"Jiang Chen… um… I…"
Lumine twisted her fingers together.
Her delicate cheeks were burning red.
Her mind felt dizzy from embarrassment after being caught in such an awkward situation.
She couldn't even organize her words properly.
Even though the cool Mondstadt night breeze was blowing, Lumine felt as if heat were rising from her body.
Seeing this, Jiang Chen didn't press her about why she had lied about booking an inn.
Instead, he simply reached out and gave her a gentle head pat.
But Paimon wasn't the type of mascot who felt shame.
Or rather, this whole lie had been Lumine's idea from the start.
It had nothing to do with Paimon.
She crossed her arms and declared:
"Hmph! Paimon isn't some kind of cat or pet!"
"Then what are you?"
Jiang Chen asked curiously.
Paimon's identity had always been a mystery.
"Me?"
The question instantly stumped her.
She began thinking seriously.
Unfortunately, her small brain capacity wasn't enough to find an answer.
"Never mind!"
"Anyway, I'm definitely not a cat or dog!"
She puffed her cheeks angrily.
Jiang Chen led them back toward the Good Hunter restaurant.
Suddenly he stopped walking.
Lumine didn't notice and bumped into his back.
Jiang Chen didn't react.
Instead, he casually tossed dozens of Mora into the nearby fountain.
"Wah!"
Paimon flew over to catch them—
but she was too slow.
She didn't catch a single coin.
She became furious.
"Jiang Chen! Even if you're rich, you shouldn't waste money like this!"
"I heard people who waste Mora will have bad luck!"
Paimon stomped angrily in the air.
Dozens of Mora!
If she saved them, she could buy snacks again soon!
"I'm not wasting it."
Jiang Chen shook his head.
"That fountain is Mondstadt's wishing fountain."
"If you make a sincere wish, it might come true."
"Wait—so the 'sincere wish' part means throwing Mora?"
Paimon asked, confused.
What did Mora have to do with wishing?
"A wish needs a ritual, of course."
"Throwing Mora is just one kind of ritual."
Jiang Chen casually made it up.
Paimon flew back from the fountain after checking.
"But wouldn't the fountain eventually fill up?"
"There's a legend."
"Mora carrying people's wishes will be carried away by the wind to the Anemo Archon."
"He hears the wish."
"As for whether he grants it… that depends on his mood."
Jiang Chen continued his nonsense.
In reality, the church nuns cleaned the fountain regularly so coins wouldn't clog the water flow.
Recently, a guy named Anthony even came at night to secretly collect coins.
The church didn't mind.
After all, it was only a few dozen Mora a day.
No one cared.
"What wish did you make just now?"
Paimon asked.
"I wished for Paimon to become a little smarter."
Jiang Chen replied.
"Hmph! That's more like it!"
Paimon completely failed to realize he had just insulted her.
She grabbed Lumine's sleeve and dragged her toward the fountain.
"Then Lumine, let's make a wish too!"
"Let's wish you can find your brother sooner!"
Paimon said enthusiastically.
"Okay."
Lumine counted out ten Mora and tossed them into the fountain.
She clasped her hands together and made a sincere wish.
After that, her mood seemed to calm down.
Only a faint blush remained on her cute face.
Jiang Chen's goal of distracting her had worked.
When they returned to Good Hunter, Mona looked surprised.
Weren't these two travelers supposed to be staying at an inn?
"Something happened."
Jiang Chen said briefly.
He tasted a spoonful of the soup.
It still needed about thirty more minutes.
So he took Lumine and Paimon up to the attic floor.
He opened the only empty room.
The small room was about ten square meters.
Inside was a neat bed, a simple wooden desk, and a wardrobe.
Nothing else.
Cool air drifted through the open window, gently moving the dark curtains.
"This room is for Lumine and Paimon."
Jiang Chen said.
"Wow!"
Paimon jumped onto the soft bed happily.
"Master Jiang Chen is so generous!"
Even her way of addressing him changed.
"The bathroom is the last room down the hall. You can use it."
Jiang Chen added.
"I'm going to sleep."
Paimon yawned.
If Mondstadt's inns had been open, she would've been asleep long ago.
Lumine closed the window and tucked the blanket around her.
Her gaze softened unconsciously.
"Jiang Chen… thank you."
She said quietly.
She brushed a strand of hair beside her cheek.
Her face was slightly red again.
"Um… I'd like to use the bathroom…"
"I'll be downstairs."
Jiang Chen said reassuringly.
He waved and went back down.
Back on the second floor—
Mona had taken advantage of the spare time to start writing her article with a feather quill.
She was always this busy.
According to her, this kind of life was "fulfilling."
"Mona."
"Use hydromancy for me."
Jiang Chen suddenly said from the kitchen.
"Astrology doesn't work well on gods."
"Nor on their followers—Vision holders."
"And it works even worse on travelers from another world."
Mona explained first.
Then she asked:
"So who do you want to divine?"
"Fischl."
"No need for details. Just a location should be fine."
"That 'Prinzessin'?"
Mona nodded.
She knew Fischl.
She climbed up the chimney to the roof with practiced ease.
Spreading Hydro energy into a mirror-like surface, she aimed it toward the star-filled sky—
and began the divination.