Leaning against the windmill’s railing, the two watched as the setting sun slowly sank below the horizon.
Moh suddenly remembered something and turned to Venti.
“By the way, how much do you know about the Lawrence clan?”
Venti blinked.
“Why the sudden interest?”
“Just curious,” Moh said.
“Listening to your song today, they seemed to be heroes who helped overthrow the King of High Towers.”
“Yes.” Venti nodded.
“Back then, their family opened up their armory and granaries, which was a massive help. The current clan head is a reliable man, but unfortunately…”
“Unfortunately what?”
“Vennessa received some tip-off letters saying that the Lawrences want to restore the old high-tower aristocracy and become the absolute rulers of Mondstadt.
Even though Mondstadt abolished the position of God-King long ago and banned the old regime’s overly harsh, inhumane systems and stark class divisions, considering the contributions of the three great clans, their descendants still receive plenty of policy favors.
But lately, the Lawrences…
they seem to have grown a bit too proud.
They’re treating the glory and honor their ancestors earned with blood as a yardstick of bloodlines to divide humanity into high and low classes.
Still, with Vennessa keeping them in check, they haven’t crossed any red lines yet.
However, their youngest son is quite decent.
Though he often talks about honor, he isn’t supercilious like the other old fossils in the Lawrence family.
He gets real work done.
Although his rank isn’t high, his subordinates and the common folk speak very well of him.”
Just as Moh was about to speak, he saw two figures walking past below the windmill.
One of them was someone he knew—a minor noble from the Fairy Guard of Honor, the Frost Sprite lady who served as the orchestra’s conductor.
She had long, ice-blue hair, wore a wave-shaped hair accessory, and walked with elegant, poised steps.
Her name was Genevieve.
The other was a stranger to him—a young human male, blonde with blue eyes, dressed impeccably, and looking like a member of the nobility.
The two were walking slowly along the city wall.
They kept a slight distance, but the atmosphere between them was rather subtle.
Venti leaned over to take a look.
“Oh, that’s the youngest Lawrence son I was talking about. His name is Johnny.” He stroked his chin.
“Is the one next to him one of your fairies?”
“The orchestra conductor. Her musical accomplishments are outstanding, and she can wield a greatsword with grace and beauty,” Moh said.
The two exchanged a glance, leaned over the railing together, and began to spectate.
The pair below were walking very slowly.
The Lawrence lad—Moh could see him clearly now—was indeed quite handsome, but his expression was too solemn.
He was speaking very rapidly, as if he were giving a progress report rather than enjoying a romantic stroll.
The Frost Sprite lady listened quietly, a faint smile playing on her lips.
Reaching a corner, the two came to a stop.
Genevieve pulled a small box from her vest and handed it to Johnny.
The Lawrence young man blushed, accepted it, and opened it to find a brooch inside.
Then, the two just stood there, neither of them speaking.
The two up on the windmill simultaneously let out satisfied squeals.
“I totally ship this.”
“Come on,” Venti nudged Moh.
“Let’s go down and take a closer look.”
“Is that really a good idea? Aren’t we being third wheels?”
“What’s wrong with that? We’re just concerned citizens. But your fairies have been in the city for less than a week. Isn’t their progress a bit too fast?”
“Love at first sight. It’s very common in Snezhnaya.”
The two crept down the windmill and found a spot at a modest distance to hide—Moh behind a tree, and Venti behind a water barrel.
With their heads sticking out, grins plastered on their faces, and rears sticking up, they didn’t show an ounce of divine dignity.
The young couple was still standing there.
Johnny wanted to say something, but he opened his mouth only for nothing to come out.
Genevieve was the same.
She had wanted to give him the brooch, but once the box was handed over, she had no idea what to do next.
The gift had been accepted, but she didn’t know what he was waiting for, and he hadn’t even given her a proper response.
The atmosphere grew a bit awkward.
Venti poked his head out from behind the barrel.
“They need help.”
Moh poked his head out from behind the tree.
“What should we do?”
