Shao Yun left his lodging just as night fell.
Though it was that damned thing forcing him to go save Keqing, all in all, considering that Keqing had once joined him in robbing a bank, he figured he might as well save her.
Given how urgent time was, he blew his whistle, the long, piercing sound echoing across the night sky.
Before long, his Andalusian horse Carrot galloped over.
Shao Yun swiftly swung onto the saddle, gripped the reins tightly, and rushed toward his destination.
...
It was worth noting that some Millelith had taken small boats onto the sea, torches in hand, searching for survivors.
...
As the distance shortened, the night wind from the sea brushed against his face, carrying a faintly salty, damp tang.
When he arrived at the beach, sure enough, he saw a lone, elegant figure lying there.
After being swallowed by the monstrous waves raised by Beisht, Keqing had been mercilessly thrown onto the sand.
Her face was as pale as winter snow, stripped of its usual flush.
Seawater slid slowly down her cheeks, dripping onto the damp sand below.
Her long hair lay disheveled across the beach, tangled with seaweed and grains of sand, making her look utterly bedraggled.
Her hands hung limply at her sides, fingers faintly curled, still bearing traces of her struggle in the water.
Shao Yun dismounted, crouched beside Keqing, and pressed a hand lightly under her nose, then against the pulse in her neck.
"She's still breathing, but her pulse is fading fast. Looks like hypothermia is setting in too…"
At once, he laid the unconscious, waterlogged Keqing flat on her back, tilting her head up. He pried her mouth open to check for any obstructions.
Finding none, he pinched her nose shut and began performing mouth-to-mouth.
After a few breaths, he wiped his lips and looked at the still-unconscious Keqing, unable to keep from complaining.
"Why is it that in Inazuman light novels or Liyue romance stories, some authors always think a guy giving a girl artificial respiration counts as kissing, and then somehow the girl falls in love with him afterward? I seriously don't get it."
Grumbling done, he cursed that useless bastard under his breath.
"If it weren't for that damned waste of space, I wouldn't even be here saving you!"
Then he placed his right hand on Keqing's chest, his left hand stacked on top, and began chest compressions in rhythm.
"My CPR might be a bit rough. Let's hope your ribs don't break."
It worked almost immediately. After only thirty compressions, Keqing's eyes shot wide open as she coughed seawater from her lungs.
Shao Yun quickly stood up.
With the pressure off, Keqing rolled over, body curling against the ground.
Her left forearm pressed into the sand as her right hand clutched her chest, vomiting up seawater.
"Cough… cough!"
Shao Yun glanced at her, then at the countdown ticking in his system, his expression complicated. "Looks like I came just in time. Half a minute later and you'd have been meeting that figure in white linen robes."
When the seawater was finally expelled, Keqing collapsed weakly onto the beach, her face still deathly pale.
The severe drowning left her nose and throat burning like fire.
She couldn't stop tears from spilling, mingling with seawater on her cheeks, trickling down to the wet sand below.
After a while, her breathing steadied, though her eyes remained unfocused.
She coughed softly a few times, then braced herself up on her arms and turned her head toward the distant Guyun Stone Forest.
The sea was calm again, proof Beisht had been repelled. Relief washed over her.
But then, immediately, worry seized her heart again.
She turned her head to the silent Shao Yun beside her, her voice hoarse. "Cough, cough… what about the rest of the Millelith? Are they safe?"
Shao Yun's gaze turned toward the dark sea, the night breeze tugging at his clothes.
He shrugged. "From what I saw, there weren't any Millelith left on the water."
"But on the way here, I did see some Millelith organizing rescue efforts. Maybe they've already been pulled out… though it's also possible they were dragged under."
Hearing that some Millelith were mounting rescue efforts gave Keqing a spark of strength.
She struggled to rise, pressing her hands into the sand. She stood, her voice frail but full of determination.
"I have to save them…"
But her weakened body betrayed her. After one step, her legs felt like lead, and she collapsed back onto the sand.
Seeing her disregard her own life, Shao Yun sighed helplessly.
He crouched beside her, his tone soft but firm. "Enough, Keqing. Your body's already like this. Leave it to the other Millelith. I'll take you to Bubu Pharmacy."
Keqing stubbornly shook her head, her voice weak but resolute. "No… I have to go to Yujing Terrace, to Yuehai Pavilion."
Shao Yun rolled his eyes, irritation slipping into his voice. "Look at you. Stop playing the workaholic. You're giving the impression that everyone else in Liyue who handles affairs is dead, and only you're the only one left."
Keqing glanced up at him, her emotions flaring. "I… cough, cough—"
Before she could finish, her lungs burned again and another coughing fit wracked her.
"This isn't about rest. Something this big has happened—someone must be on duty…"
She forced herself upright once more, enduring the searing pain in her lungs.
This time she made it two steps before her legs gave out, and she crumpled to the ground, coughing weakly.
