“I don’t get it…” Luo Qing held Makoto close, still trying to process her sudden boldness.
“Did we… really go through so much together in the future?”
“Oh, we did.”
Makoto rested her head against his chest, her voice soft and playful.
“You were much more assertive back then, you know.”
“Hmm…”
Luo Qing hesitated briefly before remembering something. I’ve already kissed her, haven’t I? Touched her too…
There was no reason to back down now.
With that thought, he gently tilted her chin upward and kissed her deeply.
Makoto’s arms wrapped around his neck as she responded eagerly, their passion heating the room.
Makoto, now bound by the limitations of her mortal form, soon found herself exhausted. Nestled in Luo Qing’s embrace, she drifted off to sleep like a contented violet kitten.
On the other hand, Luo Qing, though fatigued from his journey, felt a surge of satisfaction. Finally… no longer a virgin.
He glanced at Makoto’s sleeping face, kissed her on the forehead, and held her tightly before closing his eyes to rest.
—
Some time later, a dream began to take shape—vivid and familiar.
When Luo Qing opened his eyes, he was greeted by a ceiling he hadn’t seen in ages.
“This place…”
He sat up in bed, taking in the surroundings of a bedroom he hadn’t inhabited for years. His hand reached out instinctively to the computer that had accompanied him through countless late-night battles.
This is my old room…
“How is this possible?”
He clearly hadn’t brought a Void terminal with him when he went to sleep. How could he now be dreaming so vividly of his past life?
“If it feels this real…”
Muttering to himself, Luo Qing’s gaze shifted to the powered-down computer.
During his last dream visit to this world with Nahida, the authenticity of the recreated environment had left him shaken.
If this dream had perfectly replicated his old world once again…
After a moment of hesitation, he glanced around the room to ensure Nahida wasn’t hiding nearby, then cautiously pressed the computer’s power button.
The hum of the fan filled the air as the triple-monitor setup came to life, its screens glowing softly.
“It actually works…” Luo Qing murmured, stunned as he stared at the familiar EVA-themed wallpaper on his desktop.
The level of detail was uncanny. If not for his memory of exploring this world with Nahida, he might have believed he had somehow traveled back in time.
If the system’s booted up, maybe…
His eyes fell on the icon for Genshin Impact, prominently featuring Paimon’s grinning face. His hand hovered over the mouse.
“Let’s see if I can…”
Before he could finish the thought, a soft, childlike voice chimed in from behind him.
“Huh? Luo Qing… where is this?”
“?!?!”
Luo Qing’s hand shot to the power button, shutting the computer down with record speed.
He turned toward the voice, his heart racing.
Sitting on his bed in a relaxed duck-like pose was Nahida, rubbing her eyes and taking in her surroundings with wide-eyed curiosity.
Seeing Luo Qing’s bewildered expression, she tilted her head and asked, “Luo Qing, what’s wrong?”
“… Nothing,” he replied hastily.
Damn it… why is she so adorable?!
Focus.
Shaking his head, Luo Qing stepped in front of the computer, using his body to block it from Nahida’s view.
The thought of Nahida discovering that Teyvat was merely a game in his original world was too risky to entertain.
“This place…”
Nahida hopped off the bed, her ponytail swaying as she looked around curiously.
“Is this your home?”
“… You could say that.”
Luo Qing nodded, trying to change the subject.
“How did you end up in my room? Weren’t you still in the streets last time?”
“Well…”
Nahida lowered her head apologetically.
“When your dream bubble appeared again in the Void, I couldn’t resist coming to explore it. As for why I ended up in your room… I can only enter through areas close to the dreamer.”
“I see…” Luo Qing nodded thoughtfully, his gaze drifting toward the window as he considered how to guide Nahida out of the room.
Keeping her here felt increasingly dangerous.
Before he could say anything, Nahida suddenly asked, “Luo Qing, is this your old home?”
“… Sort of.”
He hesitated, nodding slowly.
As an orphan, Luo Qing had never referred to this place as “home.” It was just where he lived. A rented apartment, with no family to make it feel like a true home.
“This place is so simple and neat,” Nahida remarked as she wandered through the room. She paused, looking up at him with a gentle expression.
“Luo Qing, if this is your dream, what about your parents? Where are they?”
“…”
Damn it. Exactly what I didn’t want her to ask.
Luo Qing hesitated for a few seconds before answering softly, “I’m an orphan.”
“… Oh.”
Nahida froze, her expression falling.
After a moment of silence, she walked over to him, her voice filled with regret.
“I’m sorry, Luo Qing. I didn’t mean to…”
She struggled to find the right words, clearly unfamiliar with apologizing.
“It’s fine,” Luo Qing said, ruffling her hair with a small smile.
“It’s all in the past. Besides, I don’t live in this world anymore… Wait, that sounded weird…” He shook his head and continued, “Anyway, I’m a Teyvatian now. No point dwelling on things that don’t matter anymore. So don’t worry about it.”
“Mm…” Nahida nodded, though the guilt lingered in her eyes.
Determined to lift her spirits, Luo Qing decided to propose an outing.
“Well then,” he said, “why don’t we pick up where we left off last time? There’s still so much of this place to explore.”
“Really?” Nahida’s mood brightened instantly.
The idea of exploring this strange, fascinating world filled her with excitement.
Just as they turned to leave, Luo Qing’s movement exposed the still-lit monitor behind him.
“Huh? Luo Qing, why is this screen glowing?”
Nahida paused, her curious gaze fixed on the computer. Her eyes sparkled with intrigue, and it was clear she was completely captivated.
“… What?”
Luo Qing turned to see his computer screen displaying his desktop wallpaper—still powered on despite his earlier shutdown.
Didn’t I just turn it off?
How… is this happening?!
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