Shenhe's red ropes bound her soul, suppressing the wildness of her "Solitude and Disaster" fate, but they also made her emotions as distant as an Adeptus.
Because of this, to her, those past events didn't stir feelings of hatred or anger—they were more of an indifference.
However, perhaps after meeting Nolan, Lumine, and Paimon, and spending time with these friends, her emotions had gradually awakened.
She was no longer as indifferent as she once was.
So, when she heard about her past now, she unknowingly revealed a hint of sadness, even to herself.
But even so, she didn't feel a strong need to go back and see. After so much time had passed, she had already learned to face her past calmly.
Yet, seeing Yun Jin's concern, Shenhe suddenly didn't know how to refuse.
In the past, she would have ignored whatever Yun Jin said about wanting to help her. She wouldn't have even listened, and if pushed, she might have taken out her weapon without a second thought. This wasn't something her master taught her—it was simply her natural instinct.
Just like earlier, when she said she wanted to drive away the crowd watching the opera downstairs, she had been quite "direct."
But now, she could sense that Yun Jin was genuinely concerned about her.
Should she accept her goodwill? Shenhe felt uncertain, so she looked towards Nolan, hoping to gauge his opinion.
When Shenhe glanced at Nolan, the others instinctively followed her gaze.
Among them, Lumine and Paimon exchanged a knowing look, slightly exasperated. It seemed Shenhe really had developed some subtle feelings for Nolan. Whenever she faced a dilemma, she always turned to him!
Xingqiu, Chongyun, and Yun Jin, unaware of this dynamic, found it slightly puzzling but assumed Shenhe just wanted to ask a friend for advice.
Nolan cleared his throat, his expression unchanged. "Well, if it's not too much trouble, I think going to have a look could be a good idea."
Firstly, it was hard to reject Yun Jin's kindness, and secondly, he did hope Shenhe could resolve any emotional burdens she might have. Perhaps it would help her reconnect with her feelings.
"Since you said so, let's go then," Shenhe nodded.
She wasn't particularly concerned about it—either way was fine.
"Great, let's set a time." Yun Jin smiled, her fair face lighting up.
[Yun Jin Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 180 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv. 3 (40/300)]
Yun Jin felt a bit more favorable towards Nolan since they shared the same desire to help Shenhe.
After discussing it, they decided to set out tomorrow.
Xingqiu would be busy with the Feiyun Commerce Guild for the next few days, and Chongyun needed to focus on practicing control over his "Pure Yang Physique."
That left Nolan and the other adventurers, who had the time and freedom to go wherever. After all, adventuring was their job.
With that thought, they figured they might as well take on a commission from the Adventurers' Guild that would send them to the same region.
Since it was rare for everyone to gather, they spent a bit more time chatting at Heyu Tea House before heading home late at night.
When Nolan mentally reached out to Fischl to let her know about their teleportation, he found she seemed to already be asleep.
He received a drowsy, mumbled acknowledgment, and then everyone teleported, appearing in Nolan's room.
On the bed lay Fischl, dressed in a purple nightgown that revealed her fair skin. She was hugging a white blanket, her eyes closed, unaware of their arrival.
Her soft legs, lightly curled around the blanket, inadvertently exposed the purple lace panties beneath, no longer looking as elegant.
Well, since they were at home, it wasn't a big deal.
Nolan and the others didn't disturb the sleeping Fischl and went to take their baths instead.
Shenhe and Paimon went first. After finishing, they sat on the couch, waiting for their hair to dry before going to bed.
When it was Lumine's turn to bathe, Nolan, using the excuse of "saving time," tried to follow her into the bathroom.
This was one of those rare moments when Nolan would show his shameless side.
Of course, Lumine wasn't going to agree, especially not with Shenhe and Paimon present. Her face flushed as she blocked the bathroom door, refusing to let him in.
Shenhe, puzzled, didn't understand what they were doing. In her mind, bathing together did save time, especially since it was already so late.
It was better to finish up and get some rest sooner.
Just as Shenhe was about to try convincing Lumine, Paimon quickly pulled her back.
"Uh… let's not get involved with those two. They're always like this—so improper!"
Paimon thought whatever came next wasn't something "innocent children" like them needed to know about.
So, she dragged Shenhe upstairs in a hurry.
Shenhe looked back at the bathroom a few times, wondering if they were planning to do... what married couples do?
She wasn't entirely clueless—Lumine had explained such things to her in recent days.
However, since she had never experienced it personally, she only knew about it vaguely.
She wasn't exactly sure what it would be like.
Speaking of which, Nolan was a boy, and she was a girl. Could the two of them, like Lumine and Fischl, also become a couple?
For some reason, even though Shenhe's emotions were still rather indifferent, when she thought about this, her pale cheeks flushed ever so slightly.
[Shenhe Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 220 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv. 4 (300/400)]
Nolan glanced at Shenhe in confusion. Was she lost in her thoughts? For some inexplicable reason, she seemed to have developed affection for him.
