Yun Fan thought about it for a moment but ultimately decided against it. His feelings for Barbara were genuine affection, not mere possessiveness. Therefore, he shouldn't interfere with her fan clubs, as they were also her supporters.
Of course, if anyone dared to harm Barbara, Yun Fan would make sure they regretted it.
"Sigh, I wonder what Fan is doing now. Does he miss me?" Barbara sat quietly by the Anemo Archon statue in the Church of Favonius, her hands clasped in prayer as she performed her daily ritual. However, her mind was elsewhere, and she had no focus for her prayers.
"Miss Barbara, your heart is troubled," Sister Victoria appeared behind Barbara, startling her.
"Si-Sister Victoria..." Barbara stammered, her face turning red. "Did... did you hear everything?"
"Miss Barbara, forgive me for being blunt, but have you found someone special?"
"I... I..." Barbara stuttered, unable to form a complete sentence.
"Very well, I understand," Sister Victoria nodded, realizing that Barbara indeed had feelings for someone, though she didn't know who it was.
Knock knock knock!
The door to the prayer room was knocked, and Sister Victoria swallowed her words.
"Come in," Barbara quickly composed herself and spoke in a gentle tone.
Creak— The door opened, and the nun who had spoken to Yun Fan earlier entered, bowing respectfully.
"Miss Barbara, a gentleman named Yun Fan is here to see you. He's waiting in the church's front hall. Would you like to..."
Before the nun could finish, Barbara had already stood up, waved goodbye to Sister Victoria, and hurried out of the prayer room.
"Huh?" The messenger nun was stunned. This was the first time she had seen Miss Barbara in such a rush.
"So, it's this Yun Fan, is it?" Sister Victoria mused, repeating the name before following Barbara out, leaving the messenger nun bewildered.
"Barbara, over here!" Yun Fan, who had been waiting in the front hall, saw Barbara running in and looking around. He stood up and waved to catch her attention.
"Fan!" The moment Barbara saw the silver-haired young man, her face lit up with a radiant smile, as beautiful and delicate as a blooming peony, captivating everyone's hearts.
The other Mondstadt citizens praying in the church and the knights injured during the dragon crisis were stunned. In all these years, they had never seen Barbara act this way, especially toward a man.
A feeling of jealousy began to grow in their hearts. Who was this guy? How could he make Miss Barbara act like this?
Yun Fan's next action only fueled their envy.
He gently stroked Barbara's hair and then took her hand.
"It's almost lunchtime. I brought your favorite Spicy Fish Skewers. Don't worry, I made sure to use the finest Jueyun Chilies from the wilds of Jueyun Karst in Liyue."
These Jueyun Chilies were something Yun Fan had picked from Moon Carver's abode when he left Liyue. They were said to be a century-old divine-grade crop.
Originally, he had planned to use them to make chili sauce, but now, using them to impress Barbara seemed like a better idea.
"Di-Divine-grade?!" As a spice enthusiast, Barbara was well-versed in chili peppers. She had only read about divine-grade Jueyun Chilies in ancient texts.
But then again, Yun Fan was the Divine Lord of Liyue. It wasn't surprising that he could obtain such rare ingredients. Her beloved was truly...
"Come with me, Fan," Barbara said, holding Yun Fan's hand as they left under the envious gazes of the onlookers.
Sister Victoria, who had been watching from the sidelines, sighed as she saw Barbara leading Yun Fan to her room in the Church of Favonius. With so many people around, news of Barbara having a special someone would likely spread across Mondstadt by tomorrow.
"To think something like this would happen. Did our plan to save Dvalin fail?" Back at Dawn Winery, the "Dvalin Rescue Team" had returned. However, their mission had been thwarted by the Abyss Order's interference.
The Skyward Harp was destroyed, Dvalin had fled, and the team's morale was at an all-time low. The atmosphere in the room was heavy.
Despite having gone without food all night, no one touched the delicious feast on the table. Even Paimon, who was usually always hungry, seemed disheartened.
"But Venti, since you're the Anemo Archon, isn't there another way?" This time, it was Lumine who spoke. With her external voice, Paimon, in a low mood, she had to speak for herself.
"Well... there is one more option. We could head to Stormterror's Lair, defeat Dvalin, and then have you purify the poison in his blood," Venti suggested as a final solution.
"Using force against Dvalin? It seems we'll need to ask Mr. Yun Fan to join us," Diluc said. He wasn't arrogant enough to think that he, along with Jean and the others, could take on Dvalin, the Dragon of the East and one of the Four Winds.
Lumine didn't object to Diluc's suggestion. After all, the memory of Yun Fan blasting Dvalin away with a single shot was still fresh in her mind. His strength was undeniable.
As for Acting Grand Master Jean, she knew that Yun Fan was someone even the Tsaritsa of Snezhnaya had struggled against, and he held the title of Divine Lord.
"Alright, let's send someone to fetch Yun Fan," Paimon said. Now that they had a solution, her mood lightened, and she felt her stomach growl.
"No," Jean shook her head. "We need to personally invite Mr. Yun Fan. Otherwise, it would be too disrespectful."
Jean stood up from her seat. "Everyone, please enjoy the meal. I'll go and invite Mr. Yun Fan."
"Huh? Acting Grand Master Jean, you haven't eaten in a while either. Have something first, or your body won't be able to handle it," Paimon urged.
"No, the dragon crisis must be resolved as soon as possible. Every day it continues, the safety and livelihoods of Mondstadt's citizens are at risk."
Jean was about to leave when Diluc, seeing her exhausted figure, shook his head and stepped forward, gently pressing her back into her seat.
"Senior Diluc..." Jean tried to protest, but Diluc silenced her with a gesture.
"If you consider me your senior, then listen to me. It's already late, and you're not made of iron. Rest properly. We can go tomorrow. If you collapse, it will be a true loss for Mondstadt."
"Alright..." Jean finally relented and, after eating, went to rest in the guest room.
Lumine watched Jean leave, then glanced at Venti, who was sulking because there was no wine, and gave him a look of disdain, making him feel awkward.
"Traveler, could you not look at me like that? It's embarrassing."