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It had all started with a simple mistake. A moment of confusion, a potion taken in haste.
Baizhu stared at the empty vial in her hand, its unusual aroma still lingering in the air. "Zandik," she said, voice quivering as the effects of the potion began to ripple through her body. Her usual calm composure was replaced by wide-eyed confusion. "What... is happening to me?"
Zandik, whose normally sharp wit seemed to momentarily abandon him, blinked at the scene before him. "That wasn’t..." He cleared his throat, though it didn’t steady him. "That wasn’t the recovery potion."
Baizhu's form shimmered slightly, her jade-green hair cascading longer, her already delicate features softening further. Her slender frame seemed to adjust, reshaping itself in a way that even defied the difficulties of his research notes.
"I—" Baizhu started, only for her voice to pitch higher than expected. "Zandik! What is this?!"
Zandik's jaw slackened, his eyes analyzing the transformation like a scientist in disbelief of his own experiment. "You... you took that potion," he muttered, half to himself.
"That potion?!" Baizhu echoed, her voice tinged with rising annoyance. She looked down at herself and immediately flushed. "This wasn’t supposed to happen!"
Zandik stepped forward, wringing his hands in a rare moment of awkwardness. "In my defense," he said, his words almost stumbling over themselves, "I didn’t think you’d grab the one labeled ‘Prototype Boost Serum.’"
Baizhu’s glare could have set the shelves on fire if she possessed Pyro abilities. "Why do you even have a potion like this?!"
"It was... hypothetical," Zandik admitted sheepishly. "But in hindsight, I should have used a stronger labeling system."
Before Baizhu could unleash the full brunt of her fury, she faltered. A strange warmth bloomed in her chest—a mixture of confusion and undeniable affection for the man standing before her. Zandik, normally so composed and detached, looked utterly infatuated, his gaze softening in ways no one would have thought possible.
Her transformation had made her ethereal, a vision of beauty that seemed almost otherworldly. Her jade-green hair cascaded in soft waves, catching the light with an almost luminous glow. Her features, already striking, had become impossibly improved—her skin smooth and radiant, her dark pink eyes shimmering with emotion she hadn’t yet grasped. She looked like a figure from an ancient Liyuean painting, one of those celebrated celestial beings descended to Teyvat.
To Zandik, she was more beautiful than any god or Archon, her mortal form exceeding the hollow glory he had come to despise. Celestia and its pantheon were but empty vessels of power, hypocrites that ruled over humanity with illogical cruelty. Yet here stood Baizhu, her Vision glowing faintly at her side, a living exception to everything he detested. She was proof that divinity could be concealed—proof that beauty, grace, and strength could exist unblemished by the gods. In his eyes, she was the only one worthy of worship, the sole light in a world cast in shadows.
He took a cautious step closer, his hands twitching as though he wanted to reach out but didn’t dare. "Baizhu," he murmured, his voice unexpectedly tender, "you look... radiant."
Despite herself, Baizhu felt her face grow hot. "Don’t try to sweet-talk me out of this, Zandik. I’m still furious."
He grinned, the rare warmth of it startling her into silence. "I’d never lie to you," he said, and for once, his tone was devoid of his usual calculating control. "But right now, I need to fix this before—"
Baizhu, flustered, gestured sharply to the shelves. "Fix it. Now!"
But Zandik didn’t move. Instead, he stepped closer, his hands finally daring to rest gently on Baizhu’s shoulders. "Or," he began, a mischievous glint in his eyes, "we could... make the best of this situation."
"Make the best of it?" Baizhu’s voice was a mixture of disbelief and nervous laughter. "You’re unbelievable."
"And you’re stunning," Zandik replied simply, his usual arrogance melting into something far more earnest. He swept Baizhu into his arms with surprising ease, his movements careful yet full of purpose. "Let me show you how much you mean to me, Baizhu."
Baizhu yelped, her usual composure slipping as her arms instinctively wrapped around his neck for balance. The sudden shift left her momentarily flustered, her cheeks tinged with a faint pink. "Zandik!" she exclaimed, her voice a mix of surprise and caution, though her grip tightened as she adjusted to being held.
