"I knew you would ask that," Yu Xie chuckled softly and pulled out a jug of wine from behind him.
"So I came prepared."
Eula fell silent for a moment, then picked up the jug, immediately pouring herself a cup.
She downed it in one go, as if trying to swallow down all the frustration in her heart along with the drink.
"Slow down," Yu Xie said.
Eula set down the cup and gazed at the burning embers in front of her.
The firelight reflected off her beautiful face, but today, that beauty was clouded by a mix of complex emotions.
"Here, eat something."
At some point, Yu Xie had finished grilling the steak.
He had already cut it into bite-sized pieces and placed them on a plate, which he now handed to Eula.
Eula hesitated for a moment before taking the plate.
She picked up the fork and brought a piece of steak to her mouth.
It was delicious, grilled to perfection, but her mood remained heavy.
The surroundings were quiet—only the occasional breeze rustling through the trees and the sound of Yu Xie tidying up the barbecue utensils could be heard.
Eula sat there, watching Yu Xie.
For a moment, she had so many things she wanted to say to him, yet she didn't know how to begin.
It wasn't until Yu Xie finished cleaning up and sat down in front of her that she finally spoke, slowly:
"Yu Xie, I… have something I want to talk to you about. Will you listen?"
"Of course," Yu Xie answered without hesitation.
"It might be a bit long-winded."
"That's fine. I came here to talk with you."
"..."
Eula fell silent for a moment, her expression shifting slightly.
She looked into Yu Xie's eyes and slowly asked,
"As long as someone bears the Lawrence name… will they really never be accepted?"
"Why do you think that?" Yu Xie responded calmly, as if he had already anticipated this question.
He showed no surprise, only a composed curiosity.
"After what happened with Schubert, the public's view of the Lawrence family has become even worse… In short, people despise us even more now.
I used to say I didn't care, but deep down, I know that a part of me still hoped my actions would change how people see the name 'Lawrence.' But now, I feel like nothing I do matters.
The weight of history, the issues within my own family… these aren't things I can change on my own."
"You've already done so much, haven't you?" Yu Xie said softly.
"You joined the Knights of Favonius, showing people in your own way that the Lawrence name is not rigid or stuck in the past.
There are still many in Mondstadt who refuse to believe in you, but through your actions, you've already proven to many that you are not just another stubborn noble of the old order."
Eula listened to Yu Xie's words in silence.
Her beautiful eyes trembled slightly, as if some emotion was on the verge of breaking free, yet it still lacked that final push.
"Our worlds are actually very small," Yu Xie continued.
"So small that they only consist of the places we've been and the people we know.
The places we've only heard of, the ones we've only read about in newspapers—since we've never been there, they don't really belong to our world."
"In our own little worlds, what we can do is also limited. We can't gain everyone's approval, but there will always be people who choose to believe in us, who choose to accept us."
Yu Xie looked at Eula, meeting her slightly trembling gaze.
"Like Captain Jean. Like Amber. Like me.
We all believe in you."
At that moment, something inside Eula seemed to tremble.
And in the very next instant, she could no longer hold herself back.
She threw herself forward, into Yu Xie's arms, holding him tightly.
This sudden embrace caught Yu Xie off guard.
He was a little surprised, but after a brief moment of hesitation, he let out a soft chuckle and gently patted Eula's back, as if comforting a child.
"You're not alone. We're here. I'm here."
Eula didn't say anything—only the sound of her quiet sobs remained.
As the Spindrift Knight, she rarely shed tears.
But at this moment, she couldn't control them.
Her emotions rippled like a restless lake, unable to settle.
She buried her face in Yu Xie's shoulder, letting herself feel everything.
At least, for this moment, he was here with her.
"It's gonna be alright," Yu Xie whispered, comforting her.
The wind passed through the forest, brushing past the two of them.
No one knew how much time had passed before Eula finally released Yu Xie.
She lowered her head, wiped away the tears on her face, and only then slowly lifted her gaze.
"Thank you, Yu Xie. I feel much better now," she said. "…By the way, about me crying today—don't tell anyone, okay?"
"No problem," Yu Xie replied with a gentle smile, noticing the lingering tear stains on Eula's face.
Without much thought, he reached out and gently wiped them away.
That action made Eula freeze.
Her heartbeat suddenly quickened.
It was as if she had been placed under a binding spell—she couldn't move.
Even after Yu Xie had finished wiping her tears and withdrawn his hand, Eula still remained motionless.
The warmth of his touch lingered on her face, like a gentle breeze brushing against her cheek.
"Do you feel like eating some grilled meat now? If you don't eat it soon, it'll get cold."
Yu Xie picked up the plate of grilled meat and gestured toward her.
"…Mm." Eula nodded obediently, like a well-behaved little girl.
"Oh no!" Yu Xie suddenly seemed to realize something, his expression turning slightly awkward.
"I only brought one fork."
Eula remained silent, picked up the only fork, speared a piece of grilled meat, and brought it to Yu Xie's mouth.
Yu Xie hesitated for a moment before opening his mouth and eating it.
Then, without looking at him, Eula speared another piece and casually put it into her own mouth.
And then, once again, she picked up a piece of grilled meat with the fork and held it up to Yu Xie.
She turned her head away, avoiding his gaze, but a faint blush spread across her face, and her eyes reflected a trace of shyness.
Yu Xie hesitated slightly but eventually opened his mouth and ate the grilled meat that Eula offered him.
Eula stole a glance at him, and when she saw him eat it, a certain joy welled up in her heart.
But she pretended not to care.
Just like that, the two of them finished the entire plate of grilled meat.
The wine in the jug was also running low.
Eula seemed a little dazed—whether from the strength of the alcohol or for some other reason, it was hard to tell.
Yu Xie had no choice but to support her and help her into the cabin to rest.
Lying on the bed, Eula suddenly grabbed Yu Xie's hand and softly said:
"Can you stay here with me?"
Yu Xie chuckled gently and said, "Don't worry, I'm right here."
Hearing his reassuring answer, Eula finally closed her eyes in peace.
Yu Xie pulled up a chair and sat beside the bed, silently watching Eula.
This girl, who had endured others' prejudice since childhood, this strong-willed girl—she, too, had moments of vulnerability.
...............
Author Note :
The recent update frequency has been a bit low. The main reasons are tight schedules on one hand and a decline in the initial enthusiasm on the other. Looking back, this book has already exceeded 500,000 words, making it the longest one I've ever written. For me personally, this is quite a breakthrough.
Let me share my plans with you all. Right now, I'm thinking of wrapping up the story after finishing the Mondstadt arc. While there are still more stories to tell, the readership has declined, and there's quite a bit of repetition, so I feel there's no need to write everything out in detail. I hope you all understand.
Additionally, I'm considering writing a new book. At the moment, I only have a rough concept and haven't taken any concrete steps yet. (It seems like everyone enjoys tragic stories, so maybe the next book will have more of those.) If everything goes smoothly, I might start writing during the winter break.
In any case, I want to thank all the readers who have accompanied me on this journey. Without you, this book wouldn't have made it this far. I'm just a small author who gained attention because of Genshin Impact—thank you all for your kindness.