Genshin Impact: The Sharpshooter of Teyvat

Chapter 1075: Proposal Location: Flowing Springs

Walking along the stone path into the depths of the flowing springs, the moisture in the air becomes increasingly dense, and occasionally you can hear soft music coming from afar.

After Shao Yun brought Ying into the tribe, the first thing he did was to walk towards the "Youyoutuntun" water sports store run by Marani's family.

This store is well-known among the people of Liuquan. The store’s facade is not big, but it has a fully open design.

The store is filled with neatly stacked swimsuits and swimming rings of various colors, as well as some small souvenirs with printed patterns, which look particularly cute.

When Shao Yun brought Ying to the door of the store, they happened to see Malani standing behind the counter, which was rare for her. She was holding an account book in her hand, a pen between her fingertips, and was calculating something seriously with her head down.

Occasionally, he would mutter to himself in front of the account book, probably checking today's revenue or counting the goods that needed to be replenished.

"Hi, Maranie!" Shao Yun walked forward first and waved to Maranie behind the counter.

Marani, who was counting the bill with her head down, had her back to the counter and did not recognize Shao Yun's voice for a moment. She just turned around subconsciously, still saying the store's welcome words as usual.

"Hi, welcome to the 'Youyoutuntun' water supplies store. I need to look at swimsuits and swimming rings..."

But before she could finish her words, when she turned around and saw the person in front of her, her eyes widened in surprise and the pen in her hand almost fell to the ground.

She quickly put down the account book in her hand, waved to Shao Yun, and welcomed him with surprise:

"Hey, Mr. Shao Yun! Long time no see!"

"I heard from the tribe that you had returned to Nata and were still building a ranch. I wanted to find time to visit you, but I was always busy with things at the store and didn't have time to say hello."

"Who is this?" As she spoke, her eyes fell curiously on Ying who was standing next to Shao Yun.

Seeing that Malani focused her attention on Ying, Shao Yun smiled and turned sideways, reaching out and gently holding Ying's shoulders, and introduced her neatly and proudly:

"This is my wife, Ying. I showed you the sketch I drew of her when I came to the Flowing Springs before."

When Malani heard the word "sketch", the scene of the first time she brought Shao Yun to Liuquan for vacation instantly emerged in her mind.

At that time, Aunt Agaya had just passed away. As the two of them were walking along the path beside the hot spring pool, Shao Yun took out the diary he carried with him and started drawing.

Later, when chatting, he deliberately turned out the page with the picture of Ying. At that time, he thought that Shao Yun and Ying had separated because of a quarrel. Who could have imagined that his wife and children were kidnapped?

After the recollection ended, Marani's smile became even more enthusiastic. She quickly waved at Ying and praised her sincerely:

"Oh my, hello, Miss Ying! Seeing is believing! You are even more beautiful than in your portrait!"

"My name is Marani. I'm not only the owner of this shop, but also the guide of the Flowing Spring people. If you want to visit the tribe in the future, I'm always here to show you the way!"

When Ying heard what Malani said, her attention was instantly drawn to "her own portrait" and she subconsciously pointed at herself.

"Ah? My portrait?"

Malani immediately smiled and nodded, her tone even more complimentary.

"That's right! Mr. Shao Yun showed it to me the last time he came here. It's a beautiful painting! He even drew the little curves at the corners of your eyes when you smile."

"At the time, I thought that if the people in the painting were so good-looking, they must be even better in real life. When I saw it today, I was right!"

Which girl doesn't like to hear sincere praise from others? Ying couldn't help but smile, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she said shyly:

"Haha, thank you for the compliment. Actually, I'm not that good..."

Shao Yun stood aside, watching the two of them talking happily, with a gentle smile on his lips. When he realized that the greetings were almost over, he spoke at the right time and told them the purpose of his visit to the store.

"Let's not talk about this anymore, Maranie. It's not good to take up too much of your time. We're here today to ask you to get us a boat, okay?"

