So, he goes out to buy lunch, and not only is his bedding gone when he gets back, but he's also supposed to thank her? Su Bai rolled his eyes at Yae Miko. He wondered what devious scheme this pink-haired fox was hatching now.
"Oh? Don't believe your big sister?"
"Sister Miko, you took my quilt, and I'm supposed to thank you?"
Su Bai stored the milk and tea leaves he'd just bought in a cool, shaded spot. Klee's mouth automatically pursed into a pout when she saw he'd bought more milk. Seeing Su Bai wasn't paying her any attention, Yae Miko smiled and sidled up next to him.
"This time, you really do need to thank me. Come with me."
Yae Miko took Su Bai's hand and pulled him towards Lumine's room. A confused Su Bai hesitated. What did this have to do with Lumine?
Yae Miko didn't keep him in suspense. She pushed the door open and gestured for him to go in. Su Bai looked inside and saw that his pillow had been placed on Lumine's bed.
"Earlier, while tidying up, your dear sister discovered this young lady's room. What's this about having a little tiff and sleeping separately?"
"You two need to be more tolerant and understanding of each other."
Yae Miko 'earnestly' advised Su Bai. He was utterly speechless at her misguided matchmaking. What in the world was this?
"Sister Miko, she's just a friend. There's nothing like that between us. I just gave her a place to sleep out of pity."
"Don't go playing matchmaker. There's not even the first stroke of that character yet."
Su Bai hugged his pillow to his chest. Seeing him about to walk off with it, Yae Miko sighed with exaggerated regret. If only the little one who lived in this room had come back right now, how interesting that would have been. What a shame, alas.
"Huh? Strange big lady, who are you looking for?"
Klee's curious voice rang out from downstairs. Su Bai's expression changed. Forgetting about the pillow, he rushed to the staircase, braced his hands on the railing, and vaulted over it, landing directly on the lower floor.
'Klee mustn't be in any danger! I knew I shouldn't have given up searching for that peeping Tom earlier!' Indeed, while out shopping, Su Bai had also sensed the peeping feeling Diona mentioned. Moreover, that gaze felt peculiarly intense, making him extremely uncomfortable. Unfortunately, the person was too good at hiding; Su Bai hadn't been able to find them.
"You scoundrel! I couldn't find you earlier, and now you dare come straight to my home to abduct someone? You've got some nerve!"
Lumine was startled by Su Bai's furious shout. Paimon cowardly hid behind her. What was going on? Abduct someone? Why couldn't they understand a word Su Bai was saying?
"Lumine? It's you?"
"Whew... It's a good thing it's you."
Realizing it was a misunderstanding, Su Bai finally relaxed. Thank goodness. As long as Klee was safe. Lumine and Paimon were now completely bewildered. His words sounded very strange to them.
Acknowledging he had overreacted, Su Bai motioned for Lumine and Paimon to sit down. Under their puzzled gazes, he told them about the stalker Diona had recently encountered and the peeping feeling he himself had sensed earlier.
"There are actually people like that? That's way too creepy! Lumine, we have to go tell Acting Grand Master Jean right away, or something bad might really happen!"
Paimon, her sense of justice ignited, was indignant after hearing Su Bai's account. Lumine's initial reaction was similar to Su Bai's—she found it hard to believe her ears.
"Diona, as a born hunter, couldn't have been mistaken in her perception. Even if Diona was wrong, I couldn't have been mistaken about that peeping feeling earlier."
He was absolutely certain he hadn't misperceived that earlier gaze. Su Bai would even bet that the person peeping at him earlier was very likely the same one stalking Diona.
"Paimon, you should be careful lately too. Your little figure somewhat resembles a child's."
"Huh? Then maybe Paimon should just stay inside from now on. It's too dangerous outside!"
The previously spirited Paimon immediately wilted upon hearing she might also become a target for the creep, adamantly refusing to go out with Lumine.
"Paimon, let's go. We have to let Acting Grand Master Jean know about this."
"Huh? Paimon, why are you hiding behind Su Bai? Let's go!"
"Alright, alright, Lumine. Don't push Paimon. Even if Jean assigns the task, the Knights of Favonius will probably just treat it as a joke."
Paimon, hiding behind Su Bai, nodded vigorously, her little hands clutching his clothes tightly as if Lumine wanted to eat her.
Paimon peeked out from behind Su Bai. Seeing the exasperation on Lumine's face, the cowardly Paimon spoke up in a negotiating tone.
"Lumine, how about you go out and take commissions while Paimon stays home?"
"Don't worry, Lumine! Paimon will pray for you while you're out! You just need to prepare Sweet Madame, Pile 'Em Up, Butter Crab, Moon Pie, Teyvat Fried Egg, or maybe some Mushroom Hodgepodge, Mondstadt Hash Browns..."
Initially, Lumine, concerned for Paimon's safety, was somewhat open to the idea of Paimon staying home. But after that long list of dishes, her face darkened. 'Good grief, this emergency food thinks she's royalty now?' Some of those dishes Lumine hadn't even eaten herself, and she was supposed to buy them for this glutton?
"Su Bai, stop shielding Paimon. I'll protect her."
Lumine reached out and plucked Paimon from behind Su Bai. Seeing herself caught in Lumine's clutches, Paimon shot a pleading look at Su Bai. He shrugged. Paimon brought this on herself; there was nothing he could do.
"Su Bai, save me! Hel— Mmmph mmmph mmmph..."
Lumine picked up a Pile 'Em Up from the table and stuffed it into Paimon's mouth. With practiced ease, she tucked Paimon under her arm and bid Su Bai farewell with a smile before heading off, presumably towards the Knights of Favonius headquarters.
"Poor little Paimon. Did I forget about someone...?"
"Oh no. Sister Miko has been quiet for so long; she's definitely up to something upstairs."
(A/N: Remember those few Ruin Guards abandoned and buried in the snow on Dragonspine? If you get close and interact with them, they give you some strange codes. After arranging them in a specific order, you first decrypt them using ternary code. The resulting numbers are then decrypted using decimal code.)
(After the decimal decryption, replacing the numbers with their corresponding letters in the 26-letter English alphabet gives you nine new strings of letters. These nine strings are encrypted using a Caesar cipher. Decrypting by shifting the letters back 13 positions yields nine complete English words.)
(After arranging and combining these nine English words, they form a complete sentence: 'For our nation, we cannot abandon this power from the sky, but we have failed.')