Lu Heng and Ganyu exchanged a glance.
Lu Heng smiled and began, "Haven't seen you for a few days, I think you…"
Before he could finish, Ganyu hurriedly cut him off.
"It must be… because I just ate too much~!"
"Huh?"
Lu Heng tilted his head. "Eating too much can make your mental state look… full of energy?"
Well, maybe it could — but that wasn't what he was referring to at all.
"Eh?"
Ganyu blinked in surprise.
Wait a second!
What did he mean by that?
She quickly realized the two of them were on completely different channels.
"You mean… I look more energetic than usual?" she asked cautiously.
"What else would I mean?"
Lu Heng's expression shifted as he realized what she was thinking. He smirked slightly. "You didn't think I was talking about your weight, did you?"
"Ehh— don't say it, don't say it!"
Ganyu's face flushed red as if he had just jabbed her sore spot.
"Don't you dare say that out loud…" she mumbled, embarrassed.
That serious, huh?
To Lu Heng, it wasn't a big deal at all.
But for Ganyu, it was.
Everyone has their own sensitive spots.
For Ganyu, her aversion to gaining weight came from childhood experiences.
For others, it might just sound like a funny anecdote.
But for her, it was a genuine source of embarrassment — something she didn't want mentioned.
"I think this has become almost like a psychological shadow for you," Lu Heng said, shaking his head.
"I…"
She wanted to say more, but finally gave up.
Weakly, she admitted, "I've already gained five pounds recently… please don't tell anyone!"
She trusted Lu Heng completely.
So much so that even if Cloud Retainer told him her most embarrassing childhood stories right in front of her, she wouldn't run away or try to stop it.
Because Lu Heng already knew.
He knew her well — well enough that there was no need to hide anything.
"Don't worry, I didn't hear anything," Lu Heng waved dismissively, then spoke seriously. "But I think you shouldn't be so against it. At worst, after this period, just work out a bit. Or better yet, if you had a relevant card, that'd be even easier."
"I don't think there's one like that."
Ganyu shook her head.
She did long for a "eat without getting fat" physique card… but she'd never heard of anyone having it.
"Then just exercise later," Lu Heng said casually.
With her figure, even a little extra weight would only add softness — it wouldn't hurt her looks or proportions.
"I think so too." Ganyu nodded seriously.
It was actually his suggestion in the first place, and she was now following through.
"Alright, let's talk business," Lu Heng said.
"Shenhe's 'problem' isn't all that serious. It's mainly about how she wants to handle it."
Ganyu agreed.
After seeing the Interlude, she knew exactly what it was.
Cloud Retainer had tied the red rope to suppress Shenhe's murderous impulses.
Without it, she could easily trend toward extreme, violent behavior.
Not that it would actually be that exaggerated — but her fate (life pattern) would influence her thoughts, making her more direct and extreme than when bound.
The Red Rope Binding Soul was an effective way to suppress it…
But not to solve it.
The problem still existed — the question now was how to truly resolve it.
"What does Cloud Retainer think?" Lu Heng asked.
"She probably wants to solve it completely, then have Shenhe live in Liyue Harbor," Ganyu said after thinking.
"After all, Shenhe is human. The True Lord likes her, but can't keep her in the mountains forever. She'll have to return to human society eventually."
"That's not hard to fix — it just depends on her choice. I'll go to Mt. Aozang with you," Lu Heng said.
"Then I'll trouble you," Ganyu said gratefully.
"Let's go."
He smiled, opening a teleport gate.
On the other side was Mt. Aozang's peak.
The warm afternoon sun shone down, and the mountain breeze was pleasantly cool.
Klee, having just finished lunch, saw Lu Heng step through the portal and immediately ran to him.
"Big brother~!"
"Whoa."
He caught the little one in his arms. "Caused any trouble?"
"Nope!"
Klee shook her head. "Auntie Cloud gave me lots of toys, but I didn't have a gift for her…" she said, sounding a little down.
"It's okay, you can give her one later," Cloud Retainer said with a smile before turning to Lu Heng. "Thank you for coming."
"No big deal," Lu Heng said, shaking his head. "Where's Shenhe?"
