Qi nan – Genshin Imapct – The toy doll SPOILER & Awesome theory

After finishing the Chasm Expedition Quests, you find the miner Qi Ding near the stony halls. He is looking for a doll that he plans to gift to his daughter and becomes hysterical when he can’t find it. When you search the designated area, you meet a girl (‘Strange Little Girl’) who claims to be his daughter, Qi Nan. She leads you through the mines and you fight some rifthounds along the way. When you find the doll, it’s old and raggedy. “Qi Nan” is gone.

You find Qi Ding aboveground but he doesn’t remember what happened at the mines. “Qi Nan” is behind him. He says his original purpose for coming to the mines was to blow up the mysterious crystal that was affecting the miners. With it gone, they can resume work and he can make some more income, which he needs to support his daughter since she was just hired at the Ministry of Civil Affairs. He’s confused on how you found the doll that he lost when the chasm closed years ago. When you mention the little girl, he becomes creeped out and leaves. “Qi Nan” is nowhere to be seen. You talk to Muning and he confirms that Qi Ding’s daughter is indeed a grown woman working at the Ministry.

Paimon: If that Qi Nan wasn’t the real Qi Nan… Who went home with Qi Ding?

Paimon: …Then what followed Qi Ding home?

Theory: “Qi Nan” is the doll.

Qi Ding: But last time when my daughter saw another kid holding this doll in their arms, she had her eyes fixed on it. My daughter is such a sweet and considerate child – she knows we aren’t well off, so she never says what she wants.

Qi Ding: But a father always knows.

Backstory: Qi Ding singlehandedly raises Qi Nan while living off of a poor miner’s salary. Qi Nan stays at home while he works at the chasm, where he can only return once a month. He saves up to buy her the expensive doll she wants, and it doubles as her company while he’s gone. His daughter is clearly the light of his life, and she seems to adore him in turn. She probably understands his sacrifice, as seen in “Qi Nan”.

Qi Nan: Yeah, my father is, uh, a miner working in the Chasm. He’s a great person – my mother died shortly after giving birth to me, so my father brought me up on his own.

Qi Nan: Its so dark in The Chasm… (But for my sake father endured the fear and stayed here exerting himself.)

Qi Nan: I-I miss my father. He’s very busy with mining and usually comes home only once every month.

Qi Nan: When he’s away, I’m left alone at home… (I’d be so lonely and scared should anything happen.)

Qi Nan: But you see, everything will be fine if I can go down into the mine. (When I’m in the camp, I’ll be with father every day. He can take care of me and protect me.)

About halfway through following her, she says

Qi Nan: I have no idea what I’m gonna do if someone bullies me when father’s away.

Qi Nan: How I wish father could stay at home longer.

Qi Nan: If he’s always there with me, I can stop pretending to be the “considerate child”. Instead, I may allow myself to seek some attention, and be a naive – and even a bit spoiled – daughter.

Qi Nan: Uh… The toy? Its right in front of you.

Qi Nan: Father must be very anxious after losing the toy. We must find it soon.

Qi Nan grew up fast and stayed strong for her dad’s sake. The doll was the only witness to Qi Nan’s selfish wish to be like other kids with their dads. It was then dropped in a ditch near abyssal ooze. The magical abyssal powers that shows memories and souls apparently. With everything else in this game, it’s no big deal if a doll comes alive from the power of love and abyssal energy.

“Qi Nan” seemed very eager to reunite with Qi Ding, after being separated for years. There is the possibility that it wants revenge for the years left in the chasm but that would need for it to be sentient. Who knows if it gained sentience or if its just the memories of a lonely daughter. Either way, the family will do better know that the chasm is open again. They seem quite happy already, don’t know where the doll is gonna fit in.