Venti looked at Shao Yun in front of him, swaying and staggering—clearly he had had more than a few drinks.
Venti grew a little worried, afraid Shao Yun might slip and fall flat on his face.
"Shao Yun, are you... are you sure you haven't drunk too much? If you're not feeling well, maybe we should stop drinking…"
As soon as Shao Yun heard that, his expression turned displeased. With pride, he pulled out his Wolf Heart Trinket and declared triumphantly.
"You just don't get it—I've got this little treasure. Even if I drink twice as much, I still won't get drunk! Don't even think about running away today—watch how I drink you under the table!"
With that, Shao Yun dragged Venti back to the Dawn Winery stall, picked up a barrel of wine, and found an empty spot to sit.
The two raised their wooden beer mugs, launching into an intense drinking duel.
Shao Yun raised his glass boldly and declared, "Today, we drink until we drop!"
They went back and forth, glass after glass, the atmosphere growing rowdier by the minute.
Gradually, even Venti became tipsy and began to talk nonsense.
"When are you and Lumine getting married? I want to be your best man!"
Shao Yun was completely drunk by now, seeing double.
He reached out, trying several times before finally managing to pat Venti's shoulder, hiccupping as he spoke.
"Venti—hic! I've been wanting to marry Lumine for a long time, but... I still gotta find her brother first. I think—hic!—it won't be long. When the time comes, I'm gonna have seven or eight kids with Lumine, and we'll all ride on horseback across the world!"
Venti listened in a daze, setting down his beer mug and asking, "So... have you thought about what to name your kids?"
Shao Yun poured himself another full glass, wobbling slightly.
"I'll figure that out later! For now, we keep drinking!"
With that, he downed the drink in one gulp.
…
Elsewhere, Lumine, Amber, and Eula sat chatting together. Paimon contentedly munched on Sweet Madame.
But just then, the drunken ramblings of Venti and Shao Yun drifted over.
Lumine instantly felt a wave of embarrassment, a blush rising to her cheeks.
She nervously curled her toes, covered her face, and muttered softly, "Oh no... talking about stuff like that in public? I knew letting Shao Yun drink with Venti was a bad idea—this is so humiliating."
Amber noticed Lumine's discomfort and smiled gently. In Mondstadt, celebrating love wasn't exactly taboo.
But seeing Lumine looking like she wished she could crawl into a hole, Amber decided to ease the tension.
"Don't worry, Honorary Knight. It's just drunken babbling. Honestly, Eula's even wilder than Shao Yun when she's drunk."
That little misdirection made Eula's eyes go wide in protest.
"Amber! That's not true! When have I ever been drunk like that? Don't make things up!"
Amber winked at her, amused.
"Eula, don't forget—just two weeks ago, you drank from Cat's Tail all the way to Angel's Share. You got so wasted I had to carry you home. And as soon as we got there, you clung to me and started crying, saying—"
Before she could finish, Eula's face turned bright red and she rushed to cut her off.
"Hey! Amber, stop it already! That was a long time ago!"
Seeing Eula so flustered, Amber couldn't help bursting into laughter.
"Hahaha! Alright, alright, I won't say more. But really, Eula, next time go easy on the booze. Passing out on the roadside isn't the best look—and you might catch a cold!"
Eula pouted and sighed in defeat.
"Ugh… Amber, why do you always tease me about that? I'll be careful next time."
When she saw Lumine finally laughing, Amber toned things down and glanced over at the drunken duo of Venti and Shao Yun in the distance.
She turned back and said to Lumine with a thoughtful look, "You know, I think that bard and Shao Yun are right. You two are really close. Maybe it's time to think about the future. For a wedding venue, I'd say the Favonius Cathedral would be a lovely choice."
Lumine let out a helpless sigh.
"Thanks for the thought, Amber. But before any of that… we have to find my brother first. If we got married without him there, he'd be so mad."
She may tease her brother all the time, but for something this important, she knew it had to be face-to-face.
Amber nodded in agreement.
"You're right. So... have you had any leads on him during your journey?"
Lumine thought for a moment and gently shook her head.
"Shao Yun says we're close to finding him, but… I think he might just be saying that to comfort me."
At that moment, Paimon swallowed her food and spoke softly, trying to lift the mood.
"Let's put aside the sad stuff for now. Today's a day to celebrate. Come on, relax and eat something!"
Touched by Paimon's words, Lumine, Amber, and Eula all turned to the table full of delicious dishes.
Amber chimed in, "Paimon's right. No need to worry during a festival—dig in!"
And with that, they began to enjoy the festive feast, savoring this rare moment of joy and companionship.
…
Meanwhile, unable to hold their liquor, Shao Yun and Venti eventually passed out at the table, slipping into a deep, blissful sleep.