Baizhu’s protests died on her lips as she realized the sincerity in his expression. She sighed, the tension in her shoulders easing. "Fine," she muttered, her tone laced with reluctant amusement. "But if you drop me, I’ll never let you live it down."
Zandik chuckled, his confidence returning in full force. "I wouldn’t dare." He carried her toward the pharmacy’s living quarters, his steps steady despite the swirl of emotions that threatened to overwhelm him.
Once inside the bedroom, Zandik gently set Baizhu down, his hands lingering at her waist. "I’ll make this right," he promised, his voice low and enthusiastic.
Baizhu looked up at him, her usual sharp wit softened by the affection in her gaze. "You already have," she whispered, pulling him closer.
Their lips met in an intense, fiery kiss, charged with raw desire and deep emotion. Zandik's hands moved to cradle her face as their kiss deepened, his tongue tracing hers with passion. Light bites along her lower lip sent a shiver through Baizhu, her fingers tangling in his hair as she pulled him closer, their passion igniting like a wildfire.
Zandik pulled back slightly, his gaze holding hers for a moment before his hand gently reached up to remove her eyeglasses, placing them carefully on the nearby table. He leaned in again, their lips meeting in another heated kiss.
Baizhu’s hands, trembling at first, found their way to the buttons of Zandik’s shirt. Slowly, she began unbuttoning them, her touch both hesitant and inviting. Each undone button revealed more of his skin, her fingers brushing against him as her movements gained confidence.
Zandik's hand found its way to Baizhu's bare belly, his touch firm yet tender. His fingertips trailed upward, lifting the hem of her high-collared, cropped shirt, the warm skin of her waist and ribs responding to his touch. He paused to press a slow, lingering kiss to her neck, his lips trailing to a sensitive spot, his gentle sucking sending waves of electricity through her body.
He tucked his hand further beneath Baizhu's shirt, his palm exploring the curve of her chest that had formed due to the transformation. His fingers spread against her skin, feeling the softness beneath his touch. Baizhu gasped in surprise, her body arching slightly at the unfamiliar sensation.
Taking advantage of her gasp, Zandik leaned in to capture her lips again in a deep, slow, and intense kiss filled with passion and desire. The connection was electric, their emotions mingled as the kiss deepened, drawing them even closer together. He shifted slightly, wrapping Baizhu's legs around his waist, his hold on her firm and possessive as their kiss grew even more heated.
Baizhu’s breath hitched as Zandik’s fingers slid further under her shirt, brushing against the swell of her chest. The unexpected sensitivity of her transformed body made her squirm, her hips shifting instinctively against him. She could feel the hardness straining beneath his clothes, pressed firmly between her thighs.
“Zandik…” she whispered, not in protest but as a warning—though even she didn’t know what she was warning him of anymore.
He smirked against her skin, lips trailing across her collarbone, teeth grazing just enough to make her gasp. “Tell me to stop, and I will,” he murmured, his voice thick with restraint, but Baizhu didn’t answer. Instead, her hands moved to slide his shirt down his shoulders, revealing the defined lines of his chest and the scars that marked his path through experiments and dark ambition.
She traced one with her fingertip slowly. “You’re reckless,” she said softly.
“And you’re beautiful,” he replied, lifting her shirt over her head in one smooth motion.
The potion had reshaped her—not just physically, but in a way that made every nerve feel hyperaware. Her skin flushed under his gaze, nipples tense in the cool air, her breath shaky as his hands explored her new form with awe. She arched into his touch, her thighs tightening around his waist as he leaned in to suck one nipple into his mouth.
She let out a sharp moan, her back bowing. “Zandik—ah—” Her fingers tangled in his hair again, tugging as his tongue circled her nipple, then flicked against it until she was panting.
Zandik moved with purpose now. He pressed her back onto the bed, fingers undoing the clasp of her pants and sliding them down her legs along with the last of her undergarments. Baizhu was left bare before him, flushed and radiant, her legs slightly parted.