Seeing Shenhe and Paimon head upstairs, Lumine breathed a small sigh of relief. The force she was using to push Nolan away unconsciously lessened.
Nolan seized the opportunity, scooping up Lumine and carrying her into the bathroom, shutting the door behind them.
If they had no other thoughts, bathing together could indeed save time.
However, by the time they finished, they had stayed far longer than a typical bath.
Lumine adjusted her sleepwear and shorts, casting a glare at Nolan.
That insufferable guy!
She huffed, using Anemo to blow-dry her hair and headed upstairs to bed.
Naturally, Nolan followed right after.
When they lay down in bed, he wrapped his arms around Lumine as they drifted off to sleep, but soon he began getting a bit handsy again.
Even with the help of Universal Energy and Harmony skill, Lumine couldn't handle Nolan's advances on her own, so she had to rely on Fischl, who was already fast asleep, to share the pressure.
By morning, both girls' strength had increased significantly, much more than if they had trained themselves.
So, while they sometimes seemed to resist, it was often just them feigning modesty, as girls naturally do.
…
In the early morning, the curtains kept the sunlight from entering, leaving the room dim and quiet.
Nolan woke up early, while Lumine and Fischl were still asleep beside him.
Lifting the blanket, he noticed Lumine's clothes were slightly disheveled, but still intact. Fischl, however, was only wearing her purple nightgown.
As for her matching purple lace panties…
They had slipped down her soft, pale thighs the night before and were now hanging loosely around her ankles.
Since it was still early, Nolan figured there was time to help them boost their strength even further.
In a room separated only by a study, Shenhe, who had been meditating since dawn, heard the faint, indistinct sounds that had started the previous night.
She felt a bit puzzled, unsure of what Nolan and the others were doing so early in the morning.
Strangely, the more she tried not to listen, the easier it was for the muffled sounds to disturb her focus.
Shenhe decided to treat it as part of her training to maintain her meditation state.
By 7 a.m., both Shenhe, still meditating, and Nolan, who was "training" in his own way, got up and headed downstairs. Paimon, who had been snoring obliviously through it all, also joined them.
With so many girls around, there was no need for Nolan, with his mediocre cooking skills, to handle breakfast.
As they ate, Fischl mentioned that Oz had spotted Abyss Order monsters near the ruins of Stormterror's Lair. Lumine, eager to find clues about her brother, naturally didn't want to miss this opportunity.
She decided to go explore Stormterror's Lair with Fischl today, postponing their plans to visit Shenhe's childhood village.
Shenhe nodded indifferently.
It wasn't a big deal to her. With Nolan and Yun Jin accompanying her, it would be enough. They were only going there for a brief visit anyway.
However, without Lumine, they wouldn't be able to use the teleportation waypoint.
Nolan and Shenhe would have to teleport to Hu Tao's location instead, which was actually more convenient, saving them the trip to the fountain plaza.
Liyue Harbor, Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
Hu Tao sat on the wooden railing outside, dangling her pale legs over the small stream below, her lips curled into a mischievous grin.
If Xiangling had seen her, she would've known that Hu Tao was up to something playful.
Spotting Hu Tao like this was a sign to run far away!
Not too far from Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, at the "Third-Round Knockout" eatery...
Zhongli, like others preparing for a day of work at the docks, sat on a chair, listening to the storyteller Iron Tongue Tian, while sipping tea and eating breakfast.
With his divine eyesight, he unintentionally spotted his playful Parlor Director preparing for yet another prank.
For this eccentric Hu Tao, whom even Zhongli found hard to handle at times, he could only sigh in resignation. Good thing he had come out early, or else her prank might have caught him too.
"Hmm? Why haven't they arrived yet? Didn't that guy say he was teleporting?"
Hu Tao adjusted her red plum blossom-adorned hat and looked down at the stream. Odd, Nolan hadn't fallen in, had he?
Just as she was feeling puzzled, she suddenly felt a lightness on her head—her hat was gone! A knuckle then tapped her on the forehead.
"Ouch, that hurts!"
Hu Tao winced, clutching her head as tears welled up in her eyes. When she turned around, sure enough, it was Nolan, along with a girl with long white hair.
"How did you sneak up behind me?!"
"Do you think I'm stupid enough to fall for your trick that easily?" Nolan replied, exasperated.
"Interstellar Travel" might teleport him to her, but it didn't have to be right in front of her—behind her counted as "beside her" too.
Hu Tao placed her hands on the railing and swung her legs back over to the inside. Her pale legs shifted elegantly as she stood on her tiptoes, her soft feet barely grazing the ground in her brown shoes.
Frustrated, she said, "How annoying! I've never lost this badly before. Give me my hat back!"
Nolan, not wanting to make things difficult for her, placed the hat back on her head with a laugh. "Haha, let's see if you dare mess with others again."
"Hmph!" Hu Tao pouted, adjusting her hat. "By the way, you're going on an adventure outside, right? I want to come too!"
(End of Chapter)
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