Genshin Impact: A Guide to the Unofficial History of Teyvat — Chapter 101

Chapter 101: For Whom the Love Trap is Set (Part 4)

On the eve of the Lantern Rite, Shenhe received a parcel delivered by one of Yelan’s subordinates. Inside lay a dress dyed in the deep, abyssal blue of the ocean. The fabric was exquisitely soft, tailored with an elegant cut, its collar adorned with complex, dark embroidery that shimmered faintly whenever it caught the ambient light.

Shenhe recognized the signature style immediately. As her fingertips brushed over the cool, silken material, her movements faltered. Resting atop the folded garment was a small note bearing only a few elegant strokes: Tomorrow, at the hour of the Rooster. Meet me at Feiyun Slope.

She hesitated for a long time. Eventually, she stood before her mirror, shedding her usual attire to slip into the deep blue dress. The woman reflected in the glass seemed steeped in another’s aura. Her innate, frost-bound adeptal detachment was softened, the tailored lines of the sleeves and waist tracing a gentle curvature she rarely revealed to the world. She stared at herself—a vision both intimately familiar and entirely alien—and nervously smoothed the collar, as if the simple motion could quell the unfamiliar, erratic fluttering in her chest.

The following evening, she arrived at Feiyun Slope just as the sun began to dip below the horizon. From a distance, she spotted Yelan waiting atop a high vantage point. Yet, the intelligence master had shed her customary midnight-blue coat. Instead, Yelan was draped in a set of flowing, ethereal celestial robes. The wide, pale sleeves fluttered gracefully in the evening wind—a stark, brilliant contrast to her usually mysterious and dangerous persona. She had adopted Shenhe’s own solitary temperament.

“You…” Shenhe approached, her gaze sweeping over the pristine white and pale blue silks Yelan wore. For a moment, the words died in her throat.

Yelan turned. Her sleeves swayed gently in the twilight breeze, and her eyes held a smile that mirrored stars plunging into a deep, quiet pool.

Her gaze carefully traced every contour of Shenhe’s figure, lingering on the slightly tousled silver hair and the tense, rigid line of her shoulders.

“It seems my colors suit you beautifully,” Yelan murmured, a low, velvet purr. She reached out, her fingers gently brushing a stray lock of silver hair from Shenhe’s shoulder. Her knuckles grazed the sensitive skin of Shenhe’s neck—a touch too deliberate to be an accident. Feeling the faint shiver that ran through the cryo user’s frame, the amusement in Yelan’s eyes deepened. “And today, I wished to experience the mortal realm through your eyes.”

They walked side by side down the bustling, lantern-lit streets. One was dressed in oceanic blue, her steps cautious and measured; the other drifted in ethereal adeptal robes, exuding an effortless composure. They drew the lingering stares of countless pedestrians. Yelan remained perfectly at ease, occasionally offering a slight nod to a familiar merchant, while Shenhe walked with a stiff, ill-at-ease rigidity.

The night breeze swept past, carrying the rich, savory aromas of street food stalls, the bright laughter of children, and the low, steady cadence of the woman breathing beside her. In that fleeting moment, it truly felt as though they had stepped into each other’s lives.

“Unaccustomed to so many eyes on you?” Yelan asked softly. Without waiting for an answer, her arm naturally slipped around Shenhe’s waist, pulling her flush against her side.

“Usually, no one notices me,” Shenhe replied, giving a stiff nod. The sudden, firm pressure at her waist made her breath hitch. The heat seeping through the layers of silk was intoxicating, entirely overriding her instinct to push the other woman away.

“That is because you are always rushing past, like a biting mountain gale that people dare not disturb,” Yelan noted, smoothly withdrawing her arm a moment later as if the intimate embrace had been nothing more than a casual gesture. “But tonight, you are like an immortal who has stepped out of a painting, finally willing to linger in the world of men.”

The tips of Shenhe’s ears burned. A startling realization washed over her: she had actually begun to crave that fleeting warmth.

As they reached Chihu Rock, the crowds thickened into a dense sea of revelers. Yelan reached out and captured Shenhe’s hand. “Stay close. We wouldn’t want to get separated.”

The moment their palms pressed together, a jolt of warmth surged from the point of contact, traveling straight to Shenhe’s core. This time, she didn’t hesitate. She gently curled her fingers inward, squeezing back, allowing the quiet intimacy to bloom between their interlaced hands.