When Malani heard Shao Yun wanted a boat, she immediately stopped talking, put her hands on her hips, touched her chin, and began to think.

"A small boat... This time is really suitable for going out to sea. The sun is not so hot now, and the sea breeze is quite cool. And in a while, you can see the sunset dyeing the sea red..."

Thinking about this, Malani nodded vigorously and swiftly crawled out from behind the counter of her own store.

The wooden counter was not high, and she landed on the ground with a light jump, her movements quick and decisive.

Then she waved vigorously towards Shao Yun and Ying, and said in a cheerful tone: "Okay, no problem! Come with me, both of you!"

Ying watched Maranie turn and leave, her eyes subconsciously sweeping across the empty store counter.

The account book was still spread out on the table, and there was no intention of closing the shop.

She quickly stepped forward and warned, "Hey, Miss Maranie, is it okay for you to leave your store open like this without anyone watching? What if someone steals something?"

In her opinion, there is no reason to leave a store before it closes, let alone a store full of goods.

When Malani heard this, she said with a sense of relief:

"Don't worry! My shop is usually unmanned. Customers put their money in the box at the counter after taking their items. Over the years, nothing has been lost!"

"Let's go, let's go, don't miss the good time to watch the sunset!"

Ying looked at Marani who was so carefree and didn't take the matter of "watching the store" to heart at all.

She quietly nudged Shao Yun beside her with her elbow and asked in a low voice:

"Are all the Natas so relaxed? They can even leave the shops open without worry. I wouldn't even dare to think about that in other places."

Shao Yun looked at Malani's back as she walked quickly in front of him, and couldn't help scratching his chin. After thinking carefully for a moment, he commented:

"Malanie is a laid-back type, not overly bothered by details. But if I were to describe her as 'relaxed,' I'd say enthusiasm would be a better word."

For Marani, the needs of her friends are more important than looking after the store.

……

Putting aside Maranie's carelessness about the store, she was exceptionally efficient.

As soon as Shao Yun and Ying reached the shore, she prepared a Nata canoe, which was slightly wider than an ordinary canoe.

It looks a bit like a small sampan, with an overall slender crescent shape and the hull painted in a refreshing light wood color.

Malani reached out and patted the hull, making a crisp "dong dong" sound. Then she turned around and made an exaggerated "please" gesture to Shao Yun and Ying, with a playful smile on her face and her tone full of energy.

"Yohoo! The boat is ready, and the two sailors are ready to board!"

Shao Yun walked forward, bent down and checked the hull and oars. His fingertips touched the smooth wood and he could feel the delicate texture of hand-polishing. It was obvious that it had been carefully maintained.

He looked up at Maranie, his eyes full of satisfaction, and said with a smile: "Thanks, Maranie, this boat is really good, better than I expected."

Hearing the compliment, Malani immediately raised her chin proudly and deliberately stuck out her tongue, looking particularly playful. "Of course! How could the boat I chose be bad?"

"But you have to be careful not to row too far. It's safer to come back early."

As she spoke, she took down two orange lifebuoys from the storage rack at the dock and handed them to Shao Yun.

"Take this with you too. Even though you can swim, safety measures must be taken!"

Ying looked at Malani's lively appearance and assured her, "Don't worry, we will definitely be back soon and won't cause you any trouble."

"That's good!" Maranie clapped her hands and took two steps back to give the two of them space to board the ship, her tone full of blessings.

"I wish you two to enjoy the sunset seascape! If you're lucky, you might even see the sunset glow dye the entire sea red. That scenery is even more unforgettable than the hot springs with numerous flowing springs!"

Shao Yun first helped Ying step onto the boat. The boat swayed slightly, but it quickly stabilized its center of gravity.

After Ying was seated firmly, he jumped onto the boat, carrying the oars. His movements were so light that the boat didn't even sway.

He waved at Maranie and said, "Let's go, see you later."

"Okay! I'll wait!" Malani stood on the shore, waving her hands vigorously, watching the boat slowly leave the dock. Until the figure became smaller and smaller, she turned and walked towards her shop.

