Genshin Impact [Outsider]

"Big guy, why are you playing with torches here?"

Luo Meng looked at the torch in Huoguo's hand. It was an incomplete torch, with traces of burns on the core, but it was just a little charred, and it seemed that it had never been successfully ignited.

It was not perfect, and even a little defective, to the point where it could be thrown away, but Hotpot was trying to light it, and it lasted the whole morning...

"My grandfather gave me this. He said if you try hard enough, you can still light it."

The hot pot followed Luo Meng's eyes and fell on the torch in his hand. He only remembered that his grandfather handed him the torch with a kind smile and hoped that he could try to light it.

"Hmm... this torch looks almost unusable. Even if it can be lit, what happens after it is lit?"

Luo Meng was a little confused. She remembered that there was only one elderly man here, and that was the dean. People living here generally called him Grandpa, and he also liked the children here very much.

This is an orphanage...

However, not all children here are orphans. Some are just temporarily placed here because their families are too busy.

But they all like this place very much, whether it is the quiet and peaceful environment or the kind-hearted dean.

Hotpot scratched his head, thought about what the dean said to him in the morning, and then shook his head.

"I don't know either. Grandpa said that as long as we can light it before dark today, we can ignite the fire of hope."

"Okay, okay, I'll help you too. Maybe I can actually light it."

Luo Meng didn't have anything important to do. It was just past noon, so she had plenty of time to spend on this torch.

"Ah, thank you! You are so kind..."

Hotpot smiled a little embarrassedly. It was the first time for him to be in such close contact with someone. Usually, children of the same age kept a distance from him, as if they were deliberately rejecting him.

Except for the occasional times when his "playmates" would ask him to act as a tool when needed, he basically kept to himself most of the time.

Occasionally, the dean would yell at him to lend a hand because of his size, but he would always bring some desserts to share with him, and always treated him like a grandfather and grandson, and was very kind to him.

"You can just call me by my name. I give you permission!"

Luo Meng had no opinion about the wooden boy in front of him. Apart from being taller and stronger, he was just like himself in every other way. He was just a child with little experience in the world.

Luo Meng took out a small exquisite crystal from the small pocket of her skirt and handed it to Hotpot, and continued:

"Here, this is for you, big guy. My sister and I took great pains to get this from Sister Shanshui. Now that we've become friends, I'll give it to you as a present."

Facing the crystal in Luo Meng's hand, Hotpot seemed flattered. He wanted to accept it but didn't dare to reach out to take it. He just stood there staring at the crystal.

"It's so precious! I, I..."

Before Hotpot could even open his mouth, Luo Meng stuffed the food into Hotpot's hand.

"Take it. There's nothing to be embarrassed about. Just consider it a gift!"

As if he was afraid that he would crush the small crystal if he used too much force, Hotpot just held the small crystal carefully. Hearing Luo Meng say this, he did not refuse anymore, but put the small crystal even more carefully.

"I'll keep it, thank you...Luomeng"

Hotpot called out her name for the first time. Although it was a little awkward, the girl still smiled happily when she heard it.

"That's right, friends should be more relaxed with each other. There's no need to worry about those little etiquettes!"

"Also, if you don't have a name, I can't call you. It's really troublesome! Let me think... why not give you a nickname!"

Before Hotpot could speak, Luo Meng suddenly had an idea. She jumped up excitedly, rushed to Hotpot, and jumped up and down as if she wanted to touch Hotpot's head.

Hotpot also figured out Luo Meng's purpose and lowered his body appropriately so that Luo Meng could touch his head.

"Well, since your hair looks like a pot lid and you like playing with fire, from now on, I'll call you Hot Pot!"

Looking at Luo Meng jumping on tiptoe and dancing, Hotpot couldn't help laughing.

"Well, from now on you can call me Hotpot. No matter what time it is, I will respond to you!"

Although this is not a name but just a nickname, and it is not even nice to hear, he still likes it very much.

After all, this was the first time, and it was his first friend who gave him a name...

……

The two continued to fiddle with the torch, and the sky slowly darkened without them noticing. Before they knew it, several figures were moving through the nearby woods, as if they were peering at them from behind.

As the sun sets, the two figures gather together, concentrating on grinding something...

If you didn’t know, you might think they were working on some great invention, but in fact, the two little guys were just stumped by a torch. They couldn’t even handle the torch, let alone something more complicated.

Luo Meng came back to his senses, looked at Hotpot who was sweating profusely, and collapsed to the ground.

"Eh... I'm so tired. No matter how hard I try, I can't seem to light this torch. Is it cursed by something?"

