Venti stared at the group chat, feeling utterly wronged.
He was being accused and insulted for no reason at all.
At that moment, he finally understood how Cao Zhong must have felt when he was falsely accused before.
"Wait—why am I sympathizing with him?! I'm getting roasted because of that guy!"
Venti angrily slapped his own thigh.
Everything had been a perfectly normal Q&A
So why did it turn questionable when it came to him?!
If his identity as the Anemo Archon were ever revealed in the future…
Wouldn't this become a permanent black mark on his reputation?!
Unacceptable!
[Kaeya]: Believe it or not, I believe it. Venti, learn to keep some things to yourself—this is embarrassing.
[Amber]: @Venti Knights of Favonius—open up!
[Venti]: I've been wronged! I demand a lawyer!
[Cao Zhong]: Too late. Death sentence—immediate execution!
Back at the Odd Jobs Agency—
Cao Zhong closed the chat with a grin.
Let the storm rage—it's none of my business.
As long as I'm not the one getting burned.
Classic: better you than me.
Today, Lumine and Paimon had been called away by Jean for a mission.
After all, the Stormterror crisis still hadn't been resolved.
Rumor had it the Knights of Favonius had located Dvalin at Stormterror's Lair and planned to negotiate.
Whether that would work… remained to be seen.
"I wonder if those Knights can even make it into Stormterror's Lair."
Cao Zhong's eyes held a trace of disdain.
With Grand Master Varka away on expedition, most of the Knights' elites had left with him.
Those remaining were… less impressive.
Kaeya and Lisa? Masters of slacking.
Eula? Ostracized by the public.
And then there was—
Klee.
Adorable, yes.
But also a regular guest of the confinement room.
The only truly reliable one?
Jean.
As for the rest—
Barely worth mentioning.
Relying on them to protect Mondstadt?
Wishful thinking.
Honestly, even Timmy's pigeons contributed more.
Still—
None of that was his problem.
After all, Venti was still around.
And if things really went south—
He could always step in himself.
Just as Cao Zhong was about to sneak out his latest "Raiden Shogun-themed reading material"—
A cheerful voice rang out.
"Da-da-da~!"
"Big Brother Cao Zhong, Klee's here to play with you!"
A small girl rushed in—
Blonde hair, red eyes, a bright red outfit, and a large backpack bouncing behind her.
Who else could it be?
The Spark Knight herself—Klee.
Cao Zhong quickly hid the book and welcomed her.
"Well, if it isn't our cutest little Klee! What brings you here today?"
He picked her up.
Klee wrapped her arms around his neck, pouting.
"Jean isn't here… and Albedo is still busy in the lab… no one will play with Klee and Dodoco…"
Her pitiful expression nearly melted his heart.
"Then I'll play with you!"
"Ta-da~ Look what I've got!"
Like a magician, Cao Zhong pulled out a red-and-white orb.
"Huh? What's this? Klee's never seen it before!"
Klee stared curiously.
But she could already sense—
It carried explosive power, just like her Jumpy Dumpties.
"This is called a Thunder Bomb. And yes—it explodes."
Cao Zhong explained casually.
It was something he got from a sign-in reward.
Useless to him—
But perfect for Klee.
Klee's eyes lit up instantly.
"Explosions?!"
She loved explosions.
Explosions were art.
"Is this for Klee?"
"Of course. I prepared it just for you."
A true "playboy" didn't just know how to charm women—
He knew how to win over kids too.
After all…
Sometimes you had to win over the mother as well.
"Hehe~ Big Brother Cao Zhong is the best! Klee likes you sooo much!"
Mwah! Mwah!
Klee happily kissed him twice before grabbing the Thunder Bomb and inspecting it.
"Come on—how about we go to Starfell Lake and do some… fishing?"
Cao Zhong grinned.
Klee's eyes sparkled again.
She loved fish blasting.
But then—
Her expression dimmed.
"Jean says Klee isn't allowed to go fish blasting…"
"In the city, no bombs—or it's confinement. Hurt someone? Jean comes knocking. Burn a mountain? Klee is done for…"
"These are Klee's survival rules…"
"If I break them… Jean turns into a scary monster…"
Klee looked genuinely afraid.
"It's fine," Cao Zhong reassured her.
"With me around, Jean won't lock you up."
"Really?"
"Of course. When have I ever lied to you?"
"…Then let's go now?!"
"Let's go."
"Yay! Starfell Lake, here I come again!"
"Hehe~ And this time, the bombs are waterproof!"