Fang Qiu, Hu Tao, and the others admired the fireworks while chatting and laughing.
As she turned to look back.
Fang Qiu also caught sight of that young boy and girl, hand in hand, waiting in front of the Dango Milk shop.
Seeing this scene, Fang Qiu couldn't help but smile.
"Is that them?"
Ganyu followed Fang Qiu's gaze, and when she saw the young boy and girl, she couldn't help being slightly stunned. She gave a faint smile and said, "They're strolling the Lantern Rite together."
"Indeed."
Fang Qiu nodded.
"They must have read your 5 Centimeters per Second, Miss Fang Qiu, and that's why they agreed to stroll the Lantern Rite together."
Ganyu said with a soft laugh.
"Perhaps."
Fang Qiu and Ganyu exchanged a smile, then looked toward the fireworks filling the sky, their beautiful eyes brimming with mirth.
She wondered whether the two of them had read 5 Centimeters per Second. If they had, then after finishing the whole book, their expressions at the time must have been quite a sight.
A while back, while out shopping, she had heard about it.
In the days after 5 Centimeters per Second was published, the number of letters received at the post stations surged—several times more than usual—and it lasted a full month before slowly tapering off.
She just didn't know whether, among those letters, there were any exchanged between the two of them.
If they really had increased their correspondence because of 5 Centimeters per Second, and afterward did their best to avoid the youthful mistakes Tono Takaki and Shinohara Akari made in their relationship, and in the end could come together without needing to blow up a train—then that would count as a good deed, wouldn't it.
"Look, look! Doesn't that firework over there look like Guoba?"
Xiangling said, pointing at a firework blossoming on the horizon.
"Let me see, let me see—it really does, feels exactly the same, both kind of goofy-looking."
Hu Tao tugged at Fang Qiu's sleeve with a beaming smile and said, "Fang Qiu, Fang Qiu, quick, look—doesn't that one look like Guoba?"
"Let me see—where?"
Fang Qiu smiled and leaned her head near Hu Tao's shoulder, looking in the direction Hu Tao pointed. After a glance, she said, "Wow, it really does."
Hearing their voices, Guoba scratched his head a little bashfully.
Gazing at Fang Qiu's delicate, fair profile lit by the glow of the fireworks filling the sky, and at her crimson pupils reflecting those very fireworks, Ganyu was momentarily dazed, then gave a faint smile.
The gentle, lovely Miss Fang Qiu.
The fireworks display went on for a long while before gradually drawing to a close.
After it ended came the bustling, lively Lantern Rite festivities.
Xingqiu and Chongyun still had matters to attend to, so they left first.
They wandered the Lantern Rite for a long time, trying out everything there was to enjoy.
After strolling through the Lantern Rite, and learning that Fang Qiu and Shenhe hadn't eaten dinner, they unanimously decided to go to Fang Qiu's place for a barbecue.
So they went to the market together to buy ingredients and made their way to Fang Qiu's home.
But just as they reached the door, they spotted three familiar figures.
"Traveler, Paimon, and Miss Keqing—what are you doing here?"
Seeing them, Fang Qiu was taken aback.
"Oh, how come you're all here too?"
Hu Tao smiled, following behind Fang Qiu, and waved as she said, "Oh, right, right—I borrowed a recipe from Xiangling to cook with a while back, and I've already got some preliminary results these past few days. This is a perfect chance to use Fang Qiu's kitchen. Traveler, Paimon, do you two want to give it a taste?"
"You, cooking? No way, no way."
Paimon hurriedly shook her head.
"Relax, I guarantee it's delicious."
Hu Tao said.
"If you want us to eat it, then make a portion for Fang Qiu too."
Paimon said, "If you dare make it for Fang Qiu to eat, then we'll dare to eat it."
"This... let's forget it for today. Let me improve it a bit more first."
Hu Tao glanced at Fang Qiu, who was watching her with a beaming smile, and in the end chose to give up on cooking today.
"Keqing, how come you came here with the Traveler and Paimon?"
Ganyu asked, puzzled.
Seeing Ganyu ask, Keqing laid out the reason for their visit in full.
And so Fang Qiu learned why they had come.
It turned out that Beidou, having urgent business, had entrusted the Traveler to deliver the fireworks that Naganohara Yoimiya, over in Inazuma, had given her.
And the Traveler, hearing that Keqing also knew her, had invited Keqing to come watch the fireworks together at her place.
With Keqing around, setting off fireworks would be convenient too.
"So that's how it is."
Fang Qiu nodded and said, "It's so cold out—come inside and sit. As it happens, we've prepared a barbecue feast, so join us."
"Huh?"
Keqing was slightly stunned, and before she could speak, Paimon's eyes lit up.
"A barbecue feast? Paimon's joining too!"
