Nagami and Lumine walked hand in hand, with Paimon floating by Lumine's side.
The three of them strolled down the bustling street, and for some reason, the whole scene gave off the warm vibe of a little family of three.
A gentle breeze brushed against their cheeks, carrying with it the faint fragrance of glaze lilies, refreshing their hearts along the way.
Meanwhile, Zhongli and Venti were living it up—buying the priciest songbirds, reserving the most famous performers in the teahouse, sipping tea while reminiscing about old times.
On the surface, it was a discussion about how gods should guide humanity toward the future.
But if you asked Nagami to "translate," it was really just the two of them swapping notes on their favorite way to slack off and avoid responsibilities.
Before leaving Liyue, Lumine, of course, hadn't forgotten there was one last important thing she needed to get.
Without hesitation, she tugged Nagami toward Madame Ping's place.
As a being of the Abyss, Lumine technically didn't need a house.
The rift itself was her home, the safest place possible for a creature like her.
But to be honest, the Abyss's "aesthetic" wasn't exactly pleasant for normal humans to look at for long.
And since she had Paimon tagging along—and wanted a nice place for future… let's just say "flirtatious encounters"—Miss Lumine had opted to live in the Serenitea Pot instead.
Most importantly: it was free.
Well… almost free.
After all, during the crisis with the sea monster Osial, who nearly turned into the ultimate murder machine of Liyue, Lumine had contributed quite a bit.
That final strike—the one that sealed Osial beneath the ocean, the one that triggered the Jade Chamber's self-detonation—yeah, that was all her.
The so-called "credit card swipe of destiny" was Lumine's doing.
That magnificent floating palace, shimmering above Liyue, was a testament to Ningguang's meticulous planning and staggering wealth.
It was, quite literally, priceless.
But did Lumine feel even a shred of regret? Of course not.
What could possibly be sweeter than splurging with money that wasn't yours?
Better yet, she got to watch the ever-composed Lady Ningguang, usually so elegant and in control, force herself to stay calm while her heart was clearly breaking over her destroyed treasure.
The contrast between her outward poise and her hidden grief had amused Lumine for a long, long time.
And naturally, Lumine didn't forget to take advantage of the situation—comforting the heartbroken businesswoman while sneaking in a few benefits for herself.
In short: Lumine was, without question, a shameless rascal.
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[Lumine]: So no matter how you look at it, I must've been "infected" with you.
Before you ever came to Teyvat, I always treated Klee like a daughter!
How could I possibly dump the blame on her like that?
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Nagami stretched out a finger and poked Lumine's cheek, her face deadpan like a goldfish with soulless eyes.
Her skin was as soft as fresh cream, and he couldn't resist kneading it again and again until her cheeks flushed red.
Lumine pouted and gently bit his hand.
She didn't use any force though—if she hurt him, she'd feel the pain too.
"These two again…"
Paimon clutched her chest, face twisted in exaggerated agony like she was having a heart attack.
Her eyes twitched as she watched the pair shamelessly flirting right in front of her.
With even the slightest bit of physical contact, Nagami and Lumine didn't need words to communicate.
To anyone else, their way of interacting looked bizarre—unnerving, even.
No conversation, just sudden blushes, odd expressions, or strange movements.
Honestly, they looked like lunatics.
Just as Paimon was about to complain, she noticed both of them suddenly turning serious, their faces shifting as though they were on their way to something very important.
"Children, come here, come here. I was just about to look for you."
An elderly woman with white hair, stooped back, and gentle eyes called out to the blonde girl.
"Oh! Granny Ping!" Paimon waved eagerly. "Do you need our help with something?"
Once again, the emergency food was practically begging for more quests.
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[Nagami]: Did she just say children…?
Granny, there is a person here that even if she drops a zero on her age, that girl still be older than you.
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Nagami's internal quip made Lumine's angelic smile twitch slightly.
She knew exactly what he was poking at.
"You've already helped Liyue so much. This old woman can't keep troubling you," Ping said warmly.
Her voice was soft, and when her eyes landed on Lumine holding Nagami's hand, she blinked in surprise before offering a gentle smile and a nod toward Nagami.
Energetic youth—what a blessing.
As she sighed at the passage of time, her gaze lingered on Lumine.
Something about the girl's aura puzzled her, but she simply shook her head and smiled.
"This time, I've discussed with some old friends. We'd like to prepare a gift for you."
"You're too kind! It was my duty to help!"
