Su Xuan casually listed off the diary holders in Mondstadt and Liyue that he had already "interacted with in depth."
Anyone whose name didn't get mentioned would be lying if they claimed they didn't mind.
Those who were called out by name didn't just get various benefits out of his hands—
more importantly, they were clearly lodged firmly in Su Xuan's memory.
Sure, Su Xuan was familiar with all of them as diary holders.
But being "someone he remembers" and being "someone he merely knows of" were two very different things.
Come on now—
They all had diary copies.
Why were those girls getting singled out?
Girls excel at exactly this kind of silent competition.
That subtle sense of "we're being treated differently" made more than a few people feel annoyingly uncomfortable.
Of course, there were also those who focused less on jealousy and more on Su Xuan's capabilities—
and this idea of Mondstadt, Liyue, and Inazuma jointly planning the future.
"With Mr. Su Xuan's power, I doubt his influence stops at covering only Mondstadt, Liyue, and Inazuma…"
"He's only saying that because those are the only three nations he's physically visited so far."
In the cage of the Sanctuary of Surasthana, Nahida tilted her little head, thinking it over.
Gradually, a faint emotion called envy began to sprout in her heart.
Jean from Mondstadt, Ningguang from Liyue—
they were humans, ordinary mortals in strict terms.
Yet now, the roles they played in their nations were becoming more important than the Archons themselves.
Barbatos and Morax were ancient veterans among gods, and even they had never brought the nations to the point of truly coordinated development.
But Acting Grand Master Jean and Tianquan Ningguang had done it.
Of course, the central axis of this whole shift… was Su Xuan.
At present, the situation across Teyvat was very clear:
Whether a nation fell into chaos or prospered—it all depended on Su Xuan's mood.
"Fortunately… Mr. Su Xuan doesn't seem interested in ruling directly."
Nahida muttered, then quickly shook her head to clear it.
"Now isn't the time to envy others."
"I have to do something for Sumeru."
She was frustrated. Very frustrated.
But not because Mondstadt, Liyue, and Inazuma were all reaping unexpected benefits through Su Xuan's involvement.
What really made her upset was this:
After finishing Inazuma's problems, Su Xuan should, logically, be setting off on a new leg of his journey.
Sumeru was closer to Inazuma than Fontaine, Natlan, or Snezhnaya.
By any rational route, his next stop should've been Sumeru.
But instead?
He'd turned around and gone back to Mondstadt and Liyue.
Su Xuan had explained the reason in his diary; logically, it wasn't complicated.
But from Nahida's point of view… things weren't that simple.
In Sumeru right now, the real authority lay with the Akademiya.
The one who held Sumeru in his grip was the Grand Sage, Azar.
Su Xuan had already said more than once that he didn't like joking around with "middle-aged old men."
If even Barbatos and Morax didn't make the cut, what chance did some wrinkled old man like Azar have?
Worse, Azar had joined forces with "that thunder maniac" Su Xuan hated so much to run the God-Making Project.
"Maybe he just doesn't want to deal with Azar at all," Nahida murmured.
"So he plans to use the teleportation network between Mondstadt, Liyue, and Inazuma…
and then head north from Liyue straight to Fontaine?"
"If that's the case… when will he ever come to Sumeru?"
"Or will he just… skip us entirely?"
The more she thought about it, the more her heart clenched.
If Su Xuan really refused to come to Sumeru because of Azar, that would be a huge problem.
If Greater Lord Rukkhadevata wasn't properly dealt with, the consequences would be terrifying.
If she wasn't erased, the Withering and Eleazar could never be resolved.
If she was erased, Nahida herself would begin to distort—
and a so-called "First Dendro Archon Nahida" would appear to replace her.
Nahida absolutely could not accept being replaced by a second "her."
And what if that bastard really did use puppet tech and memory-transfer tricks to bring Scaramouche back?
"...No," Nahida exhaled deeply. "I can't just keep letting the Akademiya run unchecked."
"I have to wait for a chance when Azar is wearing the Akasha, infiltrate his consciousness, and seize control."
"Then, using his authority, I'll select a new 'Grand Sage'—or rather, create a special position in the Akademiya for a carefully chosen girl… then have her write a heartfelt letter to Mr. Su Xuan, formally inviting him to Sumeru."
The weather in Mondstadt was clear and bright, with a gentle breeze brushing past the city.
At the Knights of Favonius headquarters, Lisa quickly finished helping Jean process the paperwork.
She glanced at the time—it was already midday.
After tidying herself up, Lisa left the office and walked toward Jean's house.
The moment she approached Jean's door, a familiar shimmer of light flickered over her body.
Lisa paused, amused.
"Still not done yet, huh…"
Last night, Su Xuan hadn't gone straight to Jean's place via Instant Transmission.
Instead, he'd jumped to Dragonspine using Eula and Amber as "coordinates,"
then brought them both back to Jean's house.
