Chapter Text
Baizhu's steps were slow, unhurried as he followed the winding path home. The scent of damp earth and crushed leaves clung to the cool night air, and the quiet hum of nocturnal life surrounded him. His visit to a distant patient had taken longer than expected, but the weight of his medicine pouch was lighter now—a sign that his work was done, at least for today.
It was then, as he passed through the outskirts of the forest, that he saw her.
A small girl, standing amidst the undergrowth, her fancy looking blue dress stained with dirt. She wears a blue hat usually worn by noble people of ancient Liyue, which has a Vision embedded into it. Her untied light purple hair swayed slightly in the night breeze, but she didn't move. She simply stood there, staring at something unseen, as if lost in a world only she could perceive. He can see her holding what seems to be a wilting herb plant.
Baizhu slowed his steps. A child ? Out here, alone ?
"Little one", He called gently, keeping his voice calm, "What are you doing all the way out here at this hour ?"
She turned her head toward him, her expression unreadable. A moment passed before she blinked—slowly, deliberately—as if remembering how to respond. Then, with a voice soft and distant, she answered.
"...Gathering herbs"
Baizhu glanced around. There was no basket, no tools. Just her empty hands, faintly curled as if they once held something but had long since forgotten what.
He stepped closer, careful not to startle her, "For what purpose ?"
She was silent for a long time, as if the question had never occurred to her before. Then, at last, she spoke.
"...I don't know"
Something about the way she said it sent a chill through him. Not fear—just an inexplicable sorrow, something old and misplaced in such a small voice.
Baizhu exhaled slowly, lowering his lantern.
"...Then let's get you out of the night air, shall we ?"
"Mhm...", The little girl nodded.
Baizhu held the small girl's hand as they walked, her fingers cool against his own. She didn't grip tightly, nor did she resist—just let him guide her along the winding path, her small steps keeping pace with his. The night air was still, the sounds of chirping insects and rustling leaves filling the silence between them.
Baizhu glanced down at her. Her face was calm, but not in the way a child's should be. It wasn't serenity, nor curiosity—it was emptiness, like a reflection in still water. He had seen many expressions in his time as a doctor, but never one quite like this.
He cleared his throat softly, "What’s your name, little one ?"
She didn't hesitate, "Qiqi"
A simple answer, spoken without emotion.
Baizhu nodded, "That's a lovely name, mine's Baizhu...do you have a family, Qiqi ?"
She was quiet for a moment. Then—
"I don't know"
A pang of something sharp and cold settled in his chest.
"Where do you live ?", He asked gently.
Another pause, then, "I don't know."
Baizhu tightened his grip ever so slightly, reassuring. "Then...do you know anything about yourself ?"
Qiqi blinked up at him.
"I'm a child"
A small, sad smile flickered across Baizhu's lips, "Yes, you are..."
Silence stretched between them again...
Then, just as Baizhu thought she wouldn't say more—
"I’m dead"
Baizhu stopped walking.
The lantern light flickered between them, shadows dancing across the dirt path. He turned to her fully, crouching down to meet her gaze.
Her expression remained unchanged, as if she had merely stated a fact, as if the words carried no weight at all.
"You're...", He hesitated, "You're not dead, Qiqi"
She tilted her head slightly, "I am"
Baizhu searched her face, looking for something—anything—to explain why she believed such a thing. There was no distress...no fear...just certainty...
He exhaled slowly, standing back up.
"Let's get you home first", He said, "Then we'll figure everything out, alright ?"
Qiqi didn't respond, but she didn't protest either. She simply let him hold her hand and continue walking, her small feet stepping lightly over the earth.
And Baizhu, for all his medical knowledge, found himself wondering—
What exactly has this child been through ?
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***
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The night air was cool, the scent of salt and incense drifting from the harbor in the distance. Baizhu walked with a steady pace, his hand wrapped around the small, cold fingers of the girl beside him. She hadn't resisted when he took her hand—hadn't even questioned where they were going. She only followed, her silent steps lighter than the wind.
Baizhu glanced down at her. The dim lantern light barely touched her pale skin, and the dirt smudged across her dress looked old, as though she had been wandering long before he found her.
"You said your name is Qiqi", Baizhu murmured.
The girl nodded.
"You're a child"
Another nod.
"And...you said you’re dead"
Qiqi blinked once, slow and unbothered, "Yes"
Baizhu's fingers tightened ever so slightly around her hand. He had dealt with illness, poison, and even curses—but this ? A child who claimed to be dead, walking aimlessly in the night ? Something about it gnawed at him.
"Baizhu !"
A high pitched voice, cool and laced with skepticism, slithered through the quiet. The white snake coiling around his neck like a necklace has her pure magenta tinted eyes fixed on the girl, "Don't tell me you're sssssserioussssly bringing her home..."
Baizhu sighed, "And what would you have me do, Changsheng ? Leave her in the wilderness ?"
"Sssshe'ssss not normal !", Changsheng pressed. "Can’t you feel it ? Her body'sss cold, yet she movessss ! Her voice is sssssoft, yet there'ssss no warmth in it ! And to top it all, sssshe ssssaysss ssshe'sss dead ! That alone sssshould tell you something !"
Baizhu looked back at Qiqi. She had yet to react to their conversation, her expression blank, her gaze distant. No fear...no confusion...just...lost.
His grip on her hand remained firm, "Then all the more reason to help her"
Changsheng let out a slow, exasperated hiss, "You can barely take care of yoursssself, and now you want to take in a child ?"
"Should I abandon her, then ?" Baizhu’s voice was quiet but resolute. "She's small. Alone. Aimless. No one should be left like that..."
Silence.
Changsheng turned away with a flick of her tail, "You're too sssssoft"
Baizhu didn't respond. He only kept walking, leading Qiqi toward Liyue Harbor—toward what he hoped could be a home for her. Whether she was dead, lost, or something in between...in his eyes, she was a child. And a child deserved a place to belong.
Qiqi followed, her tiny hand never slipping from his grasp.
"Ssssso much hassssle...", Changsheng complains one more time.
"Shut up, Changsheng", Baizhu annoyedly silenced the serpent.
As they walked, the darkness of the wilderness began to lift. A warm, golden glow spread across the horizon, flickering like a sea of stars against the night. The closer they came, the more the lights of Liyue Harbor revealed themselves—lanterns swaying gently in the breeze, streets lined with shimmering storefronts, the distant glimmer of the Jade Chamber suspended high above. Even at this late hour, the city pulsed with life, voices drifting on the air, laughter weaving through the sound of waves lapping against the docks.
Qiqi slowed her steps.
She had long forgotten what human civilization felt like. Warmth, sound, movement...all of it had faded into something distant and unreachable. But as she gazed upon the illuminated city, something stirred within her. It wasn't memory—no, memory failed her too often. It was something more instinctive, something beyond thought.
Somehow...she was amazed...
Baizhu noticed her lingering stare and followed her gaze to the harbor's glow. A small smile touched his lips.
"That, little Qiqi...", He said, his voice softer than before, "Is Liyue Harbor."
Qiqi's lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something. But no words came.
She only watched, letting the golden light wash over her as they stepped forward...towards the city...towards something new...