They wandered past the vibrant roadside stalls. Yelan pointed out the various customs of the Lantern Rite, occasionally purchasing sweet treats to share. When they neared Wanmin Restaurant, the resonant voice of a Storyteller caught their attention. He was spinning a grand tale about Cloud Retainer. They paused at the edge of the crowd to listen.

As the storyteller dramatically described the Perfected One as possessing “striking beauty, wholly untainted by the mundane dust of the mortal world,” Shenhe’s lips pressed into a thin line.

“What is it?” Yelan noticed the shift in her demeanor, her thumb lightly stroking the sensitive center of Shenhe’s palm.

“Although Master is an adeptus, she is not entirely detached from the warmth of the mortal world,” Shenhe murmured, her tone defensive yet soft. “She treats me with great kindness. She sews my winter clothes, cooks warm meals, and when I was struck with fever, she remained by my bedside through the night.”

Yelan gazed at her, the sharp edge of her usual demeanor melting into something deeply soft. “It sounds as though you miss her dearly.”

Shenhe fell silent for a long moment before offering a quiet, “Mhm.” She looked down at the cobblestones. “Even though I know I can return to Mt. Aocang to visit her whenever I please, the longing remains.”

“Growth is invariably accompanied by partings,” Yelan whispered, stepping just a fraction closer. “But it also brings unexpected encounters.”

Their eyes met, locking in the charged space between them, neither willing to look away.

Night fully claimed the sky. Thousands of Xiao Lanterns began their slow, majestic ascent, rising like a river of stars flowing in reverse, painting Liyue’s dark canopy in a dazzling, golden brilliance.

They stood at the highest vantage point on Yujing Terrace, bathed in the amber glow.

“It’s beautiful,” Yelan breathed out, though her eyes never once drifted to the sky. They remained entirely fixed on Shenhe’s profile.

“Mhm,” Shenhe agreed softly.

Illuminated by the floating lanterns, Shenhe’s usually stoic features softened beautifully. Her icy eyes reflected the myriad points of light, resembling a frozen lake just beginning to thaw beneath a shower of starlight.

Yelan watched her, a rare, unguarded tenderness swelling in her chest.

“Shenhe,” she called out, her voice barely above a whisper. “There is something I have been meaning to tell you.”

Shenhe turned, her crystalline gaze expectant.

From within her robes, Yelan produced a single, delicately crafted Xiao Lantern. She offered it to Shenhe. “I made this one myself. It is meant to be released only for you.”

Taking the fragile construct, Shenhe examined the paper surface. It was carefully painted with elegant orchids and graceful cranes, leaning against one another in a lifelike embrace. Beside the imagery, a line of elegant calligraphy read: My heart delights in you, and I wish to be with you forever.

Reading the words, Shenhe’s pulse hammered against her ribs. She snapped her head up, her eyes wide with disbelief.

“To me, you are the brightest lantern in Liyue’s sky,” Yelan murmured, closing the final gap between them until they were sharing the same breath. “I was merely walking through the dark. I looked up by chance, was captivated by your light, and found I could never look away again.”

Shenhe stared at her, her mind reeling, before she finally found her voice. “I… I do not understand human love. I do not know how to properly respond to these feelings.”

She paused, her fingers tightening around the wooden frame of the lantern. “I only know that when I am with you, I feel a deep sense of joy. I find happiness in your proximity, and my chest aches when you are injured.”

Her voice dropped to a fragile whisper. “Is this… what it means to delight in someone?”

A stunning smile broke across Yelan’s face. She reached up, her palm gently cupping Shenhe’s cheek. “That is exactly what it means.”

Slowly, deliberately, she leaned in. Beneath the witness of a thousand ascending stars, Yelan pressed a tender, lingering kiss to Shenhe’s forehead.

The contact was feather-light, yet it ignited a torrent of long-suppressed emotion. Shenhe closed her eyes, surrendering to the enveloping warmth.

She realized then that shedding her armor of ice and allowing someone to draw this close was a comfort unlike any other.

More lanterns flooded the heavens, casting Liyue Harbor in an eternal daylight. Yet amidst the sea of brilliant lights, they saw only each other.

“Next time, I will take you to see a sea of flowers,” Yelan promised softly. Her hand remained intertwined with Shenhe’s, her thumb lazily tracing circles against her palm.

Shenhe nodded, a faint, breathtakingly genuine smile gracing her lips.

She knew that from this night onward, among the countless lights of the mortal realm, one would forever burn solely for her.

Yelan, the master of intelligence who only ever laid traps for her enemies, had woven a snare of yearning just for her—and Shenhe was more than willing to drown in it.