Paimon looked at the drunk Shao Yun and suddenly had an idea. She turned to Lumine and whispered, "Lumine, I want to give Shao Yun a special surprise. Can I have some Slime Condensate?"
Lumine raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
"Slime Condensate? What are you planning to do with it?"
Paimon's eyes sparkled mischievously as she explained, "Shao Yun couldn't stop raving about my Frosted Slime last time. I want to surprise him with an even better version when he wakes up."
Lumine smiled and reached into her pouch, pulling out a bottle of crystal-clear Slime Condensate and handing it to her.
"Do you need help with anything?"
Paimon waved her hand with a cheeky grin.
"Nope! This time I'm making an exclusive version of Frosted Slime—no peeking allowed! It's a secret recipe, I've got to do it all myself."
Seeing Paimon's serious expression, Lumine couldn't help but chuckle.
"Alright then, I'll leave it all to you."
Paimon nodded, waving goodbye. "Don't worry, I'll be quick. See you!"
With that, she flew off with the Slime Condensate, quickly disappearing from view.
Sitting beside Lumine, Amber's eyes widened when she heard the name "Frosted Slime."
"Frosted Slime? That sounds... a little weird. Is it really edible?"
Lumine nodded with a gentle smile.
"It's one of Paimon's original desserts, and it's actually really tasty. At first, she used Hydro Slimes and mint—the result was smooth and jelly-like. Later, she tried Cryo Slime condensate, and it turned into a chilled treat like shaved ice."
After hearing Lumine's detailed description, Amber licked her lips and sighed with admiration.
"After hearing that, I really want to try it myself."
…
Meanwhile, just as Paimon was leaving the bustling Weinlesefest alone, Klee spotted her.
Holding a toy windmill Lisa had given her, she ran over with a pure smile.
"Paimon! Where are you going?"
Paimon turned around, saw the adorable Klee, and replied, "Oh, Klee! I'm on my way to make my signature dish—Frosted Slime! I want to surprise Shao Yun when he wakes up."
The moment she heard the name, Klee's eyes sparkled like stars.
"Wow! That sounds so yummy! Sister Paimon, can you make one for me too?"
Seeing Klee's eager eyes—and hearing her call her "sis"—Paimon grinned proudly.
"Of course, my little Klee! Sister Paimon will make one just for you!"
Klee cheered, jumping up and down with joy.
"Yay! Thank you, Sister Paimon!"
And so, the two of them left the festival together.
…
"Hey! That little one just left on her own! Thank the Anemo Archon!"
"Let's follow them. That lowborn fool will regret refusing to cooperate with the Lawrence clan!"
…
Paimon brought Klee back home and got to work using a portion of the Slime Condensate to prepare two servings of dessert.
After a bit of busy work, she successfully created two exclusive Frosted Slimes.
Carrying a beautifully presented plate, she floated in front of Klee, her face glowing with anticipation.
"Klee, try it out! Tell me how it tastes—I swapped the mint for a Sunsettia this time. It's definitely going to be good!"
Klee eagerly took the plate and carefully scooped up a spoonful.
The flavor burst on her tongue—the freshness of Sunsettia followed by the sweet creaminess of the frosting made it irresistible.
Klee's eyes widened in delight.
"Wow, this is amazing! Sister Paimon, your cooking is the best!"
Paimon beamed with joy, placing her hands on her hips proudly.
"Glad you like it! I'll pack the other one up, and then we can bring it back to the festival."
Klee nodded obediently.
"Okay!"
She sat quietly on the soft couch, savoring her Frosted Slime with focus and delight.
The dessert was vibrant and delicate—every bite a little piece of bliss.
But the peaceful moment was shattered by a sudden knock at the door.
Paimon had just finished packing the other Frosted Slime.
Hearing the knock, she floated to the door with the gift box in her arms.
"Who is it?"
She called out curiously as she slowly opened the door.
But the moment the door cracked open, a masked figure appeared, swinging a brown sack that immediately engulfed her whole.
Paimon let out a frightened scream. The gift box in her hands fell to the floor, its contents—orange-hued Frosted Slime—rolling out, mingled with scattered sugar powder, forming a scene that could only be described as a "shattered dream."
The Lawrence family agent responsible for the kidnapping shouted gleefully, "Got her! Let's move!"
They hoisted the sack with Paimon inside and vanished outside the door.
It had all happened too fast.
Klee, still sitting on the couch, hadn't even had time to react—now the room was empty except for the spilled Frosted Slime.
When she rushed to the door, there was no one in sight.
Terror gripped Klee's heart as she trembled and cried out,
"Sister Paimon!"