Chapter 190: This Trainee Fatui Harbinger is Too Unreliable [190]
Seeing Luo Qing so near, Layla instinctively shrank back.
Her restrained feet pushed against the bed, scooting her body toward the edge as fear swirled in her chest.
To create a perfectly quiet space for writing her thesis, Layla had ensured her room was completely soundproof. No matter how noisy the street outside got, not a single sound could penetrate the walls.
But the downside was obvious—no matter how loudly she screamed, no one outside would hear her.
Was she really about to be taken advantage of by this so-called Matra imposter tonight...?
"Why are you keeping your distance? Do I really look like a bad guy?"
Luo Qing glanced at Layla, who was curled up at the corner of the bed, clutching her knees. His voice was calm, almost teasing.
"You..."
Layla was momentarily speechless.
You cuffed me without permission, took off my shoes and stockings... If you're not a bad guy, then bad guys don't exist!
"Relax. I'm here on your daytime self's request. I won't hurt you."
"Then why did you tie me up?!"
"To stop you from running, of course," Luo Qing replied matter-of-factly.
"?"
And you're still claiming you're not a bad guy?!
What are you so afraid I'll run from?!
Layla instinctively scooted farther back.
"When did you first appear?" Luo Qing asked casually.
"Why are you asking that?"
"Come on, I'm here on your daytime self's behalf. Isn't it normal for me to ask?"
"..."
Layla stayed silent for a moment before answering in a small voice, "I don't know..."
"So, she's completely unaware of your existence?"
"Hmph, if she knew, why would she even go looking for you?"
Layla's tone was tinged with disdain.
"Hmm... That makes sense."
Luo Qing nodded thoughtfully, then turned to her with a smile.
"But I'd suggest you drop that haughty attitude when talking to me. Otherwise, I can't guarantee I won't do something to you~"
Luo Qing didn't have many hobbies, but "disciplining tsunderes" was definitely one of them.
And Layla's inner persona was a textbook tsundere—prime material for some good-natured teasing.
"..."
Layla chose silence.
She had no choice. Luo Qing held all the cards, and she had no power to resist.
Then again... wasn't this still her own room?
"So, you have access to all her memories, right?" Luo Qing asked abruptly.
"Why do you ask?" Layla replied warily.
"I heard you're a top scholar in the Akademiya. Let's test your biology knowledge."
Luo Qing grabbed a piece of paper and a pen from her desk and continued, "What's your daily routine? Any hobbies? Favorite foods? And, uh... when's your period?"
"?"
[+1 Frustration Value from Layla.]
Layla was dumbfounded.
What kind of biology question is this?! And what even is "period" supposed to mean?!
"Don't know?"
"I..."
"And you call yourself an Akademiya scholar?!"
"..."
[+1 Frustration Value from Layla.]
"Why are you asking this? I'm not telling you!" Layla snapped, her voice cold.
These were deeply personal questions. There was no way she'd share them with someone like Luo Qing.
"Really not going to say?"
"N-not saying!"
"Alright."
"Wait, what are you—"
Before Layla could finish, Luo Qing grabbed her small foot and dragged her across the bed until she was right in front of him.
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a feather, his tone laced with amusement.
"This is your last chance."
"I... I'm not telling you!"
"Good. You're brave."
With that, Luo Qing propped her foot on his lap and began gently running the feather along her sole.
Since her daytime persona wouldn't remember anything her inner self experienced, Luo Qing was free to indulge in his little "disciplinary" tactic.
The soft skin of her youthful feet made her particularly sensitive, and Layla couldn't handle the ticklish sensation.
She bit her lip, writhing on the bed as laughter mixed with frustration escaped her.
It wasn't long before she was gasping for air, her pale skin glistening with sweat.
Her frail constitution made even this light teasing feel like an intense workout.
"Ready to talk now?" Luo Qing asked, finally stopping after noticing how exhausted she looked.
"Why... Why are you asking these things..."
Layla lay sprawled on the bed, looking as if she'd just emerged from battle.
"Hmm..."
Luo Qing hesitated briefly before deciding to come clean.
"I once read my fortune."
"A fortune?"
"The reading said I'd spend my life with a girl who has a Cryo Vision."
"..."
"And?"
Layla asked, genuinely curious now.
She had heard about Liyue's fortune-telling practices—similar to astrology, but with its own unique mystique. The better the fortune-teller, the more accurate their predictions.
"It didn't specify anything else. Just that she'd have a Cryo Vision. So, I decided to get to know every girl with one. In other words..."
Luo Qing leaned in, his smile playful as he whispered,
"I have a good feeling about you two, so I wanted to get closer~"
"..."
Layla fell silent.
It wasn't just the absurdity of his reasoning. It was the fact that he had infiltrated her room under the guise of a Matra, tied her up, and tickled her—all because of this nonsense!
