Genshin Impact: Great, you guys still remember

Rocks are extremely difficult to shape, and so is Zhongli.

He Li didn't think that just some folk operas could affect her judgment and make her have some inexplicable thoughts from scratch.

Whether as an emperor or the god of rock, Zhong Li's own inclination will not be easily influenced by external things. This is the basic quality of a strong person.

It was just some drama. Even if Zhong Li had lost her memory, He Li would not think that those things would cause Zhong Li to misunderstand anything.

As for why not stop their spread when they appear?

Perhaps it was to strengthen the cohesion of Liyue? Perhaps it was to help him expand his sense of presence? Or perhaps the people of Liyue needed a heroic role model to believe in?

He Li let his thoughts wander and made random guesses.

...

In fact, the answer is very simple. Sister Zhong Li, who knows nothing about this, is not sure whether these stories are true or false.

Homa's Staff?

Yes, there is indeed this gun, and the material used is indeed my precious weak spot.

Earthly chains?

Yes, this magical artifact does exist, and I opened it myself. According to folk sayings, whoever opens it will own it, so it is natural for me to keep it in my pocket.

The emperor avenges her husband?

Ahem, revenge is real, as for whether it is for my husband...

Lastly, the Emperor lost his mind due to anger.

The dementia here does not mean losing reason, but losing the usual rationality and calmness. It is no longer the previous three-point hurting the enemy and seven-point reservation, but it is almost venting and pouring out the divine power.

She was...it was exactly what she said in her appeal.

...

It seemed right at the time, but after revisiting that memory, it felt different.

What followed was a wave of strange feelings that filled my heart.

On the night when she regained her memory, she actually got up and went to look for him.

But just as she was about to reach it, several other auras in the room forced her to stop.

She should have just gone ahead without caring about anything. According to her nature, she should have done so.

So what if his wife is here? I am his sister Zhong Li, so what if I come to see him?

It's reasonable and logical, and no one can tell whether it's good or bad.

But inexplicably, after staying for a moment, she turned and left.

Let's give this time and space to the couple.

...

On the way back, she was puzzled. What happened to her?

Why are you fussing about this now? I'll just go take a look and say a few words and come back. I won't disturb their night talk.

This happened more than once a thousand years ago, why is it happening again a thousand years later...

She thought for a long time and finally found the answer.

People change, and stones are no exception.

She is a little slow in those aspects, but if there is something to compare,

Comparing the two, she could still sense something.

What's more, she is no longer the Rock King Emperor.

...

"Very good,"

Thoughts flashed through my mind, and it was as if a chain in my heart had broken.

Zhong Li looked at him, smiled and nodded.

Zhong Li's answer was somewhat unexpected to He Li. In his opinion, the rumors about her were spreading wildly, so even if he disdained to pay attention to them, it wouldn't be a "good thing".

"Where is the best?"

So he asked.

"The music and lyrics have been very mature after thousands of years of polishing, and the skilled actor Mr. Yun has made the original charm even stronger."

Zhong Li picked up the wine glass and commented seriously. At the end, he shook his head and sighed:

"It's a pity that Ah Ping is not among the music masters who arranged the music. If she were willing to come, she would definitely add icing on the cake to this play."

"Return to Ping..."

He Li swallowed a mouthful of wine and complained feebly,

If Aping hadn't been so well-mannered, he thought it was possible that Aping would have torn up the script on the spot.

Zhong Li drank the wine in the glass in one gulp, and there was no emotion in his tone:

“From an outsider’s perspective, the story has depth and is truly touching.”

"Yes, most folk art creations are like this, full of imaginative fantasy and romantic colors."

He Li shook his head and said casually:

"There's no need to be too particular about the authenticity."

Zhong Li put the empty cup on the table, continued to look at him and asked for the third time:

"So I'm done, what about you?"

"Like you, from the perspective of arrangement and singing, it is undoubtedly excellent,"

He Li smiled and said:

"As for the story...you don't have to care about it. The truth and falsehood of stories in the world are usually mostly based on imagination, so we don't have to dwell on it."

