Chapter 132: A Confession in a Dream

Night.

"Alchemy really isn't something meant for humans to learn."

Lu Mingfei sat in his familiar seat, staring at the limiter before him, muttering helplessly to himself. Although Constantine’s identity issues could be resolved through the Evil Eye, the pain and sorrow he had recently endured served as a wake-up call. It made him deeply realize his own shortcomings and flaws, prompting him to commit to further study and research into alchemy.

Encountering problems isn't terrifying; what is terrifying is failing to take preventative measures once you have the means to solve them. While issues like Constantine’s identity were unlikely to recur, Lu Mingfei still intended to study alchemy—it would always be useful.

Unfortunately, Constantine was currently pouring all his efforts into using alchemy to modify the Evil Eye. To construct it into a higher-tier alchemical amplifier in a short amount of time, assisting him in utilizing the causality separation of the Seven Kingdoms of Alchemy, Constantine had to give his all, seizing every single second to build it.

In other words, he had no time to teach Lu Mingfei.

But without Constantine’s guidance, was Lu Mingfei destined to stay stagnant? No, of course not! He would study and research on his own, exploring the mysteries of alchemy. By examining the basic construction of the limiter and the principles of the Evil Eye, he would continuously elevate his alchemical level and keep making progress.

Although it was difficult, his current situation was much better than before. Previously, Lu Mingfei had to study alchemy to reach specific, mandatory goals; now, he studied it simply to improve his own abilities. The fundamental difference in his mindset made the research far less agonizing.

"Hey, Lu Mingfei, how are things going on your end? Are you in danger?" Furina asked quietly.

"I'm fine. Constantine has already solved the most critical issues through the Evil Eye. I’m currently studying more application principles of alchemy," Lu Mingfei replied.

As he spoke, he suddenly remembered that when he first observed the construction of a Vision, he had instantly spotted the redundant part—the structure that fixed the user and allowed for the extraction of their aspirations. If his guess was correct, this was what Constantine called "second-packaging utilization."

However, in the world of Teyvat, the second-packaging of a Vision clearly wasn't intended to boost performance. It mainly restricted others from using it and increased the component for extracting aspirations, serving more to limit the intensity of use. Thus, after Lu Mingfei stripped away the second packaging, the power of the Evil Eye actually became stronger. Of course, this also had to do with the raw materials of authority.

*If that’s the case,* he thought, *could I research more novel alchemical principles by studying the packaging structure of Visions? For example, turning an Evil Eye that anyone can use into one that only a specific person can use—a... personal weapon! A signature weapon!*

Just thinking about it felt incredible!

Lost in thought, Lu Mingfei glanced at Constantine, who was working nearby. The young boy was using alchemy to re-package the Evil Eye into a larger red gemstone, then placing it alongside the scepter he had forged earlier from a dragon egg and quartz glass, attempting to combine them.

*Does he want to build a scepter for himself? An alchemical scepter that can amplify power?*

"Do you like scepters as weapons?" Lu Mingfei asked curiously.

"No," Constantine replied decisively.

"Then why are you making a scepter? Is it just because that’s the only material you have?" Lu Mingfei asked, pondering.

"Because my brother likes them."

A radiant, sun-like smile slowly bloomed on Constantine’s face. He gazed at the alchemical scepter in his hands, seemingly imagining the moment he would present it to his brother. Alchemy seemed to have transformed into a joyous, beautiful pursuit.

Lu Mingfei watched him, lost in thought.

"I saw the Traveler today. Even though she’s certified by the God of Wisdom herself as the Fourth Descender, she feels more like an ordinary person traveling. I wonder what the difference between a Descender and a regular person really is," Furina whispered, lying on her bed and staring at the ceiling.

"Perhaps she possesses some unique trait—a hidden power that can only be triggered after obtaining the full power of the elements. How could a traveler who traverses the sea of stars be weak? A weak traveler wouldn't have the ability to cross worlds. Even I don't have the power to travel directly to Teyvat. She must have some special power, so you must not take her lightly," Lu Mingfei cautioned.

