Hello I'm back, thy leg is healed but I don't have molars anymore.
===BREAK===
As Eula finished the very last bottle of beer, the campfire gathering meant for reconciliation gradually came to an end.
Eula stared at the now-empty crate, her expression turning lonely.
"I don't have a home anymore."
Seeing Eula suddenly sink back into melancholy once again, Shao Yun shook his head helplessly and chose not to respond.
At that moment, Eula—flushed red and thoroughly drunk—suddenly turned her head and locked eyes with Shao Yun. The hazy, unfocused look caused by the alcohol abruptly changed.
A surge of rage flared up as she raised her voice and began cursing him.
"I hate you! You make me feel utterly sick! You're nothing but a butcher who takes pleasure in killing!"
Watching Eula throw a drunken tantrum, Shao Yun merely replied coldly, without a hint of emotion, "Fine. If that's the case, then go ahead and hate me."
Driven further by the alcohol, Eula became even more unrestrained. She pointed at Shao Yun's nose and continued venting her emotions.
"If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be living so miserably! Is killing people fun? Do you really enjoy the feeling of killing?!"
Expressionless, Shao Yun raised his hand and wiped away the spit that had splashed onto his cheek when Eula got too worked up.
"Forget it. Considering how drunk you already are, I won't argue with you."
Just then, because Eula's emotions were running too high, the alcohol began to take effect even faster in her body.
Her vision immediately started to double.
"I'm going to… kill you…" Eula's left hand grabbed Shao Yun's arm as she swung her fist toward his face with all her strength.
However, under the influence of alcohol, her body no longer obeyed her. The punch missed its mark entirely, veering far off course instead.
Losing her balance, Eula stumbled and, carried by momentum, was sent flying, crashing hard onto the ground.
Even after falling, Eula didn't quiet down right away.
"I hate you… after tonight, I won't be able to hate you anymore… I want to hate you properly…" Her voice grew softer and softer until it faded away completely.
After saying those final words, she lost consciousness entirely—plainly put, she blacked out.
Looking at the unconscious Eula before him, Shao Yun sighed and shook his head.
Then he gently turned her over so she was lying on her back.
After observing her for a moment and confirming that she was completely out cold, Shao Yun muttered to himself, "Looks like tonight ended earlier than I expected."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Shao Yun suddenly looked up and waved toward the dense bushes in the distance.
"Lumine, Paimon, you can come out now!"
Hearing his call, Lumine and Paimon cautiously poked their heads out from the bushes. After confirming there was nothing unusual around, they finally stepped out.
As Lumine walked over, she brushed leaves off her clothes and hair.
Stopping nearby, she looked at Eula lying motionless on the ground and asked with concern, "Is Eula alright? How did she end up drinking this much?"
While extinguishing the campfire, Shao Yun replied, "She just passed out drunk. Once I finish putting out the fire, we'll take her home."
After the campfire was fully extinguished, Shao Yun walked over to Eula, bent down, and hoisted her onto his shoulder.
Standing up, he adjusted her position to make sure she wouldn't slip off, then let out a sharp whistle.
This time, Shao Yun had no intention of carrying Eula all the way home himself.
Before long, the sound of hooves approached from afar.
The Andalusian horse Carrot trotted up to Shao Yun and stopped steadily in front of him.
She shook her head, snorted softly, and greeted Shao Yun.
Smiling, Shao Yun patted Carrot's neck, then lifted Eula off his shoulder and placed her onto the saddle.
The unconscious Eula slumped forward, draping herself over the horse's neck.
The sudden movement startled Carrot. She quickly turned her head and stared with her large eyes at the drunk woman sprawled across her back.
Upon seeing Eula's utterly inebriated state, a look of grievance and displeasure appeared in Carrot's eyes.
She turned her head and shot Shao Yun a fierce glare, as if saying, "This is the second time! Why are you dumping this drunkard onto me again? Seriously!"
Faced with Carrot's resentful look, Shao Yun felt a bit embarrassed.
