Venti chuckled softly and gently stroked Lumine's forehead.
"Ahaha, calm down, calm down~"
"Mhm..."
Given that the other party was Venti, Lumine wouldn't get jealous, so she didn't say much more, taking a deep breath to regulate her breathing.
"Hoo..."
"Ah~ That's right, I got revenge for you, Venti~"
Looking at Venti again, Lumine suddenly remembered how La Signora had almost taken her heart. She immediately excitedly explained the detailed process to him.
After listening, Venti clapped for Lumine, praising her.
"To be able to defeat that woman La Signora so easily, it seems you've made quite a bit of progress recently."
"Mhm-mhm, I've indeed become much stronger after obtaining the three elements. Though I still haven't beaten Ei..."
As she spoke, Lumine's head drooped in disappointment.
"Ahaha~"
Venti smiled and comforted her.
"You're already very strong. As far as I know, you're probably the only one who could fight the arrogant Electro Archon for so long on your own, and even shatter her convictions~"
Hearing Venti praise her so much, Lumine sheepishly scratched her head.
"Hehe... Actually, changing Ei's mind wasn't just my sole accomplishment..."
Upon hearing this, Venti wore a playful smile.
"Uh-huh... Let me guess, has she been having you spar with her these days?"
At this, Lumine sighed in exasperation and said helplessly,
"After settling domestic matters, she did come a few times, but Lumine always took the initiative, using the excuse of needing to train her control over elemental power."
Saying this, Lumine looked at Venti and asked expectantly,
"By the way, Venti, can you talk to her for me? That troublesome woman has been monopolizing Lumine's time lately, making it so long since I was bullied... Pfft!"
"Ahem~ It's been a long time since I've had time alone with Lumine."
"Hahaha~"
Venti, seeing through it but not revealing it, said with slight apology,
"I'm afraid she wouldn't listen to me, someone she finds incompatible~ And I certainly can't defeat her right now, so I don't have any good solutions~"
Lumine's face immediately fell in disappointment.
"Ah..."
"Alas~ If that's the case, then I'll try talking to Zhongli later..."
As soon as Venti heard the name Zhongli, his eyes lit up.
"Oh?! How coincidental, I was also planning to visit that old man. I remember the last time I saw him, he was still fulfilling his divine duties. Heh heh... I can finally see what that stubborn old man has become~"
Lumine looked at him with a dark expression.
"Uh... Aren't you afraid he'll hear you and beat you up..."
Venti stuck out his tongue.
"Ahaha, thankfully he's not the Anemo Archon~"
"Alright, alright~ If we're going for a visit, we can't go empty-handed. Let me go get a bottle of wine I've been hoarding for a long time before we set off~"
"Oh ho?!"
Lumine held up her small hands, covering her mouth that had opened in surprise.
"I can't believe you still have wine saved up? Normally, wouldn't you have drunk it all within a few days?"
"Cough cough~ I am the Anemo Archon, after all. Give me some face, okay? Although what you said is indeed true~ So, to prevent myself from getting greedy, I specifically buried the wine in the ground~"
"Ah, this... As expected of you..."
"Ehehe~"
"Thank you for the compliment. Let me think... Mhm... It's in this spot~"
In just a moment, Venti dug out the wine he had been treasuring for a long time and waved it happily in front of Lumine.
"Found it, found it! Let's go quickly, otherwise I'm afraid I'll drink this bottle before we even reach Liyue~"
Lumine: ......................
Well... That makes perfect sense!
Without delay, Lumine grabbed Venti's arm and teleported with him to Liyue Harbor.
"Whoa~"
Seeing himself in Liyue Harbor immediately after being in Windrise, Venti couldn't help but look at Lumine with envy.
"Your waypoint is really convenient, teleporting us here directly. Even flying myself isn't this fast."
Lumine proudly lifted her small head.
"Hmph-hmph~ I think so too. It used to be a bit limited due to mental exertion, but after so much experience, it's improved a lot."
Saying this, Lumine changed the subject and complained a little.
"It's just a shame that the number of waypoints and statues is a bit small, and I have to activate them first."
After speaking, Lumine looked around and muttered to herself,
"Hmm... Where does Mr. Zhongli usually go..."
Venti pointed in front of Lumine.
"Follow the wind, it's already telling us~"
Such a dignified statement made Lumine look up at the drunkard with a little more respect.
"Uh-huh... You are occasionally useful~"
"Cough cough~ Give the Anemo Archon some face, okay? My visit to see the old man can be considered a reunion of two gods. Most people might never encounter this in their lifetime, and you, you don't even have a sliver of excitement in your heart."
"Indeed~"
Lumine looked at Venti with utter disdain.
"One never works, and the other only works one day a year and holds his own funeral. I'd say neither of you is serious."
"And now Zhongli is infected by you. You, it's one thing for you to slack off, but you even tricked Zhongli into slacking off with you. You're truly罪大恶极 (guilty of the most heinous crimes)."
"Ahaha, since even Mr. Zhongli acknowledges my management style, doesn't that further prove my philosophy is sound? (^_^)"
Lumine: ..........................
Uh... To be honest, it seems I can't refute that, because I actually like slacking off myself...
To prevent herself from being led astray, Lumine stopped talking and pulled Venti along, running towards the gentle breeze. In a short while, they found Zhongli, who was enjoying tea at the Three-Tongue Inn.
Although his appearance might have been slightly different, Venti still recognized his elder at a glance. He immediately hurried to his side, placed the wine he was holding on the table, and said with a smile,
"Finally found you! Long time no see, old man~ I didn't expect you to really look like an ordinary person now~ (^_^)"
After speaking, without waiting for Zhongli's reply, he sat down.
Zhongli glanced at his old friend who had suddenly arrived, then looked at Lumine beside him.
"Long time no see. Why have you suddenly decided to visit me?"
Venti clutched his chest dramatically.
"Ugh~ I've been ignored~"
After being chased by the Electro Archon, suddenly encountering Zhongli, who had been kind and felt incredibly safe from the beginning, Lumine felt a sense of profound familiarity and couldn't help but run to his side, crying,
"Mr. Zhongli, I've missed you so much! (t^t)"
This action made Venti tease,
"Oh my, you weren't this affectionate when you met me, it's truly heartbreaking~"
Zhongli glanced at Venti and gently stroked Lumine's hair.
"What's wrong? Did this poet bully you? It just so happens that my power has recovered a bit recently..."