"Alright, alright~ I know~" Furina responded casually, a lovely curve forming at the corners of her mouth.

Soon, she thought of Dottore, who had arrived in Fontaine. But Dottore wasn't difficult to handle; with her preparations and power, she should be able to cope. There was no need to worry Lu Mingfei, who was about to face Norton.

As she grew, the hydro power Furina could command gradually increased. She felt she could master even more strength. This growth was so rapid that she began to suspect whether it was her own speed of growth, or if she was benefiting from some hidden perks—like some existence connected to her suddenly leveling up, and she was tagging along for the ride. It was precisely because of this growth that Furina chose to shoulder the trouble brought by Dottore alone. To take on burdens without the ability to handle them would only be adding trouble to those who should have been informed.

***

"Thump!"

Lu Mingfei collapsed.

The sound of his fall echoed in the hotel room, but Constantine, obsessed with alchemy, did not react. When Constantine reached the peak of his focus, he subconsciously ignored changes in his surroundings. This didn't mean he didn't hear it; rather, he heard it, but his brain refused to process the junk data, so he didn't respond.

"Lu Mingfei, guess what rank the Traveler’s current strength would be among the Fatui Harbingers?"

"I feel like it's around the Third."

"What do you think?"

"Hm? Where did you go? Say something!"

Gradually, Furina began to realize something was wrong. She could feel that the connection between her and Lu Mingfei hadn't been severed, but Lu Mingfei wasn't responding on the other end.

*Did something happen to him?*

*That shouldn't be right. Even if something happened, he would definitely tell me immediately. If he hasn't, it must not be because of a sudden emergency, but because he can't reply.*

*Then, under what circumstances would Lu Mingfei be unable to reply? Was he knocked out? Or did he faint?*

With his current strength, the possibility of him being ambushed was extremely low. Before this, he had spent a long time refining the limiter and optimizing its internal structure, and even after that was finished, he was still thinking about how to improve himself. While chatting with me, his emotions were relaxed for the first time in a long while. Falling asleep from exhaustion under high pressure might not be such a surprise.

*Still, I'll have to wait and ask him properly later!*

***

Dream (not a Dream Tapir).

Time returned to when he opened the door. There was no one outside, only a giant box labeled "Teyvat Flagship Store."

"Eh?"

Lu Mingfei scratched his head in confusion, then carried the box inside, closed the door, and transformed his finger into a dragon claw to tear open the packaging. Inside the cardboard box was a smaller, square gift box. Puzzled, he untied the ribbon and slowly opened the wrapping.

"Ta-da!"

Wearing a top hat and a blue dress, Furina burst out of the box instantly, accompanied by welcoming confetti.

The colorful ribbons danced in the air, and Lu Mingfei was stunned for a moment. In his sight, Furina quickly sprang up, pouncing into his arms with incredible speed, wrapping her arms around his neck and hanging off him.

There was even a heart-to-heart connection no normal girl could achieve!

It was her! It was her! It was really her!

"I’ve come to keep you company!"

"But what about things on your end? Aren't you the Hydro Archon of Fontaine?" Lu Mingfei instinctively supported her, his joy mixed with a hint of worry.

"Oh, don't you know me by now? I’m actually just a big star in Fontaine. And stars, well, they have to retire one day. I have my own life, too. Let Neuvillette worry about the trials; I’m off the clock!" Furina said with a bright, cheerful laugh.

"Really? How did you get here?" Lu Mingfei asked, pleasantly surprised.

"Alchemy! You brought me over, have you forgotten?"

Furina pulled back slightly. She frowned a little, tapped her index finger against her lips, and asked with a hint of nervousness, "You... you haven't fallen for some other girl and forgotten all about me, have you?"

"How could that be? How could I ever like another girl! I only like you!" Lu Mingfei quickly hugged her, answering anxiously.