“You’re trembling,” he said, kneeling between her thighs, his fingers grazing her inner thighs. “Still angry?”
“Yes,” she whispered, “and I’ll kill you when this is over.”
He grinned, and dipped his head down.
His tongue met her slowly—warm, wet, and devastatingly skilled. Baizhu gasped, her hips bucking at the first contact. His mouth worked her in long strokes, tongue circling her clit before flattening against it in steady rhythm. His hands gripped her hips to hold her in place, each flick and suck making her moan louder.
She was unraveling, chest rising and falling in quick, shallow breaths, her fingers clawing at the sheets. “Zandik—fuck—stop teasing—”
He obeyed. Or rather, he intensified, moving faster, his mouth devouring her with single-minded focus. When she finally came, it hit her like lightning—sharp, overwhelming, her whole body seizing with pleasure. Her cry echoed through the room as her legs shook around his shoulders.
Zandik rose, wiping his mouth, eyes burning with desire as he unfastened the rest of his clothing. “Still want me to fix it right now?” he asked, voice low, cock hard and flushed as he hovered over her.
Baizhu reached up and pulled him down to her. “Shut up and fuck me already.”
Zandik didn't wait for permission this time.
He gripped Baizhu’s thighs and spread her open beneath him, his eyes devouring the view—her flushed skin, her slick folds glistening in the low light, the way her chest heaved as she looked up at him with something between defiance and hunger.
“You’re trembling,” he said again, but now there was no question in it. He lined himself up at her entrance, the thick head of his cock teasing her swollen folds.
Baizhu narrowed her eyes. “Stop talking.”
She kissed him hard—biting, desperate. Zandik growled against her mouth as he finally thrust in, all at once, burying himself to the hilt in her slick heat.
Baizhu cried out, her head falling back, her body arching into his. “F-fuck, Zandik—!”
He didn’t give her time to adjust. He pulled almost all the way out and slammed back in, setting a relentless pace from the start. Each stroke was punishing, accurate, as if trying to fuck the transformation—and every clear thought—right out of her.
Her moans turned to screams, sharp and unfiltered, bouncing off the walls of the room. Her legs locked around his waist, pulling him deeper, faster.
“You feel that?” he panted, fucking into her with heavy thrusts that made the bed creak. “This new body—gods, Baizhu—you were made to be fucked like this.”
She grabbed his face, nails digging into his jaw. “You better keep going until I can’t walk.”
He slammed into her harder.
Sweat beaded on his skin as he leaned down to kiss her neck, sucking hard enough to leave bruises. His cock dragged against her sweet spot with every thrust, the friction unbearable, each collision sending shockwaves through her spine.
Baizhu’s hands clawed at his back, her voice breaking with every gasp. “I’m gonna come again—don’t stop—don’t—”
He didn’t. He angled his hips and drove into her mercilessly, grinding against her clit with every thrust.
Baizhu shattered beneath him, her body convulsing, vision white-hot as pleasure tore through her like a storm. She screamed his name, legs trembling around his hips, her cunt pulsing so tightly around him it nearly broke his control.
“Shit—Baizhu—” Zandik’s voice cracked. He pushed deeper, rutting into her as his own climax surged through him. With a hoarse moan, he came inside her, cock twitching as he spilled deep, warmth flooding her insides.
He didn’t stop moving.
Even as they both shook from the force of it, he kept thrusting—slow, heavy. The overstimulation made Baizhu whimper, her legs twitching with every motion, but she clung to him like a lifeline.
“Zandik,” she breathed, dazed, hair stuck to her damp forehead.
He kissed her lips softly, then her cheek, then her collarbone. “I’m not done,” he whispered against her ear, voice low and raw. “You said until you can’t walk.”
And he meant it.
Zandik’s body stayed pressed against hers, chest to chest, cock still buried inside her. Even spent, Baizhu’s body was a livewire—every brush of his skin against hers sparking aftershocks that made her gasp.
He rolled his hips again, slower this time, dragging a low moan from her throat.
“Zandik—” she rasped, legs still wrapped tightly around him. “You’re still hard?”
