Sacrificing Myself: Nine Transmigrations (Genshin Impact)

Liyue, Wanmin Restaurant.

"Qiqi, the food's ready—table number two."

After calling out, Xiangling went right back to stir-frying the next dish.

By the time her second dish was done, she realized the first one was still sitting there.

"Qiqi?" Xiangling called out in confusion.

Looking over, she saw Qiqi staring blankly at a birdcage.

"Guoba, go serve these—table two and four," she said, sensing something was off.

Guoba: "?"

Still, Guoba cheerfully carried the dishes out.

"Guoba, help cover for Qiqi for a bit—take over food delivery."

Guoba nodded in response.

It was the restaurant's busy hour, yet Qiqi hadn't moved—her gaze remained fixed on the birdcage.

After a while, Xiangling wiped the sweat from her forehead and walked over to her.

"Qiqi, what's wrong?" she asked, concerned.

"Little Fluffy…" Qiqi pointed to the cage.

"Little Fluffy?" Xiangling leaned in for a closer look and noticed that Little Fluffy seemed listless today.

She checked the food and water, immediately frowning.

The food hadn't been touched, and the water barely sipped…

"What's going on…? Could it be sick?" Xiangling lifted the cage, and Qiqi immediately hugged it close, her large pink eyes filled with worry.

Usually, Little Fluffy stayed in the cage during the morning and noon, then was let out to fly and play in the late afternoon, returning by the next morning.

But today's behavior clearly wasn't normal.

"Xiangling… What's wrong with Little Fluffy…"

"I don't know… let's take him to see a vet."

...

They found a small animal clinic in Liyue.

After Xiangling explained the situation, the vet began his examination.

As he slowly lowered his stethoscope, Xiangling asked nervously,

"So? Is there anything wrong?"

"How long have you had him?" the vet asked instead of answering.

"I'm sorry… Qiqi doesn't remember…" Qiqi shook her head.

"About four years," Xiangling recalled after thinking.

The vet nodded and said softly,

"Sounds about right. His life is nearing its end—that's why he's not eating or drinking."

"Little sparrows like him are social animals. They have a concept of home."

"In the wild, once they build a nest, that place becomes their base for living and breeding—just like leaves returning to their roots."

"When they sense their time is near, they'll quietly wait in their nest for the end."

"But truthfully, not many little sparrows die of old age. They have too many predators, and most don't make it that far."

"Your sparrow is very healthy—it's just that his life is naturally coming to a close. Considering how you let him fly freely and how he always came back, I'd say he lived a happy life."

The vet's words left Xiangling and Qiqi stunned.

Qiqi gently took the cage into her arms, and the two silently returned to Wanmin Restaurant.

...

Back at the restaurant, Qiqi carefully opened the cage and cupped Little Fluffy in her palms.

"Little Fluffy…"

Sensing her presence, Little Fluffy weakly fluttered its wings and landed on her shoulder.

"Chirp… chirp…"

Qiqi turned, and Little Fluffy rubbed its head gently against her cheek, as if trying to comfort her.

Seeing this, Xiangling felt a lump in her throat.

They'd raised Little Fluffy for four years—of course they were attached.

He was a clever little thing too. Once, a rude thug came into Wanmin Restaurant—ate without paying, insulted Xiangling, called the food awful and even mocked her appearance.

Qiqi had beaten him half to death.

But it wasn't until both Qiqi and Little Fluffy comforted her that Xiangling truly recovered from the insult.

...

"Xiangling… Let's go to the forest… I can feel it… Little Fluffy wants to be buried at Elliot's cabin…"

"Okay."

...

The two of them set out immediately.

By the time they reached the forest, the sun had already set.

It wasn't until the stars filled the sky that they finally arrived at the old cabin.

Little Fluffy's last bit of will seemed to hold on just until they arrived.

The moment they stepped into the clearing, Little Fluffy quietly passed away.

Qiqi held the lifeless bird in her hands, eyes red and glassy. Xiangling's eyes shimmered with tears as well.

Just then, a firefly landed gently on Little Fluffy's tiny body.

Both girls froze.

They looked up—and were stunned by the sight before them.

The entire forest had lit up with fireflies.

Above the cabin stood a dozen or more little sparrows, heads tilted, watching Qiqi and Xiangling.

Then, one by one, the sparrows took flight.

They circled gently toward Qiqi and Xiangling, landing on their shoulders, arms, and all around them.

Qiqi looked down at Little Fluffy in her hands, the vet's words echoing in her mind.

"Little Fluffy… So this is your home…"

Tears streamed down her face—

But she smiled, truly happy.