“Uh…?”
Furina stared at the sketch in Luo Qing’s hand.
Aside from the figure’s build, doesn’t this person look exactly like me?
Was Luo Qing trying to hint at something?
“This is definitely me…” Furina muttered under her breath. “It’s not my fault I’m… uh, smaller.”
“…”
Luo Qing was silent for a moment.
With a sharp flick, he delivered a playful knock to Furina’s forehead.
“I told you, it’s not you!”
“Ugh…” Furina covered her forehead with both hands, whining softly. “You’re really not hinting at anything here?”
Luo Qing felt exasperated. He raised his hand again, ready to give her another flick, but Furina quickly shielded her head, curling up defensively.
“Okay, okay, okay! I get it! It’s not me!”
Luo Qing lowered his hand and continued, “So, do you recognize this person?”
“I…”
Furina examined the sketch carefully.
If it wasn’t her, she genuinely had no idea who it could be. Could someone in this world really look so much like her?
“If it’s not me, then I don’t know who it is.” She shook her head. “Maybe it’s just a hallucination from being exposed to too much of the Primordial Sea’s water?”
“A hallucination…”
Luo Qing thought back to the vision he’d experienced in that starry space.
An endless expanse of shimmering stars, a tranquil sea, and the distant echo of whale calls.
Given his current mental strength, it was unlikely he’d be affected by mere hallucinations. More importantly, he distinctly remembered sensing an intelligent presence within the Primordial Sea’s waters.
“Alright. I’ll look into it myself later.”
With that, Luo Qing stood, preparing to leave.
Logically, Neuvillette, with his impressive power displayed back in Meropide Fortress, might know something. However, Luo Qing had no intention of seeking him out.
His partnership was with Furina, not the Chief Justice.
If he’d wanted to consult Neuvillette, he would’ve done so back at Meropide. There was no need to wait until now. Not every matter could be casually brought to the Chief Justice.
“Wait, you’re leaving already?!”
Furina was stunned.
After so long without seeing each other, he’s just going to leave after asking a question? Does he not care about me at all?! Doesn’t he know how much effort I put into helping him get to Meropide?!
“If I’m not leaving, what am I supposed to do here?” Luo Qing turned back to her, puzzled. “Do you have something else to say?”
While he was a bit annoyed with Makoto and the others for showing up in Fontaine without informing him, it had been almost half a year since he’d seen his family. He missed his wife and kids terribly.
Tonight, he’d make sure to spend some quality time with them.
“I…”
Furina lowered her gaze, her face tinged with a faint blush.
She fidgeted for a moment before finally speaking.
“I… never mind. Just go.”
“…”
Luo Qing gave her a confused look but decided not to press further.
“Alright, see you.”
He turned and headed for the window, preparing to climb out.
After a few steps, he paused, seeming to remember something, and looked back at Furina.
“By the way, since you’ve already met Makoto and the others, if you’re free tonight, you can come over to my place for dinner.”
After all, she was his collaborator. A bit of courtesy wouldn’t hurt.
He couldn’t treat her like a mere tool, after all.
“Huh…?”
Furina blinked in surprise.
By the time she snapped out of her daze, Luo Qing was already gone, leaving the window swaying slightly with a soft creaking sound.
“He invited me to his house for dinner… Does that mean…”
Furina’s thoughts wandered, recalling what Makoto had told her about making a choice.
Should I go…?
Meanwhile, Luo Qing set aside the mystery of the woman in the drawing for now and focused on rushing home.
From the palace at Marechausse to his own house, he moved swiftly.
Standing before his door, he straightened his collar and tidied his hair before gently pushing it open.
Inside the living room, the women in his life were all seated together, as if they’d anticipated his return today.
Makoto sat on the sofa knitting, Ei and Theresa were reading light novels together, Bu’er and Nahida were discussing the future of the Akademiya while wearing Akasha terminals, and Rosalyne stood silently to the side, observing them all.
Everything looked just as it always did.
“Welcome home, honey~”
Makoto set down her knitting with a sweet smile and approached Luo Qing.
Before he could say a word, she wrapped her arms around his waist and stood on her tiptoes, planting a light kiss on his cheek.
“Mwah~ You’ve gotten even more handsome while you were away~”
“…”
Luo Qing found himself rendered speechless by Makoto’s affectionate greeting.
Soon, the other women also set aside what they were doing and approached him.
Makoto released him and stepped aside, making room for the others.
Bu’er was next, giving him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek as well.
Ei, looking a bit shy under everyone’s gaze, quickly hugged him and then retreated behind her sister.
Even Theresa, who’d never left the house, clung to Luo Qing shamelessly, wrapping her arms and legs around him and burying her face in his chest as she nuzzled him.
After everyone had taken their turn, Nahida stepped out from behind Bu’er.
She looked up at Luo Qing and hesitated for a moment before softly calling out:
“D-Daddy…”
Although they’d already acknowledged their father-daughter relationship in the Akasha network, this was the first time she’d addressed him like this in the real world.
“Aww!”
Luo Qing chuckled warmly and scooped Nahida up into his arms.
Who wouldn’t love such an adorable, white-haired little daughter?
The joy of returning home made Luo Qing momentarily forget that he’d intended to question Makoto about why she’d come to Fontaine in the first place.
As night fell, the cozy atmosphere persisted.
With so much to catch up on, Luo Qing decided to save his questions for later, perhaps during some quiet pillow talk before bed.
For now, it was dinnertime.
Makoto and Bu’er worked together in the kitchen, preparing an array of dishes from various nations. The nearly four-meter-long dining table was piled high with a feast fit for a banquet.
Luo Qing sat at the head of the table, while the women took their seats along both sides.
Just as they were about to start eating, there was a sudden knock at the door.
“At this hour…?”
Luo Qing had a sudden hunch and got up to answer it.
But Makoto beat him to it, striding over to the door and opening it with a smile.
“Oh my, it’s Furina!”
Makoto greeted her warmly, glancing slyly in Luo Qing’s direction.
“It’s so late—did you need something?”
“…”
—
This is a fan translation of 原神：这个见习执行官太屑了 by 何一乐. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!
Reader discussion
0 Comments
Be the first reader to share a thought about this chapter.