Chapter 80

Today, the Goth Grand Hotel welcomed an unexpected visitor.

Shenhe had just finished washing the bedsheets and was about to hang them in the courtyard downstairs when she opened the door to find a sweet-looking young girl with twin ponytails.

Startled by Shenhe's sudden appearance, the girl stammered:

"Um... excuse me, are you..."

Shenhe pressed her lips together: "Shouldn't I be the one asking that question?"

The young girl became even more flustered: "Oh, I'm sorry for intruding. I'm Barbara, a deaconess from the Church of Favonius..."

"Do you need something?" Shenhe asked.

Barbara opened her mouth but didn't know how to explain.

She had been followed by some overzealous fans right after leaving home and needed a place to hide. In her panic, she remembered that young man from Liyue she had met before, who stayed at the Goth Hotel, and found herself here without thinking.

After returning home last time, Barbara had reflected on whether it was love at first sight. No, she had simply been attracted to him physically.

Even so, Barbara wanted to see that young man again – just to get to know him better, of course.

"Are you here to see... my little martial brother?" 

Though Shenhe didn't quite understand these complicated matters, her feminine intuition told her this young girl was here for Jiang Ning.

"Little martial brother is..." Barbara looked confused.

Shenhe explained: "The one with white hair, red eyes, and about..." She gestured at her chest level to indicate his height.

While envying Shenhe's height in two different aspects, Barbara's heart leaped with joy. Had she found that young man?

In her excitement, she blurted out: "Nice to meet you, Senior Sister!"

As soon as the words left her mouth, Barbara's face turned bright red. She crouched down covering her face, seemingly with steam rising from her head.

Shenhe grew wary. By the looks of it, was this girl here to compete with her for her little martial brother?

She should chase her away... but no, Ying'er had said that a proper main wife should be magnanimous. Better to have someone you know watching over your man than letting him fool around outside.

And this Barbara seemed rather... timid? She looked easy to push around. Perhaps Shenhe could keep her in check?

So Shenhe softened her tone: "Come in first. Little martial brother should be back soon."

Barbara protested: "Oh no, I shouldn't impose..."

But then she spotted the white-haired young man returning through the window, along with her zealous fans searching for her.

Barbara promptly said: "Then I'll be in your care."

Shenhe set the basin aside casually – laundry could wait.

"Would you like something to drink?"

Shenhe's seemingly cold demeanor made Barbara nervous: "Anything is fine..."

Shenhe nodded: "Alright."

She prepared a cup of tea and placed it before Barbara, then sat down across from her, studying her.

Barbara kept her eyes fixed on her toes, extremely tense.

This big sister's aura was really intimidating...

The sound of Jiang Ning opening the door broke the heavy atmosphere. Shenhe immediately smiled, her entire demeanor transforming into something gentler.

She went forward to help Jiang Ning remove his coat, draped it over her arm, and followed beside him asking:

"Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?"

Jiang Ning replied: "No need, I ate with Eula and the others."

Shenhe said: "Then let me get you some milk."

Though it wouldn't help him grow taller, Jiang Ning still convinced himself that drinking milk would make him taller.

Jiang Ning nodded: "Thank you."

Shenhe gave him a reproachful look: "Do we need such formalities between us?"

Barbara, watching from the side, was surprised. How had the cold big sister suddenly transformed into the perfect wife material?

Somehow, Barbara felt envious.

"Who's this..."

Upon entering the room, Jiang Ning finally noticed Barbara and was taken aback.

Barbara became nervous again in front of the boy she liked:

"H-hello, I'm..."

"Miss Barbara, right? I've heard of you, Mondstadt's idol."

Jiang Ning smiled.

Barbara was pleasantly surprised: "You've heard of me?"

Jiang Ning said: "Of course, the idol deaconess who brings joy and hope to everyone. Barbara is very popular, even having her own fan club."

"Please... don't say anymore... it's embarrassing."

Barbara waved her hands frantically, her face bright red.

Jiang Ning chuckled inwardly and asked: "So what brings Miss Barbara here?"

He found this girl whose catchphrase was "Go, Barbara, go!" quite adorable.

[System: This is when you should go for Barbara!]

The system said mischievously.

[Too bad I don't have a physical form, or I could help you hold Barbara's hands down. Making an idol cry would be quite interesting.]

"You're not right in the head," Jiang Ning responded silently.

