Sacrificing Myself: Nine Transmigrations (Genshin Impact)

One image after another flashed through Qiqi's mind like a slideshow. She knelt there, crying from dawn until nightfall.

As evening came, a light rain began to fall. Cold raindrops hit her body, but she couldn't feel a thing.

"Cheep... cheep cheep... cheep."

...

From the birdcage beside her, Little Fluffy chirped softly.

Qiqi looked over to find it soaked through. Only then did she clutch the cage and run toward the cabin.

Luckily, she hadn't forgotten the way home.

Back inside, she opened the cage—but Little Fluffy, as if understanding everything, didn't fly away. Instead, it perched gently on her shoulder, rubbing its tiny head against her cheek, as if to comfort her.

Qiqi was stunned, then gave a faint, bitter smile. She dried Little Fluffy with a towel and gave it food and water.

But it didn't eat. Instead, it kept nuzzling her cheek.

"Little Fluffy… come on, eat something..." Qiqi said softly.

As if it understood, Little Fluffy hopped onto a bottle of coconut milk and tapped it with its foot—telling her: If you don't eat, I won't either.

Qiqi froze, then picked up the coconut milk and took a sip.

Only then did Little Fluffy start eating and drinking.

"Remember Elliot. Unless I die, I will never forget."

Qiqi issued a command to herself—engraving it deep within her heart, even deeper than the one Elliot had once given her: "Reading the notebook is the most important thing."

But she feared that even that wouldn't be enough. That she might still forget.

So she pulled out all her notebooks and, on the last page of every single one, she wrote about Elliot.

The forest cabin. Little Fluffy. Elliot.

She didn't eat or sleep for days, writing nonstop for three or four days straight—until the last page of over a hundred notebooks were filled.

Only after she finished did she curl up in the corner of the cabin and fall asleep.

In her dreams, Elliot came back.

She smiled with joy.

When she woke, her pillow was soaked through. Her eyes were swollen red.

She held Little Fluffy close, opened the door, and whispered, "Let's go home, Little Fluffy…"

At that moment, Little Fluffy flew from her hands, disappearing into the forest.

Qiqi took her notebooks and, following faint memories, made her way to Liyue.

When she arrived, the people of Liyue warmly greeted her.

"Hello, Qiqi! Is there anything we can help you with?"

"Excuse me… how do I get to the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor…"

Following their directions, Qiqi arrived at the parlor's doors.

She pushed them open and stepped inside.

Hu Tao and Zhongli rushed over.

"Hu Tao… bury me."

The words left them stunned.

But they quickly understood.

Elliot had told them he was worried Qiqi might do something unexpected. They hadn't imagined she truly would.

Hu Tao—who usually kept her distance from Qiqi—was now being asked to personally see her buried.

"Well, I'd love to," Hu Tao said with a helpless shrug, "but Elliot won't allow it."

She took out a familiar sachet.

"This is… a sachet..."

Qiqi's eyes widened.

"According to general contract theory," Zhongli added, holding up his own sachet with a gentle smile, "burying you would be a breach of contract."

"Contract…?"

"Yes," he said. "Elliot and the people of Liyue all signed it. From now on—Liyue is your home."

At that moment, Xiangling's voice came from behind.

Qiqi turned around instinctively—and her pupils constricted.

All around her stood the people of Liyue, smiling warmly, holding the same glowing sachets in their hands.

Qiqi's eyes filled with tears once again.

As she stared at the sachets, Elliot's gentle smile resurfaced in her mind.

She…

might have finally…

found a reason to live.

"Qiqi, welcome to Liyue."

Everyone outside the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor spoke in unison.

Tears rolled down Qiqi's cheeks.

"Qiqi, welcome back," Xiangling said with a soft smile.

At that moment, a small sparrow swooped down from the sky.

Qiqi instinctively held out her hands—and the little bird landed right in her palms.

"Little Fluffy…?" she whispered in surprise.

"Cheep cheep…?" the sparrow tilted its head and chirped.

And for the first time in a long while, a pure smile appeared on Qiqi's face.

...

Several months later.

Liyue, Wanmin Restaurant.

"Qiqi, table three! Hilichurl wood-grilled fish."

"Qiqi, table four is ready to pay!"

"Qiqi, after you finish clearing, you're off for the day!"

Qiqi bustled around Wanmin Restaurant on her little legs.

When the last customer paid, she smiled sweetly.

"Take care… Please visit again…"

"Qiqi is really hardworking," the guest said with admiration.

"Isn't she? She's my little treasure!" Xiangling chimed in, walking over with a bottle of coconut milk.

She handed it to Qiqi. "Let's go pick some Glaze Lilies later, okay?"

"Okay… Qiqi… picks Glaze Lilies… really good at it…"

Qiqi happily accepted the bottle and took a sip.

"You're too stingy, Xiangling," one of the diners joked. "Qiqi works so hard and all she gets is a bottle of coconut milk?"

"Buzz off," Xiangling shot back. "If you wanna steal Qiqi from me, just say it. She's my treasure—don't even think about it."

"Hahahaha, if I had Qiqi, I'd spoil her too!"

"Qiqi… likes coconut milk…" she added softly.

"Come on, Qiqi! Work with me—I'll give you two bottles of coconut milk every day!" the man offered, half-joking.

"Really?" Xiangling's eyes gleamed as she slowly called out, "Guoba, come here."

"No no no! Just kidding! I was kidding!"

The man quickly ran off the moment he heard Guoba's name.

Now, Qiqi had become an official part of Wanmin Restaurant, helping with food delivery and clearing tables.

Her salary?

Coconut milk, of course.

Her adorable presence often earned teasing praise from customers.

"Xiangling… I want to… go see Elliot… Sorry to trouble you…"

"Sure, I'll come with you. Give me a sec."

After a short wait, Xiangling packed some Hilichurl wood-grilled fish and sticky rice with horse tail, and headed out of the restaurant with Qiqi.

As they stepped outside, Little Fluffy flew over and perched on Qiqi's shoulder.

The second life had come to an end.