Genshin Impact is a big stage, come if you dare

After the two superb acting stars had an awkward chat, Zhongli continued to drink his tea while Wendy turned to chat with the Traveler Squad.

“Come to think of it, I saw you guys entering Xinyue Pavilion one after another, but no one noticed me standing nearby. Should I say I hid too well?” Wendy couldn’t help but cue someone halfway through her speech, her eyes full of resentment and accusation drifting towards Zhongli, “Or some people ignored the news…”

Don't even invite him in for a feast!

“Haha,” Zhongli turned his head, his eyes seemed to see through the door and wall to the bustling street market outside, “Every time the Lantern Festival comes, Liyue Harbor is bustling with people. Everyone is busy watching the lanterns and shopping. When the mood strikes, it’s inevitable that they will go out on an impromptu trip. No one can predict what others will do.”

It was so busy, I didn't notice it.

"The celebration is going well, and the gathering of old and new friends is a good thing worth celebrating. It is a great pleasure to be able to gather with you all here at the beginning of the new year. In this situation, please allow me to offer you a glass of tea instead of wine."

When Xiao saw Zhongli stand up to serve tea, he immediately felt uneasy and used a lot of effort to restrain his urge to stand up.

"Mr. Zhongli, you said it well! You said everything I wanted to say! I'm sorry to say this. I'm an uninvited guest who suddenly barged into the party. I hope I didn't cause too much trouble to everyone?"

After Wendy finished her pun, she stood up and raised her teacup, "I'd like to toast everyone, too! Thank you for the treat!"

Hu Tao, who was responsible for paying the bill as the initiator of the dinner, stood up and said, "You're welcome! This hall master is the host, everyone should eat and drink well and celebrate the New Year!"

The two biggest stars started to act and serve tea again. Even though Xiao tried hard to restrain himself, he couldn't help but reveal a tired expression.

"Xiao!" Su suddenly spoke.

"Why are you so nervous?!" Xiao's golden eyes widened, his nerves tense all the time.

"..." Su felt that Xiao, who had such a big reaction, was the one who was panicking. "I've eaten too much. Please go for a walk with me."

Xiao nodded and followed Su out.

He really didn't want to stay in this box any longer.

The host, Walnut, said, "Have you two finished your meal? It would be nice to go out for some fresh air to help digest the food."

Although Xiao Shangxian didn’t seem to move his chopsticks much, maybe the immortal just has a small stomach and eats less?

——*——*——

Outside Xinyuexuan, Su and Xiao watched the bustling Lantern Festival in silence.

Xiao hesitated for a while before speaking, "Are you... okay?"

"I'm not good!" Su, who had been enduring at the dinner table, suddenly exploded, "You're busy! You don't have time to play with me! But you have time to keep a date with Walnut!"

Hu Tao did nothing wrong, it’s all Xiao’s fault!

"I..." Xiao had so many words in his heart that he couldn't say them out loud. In the end, he apologized, "I'm sorry."

"I don't want you to say sorry," Su glared at Xiao, "I want you to tell me why!"

"Has something bad happened to you, or do you think I'm a burden?

Su stepped forward and held onto Xiao's hand tightly to prevent him from escaping with his wind wheel in sync.

"Why are you avoiding me? I want you to tell me the reason directly."

Looking at the girl's tearful eyes, Xiao felt a sharp pain in his chest as if a sharp weapon had cut through it.

"Tell me the reason." Su tried to keep his voice steady, but he didn't notice that his hand holding Xiao was shaking slightly.

"If I continue to be with you..." Xiao stared at their clasped hands in a trance, "one day, my karma will make me hurt you."

Leave me. I will protect you from afar until my karma is completely eliminated.

······

After waiting for a long time without any further words from Xiao, Su was shocked. "That's it?!"

Thinking that the girl didn't understand the seriousness of being entangled in karma, Xiao explained: "... when entangled in karma, spiritual wisdom is gone. The end of the Yakshas is to die from karma."

"But didn't Kong help you purify your karma?" Xiao had suffered an attack of karma not long after they met, and Kong had helped him purify his karma at that time.

"Kong helped me purify a large part of it, but the karma still remains." Xiao was also very grateful for Kong's help, which made his condition stable for a long time, but "as long as the remnants of the demon god are not completely eliminated, the karma will continue to grow."

Sooner or later, he will face the same desperate situation and ending as other Yakshas.

Before Kong, he had never heard of a power that could clear away karma, something not even the Seven Gods could do.

It seems that Kong has paid a huge price, and he cannot trouble Kong again and again.

"Why didn't you tell me about this earlier!" Su was so angry. Couldn't Xiao learn from her and Shen He's good qualities of speaking their minds? If Xiao had told them about this earlier, they wouldn't have been troubled for so long!

She had asked Sora before, and things like purifying the pollution and karma of the Abyss would not harm him.

"Just for such a boring thing..." Su thought of how she had been unhappy recently and even her happiness was discounted, and she wanted to... just wanted to punch Xiao!

Seeing the girl's raised fist, Xiao closed his eyes.

Seeing that Xiao was willing to be vented and agreed to be beaten, Su angrily put down his fist and said, "Kong, come and help."

Xiao’s karma has just flared up recently and he’s not in good health so he can’t take a beating. She’ll beat him up again when he’s better!

Xiao opened his eyes in confusion.

Is she going to ask Sora to come and beat him up together?

"Kong," Sue said, raising her voice, "Stop squatting in the corner and come out quickly."

Sora touched his nose and walked around the corner awkwardly, "Paimon was a little worried that you two would quarrel, so..."

Su Cai was impatient to listen to the boring words of Kong, this occasionally sinister guy. He grabbed Xiao's hand with one hand and pulled up Kong's hand with the other, and put their hands together.

"Kong, I'm going to trouble you this time too." Su let go of his hand, leaving only Kong holding Xiao's hand.

Xiao was startled, and before he could break free, Kong tightly grasped his hand.

"Don't worry," Kong Nuan's golden eyes were full of trust, "Purification will not have a bad effect on me."

Pure light burst out from the young men's clasped hands.

"Xiao, are you feeling better?" Kong asked caringly, letting go of his hand.

Xiao carefully observed Kong's expression and confirmed that he did not look unwell or weak before nodding, "Thank you..."

Sue: "Are there any more karmic obstacles? How many are there?"

Xiao felt his own physical condition and said, "Almost all of it is gone."

Does that mean the "root cause" has not been removed? That's much better than before, right?

Su said dissatisfiedly: "If you had told us the truth earlier, would it have come to this?"

He won't become physically unwell due to karma, and she won't be in a bad mood due to rejection.

“······I’m sorry.” Xiao thought of the way the girl always came to him happily and expectantly, and left sadly and disappointed, and his heart was filled with guilt and regret.

"I don't want you to say sorry, I want you to learn to speak your mind." Thinking of her feelings during this period, the girl's eyes became red again, "Xiao didn't tell me anything and kept rejecting me. This only made me..."

Do you... hate him? Xiao lowered his eyelashes, waiting for the girl's judgment.

“······makes me lose the energy to like Xiao.” Su followed her mood and pounced on Xiao and hugged him, just like she would do before.

Xiao kept all the heavy things in his heart and carried all the burdens and pain by himself, thinking that doing so would put everyone at ease.

Little did he know that doing so would only make those who cared about him more worried about him.