Hotpot also raised his head, wiped his sweat, looked at the flint in his hand that was about to be ground into pieces, and sighed:

"It seems like it really won't work. We've tried our best..."

"Well, if Sister Shanshui hadn't been away on a mission, I would have suspected that she was the one behind the scenes! She loves to play tricks on me..."

Hotpot looked up at the sky. It was just setting and the sky was getting darker.

"Luomeng, it's getting dark soon, you should go home..."

Luo Meng also noticed that it was getting late, but she would be staying in this small town with the entourage for the next few days, so she was not in a hurry.

"Well, dinner will be served soon. I plan to stay and taste the cooking skills of the dean. Those guys entrusted me here, and now they won't come to find me. They probably won't prepare dinner for me."

In fact, she can always eat. When she is with her family, she only needs to say "I'm hungry!" and all kinds of delicious food will be placed in front of her. Everything depends on her own preferences...

This time too, after being entrusted here, she specifically told the accompanying team that she might go back later, or just sleep here for one night, and unless there was something important or she had to go home, they should not disturb her.

"Really? That's great! Grandpa's cooking is delicious, you must try it..."

As he was talking, Hotpot suddenly realized that his little friends were not here. Normally, he would take the initiative to call them and remind them that it was time to go back to eat, and then the little guys would leave here, but this time, they left without him noticing.

Before each meal, Hotguo would always go over to help out. Now it was almost time for dinner. According to his usual habit, Hotguo was always the first to arrive at the cafeteria and remind the other friends to eat. Occasionally, when he came back late, his grandfather would come over and call him and the other friends to eat.

But this time, everything seemed too quiet. Now, it was already time for dinner...

If dinner has already started and grandpa comes uninvited, he will ask other children to come nearby and shout for hotpot. Although they don't play with hotpot, they will obediently listen to the director and shout for hotpot.

Hotpot felt a little uneasy, but he quickly put his worries aside.

Maybe the dean was too busy and didn't come to call them, so those guys might not have noticed that someone was missing?

He is such a big guy, if he is not here, it will definitely be very awkward. After all, he always helps to clean up the dishes after every meal and is very familiar with the cafeteria auntie...

"Luomeng, I feel a little uneasy. I don't know what's going on. I always feel..."

Hotpot didn't finish his words, he just held the torch tightly, his palms already soaked with sweat.

"What's the matter with you..."

Although Luo Meng didn't usually stay here and didn't understand what Hotpot was thinking, she could tell from Hotpot's face that he was really uneasy, even terrified...

"I have to go back and see if the dean has prepared the meal and is waiting for us..."

After saying this, Hotpot turned and ran away, even throwing the torch that had tortured him all day on the ground.

Luo Meng was also a little confused by Hotpot's sudden situation. For a moment, she didn't know whether she should follow him. However, even if she wanted to follow him, she couldn't catch up with Hotpot's pace.

In just a moment, he had run a long way, leaving Luo Meng alone on the outskirts of the forest.

"Then I wait for you?"

Luo Meng picked up the torch on the ground and just stood there looking at the hot pot going away.

As if he sensed the gaze behind him, Hotpot turned around when he was about to disappear from Luo Meng's sight and waved his big hands vigorously at her, as if to say "I'll be back to pick you up soon".

When Luo Meng saw Hotpot turning around and waving, the uneasiness that had been gradually rising in her heart was finally dispelled. She also raised the hand holding the torch and waved at Hotpot.

Perhaps she felt that one hand was not enough, so she raised her other hand, waved it and danced, with a big smile on her face.

Hotpot also grinned, and then continued to rush towards the orphanage. At this moment, the last ray of afterglow finally ended, and the world finally fell into darkness.

However, there are many night lights in the town. Those night lights are like stars, lighting up one by one, one after another, and finally shrouding the whole town in night light.

"Well! Fortunately, there are these lights, otherwise I don't want to stay in such a dark place..."

Luo Meng squatted down and looked at the torch in his hand curiously in the light.

She didn't understand why there was a torch that didn't burn in the world. She even used a flint to light another torch and then ignite this one, but the result surprised her...

This torch was like a piece of mud without being stained by it. It was not affected by the sparks at all and it burned for most of the day but could not be ignited.

……

Silent night, the story begins...

In the dark night, a figure slowly approached Luo Meng, his eyes fixed on the little girl, as if a wild beast staring at its prey.

The thick rope in his hand was also pulled hard by him at this moment, making a series of friction sounds as it was pulled to the limit...

"Little princess, please...go for me!"

"what--"

……

The torch fell to the ground, and the shadows disappeared...