"You think that after everything you've done, there's a chance between us?" she asked coldly.
"I know."
Luo Qing chuckled, lightly brushing her foot with his finger as he added,
"But you said it yourself. She'll never know what happened between us~"
"..."
---
Late Night, Luo Qing's Residence in Sumeru
Since Luo Qing was considered a collaborator, he and his team were provided lodging by the Akademiya. The house was situated near the Grand Bazaar, right in the bustling heart of the city.
He shared the residence with Makoto and Rosalyne, while Natalia and the others lived in the surrounding area, forming a protective perimeter.
Despite Luo Qing instructing Rosalyne to return earlier in the day, it was now deep into the night, and she still hadn't come back.
"Still not back... Where could he have gone?"
Makoto sat in the living room, dressed in a lavender nightgown.
Leaning against the armrest of the couch, she rested her head on her hand, staring at the candlelight on the table with a slightly displeased expression.
"Hey, Rosalyne, do you know where he went tonight?"
"The master told me not to say."
Rosalyne, seated on the other end of the couch in a deep red silk nightdress, quietly flipped through a book in the candle's glow.
"Hmph. I bet he's off playing around with some little girl again... Let me guess..."
Makoto rubbed her temples, then turned to Rosalyne.
"Her name is Layla, right?"
Her ability to see glimpses of the future in Inazuma often revealed fleeting details, and she recalled a girl from Sumeru named Layla in one such vision.
At the mention of Layla, Rosalyne's expression subtly shifted, but she remained silent, continuing to read.
"I saw that look, Rosalyne! It is her, isn't it?"
Makoto's sharp eye caught the change in Rosalyne's demeanor, confirming her suspicion.
"That scoundrel... He really doesn't let anyone go, does he?"
As she muttered her complaint, the sound of a key turning in the door interrupted her.
The door opened, and Luo Qing stepped inside, finding both Makoto and Rosalyne sitting in their nightwear.
"You still know how to come back?!"
Makoto huffed, her displeasure evident.
"?"
---
Oh, hey there, Traveler! 🍃 My friend here is the one bringing these stories to you—quite the talent, wouldn't you agree? If anything feels off, just give them a nudge—they're always happy to make things even better.
Now, don't forget to take a moment to rest! Grab a drink (perhaps something as refreshing as Mondstadt's finest), and let the stories whisk you away.
Oh, and if you're feeling generous, you could check out [patreon.com/WiseTL]. Supporting them is like throwing a coin to your favorite bard—it keeps the magic flowing!
Here's to more adventures and endless inspiration~ 🎵
Chapter 191: This Trainee Fatui Harbinger is Too Unreliable [191] [30 PS]
Well, well, look at you! So dedicated, you've earned a little extra treat! 🎉
---
He hadn't even done anything to Makoto—hadn't kissed her, hadn't touched her—yet here she was, interrogating him like a resentful wife about what he had done with Layla.
What could he possibly have done?
It was only their first meeting!
At most, he had touched her feet.
After explaining for what felt like forever, Luo Qing finally extricated himself and retreated to his room.
All he wanted was a good night's sleep before heading to the Sanctuary of Surasthana the next day to see if he could communicate with Nahida.
As soon as he lay down, drowsiness swept over him. Closing his eyes, he drifted off to sleep.
But whether he was entering a dream or waking from one, he couldn't tell.
---
The sound of cicadas filled Luo Qing's ears, breaking his sleep.
Feeling the sunlight streaming through the window, he had no choice but to get up.
"Does Sumeru even have cicadas?"
Rubbing his eyes, he sat up in bed.
He was about to ask Rosalyne what time it was when he noticed something shocking.
The room had completely changed.
It was no longer the wood-scented, domed structure of Sumeru, but a modern rectangular bedroom.
"What the..."
Luo Qing felt a wave of dizziness as fragmented, illogical memories flitted through his mind.
It was disorienting, yet felt inexplicably natural.
"Wasn't I in Sumeru City? How did I end up back here?"
His gaze landed on the computer desk in the corner. The RGB-lit PC case cast a colorful glow, and three monitors displayed a familiar scene. The bottom-right corner of the screen showed the date and time.
"This is... that day..."
The fragmented memories pieced themselves together, and Luo Qing remembered: this was the day he transmigrated to Teyvat.
He had been an orphan, growing up in an orphanage until he struck out on his own at sixteen. Eventually, he became a small-time streamer.
Though his earnings were modest, they were enough to cover his expenses and even occasionally splurge on a game pack or two.
"Did I... come back?"
Luo Qing frowned, running his fingers over the wooden surface of the desk. He tapped the keyboard experimentally, and everything felt real.
"This... can't be happening..."
He had just started establishing himself in Teyvat!
The harem wasn't even halfway complete, and he hadn't even reached first base with anyone!
