Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue [298]

Gu Sanqiu poked at the device for a long time without getting a response, so he could only assume it was playing dead. Nothing else he could do.

He had tried everything—sweet talk, harsh words, even throwing a few explosive barrels—but the thing still acted dead.

And now, with the old man putting him under house arrest, the device had the audacity to spit out a computer for him.

He seriously suspected this thing had secretly conspired with the old man!

"Fine, a computer is fine, as long as it's not filled with study materials or condiment recipes for spreading on bread."

Placing the futuristic-looking laptop on the stone table, Gu Sanqiu fell silent.

How was he supposed to charge it?

He snapped his fingers. "Maybe try a small electrical arc?"

Bzzz—

"Detected available energy. Absorbing... Powering on successfully."

"Master, I missed you~~"

Hearing this bizarre startup sound, coupled with the kind of animated wallpaper that might fluster most young men, Gu Sanqiu instinctively glanced toward his front gate.

"Phew, good thing no one's around. That could've been a real social death moment."

Resting his cheek on one hand, Gu Sanqiu used the other to browse through the computer, searching for anything useful.

Predictably, apart from a few familiar-looking games, most files that could reveal specific timelines or sensitive information had been thoroughly erased.

A true gaming laptop.

"By the way, can this thing connect to the internet?"

He glanced at the network status and started pondering.

He recalled the extrajudicial enforcement authority he'd requested back in Mondstadt.

The rampant Treasure Hoarders remained a headache along the borders of the two nations, but if a network could be set up, cross-border cooperative enforcement could become a reality. Communication efficiency would skyrocket.

The Treasure Hoarders might not even make it past the border before the Knights of Favonius, already informed, caught them red-handed. Absolute despair.

"Hmm, the key should be setting up servers and establishing an intranet across Teyvat. Start with a pilot program between Liyue and Mondstadt?"

Yawning, Gu Sanqiu reconsidered. Or maybe just create a small private network for his circle of friends to mess around with?

"Hasn't even been that long, and I'm already bored. Don't tell me I'm going to spend all ten days gaming."

It seemed like he had come back at the wrong time. All his friends were out of town, leaving none of them in Liyue Harbor.

He was too idle—so idle he didn't even know what to do anymore.

The old man's demand was to stay home, not in the harbor. Otherwise, he could've gone to the docks to play chess with the old folks or lounged on the Jade Chamber's deck, enjoying a nap next to a platter of exquisite fruits.

The salted fish life was ideal.

But being stuck at home? Not so much. What did the old man want—ten days of sleeping?

"Setting up a network does seem like a good idea, but I'll leave it to the specialists in the Secret Vault. This kind of long-term project isn't really for me."

Tossing the computer aside, Gu Sanqiu slumped back onto the stone table, feigning death. He hoped the old man would take pity on him and lift the house arrest.

Unfortunately, it didn't seem to be working.

Three days passed. Gu Sanqiu subsisted entirely on takeout from various restaurants, having lost even the motivation to cook for himself. Aside from sleeping, he mostly sat at the stone table, playing dead. Not that he needed to worry about back problems, thanks to his strength.

This strange sense of letting himself rot felt odd, but Gu Sanqiu seemed stuck in this peculiar state. If not for maintaining appearances, he might've crawled back to his room on the floor.

"Wait a second."

"This whole house arrest thing—could it be the old man's custom-made torture for my family?"

For a family known for courting danger and loving mischief, forcing them to sit still and do nothing was the ultimate torment. Like being locked in solitary confinement.

"No way. I need to show some vitality. This is my silent protest against the old man!"

"Yes, let's do that. First mission: prepare a long enough fishing line to cast straight into Guyun Stone Forest!"

Gu Sanqiu perked up, looking highly motivated, only to slump back down moments later.

(:з」∠)

So exhausting. Never mind.

Knock knock knock.

A low knocking sound came from the door. Startled, Gu Sanqiu got up.

Kazuha and the others had been assigned outside tasks, so who could be visiting him at this hour?

"Don't tell me it's another bill."

Gu Sanqiu inhaled sharply, grabbing a large axe and slinging it over his shoulder, making his intentions very clear.

"Little Gu."

At the door stood Qiqi, holding one finger to her lips and a small medicine basket in the other hand. Tilting her head, she gazed up at him.

"What are you planning to do?"

"Oh, hello, Old Ancestor."

Gu Sanqiu let go, letting the axe drop behind him. He kicked it into the courtyard field, narrowly missing the yam and apple trees.

"Nothing much. Just, uh, loosening the soil."

"With an axe?"

Carrying her medicine basket, Qiqi stepped inside. "That won't work. You need the proper tools."

"Yes, yes, you're absolutely right, Old Ancestor."

Pouring a cup of coconut milk for her, Gu Sanqiu asked, "What brings you to my house today?"

"Delivered medicine to a customer earlier. Thought I'd stop by."

Setting down her basket, Qiqi took the cup with both hands, sipping slowly. After licking the milk from her lips, she placed the cup back down.

"Why aren't you going out to play?"

Gu Sanqiu sighed. "Special circumstances. I can't leave these days."

"What circumstances?"

He gently wiped the milk residue from the corner of her mouth. "I'm under house arrest. The Geo Archon ordered it."

Qiqi blinked, then extended her right hand toward him.

Lowering his head, Gu Sanqiu let her pat him on the head.

"Little Gu, if you made a mistake, you have to admit it. Understand?"

"Don't be a bad child."

"Old Ancestor, did you come here specifically to scold me today?"

Gu Sanqiu couldn't help but laugh bitterly. First, he got stuck with a computer, and now Qiqi—who rarely visited—showed up out of nowhere. Everything seemed to be piling on him.

Pausing for a moment, Qiqi shifted her hand to tug gently on his ear.

"Little Gu, behave. Bad children get spanked."

Spanked?

Which ancestor suffered a fate like that?

Still pondering his family's dark history, Gu Sanqiu froze as Qiqi leapt off her chair, summoned her longsword, and cut open his shirt in one swift motion.

?!

Qiqi stared at the light-riddled scars on his body.

"As I thought. Little Gu, you've been seriously hurt."

Taking a bundle of herbs from her basket, she said, "The other day, I felt uneasy and wanted to find you, but you weren't around."

She motioned for him to crouch, slapping the herbal poultice onto his wounds.

"Apply it yourself."

Gu Sanqiu chuckled softly. Somehow, she always seemed to know when he'd been in danger. Was it some inherited connection?

Putting away her sword, Qiqi once again patted his head with one hand.

"Be a good child, Little Gu."

---

"..."

- Gardevoir

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