Genshin Impact: This Trainee Fatui Harbinger is Too Unreliable

The morning sunlight poured through the windows, casting bright rays that bathed the earth outside in a golden glow.

Inside the small, simple room, Luo Qing leaned against the headboard, looking visibly worn out, dark circles shadowing his eyes.

In his arms, Shenhe lay soundly asleep, her face serene, a faint smile of contentment tugging at her lips. Her silver hair spread across the pillow like a silken cascade.

Luo Qing glanced around the room.

When they'd arrived last night, everything had been clean and orderly, with a faint air of elegance.

Now?

The place looked like it had been ravaged by a hurricane. Torn fragments of Shenhe's sleepwear lay scattered across the floor, chairs lay toppled and broken, and even the sturdy wooden table was missing a leg.

His gaze dropped to Shenhe, still peacefully asleep in his arms.

After last night… Luo Qing finally understood the true meaning of the Solitary Spirit and Calamitous Fate.

Good thing I've got the body of a god.

If not for his inhuman endurance, he might've been the one passed out cold instead.

"Next time, I'll make sure she keeps the red ropes on…"

He sighed, stretching a hand toward the corner of the room where her red binding ropes lay.

Carefully—oh so carefully—Luo Qing scooped Shenhe up, holding his breath as though he were diffusing a bomb. The slightest movement might wake her, and then…

Well, last night had already proven that a woken Shenhe without her red ropes was not to be trifled with.

At last, he managed to tie the red ropes securely back onto her.

Luo Qing let out a relieved sigh, his back sinking against the headboard. Staring at the bright sky outside, he found himself thinking that a proper Zhizhuang-brand cigarette from Snezhnaya would really hit the spot right now.

---

It wasn't until the afternoon that Shenhe finally stirred awake.

Still half-asleep, she rubbed at her eyes, her silver hair a mess as she snuggled deeper into Luo Qing's embrace. The moment she caught sight of the red ropes tied around her body, though, the events of the previous night came rushing back to her.

Her face turned crimson.

"Luo Qing… Last night… we…"

The memory of her actions—the way she'd thrown herself at him with reckless abandon, over and over—left her toes curling in embarrassment.

I really did that…?

"Don't worry about it," Luo Qing said gently, ruffling her hair as though she were a child. "We're family, Shenhe. You don't have to feel embarrassed about anything."

"…Mm."

Shenhe let out a small sound of agreement, burying her face against his chest to hide her blush.

For some reason, his words filled her with a deep sense of reassurance.

"Shenhe…"

Luo Qing's voice broke the quiet, his tone tinged with caution.

"Shouldn't we… get up? It's already the afternoon…"

"I want to stay like this… just a little longer," Shenhe murmured, her voice unusually soft. There was even a hint of coyness to her words.

"…Alright."

Luo Qing chuckled nervously, grateful he'd thought ahead to tie her red ropes back on. Otherwise, he might've been forced into another "battle."

---

It wasn't until sunset that Luo Qing finally managed to extract himself from bed.

Shenhe said she needed to meet Ganyu, while Luo Qing had his own plans—finding a place to set up his portal toilet.

Thanks to his status as a Fatui Harbinger, Luo Qing quickly secured a small private residence in Liyue through the Northland Bank. The house would serve as a perfect anchor point for his teleportation device.

The three-story building wasn't particularly large, but it would do for now. With a bit of rearranging, there'd be enough room for everyone.

Once the previous owners had been politely shown out, Luo Qing carried the portal toilet from his inventory and set it up in the corner of the second floor.

After ensuring no one was watching, he sat down on the porcelain throne and activated the device.

In an instant, space warped around him.

When the world settled, Luo Qing found himself back in Mondstadt.

"Well, well, look who finally decided to show up."

Standing before him with arms crossed was Makoto, her expression a mix of irritation and faint amusement. She tapped her fingers impatiently against her elbow as she stared him down.

"Care to explain where you've been for the past two weeks?"

"…Uh…"

Luo Qing scratched the back of his head awkwardly, still seated on the toilet.

"I went to help Liyue deal with some… minor issues."

"Minor issues?" Makoto raised an eyebrow, eyes narrowing. "Funny how those 'minor issues' left you with dark circles under your eyes."

She leaned closer, sniffing pointedly before pulling back with a sharp look.

"Don't tell me. You spent all that time getting cozy with Ganyu and Shenhe, didn't you?"

"…What makes you think that?" Luo Qing asked, caught off guard.

"I know you too well," Makoto huffed. "And besides, you reek of Shenhe's scent. It's so strong, it's practically clinging to you!"

"…Is it really that strong?" Luo Qing sniffed himself curiously.

"Enough of that," Makoto cut him off, jabbing a finger into his chest. "You owe me. You've been gone for half a month, and that's two days of exclusive Makoto-time that you now owe me. Don't forget it."

"…Fine," Luo Qing muttered sheepishly. "Sounds like you missed me."

Makoto flushed, turning her face away as her arms crossed tighter.

"…Maybe a little."

"Just a little?" Luo Qing teased, stepping closer with a grin.

"Don't push it!" Makoto snapped, though the blush spreading across her cheeks betrayed her. "Fine… I did miss you, but that's no excuse for disappearing like that!"

"Alright, alright, I was wrong," Luo Qing said, raising his hands in surrender. "Come here. Let me give you a hug."

He reached out to pull her into his arms, but Makoto dodged him, wrinkling her nose.

"Absolutely not! You still smell like Shenhe. I'm not letting you touch me until you've cleaned up."

"…Fair enough."

"Is everything in Liyue settled?" Makoto asked, following him downstairs.

"Yeah, everything's sorted," Luo Qing replied with a nod.

As they entered the living room, Rosalyne—dressed in a classic black-and-white maid outfit—greeted him with a polite curtsy.

"Where is everyone else?" Luo Qing asked, glancing around.

Makoto shrugged. "Without you around, the house has been pretty empty. Bu'er's been helping Nahida manage things in Sumeru, and Teresa and Ei are probably still upstairs reading light novels."

"So it's been just you and Rosalyne holding down the fort?"

"Whose fault is that?" Makoto shot back. "If I wasn't here, who else would've been waiting for you?"

Luo Qing smiled faintly, touched by her words.

"Oh, and Ayaka came by a few times," Makoto added, shooting him a meaningful look. "She asked me about… pregnancy symptoms and what they feel like. Care to explain that?"

"…She's pregnant?!" Luo Qing exclaimed, startled.

Makoto rolled her eyes. "No, she's not. Ei checked her over. Turns out she was just nervous because it was her first time. But really, Luo Qing—when exactly did that happen?"

"…It's a long story," Luo Qing muttered awkwardly. "Didn't you tell me to spend more time with her?"

"I didn't mean that!"

Makoto gawked at him, momentarily at a loss for words. She let out an exasperated sigh before regaining her composure.

"Whatever. The point is, you're going to throw Ayaka a proper wedding—a grand one. And it better follow every Inazuman tradition to the letter. Got it?"

"Got it," Luo Qing agreed with a nod.

"Now then," Makoto continued, fixing him with a serious look. "Are you planning to head back to Liyue tonight?"

"…I can if you want."

"Not a chance," Makoto said firmly, crossing her arms.

"You've been gone for half a month. You're staying here tonight. End of discussion."

"…!"

---

T/N: bro finally met his match