He bit down on her shoulder, not hard enough to hurt, but enough to make her shudder. “You think I could get enough of you after that?” he growled. “Not even close.”
His cock was still thick inside her, slick with both their release, pulsing with renewed hunger. Baizhu trembled as he began to move again—deep, slow thrusts that stretched her all over again, forcing her to feel every inch.
“I can’t—fuck—it’s too much—” she gasped, trying to wriggle away, but he pinned her with one arm, the other gripping her thigh tight.
“Yes, you can,” he murmured against her throat, licking the sweat from her skin. “You’re still dripping for me. Look how easily you take me.” He pulled out nearly to the tip, then sank back in with a wet, obscene sound.
Baizhu cried out again, her voice raw. “You’re going to ruin me—”
“That’s the idea.”
Zandik sat back on his knees, dragging her hips with him. Her back arched as he kept her hips tilted, using the new angle to hit even deeper. The sight of her, flushed and trembling, breasts rising with every shaky breath, legs spread wide around his waist, nearly undid him again.
He grabbed her by the hips and began to thrust—deep, punishing, rhythmic. Baizhu’s hands clutched the sheets above her head, her body jolting with every slap of skin against skin.
Her moans turned guttural, desperate. “I’m gonna—fuck, Zandik, I’m—again—”
“Good,” he groaned, fingers bruising on her hips. “Come on my cock.”
Her eyes rolled back, a scream tearing from her throat as her orgasm ripped through her again—more intense than the last, her pussy clenching him in tight, pulsing waves. Zandik cursed and drove into her with brutal force, her climax dragging him over the edge.
With a sharp growl, he came again—thick and hot, spilling deep inside her for the second time. Her body milked him greedily, and he collapsed over her, both of them drenched in sweat, breathless, trembling.
They stayed like that for a long time, tangled, silent except for the pounding of their hearts.
Eventually, Zandik leaned up just enough to brush hair from Baizhu’s flushed face.
“You okay?” he asked, voice hoarse but soft.
Baizhu opened her eyes slowly, her voice a rough whisper. “You’re... insane.”
He smirked faintly. “You did say to make the best of it.”
She lifted a trembling hand and slapped his chest—weakly. “If I can’t walk tomorrow, you’re carrying me.”
“I’d carry you even if you could.”
The words came too easily, too sincerely. Baizhu blinked at him, startled. But before she could respond, he kissed her again—slow this time, as if to anchor everything they’d just become.
He held her there, still connected, neither of them willing to break the silence just yet.
Zandik’s lips left hers, but only to trail hot kisses down her throat and across her collarbone. Baizhu’s body still trembled beneath him, but he could feel the heat pulsing between her thighs. Her inner walls fluttered around his cock, still buried inside her, soaked and overstimulated, but far from done.
He pulled back slowly, her body clinging to him, and looked down at her flushed, glistening form. Her chest rose and fell in shallow breaths, eyes half-lidded, lips parted.
“Turn over,” he said, voice rough and low.
Baizhu blinked, her limbs sluggish. “What?”
Zandik leaned in, hand sliding under her thigh and lifting it slightly as he kissed behind her ear. “On your stomach. I want to see how this new body handles being taken properly.”
The commanding edge in his voice sent a thrill down her spine. Her body obeyed before her mind caught up. She rolled onto her stomach, arms beneath her head, hips raised slightly. He reached down and guided her into position, dragging her ass up so she was on her knees, face pressed into the sheets.
Baizhu shivered, completely exposed.
Zandik knelt behind her, hands spreading her wide to admire the view. Her slick folds were flushed and swollen, dripping with his cum. He ran his fingers through the mess, smirking at the way she whimpered.
“You’re soaked,” he muttered, more to himself than her. “You love this. Being fucked until you can’t think.”
Baizhu opened her mouth to fire back something sarcastic, but it turned into a choked gasp as he thrust into her again from behind. He sank in deep with one hard push, both hands gripping her hips as he bottomed out.
Her whole body jolted.
“Zandik—fuck,” she moaned, voice muffled in the sheets.
