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When strange traces of abyssal corruption threaten Liyue during the Lantern Rite Festival, Ningguang sends the Millelith to investigate - and somehow, Childe volunteers.
Officially, he's there "on business."
Unofficially, he just wants to see Xiao again.
What begins as a routine patrol turns into days of banter, near-disasters, and quiet companionship among lantern-lit hills. Childe throws rocks where he shouldn't, nearly burns down a kitchen, and keeps trying to make the stoic adeptus smile - and against all odds, succeeds.
But beneath the laughter, Xiao starts to glimpse the fighter behind the grin - the man who hides loneliness beneath every joke. And as fireworks rise over Liyue Harbor, even the vigilant Yaksha learns that some wishes are meant to be shared.
Adventure, warmth, and one very flustered adeptus - a story of light, laughter, and love beneath the Lantern Rite sky.