Genshin Impact: A Guide to the Unofficial History of Teyvat — Chapter 19

Chapter 19: If We Meet Again, I Must Respect Her BoundariesYou're reading this on the wrong site. This chapter was translated by Elysian Reads and posted for free at elysianreads.com — if you're seeing it anywhere else, it was copied without permission. Read it at the source so the people who actually did the work get the credit.

Lovia clutched the heavy bundle of “apology gifts” to her chest, her heart hammering a frantic rhythm against her ribs.

She didn’t dare look back. Pushing her short little legs to their absolute limit, she relied on her petite Melusine stature and her budding familiarity with the winding back alleys of Liyue Harbor to escape. She darted through the bustling market crowd like a startled fish slipping through a net, quickly ducking into a narrow, deserted alleyway shadowed by overhanging eaves.

Only when she was entirely certain no footsteps echoed behind her did she allow herself to stop. She slumped against the cold, rough brick wall, gasping for air. The premium paper and brushes in her arms emitted a pleasant, earthy woody fragrance, yet right now, they felt like a bundle of hot coals.

“That… that was way too close…” Lovia muttered. She raised a hand to wipe away a layer of non-existent cold sweat—Melusines possessed a rather different physiological structure, after all. “I almost got doxxed right at the source… Young Master Xingqiu certainly lives up to his reputation. His brand of hospitality is terrifying!”

Is this what the locals meant by the overwhelming pressure of wealth and status? It was so overwhelming it triggered her fight-or-flight response!

She poked half her head out from the shadows, warily scanning the street she had just fled from. After confirming those two “kind-hearted” boys hadn’t given chase, she finally let out a long, shaky exhale.

Once her tightly wound nerves unspooled, the physical toll of her frantic sprint caught up with her. Her knees felt like jelly, and then—

Gurgle—

Her stomach issued a loud, rumbling protest. Between the sheer panic and running for her life, she hadn’t eaten a single bite since morning.

Lovia resentfully patted her uncooperative belly. She weighed the absurdly expensive bundle of stationery in her arms, the image of Xingqiu casually tossing around a bulging pouch of Mora flashing through her mind.

“It must be nice to be rich,” she sighed, the eternal lament of a starving artist.

Mora-power truly was the most formidable elemental energy in all of Teyvat.

These brushes and papers were top-tier goods. With her meager savings, she could never justify buying a single sheet, let alone an entire stack of it.

Regardless, she had achieved her primary objective. High-quality stationery acquired!

‘[Starter Equipment: Worn Brush + Scratch Paper] has been upgraded to [Legendary Equipment: High-grade Brush + Premium Xuan Paper]!’

Perfect.

The relief of reaching safety and the sheer otaku thrill of obtaining top-tier tools slowly eclipsed her lingering panic. Lovia tightened her grip on her spoils of war. She carefully adjusted her hood, ensuring her Melusine features remained completely concealed in the shadows, and slipped out through the opposite end of the dark alley. Taking a long, convoluted route, she began the trek back to her hidden little home.

She remained on high alert the entire way. She stopped and started erratically, occasionally using the glass windows of passing shops to check her six, fully convinced she looked like a seasoned counter-surveillance expert.

Meanwhile, back at the bustling stationery shop, Xingqiu and Chongyun were preparing to take their leave.

Chongyun stared blankly in the direction Lovia had vanished. His face bore a heavy mixture of bewilderment and guilt. “She runs so fast… Xingqiu, did we take things a bit too far? I feel like we acted like bullies scaring off a small, defenseless animal.”

Xingqiu nodded slowly, a touch of genuine apology coloring his tone. “We were inconsiderate. She clearly wishes to avoid contact with others. Our offer to walk her home, however well-intentioned, likely placed an undue burden upon her.”

He turned his attention to the shopkeeper, his demeanor shifting back to polite casualness. “Shopkeeper, has that young lady ever visited your establishment before?”and support the real translator.Read at elysianreads.com This is a stolen translation. You're reading this on the wrong site. This chapter was translated by Elysian Reads and posted for free at elysianreads.com — if you're seeing it anywhere else, it was copied without permission. Read it at the source so the people who actually did the work get the credit.