He didn’t start slow this time. He pulled back and slammed into her again, setting a fast, brutal pace. The sound of skin slapping echoed off the walls, punctuated by Baizhu’s ragged cries.
Her fingers curled into the sheets. She was soaked, his cock gliding in and out with ease, every thrust hitting deeper at this angle. Zandik leaned forward, his chest pressing to her back as one hand slipped around to find her clit.
He rubbed tight circles, fast and relentless.
“Come again,” he growled against her ear. “Milk my cock while I fuck you.”
Baizhu screamed. Her whole body clenched around him, another orgasm crashing through her so hard her legs gave out. Zandik caught her with one arm, never stopping, fucking her through it as she spasmed around him.
She was drooling into the sheets, barely able to hold herself up. Her voice had broken into incoherent moans, every thrust of his cock turning her thoughts into static.
Zandik was panting now, sweat dripping down his spine as he slammed into her again and again, the tight, wet heat of her making him lose control.
“Gonna fill you up,” he growled, pulling her back onto him. “Gonna fuck you until you’re dripping with it.”
Baizhu could only whimper, lost in the overwhelming pleasure. Her body belonged to him in that moment, shaking, clenching, surrendering completely.
Zandik grunted, shoved in deep one final time, and came hard. His cock throbbed inside her, flooding her again with thick, hot release. He held her there, buried to the hilt, both of them trembling, gasping, slick with sweat and desire.
He slowly pulled out, watching with satisfaction as her thighs quivered and his cum began to spill out of her used hole.
She collapsed fully onto the bed, limbs limp.
Zandik dropped beside her, pulling her into his arms, her body still twitching with aftershocks.
Neither of them spoke for a long time.
Baizhu eventually cracked one eye open. Her voice was raw. “You’re lucky I can’t move right now.”
Zandik grinned and pressed a kiss to her temple. “Then I guess I’ll just have to take care of you.”
She snorted weakly, eyes fluttering closed again. “You better.”
Zandik kissed the curve of her shoulder before slipping from the bed. He moved quietly, padding toward the bathroom. The faint sound of water running soon followed, echoing gently from the next room.
Baizhu stirred only slightly when he returned, gathering the discarded clothes from the floor. The air was cool against her sweat-damp skin, and she gave a faint sigh as he tugged the blankets away. Zandik didn’t speak, just moved with focused care, stripping the sheets and replacing them with fresh ones he pulled from a drawer. The scent of lavender replaced the heat of their earlier frenzy.
By the time he was done, the tub was half-full, steam curling into the air.
He returned to the bed, crouched beside her, and brushed a strand of jade-green hair from her cheek.
“Come on,” he said, voice gentler now. “Bath’s ready.”
Baizhu cracked one eye open. “I can’t feel my legs.”
“I noticed.” He smiled, genuine and careless.
She meant to argue when he slipped an arm beneath her knees and another behind her back, but her body sank against him without protest. He lifted her effortlessly, carrying her to the bathroom, and gently lowered her into the warm water.
The moment her body touched the heat, she let out a soft groan, her eyes falling shut again.
“Better?” he asked, sitting on the edge of the tub.
She hummed in reply, too blissed-out to form words.
Zandik didn’t leave her alone. After checking the water level, he stepped into the bath behind her. He slid in carefully, easing in behind her, drawing her against his chest with calm.
His hands found her arms first, running up and down gently, helping her relax. Then he reached for a sponge and lathered it with soap, starting with her shoulders. He worked slowly, dragging the soft cloth down her back, over her sides, down each arm. He cleaned her as if she were sacred.
Baizhu’s head leaned back against his shoulder. “You don’t do this for everyone.”
“You’re not everyone,” he said simply.
His fingers traced the outline of her ribs as he washed her, then moved down over her stomach and thighs, gentle but thorough. He didn’t avoid her breasts, but he didn’t linger with any hint of lust either.
Baizhu finally turned her head to look up at him, her voice a whisper. “You’re different when we’re like this.”
Zandik met her gaze, brushing his lips against her damp forehead. “So are you.”