Paimon stamped her feet excitedly and said, "Busy all day—it's time to properly reward my stomach! Are there grilled lamb chops, grilled steak, grilled pork chops, grilled fish, and grilled crab, grilled lobster?"
As she spoke, Paimon even wiped away some drool.
"Don't worry, we've got it all."
Xiangling said, patting her chest.
"Heh heh, then I'm really going to look forward to it."
Paimon said.
"Xiangling, leave Paimon's portion to me later."
Hu Tao said, narrowing her eyes.
"No way! I object!"
Paimon protested vehemently.
So, chatting and laughing, they made their way into the side courtyard.
After looking around the rooms for a bit, Xiangling set up a grill on a flat stone-paved clearing.
Soon the barbecue began.
Hu Tao volunteered to step up and grill a skewer, but a strange dish was soon born.
For wasting ingredients, she was chased and scolded by Guoba.
It wasn't until she hid behind Fang Qiu that Guoba finally let it go.
"The sto— ...Guoba really likes you, doesn't he."
Keqing said.
"Guoba probably knows my health isn't good, so he won't make trouble for me."
Fang Qiu smiled and said, "Come to think of it, I have no idea where Xiangling found Guoba—he's so clever and spirited, unlike that lazy cat of mine."
As she spoke, she cast a disdainful glance at Tingyu, who was currently sprawled beside Ganyu, who sat on the corridor.
"Ahem, Tingyu is plenty clever too."
Keqing's expression turned a bit odd; she gave a light cough as she said this.
"All he does is eat and sleep—where's the cleverness in that?"
Fang Qiu sighed, glancing at Guoba, who was helping Xiangling pass ingredients, then at Tingyu, who was being gently stroked by Ganyu and even stretched lazily in comfort, and couldn't help sighing again.
Still, beyond lamenting that a cat and Guoba couldn't be judged by the same standard, Fang Qiu was also a little curious.
How had this lazy little cat changed its nature?
Normally, aside from her, it wouldn't let anyone pet or hold it—yet here it was, so obediently letting Ganyu stroke it?
Was it because Ganyu was one of the Adepti?
Or did Ganyu carry some scent that attracted cats?
Aside from Tingyu, Sanmi was also circling around Ganyu—though, unlike Tingyu sprawled on the corridor, Sanmi was far more lively, hopping about on the corridor and from time to time drawing near Tingyu to give him a sniff.
Before long, the fragrant grilled meat was ready.
Everyone except Ganyu began to eat.
Ganyu was an absolute vegetarian, yet even when Fang Qiu offered her grilled vegetables, Ganyu declined.
Seeing the puzzled look on Fang Qiu's face, Ganyu told her the reason.
Eating at night made one prone to gaining weight, and to maintain her figure, she couldn't eat much.
Hearing this reason, Fang Qiu understood.
Ganyu was different from the others. Hu Tao not only had to conduct funeral rites but also ran around promoting the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's new offers—buy one get one free, half price on the second headstone—so naturally she burned no small amount of calories.
Keqing, too, was a doer who ran all over Liyue.
After all, she was a member of the Liyue Qixing who personally went down to construction sites to supervise.
Xiangling normally had to cook dishes and hunt for interesting ingredients, and Shenhe often went out to slay demons and vanquish evil, so they too burned plenty.
As for the Traveler, that went without saying—the physical workload was certainly considerable. And Paimon, well, according to the Traveler, Paimon usually ate a great deal yet never seemed to gain weight.
By her guess, flying must burn quite a few calories.
Ganyu, however, was different.
She holed up day and night in the Yuehai Pavilion at Yujing Terrace, sometimes sitting for days on end. Eating in the middle of the night while lacking exercise would indeed make it easy to put on weight.
But then again, she herself seemed to be the same...
Sitting for long stretches, lacking exercise.
Yet since coming to Teyvat, she seemed to often eat in the dead of night, and frequently went days without leaving the house except to visit the bathhouse.
But it seemed that, apart from her chest growing a little bigger, her figure hadn't changed in the slightest.
How strange...
Just as they were enjoying their meal, Xiangling made a hot drink. Fang Qiu took a sip, and besides the exquisite flavor, a warmth slowly welled up, dispelling the cold.
She took a cup and handed it to Ganyu.
"It's Xiangling's special hot drink. You didn't have any barbecue, so drink something hot to warm yourself up."
Fang Qiu said.
"Huh? Drinks can make you gain weight too, right?"
Though Ganyu accepted the large cup of hot drink, she still said hesitantly.
"It shouldn't."
Fang Qiu said.
She didn't mention that it was zero calories.
"All right."
Ganyu nodded hesitantly and took a sip.
"Well? How's the taste?"
Xiangling came over too and asked.
"It's very good."
Ganyu said.
