Today, Bubu Pharmacy was quieter than usual.
After being smashed by Tartaglia, some of the koi in the pond had died, but a few had managed to survive.
However, they seemed less lively than before.
According to Baizhu, they were "depressed."
Although there had been a fire last night, fortunately, the flames were quickly controlled, and the building that caught fire was uninhabited, so it turned out to be a false alarm.
Thus, Baizhu only went through the motions of checking on the situation before returning.
Looking toward the corridor, Qiqi was sitting there, holding a small Anemo Slime in her arms, lost in thought.
For ordinary children, even gentle monsters like Anemo Slimes were absolutely not suitable to keep as pets.
But in a sense, Qiqi was no longer an ordinary child.
Watching her, Baizhu felt a bit worried.
Recently, for some reason, the little girl had become obsessed with sunsettias.
Even though he had given her all the sunsettias that Gui had bought, she showed no desire to eat them.
In her words, they were "tasteless."
Were the sunsettias really tasteless? Of course not. Gui had specifically picked them out before buying them, and they were even sweeter than the ones they usually picked in the mountains.
The lack of flavor was purely because Qiqi had no sense of taste. Aside from sensing hot and cold, she couldn't distinguish any other flavors.
At first, Baizhu hadn't realized what was going on. But when a basket marked with "Bai Luo" was left at the entrance of Bubu Pharmacy, he finally understood why Qiqi had been so fixated on sunsettias.
Baizhu tentatively took out a sunsettia, hesitated for a long time, but ultimately didn't dare to eat it.
He brought the sunsettia over to Qiqi.
"Qiqi, do you want to try this one?"
Qiqi's hands were still wrapped in bandages. Ever since she started keeping the Anemo Slime, her nails hadn't been exposed.
Seeing the sunsettia Baizhu offered, she didn't refuse.
Even though she knew this sunsettia was different from the ones she had eaten before.
But when she took a bite, Qiqi paused for a moment.
"This is it... delicious."
Was a sour sunsettia really delicious?
Not necessarily, because judging from Qiqi's expression, the sour taste didn't seem pleasant to her either.
But... when her world, which had only known cold and hot, suddenly experienced a third flavor...
Even if that flavor was bitter, it was still a kind of happiness for her.
Because any other taste was a luxury she could never experience.
"Qiqi? Do you know Bai Luo?"
Watching Qiqi eat the sunsettia on the steps, Baizhu tentatively asked.
"Bai Luo? Who's that? Is he Mr. Bai's brother?"
Qiqi looked up, her expression slightly confused as she gazed at Baizhu.
It seemed... she didn't know anyone named Bai Luo.
She had no memory of him at all.
"He's not related to me. In any case, it's good that you don't know him, and you don't need to know him."
After confirming that Qiqi didn't know Bai Luo, Baizhu felt relieved.
Because as a zombie, Qiqi only acted according to her orders and couldn't lie.
If she said she didn't know someone, then she truly didn't know them.
Baizhu couldn't shake the feeling that Bai Luo might try to take Qiqi away from him.
But thankfully, Qiqi's memory wasn't reliable. No matter how much Bai Luo tried to "bribe" her, it would be useless.
"Alright, no need to rush. There are plenty more here. If I'm not mistaken... they should all be the delicious kind like the one you're holding."
After removing the herbs from the basket, Baizhu placed all the sunsettias in front of Qiqi.
Just like the coconut milk Bai Luo had given her before, Baizhu never withheld gifts meant for Qiqi.
Besides, he really didn't care for these things.
What he didn't notice was that Qiqi, holding a sunsettia, was staring at the words "Bai Luo" on the basket, as if she had realized something.
Tilting her head for a moment, Qiqi, with the help of the Anemo Slime, tipped the basket over and poured out all the sunsettias.
Then she placed the basket upside down in front of her.
The words "Bai Luo" were now reversed, reading "Luo Bai."
"That's better."
Satisfied, Qiqi nodded and continued sitting under the eaves, staring blankly at the sky.
The sky was blue, so blue it was almost blinding.
Qiqi didn't like this kind of sky because there was no "Luo Bai" in it.
Without Luo Bai, there would be no more sour sunsettias.
Unhappy.
If only it would rain... that would be nice.
Oh, and there's also the soft gymnastics.
...
Bai Luo returned to the Crux Fleet's ship right on time. As for the sunsettias he had been carrying... it was said he had given them to a friend.
"That friend must be the Instructor, right?"
Upon hearing about this, Ningguang immediately had her answer.
Because around the same time, Baizhu had come to report that Bubu Pharmacy had received sunsettias from the Instructor.
When it came to matters related to the Instructor, Baizhu never kept anything hidden.
It seemed the Instructor had also secretly struck some kind of deal with Himura Kenshin.
But whether they had any secrets didn't matter anymore.
After all, Himura Kenshin would be leaving for Inazuma tomorrow, and according to the information they had, the Fatui's Childe would soon have a so-called "sparring match" with the Instructor. After that, the Instructor would also leave Liyue.
Only then would this bustling city truly settle down.
...
Early the next morning, Bai Luo was awakened by the noise of a bustling crowd.
It was the locals onshore bidding farewell to their friends from the Crux Fleet.
In any world, the sea is a symbol of mystery, and Teyvat is no exception.
No one knows what lies beneath the unexplored depths of the ocean.
Thus, every voyage the sailors embark on is a high-stakes gamble with their lives.
On this gambling table, the Crux Fleet may have a high win rate, but they don't always return safely.
At best, their chances of survival are just a bit higher.
And this time... their destination was Inazuma, an island completely surrounded by thunderstorms.
"Raise the sails! Set sail!"
Standing on the dragon head at the bow of the Alcor, Beidou commanded with great enthusiasm.
As her voice rang out, the ships one by one lifted their heavy anchors and hoisted the flags of the Crux Fleet, sailing out of Liyue Harbor and heading toward Inazuma.
In these waters, the flag of the Crux Fleet was undoubtedly the most reassuring talisman, for the Crux Fleet was the most powerful armed fleet in the region. Even the legendary sea beast, Haishan, had fallen at the hands of this fleet's captain.
No one dared to challenge the authority of this captain.
On this sea, she was a god.