They stayed in the water until it cooled, bodies pressed together, her fingers idly tracing the scars along his forearm.
When they finally stepped out of the bath, he wrapped her in a thick towel, dried her hair with another, and led her back to the bed with clean sheets.
She sank into them with a contented sigh. He followed, pulling the blanket over them both, wrapping an arm around her waist, bare skin to bare skin.
“Still want to kill me?” he asked into the dark.
Baizhu smiled without opening her eyes. “Tomorrow.”
He kissed the back of her neck. “Fair.”
And finally, sleep took them both.
---
Morning crept in slow and golden.
Baizhu stirred, eyes fluttering open as sunlight filtered through the papered windows of the bedroom. Her body ached in a way that wasn’t unpleasant—sore muscles, a faint throb between her thighs, the distinct feeling of having been utterly and repeatedly ruined.
Warmth surrounded her. Zandik’s arms were still around her, one resting over her waist, the other tucked under her head. His breath tickled the back of her neck, slow and steady.
She blinked, memory returning in waves. The potion. The transformation. The way he’d touched her like she was sacred. The things he’d whispered. The way he’d taken her again and again until she could barely speak.
She let out a low sigh, half fond, half exasperated.
“You awake?” Zandik’s voice was rough from sleep, close to her ear.
Baizhu didn’t turn. “Barely.”
He pressed a kiss to the back of her neck. “How do you feel?”
“Like I got hit by a Catalyst user and then dragged into another round of experimentation.”
Zandik chuckled. “You seemed to enjoy that experiment quite a bit.”
“Enjoyment and survival are not mutually exclusive,” she mumbled.
She shifted slightly, intending only to stretch—
Then froze.
Her thigh brushed something warm. Hard.
Very hard.
Zandik inhaled sharply through his nose, clearly aware of what she’d just discovered. His cock, already full and stiff from morning heat, was nestled against her inner thigh.
Baizhu groaned. “You’re not serious.”
His lips curled against her shoulder. “It’s not like I planned it. It’s just... natural.”
She finally turned to glare at him, only to find his red eyes half-lidded and focused solely on her. His expression was softer than usual, but there was unmistakable heat building behind his gaze.
Baizhu narrowed her eyes. “I can barely walk. You’re not getting another round.”
He leaned in, voice a low murmur. “We don’t have to go hard. Just slow. Let me hold you.”
She hesitated, lips parting, her protest fading as he rolled onto his back and gently pulled her with him.
“Zandik—”
“Let me show you something better than force.”
Baizhu found herself straddling his lap, her knees on either side of his hips. He cupped her hips and guided her down, their bodies lining up with effortless familiarity. She braced her hands on his chest, blinking down at him.
His cock rested against her folds, warm and throbbing. He hadn’t even touched her yet, but the heat between them was rising again, her body already remembering the shape of him.
Zandik held her eyes as he said, quiet and steady, “Just sit. No rush.”
Baizhu exhaled slowly and sank onto him.
His cock stretched her open again, inch by inch, her body soft to him despite the soreness. She hissed at the sensation, then let out a soft, breathy moan as she took him all the way in, her thighs quivering.
Zandik groaned, hands steady on her waist. “You’re still so warm. Gods.”
They didn’t move. Not at first.
Baizhu rested her hands on his shoulders, her body pressed to his, their foreheads touching. His cock filled her completely, pulsing deep inside her without friction. Her body clenched around him instinctively, and Zandik shivered beneath her.
She began to move slowly, rocking her hips in lazy, steady circles. He guided her rhythm with firm hands, not forcing, just holding. His lips found her collarbone, kissing tenderly. Every inch of their bodies remained in contact, heat rolling between them like slow waves.
Baizhu moaned softly against his neck, her pace deepening. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders as she pressed her chest to his, every movement bringing them closer, tighter.
“You’re perfect like this,” Zandik whispered, voice rough. “Right here. With me.”
She kissed him, slow and deep. Their hips moved together in sync, the friction building gradually, a different kind of pleasure—burning, tender, all-consuming. Her walls gripped him tighter as her climax crept up again, sharp and full.
