight and plunging the office into darkness.

Xingsu turned around abruptly, looking at Arlecchino standing in the center of the room in astonishment.

Arlecchino stood there, arms crossed, her scarlet eyes gazing at him calmly, a faint, enigmatic smile playing on her lips.

"Don't rush off. There are some things we need to discuss further."

"Um, is that... here...?"

"Hmm? And your secret stash?"

"... This place is nice too."