Yuxie stared blankly out the window, suddenly feeling that the course of events in this world was truly unpredictable.

One moment, everything could be filled with laughter and joy, and the next, it could be engulfed in utter silence.

[Abnormal power invasion detected, attempting to purge]

[First attempt at purging failed, attempting suppression...]

[Suppression successful]

[Please rest assured, give me some time, purging the anomaly is not impossible]

As the system's prompts echoed in his mind, the dark crimson light on Yuxie's hands dissipated.

But clearly, suppression and purging were two different things. The system had only managed to suppress it for now; complete purging would take more time.

The tenacity of this power was beyond imagination.

Knock knock knock— There came a knock on the door.

And then, Yuxie heard Eula's familiar voice.

"Yuxie, wake up~"

"Wait a moment, I just got up," Yuxie replied, trying to compose himself. He got out of bed, put on his clothes, and left the bedroom to open the door.

Eula stood outside, smiling.

"Got any plans for today?" Eula asked.

"Shouldn't be anything, why?" Yuxie responded.

"Well then, how about after breakfast, you come with me to take a walk in the outskirts? What do you think?"

Yuxie suddenly fell silent.

He thought about the calamity-inducing power, the one that was still residing within him, not yet purged. He didn't know if it would suddenly erupt at any moment.

If he went out with Eula and the power erupted... what if it harmed her?

"You... don't want to go?" Eula asked, noticing his silence, her voice tinged with concern.

Though it wasn't the first time she had invited Yuxie out, Eula felt today that perhaps she should have been more tactful with her invitation.

"Sorry, Eula, I just remembered that I have some things to take care of. Can we go next time?" Yuxie gave a slightly apologetic smile.

This was the first time Yuxie had ever turned down one of Eula's requests.

It was only then that Eula realized—up until now, Yuxie had always been unconditionally accommodating to her.

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No matter what request she made, Yuxie would always agree.

Although she had never taken his kindness for granted, when he turned her down this time, she couldn't help but feel a little lost.

Seeing the uncertain expression on Eula's face, Yuxie reached out and gently ruffled her hair.

"I really have something to do. It's not that I'm purposely rejecting you. I promise I'll go with you next time."

Eula hesitated for a moment, then smiled softly and nodded.

"Hmm, do you need any help? If there's anything I can do, just let me know."

"I can handle it on my own," Yuxie said with a smile.

"Hmm... alright then. I'll be going now. See you later."

"See you next time."

Eula turned and left.

Yuxie stood at the door, watching Eula's figure disappear into the distance down the street.

He then returned to his room, closed his eyes, and sat quietly, deep in thought.

Time passed slowly. The sunlight outside gradually shifted, and the temperature began to rise as noon approached.

Finally, Yuxie opened his eyes again, left his residence, and set out alone towards Dragonspine.

To avoid any potential accidents, he felt that he couldn't stay in Mondstadt until he resolved his own issues.

.......

The next day.

Eula woke up early that morning.

As she walked through the streets, people around her still gave her somewhat strange looks.

But she had long since grown accustomed to it, and she no longer cared about the odd glances from others.

The Lawrence surname seemed like a "curse," but it was also a responsibility, as Yuxie had made her realize.

Despite the stares of passersby, Eula made her way to the "Good Hunter" restaurant.

"Miss Sara, I'd like an order of Sticky Honey Roast, to go please."

"Alright, one Sticky Honey Roast," Sara, the receptionist at the Good Hunter restaurant, said with a smile. "Eula, you look like you're in a good mood today. Did something good happen?"

"Not really, just an ordinary day," Eula replied.

"Well, I don't think it's just an ordinary day. This Sticky Honey Roast—you're taking it for someone else, aren't you?" Sara said with a knowing smile.

"Just… just wrap it up to go," Eula said, turning her head away. "Miss Sara, you're making wild guesses again, I'll note that down for later."

"Alright, alright, no more guessing," Sara covered her mouth and laughed lightly. "Please wait a moment, the Sticky Honey Roast will be ready soon."

Despite the many prejudices people had towards the Lawrence family, there were still those in Mondstadt who recognized Eula's kind nature and treated her like an ordinary girl.

Sara, the receptionist at the Good Hunter restaurant, was one of them.

She actually liked Eula a lot. Every time Eula came, she would smile warmly, a different kind of smile from the polite, professional one used for customers.

Soon, Eula's order was ready. She took the packed Sticky Honey Roast and left the Good Hunter restaurant.

Walking down the street, turning many corners, Eula eventually arrived at Yuxie's residence.

Yuxie hadn't been free yesterday, but today, he should have time.

It was still early, so Yuxie probably hadn't had breakfast yet. Eula decided that the Sticky Honey Roast would serve as breakfast for him.

She took a deep breath, adjusted her mood, and reached out to knock on the door.

"Yuxie, wake up~"

As usual, Yuxie would be at the door soon, but today, Eula waited for quite a while, and the door still didn't open. There was no sound of footsteps from inside.

Could it be that Yuxie hasn't woken up yet?

"Yuxie~" Eula called out again.

After waiting for a while, there was still no response.

A wave of worry suddenly rose from the pit of her stomach.

At that moment, she noticed something sticking out from under the door.

She crouched down and looked closely, realizing that it was the corner of an envelope.

Eula took the envelope from the gap under the door and opened it.

"Eula, I have some things to take care of and need to leave for a few days. Don't worry about me. Remember to eat well, don't always say you're eating less to avoid gaining weight—make sure to eat enough. If I come back and find that you've lost weight, I'll make sure you eat it all back!"

The handwriting wasn't particularly beautiful, but it was definitely Yuxie's.

After reading the brief letter, Eula's worries faded away.

She glanced at the Sticky Honey Roast she was holding and murmured:

"Looks like I'll have to eat this myself now."