Gu Chen gazed long at the herbalist before him, as if recalling some distant thought.
With a wave of his hand, the swaddled infant floated gently from the man's arms into his own.
"What's her name?"
The herbalist bowed deeply.
"Ganyu."
Gu Chen nodded slightly.
"If you ever miss her, you may visit me at Jueyun Karst."
"Thank you, True Monarch!"
Overjoyed, the man kowtowed. When he lifted his head again, Gu Chen had already vanished.
Regret flickered in the herbalist's eyes, soon replaced by resolve.
"Child… with an immortal, you'll live far better than I ever could give you."
At the far end of the street, Gu Chen walked calmly, the baby in his arms staring up at him with curious eyes.
Then, without warning—her tiny lips trembled.
A wail split the air.
Gu Chen: "…"
[Nilou]: Hahaha! The True Monarch has no idea what to do! Baby Ganyu has already defeated him! (Klee: Yay!)
[Collei]: Aaaa she's so cute! All pink cheeks and porcelain skin—like a little doll! (Xiangling sparkle eyes)
[Kaeya]: Is it just Ganyu being special, or do all babies radiate this level of weaponized cuteness? (Kaeya: laughing with wine)
[Ganyu]: (Barbara: shy blush)
[Liuyun Borrowing the Wind True Monarch]: Haha, speaking of when little Ganyu was young…
[Ganyu]: @Liuyun True Monarch — Please don't!! (Ganyu: stop-touching-my-horns)
[Shenhe]: (stares silently)
[Liuyun]: What's the harm? It'll be on video sooner or later! (Keqing: pouting)
[Keqing]: Seeing how much Ganyu resists only makes me more curious… (Qiqi: secretly watching)
[Ganyu]: (dead-inside smile 404)
No young lady likes her childhood embarrassments brought up!
Still…
Hands clasped to her chest, Ganyu couldn't help feeling anxious.
Would Gu Chen in the video raise her the same way she'd been raised in this life?
Surely not… right?
He seems much calmer than True Monarch Liuyun.
All she could do was pray quietly.
[Furina]: My friends, considering the video's title and theme, Gu Chen is obviously going to raise Ganyu himself. And in time… student rebels against master, hm-hm! (Yelan: cold laugh)
[Kaeya]: Madame Furina already sees the future! (meme face)
[Venti]: Explosive indeed—but it's fine! As long as Ganyu converts to the Anemo faith, everything's permitted! Freedom is our brand, baby! (Zhongli: dragon-smirk)
[Zhongli]: …
[Ganyu]: (tiny voice) What do you mean rebels against…?!
A thunderbolt of embarrassment struck her on the spot.
[Xingqiu]: But Liyue respects the teacher above all! Ganyu, you…?! (Paimon: gasp)
[Chongyun]: I don't get it, but I'm shaken! (Paimon: gasp)
[Hu Tao]: Tsk-tsk, it's a new age now—but even so, that's… hard to digest. (Hu Tao: spooky grin)
[Zhongli]: By general reason… No comment. (sips tea)
[Ganyu]: (Klee: teary pout) It's too hard…!
[Yae Miko]: Then do as Venti said! Convert to the wind god and you're free of moral constraints~ (evil grin)
Freedom above all, follow your heart—no rules attached.
[Venti]: Come, faithful soul! Embrace Barbatos, and your tragic fate shall vanish! (spreads arms, smug selfie pose)
[Kaeya]: (meme face)
[Gu Chen]: I wholeheartedly support this.
[Paimon]: ?
[Lumine]: A-ha! I knew it! The way you look at Ganyu isn't normal, mister! (Nahida pointing meme)
[Kaeya]: Wait, there's gossip?! (Venti shocked) Spill it! Front-row seats secured!
[Raiden Ei]: (secretly watching)
[Guizhong]: Oh~ juicy.
[Ganyu]: ???