After that, he'd gone to Lisa's home, scooped her directly off her bed, and dropped her into Jean's little house as well.
The genius witch might have been sharp-tongued and knowledgeable, but in "actual combat," she was laughably fragile.
What truly horrified Lisa was that, somewhere along the line, Su Xuan's "combat power" had skyrocketed—
and he'd started actively combining it with telekinesis.
He would probe the deepest parts of a domain, and when he detected the main gate of the final chamber, he'd use telekinetic vibrations to shatter it in one go.
Sometimes, while moving in one domain, he'd be simultaneously scanning another with telekinesis.
Who could withstand that kind of exploration pace?
In the end…
The genius witch lived up to her title in at least one sense—
she was the first one to bolt at dawn under the pretense of "helping Jean with work."
As Lisa pushed open the door, she saw Eula and Amber lying on the sofa on their sides.
Taking in their slightly bedraggled states, Lisa chuckled.
"You two… are still alive, I see."
Eula & Amber: "?"
Is that how a friend talks?
Eula rolled her eyes weakly.
"As if Su Xuan was actually going to kill us."
"But you—
you talk a big game, then ran faster than anybody else."
Lisa just laughed.
"Wine is delicious, but drink too much and you'll regret it."
"Besides, Jean is under the most pressure out of all of us."
"Su Xuan hardly ever comes here. Might as well leave more time for the two of them."
Amber and Eula exchanged a look and couldn't argue.
Lisa was right.
As Acting Grand Master, Jean's workload was heavier than anyone else's.
But their behavior last night had still surprised Eula and Amber.
Lisa might talk like a seasoned veteran, but in actual performance she'd been… tragically bad.
Just like a lazy donkey who refused to move—
barely halfway through the domain and she kept "needing the bathroom."
Jean, on the other hand, was absolutely worthy of her title as a Gunnhildr.
No matter what she faced, she always pushed forward, never turning away from hardship.
Even when she lost consciousness, she'd simply wake up… and fight again.
"Still," Eula mused, "I feel like Jean is really into this…"
Lisa smirked.
"Well, who knows? Our cute Acting Grand Master is always so serious on the surface…"
Before she could finish the thought, a series of emphatic smacks—
the unmistakable sound of someone's palm meeting skin—
cut off their small talk.
All three women turned their heads in unison.
Then Su Xuan's voice drifted clearly out from the room deeper inside:
"Remember—next time, don't forget to use your position to round up the rest of them all at once."
"If you keep making zero progress like this…"
"I'm not going to be so gentle with you."
"Especially Barbara…"
"If you dare cover for her, just wait for your punishment…"
Eula, Amber, and Lisa immediately perked up.
They huddled together, ears pricked attentively.
Jean's flustered reply made them all press their hands over their mouths to stifle laughter.
Her attitude was very clear—
her mood, very obviously delighted.
She promised Su Xuan she'd make him feel absolutely at ease.
She vowed to perfectly complete her mission and turn Barbara into a first-class, exclusive "energy receiver" just for him.
Who taught him these terms? Lisa thought, astonished.
Whoever it was, their skill surpasses mine by far.
Her mind immediately conjured up the other "driving instructor" Su Xuan had mentioned once—
That pink-haired fox in Inazuma.
"But judging by the sound of it," Amber added with a grin, "Jean seems even happier than Su Xuan."
Lisa and Eula both nodded in agreement.
"It really does sound more like Su Xuan is the one matching her pace…"
"All right, all right, show's over," Lisa waved them toward the kitchen.
"Let's get lunch ready. That way, the food will be hot when he comes out."
When Su Xuan and Jean finally emerged, freshly cleaned up, the table was already covered with steaming dishes.
After lunch, Su Xuan took each of their wrists, one by one.
As they watched in confusion, a strange mark briefly appeared on their skin, then vanished again.
"What's this?" Lisa asked, narrowing her eyes.
"A Flying Raijin seal."
"The Guiding Thunder barriers I'm setting up across Teyvat are a bit special."
"I added a condition—they'll only activate if I resonate them with a matching Flying Raijin mark."
He then laid out the full picture of why he'd come this time.
According to what he'd observed the previous night, Ningguang had already completed his new Jade Chamber.
Even Cloud Retainer's custom-made inner domain—his private "immortal home"—was finished.
To Su Xuan, it was obvious the old bird was just worried she'd missed some detail and was racking her brains trying to improve it.
But in his eyes, the Jade Chamber was more than ready for use.
"I'm going to establish a teleport barrier here that connects directly to my Jade Chamber."
"Once your work is done for the day, you'll be able to go straight from Mondstadt to the Jade Chamber, and back again, whenever you want."
"From now on, that's where you'll be living."
"And not just you—
the diary holders from Liyue and Inazuma will all be living there too."
"That way, it'll be much easier for all of you to collaborate."
Four pairs of eyes lit up at once.
