The first snow of winter came early, but because of the temperature, the crystal flakes melted before they even touched the ground.
Being so close to the sea, the coastal city's air was damp and clammy, making it uncomfortable to breathe.
Still, for many otaku, this was the perfect day to stay indoors and play games.
Awei had skipped half a day of work. Wrapped in a thick coat, he rushed home and eagerly booted up his computer.
He figured there had to be countless others doing the exact same thing—because the long-awaited game was finally being released today.
Creating an account, downloading the client, waiting for the progress bar... Awei moved through the motions as if by second nature, sitting in front of his computer and waiting quietly.
In the dim room, a door suspended among the clouds appeared on the screen, accompanied by a clear, ethereal female voice singing softly.
Even before entering the game, the visuals and music had already captivated him.
"Hmm... the music's great, the art style is clean... Hopefully the game will be as fun as they advertised..."
Awei was not only a hardcore gamer but also a fan of the novel Liyue's Floating World Amid a Thousand Rocks. When the author "Chen" announced on social media that his book would be adapted into a brand-new open-world adventure game, Awei had been waiting eagerly for this day.
But along with anticipation, he carried doubts.
The game's producer, "Cai Haoyu," was an unknown name. The company had no major titles to its name.
In fact, "MiHoYo" was a startup that had only just been established. Could they really handle a project of this scale?
And the timeline—from announcement to release—had been far too short. So rushed, in fact, that it reeked of a potential cash-grab.
"Chen is such a big-name author... Could he have been scammed?"
"And this so-called Cai Haoyu... is he even reliable?"
It wasn't strange for Awei to think this way. As a gamer, he'd long been disappointed in the domestic gaming industry. No one had ever attempted something like an open-world RPG before.
Ever since the Genshin Impact project was announced, criticism, mockery, and doubt had poured down like snow.
But when that delicate, lilting voice began to sing, Awei's heart inexplicably calmed.
"I just hope it'll satisfy someone as picky as me... Otherwise, I swear I'll flame Chen on Weibo until he learns his lesson..."
The progress bar finally reached the end, and the door on the screen opened. The game launched into its opening animation.
"Foreigners, your journey ends here!"
...
After a battle between the siblings and an unknown god, the screen froze.
Hm? The opening wasn't bad. The cool older brother and the adorable younger sister caught Awei's attention.
"Do I need to pick one..."
Scratching at his stubble, he chuckled to himself. As an old perv, of course, he chose—the sister!
After the cutscene, his chosen character woke up on a beautiful beach, where a floating, chibi-like companion explained how they had met.
"Pfft, haha! Did they really fish her out of a river? That's so dumb..."
Following Paimon's guidance, Awei guided his Traveler up to a high vantage point, where the breathtaking scenery of the Teyvat continent spread out before his eyes.
"Whoa... this shot's gorgeous."
"Alright... let's see if the game is really as open as they promised..."
And then... he promptly ran his Traveler off a cliff and died.
"Damn it!"
Dying right at the start left him speechless.
But by then, his attention was completely absorbed. Returning to the cliff, he resonated with a Statue of The Seven for the first time, unleashed elemental power for the first time, met his first lively companion...
Every detail of Teyvat pulled him deeper in.
In the dimly lit room, the screen's glow flickered across his face. By the time Awei was proficiently cooking, electrofishing in rivers, and shooting pigeons off Mondstadt's bridge, evening had already arrived.
"This is... really fun..."
...
At the seaside villa, Lu Chen was also playing along with everyone else.
They gathered around the computer, watching as Venti controlled his newly pulled Venti, soaring freely through the skies. Smiles spread across their faces.
"Hey, hey! Stormterror's attacking!" Miko laughed, folding her arms. "Why are you wandering outside instead of saving Mondstadt?"
"This is how I play~" Venti replied nonchalantly. He tried steering his avatar over the mountains on foot, attempting to walk all the way to Liyue.
"Hey! Watch out for Hilichurls!" Hu Tao warned.
A horde of monsters swarmed his character. Low level and poorly equipped, Venti's avatar was quickly overwhelmed and died on the spot.
