Several days passed.
After the Lantern Rite, Luo Qing finally enjoyed a rare stretch of peace.
With the Tsaritsa no longer pressuring him, he temporarily set aside his Fatui responsibilities, spending his days leisurely at home.
Sometimes, he accompanied Ganyu and Shenhe on strolls around Liyue. Other times, he joined Ei and Ayaka for trips in Inazuma or watched Furina’s performances at the Fontaine Opera House.
Life was blissfully carefree.
On this particular day, after watching one of Furina’s shows at the Opéra Epiclese, the two walked through Fontaine’s vibrant streets.
By now, their romantic relationship was widely known and had become part of the city’s everyday life. No one batted an eye when they held hands in public.
They stopped at a quaint outdoor café.
Luo Qing watched Furina, her delicate features glowing under the afternoon sun. His thoughts began to drift.
“Hey, why are you staring at me like that?”
Noticing his gaze, Furina’s cheeks flushed. She turned her head to avoid his eyes, mumbling,
“Is there something on my face?”
“No,” Luo Qing said with a shake of his head.
“I just remembered something…”
He paused before asking, “By the way, Furina, did anything strange happen while I was away?”
“Strange?” Furina looked confused, but a hint of nervousness flashed in her eyes.
“What… what do you mean? Everything’s been fine. Nothing strange has happened at all!”
“Really?”
Luo Qing’s gaze lingered as he pressed further.
“In the past six months, have you heard any voices in your head? Like someone talking to you?”
The question was deliberate. His memories of the distant past were fragmented, but spending time with Furina had jogged something important: the whereabouts of Focalors.
He distinctly remembered saving her from the Damocles Sword and that the power of the Harbinger Mechanism was no longer in effect.
If Focalors was still alive, there was only one possible explanation:
She had fused with Furina.
Furina hesitated, her nervousness apparent as she bit her lip.
“N-no! There’s no second me or anything! Don’t be ridiculous!”
“Is that so…”
Luo Qing sighed softly, but his tone sharpened as he said,
“Focalors is still inside you, isn’t she?”
“What are you talking about? I…”
Furina’s denial trailed off under Luo Qing’s unwavering gaze. Finally, she lowered her head and muttered,
“How… how did you know she was still alive?”
“Because I saved her,” Luo Qing said with a calm smile.
“If she’s not letting you admit it, does that mean she doesn’t want to see me?”
“That’s not…”
Furina’s protest faltered.
Her pupils dilated briefly, and her expression shifted. When she looked up again, her demeanor had changed. There was a newfound maturity in her gaze.
“So you figured it out, Luo Qing,” Focalors said, her tone smooth and composed.
“Focalors…”
Luo Qing’s heart stirred, though he maintained his calm.
“If you’re still alive, why won’t you meet me?”
“Because the real me should have disappeared long ago,” Focalors said with a slight shrug.
“My position as Hydro Archon has already been erased from Celestia’s records. If I were to return, I’d only bring trouble to Teyvat.”
She smiled faintly. “I’m fine with things as they are. I can see the world through Furina without worrying about Celestia noticing me.”
“Is that really what you want?” Luo Qing asked, his voice steady.
“Don’t you want to live again? To feel the world with your own body?”
Focalors crossed her arms and snorted.
“Let me guess: you want me to come back just so you can turn me into your tool, warm your bed, and pair me with Furina?”
She smirked. “What’s next, Luo Qing? Sampling a maidenly sisters dynamic after already enjoying the mature one?”
“I know exactly what goes on in that scheming head of yours!”
“…”
Luo Qing was speechless.
He hadn’t thought about any of what Focalors just accused him of… but now that she mentioned it, it didn’t sound half bad.
Still, if he insisted, wouldn’t that prove her right?
He chose to distill his response into a single question.
“Just say yes or no. Do you want it or not?”
“Humph…”
“No humming. Use real words.”
“…Yes.”
“?”
Luo Qing was taken aback.
After all that buildup, she’s been the one wanting it all along?!
It suddenly made sense why Furina was so tsundere. The roots ran deep.
Before he could comment further, Focalors’s gaze shifted, her eyes softening as Furina regained control.
“I… I didn’t agree to anything!” Furina blurted, frantically waving her hands.
“That was all her idea! There’s no way I’d do something like that with her!”
Before she could finish, her expression shifted again as Focalors briefly took over.
“Don’t worry,” Focalors said with a smirk. “That’s all for later. What she refuses now doesn’t mean she won’t want it in the future.”
Focalors leaned back and sighed theatrically.
“I was just as naive as her once. Then I met someone with all sorts of… ambitious ideas. Look at me now.”
“…”
Luo Qing felt the subtle jab.
He wasn’t sure whether to laugh or defend himself, though he had a sinking feeling she was talking about him.
Eventually, Furina regained full control of her body, her face beet red as she stammered,
“She… she said she’ll agree, but only on one condition.”
“What condition?” Luo Qing asked, curious.
“She said she hasn’t decided yet… but she’ll let you know when she does.”
“…”
Luo Qing sighed and muttered,
“Fine. Let’s say I owe her one. Does that work?”
Furina nodded timidly before her eyes darted up at him, filled with uncertainty.
“Luo Qing… you’re not really planning on… doing that with both of us, are you?”
“?”
Luo Qing blinked, momentarily at a loss for words.
How was he supposed to explain that he’d never even considered such a thing until Focalors planted the idea in his head?
“Of course not,” he replied, keeping his tone earnest.
“Furina, do you really think I’m that kind of person?”
“But…” Furina hesitated, her voice barely above a whisper.
“I saw you go to Ei’s room with Makoto that one night… and you didn’t come out until morning.”
“…”
—
T/N: CAUGHT
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!
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