[Can't help it, I am a villainous system after all. You're always bullying people but never women... How about this: you handle the men, and I'll help you dominate the women.]

"...Get lost."

[Sure thing.]

Barbara explained: "Um, well, some enthusiastic fans keep following me, so..."

Seeing Barbara's troubled expression, Jiang Ning understood: "Oh, hiding from sasaeng fans?"

"Sasaeng fans? What's that?"

Barbara asked, confused.

Jiang Ning explained: "Well, think of them as stalker fans."

Barbara nodded: "I see... Indeed, while I'm grateful for their support, it can be troublesome sometimes."

Jiang Ning nodded: "Then rest here for a while. Let's be friends."

Barbara brightened: "Yes, thank you!"

Shenhe sat quietly to the side, more convinced than ever.

This little girl would be easy to handle.

"Brother, Huixin said she's free recently and asked if we'd like to go exploring outside."

Shenhe said.

"Sure, sounds fun... Barbara, would you like to join us?"

Jiang Ning deliberately dropped the "Miss."

Barbara thought for a moment. She had nothing planned for the afternoon...

"Yes! I'd love to!"

She rarely went outside, and when she did, it was usually just to Whispering Woods. It would be nice to go further.

Jiang Ning clapped his hands: "Then it's settled. We'll find Sister Huixin later and head out."

...

They met Huixin and the others at Mondstadt's gate. Seeing Barbara, Huixin teased:

"How long has it been, and little Jiang Ning's already caught another girl?"

"When have I ever caught any girls?" Jiang Ning asked, bewildered.

Huixin's expression remained unchanged: "Oh? Must be my mistake then."

This little Jiang Ning really was quite charming.

Even at Yue-hai Pavilion, many newly hired single girls couldn't eat or sleep properly.

These young ladies were waiting to pursue him once he came of age during the Lantern Rite Festival.

This was despite the rumors linking him with Lady Keqing, Lady Ganyu, and Miss Shenhe, each with their own CP fan clubs.

Moreover, it was said that even Lady Ningguang was quite fond of him.

Oh right, there were also rumors about Xiangling, Wanmin Restaurant's chef, and Yanfei, Liyue's best legal expert, both looking at him with loving eyes while shopping together.

However, Huixin remained a firm supporter of the Jiang-Ganyu pairing.

As they walked toward Whispering Woods, Jiang Ning asked curiously:

"Sister Huixin, have the negotiations with Acting Grand Master Jean concluded?"

At the mention of her sister Jean, Barbara perked up her ears.

"Yes, they're finished. Now it just needs to be discussed within the Knights of Favonius."

"Although, Acting Grand Master Jean is really... working too hard. She handles everything personally, big or small, and hardly has any help."

Huixin wanted to say "pitiful" but held back since Barbara, a Mondstadt citizen, was present.

Barbara finally couldn't help asking: "Um, is sis... is the Acting Grand Master really working that hard?"

Huixin glanced at Barbara and said: "Yes, very hard. She often stays up late, works overtime, and sometimes even pulls all-nighters. Plus, there's knight training. I'd say she's almost like our Ganyu from Liyue..."

"Oh, Lady Ganyu isn't overworking herself anymore thanks to Jiang Ning and Shenhe. I suppose her workload is now comparable to Lady Keqing's."

But there was still a difference – Keqing handled major issues while delegating minor ones, efficiently managing tasks and work. Jean, on the other hand, had to handle everything, overwhelmed by work pushed onto her.

A flash of concern crossed Barbara's eyes: "I see... thank you."

"You're welcome... Oh, we're here."

Huixin announced.

Whispering Woods was very quiet. Though it was daytime, the dense forest made the paths quite dark.

However, some strange plants in the roadside bushes emitted a soft glow.

"These things actually glow?"

This was Jiang Ning's first time seeing them.

Huixin said: "These... aren't common in Liyue."

Barbara explained: "These are Small Lamp Grass, commonly found in Mondstadt's forests. They glow, especially at night when it's more noticeable."

"Can you eat these?"

Jiang Ning thought of Xiangling's request.

Barbara said: "Yes, they're edible. Many Mondstadt dishes require them."

Jiang Ning nodded: "I'll take some back... I'll post a commission at the Adventurers' Guild later. Xiangling wanted Mondstadt-specific ingredients."

Just as he was about to collect the Small Lamp Grass.

From somewhere in the distance came a roaring sound, along with... ominous winds.