"She's… been sitting on the mountaintop in a daze since watching the Interlude," Cloud Retainer said, pointing upward.
Lu Heng looked and saw a lone figure staring into the distance.
"I'll call her."
With a movement like a martial arts skill, Cloud Retainer stepped through the air — more than three steps, and in just two breaths she was at the top.
Moments later, she returned with Shenhe.
"Mr. Lu," Shenhe greeted with a slight nod.
Lack of emotion didn't mean no emotion — just that her reactions were faint and sparse.
Still, Lu Heng caught a flicker of curiosity in her eyes.
Game models didn't compare to seeing her in reality — she was stunning.
"I'm here to solve the problem. True Lord should've told you already?" Lu Heng asked.
"She has," Shenhe replied.
"What do you think?"
This was the sticking point for everyone.
After the Red Rope Binding Soul, Shenhe's emotions were faint — she lived like a beautiful statue.
Cloud Retainer didn't want that, but without options, had settled for it.
Now there was another choice, but it was risky — restoring her emotions meant she'd have to face her traumatic past head-on.
Her father had offered her as a sacrifice to a monster.
The emotional damage from that was enormous.
If she regained her emotions, she might spiral into pain and obsession, and her fate could push her toward dangerous extremes.
She could feel everyone's concern.
After a moment's thought, she shook her head. "Forget it."
Cloud Retainer hesitated.
That was the dilemma — keep her like this and she'd never heal, but change her and she might suffer worse.
"You can figure this out, can't you?" Lu Heng asked.
He knew her story well enough to believe that if they removed the killing impulse, she'd be fine.
"I can."
She had secretly gone down the mountain before, and learned her father had been dead for years.
It was… a kind of relief — like the last tie to her shattered family had finally been severed.
But afterward, she felt even emptier.
"Then it's simple," Lu Heng said.
"I'll turn your fate into a controllable power — it won't affect you, and you can use it freely. True Lord, what do you think?"
Cloud Retainer nodded after some thought. "That's a good plan."
Lu Heng looked to Shenhe. "What about you?"
"I don't mind," she said. "But… I don't want to trouble everyone."
Lu Heng chuckled. "No trouble. Once this is done, there's no problem at all. Don't pressure yourself."
"Alright."
He smiled, set Klee down, and said, "No pain, and you might not feel any change right away — it'll be gradual."
Golden light appeared on his fingertip, and he touched it to her brow.
The light sank in — her fate was transformed conceptually, becoming a power she could control, like moving an arm or leg.
It took only an instant.
"All done," Lu Heng said.
"That's it?" Cloud Retainer asked in surprise — not doubting him, but shocked at how easy it seemed for him.
"Already done."
"How do you feel?" she asked Shenhe.
"…Like someone poked my forehead."
Cloud Retainer's lips twitched. Yep, exactly as he'd said — no dramatic change, just a subtle shift that would unfold naturally.
"She'll be fine from here on," Lu Heng confirmed.
Cloud Retainer's relief was obvious.
Lu Heng stood. "You two talk, I'll head back—"
"Wait!" she said quickly. "At least stay for tea."
"Oh, that reminds me," Lu Heng said. "Got any extra tea leaves?"
"Yes, yes. Ganyu, fetch them."
As Ganyu went inside, Cloud Retainer hesitated before saying, "You've helped so much… but I have one more favor to ask."
"Oh?"
"It's Shenhe. She'll have to return to human society eventually, and I plan to travel — you could say… take a vacation. Ganyu's too busy to look after her. I was wondering if she could help at your shop. Lots of people come through, she could learn quickly."
Lu Heng understood instantly. "Sure, no problem."
Cloud Retainer was relieved. It was perfect — the busiest shop in Teyvat, full of human interaction.
Lu Heng didn't mind at all. Honestly, he was happy — he'd just picked up a beautiful new helper.
"Shenhe!"
"I'm here."
"From now on, listen to Mr. Lu, alright? He's your lifesaver — do what he says without hesitation."
"Yes."
Cloud Retainer looked at Lu Heng seriously. "Mr. Lu, Shenhe will be in your care."
"You're just going traveling, no need to make it sound like you're entrusting her on your deathbed," Lu Heng thought, but he nodded with a smile. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of her."
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T/N:
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