“Look at the Lawrence guy. He didn’t know your fairy was going to give him a gift, so he didn’t bring anything,” Venti whispered.
“In Mondstadt, custom dictates that the gentleman gives a gift to the lady first, and then the lady returns the favor.”
Venti’s eyes widened.
“Are you fairies really that wild?”
Moh threw his hands up.
If Venti wanted answers, he’d have to ask what exactly went into the recipe when the artificial fairies of the Golden Realm were created.
Undeniably, some fairies were fiercely devoted, like Grand Duke Filippov and his wife.
With technology being underdeveloped in this era, fairies had to find more pleasurable pastimes to wile away their long lifespans, aside from dancing, singing, and writing literature.
Venti looked around and spotted a young flower girl by the roadside.
His eyes lit up.
He slipped away and whispered something to her.
In no time, the girl trotted over to the young couple with her flower basket.
“Sir, won’t you buy a flower for this lovely lady?”
Johnny froze.
The blush on the blue-themed Frost Sprite lady was exceptionally striking.
Johnny pulled out some coins to buy a flower and handed it to her.
The Frost Sprite lady accepted it, offering him a genuinely radiant smile.
All fairies were breathtakingly beautiful, especially those hand-selected by the Tsar for the Guard of Honor.
Her smile left Johnny utterly spellbound.
Moh was barely holding back his laughter behind the tree.
Venti slipped back and squatted beside him.
“How was that?”
Moh gave him a thumbs-up.
As a veteran shipper who devoured any romantic fluff tossed his way, he had high hopes for Genevieve and Johnny.
The young couple continued forward.
The two troublemaking third wheels kept following.
Passing through an alley and skirting around a residential area, they arrived at a small plaza.
There was a fountain and a bench in the plaza, and the couple sat down on the bench.
Under the sprawling moonlight, they sat very close—close enough to hear each other’s breathing.
Moh and Venti crouched behind the fountain, four eyes locked onto them.
“When are they going to kiss?” Venti whispered.
“What’s the rush?” Moh replied.
“Relationships take time. You can’t just go up there and smash their heads together, can you?”
Venti looked at him.
“Have you ever been in love?”
“No, but plenty of people have pursued me. The last person who verbally asked me out on a tryst is sitting right in front of me.”
Venti shook his head dramatically.
“Oh, come on, I told you that was a joke!”
Moh ignored him, keeping his eyes glued on the couple.
Johnny spoke up from the bench.
“Lady Genevieve.”
“Just call me Genevieve. There’s no need to be so formal when talking to me.”
“Alright, Genevieve.” Johnny lowered his head.
“Actually, I’ve been thinking about something.”
“What is it?”
“You are a fairy, and I am a human,” he said.
“If I associate with you, will the other fairies…”
Genevieve’s expression grew serious.
“If you’re worried about that, I can speak with His Majesty. His Majesty has never cared about status or race. Besides, we Frost Sprites are a people who yearn for love. Whether you are male or female, rich or poor, even if you were just a little bird or a loaf of bread—I would still love you. Because what I love is your soul.”
Johnny was deeply moved, though he was somewhat confused as to why she compared him to a loaf of bread.
Behind the fountain, Moh almost choked on his own spit.
“What do you mean, speak to me?” he muttered under his breath.
“I’m crouching right here!”
Venti nudged him.
“Go help them out.”
Moh brushed off his clothes, stood up from behind the fountain, and walked over to the young couple as if nothing had happened.
“Good evening,” he said.
Both of them looked up simultaneously.
The Frost Sprite lady froze, staring at him.
“Your…”
Moh pointed to his own “chicken wings.” “You’ve got the wrong person. I’m just passing by.”
Genevieve blinked, choosing not to press further.
Moh sat down next to them.
“I accidentally overheard your conversation just now,” he said.
“Regarding whether fairies and humans can love each other.”
Johnny’s expression instantly tensed up.
Was this fellow fairy of Lady Genevieve’s about to lecture him for daring to love a fairy, trying to tear them apart?
Moh waved his hand.
“Don’t be nervous.