Lumine straightened her back, voice ringing with conviction, as though she were the shining example of a traveler working for the good of Liyue's people.
Paimon, meanwhile, just stared in disbelief, her jaw practically hitting the floor.
Nagami's self-deprecating joke could wait for later.
Right now, securing that Serenitea Pot was the top priority.
Grandma Ping didn't need to keep chatting—just hand over the pot already!
Lumine looked like a player mashing the "skip dialogue" button, eager to jump straight into decorating her Serenitea Pot base.
"Hehe, you child. You may not have been in Liyue for long, but you've certainly picked up the habit of polite words."
Grandma Ping's warm smile carried the kind of kindness only a true elder could radiate.
So kind, in fact, that Nagami couldn't help but smirk.
Being called "child" by someone who looked decades younger than him in appearance?
He wanted to burst out laughing.
Lumine's face, on the other hand, was already stormy with irritation.
She coughed a few times, while Nagami—satisfied after soaking in her frustration—let it go.
After all, she was technically another version of himself.
Perfect example of "reaping what you sow."
"This gift—you mustn't refuse it."
Yes, this wasn't just Grandma Ping. This was everyone's Grandma Ping, the Traveler's grandma.
Forget polite words—she might as well have raised Lumine right here in Liyue!
The adepti had once been blessed by Rex Lapis with the "three eyes and five manifestations."
Among those powers was the art of creating one's own pocket world, which is what Grandma Ping used to forge the Serenitea Pot.
To Nagami, this "realm-creation art" was basically quantum disturbance.
Well, maybe not quite disturbance—more like making the tiniest ripple in the quantum sea.
Those ripples created countless thin "membranes." If you managed to anchor one of those membranes with the right technique, it became a stable, independent little space.
Nagami could pull off something similar himself, but he hadn't figured out how to bind such a membrane to an object yet.
Once he fully unraveled the mysteries of spatial authority, he'd be able to make gadgets like the Serenitea Pot on a whim.
When Grandma Ping explained the pot's functions to Paimon, the little mascot immediately gasped in awe.
"Wow, that's amazing!"
"Hehe, this is nothing. With my strength, all I can do is carve out a single green leaf from the dust of the world—a little retreat to steal a half-day's peace."
Grandma Ping chuckled, shaking her head.
"Compared to Rex Lapis, who could move mountains and fill seas, this is merely a trifle. That was true divine power."
"Could Rex Lapis really create a whole world of his own?"
Lumine tilted her head innocently, the expression highlighting the softness of her delicate face.
Nagami side-eyed her.
Since when did she get so good at acting cute?
Ever since she inherited that yokai bloodline, her "innocent little sister" act had become seamless. Natural. Effortless.
Truly worthy of being Purple Sister's new sibling.
Still, this gave him a clearer measure of Zhongli's real power.
If "moving mountains and filling seas" was literal, then yes—he really was above the majority of Herrschers.
"This old one does not know. The powers of the Geo Archon are far beyond our imagination."
Classic Rex Lapis fan-speech.
"Anyway, enough of that. The Serenitea Pot still needs one final material to be complete."
"Material?"
Paimon slapped a hand on her chest, puffed it out proudly, and flashed a confident grin.
"Leave it to us! We're great at finding things!"
Nope. That was just the voice of a professional errand-runner.
Lumine suddenly had the urge to blast the floating snack out of the sky—always volunteering her for chores. Luckily Nagami was here.
Through their mental link, she already knew he could finish the pot without any trouble.
"There's no need, little ones. I've already sent someone else to fetch it."
Those words froze Lumine on the spot. Her eyes widened, as if she'd just witnessed a miracle.
No fetch quest? For the Traveler?
Was that even possible?
Truly, the work of an adeptus!
"Grandma, I'm back! Oh? Are these perhaps the famous Traveler and her companions?"
A clear, youthful voice rang out from behind.
Lumine and Nagami turned at the exact same time, wearing identical polite smiles.
Lumine's looked sweet and silly; Nagami's just looked smooth.
Approaching them was a girl with long crimson hair tied under a hat, dressed in a red-and-white summer outfit.
Black shorts hugged her hips and thighs, while sunlight glimmered off her flawless pale legs—long, slender, and toned.
Mhm. ×2
Shame she's a lawyer. ×2
Their thoughts were perfectly in sync.
In Teyvat, Nagami felt like he'd become a cursed archetype—dragging along lawyers everywhere he went.
And even if the lawyer was a cute girl, the profession still set off alarms in his head.
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