Cloud Retainer returned to her room.
She sat down on the edge of the bed, spacing out for a moment as she recalled the strange, blissful sensation she'd felt after taking the pill earlier.
Was that the happiness Shenhe possessed?
Shenhe was always so quiet, rarely spoke or smiled.
Cloud Retainer had thought the girl simply wasn't very cheerful. Who would've guessed she was actually in such a good mood all the time…
That child…
She had such a hard life growing up. If she can be this happy now, then I can rest easy…
Lost in this spiral of thoughts, Cloud Retainer's mind inevitably drifted to Ganyu.
Last night, everyone had taken a turn blowing into the test tubes, but only Shenhe, Ganyu, and Yaoyao produced [Breaths of Joy].
Yaoyao's just a kid—it's easy for children to feel satisfied.
Shenhe's happiness came from being with Mr. Xia, and surely the same must be true for Ganyu.
In other words, Ganyu must be experiencing that same kind of happiness every day.
So this… is what being in love feels like?
Love is actually… this blissful?
After all these years, this was the first time she had ever felt such a profound and intense sense of fulfillment…
If it hadn't been for Mr. Xia's intervention at the time, if she had looked at him for even a few more seconds, she might've… actually kissed him…
Wait a minute—could it be that Shenhe thinks about kissing Mr. Xia like that every single day?
Who knows, maybe when no one else is around and it's just the two of them, she's already gone ahead and done something like that…
Like at night, when they're in the Dream World, and it's just her and Ganyu going out somewhere with Mr. Xia…
Some rather peculiar images began to form in Cloud Retainer's mind.
She was pulled back to reality when her phone buzzed. Glancing at the screen, she saw a message from Madame Ping.
Cloud Retainer sighed.
"Games. All Ping ever does is play games…"
-----
Klee woke up extra early today.
The little girl slung on her backpack, grabbed Dodoco, and stepped outside—only to find the streets already bustling with activity.
It was the first day of the Windblume Festival, after all.
With a radiant, energetic smile, Klee darted through the crowd toward the Favonius Cathedral.
When she arrived at the central plaza, she saw a large crowd gathered beneath the statue, laying flowers at its feet.
It was a festival tradition.
During the Windblume Festival, people gave flowers to those they loved or admired, and also offered the legendary Windblume to Lord Barbatos, the Anemo Archon. But as for what the Windblume actually was, everyone had their own opinion. Lord Barbatos never seemed to mind.
Klee lingered for a moment to watch the crowd with interest, then skipped off toward the cathedral.
The guards standing at the entrance broke into small smiles when they saw her and gave a friendly nod to the [Spark Knight].
Klee returned their greeting politely.
After passing through the cathedral, she made her way to the open space out back, where she spotted Yaoyao practicing her spear forms. Xia Lin stood nearby, watching.
Klee waved excitedly. "Yaoyao! Xia Lin! Klee came to play!"
Yaoyao paused for a moment to nod at her with a smile, then resumed training.
Klee looked around curiously. "Is Yaoyao's master not here today?"
Xia Lin shook her head. "She didn't come."
Klee leaned in to whisper, "But Yaoyao's master is a pretty big sister—why does she always pretend to be an old granny? So weird."
Xia Lin thought about it and replied earnestly, "I don't know."
Klee kept whispering, "Mama's different. Back when she was home, she always dressed up super pretty every day…"
Xia Lin listened, then suddenly said, "Sister Shenhe is really pretty too."
And just like that, the conversation shifted to the two girls debating which of the big sisters around them was the prettiest.
Until a maid uniform-clad girl passed by in the distance.
Klee saw her and waved happily. "Noelle!"
The girl had been walking with her head down, but when she heard Klee's voice, she looked up, noticed Yaoyao practicing, and made her way over. "Good morning, Klee."
Klee tilted her head. "Noelle, what brings you here?"
Even in front of two little girls, Noelle kept her posture perfect—hands folded neatly in front of her stomach, the textbook maid stance. "I came to find Barbara. And this is…?"
She glanced at Xia Lin, who stood quietly beside her.
Klee introduced them: "This is my friend Xia Lin. And the one practicing is Yaoyao!"
Noelle gave a polite smile. "Nice to meet you."
Xia Lin mumbled a soft "hello" in return.
She still wasn't great at talking to strangers.
After a few more words, Noelle bid them goodbye.
But before leaving, she glanced once more at Yaoyao, who remained focused and diligent in her training.
——
In the room.
Xia Zhi was already awake.
Shenhe handed him a test tube from the bedside table.
Xia Zhi poured the crimson breath within into the medicine furnace and closed the lid. Two yin-yang fish began to swim.
Ganyu watched curiously from the side. "Junior Sister, you're not seriously going to give that pill to Master, are you?"
Shenhe blinked. "Of course not."
Ganyu sighed in relief. "Good… So what are you making it for?"
Shenhe replied evenly, "I was just curious. I'll take it myself."
Ganyu still seemed skeptical. "Really…"
Her junior sister's thoughts were always hard to read.
Like that one time she came running to Ganyu claiming she wanted help to "woo Mr. Xia."
Normally, what kind of girl would willingly share the man she liked with others? But Shenhe seemed genuinely fine with it—she thought it was a way for everyone to be happy together...
So who's to say she wouldn't turn around and give this to her master, thinking it might bring him happiness?
After a while, Xia Zhi opened the furnace and tipped out two smooth, crimson pills. "They're done."
Shenhe took them, examined them in her palm, and stored them away.
Xia Zhi didn't seem too concerned.
Because the effects were actually quite similar to his own [Chef's Heart].
When he cooked, he could infuse emotions into the food, letting those who ate it relive that emotion.
It sounded mystical, sure, but that was all it did.
Even if Shenhe did give the pill to Cloud Retainer, it wouldn't have much of an impact.
Xia Zhi had a decent sense of Cloud Retainer's feelings.
They were both millennia-old Adepti. Even now, Madame Ping had never allowed him to give her a massage even once—yet Cloud Retainer had already enjoyed the full deluxe treatment.
She was willing to shed all her garments in front of him. That alone said plenty.
But perhaps because of her two disciples, she—as their master—chose to stop at that boundary.
——
That morning, everyone went out to have breakfast together.
Suddenly, Ganyu approached Cloud Retainer and tugged at her sleeve. "Master…"
Cloud Retainer looked at her in surprise. "What's wrong?"
Ganyu glanced ahead at Shenhe walking in front of them, then lowered her voice. "I need to tell you something…"
Seeing how cautious she looked, Cloud Retainer assumed it must be serious. Her expression grew solemn. "Speak."
Ganyu whispered, "Be careful these next few days. Don't eat anything suspicious."
Cloud Retainer blinked. "Huh? Suspicious?"
Ganyu leaned in again. "Just be careful. Especially with anything Shenhe gives you—don't just eat it without thinking."
Cloud Retainer frowned. "What are you implying? Are you suggesting that child Shenhe would try to harm me?"
"No, Master, that's not what I mean at all! Of course she wouldn't hurt you… Just… keep an eye out, alright?"
Ganyu didn't know how to explain it without saying too much.
Like what those crimson pills actually were, or how she knew so much about them.
The truth was, she'd been there when they were made. If she hadn't protested so fiercely, she might've even ended up supplying the ingredients herself…
Watching Ganyu stumble over her words, Cloud Retainer felt increasingly puzzled.
What exactly were these two hiding from her?
----
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