Hu Tao Is Monetizing My Existence.

The shop assistant kept her smile professionally intact, even as Jiang Bai dumped a pile of miscellaneous odds and ends onto the counter. She pulled out a checklist and began itemizing everything one by one.

"These crystal and Starsilver ores would fetch a better price at a blacksmith. The quality here is average, and the chunks are small—I'll give you 100 Mora apiece. You've got five, so that's 500 Mora..."

"As for these Crystalfly cores—they're quite valuable, since crystalfly are difficult to catch. You've got two, so I'll give you 2,000 Mora…"

She placed the dandelion seeds Jiang Bai had offered onto a small scale. The total weight came out to 205 grams.

"We purchase dandelion seeds in bulk. We're offering 1,000 Mora per 100 grams. So for 205 grams, I can offer 2,000 Mora. Is that acceptable?"

"Yes, yes!" Jiang Bai nodded eagerly.

He hadn't expected dandelion seeds to fetch that much. He'd only tossed them in to pad the pile, yet here was an unexpected windfall!

With just those, he had more than enough to buy the windmill hairpins he had his eye on.

The assistant pushed aside the leftover Ruin Guard core and the dragonbone fragments. "I'm afraid I don't have a price for these. You might try your luck elsewhere."

"Mm-hmm." Jiang Bai had no clue if they were worth anything either—he'd just thrown them in on a whim.

If someone wanted to buy them, great. If not, no loss.

Now that he had the Mora, he straightened up with renewed confidence. "Can you pack that pair of hairpins in a nice gift box for me?"

"Of course." The assistant thoughtfully retrieved a decorative box and tied it with a delicate ribbon.

As she packed, she asked cheerfully, "Is this a gift for someone special? Would you like to include a card?"

Jiang Bai ignored the first question and simply replied, "No card."

Having bought such a fine present—and with 1,500 Mora left over—Jiang Bai was in excellent spirits.

From now on, I'm picking up every single thing I see out on the road. You never know what'll turn out valuable.

Who would've guessed that something as ordinary-looking as dandelion seeds could sell for 1,000 Mora per 100 grams?

If I'd known, I would've cleaned out that entire hillside of dandelions!

Humming a tune, Jiang Bai exited the shop, light on his feet, and soon spotted Hu Tao enjoying a snack.

She was munching on Mondstadt's specialty grilled fish—fresh from Cider Lake and Klee-approved for its deliciousness.

Hu Tao was carefully picking out the bones, but her lips were already ringed with smoky char.

Spotting Jiang Bai, she asked through a mouthful, "You done shopping?"

"All set. What about you, Director? Figure out what to get for Guoba and Chongyun?"

"Of course! I've already decided. For Guoba, a pouch of specialty dried fish from Cider Lake! And for Chongyun—a recipe for Mondstadt's finest iced beverages!"

Perfectly tailored to their tastes, and easy to carry.

Jiang Bai plopped into the seat beside her and grabbed the last grilled fish off the plate.

Crispy outside, tender inside—not bad at all.

After wiping his mouth, he casually pulled out the ribbon-wrapped gift box and handed it over.

"Here. For you, Director. Can't have you complaining later that I gave everyone a gift except you."

Hu Tao exaggeratedly gasped. "You got one for me too?"

"You're my Director—how could I not?" Jiang Bai grinned.

"Well then, I won't be shy about it!"

Curious, Little Ghost poked its head out as Hu Tao opened the box with a cheerful grin.

"Wow! It's so pretty!"

Everyone liked pretty things—Hu Tao was no exception.

She pulled the pair of windmill hairpins out and clipped them onto her hat.

A gust of wind passed, and the tiny windmills spun merrily.

"What do you think? Do they look good?"

"Very good! I knew right away they'd suit you. I really am a genius at picking gifts," Jiang Bai said proudly.

Little Ghost gave him a side-eye full of judgment.

Sure, the blue-green windmills were lovely—but they completely clashed with Hu Tao's hat. And that was the most insincere compliment it had heard all day.

"Youyou, what do you think?" Hu Tao looked over.

Little Ghost bobbed its head rapidly.

Gorgeous! My master is the most beautiful!

Jiang Bai leaned in with a shameless grin. "Since I gave you a gift, Director, shouldn't I get one too?"

Hu Tao tapped her chin thoughtfully. "You make a valid point."

"Then…" Jiang Bai rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

What'll she give me?

Hu Tao pondered for a long moment, then plucked the plum blossom from her hat and tucked it into the button loop on Jiang Bai's chest.

"This plum blossom was hand-picked and grown by yours truly! Now it's yours."

The flower had been preserved using a special method—it looked freshly bloomed even off the tree, like a work of art.

Now pinned to Jiang Bai's chest, it resembled a finely crafted brooch.

He glanced down at the plum blossom, then at Hu Tao's now windmill-only hat, and his smile grew even brighter.

"Let's go home!"

Hu Tao darted ahead, her windmill ornaments spinning joyfully in the breeze.

...

Dragonspine.

"…So you blew it up, just like that?" Diluc fell silent after hearing the full story.

"The main force wasn't me—it was Albedo," Kaeya shrugged, offloading the blame with zero shame. "I was just passing through. You can't pin this on me."

Diluc said nothing, his eyes drifting toward the distant figure of Albedo.

The alchemist had been stationed at the mountaintop nearly the entire day, shut in his lab conducting experiments. He only came out for meals or to play with Klee for a short while.

Even rest was a rare indulgence.

The sheer focus and intensity of his work said a lot about the significance of the Skyfrost Nail.

Kaeya's voice rang out again, this time more serious than his usual glib tone.

"But honestly, I wouldn't worry. He's Mondstadt's top alchemist—his foresight is second to none. For all we know, he might have predicted we'd all show up here today."

Diluc neither agreed nor disagreed.

"I'm heading back. What about you?"

"Someone has to keep watch here. I can't leave yet. I've already written to Mika to come up—told him to map the area and keep an eye on Albedo. He won't arrive until tomorrow night though."

"Mm."

Diluc's response to Kaeya's long explanation was as brief as ever.

"Do me a favor and take Klee back to the city. She's been asking to go for a while now, but I didn't want to let her leave alone."

Diluc turned his gaze to the little girl drawing happily by the campfire and gave a small nod.

"Klee! Come on, Brother Diluc's taking you home!"

Klee's eyes lit up instantly. She leapt to her feet, notebook in hand, and sprinted over—only to slip and slide right into Diluc's leg because of the icy ground.

Diluc suddenly regretted agreeing to this errand.