"Is it,"

Zhong Li drank another glass.

Then he said:

"Just think that the play is about someone else."

Yeah, this is impossible to take seriously.

When I woke up, I was suddenly overwhelmed with news that my cold and arrogant boss sister had become my wife, who would live and die with me.

But only he himself understood that the arrogant boss didn't even know the most basic concept of "love".

The first step I should take, of course, is to prove to the other party that I am not imagining things.

As it turned out, he was not imagining things. In other words, he never thought that Sister Zhong Li would be exposed to those things.

...

"So... you are not a god of the mortal world?"

she asked suddenly.

"Of course I am,"

He patted his chest.

This still needs to be taken care of by myself. If the Maintainer has nothing better to do one day and looks through the world line of the God of the Earthly Realm, and finds out that it is not him, it will be a disaster.

"You didn't save your people?"

she asked again.

"Of course I saved her,"

He nodded.

"The Staff of Homa is not yours?"

"Of course it's mine."

"The Earthly Chain is not yours?"

"Mine too."

A series of questions left He Li a little confused.

At this moment, Zhong Li stood up, picked up the porcelain bottle and leaned forward to pour the wine. As she stood up, she looked at He Li.

There was a confused smile in his eyes:

"Then why did you say it wasn't you in that story?"

"Ah this..."

He Li was stunned by the question.

"This... This is of course..."

He stammered but couldn't explain himself clearly.

“You are the person in the story, but you are not just the person in the story.”

Zhong Li smiled and handed over his already full glass of wine, revealing the answer:

"Just like the scene in the story where we drank together, haven't we ever drank together before?"

"We drank together,"

He Li nodded blankly.

"So we won't drink together from now on?"

She smiled again.

He nodded hurriedly:

"No, anytime."

"Yes, we are the same both on and off the stage, so why is it different?

It’s just that we are in the story, but we are not just the people in the story, we still have a future, and we still have countless spaces for creation.

Zhong Li smiled and said slowly:

"Just like drinking, we have what is in the story, we also have what is not in the story, and we don't have what is in the story..."

She paused here, and looked at He Li with her smiling golden amber eyes. The pool of water containing Xijin reflected his figure.

He Li was a little confused and subconsciously continued:

“Maybe we will have it in the future?”

After hearing He Li's answer, Zhong Li did not express any denial or affirmation, but just chuckled.

She opened her red lips and continued:

"And memory is also a story. Everything that happened and everyone is fixed there."

"Um,"

He Li felt his head buzzing.

No way--

"As I said before, people move forward, and now, I am no longer the emperor, and you have also relieved yourself of your responsibilities. We are both different from the stories we remember."

She sipped her wine, and her smiling mouth finally cracked open.

"Life goes on, the road continues, and the story has infinite possibilities. So I say that you and I are not just the characters in the play.

Now and from now on, I am just Zhong Li."

"..."

He Li opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

He stretched his neck and was about to say something: "Zhong..."

She raised a jade finger to her lips, blocking his words back into her stomach.

"Hush - there's no need to say more at this moment. My thoughts are also in a mess right now. These things cannot be sorted out overnight."

Zhong Li smiled helplessly and shook his head:

"Let's drink first. This wine has been opened and cannot be sealed again. We haven't seen each other for many years. You must drink it all with me."

The wine has been opened and the words have been spoken, and there is no way to take them back.

Zhong Li was helpless, and so was He Li. He removed his fingers from his mouth and could only smile bitterly and nod in response:

"Yes."

As for the near future...

Zhong Li suddenly raised her head, pretended to fan herself in a stuffy way, and said to He Li meaningfully:

"It's a bit hot."

"Yes,"

Of course He Li understood what she meant, so he had to get up and open the window obediently.

...

The cool spring breeze that is unique to Liyue, unique to the modern times, and unique to thousands of years finally blew in again, and along with the wind came the graceful opera voice that filled the whole house.

"Do you regret——"

"My beloved and I have no regrets in life or death—"