Ganyu was momentarily stunned, then said, "I'll be waiting for you at Yujing Terrace tomorrow morning. By then, I'll escort a few of you up to the Jade Chamber!"
Gu Chen nodded. "Alright, we'll be there early tomorrow."
[Ganyu]: That was close! Good thing Mr. Gu Chen asked one more question. In my previous life, I clearly overlooked that they weren't locals from Liyue! (Ganyu·Annoyed)
[Paimon]: Gu Chen's the smart one. If it were anyone else, after Ganyu finished and left, they'd probably have to take a huge detour, right?
[Lumine]: There can't be anyone that dumb, can there?
[Gu Chen]: (Grin)
Gu Chen chuckled after reading it.
Others might not know, but how could he not? After Ganyu left, those two poor saps took a massive detour before figuring out how to reach the Jade Chamber.
And the "dumbass" Lumine was referring to right now was her past self—without Gu Chen's influence!
[Yae Miko]: The video jumps straight to the next morning. By the way, I'm super curious—how did you three rest in your previous life? (Yae Miko·Smirk)
[Kaeya]: Knock Paimon out, then it's just a lone man and woman—y'know what I mean! (Grin)
[Your Highness]: Impossible! Absolutely impossible!
[Granny Ping]: Hahaha, youth is full of energy.
[Lumine]: Should I just quit the group chat on this topic?
[Sangonomiya Kokomi]: Yep. (Barbara·Blush)
[Heizou]: Has anyone noticed the details in the video? From my observations, Gu Chen and Miss Lumine's relationship heated up pretty fast. Paimon got super dependent on Mr. Gu Chen too. Based on the timeline in the video, I reckon it'd take them at most a month to tie the knot!
[Klee]: (Klee·Yay!)
[Paimon]: Hehe, if traveling really meant having Gu Chen along, that'd be awesome! So much yummy food, and total safety! (Paimon·Hmph)
[Gu Chen]: Thanks for the praise. Us excellent folks are just like that. (Paimon·Hmph)
[Kaeya]: You get narcissism. (Applause)
[Lumine]: It was just traveling together and getting taken care of. I'm grateful, sure, but it's not like I like him or anything. Whatever, not dwelling on it. We're already at the Jade Chamber with Ganyu leading the way. Any trade secrets we can peek at? I wanna earn some Mora!
[Dori]: Begging for a first-person view from Mr. Gu Chen in the video!! (Thoma·Kneel)
[Ningguang]: Everyone, don't overthink it. Since it's been exposed, business trends are bound to shift. (Facepalm)
[Kaeya]: Damn, the Jade Chamber really is gilded in gold. Those potted plants—if I didn't miss it—are antiques, right?! (Paimon·Shocked)
[Dori]: Not worthy of the Tianquan! (Venti·Starstruck)
[Lumine]: Rich on this level? Rich lady, let's be friends!! (Klee·Please)
In the video.
Gu Chen, having prepared himself mentally, stayed calm.
Lumine had a mysterious background and vast experiences, so she didn't seem overly shocked either. Paimon, on the other hand, was like a country bumpkin, gawking here and there.
"We've been expecting you, travelers returned from Jueyun Karst."
Paimon whipped around in surprise. "It's Ningguang!"
Ningguang maintained her usual elegance, a faint smile on her face, exuding an air of refined opulence.
She was nobility personified, yet approachable in that moment.
After chatting a bit, it became clear this Tianquan Star had big ambitions.
To cast the shadow of the Jade Chamber over the Seven Nations—what grand vision!
They soon got down to business.
"Though I know little of you two, I share a good rapport with Mondstadt's Acting Grand Master Jean. I trust you three have no ties to the Abyss Order. An Abyss Mage showing up right at Yujing Terrace is quite the surprise..." Ningguang chuckled lightly. "On second thought, the Abyss Order might not even be involved. Some force behind the scenes is pulling the strings, aiming to drag you three into the mess."
"Tartaglia," Gu Chen said without hesitation.
Paimon gasped. "Him?! Didn't he say everything he did was to clear the Fatui's name and avoid scrutiny?"
"Just an excuse." Lumine shook her head.
Gu Chen turned to Ningguang. "What do you need done? What's the pay?"
"Traveler, I admire your straightforwardness. If we could be friends, that'd be even better." Ningguang smiled. Then, turning serious: "The Fatui are researching ways to replicate the Talisman Free of Taboos. I'd like you to investigate."
"Sure."
Gu Chen nodded in agreement.
"Then I'll leave it to you."
"Mora first, and the rest is on me." Gu Chen grinned.
Ningguang's smile widened at that.
The trio headed straight for the marked location on the map.
[Paimon]: So money's all it takes to get Gu Chen working? (Paimon·Shocked)
[Keqing]: Lady Ningguang steered the conversation that way subtly, but Mr. Gu Chen saw through it early. He was direct about the reward just to avoid losing out.
[Ningguang]: Given Mr. Gu Chen's performance, he'd excel in business or politics!
[Heizou]: They pulled out right before Mr. Gu Chen arrived? And since the Talisman Free of Taboos channels divine power, the Fatui must have bigger plans.
[Keqing]: @[Tartaglia] Better turn yourself in at the Ministry of Civil Affairs now!
[Tartaglia]: Like Mr. Zhongli said, judging past crimes on this life's people isn't fair, right? (Shrug)
[Ningguang]: You better pray you haven't done this stuff in this life.
In the video.
The trio then headed to Watatsumi Island to find Zhongli.
The Rite of Descension still needed wild Glaze Lilies.
Harvesting those required a little help.
"Sing to enhance its fragrance?"
Gu Chen eyed the wild Glaze Lily with an odd look, then turned to Lumine.
"Need me to sing?" Lumine asked.
"Exactly. Your voice will bring out the flower's scent to its peak." Zhongli nodded firmly.
"Uh, Lumine, how good are you at singing?" Paimon asked worriedly.
Lumine glanced at Gu Chen, hands on hips, proudly declaring, "I'm awesome at it!"
"Really?" Paimon wasn't convinced.
"One try will tell." Zhongli said.
"Watch this!"
With confidence, Lumine cleared her throat twice, crouched down, and let loose her voice.
After a few hums, the Glaze Lily mutated, spewing gas and lunging a stinger at her.
Lumine couldn't react in time, but just before it hit, a silver spear flash pinned the bizarre monster to the ground.
Paimon yelped in shock. "Lumine, your singing made the Glaze Lily mutate!"
"It's a Whopper Flower, skilled at disguise," Zhongli explained after a glance.
Gu Chen added, "Be more careful from now on."
"You tricked me, Gu Chen!" Lumine puffed her cheeks, glaring. This guy had clearly spotted it ages ago!
"Just teaching you to stay vigilant." Gu Chen flicked her forehead, leaving her even more sulky as she clutched it.
[Your Highness]: Lumine's pretty cute like that.
[Kaeya]: But she's not yours.
[Your Highness]: ...
"Um, are you looking for Glaze Lilies?"
The group turned to see a familiar figure.
"Ah, it's you! Uh... can't remember your name!" Paimon scratched her head awkwardly.
"Hey, Coconut Sheep."
"Hey, Wang Xiaomei."
Gu Chen and Lumine greeted in unison.
"Coconut Sheep... Wang Xiaomei? W-Who are those?"
Ganyu blinked in confusion. "Ganyu and Wang Xiaomei and Coconut Sheep... not a single character right..."
[Paimon]: Oh no! Lumine's learned to be sneaky from Gu Chen—Ganyu's lost her name!