After taking two steps, she suddenly slapped her head and muttered softly, "Oh, I forgot to take out the fresh coconuts I picked today to treat Shao Yun's family... Forget it, let's talk about it next time!"

……

After the boat slowly sailed away from the dock, Shao Yun sat at the bow, holding the oars with both hands, and gently rowed towards the sea away from the shore.

Ying sat at the stern of the boat, gently placing her hands on the sea, feeling the coolness of the water.

The oars entered the water, leaving two shallow traces of water on the clear sea surface, which were then smoothed out by the slowly spreading ripples.

The setting sun hangs above the sea level in the distance, dyeing the sea surface a warm orange-red, and the sparkling light spots sway gently with the waves.

Occasionally, a few silvery-white fish jumped out of the water and then quickly dived into the sea, leaving behind a series of fleeting splashes.

There were no strong winds or waves on the sea, and the boat was sailing very smoothly.

Ying sat at the stern, her hands resting on the plank behind her, her head slightly tilted back to admire the scenery in front of her. The sea breeze gently blew her hair, making her feel particularly refreshed.

But after watching for a while, she noticed that Shao Yun was paddling towards the deep sea, not like he was just strolling around. Her curiosity emerged again, and she couldn't help but ask:

"Wait a minute, you keep paddling this way, are you trying to take me fishing?"

Shao Yun paused holding the oar, turned his head and smiled at Ying, then replied in a casual tone:

"I'm not fishing, I just want to take you on a boat ride and see the scenery on the sea. Look at this sunset and this sea, aren't they more beautiful than from the shore?"

When Ying heard that it was just "sightseeing", she immediately frowned, obviously not believing that things could be so simple.

She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees, staring at Shao Yun's profile and asking:

"Hmm... Is this what you call a world for two?"

"You rode all the way here from the Holy Fire Arena, and even borrowed a boat from Miss Marani, just to enjoy the evening scenery on the sea?"

As soon as she finished speaking, she deliberately narrowed her eyes and looked at Shao Yun like a little detective.

"You don't have any other tricks up your sleeve, do you? Like, you want to give me a 'surprise' while I'm not paying attention?"

Shao Yun looked at Ying's alert expression, and couldn't help shaking his hand holding the oar, and laughed helplessly.

"Why are you reacting so strongly? I'm not going to eat you. I just want to see the scenery with you and have a good chat, right?"

Ying curled her lips, with a look of "I've seen through you a long time ago" in her eyes. She stared at him as if he were a "big pig's hoof", and there was a hint of grievance in her tone.

"Tsk... Didn't you say the same thing the last time we were on a boat together in Inazuma? You said you were just enjoying the scenery, but what happened? You just ate me up."

As she spoke, she deliberately turned her face away and muttered softly, "As the saying goes, a man's mouth is a lie. I must be careful and not be fooled by you again."

When Shao Yun heard her mention Inazuma's past, his cheeks felt slightly hot and his rowing movements became slower.

Seeing Ying still unwilling to let down her guard and still fantasizing about how he would do something to her, he simply followed her words and teased her:

"You've already boarded my pirate ship. There's no point regretting it now. Even if I have some ulterior motives, you can't escape."

Ying was speechless after hearing his words. She could only pout and hum softly. She stopped asking questions and looked quietly at the sea in front of her.

……

The setting sun gradually sank, the orange-red glow became more and more intense, even the clouds in the distance were dyed pink and purple. Occasionally, a few seabirds spread their wings and flew slowly overhead, leaving behind a few crisp calls.

The boat floated gently on the sea. Apart from the slight sound of the oars paddling in the water, there were only the breathing of the two people and the sound of the sea breeze. It was quiet and comfortable.

Shao Yun looked at Ying's quiet profile, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but rise slightly.

Instead of continuing to row into the deep sea, he gently adjusted the oars and stopped.

Wait a little longer, until the sunset falls to the most appropriate position, and then he will present the surprise he has prepared for so long to Ying.