“Zandik,” she gasped, burying her face against his neck. “I’m coming—”
“Let go,” he whispered, one hand in her hair, the other gripping her ass.
She came with a trembling moan, her body shaking in his arms, clinging to him as if she’d fall apart otherwise. Zandik let himself go seconds later, his hips jerking as he came deep inside her again, thick warmth spilling into her as he groaned her name.
They stayed there, tangled in the position, hearts racing against each other’s chests.
Baizhu buried her face in his shoulder and sighed. “You’re exhausting.”
He chuckled, stroking her back. “You’re addictive anyways.”
---
Baizhu had barely managed to limp to the kitchenette wrapped in a blanket, her legs wobbling with every step, when Zandik stepped in behind her, shirtless, smug, and carrying both her discarded glasses and an exaggeratedly gentle smile.
“You’re walking. Proud of you,” he said brightly, handing her the glasses with a flourish.
She snatched them from him with a huff. “Barely. I feel like I’ve just been trampled by an electro-powered Ruin Guard.”
“Sexy image.” He moved past her, casually opening cabinets. “Scrambled or fried?”
“Scrambled. And if you mention the word protein in a suggestive tone, I swear I’ll spike your tea with something explosive.”
Zandik grinned without shame. “Explosive is kind of my thing.”
Baizhu groaned and slumped into a chair at the small table, still swaddled in the blanket like a scowling jade burrito. Her hair was a silky mess over her shoulder, and despite the eye bags and complete lack of dignity, she still looked unfairly ethereal.
“Your thing,” she said, rubbing her temples, “better be fixing this transformation before someone from the Qixing notices and assumes I’m impersonating myself.”
He cracked a few eggs into a pan, glancing over his shoulder. “I’ve already started recalculating the compound’s binding effect on vision-bearers. It’s partially self- induced, which is fascinating. Your Vision stabilized the transformation, but it’s resisting reversion. Like your body doesn’t want to change back.”
“I don’t want a lecture right now. I want my usual anatomy back, some tea, and for you to stop looking so smug about all this.”
“I’m not smug. I’m—okay, I’m a little smug.”
Baizhu narrowed her eyes. “A little?”
Zandik gestured to her form with the spatula. “You’re glowing. Literally. You have a faint brightness around your hairline. It’s beautiful. You’re beautiful. Don’t hit me with the teapot.”
“I don’t have the strength to lift the teapot right now.”
He plated the eggs with irritating elegance and brought her a dish, along with a cup of steaming tea. He placed them in front of her with a mock bow. “For the most radiant jade in all of Liyue.”
She muttered, “If you keep that up, I’m slipping wormwood into your next bath.”
Before he could respond, the door to the pharmacy slammed open with a hiss and a rapid slithering thump-thump-thump.
Changsheng launched herself through the archway, fangs bared, eyes blazing with fury.
“WHAT. DID. YOU. DO?!”
Baizhu barely had time to lift her teacup before Changsheng lunged, straight at Zandik’s bare chest.
“ACK! SNAKE!” Zandik stumbled back, holding the egg plate like a shield as Changsheng sank her fangs into his shoulder with all the force of a thousand years of righteous rage.
“CHANGSHENG! STOP!!” Baizhu cried, nearly falling out of her chair in panic, the blanket caught around her legs.
“I leave for ONE NIGHT,” Changsheng hissed, wrapping around Zandik’s neck with deadly tension, “and I return to find my Baizhu transformed, a woman, and LIMPING while THIS ARROGANT REJECT FROM ALCHEMY SCHOOL STRUTS AROUND HALF-NAKED!”
Zandik gagged as her coils tightened. “This is... a misunderstanding.”
“I DON’T CARE,” she snapped, coiling tighter. “Why is Baizhu a woman?! What UNHOLY EXPERIMENT did you perform on her?! Did you make her DRINK SOMETHING?! You pervert! You—”
“Changsheng, I did drink it myself,” Baizhu interrupted, one hand on her forehead, the other reaching to pull the snake off Zandik like someone trying to detach a furious vine. “And I was just as horrified as you, believe me.”
