"Shenhe, do you want to come with us?" Nolan asked the girl standing in front of him, her long white hair flowing gracefully in the wind.
Her short, form-fitting top swayed slightly in the breeze, and the black bodysuit tightly hugged her curvaceous figure, accentuating her perfect, soft curves.
"I... I think I'll pass," Shenhe said, her silver eyes glancing at the group before hesitantly shaking her head.
In truth, she did want to join them. However, they were going to see the Geo Archon for official matters, so after giving it a bit of thought, she decided against it.
"Hehe, didn't you say you wanted to find a balance between your life as an Adeptus and a human? The Geo Archon surely knows something about that. You could come with us and ask him," Paimon chimed in, remembering their promise to help Shenhe find a way to balance her life between that of an Adeptus and a human.
"Paimon has a point," Lumine added, her hands naturally resting by her sides as she lightly nodded her fair chin in agreement.
"No, I'd prefer to join you in observing and experiencing things for myself. Getting a direct answer from the Archon wouldn't be meaningful to me," Shenhe responded, firmly holding onto her own perspective.
"Hmm, that does make sense," Nolan murmured as he absentmindedly touched his chest, deep in thought.
After all, what Shenhe needed was an experience, not a spoken answer.
"These next few days, I'll be waiting for you in Lady Ningguang's Jade Chamber. Come find me when you're done," Shenhe said as she prepared to leave.
But just as she was about to take a step, she paused, suddenly realizing something.
The Jade Chamber—Lady Ningguang's palace—had just been destroyed along with the ancient god. She no longer had a place to stay.
"Oh, right! The Jade Chamber is gone. Does that mean Shenhe doesn't have anywhere to stay?" Paimon exclaimed, spreading her hands and furrowing her brows.
"That's true. Perhaps you could stay with your senior sister for a few days?" Nolan suggested, realizing the situation.
Ganyu, her senior sister, likely wouldn't mind taking Shenhe in for a few days.
"With all that's happened in Liyue Harbor recently, my senior sister must be very busy. I don't want to disturb her," Shenhe said after thinking it over, finding the suggestion less than ideal.
"Then why not come to Mondstadt for a few days? Seeing how people live in another nation might be helpful to you," Lumine suggested after a moment of thought.
"Mondstadt, huh?" Shenhe mused. She had never been to Mondstadt before—in fact, she rarely even visited Liyue Harbor, let alone another nation. If it were up to her, she wouldn't choose to go to Mondstadt at all.
After all, she wasn't familiar with the place, and she wasn't the type of person who enjoyed traveling.
But since it's an invitation from friends, there's no problem. Seeing how people in different countries live might help me gain some insights.
"Alright, I'll be in your care," Shenhe nodded, indicating she had no objections.
[Shenhe Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 170 points. Current Affection Level: Lv.3 (180/300)]
Nolan and the others, along with Shenhe, first went to the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor to look for Zhongli, but according to the ferryman there, Mr. Zhongli had gone to visit the Northland Bank.
As they walked down the street toward the Northland Bank, Paimon speculated, "Paimon remember the Northland Bank is owned by the Fatui. There's one in Mondstadt too. Do you think Zhongli found out about Childe releasing the ancient god and went to cause trouble with the Fatui?"
"Hmm, it's not impossible," Lumine nodded thoughtfully, arms crossed.
"You know, Childe funded the Rite of Parting, and he's also the one who introduced us to Zhongli. Maybe all of this was part of their collaboration," Nolan chuckled as he suggested.
"What?! The Geo Archon working with the Fatui? No way!" Paimon rubbed her small face in disbelief.
"Well, we'll know for sure once we get inside," Nolan said with a light laugh as they approached the steps leading up to the Northland Bank.
Shenhe followed the group silently, listening to their conversation without joining in. Because of the heavy curse of her fate, she tended to hurt those around her. Apart from her master, she had few people to talk to.
But after getting to know these people, she found that she enjoyed the atmosphere around them. She could sense their natural, harmonious, and genuine connection.
While spending time with them, she occasionally felt brief emotional stirrings—perhaps this was something she had been missing in her life.
Inside the Northland Bank
"Rosalyne, if we're supposed to be cooperating, there should be some transparency, right? I treated Mr. Zhongli as a friend, and you all conspired against me!" Childe said angrily, glaring at his colleague.
The woman in front of him wore a black and white gown and a black crown that obscured half of her face. She was known by her codename, "The Fair Lady."
"Heh, but didn't you end up having fun? You even released the ancient god, something we didn't plan for," Rosalyne said with a sly smile.
As Childe was about to say something more, Rosalyne's gaze shifted toward the entrance. "Oh, it seems our old acquaintances have come to stir up trouble."
As Nolan and the others entered the Northland Bank's grand hall, they immediately spotted Childe, who had escaped during the Golden House battle, along with the person they were here to find—Zhongli.
But to their surprise, another unexpected figure was present: the Fatui Harbinger who had once stolen Venti's Gnosis in Mondstadt—The Lady!
"Wait, why are you here?!" Paimon's eyes, as wide as stars, glared at The Lady in shock.
"Oh, it's you. Seems like you still remember me. I suppose it's hard to forget watching your friend's Gnosis get taken while you were powerless to stop it," Rosalyne sneered at Nolan and the others.
"Ugh! Paimon is so mad! This woman's even using Venti's Gnosis to taunt us!" Paimon stomped her foot in midair, turning to Nolan and Lumine. "Hurry up and fight her! Get Venti's Gnosis back!"
"Don't be rash. This is the Fatui's territory, and Childe is also here, another formidable opponent," Lumine warned calmly, not letting The Lady's mockery affect her.
"Haha, my apologies, everyone. Looking back, what I did earlier was a bit impulsive. However, while I may have taken advantage of you, I mean no harm. If you want to fight Rosalyne, I won't get in your way!" Childe said, looking a bit embarrassed.
He was clearly displeased about being tricked by both Rosalyne and Zhongli, and he wouldn't mind seeing Rosalyne lose face.
(End of Chapter)
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