Everyone burst into laughter.
"..." Venti gave a deadpan look at the developer, Cai Haoyu. "Since when are Hilichurls this strong? Are you kidding me?"
"That's just how the early game is..." Cai Haoyu said defensively. To him, this was a completely normal progression curve.
"I'm so weak in the game..." Venti grumbled after respawning at a Statue of the Seven.
"Even if the gods are powerful in the story, we can't make playable characters that overpowered," Cai Haoyu explained patiently. "If you could destroy everything right from the start, where's the fun?"
"Fair enough." Venti didn't argue further and set off toward Mondstadt again.
"Hey! Don't try to run!"
Naturally, the pigeons in front of Mondstadt were slaughtered yet again, leaving behind a pile of drumsticks.
"You're terrible..." Miko shook her head.
While Venti played, Lu Chen kept an eye on his phone, following the online discussions about Genshin Impact.
There was no doubt—the launch had been a massive success. With its beautiful art, charming characters, enchanting music, and vast, engaging world, the game had delivered an incredible experience.
On Weibo, Bilibili, and beyond, the comment sections were exploding with praise. Players were stunned that such a game could even be played on mobile. All the doubt and ridicule from before had completely vanished.
"You did great, Cai Haoyu!" Lu Chen said warmly, giving him a pat on the shoulder.
"Thank you, Mr. Lu..." Cai Haoyu replied modestly, scratching his head. "But this is just the beginning. The future of the game will depend on all of us working together."
"Of course."
Lu Chen noticed the dark circles under his eyes and the weight he'd lost, and said apologetically:
"You've worked hard these past few days. Go home and get a good night's sleep."
Cai Haoyu nodded quickly. As he turned to leave, he couldn't resist sneaking a glance at the pink-haired woman nearby.
Miko's eyes shifted his way, and he immediately looked away in fright.
He was absolutely terrified of her. Over the past weeks, it felt like she'd been cracking a whip over his back. Days blurred into nights, the entire team working nonstop... He really had been on the verge of collapsing.
After he left, the others eagerly tried out Genshin Impact themselves. After all the tense preparations of recent weeks, it was finally a chance for everyone to relax.
Lu Chen left them to it and stepped onto the balcony.
He inhaled deeply, the cold, damp air clearing his weary mind.
"The game's released. So what's next?" Miko's voice came from behind him.
Lu Chen turned. Wrapped in a thin blanket, she stood under the moonlight, her fair skin glowing softly.
"Next... I'll return to Sumeru and resolve the Irminsul."
"Then, I'll probe the boundaries of this place."
"Ei and the others gave up their Gnoses. I plan to forge four more Divine Machines..."
"And... I'll reach out to the Anomaly Phenomenon Task Force. It's time for us to step into the open."
Miko sighed. "There's far too much to do."
"I know." Lu Chen looked out at the pitch-black sea. "But I have no choice. It's my responsibility."
"Do you think we'll win?" Miko asked softly.
Lu Chen met her gaze, his gaze unwavering. "Of course."
Miko nodded gently.
The air grew still, broken only by the sound of waves crashing against the pier.
They gazed out at the sea together, where the distant lights of fishing boats flickered like stars, blurring the boundary between sky and ocean.
Not wanting the mood to stay so heavy, Lu Chen turned to her with a gentle smile.
"It's come this far, Lady Miko... Can you finally tell me what that wish of yours was?"
Miko turned her head, catching the flame flickering in his eyes.
She instinctively looked away and whispered, "There was no wish. I was just teasing you..."
But Lu Chen pressed on. "Really? That's not what you said back then."
"When?"
"That day."
Miko knew exactly which day he meant. Remembering that firm yet warm embrace, her voice grew even fainter.
"That day... I was only trying to comfort you. You looked... you looked so worried..."
At that moment, laughter rose from downstairs, where the others were completely absorbed in the game.
"Huh? What are they playing that's so fun?" Miko quickly turned, ready to leave. "I'd better join in—how could they have fun without me?"
But as she moved, Lu Chen stepped in front of her, standing in her way.
"You..."
Miko froze, forced to meet the intensity of his gaze.