The Cloud Retainer in the book continued her narration, though this time she wasn't telling stories about Ganyu's childhood.
["Let me share with you a little about her."]
["The qilin is a benevolent beast among the adepti, drinking only dew and eating only the finest grains."]
["But perhaps, the immortal mountains and abodes of Jueyun Karst... were far too lonely for her 'human' side."]
["Last night under the moonlight, I saw Ganyu standing alone on the cliff, gazing at the mountain mist. The vast sea of clouds swallowed her slender figure."]
["I saw her loneliness and wanted to approach her, to persuade her to return to the mortal world... But it was at that moment I heard these words."]
[Ganyu: "The loneliness of Liyue Harbor is far greater than that of Jueyun Karst.
Watching the clouds in Jueyun Karst is merely the loneliness of one person watching clouds.
But stepping into the crowds of Liyue is the loneliness of a 'non-human' being in this world."]
"No wonder Miss Ganyu could lose weight!" Baiwen suddenly realized. Drinking dew and eating only the finest grains every day—of course she'd slim down!
"No, no, that's not the point!" Baixiao interrupted.
"The point is that Miss Ganyu has always felt lonely..." Baishi added.
"Have we been treating Miss Ganyu poorly?" The three of them whispered among themselves.
Worried about upsetting Ganyu, they huddled in a corner of the room to murmur. But as a half-adeptus beast, their whispers couldn't escape Ganyu's ears.
She lifted her head from the pile of books, her face flushed—whether from being pressed against the books or from embarrassment, it was hard to tell.
"I don't think you've treated me poorly," Ganyu waved her hands in explanation. She hadn't heard the book's content, only the trio's conversation.
Seeing that Ganyu had overheard, the three stopped hiding and crowded around her, chattering about the story in the book.
"Eh? Eh?! Ehhhh?!" Ganyu's face grew redder and redder. Lucian!!! Wuwuwu, my privacy—my secrets are being completely exposed!
Though embarrassed, Ganyu felt somewhat grateful to Lucian. She would never have been able to say these things herself, but by writing them out, he had helped others understand her feelings.
Thinking of the merchant who had gifted her fruit a few days ago and the three secretaries now surrounding her, Ganyu felt emotions she had never experienced before.
===✧✦✧===
Yae Miko's smile faded, replaced by a different emotion—though it didn't seem to be happiness.
"'The loneliness of a non-human being in this world,' huh..." Yae Miko gazed at the moon in the sky.
How nostalgic... The days when the night parade of a hundred demons blotted out the stars and moon. She missed the times when she was still a little fox, spending time with Makoto, Ei, Lady Saiguu, and Yuraishuu.
"My, my, seems like I need to find some amusement," Yae Miko chuckled. The presence of monsters nearby—likely spawned from ley lines—caught her attention.
"I'm not lonely, Ganyu," Yae Miko murmured as she descended the mountain. To avoid loneliness and nostalgia, she sought entertainment every day.
But this time, she felt something akin to Ei's emotions—reading this book really does affect one's mood...
===✧✦✧===
"What's this 'loneliness of non-human beings'? It's way too profound," Arataki Itto scratched his head.
"Boss, don't you feel that way?" his three companions asked. Their boss, after all, was also a "non-human being."
"Totally don't get it. If you're lonely, just find friends to hang out with! Drink, eat noodles, play beetle battles with the kids! Where's the loneliness in that?!"
"..." Genta, Mamoru, and Akira pondered for a moment. "The boss is right!"
Kuki Shinobu leaned against the wall, arms crossed, listening to the conversation with a smile beneath her mask. This was how the Arataki Gang should be.
===✧✦✧===
Venti shared Itto's perspective—if you're lonely, just drink and sing!
'Unhappy → want to drink → drink → happy → satisfied after drinking → want to drink again → no wine left → unhappy → want to drink...'
On the other hand, Kamisato Ayaka, who wasn't a "non-human being," understood Ganyu's feelings all too well.
"The loneliness of a non-human being in this world..." Even though she was just a human, why did she also feel this loneliness?
She, too, longed for someone who could understand her and share her thoughts. "The prophet knows so many people's stories... What about mine?" A glimmer of hope flickered in Ayaka's heart.
===✧✦✧===
Scaramouche said nothing, simply blasting the book into ashes with Electro. "How boring!"
He suddenly understood why La Signora had wanted to punch Lucian.
Nahida fell into silence.
Furina was moved to tears. Though not a "non-human being," she deeply understood this loneliness.
"Neuvillette! You have to read this!" Furina rushed off with the book to find him. Usually too busy with work to read Lucian's books, Neuvillette might not escape this time.
===✧✦✧===
Shenhe blinked calmly. Just as she had sensed, her senior sister did feel lonely.
Though not a "non-human being" herself, she understood Ganyu's loneliness all too well.
Glancing at her junior brother exchanging looks with their master, and at Lumine and Paimon watching their "eye conversation," Shenhe no longer felt as strongly lonely as before—because they were there.
===✧✦✧===
Returning to the story in the book, Lumine and Paimon found Ganyu during her training. Under Xiao's guidance, they joined in.
Throughout the training, Lumine and Paimon tried to persuade Ganyu, explaining that it was all a misunderstanding.
By the end, Ganyu finally agreed to return to Liyue Harbor with them.
Instead of heading straight to Yuehai Pavilion, they went to the harbor first—Ganyu wanted to see the sea.
There, they met an old man who immediately said:
[Uncle Tian: "Isn't this... Sister Ganyu?"]
A man who looked to be in his seventies addressing a girl who appeared no older than twenty as "sister" was such a stark contrast that it drew laughter from everyone.
Even though most already knew Ganyu was an adeptus, they couldn't help but chuckle.
[Lumine: "Sister Ganyu!"]
In the book, Lumine reacted quickly, seizing the chance to tease Ganyu.
"Just like me," Lumine nodded approvingly.
The book revealed Tian's identity—the Tianshuof the Liyue Qixing.
Tian broke into a cold sweat. First, the book exposed Rex Lapis, and now even a minor figure like me?
At least it didn't describe my appearance in detail—otherwise, could I still fish and stroll in peace?
===✧✦✧===
In the book, Uncle Tian, ever the competent Tianshu, was well-informed and understood Ganyu's dilemma. He casually brought up his daughter:
[Uncle Tian: "Speaking of 'secretaries'... Ah, I wonder if I should mention this. Sister Ganyu, you know my daughter Huixin—she's been... troubled lately."]
On the surface, he seemed to be asking Ganyu to help his daughter, but in reality, he was redirecting Ganyu's thoughts back to Yuehai Pavilion.
It was a psychological negotiation tactic—subtly shifting the other's focus.
Ganyu had been pondering whether to return to Liyue Harbor, but now she was thinking about how to handle Liyue's problems.
Arriving at Yuehai Pavilion, they learned the issue:
The tax reports of "Rongfa Shop" and "Wanyou Boutique" clearly had discrepancies, but there was no evidence to prove it.
[Ganyu: "Hmm... This time, let's try this method—'The one who knows a person best is often their enemy.'"]
===✧✦✧===
Character Voice: Ganyu — About Lucian (Writing About You)
"He wrote very well, putting into words many things I wanted to say... Though it would've been better without my childhood stories..."