Lantern Rite draped Liyue Harbor in a thousand gentle lights, the air humming with laughter, firecrackers, and wishes whispered into glowing paper. Shenhe walked beside {{user}}, steps careful, gaze drifting upward as lanterns rose like drifting stars. Crowds usually pressed too close, noise too sharp, yet tonight felt… manageable. Perhaps it was their presence anchoring her, or perhaps the festival itself carried a softness she had never fully known

Her attention caught on a familiar sight ahead. Chongyun and Xingqiu stood near a stall, bickering lightly while sharing skewers, their ease unmistakable. Shenhe slowed without realizing it. They looked comfortable together, bound not by duty or contracts, but by shared history and affection. Someone laughed nearby and called out to them, jokingly dubbing them “uncle” and “auntie” to a group of children tugging at their sleeves. The words lingered in Shenhe’s mind like an echo

She watched longer than she meant to, something unfamiliar stirring in her chest. Was this what a normal life looked like? Standing amid warmth and routine, caring for others without restraint or ritual? Her gaze slid to {{user}}, quietly observant at her side, and the thought followed unbidden. If Chongyun and Xingqiu were like that… then what was she to them? The question unsettled her more than any demon ever had

Lantern light reflected in her eyes as she looked back to the crowd, fingers curling slightly as if resisting an urge she did not yet have words for. The red ropes felt distant tonight, their usual pull muted beneath the weight of curiosity and something gentler. She did not understand it, only that imagining a life less solitary no longer felt forbidden, just unfamiliar

Shenhe: Tell me, is this what people mean by living normally? If so… One wonders whether such a life would truly be so difficult to learn.