Genshin Impact: This Trainee Fatui Harbinger is Too Unreliable

"Are you alright, Furina?"

Luo Qing turned to the Hydro Archon behind him, his expression radiating warmth and concern—the perfect picture of a dependable rescuer.

This was his golden opportunity to gain Furina's trust, and he had no intention of wasting it.

"Y-yeah..."

Furina nodded weakly, still sitting on the ground, seemingly unable to recover from her earlier fright.

After a long moment, she finally managed to stand on shaky legs.

"W-what are you doing here..."

"I was just passing by," Luo Qing replied nonchalantly. "I saw you playing with a cat, and the next thing I knew, you were sitting on the ground screaming for help."

"I..."

Furina's face darkened.

She was supposed to be a god, yet here she was, reduced to begging for her life before an assassin—and now someone she knew had seen her in such a pitiful state.

"Are you hurt anywhere?"

Luo Qing walked over, crouching down to meet her gaze. His demeanor was gentle, almost as if he were comforting a child.

"No... I'm fine..."

Furina shook her head, but the sight of Luo Qing only deepened her frustration.

He'd seen everything—her vulnerability, her humiliation. How could she possibly explain it to him?

What was she supposed to say? That she, an Archon, couldn't even handle a simple assassin and had been reduced to crying for help?

"T-that wasn't what it looked like..."

After a long silence, Furina finally managed to force out a few words.

"What?" Luo Qing asked, feigning confusion.

"I... I said!"

Furina's voice grew louder, though it carried an edge of nervousness.

"It wasn't what it looked like! I was just pretending to call for help... to, uh, to mess with her!"

"Really?"

Luo Qing fought back a grin. Furina's flustered, defensive expression only made her seem more endearing.

If he couldn't tell she was lying, he wouldn't deserve his title as a Harbinger.

"Of course, it's true!" Furina declared, her tone stiff as she planted her hands on her hips, forcing herself to appear confident.

"I was just trying to mess with her and use the opportunity to uncover her identity. It was a calculated strategy—a clever ploy befitting a god! Your sudden interference ruined my plan!"

"B-but..."

"Since you did it to save me, I'll let it slide this time..." Furina added hastily, her voice betraying her guilt. "But you'd better not tell anyone about tonight! If you do, I'll have you arrested and thrown into Meropide Prison for spreading slander against a god! Got it?"

"Oh?"

Luo Qing chuckled softly.

She was clearly terrified but was trying so hard to maintain a strong front.

Feeling a mischievous urge, Luo Qing suddenly leaned closer, leaving only a few centimeters between their faces.

"Then what will you do if I say no, Lady Furina?"

"W-what?!"

Furina gasped, realizing how close Luo Qing was.

Her mind raced. He's from the Fatui! If he realizes how weak I am...

"W-what are you trying to do?!"

Panicked, she tried to back away but quickly found herself pressed against the back of a bench, unable to retreat any further.

"I-I'm warning you! If you dare lay a hand on me, Neuvillette will make sure Snezhnaya and Sumeru pay dearly!"

"Please don't misunderstand, Lady Furina..."

Luo Qing shook his head lightly, his tone calm. "I simply thought you could use a little... lesson."

With that, he reached out and gently pinched Furina's soft cheeks with both hands, pulling her face into a squished, puffy expression.

"For all my heroic efforts to save you, you say I ruined your plan? That's a bit harsh, don't you think?"

"L-Luo Qing! L-let go of me!"

Furina's cheeks didn't hurt, but the indignity of having her face pinched left her flustered beyond measure.

I'm the Hydro Archon! How could I let myself be treated like this?!

"Nope."

Her cheeks were warm and soft, and Luo Qing found the sensation oddly satisfying. Since he was already pinching her face, why not indulge for a bit longer?

"Lady Furina," Luo Qing teased, "if you don't like this, why don't you fight back? Or could it be that you secretly enjoy it, which is why you're not resisting?"

"Nghhhh!"

Furina tried to protest, but her words were muffled as Luo Qing alternated between squishing her cheeks into round puffs and pulling them into a pout.

She wanted to fight back, but compared to Luo Qing's strength, she was utterly powerless—like a child against an adult.

After a while, Luo Qing finally released her.

"There we go."

He stood up, looking pleased with himself. The sight of Furina's slightly reddened cheeks brought him a sense of satisfaction.

Initially, he'd been cautious, unsure if Furina was hiding her true power. But thanks to Arlecchino's earlier actions, he was confident now.

The so-called Hydro Archon was nothing more than an ordinary girl with a divine title.

And if Furina was just a tsundere with a special identity, then Luo Qing was more than experienced enough to deal with her.

"Huh? Why is Lady Furina blushing?"

Luo Qing pretended to be surprised. "Are you embarrassed?"

"I..."

Furina glared at him, her eyes burning with indignation.

No one had ever dared treat her this way!

"Just you wait! When I get back, I'll tell Neuvillette to have you arrested for desecrating a god! You'll spend the rest of your life stuck in Meropide Prison with nothing but permits to keep you company!"

"Oh? Is that so?"

Luo Qing crossed his arms, clearly unfazed.

"Well, if that's the case, it would be awfully inconvenient if people found out that Lady Furina—our dear Hydro Archon—doesn't actually have any divine powers. In fact, she's weaker than most ordinary girls."

"W-who says I don't have divine powers?!"

Furina stammered, her voice rising in panic. "I already told you—I was acting on purpose!"

"Really?"

Luo Qing leaned down, meeting her gaze directly.

"In that case, why didn't you stop me when I was pinching your cute little cheeks? Could it be... you secretly enjoyed it?"

"I..."

Furina's eyes darted away, unable to meet his.

She knew that Luo Qing had seen right through her. He already knew the truth—she lacked the powers of a true god.

"Well, if you really liked it..."

Luo Qing smirked. "I could make this a regular thing. How about every night, I come over and give Lady Furina's adorable cheeks a little pinch? Feel free to summon me anytime, my lady."

"You... you scoundrel!"

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T/N: itshouldhavebeenme.gif (pokemon got nuked :D)

"..."

- Gardevoir

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