She waits for me under the bright evening sky, where the light pierced through the gaps of the stone forest, her glacial eyes looking up at the distant sky. Never have I ever seen Shenhe look that sad, but deep in my heart I just knew that she is fine.

After the festival, I decided to stay in Liyue a little longer. The adepti of the stone forest agreed to train me and slowly, I got closer to Shenhe. I found so many new sides of her that I never thought possible, some I was still unable to comprehend. From that day on, we would sneak into Liyue Harbor, eating at Wangmin Restaurant every once in a while. But it was always me who would invite her, clinging to her, she always seemed so indifferent and cold toward me. But today, she asked me to hangout on the top of Qingyun peak.

She took a little peek when she heard my step but she was still looking at the setting sun. None of us speaks anything until the sun fully goes down.

"Aether, did you remember the day we fought Beisht?"

I nodded, why bring that up now?

"For the first time in my life, I was scared."

It was a hard fight, but I did not think that they were that scary, especially for her. She can finish it off swiftly on her own.

"I was not scared of dying, but rather the thought of losing you, it scares me. If that day were to come, if something were to happen to you, I don't know what I would do. If that were to happen, then what they say was right, I really am the Omen of misfortune."

Her expression did not change.

"If anything really were to happen to you... I will kill everyone in this world including the Gods of the Celestia, and if they did not kill me, I will kill myself."

That turned out dark quite fast, so I asked her if she was to be gone, would she be happy if I did the same?

She did not answer me.

"Traveler, I mean Aether, why are you doing this?"

I asked her what she was talking about.

"You have no obligation to stay with me, you still have other things you need to do.

There are a lot others who could be more used to you than I am, but you still hang around me.

Aether when I am around you, I'm starting to miss the food that my mother made for me, my father's warm hands embracing me and my mother you know, before 'that' happened."

I was surprised but I sat there and listened, because for the first time she told me everything

"You opened my eyes to the emotions I never knew I had, for better or worse, when my master told me how much I had changed, and that I am left with two choices, to eat the bitter herbs of the stone forest, or to eat delicious seafood with the people."

I told Shenhe that she could just come with me, anytime, but she came up with the answer I knew that she would have chosen.

"No Aether, there once was a time when I left the human to live with the adepti, and if I leave the adepti to go with you, what will I be then? It was hard for me to do this Aether! Every time I am with you I feel this weird thing in my chest, as if thousands of knives were piercing through it! When I asked the master about the knives, she just started laughing."

My heart beats faster, and her words made me think that maybe my feelings reached her.

"Perhaps this is what they call by love... but,"

But?

"It is the same reason I did not eat the meals the people of Liyue had, but rather the bitter herbs.

The more I stayed with you the more it hurt thinking that you would leave me. My father abandoned me once, is there any proof that you won't do the same? A few months ago we were still strangers."

I never meant to say anything to her, because for me, she is just someone I can adore, like a crane, admiring their beauty from a distance, because if I get too close, I am afraid that they will fly away. However, I do not want to think about that anymore,

Just when I am about to let my feelings go...

I held her cold scarred hands. I held them and slowly placed them on my chest, then I took a deep breath.

"What are you doing Aether?"

"Can you feel it too?" The knives that pierce through you also cut through me. My heart beats faster when you are around me,"

She quickly pulled her hands back, taking me off-guard,

"I don't understand, why are you doing all this for me? If you want something from the adepti, you can ask them yourself."

No it was not that...

"What is it that you want from me?"

Before I met her, I did not know how did I last this far, my sister did not want to see me anymore, and is seems to be fine, sometimes I cannot help but forgot whom do I fight for,

"Shenhe, it is not something I want from you, I want you. Nothing more and no one else, even when I know that I am weak, I want to fight, if there is a reason for it, I got it from you.

You always said that you are homicidal in nature, but never have I seen anyone more gentle than you. Slowly seeing your dormant expressions opening up once again, I love everything about you Shenhe."

"Aether, stop."

She placed a hand on my shoulder, stopping me from saying anything else, and at that moment I realized that I had made the crane fly away.

"Stop, if you said anything more, I won't be able to contain myself anymore. I can't be with you Aether, and that's the end of it."

I looked at her face and she still hold her nonchalant expression of her, before I can say anything else,

I smiled to her and says that

"If that is what you want, what else could I say but, thank you Shenhe."

Just the moment I walked away, sparkles of gold falling down from the skies, and as we looked up above were the adepti of the stone forest.

They clanged in harmony, waking up sleeping cranes and in no time they were surrounding us.

Cloud retainer came down and stood beside Shenhe.

