"..."
Despite harboring countless regrets, Albert could only leave with a broken heart, filled with gloom.
He was nothing more than a loyal dog, with nothing to his name.
Jams smiled, convinced that he had done nothing wrong.
It turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Barbara and Albert.
Barbara no longer had to endure Albert's harassment.
Albert no longer had to be a lapdog.
Jams gained Barbara's favor.
Everyone had a bright future ahead of them!
Jams approached Barbara, looking at the girl's watery eyes, and a relaxed smile appeared on his face. "Alright, I've peacefully resolved the issue... Huh!"
Swoosh!
"Jams! Sob, sob, sob..."
Barbara, seeing Jams return as the hero, uncontrollably threw herself into his arms. Her delicate face, filled with tears, nuzzled against his chest, like an affectionate little cat.
"Thank you, sob, sob, sob..."
"It's nothing. In the future, if you encounter such a situation, just tell me openly. You can also tell Jean. I'm sure she wouldn't want her little sister to be bullied."
Jams gently rubbed the moist corners of Barbara's eyes, finding it somewhat amusing and yet pained.
Compared to himself, who was nothing more than a slacker, Barbara was indeed burdened with pressures that didn't belong to her age. Fortunately, her heart was filled with light.
"Jams... I love you~"
Barbara pressed her tender cheek against Jams' warm palm, her eyes filled with shyness and affection.
If Lumine and Noelle weren't present, Barbara might have offered a loving kiss full of passion.
"Love me? What do you love about me?"
Jams pinched Barbara's charming face playfully and joked, "You just tore my clothes to shreds a moment ago, and now you say you love me."
"Well, I do love you~"
Barbara tightly embraced Jams, her eyes filled with tenderness, her lips parting gently. "I love your tattered clothes, your daring gun that defies fate, I love how similar we are (lyrics from a song)... Mmm!"
"Alright, alright. If you keep going, you might infringe on copyrights!"
Jams hurriedly covered Barbara's cherry lips, sweating profusely.
"Jams..."
Just then, Lumine lightly tugged at the corner of Jams' clothes and pointed to a fisher not far away, wearing a conical hat.
"There's still one troublesome fellow left to deal with."
"..."
The person Lumine referred to was none other than Nantuck, the head of the Mondstadt Fishing Association, who had jumped out of the bushes with Albert earlier.
His title sounded impressive, but in plain terms, he was just a wanderer who fished around Mondstadt all year round.
As everyone's gaze fell on him, Nantuck's aura immediately weakened, and cold sweat dripped from his forehead.
He had indeed intended to use his identity as the head of the fishing association to teach Jams, the "newcomer," a lesson.
However, after witnessing Jams' ruthless methods against Albert, he became a little panicked.
"This Jams is quite formidable. He even subdued someone as sick-minded as Albert. I'm still mentally sound, so there's no need for me to create such an enemy for myself..."
Nantuck was the head of the Mondstadt Fishing Association. If he was also driven away by Jams, he would not only lose face but also his job. His fate might be even worse than that of Albert, the lapdog!
With these thoughts in mind, Nantuck quickly took off his conical hat and bowed ninety degrees.
"Um, it's Mr. Jams, right? It was windy by the lakeside earlier, and I was afraid you couldn't hear me clearly, so I raised my voice. Please don't take offense, haha."
"..."
Jams was slightly stunned, finding it both laughable and exasperating to see the fisher make such a complete turnaround in his attitude.
There was no wind by the lakeside. Weren't you the one who made me stop just now?
"Tsk, Mr. Nantuck, I still prefer your unruly demeanor."
"Hehe, not at all. I'm a very humble person."
Nantuck put on his straw hat again while sarcastically smiling to himself.
"If I continue to act cool at this point, I'll definitely get hit hard by you later. I'm not as foolish as Albert!"
Although admitting defeat was somewhat embarrassing, it was better than being pinned down and rubbed on the ground by such a person like Jams!
He was a fisher who knew how to adapt to the situation.
Jams nodded inwardly, thinking that Nantuck was flexible enough. He didn't hesitate to back down when necessary, which was quite interesting.
There was no grudge between him and Nantuck. They were both fishers, minding their own business and living in peace.
With this in mind, a smile appeared on Jams' handsome face. "Mr. Nantuck, is there something you need from me?"
"Haha, nothing too important. I just wanted to ask if Mr. Jams is interested in joining the Fisher's Association."
Nantuck pointed to the fishing association badge on his chest. "If Mr. Jams wants to join, I'd be happy to be your recommender."
"Sorry, not interested."
Without hesitation, Jams waved his hand to refuse.
He was used to being free and didn't want to be labeled with any power.
He had turned down the invitation from Captain Jean and "The Fair Lady" Rosalyne, so he was even less interested in the invitation from the Fisher's Association.
"Alright, I respect your decision. However, there is one more thing..."
Nantuck didn't mention the Fisher's Association again. Instead, he rubbed his hands and seemed hesitant to speak.
"What else?" Jams showed curiosity.
What did this guy want to say, acting all fidgety?
"Well, it's about you..."
Nantuck bit his lip and suddenly pointed to the girls next to Jams. "Mr. Jams, recently many fishers have complained that your behavior of bringing girls fishing with you has caused them to lose focus, leading to a significant decline in their daily catch."
"Moreover, some have developed symptoms such as loss of appetite, insomnia, and decreased energy..."
"Oh really."
Upon hearing this, not only Jams was stunned, but the girls beside him were also taken aback.
"Um~"
Klee lightly tugged on Lumine's sleeve, her voice sweet and innocent. "Big sis Lumine, what is this big brother talking about? Klee doesn't understand a word."
"I don't understand either."
Lumine rubbed Klee's golden hair, her exquisite face filled with confusion.
"..."
It was only at this moment that Jams noticed Nantuck's somewhat pale complexion, black circles under his eyes, and a hazy look, as if his body had been drained.
"Um, Mr. Nantuck, when you mentioned loss of appetite, insomnia, and decreased energy just now, was it about this person..."
"This is my friend!"
Nantuck yawned and said firmly, "My friend has been feeling down after seeing you flirting with different beautiful girls by the lakeside every day. It has affected their mood, sleep, and overall well-being."
"Could you please stop bringing girls fishing? Let's be peaceful fishers..."
"Tsk."
Jams shook his head helplessly. "If it were any other condition, I might consider it, but when it comes to not bringing girls fishing, I'm sorry, but I refuse."
"Can't you consider the mental health of the fishers of Mondstadt? They just want to fish in peace, and you can't sacrifice a bit for them!?"
Nantuck's emotions became somewhat agitated, and his eyes were filled with envy and jealousy!
"Don't try to morally blackmail me. I'm just enjoying fishing with my lovely friends by the lake, and I don't care what others think."
Jams wrapped his left arm around Barbara's slender waist and his right arm around Lumine's delicate shoulder. Paimon perched on his head, and Klee sat on his shoulder.
Under the bright sunshine, Jams' lips curled up, revealing a smile that made people feel warm and comfortable.
"Only children make choices. I want both fishing and beautiful girls! If you have a problem with that, deal with it."
"Oh my God!"
Nantuck felt as if he had been struck by lightning, and he knelt down directly. It was too damn sour!
Everyone was a fisher, so why were you so damn charming!