He reached out and gently stroked her head, soothing her in a low voice. "Alright, alright, good girl, I'm really sorry. I know this troubles you again, but I really don't have a choice this time."
"Here, have a fresh carrot as compensation, okay? Don't be mad at me."
As he spoke, Shao Yun took out a crisp, fresh carrot and offered it to Carrot.
Carrot chewed on the carrot Shao Yun gave her, then nodded in satisfaction, finally refraining from kicking up a fuss.
Lumine looked at Eula lying unconscious on the horse's back and turned to Shao Yun with lingering concern.
"So… the grudge between you and Eula is completely over now?"
Shao Yun replied, "It should be settled. The last thing Eula said was, 'After tonight, I won't be able to hate you anymore.'"
Hearing this, Lumine let out a long breath of relief and murmured, "That's good…"
Just as Lumine was about to follow Shao Yun back to Fontaine Court with Eula, she suddenly realized something felt off—someone was missing. Where was Paimon?
"Paimon? Paimon…?"
Lumine looked around. In the end, her gaze settled on the extinguished campfire.
There, Paimon was holding skewers still stuck in the ground, eating with gusto.
Seeing Paimon being this gluttonous, Lumine wasn't surprised at all—it was exactly something Paimon would do.
Still, she couldn't help complaining.
"Didn't you already eat dinner? Why are you stuffing yourself again now? It's like I've been starving you."
Hearing Lumine's complaint, Paimon quickly swallowed the Mondstadt grilled fish in her mouth and defended herself indistinctly, "Hey, these were just freshly grilled! It'd be such a waste to let them go to waste!"
Looking at the Mondstadt grilled fish in Paimon's hand, Shao Yun reminded her, "Remember, don't chew the fish bones like I did. That was only because I was starving. Take it with you and eat on the way—we need to get Eula home quickly!"
Clutching the skewers, Paimon nodded and followed along. "Okay! Coming!"
...
The next morning, when sunlight slipped through the narrow gaps in the curtains and fell upon Eula lying in bed, she awoke under its stimulation, still suffering from a heavy hangover.
She struggled to open her eyelids, her blurred vision gradually coming into focus.
But the moment she fully regained consciousness, the intense discomfort of the hangover hit her.
Eula felt as if her head were about to split open, the pain unbearable.
She raised a hand to her forehead and pressed her fingers against her temples, trying to ease the indescribable pain.
"Ah… my head… it hurts so much."
At that moment, Lumine was leaning against the doorframe, watching the newly awakened Eula.
"Eula, you're awake?"
Hearing Lumine's voice, Eula endured the pounding pain in her head and looked toward her.
Still massaging her temples, she asked weakly, "Lumine? Ah… my head hurts so bad… what happened last night? I don't remember anything at all…"
Seeing that Eula had truly blacked out, Lumine walked over with a helpless smile.
She placed both hands on Eula's temples and began massaging them for her.
"You drank with Shao Yun all night, then we brought you back home."
With Lumine's massage, Eula could clearly feel the severe headache gradually easing.
Though a dull ache remained, it was much better than before.
Soon after, curiosity arose—how exactly had Shao Yun and the others brought her home?
"How did you get in?" Eula asked with a frown, clearly puzzled.
While continuing to massage Eula's temples, Lumine explained calmly, "With the key you had on you. I found it on you last night."
Hearing this, Eula hazily recalled fragments of the previous night.
"Ah… I remember now…"
As Lumine kept massaging, Eula gradually relaxed, enjoying the brief comfort.
Before long, the hangover-induced headache eased significantly.
She lightly waved her hand and said to Lumine, "Thanks, that's enough. I feel much better now."
Seeing Eula say this, Lumine stopped, though she still had a question she wanted to confirm.
"So… did you reconcile with Shao Yun?"
At that, Eula paused slightly, then spoke softly. "Yes… I guess he already told you everything between us."
Lumine nodded as well, her expression complicated, and said somewhat awkwardly, "I don't know what to say. I really don't want to remember that night."
