(TL/N: for the non genshin players, Dadaupa Gorge is an area you can explore in Mondstadt.)
"I had no choice at the time!"
"I don't care. If Jean finds out she was seen completely, she'll probably die of shame."
Su Han never expected Lisa to be this black-bellied. He gritted his teeth and said, "Then what do you think I should do?"
"Just take good care of her. I don't expect you to stay in Mondstadt forever, but at least help ease some of Jean's burdens. She grew up under strict education and has never relaxed even for a single day. Her parents separated while she was growing up, and her only sister is like a stranger to her. You could say she's practically alone, but recently she's started liking manga, and she won't stop praising you."
Lisa ended her words there. Then she patted Su Han on the shoulder and left.
The room quickly became quiet again. Su Han walked to the bedside and looked at Jean, whose breathing had gradually steadied. He slowly smiled. Although it had been sudden, things seemed to be developing in a good direction.
Nine o'clock in the evening.
The lights outside gradually dimmed, and the Jean lying on the hospital bed slowly opened her eyes. Her body was still weak, but the pain was gone. Just as she was about to call for Lisa, she saw Su Han appear in her field of view.
"Don't be scared. Your body is fine now. As long as you recuperate for two months, you should be much better."
"Thank you for saving me. Lisa said you went to the ruins. How are Kaeya and the others?"
Su Han brought over a cup of warm water and said, "They got back around eight. They're probably resting now. Not a single knight was lost. You can relax. Do you want some water?"
"Mm, thank you. Ah, it hurts…"
Jean tried to sit up, but the moment she put strength into her arms, a sharp pain shot through her abdomen. Her pretty face instantly turned pale, and it took quite a while before she recovered.
Seeing this, Su Han explained, "Although I repaired your organs and flesh, the newly regenerated areas are still too fragile. You need time to recover. Here, I prepared a straw for you."
"Mm."
This time Jean didn't resist. She gently closed her lips around the straw. With just a slight pull, the cool water reached her mouth. The new experience surprised her.
"What is this? It's so convenient!"
"A straw. The principle comes from the hollow stalks of dried wheat. Since you're lying down and can't drink properly, I made one for you out of paper. You'll need to use a straw when drinking porridge tomorrow too, but I'll make you a new one."
"This is my first time using something like this. It feels even more convenient than a cup."
Jean's face was full of admiration. She felt that Su Han was amazing. No matter the difficulty, he always found a solution.
Su Han smiled and said, "It's just a little gadget. By the way, are you hungry? Should I prepare something for you?"
"No, I just woke up. I'm not hungry at all." Jean gently shook her head, then asked, "Right… could you tell me how you saved me? In that situation, I was certain I was going to die."
"Well, that's a bit complicated. How about we change the topic? For example, do you want to learn the Golden Light Incantation? It might even help your injuries recover faster."
"G-Golden Light Incantation? You mean the one from the manga!!"
Jean's face was full of shock. She had heard rumors that the spells in the manga could be cultivated, but she always assumed they were just rumors. And yet it was all real!!
Seeing that he had successfully shifted the topic, Su Han silently sighed in relief. Even though it had been a life-saving treatment, using golden needles to pierce through her skin inch by inch was awkward. If Jean found out, the atmosphere he had just built up would definitely collapse.
Seeing the astonishment on her face, Su Han laughed and said, "Yes, and not just the Golden Light Incantation. The Five Thunders True Method and the Divine Mask are also real. Eula probably hasn't reported it to you yet, but on the day I arrived, I went out to absorb the northern wind knight's faith and used it to defeat an enemy in the snowy mountains."
As he spoke, he demonstrated them one by one, showing a sample of the Golden Light Incantation and the Five Thunders True Method.
Only then did Jean realize why the merchants in the city had been saying that Liyue's Millelith had become stronger. With Su Han personally teaching them, it would be strange if they didn't grow stronger.
"So the news from Liyue?"
"Mm. I had people spread it. Some exorcist families and the Millelith are cultivating. Even Hu Tao has learned some methods, though she can't cultivate the Golden Light Incantation. That requires being able to calm the mind. Now, let me teach you how to cultivate the Golden Light Incantation. It will help your injuries heal faster."
With Su Han's guidance, Jean touched cultivation for the first time. Although she didn't understand certain terms, it was simple with a Perfection-level expert teaching her.
In just one hour, the acting grand master entered meditation successfully. As long as she continued cultivating, she wouldn't have to fear ambushes anymore.
The next day.
Early in the morning, Noelle arrived at the second floor of the manga shop with a pile of documents. Because of Jean's injuries, Su Han and Noelle were now handling the official work together.
Inside the room, the two sat together. Su Han flipped through the Knights of Favonius training logs and complained, "The training time is too short. They don't even train six hours a day. With this kind of training, how can anyone get stronger?"
Jean raised her head and said, "Then what do you suggest?"
"Raise it to eight to ten hours. Also, replace the food. Instead of plain salad, switch to beef and milk, Intense training can't lack nutrition. If there isn't enough beef, use other meat."
Humans on Earth could endure this level of training. Su Han didn't believe the knights couldn't. If they really couldn't endure it, they shouldn't be knights. Being a normal citizen would be better!
Jean calculated the expenses and frowned. "This will strain the Knights' finances."
"Have you ever thought about this? If knights can't grow stronger, who will protect the citizens? And if the budget isn't enough, we can think about increasing revenue. We could even raise cattle and sheep ourselves. Dadaupa Gorge looks perfect for it. Not only is the environment great, it also has abundant water. As long as we clear out the hilichurls, it would be a natural pasture."
Su Han glanced at the map. Mondstadt hadn't been properly developed at all. Huge areas of land were unused, while neighboring Liyue was filled with people. That was the difference between the two nations.
Jean fell deep into thought. She realized that whether in terrain or environment, Dadaupa Gorge was an excellent choice. They had never considered it because of the large number of hilichurls. The Knights didn't want to start large-scale battles, but if they cared about the future of the order, they had to take this land.
When she came back to her senses, Jean sighed emotionally. "You've helped us tremendously again. I don't even know how to thank you."
"Let me think. How about… you kiss me?"
"C-Can't you choose something else?"
Jean blushed instantly. Although she admitted she liked him, kissing was too fast and too scary.
But Su Han wasn't about to miss this chance. Acting disappointed, he said, "You won't kiss me? I guess you must not like me. Forget it."
Seeing Su Han's crestfallen expression, Jean panicked. She blurted out, "I never said I don't like you, it's just too fast. Could you give me some time? How about… you kiss my hand instead?"
"Really?"
"Mm."
Looking at the delicate hand she offered, Su Han gently held it. Her hand was cool to the touch and incredibly soft. A phrase came to mind: soft and boneless. (TL/N: What kind of phrase is this? i get the soft but boneless? I swear Chinese people bring the most random phrases and sayings out of nowhere)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bonus chapters every 200 Power Stone!
10, 20, 30 Advanced chapters in my Patreon!
patreon.com/hollyrisk