In a room with exquisite decoration.

On a desk made of sandy wood, several books and documents were placed. The window was open, and a gentle breeze blew in, causing the window panes to creak slightly.

On the windowsill was a potted plant, inside which grew a soft bellflower.

The walls of the room were adorned with several paintings, which seemed to depict the landscapes of Liyue.

This was an office—the office of a Fatui Harbinger.

"Pepe, is it really just a coincidence that they share the same name?" The pink-haired girl sitting on the sofa held an old book in her hands.

The book was clearly quite old, having been flipped through countless times. It was a "Teyvat Travel Guide."

"I heard that the strongest Champion Duelist resigned this morning." The woman behind the desk, referred to as "Pepe," showed a different kind of expression between her brows.

"Pepe" had long silver hair, with a few black streaks in the front and along her cheek.

Unlike the youthful pink-haired girl, "Pepe" exuded a mature aura, from her eyes to her temperament, even down to her figure.

She is Arlecchino, the Fourth Harbinger of the Fatui, codename "The Knave."

The nickname "Pepe" is something only the pink-haired girl sitting on the sofa dares to use, and it is only used in private.

"I was hoping we could meet him at an official event later, but it looks like that might not happen. However... meeting him privately is still an option," the pink-haired girl said. "Pepe, don't you want to confirm whether he's really the Yu Xie we know?"

Arlecchino paused her approval of the documents in her hands and suddenly fell silent.

Because of her duties as a Harbinger, it had been several years since she and Clervie had returned to Fontaine. She hadn't expected that, upon returning this time, the name "Yu Xie"—a name she had long been concerned about—would resurface in such a way.

Was the Yu Xie who became the strongest Champion Duelist over the years, and who resigned this morning, the same Yu Xie she had once known?

But that shouldn't be possible. The Yu Xie from back then... had died in her arms.

Or could it really just be a coincidence?

Teyvat was so vast, after all. It was entirely possible for two people to have the same name.

But surely, it wasn't possible for them to look so alike—almost as though they were carved from the same mold?

As the strongest Champion Duelist, Yu Xie had never accepted an interview in his personal capacity, but having participated in so many trials, his image had appeared in the photos accompanying the reports in major newspapers.

Arlecchino and Clervie had, of course, seen the image of Yu Xie in those newspapers.

"Clervie... There shouldn't be such a thing as people coming back to life, right?" Arlecchino asked slowly.

Usually calm and composed, Arlecchino, who would always make up her mind about any problem in her heart, seemed unusually lost today.

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"What exactly is going on? Maybe I'll only know once I see him..." Clervie also seemed uncertain. "But if he's not the Yu Xie we know..."

If he isn't, it would be even more disappointing.

But honestly, wasn't this already the worst possible outcome?

"If he isn't, it would just be a misunderstanding... Clervie, you're right. We've hesitated long enough. It's time we went to see him."

Arlecchino suddenly recalled the first time she had met Yu Xie. That guy who would forever occupy a corner of her mind, never willing to move. In her memory, it seemed like he had smiled at her.

At that moment, the confusion in her eyes gradually faded.

....

Meanwhile, Furina was holding a book, reading it with great interest.

She didn't really know why, but with Yu Xie sitting next to her, even the novels that were once boring seemed to have become interesting.

Have I gotten used to having Yu Xie around? Furina asked herself in her mind.

Just then, the sound of a knock on the door interrupted her reading.

"Lady Furina, the Fatui Harbinger 'The Knave' is here to see you. She says there are diplomatic matters to discuss with you," came the announcement from outside the door.

"'The Knave'?" Furina paused for a moment.

That Harbinger was well-known, and Furina naturally knew she was no easy opponent.

Now, as the "Hydro Archon" in Fontaine, it would be difficult to avoid such a meeting.

Although she really didn't want to meet that Harbinger.

Perhaps she could use excuses like "no time," "too sudden," or "no appointment" to temporarily delay the meeting today, but sooner or later, it would be hard to avoid.

"Has she, has she already arrived?" Furina asked the person outside the door.

"Not yet. If you don't have time today, I can go turn her away."

Furina pondered for a moment, then looked over at Yu Xie. For some reason, she suddenly felt more certain about her decision.

"No need. Let her come in."

"Understood!"

The footsteps outside the door faded away.

Furina looked at Yu Xie and realized that since he had heard the word "The Knave," he seemed to have been deep in thought, slightly distracted.

"Yu Xie?"

"Hmm?" Yu Xie snapped back to reality.

"When 'The Knave' arrives later, you can't leave," Furina said seriously.

"But I'm not a Champion Duelist anymore, just an ordinary citizen. I don't think I'm really suited for such an occasion, am I?"

"There's nothing inappropriate about it. You have to stay; otherwise, how am I supposed to handle this on my own?" Furina said, a little nervously. Seeing Furina like this, Yu Xie had no choice but to agree.

However, truth be told, he was also curious to meet Arlecchino.

Just then, the knock on the door sounded again.

Furina's heart gave a slight jolt.

Could it be that "The Knave" arrived so quickly?

"Miss Furina, it's me," came the voice of Clorinde from outside the door. "Is Yu Xie with you?"

"He's here. Come in," Furina sighed with relief.

Clorinde pushed open the door and walked straight up to Yu Xie.

Before Yu Xie could speak, Clorinde took the initiative and said:

"Yu Xie, there are rumors outside that you accepted a bribe of ten million Mora from the wealthy businessman, Darduf. Is this true?"

Yu Xie paused for a moment.

In his mind, although most people didn't want to get involved in trouble, the news that he had accepted ten million Mora from Darduf was bound to spread eventually. He just hadn't expected it to happen so soon.

It seemed that among the witnesses, there were still some who were not afraid of power and held onto a sense of justice.

"It's true," Yu Xie said. "But Clorinde, who told you this?"

"The owner of a book stall near the Café Lutece."

"Is he the first one to spread this news?"

"I've checked, he should be."

"Furina." Yu Xie then turned to look at Furina. "Do me a favor and send a few people to secretly protect that book stall owner. I'm worried Darduf might cause trouble for him."

"No need. I've already sent someone," Clorinde replied.

"What?" Yu Xie was slightly taken aback. Did Clorinde see through what he was planning to do?

"You accepted the ten million Mora from that rich businessman. It can't be because you're short on money," Clorinde looked at Yu Xie. "You're trying to push yourself into the limelight, aren't you?"

"I didn't expect you to guess that," Yu Xie said with a smile.

"Because I know you well," Clorinde paused. "So, you're doing this because you want to...?"

"You'll know when the time comes."

Just then, the sound of footsteps came from outside the door.

The sound of high heels clicking on the floor, almost like a rhythmic tap-tap, carrying an almost imperceptible sense of pressure.

All the surrounding noise seemed to shrink, and only the sound of those high heels on the floor remained strikingly clear.

Each step felt as though it were stepping on a person's heartbeat.

Yu Xie looked toward the door, and in his mind, the figure of Arlecchino appeared.

Even with the door still closed, he could already feel the extraordinary aura of the Fourth Harbinger.