[Furina]: @Gu Chen — You planned this, didn't you?! (Nahida: pointing accusingly)
[Gu Chen]: Nonsense! I simply appreciate beauty equally. Admiring lovely girls is human nature! Ask Zhongli—doesn't he love beautiful things too? (Zhongli: dragon-smirk)
Zhongli's mouth twitched.
"By common reason, yes—beauty uplifts the heart. But let's be clear: you mean beautiful girls. That's not appreciation, that's plain lust." (sips tea)
[Kaeya]: Everyone knows Taixuan Sect Master Gu never lies. So… you get it. (meme wink)
[Keqing]: Hmm… looks like I'll need to keep an eye on our "teacher." (alert emoji)
[Gu Chen]: I'm innocent, Lady Yuheng! (crying, clinging to leg)
Gu Chen, lacking any parenting experience, felt utterly defeated.
Still, he quickly realized why the infant cried—
she was hungry.
"A qilin's bloodline, huh…"
He soon returned to Jueyun Karst.
The wild mountains teemed with herbs: Glaze Lilies, Qingxin, Violetgrass…
One by one, he tried feeding them to her.
Ganyu clearly disliked Glaze Lilies.
When handed a Violetgrass, her chubby hand tugged at it, stuffed it in her mouth—
and instantly spat it out, crying louder.
Gu Chen: "…"
He looked down at the final herb—Qingxin.
These flowers grow only on the coldest peaks, watching the world from afar.
They look pure and serene, yet taste bitter as gall.
He plucked a petal, gently placed it on the baby's lips.
Bitterness spread—but she chewed anyway, still sniffling.
"Already has teeth, huh?" he mused. "Truly, spirit-beast cubs are fascinating."
[Nilou]: So Ganyu really did grow up liking Qingxin? (curious)
[Keqing]: Seems that way. (nods)
[Shenhe]: Its taste is acceptable. (nods solemnly)
[Liuyun True Monarch]: Bitter or not, those two girls ate it all the same. (Zhongli: helpless shrug)
[Paimon]: Come on! She was just starving! There was nothing else, so she had to chew it! (hmph!)
[Ganyu]: Maybe… but now I do like Qingxin. (smiles shyly)
[Gu Chen]: I'd bet it's hunger trauma—eat enough of something when starving, and you grow attached! I once thought I could eat a whole ox myself. (meme face)
[Kaeya]: Starvation'll do that—when hungry enough, anything seems edible.
[Lumine]: Poor baby Ganyu! Bitter herbs for dinner?! (angry Paimon)
[Ganyu]: It's fine—he probably had nothing else to feed me… (nervous smile)
[Liuyun]: When I raised her, she was already older and could talk a little—so maybe not as bad as that.
[Mountain-Shaping True Monarch]: Haha, little Ganyu really was adorable.
[Moon-Cutting True Monarch]: Liuyun, your mountain diet was dreadful though. Ganyu's fine, but Shenhe's human! How could you feed her nothing but herbs?
[Shenhe]: I don't mind.
[Liuyun]: Life in the mountains is austere! What's the issue? (Keqing: puzzled look)
[Gu Chen]: True Monarch, you seriously don't see the problem? (meme smirk)
[Xiangling]: True Monarch, I could send you some human-world cuisine instead!
[Liuyun]: But I have no Mora… (Zhongli: shrug)
[Zhongli]: …Fine, I'll pay.
Two days passed at Jueyun Karst.
Gu Chen observed that baby Ganyu seemed to enjoy Qingxin after all.
"Good. At least she won't starve."
Once she fell asleep, he sat cross-legged, thought for a long while, then began crafting.
Soon, a small blue dress appeared in his hands.
"There. No beast will dare snatch you now."
With a flick, the dress enveloped the baby, replacing the plain swaddle.
She slept peacefully, a glimmer of drool at the corner of her mouth.