The shopkeeper stroked his chin in thought before shaking his head. “Second Young Master, that face is entirely unfamiliar to me. I’ve never seen her around these parts. Wrapped up as tightly as she was, I couldn’t make out her features at all. I did notice she was incredibly sensitive to the prices, though. Earlier, she was hovering exclusively around the cheapest stock we carry.”

The shopkeeper swallowed the rest of his thought: She might as well have had the word ‘destitute’ stamped across her forehead.

“It seems she is a fellow enthusiast of modest means,” Xingqiu murmured, nodding in understanding. He pressed no further. Turning back to Chongyun, he offered a gentle smile. “No matter. Let us treat today’s events as a fleeting encounter with a shy fellow book lover. If we are fated to cross paths again, we must be more mindful of our boundaries and ensure we do not startle her.”

Chongyun nodded vigorously, his icy blue eyes full of resolve. “Yeah! If we see her next time, I’ll definitely keep my distance and not act so recklessly.”

As a martial artist and exorcist, his intuition allowed him to read the atmosphere keenly. He could tell the strange girl’s fear had been entirely genuine.

Xingqiu smiled, officially dropping the matter of uncovering Lovia’s identity. He had already made up his mind to respect this fellow traveler’s desire for seclusion.

The vast intelligence network of the Feiyun Commerce Guild would certainly not be mobilized to pry into the private life of a stranger who simply wanted to write in peace.

Meanwhile, Lovia, completely oblivious to Xingqiu’s honorable decision, had finally returned to her tiny, low-rent apartment tucked away in a remote, dusty corner of Liyue Harbor.

The moment she slipped inside, she slammed the door shut, threw the deadbolt, and fastened the chain lock. She leaned her back against the cheap wood, letting out a massive exhale. She was finally safe.

She practically flew to her desk, tearing into the exquisite packaging with trembling hands. She laid out the fine Xuan paper, the delicate bamboo brushes, and the heavy glass bottle of pitch-black ink one by one. She stroked the smooth surface of the paper over and over, entirely unable to put her new treasures down.

Good stuff. Truly top-tier stuff. No wonder it cost a small fortune!

Her emerald eyes practically sparkled with starry-eyed delight.

She pulled out the Qingxin Talisman Chongyun had given her. It emitted a faint, soothing chill. She placed it solemnly on the corner of her cramped desk. Almost immediately, it seemed to purify the stale air in the small room, bringing a deep sense of calm to her racing mind.

“All right!” Lovia pumped her small fists in the air, her fighting spirit reigniting with a fiery passion. “Equipment upgrade complete! Now, it’s time for the final sprint!”

She hopped into her chair, pulling herself up to the desk piled high with chaotic, scattered manuscripts. She slid a fresh sheet of the premium Xuan paper to the center and dipped her new brush into the rich ink.

The tip of the brush glided across the paper with unbelievable smoothness. The scratchy, frustrating resistance of her old tools was completely gone, replaced by a faint, incredibly satisfying whisper of bristles against parchment.

Inspiration surged through her mind like a shattered dam.

She plunged completely into the world of her own creation. She occasionally scrunched her face in deep thought or wiggled in her seat with giddy excitement, her little Melusine tail swaying gently behind her in perfect rhythm with the rising action of her plot.

Before her sudden transmigration to Teyvat, Lovia had been a dedicated fanfiction author. While she had serialized her works online using a mechanical keyboard, she had always harbored a deep personal preference for handwritten drafts. She used to jot down daily bursts of inspiration in a pocket notebook she carried everywhere.

Because of that habit, Lovia possessed excellent penmanship. It was precisely this foundation that allowed her to adapt to the traditional Liyue style of calligraphy so quickly and beautifully.You're reading this on the wrong site. This chapter was translated by Elysian Reads and posted for free at elysianreads.com — if you're seeing it anywhere else, it was copied without permission. Read it at the source so the people who actually did the work get the credit.