I just wanted to say—if you two like each other, then just be together.
Who cares what anyone else says?
Fairies have a long history, but our old hatred for the people of the Golden Realm shouldn’t be projected onto other humans.
Just look at ou—our Emperor.
If he spent all his time worrying about what others said, do you think he could have unified Snezhnaya?
And Her Highness Anastasia, she isn’t of pure blood, yet she is still a noble Grand Duchess of the Royal Court.
As far as I know, His Majesty has recently shown an inclination to accept humans as his subjects, and plans to secure more trade and cooperation with Mondstadt.
If you two were to unite, it might very well be seen as proof of friendly relations between our nations, and a sign of fairy acceptance of humans.
That would be a good thing for both of your families, wouldn’t it?”
The Frost Sprite lady looked thoughtful, while Johnny gazed at her.
Children of great clans always had certain reservations.
A marriage purely for love, devoid of political interest, was incredibly hard to achieve.
Genevieve was fine.
Moh could keep an eye out for her, and since she was a noble with real authority, she had the power to protect her own romance.
But Johnny was a different story.
As the youngest son of the Lawrence clan who stood no chance of inheriting, his marriage would most likely be used as a political tool to forge alliances with other factions.
Though Moh was addressing Genevieve, he was primarily dropping hints for Johnny.
From what Venti had said, Moh suspected that the Lawrence clan might be headed down the path of the old aristocracy.
If so, Moh was inclined to support this youngest son in taking the reins of power, ensuring the Lawrences behaved themselves and stayed out of trouble.
This, of course, was on the condition that he could marry Genevieve.
As for whether changing the present would alter the future—such as whether the players’ beloved Eula would still be born—Moh could only say that Teyvat was full of instances where cause and effect were inverted.
For instance, the seed planted by Raiden Ei, which, borrowing the power of Istaroth, grew in the past to become the Sacred Sakura of the Grand Narukami Shrine.
In a world like Teyvat, where everyone’s destiny was preordained, the appearance of key figures was never in doubt—especially those destined to receive a Vision.
He had dropped all the hints he needed to.
Genevieve should understand his meaning.
For her, this would not only let her be with the one she loved, but also increase her political leverage and standing in the Royal Court.
Moh stood up and brushed off his clothes.
“Well, I’ve had my say. Carry on.”
He turned to leave, but after a few steps, he paused and looked back.
“By the way, that brooch is very nice. It suits you.”
Johnny touched the brooch, a rather goofy smile spreading across his face.
Though the two looked similar in age, Genevieve was actually cradle-robbing.
A two-hundred-year-old dating a human lad in his twenties…
the other fairies would probably have a field day gossiping behind Genevieve’s back.
Moh returned behind the fountain.
Venti shook his head.
“Tsk, tsk. Love is such a beautiful thing, yet you make it sound so calculating.”
Moh kept a straight face.
“I’m merely offering practical advice to stabilize their relationship. You don’t understand fairies. The passionate phase of a fairy’s love isn’t too long or too short; it usually lasts as long as a mortal human’s entire lifespan. However, there are times when they get distracted by someone even better along the way. Fairies have a hoarding instinct for anything beautiful—be it a striking appearance or a noble soul. Naturally, the more good things they have, the better.”
Venti fell silent.
He was now more curious about how Moh managed to earn the absolute devotion of all these fairies, given how headstrong and fiercely independent they all seemed to be.
The two continued to watch from their crouched positions.
The young couple sat on the bench for a while longer, pouring their hearts out to one another.
Then, slowly, slowly—
Leaning in closer.
Closer still.
Their lips met.
Moh and Venti pumped their fists simultaneously and gave each other a silent high-five.
*Smack.*
With practiced ease, Moh manifested a Light Cone.
The image froze—under the moonlight, beside the fountain, on the bench, two young people sharing a kiss.
A silvery glow bathed them, coating the moment in a soft, hazy light.
4-Star Light Cone: [When Ah Zhen Fell in Love with Ah Qiang]
[A sweet moment beneath the moonlight on a romantic night, shared by two people in love.]