Chapter 64: Watching the Rain

The young man walked along the grayish stone-paved road, with light rain falling from the sky, but he wasn't holding an umbrella.

The weather was not ideal for a stroll, yet the young man wandered aimlessly through the streets by himself.

He observed the unfamiliar streets and the unfamiliar people around him.

Occasionally, people passing by would glance at him strangely; in the midst of this drizzle, he was the only one not carrying an umbrella.

He had just arrived here, unsure of where to go, and with no place to stay. He didn't have any Mora.

"Be careful, you might catch a cold walking in the rain like this."

A pleasant voice rang in his ears, and the young man felt something cover his head, shielding him from the rain. He slowly turned his head and saw a woman standing beside him, holding an umbrella over his head.

She was an exceptionally beautiful woman, with short silver-white hair. What set her apart from the others was the pair of white fox ears on her head—they weren't a hair accessory, but rather part of her.

One hand held a smoking pipe, while the other held the umbrella. She wore a red-and-white shrine maiden outfit, with a large bow tied at her waist.

As the woman passed by, people around her seemed to instinctively show her respect, greeting her with a quiet reverence.

"Are you a youkai?" the young man asked.

"Hmm... I suppose you could say that," the woman smiled and answered. "Are you scared?"

"No, I'm not scared. It seems like everyone around here respects you," the young man replied.

"Sharp observation," the woman said with slight surprise. "So, why aren't you holding an umbrella in this weather?"

"I don't have one. I just arrived here," the young man answered.

"Do you know where this place is?"

"Isn't this... Inazuma?" The young man glanced around, noting the layout of the streets and the architectural style, which looked very similar to what he remembered of Inazuma.

"That's right, this is Narukami Island in Inazuma. You said you just got here—are you here for sightseeing? You don't look like you're old enough to be traveling alone. Where are your parents?"

"I don't have parents, and I don't have any family," the young man said.

The woman hesitated for a moment, looking at the boy in front of her.

"Have you found a place to stay yet?"

"Not yet. I don't have any Mora..."

The woman hesitated for a moment, then sighed softly.

"Sigh... I really can't help but meddle. Come with me."

Following the woman, the boy arrived at a residence.

The house was large and luxurious, far from a place most people would live.

The woman brought the boy a set of clean, dry clothes.

"Go take a bath first, then change into these clothes. You're going to catch a cold if you don't."

The boy took the clothes, but hesitated, looking at the woman.

He felt that she looked somewhat familiar, but couldn't place where he had seen her before.

"Don't stare at me like that. It makes people think you have ulterior motives," the woman said with a teasing smile.

The tone of her voice... it was very similar to a certain pink-haired fox.

"Can I stay here? I won't stay for free."

At this point, the boy really didn't have any better options.

"Go take a bath first," the woman smiled.

...

A little while later.

After taking a bath and changing clothes, the boy came out. The large mansion felt empty, with occasional glimpses of shrine maidens passing by in their outfits, but the place still seemed a bit desolate.

The boy looked around but didn't see the woman from earlier.

He then randomly chose a direction and walked off.

The rain gradually picked up, the water falling from the eaves formed curtains of rain.

The flowers and plants in the courtyard stood tall, enduring the rain.

As he walked, the boy saw the woman sitting under the eaves ahead, gazing at the falling rain, seemingly lost in thought.

Without thinking much, he walked over to her.

The sound of footsteps made the woman turn her head and look at him.

"That outfit suits you," she commented.

"Consider it borrowed. I'll return it to you later," the boy said.

The woman smiled lightly, but didn't respond to him. Instead, she patted the empty space beside her.

"Sit."

"What were you doing just now?" The boy hesitated slightly before sitting down.

"Watching the rain. It's my hobby," the woman replied, continuing to gaze at the rain.

"An odd hobby, but not bad," the boy commented. "Do all youkai like watching the rain?"

"No," the woman said. "Just like humans, different youkai have different hobbies."

She paused for a moment, then added, "I just feel that when I watch the rain fall, it calms my heart. All my worries seem to vanish."

"I see," the boy said thoughtfully, nodding.

The sound of the rain pattering continued, and the conversation seemed to come to an end.

The boy looked up at the distant mountain, its peak obscured by the overhang of the roof.

That was the tallest peak on Narukami Island—Mt. Yougou.

The largest shrine in Inazuma, the Narukami Shrine, was located at the summit of Mt. Yougou.

"You're staring so intently. Do you want to go up there and take a look?" The woman noticed the boy's gaze fixed on Mt. Yougou.

"I'd like to see it," the boy replied.

"It looks like the rain's getting heavier. We should wait until the weather clears up before going. It's better not to wander around in this kind of weather."

"Mm."

"I almost forgot to ask—where are you from?"

"Liyue," the boy answered instinctively.

"Liyue? That's a very good country," the woman said with a smile. "I've been there."

"Did you go there for travel?"

"Half travel, half business."

"No wonder the people on the street show you so much respect. So, you're a government official."

"Something like that."

The conversation fell silent again for a moment. The boy felt more and more certain that he had met this woman before.

But all he could recall were vague images, and he couldn't see them clearly.

"By the way, I still don't know your name," the woman turned and looked at the boy.

"My name is Yu Xie. What about you?"

"Kitsune Saiguu," the woman said, her gaze returning to the rain, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

Kitsune Saiguu... As soon as the name entered his ears, the images in Yu Xie's mind gradually became clearer.

The former Head Shrine Maiden of the Narukami Shrine, Kitsune Saiguu.

That meant, at this time, Lady Yae Miko was not yet the Head Shrine Maiden, and the Cataclysm from Khaenri'ah had not yet occurred.

Most importantly, Raiden Makoto was still alive, and Ei had not yet become the Electro Archon.

At the same time, a notification from the system appeared in Yu Xie's mind.

[Name: Yu Xie]

[Age: 15]

[Physical Condition: Youthful]

[Skills: Mastery of Various Weapons (Basic), Shura Flash (Basic)]

"You're the Shrine Maiden of Narukami Shrine?" Yu Xie asked, trying to confirm that he hadn't remembered incorrectly.

"Yes. Have you heard of me? Has my reputation already reached Liyue?" Kitsune Saiguu turned to Yu Xie with a mischievous smile. "Or, perhaps, did you specifically come to learn about me?"

That tone... it almost seemed like something that could only come from a member of the fox clan. Even that pink-haired fox might have learned it from her.

"Alright, no more jokes. Since you have nowhere else to go and nothing else to do, why don't you stay and watch the rain with me a little longer?"

Kitsune Saiguu turned her gaze back to the rain. She didn't know why, but she could sense something different from this boy, something unlike ordinary people.

She couldn't pinpoint the source of that feeling, but she didn't dislike it.

"Stay with me and watch the rain, and you can stay here. How does that sound? Quite a good deal, don't you think?"

End of chapter

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