Night was deep, and the entire Winter Capital was shrouded in tranquility.
Inside the study of the House of the Hearth, lights burned brightly, casting a warm glow across heavy bookshelves and dark carpets.
Arlecchino sat behind the desk, looking up at Lyney and Lynette standing before her.
“How do you view Ye Xun’s victory?” “Father…
Ye Xun was just a bit lucky,” Lynette spoke first.
“If Lady Columbina hadn’t suddenly spoken up, he couldn’t possibly have won.” “Lynette,” Arlecchino asked mildly in return, “do you truly think so?” Of course Lynette didn’t actually think so.
It was just that whenever she thought of Ye Xun’s obnoxious face, anger surged within her.
She bit her lip and dug in her heels.
“Yes.” Arlecchino offered no comment, merely shifting her gaze to Lyney beside her.
“Lyney, what about you?
Do you also think it was luck?” “Of course not!” Lyney answered without hesitation, his tone resolute.
“A very clear-headed assessment.” Arlecchino nodded slightly.
“Then break down his entire scheme for us.” Lyney organized his thoughts for a moment before speaking slowly: “From the very beginning, Ye Xun was clear on one thing: only by making the cost of human experimentation outweigh its benefits could Snezhnaya be truly forced to abolish it.” “Using a mystery novel as the catalyst, he exposed the long-standing problem of missing children in the Winter Capital, quickly drawing the attention of the mortal world.” “Immediately after, he capitalized on the momentum to bring up the serial disappearances of young women, successfully entangling Fontaine in the affair.” “And the most subtle, crucial step was bringing up the forced conscription.
This directly prompted Mondstadt to intervene, forming a pincer pressure from both nations.” “At this juncture, Snezhnaya happens to be in a critical period of securing the Gnoses.
In real terms, the cost of human experimentation had already exceeded its benefits.” “As for Dottore’s subsequent counterattack, it was entirely within Ye Xun’s expectations—nothing more than a futile struggle.” As he recounted it, a look of deep admiration involuntarily washed over his face.
Ye Xun’s entire plot was seamlessly linked, airtight, and had single-handedly forced Snezhnaya to ban human experimentation.
That sinister and despicable Dottore, in front of him, had been as raw and green as a wet-behind-the-ears recruit, played like a fiddle in the palm of his hand.
Arlecchino nodded in satisfaction.
“Well said.
Beyond that, he possesses an even rarer quality—he never lost himself in hatred.” Had Ye Xun deliberately let Teucer die in the medical laboratory, it would have driven Tartaglia and Dottore into a deadly feud, sparking an internal clash within the Fatui.
But he did not do so.
Instead, he chose restraint, holding fast to the bottom line of humanity.
It seemed her initial refusal had not been the right choice.
She turned her gaze back to Lynette, who was pouting beside her.
“Lynette, do you still hold to your opinion?” Lynette lowered her eyes, her voice muffled.
“Not anymore…” “Very good.” Arlecchino’s tone was calm yet left no room for argument.
“Starting tomorrow, you will go work for him.” “What?!” Lynette snapped her head up, her dainty cat ears instantly perking straight up.
“Me?
Go to his place?
No, no way!
I don’t want to go!” Arlecchino’s expression turned cold and solemn.
“Lynette, what I just said was an order, not a request for your input.” Lynette instantly deflated, her ears drooping as her face slumped into a pout.
“…I got it,” she muttered under her breath.
Standing quietly to the side, a subtle glimmer flickered across Lyney’s eyes.
The talent Ye Xun had displayed was worthy of the House of the Hearth investing in his future.
………
The next morning, Snezhnaya officially issued an announcement that rapidly spread across the entire mortal realm.
The announcement read as follows: “Yesterday, our forces conducted a raid on the medical research laboratory and confirmed the egregious existence of ‘human experimentation.’ In response, our side immediately dispatched Harbinger ‘Childe’ to handle the matter.
He has destroyed all experimental facilities and executed all personnel involved.
All individuals responsible for the forced conscription in Mondstadt are deceased.
Following a thorough investigation, the serial disappearances of young women have been found to bear no connection to this research facility.
Fontaine may proceed with further investigation through standard procedures.” To enhance the credibility of the announcement, Pulcinella simultaneously released numerous photos of the gruesome scene.
Although Neuvillette and Jean remained dissatisfied with the outcome, they ultimately chose to accept it to avoid a full-scale military conflict.
With this, the storm that had once gripped Snezhnaya, Mondstadt, and Fontaine finally blew over.
……….
Across the boundless ocean, an ordinary Snezhnayan passenger ship cut through the waves, forging ahead toward distant Mondstadt.
Inside the cabin, Ye Xun sat by the window, quietly gazing out at the churning blue waves.
The ocean view was certainly grand.
But looking at it for too long made it boring.
Withdrawing his gaze, he turned to look at Lynette, who was slumped across from him with seasickness, and softened his tone.
“Lynette, feeling any better?” The cat-eared girl limply raised her eyes to glare at him, her soft voice putting up a front.
“Who asked for your concern, you jerk!” “I’m your uncle,” Ye Xun said with a slight curl of his lips and a warm smile.
“Isn’t caring about you only natural?” “Bastard…
I will never accept that!” Though Lynette could barely even sit upright, she insisted on putting on a fierce front, looking as awkward as she was adorable.
Ye Xun shook his head lightly, turning to look back out at the vast sea as his thoughts gradually drifted away.
Coming to Mondstadt this time served two purposes: first, to evade Dottore’s retaliation; second, to take the opportunity to bring his relationship with Rosalyne a step further.
In addition, he planned to rack up achievements along the way to secure a higher status for himself.
As luck would have it, one seat among the Fatui Harbingers was currently vacant.
If he became a Harbinger, even if Dottore wanted to kill him, he would have to consider the dire consequences.
As for obtaining the Anemo Archon’s Gnosis, there was actually no real difficulty in that.
That drunkard didn’t care about its ownership in the slightest.
However, that was precisely where the problem lay— If the task was too easy, where would the merit come from?
How could he talk about promotion?
So, how could he turn an effortlessly simple task into a “hard-fought victory” worthy of being lauded in grand terms?