She looked at the vegetables on a plate not far away and swallowed.
"Want some?"
Xiangling asked with a smile.
"No, no..."
Ganyu covered her flat belly, as if having made a very difficult decision, and shook her head in refusal.
"All right then—come by the Wanmin Restaurant during the daytime next time, and I can make some for you."
Xiangling said with a smile.
"Mm."
Ganyu nodded.
Once everyone had eaten their fill, it was time for tonight's main event.
Naganohara Yoimiya's fireworks.
Everyone present was greatly looking forward to it.
Because just earlier, while eating barbecue, the Traveler and Paimon had introduced Naganohara Yoimiya.
According to them, Naganohara Yoimiya was the Queen of the Summer Festival in Inazuma, and the fireworks at celebrations large and small throughout Inazuma City were all her responsibility.
It was said the fireworks she made came in all kinds and varieties, but without exception they all received unanimous praise.
It was said she had even created goldfish fireworks that could swim through the air.
After tidying up the barbecue equipment, the Traveler set the fireworks Yoimiya had given out in the spot where they had just been grilling.
"Hu Tao, it's up to you."
The Traveler said, stepping back a couple of paces.
"Got it."
Hu Tao said with a beaming smile, "Let me show you a little trick—hey, hey, ha, fire butterflies."
Hu Tao opened her hand, and a fire butterfly fluttered out, beating its wings as it landed on the firework's fuse.
With a "sizzle," the fuse caught fire, and soon, with a "whoosh," the flames shot up into the sky and suddenly burst open overhead.
The flames scattering outward formed a giant cherry blossom bud, which then slowly bloomed open.
When that cherry blossom bloomed to its fullest, it began to break apart from one of its petals, dissolving into countless tiny cherry blossom petals and snowflakes that drifted away.
Seeing this scene, Fang Qiu couldn't help but recall Your Lie in April—when Arima Kousei played the final movement of the piece, Miyazono Kaori, just like that giant firework continuously scattering across the heavens, dissolved into cherry blossom petals and vanished before Arima Kousei's eyes.
So beautiful, so stirring, so heartbreaking.
The cherry blossom petals, mingled with snowflakes, slowly scattered and at last returned to nothingness.
Sakura Fubuki.
"What beautiful fireworks."
The fireworks had completely faded for a good while before they came back to their senses. Paimon said, "I didn't expect Yoimiya to put in such enormous effort—no wonder that firework tube was so big."
"Given Yoimiya's skill at making fireworks, she must have put in quite a bit of effort too."
The Traveler said.
"It really is beautiful. But—I'm not sure if it's just my imagination—I feel there's a faint sorrow in these fireworks."
Keqing said.
"Indeed. The way the fireworks dissipated, as if drifting away, made me think of Miss Fang Qiu's Your Lie in April."
Ganyu said softly.
"Mm, I feel the same way."
Shenhe nodded.
"I see."
Xiangling said thoughtfully.
"As I understand it, cherry blossoms, snowflakes, and fireworks correspond to spring, summer, and winter respectively, complementing one another beautifully. At the same time, all three of these 'blossoms' are fleeting, ephemeral things—they correspond to Miyazono Kaori. Though Miyazono Kaori has passed away, to Arima Kousei she lives on forever in his heart."
Hu Tao nodded, commenting as she took a sip of her hot drink, then looked toward Fang Qiu and continued, "Just like these fireworks—though they are fleeting things, the beauty of the fireworks, and the feelings shared while watching them together, will be etched into the heart."
"Right."
Fang Qiu nodded.
These fireworks really were beautiful.
Who would have thought fireworks could be so soul-stirring.
The sight of that giant petal dissolving into countless tiny cherry blossom petals and snowflakes—she figured she wouldn't forget it for a long time.
Besides those unforgettable fireworks, there were also the people who watched them at her side.
Fang Qiu instinctively looked toward them, only to find they were all looking at her too.
"Happy Lantern Rite."
Fang Qiu smiled knowingly and raised her cup as she said it.
"Happy Lantern Rite!"
They too raised their cups and took a sip.
Just as Fang Qiu took a big sip and was about to set down her cup, tiny white specks landed on her hand and quickly melted away.
"Is this the firework's aftermath?"
Fang Qiu was slightly stunned, and when she raised her head to look at the sky, she saw white dots falling from the heavens all around. Fang Qiu hurriedly said, "No—it's snow. It's snowing."
In her past life, as a genuine southerner who had never once seen snow, this was the first time she had ever beheld snow drifting across the whole sky.
Failing to recognize it as snow at first... that shouldn't be embarrassing, right?
Unlike rain, snow fell slowly.
Drifting and swaying.
"So beautiful."
Fang Qiu instinctively reached out to catch a snowflake; the crystalline, translucent flake landed in her palm and quickly melted away.
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