Never mind how convenient it was for work.
The fact that Su Xuan wanted to gather the diary holders under one roof was already very telling.
It meant he was preparing to establish a true home here in Teyvat.
As long as the diary holders didn't completely lose their minds, Su Xuan wouldn't abandon this world.
The women exchanged glances and silently stored that thought away.
After all, some things were best left unspoken.
Say them out loud and the flavor is ruined.
"Congratulations," Lisa purred. "Your dream of waking up on an eight-hundred-square-meter bed, surrounded by your exclusive idols, is finally about to come true."
"Mm, that's pretty much it," Su Xuan nodded calmly. "Though the headcount is still a little low."
"That's entirely Jean's fault," Lisa said with a wicked smile, turning to her. "To this day, she still hasn't captured Mondstadt's top idol."
"It really makes people wonder if our upright Acting Grand Master is keeping Barbara to herself."
Jean: "!?"
She knew Lisa had been eavesdropping.
Just remembering how she'd rolled her eyes back, swearing to hand Barbara over to him personally, made Jean's face burn bright red.
It had felt incredible at the time—
now, with Lisa jabbing her in the ribs, the shame hit full force.
As expected, every pleasure you enjoy in life came with its own price tag.
"It's fine," Su Xuan said lazily, leaning back against the sofa. "I've been in Teyvat for less than two months."
"We've got plenty of time."
"And besides…"
He pulled out a tablet from his storage space—one that didn't even need charging.
"This thing is loaded with all kinds of dances."
"You each need to make some time to learn."
Lisa: "?"
He wasn't even pretending anymore.
But that was fine—
it just meant his relationship with them was becoming closer and more honest.
"And I'm planning to build a special entertainment area right in the middle of the Jade Chamber."
"A pleasure hall, you could say—"
"A sea of wine and a forest of flesh."
Hearing the unfamiliar phrase, the women all looked at each other.
"What does that mean?" Eula asked curiously.
Su Xuan explained it to them in detail.
Eula's eyes went wide.
"A pool of wine… and a forest of flesh…"
Amber squeezed her hands together between her tightly pressed legs, stammering:
"Wouldn't… that be weird?"
Su Xuan blinked.
"Oh? Tell me what you're thinking, Amber."
"Well… it's still meat, right? I just feel like… it'd be strange…"
"And wouldn't it… smell weird?"
Su Xuan: "…"
It was a metaphor, okay? Have you people ever heard of metaphors?
"Don't worry," Eula suddenly said confidently, thumping a hand against her chest. "Most of us can use Cryo. If we apply the right amount of freezing…"
"And lower the temperature enough… there'll be no smell problem at all."
Su Xuan: "…"
He was at a loss.
He wasn't sure whether he should be grateful for Eula's help… or terrified.
Jean was about to say something too, but Su Xuan hurriedly cut her off.
"Stop. All of you. You've gone completely off track."
"It's just a figure of speech."
"And the 'forest of flesh' I'm talking about isn't what you think it is."
"What I mean is a 'forest' made up of diary holders lined up like rows of trees."
Eula: "?"
Amber: "!?"
"Pfft—" Lisa finally burst out laughing. "Now that is something I want to see."
Ever since he'd started outlining this plan, she'd already had a guess where things were heading.
But she liked this development.
At the very least, someone else would be around to help absorb Su Xuan's everyday chaos.
Lisa quietly let out a breath of relief.
She was both afraid of not being enough for him and afraid of disappointing him—
it was exhausting.
"Hmm?" She suddenly felt the weight of several gazes on her and shivered.
"W–why are you all looking at me like that?"
The words had barely left her mouth when Jean and Eula moved at the same time.
One to the left, one to the right—
and pressed Lisa down right in front of Su Xuan.
Lisa: "?"
Eula chuckled by her ear.
"Actually, when you ran off this morning, we already talked it over."
"We agreed that once you came back, you'd have to be… punished properly."
Lisa: "!?"
Before the genius witch could react, her cheeks were greeted by rhythmic, warm impacts.
"The first slap," Eula announced cheerfully, "is for abandoning us and running away."
"The second is for that time you ran your little carriage over my face."
"The third is for throwing away the knowledge of life-creation he shared with you without studying it properly."
"The fourth is for figuring out the diary's secret so early… and still having made no progress at all."
Lisa: "????"
The other accusations she could swallow.
But the life-creation one felt unfair.
Su Xuan's "ultimate creation" had required both their genes to craft a new being.
He had refused, firmly.
So once he'd drawn that line, Lisa's interest in that subject had naturally cooled.
And now she was getting blamed?
"The fifth," Eula finished, "is because all of the above are just excuses."
"In truth, I just wanted to punish you."
"Any objections?"
Lisa: "...???"
She felt Su Xuan's hand grab a fistful of her hair and lift,
and she looked up at Jean with pleading eyes.
"Jean, help—mmph—"
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