Chapter 63

A strange ceiling...

A strange bed...

And... an infuriating smile!

Collei's previously dazed expression instantly turned sour, as if she had swallowed a fly, the moment she saw Bai Luo.

She checked her bandages to make sure they hadn't come loose.

The strangest part was that she had clearly fallen asleep on the floor, yet she woke up in bed.

Come to think of it, it had been a long time since she had slept so peacefully.

"Did you do this?"

As she put on her clothes, Collei shot a suspicious look at Bai Luo. She was referring, of course, to how she had ended up in bed.

"Well, someone had a nightmare last night, crying and whimpering pitifully, insisting on squeezing into bed with me. I had no choice but to keep a certain crybaby company all night," Bai Luo replied casually.

"..."

Collei suddenly felt guilty. Her memories of last night were hazy, but it did seem like she had a nightmare.

Could it be...

"It must have been you!"

Snatching the Teyvat ried egg from Bai Luo's hand, Collei looked like an enraged kitten. Whether or not she had crawled into bed herself, she refused to admit it.

Everything was Bai Luo's fault!

However, she didn't touch the cup of milk in his other hand. The sight of the milky liquid brought back unpleasant memories.

"The Windblume Festival is approaching. Why don't you go explore Mondstadt?" Bai Luo said, downing the milk without a care.

The milk in Mondstadt was high-quality, and he wasn't worried about it coming from any suspicious sources.

Collei paused in the middle of dressing, her light purple eyes widening slightly in surprise.

"Are you... letting me go alone?"

For some time now, Bai Luo had been restricting her freedom. She had almost grown used to his constant presence. Now that he was suddenly offering her freedom, she found it hard to believe.

"Yeah, go have some fun."

Bai Luo knew Collei wouldn't run off. Not only because the way to cure her was in Mondstadt, but also because someone's arrival would ensure she stayed in the city.

At first, Collei's face lit up with joy, but that joy quickly faded, turning into a silent, bitter smile.

"I'd rather stay in the room," she muttered.

She glanced at her bandage-wrapped body and slowly lowered her head.

Even though she looked much cleaner now, with no strange odors clinging to her, her appearance would still draw unwanted attention.

It was better to stay in the hotel. At least this jerk didn't find her repulsive.

"What do you see now?" Bai Luo had somehow moved closer without her noticing.

Collei tried to lift her head, but Bai Luo gently held it down. He wasn't rough; his touch was soft, offering a sense of safety and reassurance.

"The carpet," she said.

"And what else?"

"...Shadows."

The morning light cast Collei's shadow on the floor behind her, its darkness emphasizing her loneliness.

She had lived with that loneliness for far too long.

"Do you know how shadows are created?" Bai Luo sat beside her, his larger shadow now joining hers. Though they didn't connect, at least her shadow no longer looked as solitary.

"It's because of light."

Without waiting for her response, Bai Luo continued, "An elder once told me that as long as you can see your shadow when you lower your head, it means there's light behind you. When you're tired, it's okay to lower your head and complain to your shadow. But remember, if you turn around, the light will always be there, shining on you."

"..."

"There's some Mora here, enough for you to explore Mondstadt for the whole day. If you run out of money, just tell them to put it on the Fatui's tab," Bai Luo said as he tousled her hair gently and stood up, preparing to leave the room.

He glanced at the still-dazed Collei, sighed quietly to himself, and left without a word. It seemed he had failed again.

Outside the room, Anastasia had been waiting for some time. Despite her high status within the Fatui, she dared not say a word to her tardy superior, knowing she could never shake the authority of the twelve Harbingers.

"Master Instructor, the guest has been waiting for a long time," Anastasia said softly with a bow.

"Take me to him," Bai Luo replied, nodding as he put his mask back on.

An old acquaintance had arrived in Mondstadt, specifically because of Collei. Bai Luo felt it was necessary to meet him.

Following Anastasia, Bai Luo left the residential area and headed to the office section on the first floor. Originally, this had been a dormitory, but since the Fatui requisitioned it indefinitely, it had been converted into the ambassador's office area.

At the reception desk, an elderly man had been waiting for quite some time.

"Instructor, it's been a long time," the old man greeted Bai Luo. His attire was that of a Sumeru ascetic, his skin darkened from the sun, and his pale golden eyes glinted with a dangerous light.

This man, known as the Preacher, had once been a trusted follower of the Doctor. After the Doctor was expelled from the Sumeru Akademiya, the Preacher followed him and joined the Fatui, becoming one of his close aides.

However, as the Doctor's research deepened, he had nearly forgotten about the Preacher.

Back when Bai Luo worked for the Doctor, he had been assigned as one of the Preacher's subordinates.

Times had changed. While the Preacher remained the same, Bai Luo had risen to a position where he stood on equal footing with the Preacher's master. It was a bitter irony.

"It's been a while, Preacher," Bai Luo replied.

Their relationship wasn't particularly close, but it wasn't distant either.

When Bai Luo had worked under him, the Preacher hadn't made things difficult for him. Not because he was kind, but because few people had the strength to infuse their bodies with remnants of a god like he did, which required an iron will.

But even that godly remnant had affected him, making him cruel and violent, with countless deaths staining his hands.

Back when Collei lay dying from the plague, her mother had begged the Preacher for help in desperation. She had hoped to save her daughter but unknowingly sought help from a demon.

Not only had she lost her own life, but her young daughter was tormented by the remnants of a god for years.

The Doctor had always thought highly of Bai Luo, so the Preacher hadn't dared make any moves back then. Now, he was relieved he hadn't acted rashly, because with Bai Luo's current power, any retaliation would be impossible to resist.

"You're aware of why I've come to Mondstadt, aren't you?" the Preacher asked, bowing respectfully to Bai Luo despite having once been his superior.

"You're here because of the Black Fire that killed the diplomat, right? Don't worry, I'll help you find her," Bai Luo replied, giving the Preacher a meaningful look.

A new thought began to form in Bai Luo's mind.

Perhaps... there was another opportunity here after all.