Chapter Five: Even Demons Know Anger

Before long, Lu Mingfei was walking lightly on his way to school. A gentle breeze brushed his cheeks, the leaves on the greenbelt trees rustled in the wind, and the humid air was filled with fragrance; everything felt so pleasant.

How wonderful it is to be alive.

Beneath the brilliant sunlight, the little demon, dressed in an elegant black evening gown, stood in the shadows holding an umbrella. He quietly watched Lu Mingfei, his gaze filled with worry, concern, and a sense of bafflement.

“What’s going on with my brother?”

The communication between Lu Mingfei and Furnina happened on a spiritual level—neither voice nor words were needed. Besides, Lu Mingfei lived at his aunt’s house; would he really dare to make a sound in the middle of the night? He had always been quiet, even when he cried.

But to the little demon, all of these scenes seemed especially bizarre.

Ever since Lu Mingfei developed a fever in the middle of the night, his behavior had been strange. First came a sudden, inexplicable fear, as if some person or presence were threatening his life. The panic in his eyes as he crouched in the corner couldn’t possibly be faked.

Then, he smiled! He actually smiled!

It was as though he were talking to someone, but he made no sound. Sometimes he appeared lost in thought, puzzled; at other moments, he seemed to understand, as if he were accepting knowledge from a new world.

Finally, he inexplicably broke down in tears, venting wantonly. His sobs were almost silent, but his expression was one of a man shouting and roaring at the top of his lungs, releasing all his pent-up repression and despair with all his might.

What was most terrifying was that he remained in this state for half the night—half the night!

After witnessing such a horrifying and grotesque scene, the little demon didn’t dare reveal himself or say anything; he simply watched his brother from the shadows until now.

Is my brother… could he have gone mad?

That was the little demon’s thought.

Though he himself doubted this answer, Lu Mingze could not find any other reasonable explanation.

He had watched with his own eyes as Lu Mingfei was scolded by his aunt for ten straight minutes. Ten minutes—even the usual Lu Mingfei would have fallen into depression, perhaps even found a corner to cry in secret.

But now? Now!

He was smiling, and smiling so happily, even feeling content. Was that the expression any human should show after being berated?

Brother, my brother!

Family—who could understand? After so many years adapting to such a stifling environment, his brother had finally, quietly broken down on a night that seemed insignificant. His emotional core had ruptured, as if he could no longer properly perceive good and evil.

The smile on his face was proud—he had never lived so proudly, not even before that incident. Never had he held his head so high.

Beneath the shadow of the black umbrella, the little demon’s expression twisted in anger, his grip on the handle so tight that deep grooves formed beneath his fingers. In his golden eyes was reflected Lu Mingfei, striding boldly into the sunlight and toward the future—he had never been so furious.

“I’ll become the Dragon King to protect you, forever.”

Lu Mingfei spoke as if murmuring softly.

Brother! My brother!

Lu Mingze’s eyes filled with tears in an instant. He had never expected that his “crazy” brother would utter such heartwarming words, unconsciously. He… he knew nothing, he shouldn’t know anything, yet he still said those words.

Could it be… was this his subconscious speaking?

Tears streamed down Lu Mingze’s face in the shadows as he watched his brother’s smiling figure disappear into the distance. He felt as though the gap between them was widening, his brother walking alone toward an endless abyss. He ought to reach out and pull him back, not let him continue like this.

Even though it wasn’t yet time for him to be exposed to these things, even though the moment wasn’t right, he had to step forward now, to grab his brother’s hand at the edge of the precipice.

…

“You’re the Hydro Archon of Fontaine, a bona fide superstar, a great figure—aren’t you ever targeted by bad people? Doesn’t anyone ever try to ambush a god?” Lu Mingfei asked.

He suspected that Furnina’s status as the Hydro Archon was fake. He had never met Furnina and didn’t know how strong she really was, but something in her voice and manner simply told him she wasn’t the true Hydro Archon.

So he worded his question carefully.

“I am the Hydro Archon of Fontaine! Why would I fear such petty scoundrels?” Furnina’s proud, theatrical voice rang out, though there was a faint tremor in it, as if she were suppressing some special emotion.

At that moment, she was just like he had been—her excitement and restraint mirroring his own.

When she realized that Lu Mingfei had guessed she was not the true Hydro Archon, Furnina didn’t feel fear. Instead, she was overcome by a wild, joyful thrill, for nothing in the real Fontaine had changed and no one knew her secret.

This meant she could be a little less restrained in her conversations; she could speak her mind, say the things she truly wished to say, rather than reciting what the Hydro Archon Furcalos should have said.

How wonderful, truly wonderful!

“Ahem, your concern—I can understand it. But I still have Monsieur Neuvillette, the Chief Justice of Fontaine, by my side. He is the one and only Hydro Dragon King in all of Teyvat, capable of judging all evil,” Furnina explained with pride.

“The Hydro Dragon King, Neuvillette?”

Hearing that name, Lu Mingfei’s heart wavered a little. There was someone always by Furnina’s side, protecting her. In her words, he could feel her reliance on and pride in Neuvillette.

Could I do the same? Could I be that person?

“Yes, Neuvillette is a good man. Though he appears a bit stiff, that’s only because he can’t quite understand human emotions, so sometimes he acts or speaks at the wrong moment. He…”

Furnina launched into a long account of her experiences with Neuvillette, and Lu Mingfei listened as the audience, the smile on his face growing wider and wider.

For he could sense that the bond between Neuvillette and Furnina was neither friendship nor love—it was more like family. Outwardly, they were superior and subordinate, or friends; in truth, they were like father and daughter.

A father who understood nothing of the world, handling his duties rigidly and carrying out judgments; a daughter who loved theatrics, doing her utmost to play the Hydro Archon without being found out.

After listening to Furnina for a long time, Lu Mingfei smiled and said, “If—just if—I could come to your world, I would become the Dragon King and protect you, forever.”

Light as a feather, his words exploded in Furnina’s heart like thunder, then slowly melted, the sweetness making her feel, for this moment, like an ordinary person, not a lofty Hydro Archon.

How wonderful!

In the shadows, the little demon fell apart, all alone.