The next morning.
At breakfast, Xia Zhi noticed that Ping looked a bit haggard—clearly hadn't slept well.
Understandable. The song had stopped right at the best part. That melody must've been looping in her head all night.
Cloud Retainer sat down beside her, glowing with vitality like a freshly watered flower.
Ping shot her a sideways glance and muttered, "You've improved."
Cloud Retainer smiled. "Naturally."
Ping snorted. "There's no way you came up with that trick."
"So what?" Cloud Retainer said calmly. "Does it matter? Ping, you wouldn't understand."
Ping said nothing.
Because she really didn't.
After breakfast, Ping hesitated for a moment, then walked over to Xia Zhi and quietly asked, "Mr. Xia, that guqin piece you played last night—do you have the sheet music for it?"
Xia Zhi shook his head. "It was just a spur-of-the-moment thing. I played it as I felt it—no written score."
"Really?"
"Really."
Ping immediately looked disappointed.
Of course, Xia Zhi did have the score.
With his mastery of the guqin, once he got inspired, the full composition would already be forming in his mind. There was no way he couldn't reconstruct it.
But this was definitely one of those times when a little white lie was necessary.
When you play favorites—you play them properly.
---
That night, everyone went to visit Fischl's house together.
Her home was actually quite nice—spacious and tidy, her parents warm and welcoming as they greeted the group with genuine enthusiasm.
"Other than Oz, this is the first time our little Amy has brought so many good friends home for dinner. It's truly wonderful."
When introductions came around, the revelation that Cloud Retainer and Madame Ping were both Adepti left Fischl's parents stunned.
As veteran adventurers, they knew far more about Liyue's Adepti than the average person. Understanding the kind of power such beings wielded made them instantly more cautious and respectful in their tone.
But neither Adeptus showed the slightest arrogance. After all, the Adepti were the Geo Archon's followers—rarely malicious toward mortals and, if anything, often willing to lend a helping hand.
"To think little Amy has made such remarkable friends… that's wonderful news."
Fischl's cheeks flushed red.
Mostly because her parents kept calling her "little Amy."
But in front of Xia Zhi, she didn't dare to argue. The last thing she wanted was to ruin her image of being a calm, elegant young lady.
Eventually, the conversation turned to more serious matters.
Xia Zhi explained that in a couple of days, everyone would be leaving Mondstadt for Inazuma.
Fischl's father nodded. "Inazuma's a fine place."
"I've never been there before!" Fischl said quickly. "I want to go too!"
Her parents immediately shook their heads. Letting their daughter travel that far alone was out of the question.
Fischl argued that with two Adepti accompanying them, nothing would happen.
As the three of them began to go back and forth, Xia Zhi interjected calmly, "May I say a word?"
"Of course, Mr. Xia," Fischl's father said.
"I understand your concern for Fischl's safety," Xia Zhi said. "But I might have a solution."
He took out two smartphones and set them on the table.
"This is a new kind of communication device. No matter how far apart you are, you can still talk and message each other. If Fischl checks in with you every day, that should ease your worries, shouldn't it?"
"Really? It can do that?"
"You can try it yourselves. Fischl already has one too."
Curious, her parents gave it a test—and sure enough, it worked perfectly.
"If little Amy can call her mother every day," her mom said, "then we'll agree."
"I will!" Fischl promised, nodding eagerly.
"Remember to listen to Mr. Xia and the others. Don't cause any trouble for them, understood?"
"I knooow!"
Fischl's smile was radiant. She was overjoyed—finally, she could travel with everyone!
---
The Mondstadt journey was nearing its end.
The next morning, Xia Zhi sent a message in the group chat, inviting everyone to the Serenitea Pot for one last meal together.
It would be their final dinner in Mondstadt.
Kaeya looked at his phone and sighed.
When Xia Zhi and his group had first arrived, Jean had assigned him to keep an eye on them—a task that had felt like a heavy burden at the time.
But now, he realized this had been the most enjoyable assignment he'd ever received.
He'd worried over nothing back then.
Lisa, too, looked a little wistful.
The meals, the massages—those didn't matter so much. What really nagged at her was that she still hadn't unraveled the mystery behind them.
Still, she chatted frequently in the group chat, so she knew everyone's upcoming plans by heart.
First, Inazuma for the Summer Festival. Then, Sumeru for the Sabzeruz Festival.
Here in Mondstadt, the new academy was being built, and Lisa had agreed to help write the textbooks. She couldn't leave until the project was finished.
But once the school was up and running—right around the end of summer—she'd be free. And everyone would be heading to Sumeru then anyway.
As a genius graduate of the Akademiya, returning to her academy sounded perfectly reasonable, didn't it?
She'd already made up her mind.
All that remained was finding a temporary librarian to cover her post.
The others—Jean, Amber, and the rest—were all too busy with their duties to travel.
Only Klee, that little ball of energy, could tag along like Fischl.
She'd already told her mother, Alice, through the magic lamp, and Alice had no objections. In fact, she'd told her daughter to have fun and play to her heart's content.
That evening's dinner was lively and full of laughter—but beneath the cheer, there was a quiet undertone of farewell.
Afterward, the girls went to bathe together.
Eula glanced at Rosaria, hesitating before quietly suggesting, "It's your last chance for a massage. Don't you want to try it?"
Rosaria's expression didn't change. "If you want to go, go. Don't worry about me."
Eula persisted, "Mr. Xia's massages are amazing. I used to doubt them too, but after trying once, I realized I'd been overthinking it. Honestly, I regret not going more often."
Rosaria stayed silent.
Seeing she wouldn't be swayed, Eula gave up and turned to Sucrose. "Wanna come with me?"
Face flushed pink, Sucrose thought for a moment before nodding. "I'll give it a try."
The two of them left the bathhouse, leaving Rosaria alone.
She stared blankly at the water for a long time before finally rising, grabbing her towel, and walking out.
---
Collei was lying on a small bed as Xia Zhi massaged her shoulders.
"You'll be heading back soon?" he asked.
"Yes, Mr. Xia," Collei said softly. "I came here to deliver something for Lady Nahida. I was supposed to return right after, but she let me stay a few extra days. Thank you for curing my Eleazar and for letting me become a Magical Girl."
Xia Zhi chuckled. "No need to thank me. You're Nahida's follower—and now mine as well. But walking back to Sumeru would take quite a while. I'll have the Lord Xiao give you a lift."
"Wouldn't that trouble Master Xiao?" she asked hesitantly.
"Not at all," Xia Zhi said. "He's heading back to Liyue anyway. It's on the way. I'll talk to him tomorrow."
"Alright…" she murmured.
After a pause, she whispered, "Mr. Xia, I noticed that when I transform into a Magical Girl… my outfit looks different."
"Yeah," Xia Zhi said. "I thought your old design didn't look great, so I redesigned them. If you don't like it, tell me and I'll make another."
"No need. I think it's really pretty now."
"Good."
---
With departure so close, everyone was getting sentimental.
Even Jean—usually the composed type—couldn't quite hide her reluctance.
Xia Zhi smiled and said, "If you ever miss us, just call. We can chat anytime."
"Mm."
"Don't worry, I'm still the headmaster of Mondstadt School. I'll definitely come back to check on things often."
"Mm."
"Captain Jean, take care of your health, okay? If you collapse again like before, it'll be trouble."
"I know."
"Tea might help you stay awake, but don't rely on it too much. Proper rest is the real cure for exhaustion."
"Alright."
"And please look after the potion shop and the pet shop for me."
"Of course."