Genshin Impact: Back From Teyvat - The Archon Follows Me Home!

Xiao still couldn't quite understand why Zhongli was so invested in gardening. In his mind, someone as omnipotent as the Lord of Geo ought to be doing something more meaningful.

Yet it seemed that, compared to the grand events of the past, Zhongli now preferred tending to these seemingly ordinary flowers and plants.

It was something Xiao truly struggled to grasp.

But at Zhongli's suggestion, Xiao decided to give it a try.

He wanted to understand what kind of magic this hobby held that could make the former Archon willingly devote so much time each day to burying himself in the nursery.

Watching the two of them exchanging gardening insights, Lu Chen clicked his tongue in amusement. He pulled over a small stool and sat down to observe them while browsing through his system panel.

[Lu Chen]

[Level: 80]

[Vision: Anemo, Pyro, Cryo, Geo]

[Constellation: Resurrection of the Eternal Body | Source Reversion]

[Primogems: 14,250]

[Real-world currency: 67.2 million yuan]

When did I end up with so many Primogems...?

And somehow, he'd become ridiculously rich. Even under Zhongli's sustainably exploitative spending habits, the fact that there were still over sixty million left felt like a miracle. Lu Chen figured he must be the strongest wallet after Childe...

Of course, this had something to do with his own hard work. After the map opened, he'd combed through every elemental anomaly within a 300-kilometer radius to investigate the Abyss Order. All the treasure chests and rewards had naturally fallen into his hands.

If he burned through all these Primogems, he'd probably unlock his full constellation.

Lu Chen felt like he was just shy of regaining strength beyond demi-god level. He hoped that when the "big threat" came, he could face it not only at full power—but even stronger.

...

While lost in thought, he heard footsteps approaching from behind.

"Chen, what are you looking at?"

Ei's voice came from beside him, her violet eyes tinged with curiosity.

"Watching Adeptus Xiao plant flowers." Lu Chen scooted over and patted the empty spot beside him on the bench.

Ei sat down next to him. He gently brushed a windblown lock of hair from her face, and the two of them quietly watched the garden and sea together.

After a while, Lu Chen noticed Ei shifting restlessly. When he peeked over, he saw that she was trying to sit a little closer.

So he took the initiative and leaned in. Neither of them said a word—they simply sat there, side by side.

A soft smile curled on Ei's lips.

The midsummer sun was no longer so harsh. Looking at the bright blue sky, Lu Chen thought, I could sit here with her forever, watching the sky turn from blue to red.

Back in Inazuma, it felt like they'd never had a moment like this—just quietly watching the sea together.

As Xiao accidentally snapped his third Glaze Lily, Lu Chen glanced at Ei.

"Aren't you going to bake your cookies?"

"Huh?" Ei blinked, then pursed her lips.

"Not anymore."

"Why not?"

"Oven broke."

"Oh." Lu Chen looked back toward Xiao.

He was now attempting to plant the fourth Glaze Lily.

"Do I really have no talent for cooking?" Ei asked.

"Maybe..." Lu Chen instinctively glanced at her. Her elegant brows were slightly furrowed, still a bit unwilling to give up.

"Well... failure is the mother of success. Maybe next time you'll get it right. You're so smart and great at everything—your cooking will definitely improve too."

It was a high-EQ response, and Ei's expression perked up with renewed confidence.

"One day..."

"One day!"

One day you'll burn your twenty-fourth oven... Lu Chen thought, sighing internally at the memory of his recent purchase history.

"You two hiding out here without telling anyone?"

Miko's voice rang out from the other side. She was holding the newest light novel Lu Chen had given her, her fox-like eyes narrowing.

Lu Chen's mouth opened but no words came out. Miko slapped the book onto him and sat down on the other side, clearly a little upset.

"This isn't even good. What kind of trash book ranks number one on the charts?"

"Huh? That bad?" Lu Chen flipped through it curiously. The writing didn't stand out, but the illustrations were definitely pretty.

Truth was, the book had never been a bestseller—he'd made that up to distract her. Thanks to that lie, he'd managed to dodge her for an entire day and missed out on Ei's fresh batch of cookies.

He still remembered Miko saying those cookies tasted just like toasted bark the next day.

"I'll buy you another one," Lu Chen said.

"Really?" Miko's eyes lit up.

"Of course! I'm loaded!" Lu Chen said proudly, waving his hand.

"Then I've decided—I won't call you 'old man' for a week!" Miko rubbed her smooth chin and studied his reaction.

"A week?" Lu Chen frowned. "Why's it limited? I've bought you tons of light novels already!"

"Hmm..." Miko thought for a moment. "Two weeks?"

"..."

Seeing Lu Chen's exasperated face, Ei giggled. She knew that was the nickname he hated most.

Lu Chen touched his own face. With a charm stat of 8, he couldn't possibly look that old, right? Damn fox!

"What are you all crowding around here for?" Hu Tao and Qiqi popped up from behind.

"Uh... cookies—I mean, we're watching Xiao plant flowers," Lu Chen said.

"Xiao? Gardening? Isn't that usually Zhongli's thing?" Hu Tao blinked, looking ahead in disbelief.

So, all five of them stood there, watching Adeptus Xiao try to plant flowers.

Xiao was attempting his sixth Glaze Lily.

Lu Chen noticed a rare look of concern on Zhongli's face.

"Dig a hole, add some dirt, water it—what's so hard about that?" Hu Tao asked, puzzled.

"Hmm... logically speaking..." Lu Chen watched Xiao's movements closely.

"Huh?"

"Something feels... off."

Frowning, Lu Chen got up and walked over to Xiao and Zhongli.

He saw Xiao gripping his wrist tightly, his body tense, and a faint expression of pain on his face.

Zhongli was no longer focused on the plants either—his gaze was full of concern as he watched Xiao.

"Steady your breathing. Don't think about killing. Let the mind give rise to form. Amidst all change, remain constant. Return all to nothingness..."

Zhongli's voice was like unshakable stone—calm and grounding, soothing Xiao's turbulent spirit.

Xiao exhaled a deep breath, and his expression gradually returned to calm.

Then he gave a bitter smile and looked at Lu Chen and the others who had gathered around.

"Karmic debt flaring up?" Lu Chen asked.

"Yeah." Xiao nodded slightly. "It happens occasionally—rarely, but it does."

Seeing the concern on Lu Chen's face, Xiao returned to his usual emotionless expression.

"With Lord Zhongli here, there's nothing to worry about."

"Alright." Lu Chen still felt uneasy, but since Xiao said so, he let it go.

He waved off the others who were still watching curiously.

Lu Chen sighed to himself. Xiao's karmic burden was even worse than he'd imagined.