Shao Yun muttered bitterly, "Should've brought Lumine with me…"
Keqing looked at him, then weakly stretched out her right hand. "You already gave me artificial respiration. Why care about distance between man and woman now? Take me to Yujing Terrace. Please."
Of course, she knew Shao Yun had given her artificial respiration—anyone familiar with drowning rescue would know.
"Different circumstances, alright?" he muttered, but he still hooked an arm under hers, helping her toward Carrot.
He glanced at her—hair matted with seaweed and sand, face ghastly pale—then at the horse.
"I don't like any girl but Lumine riding behind me, but… fine. Just this once."
He slid his hands under her arms and hoisted her onto the saddle. Keqing grabbed the pommel for balance.
After settling her, he mounted as well.
Keqing, seated behind, lightly rested her hand on his shoulder to keep from slipping.
Shao Yun looked back at the hand on his shoulder, displeasure written on his face. "I get you need to hold onto something, but… I really should've just let the Millelith come fetch you."
Keqing frowned, puzzled. "I know I shouldn't complain, since you saved me. But why are you so reluctant?"
'Because I was forced into this. What kind of mood do you expect me to have?'
But Shao Yun kept the thought to himself.
"I should be taking you to Bubu Pharmacy. You look like you could suffocate any moment." He offered kindly again.
Keqing shook her head, still stubborn. "No. I just need to catch my breath. Please, slow down, but I must return to Yujing Terrace right away!"
Shao Yun sighed, rolled his eyes skyward, and nudged Carrot's flank lightly. The horse started toward Yujing Terrace at a slow walk.
"Since I'm already helping, might as well see it through," he muttered.
...
Along the way, Keqing's weak coughing never ceased. Shao Yun asked, "So, tell me—what happened with the island defenses? I remember reminding you to prepare for tidal waves or flooding."
Clutching her sore throat, Keqing rasped, "The moment you left, I sent Miss Ganyu to prepare Adepti Sigils against flooding."
"But before she returned, Beisht struck. In the end, we were swept into the sea."
Shao Yun frowned. 'No defensive array ready, and you didn't even prepare lifebuoys or anything?'
"So, you didn't prepare floatation devices either? If everyone had something to float with, it wouldn't have been this bad."
Keqing shook her head weakly. "Honestly… I didn't expect Beisht to come so fast. I thought we'd have time for Miss Ganyu to return and set up something safer."
"It was my mistake. I must take responsibility."
Shao Yun sighed in exasperation. "What? Keqing, you really are hopelessly stubborn."
Her face flushed faintly at being called that. To change the subject, she said, "By the way… before I lost consciousness, I thought I saw figures in the sky. Was that the Adepti intervening?"
Shao Yun nodded, giving the names he assumed those four silhouettes belonged to.
"Yeah. Looks like Cloud Retainer, Moon Carver, Mountain Shaper, and the Conqueror of Demons all came."
Hearing that the Adepti themselves had intervened, Keqing rubbed her temple in frustration. "This is bad… a real problem."
Shao Yun, disinterested in politics, asked, "What problem? Liyue Harbor isn't flooded."
Keqing gave a terse explanation. "This falls under Liyue politics. Explaining would take too long."
At the word politics, Shao Yun tuned out instantly.
"Got it. Then I don't want to hear it. Good luck with that yourself."
...
After some time, Shao Yun and Carrot finally carried Keqing back to Yuehai Pavilion at Yujing Terrace.
The moment she saw they'd arrived, Keqing couldn't wait to dismount.
"Thank you for bringing me back. Ah—"
But her legs gave out again, and she collapsed onto the ground.
Shao Yun dismounted with a weary sigh, helping her up. "Oh, my Archons… you really should've listened and gone to Bubu Pharmacy to see Doctor Baizhu."
Keqing shook her head lightly, stubborn to the end. "No… cough, cough… I truly have no time to rest."
At that moment, Huixin, Yuehai Pavilion's secretary, already frazzled with urgent reports, saw Shao Yun helping Keqing back.
Seeing her half-dead state, Huixin rushed forward in alarm. "Lady Yuheng! You frightened me half to death! From the Millelith we sent with you, only two in ten have been found alive…"
At those words, Keqing was so shaken she erupted into violent coughs, nearly bringing up blood.
"What! Cough, cough—"
Huixin quickly patted her back to soothe her.
Once she could breathe again, Keqing immediately ordered, "Inform the Qixing and all Eight Gates staff. Emergency meeting! Cough, cough!"
Huixin, distraught at her condition, pleaded, "Lady Yuheng, I really must insist you rest, at least bathe and change clothes."
Keqing shook her head stubbornly. "There's no time! Notify them, now!"
Realizing there was no arguing, Huixin turned to two Millelith guards.
"You two, support Lady Yuheng!"
The soldiers hurried over.
Keqing looked back once at Shao Yun, gratitude flickering through her eyes. "Anyway… even though you scowled the whole way, thank you for bringing me back."