She was referring to the night of the Weinlesefest, when Eula's relatives had kidnapped Paimon.
Eula naturally understood what that night meant and nodded in agreement. "I don't want to remember it either."
"If you want someone to blame, blame those stupid relatives of mine—lost in unrealistic fantasies every day, dreaming of returning to the decadent, indulgent lives of the old aristocracy."
Seeing Eula follow along that train of thought and start criticizing her unreliable relatives, Lumine asked again, "So… you've really completely reconciled with Shao Yun?"
Hearing the question once more, Eula raised her right arm and rested it against her forehead, her face showing a mix of helplessness and relief.
"Yes. Even if I'm unwilling, what else can I do?"
She then recalled everything she had gone through over the past half year.
The words Shao Yun once said—"revenge is a fool's game"—flashed through her mind, making her let out a self-mocking laugh.
"Revenge is a fool's game. Today, I finally understand what Shao Yun meant back then. Not everyone is qualified to seek revenge…"
Looking at Eula, who had clearly come to terms with this harsh reality, Lumine found herself at a loss for words.
"I…" Lumine parted her lips slightly, trembling as if she wanted to say something, but only fragmented, indistinct sounds came out.
Seeing this, Eula gently tilted her head and looked at Lumine standing beside her.
A relaxed smile appeared at the corner of her lips as she softly comforted her. "Don't burden yourself with it. Shao Yun and I have reconciled. There's nothing more to say. Just don't make me relive my past."
After saying this, Eula glanced at the alarm clock by her bedside.
Seeing that it was almost time for work, she quickly got up, stepped out of bed, and walked toward the wardrobe.
She changed into the all-too-familiar Patrol Officer uniform—dark blue attire paired with silver-gray insignia and belt.
Once everything was ready, Eula turned back to Lumine, who was still in the room, and reminded her, "I'm heading out for work. When you leave my place, remember to lock the door."
Seeing that Eula was heading to work without even eating breakfast, Lumine quickly asked, "You're not eating breakfast? I used your kitchen and made a little."
Hearing this, Eula hesitated briefly, then waved her hand and declined gently. "No, I'll just eat earlier at noon. It'd be bad if I was late because of this. I haven't been a formal officer for long—I can't be late."
Lumine took out the bottle of "bitter medicinal wine" that Shao Yun had handed her the night before and offered it to Eula.
"Since you don't have time for breakfast, why not drink this first?"
Looking at the small green bottle Lumine handed her, Eula asked with interest, "What's this?"
Lumine explained, "Last night, Shao Yun said it's bitter medicinal wine. Supposedly it restores stamina and helps with hangovers."
Half-believing, half-doubting, Eula took the bottle and pulled out the stopper. In an instant, a rich and distinctive medicinal scent rushed out, making her frown slightly.
Still, despite her doubts, she tilted her head back and drank the contents in one go to rid herself of the hangover.
The bitter taste spread instantly through her mouth, making her nearly retch.
But just a few seconds later, Eula clearly felt the hangover headache vanish completely.
She casually placed the empty bottle on the bedside table and turned to Lumine. "Mm, thanks. By the way—where's Shao Yun?"
Lumine raised her hand and pointed toward the living room outside the bedroom, smiling. "Him? He's still asleep on the couch."
...
After getting her answer, Eula quickly left the bedroom and headed straight for the living room.
When she saw Shao Yun sprawled on the couch, sleeping without a shred of dignity, she clenched her fists tightly for reasons even she didn't understand, her knuckles turning pale.
Kill Shao Yun?
The thought flashed through Eula's mind like lightning—but only for an instant.
In the end, she unwillingly relaxed her grip.
"It's already over. No matter how unwilling I am, what difference does it make…"
As she finished speaking, she lifted her head and took a deep breath, exhaling all the resentment in her heart with it.
A moment later, Eula regained her composure.
"Enough. Time to go to work. Being late wouldn't be good."
With that, she turned and prepared to leave.
And Shao Yun finally relaxed and removed his hand from his holster.
===BREAK===
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