"Back in the day, This Immortal was quite the figure in Liyue, capable of turning the tide with a flick of a hand…"
"So Cloud Retainer, you used to be that amazing?"
Hearing Cloud Retainer speak, Paimon couldn't help but be a little curious.
"That's right, This Immortal was one of the first Adepti to follow the Geo Archon into battle."
Cloud Retainer proudly tilted her head back.
"Actually, Master was talking about me and Ganyu…"
Ryan interjected at this moment, revealing the true meaning of Cloud Retainer's words.
"…These 'clouds' and 'rain'!"
Paimon paused for a moment, then looked at Cloud Retainer speechlessly.
"Ahem, which clouds and which rain make no difference. Summoning wind and rain is no difficult feat for This Immortal."
"Speaking of This Immortal's interesting tales, it would have to start from when This Immortal walked through Liyue as a female knight-errant…"
Cloud Retainer lightly coughed twice.
It was no secret that Adepti could transform, so she saw no need to hide the fact that she once walked the world in human form.
Under Cloud Retainer's narration, the amusing tales of a female knight-errant vanquishing demons quickly captured everyone's attention.
The previously tense atmosphere did indeed ease, just as Cloud Retainer had hoped.
"It's getting late, Ryan, go make dinner. This Master will tell this Traveler more interesting stories about Ganyu's childhood…"
After a few stories, it was already getting late, and Cloud Retainer finally reminded Ryan.
In Cloud Retainer's eyes, these two were Ryan's best friends since he descended the mountain, and they deserved a good welcome.
"…"
Ganyu opened her mouth, too embarrassed to mention seeing them off again, and even more embarrassed to ask Cloud Retainer not to speak.
After all, Cloud Retainer had already told stories about Ryan and herself. If she stopped her now, it would seem a bit affected… "Pfft…"
Unlike her unrestrained laughter when teasing Ryan, upon hearing the amusing story of Ganyu tumbling down the mountain, Paimon covered her mouth with both hands, struggling to suppress her laughter.
"…"
Watching Lumine and Paimon trying hard to hold back their laughter, Ganyu opened her mouth and finally just lowered her head in frustration.
Soon, Ryan had prepared a sumptuous dinner.
"Last time Senior Sister invited me to eat, I remember Senior Sister's favorite dish was Four-Leaf Clover Peace, so I specifically prepared a few servings for you."
At Cloud Retainer's warm invitation, everyone sat down, and Ryan leaned close to Ganyu, explaining in a low voice.
"A few… a few servings? No need, one serving is enough for me, Ryan. You can give the extra to Cloud Retainer and the Traveler…"
Ganyu quickly waved her hands.
It wasn't that she couldn't eat it; it was just that she was strictly controlling her diet now. While managing her weight, she absolutely couldn't let anyone know that her appetite was actually quite large.
Especially since everyone had just heard Cloud Retainer's story about her being chubby when she was a child… "Alright."
Ryan could only nod, then sat down next to Ganyu.
Across from Ganyu and Ryan, Lumine and Paimon also sat down.
Looking at the lavish dishes on the table, Paimon instinctively swallowed, but then, remembering that this was Ryan's cooking, she quickly wiped her mouth and hid behind Lumine.
"Traveler, don't eat it. Be careful, Ryan might cook you…"
Paimon whispered a warning into Lumine's ear.
"It wouldn't be that bad, would it? Cloud Retainer and Ganyu are here."
Lumine thought Paimon was being a bit overly cautious.
Seeing that Lumine didn't believe him, Paimon could only watch everyone else eat with vigilance, and finally, unable to stop his drooling, he secretly picked up his chopsticks.
However, to be safe, he specifically picked at the dishes Ryan had already eaten from.
"…"
Ganyu picked up a small piece of bamboo shoot and put it into her mouth, her gaze sweeping over Ryan and the others who were eating.
Food is the paramount necessity of the people, and the dining table is the place where people gather most. Unlike the banquets Ganyu remembered, this typically symbolized family reunion and close friendship.
Aside from occasional invitations from the Liyue Qixing, Ganyu couldn't remember how long it had been since she had shared a meal with friends and family, because her off-work hours in Liyue Harbor were often spent alone.
'The loneliness of non-human beings in the world…'
'Is it because there are no true companions? But if I stay in Jueyun Karst, Cloud Retainer and Ryan are here, and there's also a junior sister I haven't met yet. Even here, I wouldn't feel lonely, would I…'
As the deliciousness of the bamboo shoot bloomed on her tongue, Ganyu thought silently to herself… After dinner, Lumine and Paimon, unable to persuade Ganyu to return, did not give up. However, it was already dark, so they had to return to the Serenitea Pot to rest, planning to continue persuading Ganyu tomorrow.
Late at night, Ganyu returned to the cliff edge in front of the grassy area where she had slept before, looking at the sea of clouds that obscured the night sky, somewhat lost in thought.
"Ryan, could I ask for your help?"
Just then, Ganyu turned to ask Ryan, who had secretly approached.
"Of course, Senior Sister, what can I help with?"
The little white fox ran to Ganyu's feet and looked up at Ganyu.
"I've somewhat forgotten what it feels like to live in Jueyun Karst, and I've forgotten what an Adeptus's life is like. Could you please arrange some training for me to help me rediscover the feeling of being an Adeptus?"
"Hmm… I heard you say that junior sister Shenhe has always been undergoing similar training."
Ganyu squatted beside Ryan, requesting the little fox in front of her.
Her heart was already leaning more towards staying here, so she wanted to quickly retrieve the feeling she had before descending the mountain.
"Ah? Then Senior Sister, you might have come to the wrong person. My cultivation is not as good as Shenhe's."
"How about… I help you invite the Vanquisher of Evil? He should be very good at this."
Ryan tilted his head upon hearing this, scratching his head with the tip of his fox tail, and could only suggest this to Ganyu.
Ever since he transformed, his mind wasn't on cultivation at all; he was basically clueless about Adeptus arts except for "Spirit Invocation."
"Hmm… Is that so? Then I'll leave it to you."
Ganyu had only returned to Jueyun Karst once herself after Ryan transformed, and was not familiar with these matters. She nodded after hearing Ryan's suggestion.
"Alright, then I'll go find the Vanquisher of Evil tomorrow."
Ryan nodded in agreement.
It just so happened that his Longevity Pill had been refined, and he could give it to him.
However, if his lifespan was extended, and the Growth Pill's effect was to grow seven centimeters for the rest of his life, would it cause the Vanquisher of Evil to become shorter…?
Hiss… Ryan thought of this question at this moment and couldn't help but cover his head with his paw, lying at Ganyu's feet in distress.
But after thinking about it, he figured a one-star elixir shouldn't be that potent… "Thank you, Ryan."
Looking at Ryan lying on the ground, Ganyu couldn't help but recall a very, very long time ago.
Back then, she hadn't yet signed the contract with the Geo Archon, but she had already met Ryan.
Thinking of this, Ganyu reached out and stroked Ryan's fox head…