"For Rex Lapis sake, just tell him what you feel, you don't have to think about us, we have outlived you a several hundred years, think about yourself for once, think about what you want to do."

"I -"

She look at me and with a slight frown, she sighed

"I cannot deny it, even when I don't really understand it, I want to believe that this feeling that I have for you is love, Aether.

I once believed that freeing my mind from all agitation was the only way to overcome. But after everything I've experienced recently, I finally understand... Only when the right things weigh on your mind can the desire to protect awaken inside of you. And that turns your power into something... meaningful.

If there is one thing I am sure right now, I want to be with you Aether. Forever."

I- I am not sure what to respond to her, am I dreaming?

Shenhe pulled me and in a blink of an eye, I could feel her lips touching mine, and she pushed me away just a second after, looking as embarrassed as I am.

"Does this feels like a dream?"

I was stunned and my head is spinning.

"Aether, because I have seen your kindness and determination, your strength and skill, the moment you brought me for the first time to Liyue Harbor, I realized that I needed you in my life, I'm doomed."

After that Moon Carver went to talk to her privately while Cloud Retainer went to me.

"Traveller, I have seen your determination and your strength during your trials. One is not afraid that anything can harm you two, but if something were to happen to you, there is no doubt that she will lose all her control and Teyvat will be in peril."

Cloud retainer took a step back,

"So please, take our gifts."

And the cranes start to clang once more, the three adepti glowing in gold, the golden aura slowly flowing inside of me, and I can feel their power.

"This is not a power we just give to anyone, not even little Shenhe, for this power corrupts even the holiest saint, but you are from another world, that might also be the reason you do not feel any side effects. One can only pray that you find your sister and come back safely."

"We will come back, the three of us, and maybe four."

"Four?" I asked Shenhe, did she really mean that...

"Goodbye masters, take care."

Shenhe bowed to them and told me not to waste any time, and so without explaining anything we walked away leaving the adepti behind. Even after we leave the stone forest, none of us says anything. It still felt unreal,but I need to melt the room,

"First one to mount Tianheng?"

"Really Aether?"

"C'mon, I thought it would be fun."

She sighed,

"Fine, but don't think you would win with your borrowed Adepti power."

And so we race into the night.

That is just how Shenhe is, senseless and ruthless might she be, but she cares about me, and in this foreign world that I know nothing of, what else do I need?

**AUTHORS NOTE! (IMPORTANT)
P.S This chapter was not uploaded correctly earlier, thanks for reminding me ^^

So... how have you been guys, so sorry for the long update, and

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEARS! (I swear the upload was fully coincidental.)

now college is getting intense, and its getting harder for me to continue this series, (and for one more reason. we will get into that)

Since Yoimiya chapter, I always felt like I am not improving, so I decided to make one more fanfiction with different theme, and it just flopped. I was thinking that maybe writing was not for me.

But I still love to write, there are a lot of emotions I want to explore, but I just don't have enough time anymore. At least for free.

There are some aspect I can sacrifice, first is the quality of the stories, so it can be released faster, but no, I don't want that, i can also sacrifice the quantity of it, but I don't want that either,

Because from the first time, I made this, is because my love for genshin and its girls, every chapter every single girls, I want them to act so that the game can implement that in some way and I tried my best not to make characters did not overlap with each other.

Fun fact, in yoimiya chapter I myself get jealous of Thoma in my own writing, that is how deep my writings are for me, but it cannot be helped if you don't feel the same way as I do.

But if you do, If you guys like my stories, I really hope that you can give me buy me a coffee on

/Wiggle

I know this is a lot to take but with only two dollars you can help me.

You might have several questions like...

"Bruh this is just fanfiction, are you sure you are monetizing it?"
I agree, but for me, I invest time, mind and emotions for this, and I want to feel rewarded.

"There are a lot of better fanfictions than yours and they don't have these!"
Yeah but this is me, not them.

"Will we get something in return?"
Yes, I am planning to make that everyone who has supported me to have chapter a week quicker than the rest, and also a letter of thanks in the next chapter. But I need to have a hang of it first.

"Bruh your story sucks, this ain't worth a single cent."
Okay that actually made me sad, you can help me improve by telling me what I am lacking at and how to improve it.

"I want to but I can't (for reasons)"
Nah don't sweat it.

If i get 8 dollars, I am planning to buy an original cover from fiverr artist (or if one of you have skills, that would be great as well.)

For last words, thank you for your appreciation everyone. Worst case that can happen is that I don't have anyone who is willing to donate even two dollars, which conclude that my writing doesn't really mean much, and I will stop writing, but don't worry, I will at least finish Yunjin chapter.

And still if you cannot donate me, motivating words are always nice ^^