After entering the room, Bai Luo, supported by Katarina, lay down on the bamboo bed in the room.
The single bed, entirely made of bamboo, had some elasticity but produced no noise, even giving Bai Luo the illusion that he was lying on a spring mattress.
After helping Bai Luo settle into bed, Katarina went to the wardrobe nearby. Based on the information she had obtained from the innkeeper earlier, she took out some bedding and began to busy herself on the floor.
"What are you doing?" Bai Luo asked, puzzled, as he watched Katarina spread clean bedding on the floor.
"Sleeping here," Katarina replied matter-of-factly, even lying down on the bedding to test its comfort.
Hmm, not bad.
As the highest-ranking female member of the Fatui besides Bai Luo, Katarina wasn't comfortable leaving the severely injured Bai Luo in someone else's care. She had to look after him personally.
"..."
Little did she know that her actions would make Bai Luo uncomfortable.
Although his injuries seemed severe—he had been stabbed clean through—Bai Luo was well aware that he wasn't in any real danger. In fact, after the reverse-blade sword had cleared his negative status, he was almost fully mobile again.
The reason he was putting on a sickly act was for two reasons: first, he was afraid that the Geo Archon might come to visit him to discuss what would follow after those three moves; second, he wanted to avoid Childe.
Yes, from the very beginning, he had planned to avoid Tartaglia. He felt that, given his luck, even if Tartaglia went to the depths of the Chasm, he might still run into him.
It was better to be prepared.
Surely, seeing him in this state, Tartaglia wouldn't be in the mood for a fight, right?
"Katarina."
"Yes?"
"Go outside. I prefer it quieter."
"Okay."
Katarina quietly rolled up her bedding, moved it slightly outside, and laid it down again.
"Katarina..."
"Yes?"
"Never mind, as long as you're happy..."
"Got it!"
Katarina enthusiastically rolled up her bedding and laid it down right next to Bai Luo's bed.
Bai Luo: "..."
Fortunately, this was a single bed. If it had been a double bed, her bedding would probably have been laid right on top of his...
Ugh! Why did it have to be a single bed!
With a mix of resentment and resignation, Bai Luo settled into the luxurious inn.
At noon, Katarina brought in medicine and food. She clearly had experience in caring for others, and she attended to Bai Luo with great comfort.
Ah, suddenly I've become a social outcast.
But it feels pretty good.
Perhaps worried that Bai Luo might get bored in the inn room, Katarina kept him updated on the situation with the Ninth Company and the surrounding area.
When she mentioned the beautiful scenery of Wangshu Inn, even the usually serious Katarina couldn't help but marvel.
"Such beauty is rare even in Snezhnaya."
Indeed, Snezhnaya was mostly known for its snowy landscapes. Such lush, picturesque scenery was uncommon, so it wasn't surprising that Katarina would say such a thing.
"Katarina."
"Yes?"
"Take me outside to have a look. Beautiful scenery can help me recover."
"Of course."
During the journey from the Stone Gate to Wangshu Inn, Bai Luo had already figured out Katarina's temperament. Her concern for him wasn't because he was her superior or because she wanted to curry favor.
She genuinely cared for him.
As long as he said that something would help him recover, Katarina would do it for him. Bai Luo even suspected that if he said certain unmentionable activities would aid his recovery, she wouldn't refuse either.
And so, with the help of his little assistant—ahem, Katarina—Bai Luo made his way to the platform of Wangshu Inn, where he sat on a rocking chair prepared for him, swaying gently and enjoying life.
After the Fatui had moved in, some of the guests staying on the higher floors had gradually checked out.
Seeing this, the innkeeper decided to refund all the guests and persuade them to leave, avoiding unnecessary conflicts and making it easier to handle other matters.
After settling Bai Luo on the now-empty platform, Katarina went off to attend to her duties. As the current leader of the Ninth Company under Bai Luo's command, she occasionally had to assign defense tasks to her subordinates.
Bai Luo, enjoying the peace and quiet, relaxed his act of being injured and swayed more freely in the rocking chair. With a folding fan bearing the characters for "Snezhnaya" in one hand and a sunsettia in the other, he was the picture of contentment.
He even started pondering what to have for dinner.
Steamed buns were too bland, pork knuckle too greasy, and red meat too heavy.
Ah, perhaps a plate of almond tofu...
But a casual glance made him stop rocking.
Wangshu Inn was built on a large stone pillar. Before the inn was constructed, there had been a massive tree here, and part of the inn was even built into the tree itself.
The enormous tree canopy almost entirely covered Wangshu Inn, making it look like a treehouse straight out of a fairy tale, full of magical charm.
From his rocking chair, Bai Luo had a clear view of the tree canopy.
Dappled sunlight filtered irregularly through the gaps in the canopy, creating a scene of indescribable beauty.
But the most beautiful sight was the young man sitting on a tree branch. His deep, contemplative expression didn't seem feigned as he gazed into the distance, lost in thought.
When Bai Luo saw him, the young man also noticed Bai Luo.
Frowning slightly, the young man stood up, ready to leave, as he didn't want to be disturbed by so-called immortality seekers.
But to his surprise, the man from Wangshu Inn picked up a sunsettia from beside him and tossed it toward him.
The young man caught the sunsettia, glanced down at Bai Luo, and, instead of leaving immediately, took a bite of the washed fruit.
And then...
He spat it out.
"Why is it so sour?"
Bai Luo, who had been holding the sunsettia in his mouth for a while, finally spat it out, a gentle smile on his face.
"It is a bit sour."
"Then why were you eating it so eagerly?"
Remembering how Bai Luo had been devouring the fruit, which had made his own mouth water, the young man couldn't help but ask why he had eaten it so enthusiastically.
"Because I didn't want to suffer the sourness alone."
Bai Luo's face, which had been tense for so long, finally twisted into an expression of discomfort from the sourness of the sunsettia.
"...Disrespectful to the adepti!"
The young man on the branch snorted coldly, his right hand brushing over his face. A mask that looked somewhat terrifying but also reassuring appeared, covering his features.
A flash of green light, and the young man vanished from the branch, leaving only the swaying twigs behind.
"..."
Bai Luo watched the swaying branches, lost in thought for a moment, then stood up in a similar manner, his right hand brushing over his face.
A white mask with a hint of a sneer appeared, covering his face. At first glance, the mask seemed harmless, but upon closer inspection, it gave off an eerie feeling.
If that were all, it wouldn't be a big deal.
But then Bai Luo mimicked the young man's posture and, in an instant, disappeared as well, leaving only the rocking chair swaying as proof that someone had been there.
A certain vigilant yaksha: "???"