Xiangling stood up and turned to Qiu Bai.
"Mr. Qiu Bai, thank you."
"Even though you dragged me away last time, I still insisted on coming back here," she admitted sheepishly, scratching her head.
"As long as you're safe, that's what matters," Qiu Bai replied. "Besides, at least this Blazing Tree made your trip worthwhile."
Xiangling laughed awkwardly, but her attention soon shifted to the woman standing behind Qiu Bai.
"By the way, Mr. Qiu Bai, who is this young lady?" she asked curiously.
She had noticed the woman earlier—after all, she was breathtakingly beautiful.
"She's my younger sister, Qiu Yue," Qiu Bai explained with a wave of his hand.
Hearing her name, Qiu Yue stepped forward, her graceful movements accentuating her long, elegant legs.
"Hello, I'm Qiu Yue," she said with a smile, her bright eyes sparkling. "It's nice to meet you."
"Hello, Qiu Yue! I'm Xiangling!"
"Hehe, it's great to meet you too!" Xiangling responded enthusiastically, shifting slightly in embarrassment.
Standing before such a stunning woman made her feel a bit self-conscious. She never would have guessed that Mr. Qiu Bai had such a beautiful sister.
Guoba also trotted over, curiously observing Qiu Bai and Qiu Yue.
Qiu Yue noticed the little creature and tilted her head in confusion before crouching down. She gently patted Guoba on the head, and he squinted in contentment.
"Xiangling, what kind of creature is this?"
"Why is it so adorable?"
Qiu Yue looked up at Xiangling, her voice filled with curiosity.
Qiu Bai's mouth twitched.
He knew exactly what Guoba was, but there was no way he could say that Guoba was once an old friend of his.
"Uh..."
"Honestly, I don't know what Guoba is either," Xiangling admitted.
"I just remember that when I was little, I fell asleep in a house deep in the bamboo forest."
"When I woke up, I saw Guoba munching on some steamed buns."
"Ever since then, he's followed me around everywhere."
Xiangling reminisced as she crouched down and stroked Guoba's head.
"In the blink of an eye, more than ten years have passed."
"Master always told me to take good care of Guoba."
She patted his head one more time before standing up and looking at Qiu Bai and Qiu Yue.
Guoba grinned happily at Xiangling, his tiny tail wagging.
"I see," Qiu Yue said with a warm smile. "It sounds like Guoba is a very special friend to you."
As she spoke, she couldn't shake the feeling that Guoba was once something more—perhaps even an Archon. However, his divine power had long since faded, which left her with some lingering doubts.
Qiu Bai cleared his throat.
"Ahem. Now that the problem is solved and Xiangling has what she came for, we should head back to Liyue Harbor together."
"Yeah, it's been so long since I last went home. My dad must be worried by now," Xiangling agreed, nodding.
"Alright then, Xiangling, Qiu Yue—hold on to me," Qiu Bai instructed.
Then, glancing down at Guoba, he added, "You too, Guoba. Grab on."
Xiangling was a little confused, but when she saw Qiu Yue hold onto Qiu Bai without hesitation, she followed suit.
Guoba latched onto Qiu Bai's pant leg.
In an instant, the world around them spun.
Before Xiangling could react, they had already reappeared in an empty area just outside Liyue Harbor.
She clutched her head, looking around in astonishment. Then, gazing at the distant city, her mouth fell open in shock.
She could probably fit a hundred Sunsettias in her gaping mouth—her sheer disbelief at Qiu Bai's ability was just that intense.
"Mr. Qiu Bai, how… how did you do that?!"
Xiangling, finally snapping out of her shock, turned to Qiu Bai with wide eyes.
Then she glanced at Qiu Yue, who showed no surprise at all, and felt like the world had stopped making sense.
"Haha, just a little trick," Qiu Bai said with a smile. "I simply saved us some walking time."
Xiangling's mouth twitched.
What kind of "little trick" lets someone teleport across such a huge distance?!
"What's the big deal, Xiangling? Why are you so surprised?" Qiu Yue asked casually.
"Why am I surprised?! Are you serious?!"
Xiangling looked at the two of them, both smiling as if this was nothing out of the ordinary. At this point, she was starting to question reality itself.
Who wouldn't be shocked by something like this?
Still, after a deep breath, she composed herself.
"Mr. Qiu Bai, as shocking as this is," she said, "I'm really grateful to you. Thanks to you, Guoba and I didn't have to make such a long journey."
Despite her lingering disbelief, she beamed at him.
"As thanks, let me cook a proper feast for you!"
"It'll be a good chance for you to see my cooking skills firsthand!"
With that, she led Qiu Bai and Qiu Yue toward Liyue Harbor.
...
As soon as they stepped onto the bustling streets, the townspeople couldn't help but notice Qiu Yue walking beside Qiu Bai.
"Look at the woman following Mr. Qiu Bai."
"She's stunning! She looks like a fairy!"
Whispers filled the air as people turned to admire the unfamiliar beauty.
After all, they had never seen such an exquisite woman before.
At that moment, a familiar figure approached them from the opposite direction.
"Hey, Mr. Qiu Bai! Long time no see!"
The voice belonged to none other than Tartaglia, the Eleventh Fatui Harbinger—Childe.
"Yo, Childe, it's been a while," Qiu Bai greeted, waving with a smile.
Xiangling looked at Tartaglia, then at Qiu Bai and Qiu Yue, and grinned.
"Is this 'Childe' also a friend of yours, Mr. Qiu Bai?"
"How about you join us at Wanmin Restaurant? It's my shift today, and I'm treating!"
"Well, I certainly won't say no to free food," Tartaglia chuckled, rubbing his stomach. "I haven't eaten much today."
However, his eyes had already been drawn to the woman standing beside Qiu Bai.
"And who might this beautiful lady be?"
"I'm Qiu Bai's younger sister, Qiu Yue."
"Nice to meet you, Childe," Qiu Yue said warmly, pressing a hand to her chest in greeting before extending her other hand toward him.
"Ahem… So you're Mr. Qiu Bai's sister? My apologies for not introducing myself properly."
"This beautiful lady, my name is Tartaglia—Childe is just a codename."
With a polite smile, he took Qiu Yue's delicate hand in his own.
The moment he felt her soft, smooth skin, a faint blush crept onto his face. Realizing his reaction, he quickly let go, trying to regain his composure.
Qiu Bai, meanwhile, raised an eyebrow at him.
Childe, now avoiding Qiu Bai's gaze, couldn't help but admire the sheer luck of this family—both the brother and sister were ridiculously attractive.
"Alright, let's go eat," Qiu Bai finally said. "It's not every day that we catch Xiangling on duty."
But as he spoke, he gave Childe a knowing look.
"I see how it is… I treat you as a friend, and you're already eyeing my sister."
"Good move, buddy."