"Ah? What are you saying..."

Furina’s shy voice sounded.

"Why are you asking what I'm saying?"

Lu Mingfei felt confused. She was the one who asked if he liked someone else first; if she hadn't asked, why would he have answered that way? She had even dressed herself up as a gift—why was she so shy?

*Could it be...*

Even if Furina was extremely shy in her heart, she still mustered the courage to come to his side? *Fufu, she really is that kind of Fufu!*

*It must be!*

After sorting through his thoughts, the warmth in Lu Mingfei’s heart grew even stronger. He took Furina’s hand and pulled her toward the door, saying, "Let’s go! Let’s go shopping, eat, and go to the amusement park! I have so much money now—we’ll do everything there is to do in this world! Let’s complete a journey that belongs only to us!"

"O-okay..."

Furina’s shy voice sounded slowly. She seemed to have realized something, her voice sounding different from before, yet her heart hid the same joy and excitement that Lu Mingfei imagined.

"Ding!"

"Is that a message from my senior?"

A "Special Attention" notification sound suddenly rang out from Lu Mingfei's pocket. He recognized the man behind that ringtone immediately.

"You still remember your senior?" Furina’s voice held a trace of jealousy.

"Of course, he’s my 'Special Attention.' He’s the only one with that ringtone on my phone. How could I forget?" Lu Mingfei stood with his hands on his hips, answering with immense pride.

"Is he really that special to you?"

"Eh..."

Lu Mingfei sensed that Furina’s tone was a bit off. He reacted quickly, gently pulling her into his arms and patting her back. "This 'Special Attention' I mentioned refers to the phone alert. You have to set someone as 'Special Attention' to get that specific notification. I only did it so I could receive news from my senior as soon as possible."

"Oh..." Furina’s voice was low, sounding still a bit unhappy.

Seeing this, Lu Mingfei continued, "Don't be upset. You can add more than one person to the 'Special Attention' list on a phone, but the person I love is only you!"

"Ah? Don't be like that..."

"I understand! I’m going to buy you a phone right now. I’ll buy you the best-performing phone in the world, with the prettiest decorations, and then I’ll add you as a friend and set the most beautiful song in the world as your 'Special Attention' alert! That should be enough, right!" Lu Mingfei said with a satisfied, happy smile.

"Th-this... ugh..."

Furina was too shy to speak; her brain seemed to have short-circuited. With a flushed face, she clutched the blanket, stammering out unintelligible sounds.

*A blanket? Why do I see a blanket? Why am I having such a strange hallucination?*

After a brief moment of confusion, Lu Mingfei quickly shook the useless image out of his head. He looked at the shy Furina before him, examined her carefully, and said, "Fufu, your taste in clothes is great, and what you’re wearing now looks good too, but your style doesn't quite match the mainstream style here."

"Ah?"

"How about this? We’ll go buy clothes together—all sorts of beautiful clothes! You can buy whatever you want! Take whatever you like! Don't worry about the money; I’ve earned a lot, you can pick out whatever you want to your heart's content!"

"We can go shopping and pick out clothes together?"

Furina laughed, then began to cry. She cried quite sorrowfully, as if she had reached the absolute peak of sadness.

She couldn't see...

"Fufu, why are you crying? Do you not want to buy new clothes? If you don't like it, we won't go out. We can go eat something delicious instead. There are so many wonderful desserts in this world; I can take you to taste delicacies from all over."

Lu Mingfei watched her with concern. Furina’s sorrowful appearance made his heart ache. For a moment, he panicked and quickly changed the subject.

"I remember your favorite thing is dessert. I recall there’s a dessert shop nearby that has one called Mont Blanc. I’ve tasted it myself. It uses whipped cream shaped like a mountain, covered in layers of chestnut puree threads. It tastes very special, like..."

"Stop! Please, stop!"

Furina’s crying... seemed to get even worse.