How could he suddenly return now?!
"So... it was just a dream?"
Murmuring to himself, Luo Qing put on a casual summer outfit and checked the time.
At 9:01 AM, he left his apartment, following a route etched in his memory.
Descending the stairs, he exited his residential complex, turned left, and walked until he reached a crosswalk.
Across the street was a familiar breakfast shop, a place he always visited after pulling all-nighters before heading home to crash.
Except that fateful day, something had gone terribly wrong.
As he waited, Luo Qing glanced to the right and saw a truck behaving erratically, speeding toward the crosswalk without slowing down despite the pedestrians.
"Three... two... one..."
He mentally counted, imagining where he would have been if he had stepped onto the crosswalk.
Right on cue, the truck roared through the intersection, narrowly missing the pedestrians before slamming into a roadside tree.
"...This is..."
Luo Qing fell silent.
That day, he had been hit by the truck and reduced to nothing more than a smear on the pavement.
Sigh. Serves me right for checking my phone while crossing the street.
"Am I really back?"
A sense of loss gripped his chest.
If he had known this would happen, he would have prioritized making some moves back in Teyvat.
What a waste...
Hunger gnawed at his stomach, snapping him out of his thoughts. Shaking his head, Luo Qing started toward the breakfast shop.
But just as he stepped forward, a petite figure caught his eye on the opposite side of the street.
A girl with snow-white hair tied in a ponytail, wearing a dress adorned with green accents, stood barefoot, curiously peeking into a storefront.
"That's..."
When trying to distinguish between a dream and reality, people often look for something illogical.
And there it was—none other than the Little Archon, Nahida, wandering curiously across the street.
Swallowing hard, Luo Qing ran across the crosswalk.
---
Meanwhile, Nahida had squeezed through the crowd gathered around the crash site, her curiosity piqued by the truck accident.
This dream wasn't hers, and to the dreamer, she was invisible to everyone except the creator of the dream.
"This place..."
She murmured softly, staring at the truck.
Imprisoned in the Sanctuary of Surasthana, she occasionally wandered into the dreams of Sumeru's citizens through the Akasha.
It was her way of exploring the world, learning, and satisfying her curiosity, all in the hopes of becoming a better god.
But since mastering this ability, this was the first time she had entered a dream so vivid, so lifelike.
Everything—every detail—was entirely unfamiliar to her.
This place...
It wasn't Teyvat.
Just as she was about to wander elsewhere, a voice spoke behind her.
"Peeking into someone else's dream without permission is quite rude, don't you think, Little Archon?"
Nahida turned to see Luo Qing standing before her, holding a bag of breakfast.
Once someone recognized the dream as a dream, it became a lucid dream.
And in a lucid dream, the dreamer was effectively a god.
"You... can see me?"
Nahida was startled.
Most people struggled to recognize whether they were dreaming. With the Akasha, Sumeru's citizens rarely even remembered their dreams.
Yet this man not only noticed her presence but maintained control over the dream after realizing he was in one.
It spoke of a mental fortitude far beyond ordinary.
"Sorry... I just found your dream intriguing and wanted to explore..."
Nahida looked away, embarrassed.
She didn't know who Luo Qing was. She had simply stumbled upon this fascinating dream and decided to step inside, only to be caught red-handed by its creator.
"No need to apologize."
Luo Qing walked over and handed her the bag of breakfast he'd just bought.
Inside was a fresh serving of soup dumplings, a crispy fried dough stick, and a cup of warm soy milk—his favorite breakfast combo.
"I heard dream food doesn't have taste. Why not give it a try, Little Archon?"
Nahida hesitated before taking a dumpling from the bag with her small hands. She took a careful bite, her expression softening.
"Hmm... The taste is a bit strange, but it's delicious..."
"Chive and pork. It's supposed to be tasty."
Luo Qing popped one into his own mouth, savoring the flavor.
To his surprise, it tasted exactly like the real thing.
"Food with flavor... This dream feels too real."
Doubt flickered in his mind.
He had never experienced a dream so vivid before.
"So..."
Luo Qing glanced at Nahida, who was now twirling her hair with her fingers.
"Little Archon, care to explain why you decided to sneak into my dream?"
---
This bonus chapter is like an encore after a rousing performance—totally worth staying for, wouldn't you say? Oh, and don't worry, my lyre's got plenty more tunes to play next time!
But for now, it's time to take a bow. Thank you for the applause (and all that wonderful support). If you're feeling extra inspired, you know where to find me—[patreon.com/WiseTL]. Toss a coin, and who knows? Maybe the next bard will sing your praises!
Now, go forth, Traveler, and revel in the wonders of this world. Until next time! 🍃✨
Weekly Power Status
200+ Power
Ranking 
388 Power
stone 
Paragraph comment