That night.
The House of Daena.
Nahida was staring at her phone.
On the screen was a message from her sister.
[Xia Ci]: Don't stay up late tonight. Go to bed soon. I'll take you into Cousin's dream so we can go online and game together.
Nahida tilted her head in confusion.
She'd brought up meeting Brother Xia Zhi and Sister Baal in dreams before, but her sister had always dodged the idea.
So why was she suddenly offering tonight?
Nahida frowned, thinking it over, but found no answer.
When the agreed time came, she climbed into her tree bed, lay down, and closed her eyes.
Like her sister, she too wielded dominion over dreams. So she could freely enter them.
But since Xia Zhi also had that power, unless he revealed his dream's entrance, Nahida couldn't find it.
She drifted into sleep, entered the dream, and waited patiently.
Soon, her sister's figure appeared.
The two looked nearly identical, the only difference being their bodies—Nahida like an elementary schooler, Xia Ci like a college student.
"Big Sis."
"Come on. I'll take you."
Xia Ci took her hand and led her forward.
They passed through layers of dream barriers, until finally arriving in a quiet dreamscape.
In front of them stood an internet café.
Nahida gazed up at the neon sign: [Xia Zhi Internet Café].
"Is this Brother Xia Zhi's dream?" she asked curiously.
Xia Ci shook her head. "Technically, just the outside. Inside the café is his Meditation Space. Without his permission, no one can enter."
"Baal has a Meditation Space too."
"Yeah, but hers is trash. Come on, I'll introduce you to some friends. Time to build your connections."
"Okay."
Xia Ci pulled Nahida inside.
Right away, a chorus of gaming shouts filled her ears.
"Push push push!"
"Ult me now!"
"Flash, flash!"
"Popping Stopwatch—help me, help me!"
"Don't steal my kill!"
"…"
The noisy, lively scene left Nahida, a homebody, a little dazed.
It felt totally different from chatting in a group.
Xia Ci guided her along, pointing to the gamers at their PCs one by one.
"This is Mountain Shaper. This is Moon Carver."
Nahida greeted politely. "Hello, esteemed Adepti."
The two quickly stopped playing, bowing respectfully. "Greetings, Lesser Lord Kusanali!"
A roar came from behind them. "Don't go AFK! Talk later—get over here and contest dragon!"
Xia Ci pulled Nahida further. "This one's Barbatos, Mondstadt's Anemo Archon."
"Hello, Barbatos," Nahida said.
Barbatos grinned. "Hey, Nahida. Stick with me later, we'll stomp them."
"This is Azhdaha."
"Hello, Azhdaha."
"Nahida, join us later!"
"This one's Morax."
"Hello, Rex Lapis."
"If you're ever broke, ask him for a loan."
Morax sighed. "I'm just a vice principal now. I've got no money."
"And this is your Sister Baal."
"Baal-sis!"
"Little Nahida! So cute. I'll teach you how to play later."
…
"These are Xia Le and Xia Lin. Strictly speaking, you should call them Big Sisters. But calling them Little Sisters works too."
"?"
They circled the room. Everyone was friendly, just like in the group chat.
Nahida asked curiously, "Where's Brother Xia Zhi?"
"Probably still in the real world."
"He's not here yet?"
"Notice someone else missing?"
"Um… Cloud Retainer?"
"Exactly."
"Brother Xia Zhi and Cloud Retainer are busy outside?"
"They're working."
"?"
"Grab a seat. I'll play a couple of bot matches with you."
"Oh."
Nahida sat beside her sister, practicing with the mouse.
Simple enough—she picked it up quickly.
They played two bot games.
Then Nahida leaned closer, whispering, "Sis, is Cream Puff here?"
Xia Ci shook her head. "No."
"Then… who's Cream Puff?"
"No idea."
"Huh? You don't know either?"
"Only Cousin knows. He secretly invited them. They've never shown up."
"I see…"
Nahida pondered.
She'd hoped to figure out who sent her that novel archive.
But the trail was gone.
"Who do you think Cream Puff could be?"
"Hard to say."
"Guess?"
"Probably some Archon. Cousin does know resurrection spells."
"An Archon…"
Nahida sank into thought.
A while later, Xia Zhi and Cloud Retainer entered the café.
Madam Ping shot Cloud Retainer a suspicious look.
Cloud Retainer ignored her, sat down beside Ping, and booted up a PC.
Xia Zhi walked to Nahida's side, smiling warmly. "Nahida, first time meeting. Hello."
Seeing him in person, Nahida found him even more charming than in photos. "Hello, Brother Xia Zhi!"
"No need to be formal. We're all friends here. Just enjoy yourself."
"Mm."
"You're always cooped up reading. It's good to get out, talk with people."
"Mm."
"But most important—don't listen to your sister's nonsense. Make your own judgments."
Xia Ci shot back immediately. "Cousin! Don't slander me out of nowhere!"
Nahida, however, looked at Xia Zhi, nodding earnestly. "Mm!"
She used to believe her sister, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, was the most perfect god.
But now… what an old schemer!