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ArabicGenshin Impact: A Guide to the Unofficial History of Teyvat — Chapter 40
Chapter 40: Second Miss Xingqiu?!
This evening, having finally wrapped up her work—or, to be entirely accurate, having just finished drafting the opening hook of her latest scandalous article—Lovia decided she desperately needed a swim.
As a Melusine, the ocean was the only domain where she truly felt at ease.
Although the coastal waters of Liyue lacked the crystalline clarity of Fontaine, they possessed their own unique, vibrant charm. More, the sea offered a perfect sanctuary from the sheer exhaustion of hunching over a desk all day, not to mention the immense psychological pressure of spinning such unhinged, blasphemous rumors about the local deities.
‘Forgive me, Conqueror of Demons. It’s just business,’ she thought, offering a silent, guilty prayer to the Adepti.
After carefully scanning the shoreline to ensure the area was completely deserted, she slipped into a small, weathered shack near the docks. There, she changed into a simple, heavily modified swimsuit. Calling it a swimsuit was perhaps overly generous; it was essentially just a few strips of waterproof fabric cleverly wrapped and tied around key areas. Even as a humanoid Melusine, her anatomy was vastly different from a normal person’s. Standard human swimwear simply didn’t fit her unique proportions, forcing her to tailor the garments herself.
She neatly folded her signature oversized, hooded cloak, leaving it resting on a small wooden cot, and padded barefoot out of the shack toward the rocky shore.
With a soft plop, the petite blue figure slipped silently into the water. She moved like a phantom fish, disappearing beneath the surface with barely a splash.
As the cool, bracing seawater enveloped her, Lovia let out a long, luxurious sigh. The tension bled from her muscles. Underwater, her tucked-away wings and tail naturally unfurled, stretching out to catch the currents. With a gentle, sweeping stroke of her slender limbs, she propelled herself smoothly through the depths, leaving only fine, silent slipstreams in her wake. Her wings and tail acted as perfect rudders, allowing her to effortlessly adjust her trajectory as she glided deeper into the blue expanse.
Diving had quickly become her absolute favorite method of unwinding since her reincarnation. Yet, even though her Melusine body was perfectly adapted to the ocean, deep within her chest, her human soul remained tightly bound by an invisible string: the desperate need to breathe.
Every time she submerged, the lingering phobias of human instinct would quietly surface. She would instinctively hold her breath, mentally counting the seconds. The moment her chest felt even slightly tight, panic would set in, driving her to kick frantically toward the surface to break the water and gasp the salty, fresh air.
It had become a suffocating mental shackle.
Lovia had vaguely suspected for a while that this new body didn’t actually require such frequent trips to the surface. Once, utterly captivated by a glowing cluster of deep-sea flora, she had stayed under far past her self-imposed safety limit. Instead of the agonizing burn of suffocation, she had merely felt a gentle, nagging mental nudge: ‘It’s been a while since I breathed. Should I take a breath?’
But the primal terror of drowning ran deep, keeping her from ever truly testing her limits.
That was, until recently.
She had been mesmerized by a vibrant coral reef, weaving carefully through the jagged rocks to inspect a stalk of luminescent purple seagrass swaying in the tide. Perhaps she had been entirely too focused. As she drifted backward, her knee slammed violently against a razor-sharp edge of the reef.
A sharp, stinging pain shot through her leg. Shocked, she subconsciously opened her mouth to cry out, taking a sharp, desperate gasp through her nose.
According to every human instinct she possessed, this should have been a death sentence. Freezing seawater should have instantly flooded her throat and trachea, triggering violent convulsions and a terrifying, watery death.
The expected drowning never came.
There was no agonizing burn of flooded lungs, no frantic choking. Instead, there was only the cool, refreshing sensation of seawater flowing smoothly through her mouth and nasal cavities, washing away the anticipated panic. It felt exactly like standing on land and taking a deep breath of crisp morning air—natural, unhindered, and effortless.
Lovia had frozen in shock, completely forgetting the throbbing pain in her knee.
Tentatively, she took another breath.
It wasn’t the sensation of air filling a pair of lungs. It felt more like a fresh, oxygen-rich stream of water being drawn deep into her core, passing through hidden, biological channels she hadn’t even realized she possessed, efficiently filtering the oxygen straight into her bloodstream.
It was a complete, perfect breath, entirely alien to her human memories.
No burning. No choking. Just a fluid, natural rhythm.
In that deep moment, an invisible, heavy barrier inside her mind shattered. The final wall separating her human consciousness from her Melusine reality crumbled away.
So… it really is possible.
A Melusine truly could breathe in the water, as freely and effortlessly as a fish.
Basking in the sheer euphoria of that revelation, she had finally let go. She stopped holding her breath. She relaxed her throat, unknotted her chest, and surrendered completely to her body’s natural instincts. The seawater brushed gently against her cheeks, flowing in to deliver life-giving oxygen and quietly washing away the waste.
It was an intoxicating, beautiful sensation. She felt as though she had been born for the depths, completely and utterly integrated with the endless blue. The final tether to the surface had been severed. She was no longer a fragile land-dwelling visitor anxiously watching the clock; she had returned to the embrace of the ocean.
Beneath the waves lay her true freedom.
Right now, Lovia drifted lazily through the water, her mind wonderfully blank. Sometimes she dove deep to chase schools of silver fish through the coral; other times she breached the surface, bathing in the scattered golden fragments of the setting sun, letting the cool evening breeze tickle her wet antennae.
Completely lost in her aquatic joy, she unknowingly swam far down the coastline, leaving the bustling, noisy docks of Liyue Harbor far behind. She eventually drifted into a secluded, rocky bay. Jagged stone formations shielded the area, and dense, wild bushes lined the shore, creating a pocket of absolute tranquility.