After watching for a moment, Gu Chen slipped outside again—
straight to Guili Plains, humbly seeking advice from experienced mothers.
[Nilou]: The cold-faced sword immortal, reduced to asking moms for childcare tips! (peeks out laughing)
[Yae Miko]: Title confirmed—"Reborn in Ancient Liyue: Wife-Raising From Scratch." (evil grin)
[Ganyu]: P-please don't say it like that!! (flustered)
Raised from childhood… how embarrassing!
Her face burned crimson.
Liuyun True Monarch appeared beside her, smiling as Ganyu's little ahoge quivered.
"Not bad," the immortal mused. "When this video ends, perhaps you'll finally find direction. You've wandered lost among mortals and immortals alike. With a person to care for, the path ahead may become clear."
Liuyun was quite satisfied.
That Gu Chen boy—though burdened with past lives—had a good heart.
Truly, a reliable match.
Ganyu stomped her foot.
"True Monarch—! Not you too!"
She fled in panic, face aflame.
Watching her retreat, Liuyun chuckled and shook her head.
"Still so young… How can one walk the mortal world without tasting love at least once?"
"Have you, Master?" Shenhe asked blandly.
"…"
Liuyun froze.
Then huffed.
"None of your business! Theorizing is plenty, thank you!"
"Oh." Shenhe nodded and said nothing more.
The red cords dulled her emotions; curiosity seldom lingered long.
Back at Jueyun Karst, Gu Chen paced his cave restlessly.
A warrior-swordsman, now confounded by a baby.
He had learned much from mortal mothers—perhaps too much.
Knowing just enough to realize how little he knew.
"She's part spirit-beast… should be easy to raise, right?"
[Paimon]: If only this Gu Chen cooked like his first-life self! Baby Ganyu could've had gourmet veggie dishes!
[Xiangling]: From that line alone, I can see her tragic childhood diet already…
[Ganyu]: It's fine! I survived it once.
[Liuyun]: What do you mean? Life in the mountains is simple—that's normal for us immortals!
[Ganyu]: N-nothing! (waves hands)
[Paimon]: So Gu Chen basically decided on free-range parenting because she's half-qilin?!
[Gu Chen]: Can't help it! I already feel second-hand stress for my past self—raising kids is hard! (frustrated)
[Furina]: Then learn! You already asked those mortal mothers, didn't you?! (Paimon: shocked)
[Gu Chen]: Experience helps, but that's their experience. I've got my own idea!
[Furina]: What idea?!
[Gu Chen]: Find a beautiful girl, have a kid, and use it as parenting practice first. (Zhongli: dragon-smirk)
[Lumine]: Childe: Not a bad plan.
[Childe]: Indeed. (nods solemnly)
[Guizhong]: So who're you testing with? (meme grin)
[Raiden Ei]: (secretly observing)
[Baizhu]: Strong lifeforms often struggle to reproduce. Your "wives" may have difficulty conceiving.
[Gu Chen]: Reasonable. @Kaeya — go fall in love and have a baby, I'll babysit! (meme face)
[Kaeya]: I'm cultivating! No time for love! Maybe once I'm immortal! (Zhongli: smirk)
[Diluc]: He's too ugly anyway.
[Kaeya]: Blatant slander! People—am I ugly?! (rose-in-mouth wink)
[Gu Chen]: Hard to say.
[Venti]: A blob.
[Diluc]: @Venti — Don't encourage him.
[Gu Chen]: So that's why the toilet's clogged—Diluc's sarcasm levels are off the charts! (meme)
[Zhongli]: From this moment, an unpleasant odor pervades the group chat. (black lines)
[Jean]: I can't imagine your collective mental state. (facepalm)
[Lyney]: Haha, they really are comedy material. (facepalm)
[Venti]: Freedom of speech, baby!
[Diluc]: I just don't lie.
[Kaeya]: And thus, a world where only I suffer has been achieved! (Nahida pointing meme)
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