Zandik rasped, “Horrified is not the word I’d use...”
Before Changsheng could retaliate again, another quiet voice entered the scene, unbothered by the chaos.
“Dr. Bai…?”
Qiqi stood at the door, blinking slowly. She looked from Baizhu, swaddled in a blanket and hair tousled, to Zandik shirtless and bleeding from the shoulder, and finally to Changsheng mid-strangle.
“Why is Dr. Bai… girl-shaped…? And why is Uncle dying?”
Baizhu groaned into her hands. “I cannot do this right now.”
Zandik, still wheezing as Changsheng released him (reluctantly), waved weakly. “It’s fine. It’s a... temporary alchemical mishap.”
“You’re bleeding,” Qiqi observed helpfully.
“Everyone’s a critic,” he muttered, trying to wipe the blood off with a tea towel.
Changsheng slithered back to Baizhu’s shoulders with a sulky hiss, curling around her protectively. “We’re having a long talk later. About boundaries. And ethics. And potions.”
“I know,” Baizhu said tiredly. “Right after I find a way to walk again without feeling like my hips were restructured by tectonic plates.”
Qiqi tilted her head. “Did tectonic plates… sleep with you?”
Baizhu choked on her tea.
Zandik, to his credit, started laughing.
---
Baizhu sat with the blanket pulled tighter around her, a new fresh cup of tea clutched in both hands. Her shoulders ached, her legs were shot, and her pride had taken multiple hits over the past twelve hours. Changsheng sat coiled around her neck, radiating disapproval like a furnace.
Zandik was humming softly as he worked at the far end of the room, grinding ingredients with the kind of enthusiasm that always ended in questionable results.
Changsheng narrowed her eyes at him.
"He looks happy. I don't trust it."
Baizhu sipped her tea and sighed. "He's either about to cure me or turn me into a fog."
"I will bite him again if he tries to 'enhance' anything else."
Baizhu reached up and scratched the snake gently behind the head. "I know you’re upset."
"I'm furious, Baizhu. You were altered without consent, manipulated into a transformation that—"
"I wasn't manipulated," Baizhu said quietly. "It was a mistake. I took the wrong vial."
Changsheng gave her a long, slow look. "And after the mistake, you then let him fold you in half and rearrange your bones."
Baizhu choked on her tea again. "Not phrasing I would’ve chosen."
"You were glowing this morning."
"Yes, well. I was also limping and had a mild spiritual detachment from my own hips."
Changsheng let out a soft huff and coiled more snugly against Baizhu's shoulders. She rested her chin near her jawline, voice dropping into something gentler. "Are you alright, truly?"
Baizhu closed her eyes. "Physically sore. Emotionally... I don’t know. It was intense. It wasn’t all bad, but it’s complicated."
Changsheng considered this in silence for a long moment, then whispered, "If he hurts you, I will digest him."
Baizhu gave a faint smile. "Duly noted."
Across the room, Zandik dropped something into a flask that hissed violently. He tilted his head, not concerned in the slightest.
“Still alive over there?” Baizhu called out.
“Alive and brilliant,” he replied. “I think I’ve got it. I just need a strand of your hair and about eight minutes.”
“You’re not putting my hair into that angry bubbling thing.”
“You’re not in a position to order my procedure.”
She grumbled and plucked a strand anyway, walking it over with dramatic stiffness. “If this ends with me growing horns or speaking in tongues, we are done.”
Zandik smirked, took the hair, and gently brushed his knuckles across her knuckles as he accepted it. “Don’t worry. Worst-case scenario, I invent an entirely new species of beauty.”
Changsheng immediately bared her fangs again.
“Hands,” she warned. “Watch the hands.”
Zandik winked. “I’m being very respectful.”
“You’ve got bite marks on your shoulder,” Baizhu said.
“Badge of honor.”
Qiqi shuffled in again holding a dead flower pot.
“I broke the aloe,” she said flatly.
Everyone paused.
Baizhu rubbed her temples. “I need another cup of tea.”