The sun rose as promised. Su Bai silently retracted the adeptal barrier he had maintained around the blind girl all night. It had drizzled a little, and he truly couldn't bear to let the poor girl get soaked.
'She whispered 'Glory' one hundred and twenty-seven times last night... Sigh, another lovelorn soul.'
Su Bai stood up, stretching his slightly stiff limbs. He didn't know the full story between this blind girl and the man named Glory, but he could keenly feel her deep longing and affection for him.
'I should keep a slight lookout... I hope this 'Glory' hasn't fallen in battle.'
'Been hungry all night. Time to get something to eat. I'll deal with the pigeon I zapped down last night for dinner. Too greasy for the morning.'
Outside the Good Hunter restaurant, Su Bai was savoring a perfectly crispy Teyvat Fried Egg. He had no idea how Sara did it. One bite, and the mix of oil and the unique fragrance of the bird egg exploded in his mouth—absolutely delicious. If the set meal didn't include that runny-yolked egg, he'd give it an eight out of ten.
"Miss Sara, one Grilled Fish, please!"
Diona pushed open the door to Good Hunter in a whirlwind. Before Sara could even say "Welcome," Diona had already placed her order and plopped onto a stool.
Sensing Diona's foul mood, Su Bai stroked his chin. Had her father Draff and that ancestor of hers, Olaf, those two walking disasters, cooked up some new trouble?
"Little Diona, want some fried egg?"
Su Bai moved with his plate to sit opposite Diona. Seeing it was Su Bai, Diona's expression softened slightly. She didn't stand on ceremony, using her fork to spear a piece of his fried egg onto her own plate.
"Little Diona, you should look on the bright side. After all, one's your father, the other's your ancestor. Don't be so angry."
"What are you talking about, Big Fox? What father? What ancestor?"
"Huh? Aren't you angry at your father and your ancestor? Who else could make our little Diona this mad?"
Hearing Su Bai's question, Diona grew angrier and angrier the more she thought about it, feeling utterly disgusted. In her fury, she stabbed her knife right through the fried egg on her plate. The runny yolk from the soft-fried egg oozed out onto the plate, making Su Bai, who was still eating his own, feel a sudden chill down there. He muttered to himself, 'Since when did Diona become so violent?'
Silently shifting his stool to maintain a safe distance, Su Bai then asked what exactly had happened.
"I'm so mad! So mad! Big Fox, why are the patrons at the tavern so perverted? There was actually someone among them following me!"
"If I hadn't had a big argument with those patrons last night, that feeling of being watched probably still wouldn't have gone away!"
'Good grief, there are people like that in Mondstadt?' Hearing Diona's words, Su Bai could hardly believe his ears. In all his years, this was the first time he'd heard of such a thing.
"I'm not mistaken. Someone was following me. And the way they looked at me was really wrong. We Kätzlein are born hunters! Our perception of our surroundings is exceptional!"
Diona clenched her little fists. Faced with Su Bai's incredulous look, she wished she could find the stalker and give them a proper thrashing.
"And that's not even the worst part!"
"What makes me maddest is that those Knights of Favonius didn't believe me at all! I'm so furious!"
Already livid about being stalked by some unknown creep, she had gone to report it to the Knights this morning. Those Knights actually told her to read fewer novels! Said there couldn't possibly be such a perverted uncle in Mondstadt, that it must be Diona's imagination.
At this point, Diona's tail was bristling with anger. 'Sure enough, these drinking-loving adults are all unreliable. I'll have to handle this myself.'
"No, I can't just sit back and do nothing. What if that creep targets other kids?"
"I have to catch this pervert!"
"Big Fox, keep an eye out for anything suspicious too, recently. That creep will definitely strike again!"
Diona slammed her fork on the table, slung her bow over her back, and stormed out of Good Hunter. Right now, Diona radiated the stubborn determination of a little cat.
Worried about Klee, Su Bai quickly finished the fried eggs on his plate, grabbed the packaged Grilled Fish and warm milk, and hurried towards Klee's place. 'Mondstadt is getting too lively. I'd better keep a close eye on Klee recently. If she accidentally causes a fatality, it'll be a real mess.'
Sara, who had just finished preparing the Grilled Fish, looked at the empty seat in puzzlement. Diona was just here; where did she go? What should she do with this ready fish?
"Boss, an order for delivery to Springvale. One Grilled Fish, one Fisherman's Toast."
"Perfect, I have both right here. Deliver it quickly."
At Klee's home, Klee was frowning intensely at the glass of milk on the table. If crab was her most hated food, milk was definitely a close second.
"Brother Su Bai, Klee thinks Klee can eat the grilled fish first and then drink the milk. What do you think?"
"I think not. Drinking milk will help Klee grow up faster."
Su Bai gently pinched Klee's cheek. These gentle words made Klee's heart instantly turn as cold as Dragonspine. The warm milk in her hands offered no comfort at all.
Watching Klee gulp down the milk in tiny sips as if it were bitter medicine, Su Bai pondered. He remembered Ayato was quite fond of milk tea. He'd tried it a few times himself; the sweet taste was indeed pleasant.
If little Klee disliked milk this much, maybe he could try brewing the milk with tea leaves next time and adding some sugar. The flavor of milk tea should appeal to a child.
"Little Klee, how about you stay at Brother Su Bai's house for the next few days? I'll find a big sister to look after you."
"Eh? Will that big sister play with Klee?"
Su Bai thought about it. Given that person's personality, she'd probably get even more into playing than Klee. For a moment, Su Bai hesitated about whether to call her over.
'Forget it, I'll call her. More people, more strength. And as a little girl, there are some things Klee might need help with that I, as a man, can't conveniently assist with.'
While Su Bai hesitated internally, Klee had already quietly poured out a large portion of her milk. Thinking she hadn't been caught, Klee smiled and reached to take the grilled fish from the table to eat.
"Besides, I can't possibly stay alert twenty-four hours a day. For example, right now... Little Klee, can you explain what happened to the milk on the floor?"
Su Bai's words froze Klee in place. Looking at the white puddle on the floor, she realized her trash bin had a hole in it, and the milk had leaked out.
"Um... Brother Su Bai, that... that's... Mister Trash Bin wanted to drink the milk, so Klee gave it to him! Klee didn't pour it out!"
"It seems... it's time to find someone to keep an eye on little Klee."
Su Bai took out a white omamori charm. The adeptal energy he had recovered began flowing steadily into the charm. What he was about to perform wasn't a Liyue adeptal art, but a genuine secret technique of the Inazuman fox clans.
With a flash of blinding light, Su Bai wiped the sweat from his brow. He hadn't used this spell in so long; his skills had gotten rusty. Thankfully, it succeeded.
"Little Bai~ It's been over two years since you last contacted your big sister. What made you think of me today?"
A voice tinged with a hint of complaint came from the light. Su Bai offered an awkward smile. Since leaving Inazuma, he had been focused on studying adeptal arts and hadn't really contacted her much. As if trying to excuse Su Bai, the figure emerging from the light sighed.
"Sigh... busy, busy is good. I, your elder sister, am old and fading. It's only natural Little Bai prefers to spend time with younger girls."