"Da-da-da~"
"La-la-la~"
"Boom-boom bombs~"
Klee was unbelievably obedient. Mo Li had only taught her once, and she'd already mastered those cute little lines, mimicking them perfectly.
"Brother Mo Li~ light it up!"
She tugged at his sleeve, fireworks in hand, her little face glowing with excitement.
Mo Li adjusted the filming angle, then ruffled her hair.
"Once it's lit, you throw it immediately, got it?"
"Klee knows~!"
For safety's sake, Mo Li had chosen fireworks with a 30-second delay. She couldn't light them herself either—he had to approve it first.
He pulled out a lighter and lit the fuse.
Klee didn't mess around. She hurled it straight into the pond.
Boom! A plume of water splashed up.
"Yay~!"
She jumped for joy, while Bronya stood nearby, arms crossed, lips curved in the faintest smile.
Passersby slowed down, drawn in by the sight of this lively little girl.
If there was a "perfect daughter material" ranking, Klee had just set the ceiling.
By the time noon approached, Mo Li and Bronya led the reluctant Klee back to the studio.
The instant they arrived, she dashed off, eager to tell Hu Tao and Kiana all about her "fish bombing" adventure.
Rita greeted them with a smile.
"Boss, lunch will need a little more time."
"No rush," Mo Li replied. "Miss Keqing left?"
Rita shook her head. "No. She seems to like Genshin very much~ She hasn't come out all morning."
"All morning?"
She nodded.
"Let's check on her."
Mo Li was just about to head to the office when Bronya asked, "Do you want me to edit the footage you just shot?"
"No need, go rest."
"I've been resting all morning."
"Then sit and wait for lunch," Mo Li said lightly, before heading to his office with Rita.
Inside, Keqing sat at the computer, eyes fixed on the screen, sword flashing as she fought the Wolf of the North.
"Swordlight, cleave away the chaos!"
Her ultimate finished—just as the boss shifted phases.
"Damn it!" she muttered, annoyed at having wasted it.
She was so absorbed that she didn't even notice Mo Li and Rita standing behind her.
The two exchanged a smile but didn't interrupt.
Her team lineup was… peculiar. Lisa, Fischl, Jean, and herself.
Mo Li couldn't help but wince. But watching a bit longer, he realized—Keqing was damage testing.
More specifically, comparing damage.
And her point of comparison was, of course, none other than herself.
Mo Li chuckled to himself. Truly Ah Qing—her competitive streak followed her even into games.
Only when she had downed the Wolf did Mo Li clear his throat.
"Ahem… So, Miss Keqing, how does it feel?"
Startled, she almost jumped.
"You—when did you get here?"
Rita giggled behind her hand. "We just arrived~"
Keqing's cheeks flushed. Obviously a lie.
"…After playing all morning, I'd say it feels good. More playable than Honkai 3rd in some ways. But…" She glanced at Mo Li, hesitant.
"But what? If you have feedback, please, share it," Mo Li said with a smile.
"…I think… the in-game Keqing's damage feels a little low," she admitted at last, fidgeting.
"I mean, she's one of Liyue's Qixing, a five-star Electro. She should be strong, right? But compared to Honkai's version of me… the gap is pretty big."
Mo Li laughed softly. "Miss Keqing is still very strong. Perhaps it's just a difference in skill that makes you think otherwise."
Her eyes lit up. "Then why not make Genshin's Keqing like the Honkai version? You know, the move with countless sword slashes!"
Mo Li: "…"
That would be absurdly broken. Impossible.
He coughed, thinking quickly.
"That wouldn't work. It wouldn't be… rigorous game design."
Keqing blinked. "Oh? Do tell."
"…Well, remember what Keqing said in Honkai? 'Honkai energy really is more convenient than a Vision.'"
"…And that matters how?"
"Of course it matters! Her sword barrage needs Honkai energy. In Teyvat, she only has elemental power. Without Honkai energy, naturally she can't use that move."
Keqing: "…"
Something felt off, but she couldn't refute it.
"…You really can't just tweak the setting a little?"
Mo Li shook his head solemnly. "We take this game seriously. We don't allow unreasonable mechanics."
"…Fine."
Though disappointed, she admitted the damage scaling was decent enough.
What she didn't know was… it was only Version 1.0.
The day would come when Keqing mains cried.
"Anyway, it's getting late. I should go."
Rita quickly chimed in, "Miss Keqing, won't you stay for lunch? It's nearly ready~"
"No, I've already imposed it all morning."
She paused, then asked, "By the way, when do you plan to launch Genshin?"
That jogged Mo Li's memory.
It was time to release the second PV—and open pre-registration.
"In about ten days," he said, pulling his laptop closer.
On the Mihoyo website, he uploaded the prepared trailer and flipped the switch on the registration page.
"All set."
Keqing leaned in. "A promo PV?"
Mo Li nodded. "Want to watch?"
...
At that very moment, players across the net flocked to the site.
Genshin Impact: Teyvat Chapter Preview PV – "Footprints."
Pre-registration was live. Version 1.0 launch countdown had begun.
The community erupted.
Mo Li had promised a launch this year—but they hadn't expected it so soon!
They'd only just finished Honkai's story updates and events, waiting for new content.
And now? The Genshin pre-registration link was up!
Overseas uploaders mirrored the news instantly.
Foreign players didn't even wait to watch the PV—they clicked the link and signed up first.
Registration numbers surged at terrifying speed.
Only then did players return to the video itself.
It opened with the bold mihoyo logo.
A gentle piano began. Two meteors streaked across the sky.
"The war has already begun… a continuation of the last…"
Scenes shifted—mysterious, unclear, yet captivating.
Then Lumine and Aether's silhouettes faded. The screen went black. The music changed.
[Mondstadt · The Outlander Who Caught the Wind]
Narration:
"The ancient dragon who once guarded the city of freedom… has grown doubtful of freedom itself."
Players didn't fully understand—but were intrigued.
The BGM shifted again, this time into soaring symphonies with the flavor of Dragon Country.
[Liyue · Farewell, the Archaic Lord]
Ningguang's illustration appeared.
In a qipao-like gown, elegant and regal, she was breathtaking at a glance.
Fans linked it to Honkai's earlier hints: Teyvat had seven nations.
Now with Mondstadt and Liyue confirmed, the pattern was clear—each nation mirrored one from Earth.
Guqin strings played, narration heavy with meaning:
"Before the eyes of all, the God of Contracts was slain. With Their final breath, They signed the contract to end all contracts."
The chat exploded.
Liyue's Archon—assassinated?!
But before speculation could spread, the music shifted again—this time with eerie, solemn tones of islander symphony.
[Inazuma · The Immortal Shogun]
Ayaka's illustration appeared—her attire steeped in Sakura Nation aesthetics.
Sakura Nation fans lost their minds.
The hints were undeniable—Teyvat's seven nations each drew inspiration from real-world cultures.
Mondstadt resembled medieval Western Europe.
Liyue was clearly Ancient China.
And Inazuma… their very own homeland.
The revelation thrilled them beyond words.
...
The trailer continued.
After Inazuma came—Sumeru, Fontaine, Natlan, and Snezhnaya.
Each nation had its own musical theme, its own character illustration.
Every note, every design hinted at another real-world counterpart.
The discovery sent players worldwide into a frenzy.
Some scrutinized the frames, hunting details.
Others simply replayed the seven tracks—seven distinct, stunning pieces of music.
Forums exploded with debate. Fans matched nations to countries, frame by frame, note by note.
This time, with just a single teaser PV—
Genshin Impact went global.
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