Feeling a pleasant ache in her muscles, Lovia slowed her pace. She began to tread water gently, letting her small body bob with the rhythmic ripples of the tide.
She wiped the salty droplets from her eyes and shook her head, sending a spray of water flying from her hair. Her soft blue antennae, slick and translucent in the fading light, swayed gently of their own accord.
Lovia gazed around the empty, wild shoreline, a satisfied smile curving her lips.
“As expected, the water is the most comfortable place to be…” she murmured softly to herself.
She was completely unaware that in the shadows of the coastal bushes, just a stone’s throw away, a figure had quietly stepped onto the rocks.
Earlier that afternoon, after parting ways with Chongyun, Xingqiu had been struck by a sudden whim. He wanted a quiet, picturesque spot to study the newly acquired martial arts Sword Manual tucked into his robes. Recalling that this particular bay was notoriously difficult to reach and rarely visited by merchants, he had taken a leisurely stroll out of the city.
He had just settled himself onto a smooth, flat reef near the water’s edge, preparing to lose himself in the text, when the distinct sound of splashing broke the silence.
Xingqiu instinctively looked up. A petite figure had just broken the surface of the sea.
The golden-red light of the sunset spilled across the water, illuminating the silhouette. Though the figure was small, it was immediately apparent that this was no human child.
Wet blue hair clung to her forehead and the slender curve of her neck. But the most striking features were the soft, azure antennae trembling slightly in the evening breeze, and a small, non-human tail that occasionally breached the surface as she treaded water.
Xingqiu froze. His grip on the precious Sword Manual tightened involuntarily, crinkling the parchment.
That silhouette… those unique features…
The memory of a small, heavily cloaked figure knocking over a display in a Liyue stationery store flashed vividly in his mind. Chongyun had merely tried to speak to her, and the resulting panic had caused her hood to slip, revealing her startling true appearance.
A Melusine! It’s that Melusine from the store!
She’s actually out here… swimming?
Xingqiu held his breath. His amber eyes, usually crinkled in a polite, knowing smile, were now wide with genuine shock and intense, scholarly curiosity.
He watched her frolic in the water with the grace of a joyful little fish. Her movements were fluid and completely uninhibited, a stark contrast to the clumsy, terrified girl who had tripped over her own robes on land. In the water, she looked like an entirely different creature.
Those delicate antennae twitched nimbly above the surface, occasionally dipping beneath the waves to send up a spray of fine, sparkling droplets that caught the dying sun.
Stripped of her oversized disguises, she looked so at peace, so perfectly in her element. The nervous, skittish little thing trying to erase her own existence in the city was gone.
For some inexplicable reason, Xingqiu’s heart gave a slight, rapid beat. It wasn’t shock anymore; it was a deep appreciation for this sudden display of harmonious, natural beauty. He recalled the ancient Liyue texts describing the legendary ‘Spirits of the Clear Springs,’ and decided that no poetic verse could possibly capture the scene before him more perfectly.
Drawn in by the sight, he instinctively leaned forward to get a better look.
His boot shifted against the rock. A loose pebble gave way.
Clatter…
The stone tumbled down the reef and splashed softly into the sea.
Lovia, who had been floating in a state of absolute zen, flinched violently. Pure instinct took over. She dove beneath the surface in a flash of blue, leaving behind nothing but a circle of frantic ripples.
Oh no, Xingqiu thought, wincing internally.
A few agonizing seconds passed. Then, several meters further out, Lovia cautiously poked her head above the water. Water streamed down her face as she locked her panicked, wide eyes on the source of the noise.
Her gaze slammed directly into the apologetic, intensely curious stare of the blue-haired young master sitting on the rocks.
Their eyes met. The evening air seemed to freeze solid.
Lovia’s brain let out a deafening buzz and instantly flatlined.
Xing… Second Miss Xingqiu?!
Why is he here?!
How much did he see?!
When did he even get here?!
A tsunami of frantic questions battered her mind. The sheer, unadulterated horror and embarrassment paralyzed her completely. She forgot to breathe. She even forgot to duck back under the water to hide.
Through the golden haze of the sunset, she could clearly see the astonishment painted across Xingqiu’s aristocratic features, watching his expression shift rapidly from scholarly curiosity to startled realization.
I’m doomed. I am so doomed! Exposed for a second time! And this time I’m in the water!
I’m basically… semi-naked!
Even though Melusine anatomy and aesthetics were entirely different from humans, her reincarnated human soul knew exactly how a person from Liyue would view this situation!
Lovia’s cheeks ignited, burning so hot the seawater around her face practically steamed. She instinctively shrank down until the water reached her nose, leaving only her wide, terrified jade-green eyes visible above the surface.
Xingqiu stared at those eyes, reading the absolute cocktail of shock, embarrassment, and sheer terror swirling within them. He noticed her antennae—previously soft and relaxed—were now standing completely rigid, trembling like taut bowstrings.
He immediately realized he had terrified the poor girl all over again.
Scrambling to salvage the situation, Xingqiu quickly stood up, smoothing his robes. He plastered on the most harmless, friendly, and polite smile he could muster. Raising a hand, he offered a gentle wave to the submerged Melusine, pitching his voice to be as soothing as possible.
“Ah… g-good evening, Miss Lovia? What a serendipitous coincidence to meet you here. Tell me, is the seawater of Liyue… to your liking?”
[Elysian’s Note: “Second Miss Xingqiu” is a popular, teasing fandom nickname for Xingqiu, stemming from his elegant, slightly androgynous appearance, his refined aristocratic manners, and his distinct haircut. Lovia, being a reincarnated otaku, naturally defaults to this meme in her internal panic.]