In Lu Nanqing's live stream, the screen showed Lydia being chased all over the place by Hilichurls, then relentlessly targeted by the Anemo Hypostasis.
The bullet comments had already exploded with laughter, a dense flood of text nearly drowning the screen:
"Hahahaha, Lydia's having such a rough time! Getting chased by Hilichurls is one thing, but now she's being targeted by the Anemo Hypostasis too. What kind of cursed luck is this?!"
"My roommate asked me what I was laughing at in the middle of the night. Now they're watching and laughing right along with me."
"I can't take it anymore. Who designed Lydia? This girl is just too adorable."
"Who gets it?! I came here for Lumine and Venti, but I ended up becoming a Lydia fan!"
"Lydia: 'I can't mess with Hilichurls, but surely I can dodge the Anemo Hypostasis, right?' Turns out she can't!"
"Has anyone noticed Venti's braids are glowing? He really is Barbatos, isn't he?!"
"Venti is Venti, Barbatos is Barbatos. Who would ever say they've 'disappeared'? (doge)"
Lu Nanqing watched Lydia collapse in front of the Statue of The Seven, pouting and grumbling, and couldn't help but smile.
It was the first time she had laughed so freely since her sister's death.
The gloom that had weighed her down with grief seemed to vanish completely after watching Lydia's series of hilarious antics.
She reached up to wipe away a tear that had escaped from the corner of her eye and smiled as she addressed her audience. "Family, who could possibly not love Lydia?!"
A bullet comment immediately responded:
"Qingbao smiled! Seeing you happy puts our minds at ease!"
"Lydia~ Hehehe, I love her so much."
"You call that love? You're just lusting after her body, you degenerate!"
"Streamer, streamer, do you think Lydia will be added to the gacha later?"
Lu Nanqing's gaze sharpened as she read that comment.
She looked seriously into the camera and declared, "Knowing how game companies operate, they would never put so much effort into a character just to make them an NPC! Look how detailed Lydia's model is, and how much screen time she gets in the story. It's definitely all to pave the way for her to join the gacha!"
She paused, her voice brimming with determination. "Let me tell you, when Lydia is released, I don't care if she's on the standard banner or a limited one. Even if it costs me half a year's salary, I'm getting her to max constellation! And I'll give her the best weapon and artifacts to make her Teyvat's strongest 'little dummy'!"
Her declaration sent the live stream into a frenzy, with gift effects flooding the screen:
"I'm in! Even if I have to eat dirt, I'm getting Lydia to max constellation!"
"Now that's a true fan! Qingbao is so cool!"
"I've already started saving Primogems. I'm not pulling for anyone else until Lydia comes out."
"Wait for me, bro! Let's get Lydia to max constellation together!"
Lu Nanqing felt a warmth spread through her chest as she read the enthusiastic comments.
She controlled Lumine to walk over to Lydia, a fond, motherly smile gracing her lips as she watched the two interact on screen.
Just then, the scene in the game shifted.
Venti had led Lydia and the others to the entrance of the Favonius Cathedral.
The story was about to enter a new phase.
-
In Teyvat, Venti led the way into the cathedral.
He turned back and pressed a finger to his lips, signaling for Lumine, Paimon, and Lydia to be quiet.
Lydia immediately clamped her hands over her mouth and followed closely behind Venti.
Paimon floated beside Lumine, her tiny fists clenched in nervousness. "Are we just going to walk in like this? It's so late! What if they think we're thieves?"
Lumine gently patted her shoulder, silently reassuring her.
Though Venti often seemed unreliable, she doubted he'd stoop to petty theft.
Just as they entered the main hall, a familiar figure approached them.
"It's Sister Gotelinde!" Lydia instinctively tried to hide, but Venti firmly held her by the shoulder.
Venti flashed his usual charming smile and walked toward Gotelinde. "Hello, Sister! Still busy this late at night?"
Gotelinde stopped, her expression showing no surprise at seeing Venti.
"Venti," she said directly. "What brings you to the cathedral so late?"
"Eh?" Venti blinked, taken aback.
He had expected to have to explain himself, but Gotelinde had called him by name right away.
Seeing his surprised look, Gotelinde couldn't help but curve her lips into a slight smile. "Is there anyone in Mondstadt who doesn't know Lydia?"
She spoke coolly, her tone laced with complaint. "This child runs wild with you all day. Even Lady Barbara can't control her. How could I not know the bard who's such a 'bad influence'?"
Venti let out a dry laugh and scratched the back of his head.
Why does that sound so awkward?
Being widely known was a compliment for a bard.
But Gotelinde's words felt like a veiled jab at his unreliable nature.
Venti was momentarily at a loss for how to respond.
He quickly changed the subject. "Since you already know me, Sister, I'll get straight to the point. I need to borrow the Holy Lyre der Himmel to soothe Stormterror. Its condition has been getting worse lately."
"Stormterror? Absolutely not!" Gotelinde's expression instantly darkened, and she cut him off before he could finish. "That foolish beast betrayed the East Wind! Not even the Anemo Archon himself could easily forgive it if he descended now!"
Seeing her reaction, Venti immediately dropped his playful demeanor. He leaned closer, his voice softening.
"Er... um, Big Sister~ Please, just bend the rules a little for me!"
Hiding in the corner, Lumine and Paimon instantly flushed red at Venti's "Big Sister."
To think the seemingly carefree bard would use that tone of voice.
Lydia's cheeks puffed out as she held back her laughter, her ears turning bright red.
Completely unaware, her white hair had long since poked up from behind the chair, swaying conspicuously.
Gotelinde sighed helplessly and glanced toward the corner. "I saw Lydia hiding back there a long time ago. This child is still such a handful—not staying in her room to sleep in the middle of the night, but running around everywhere with you instead."
Venti followed her gaze and immediately spotted the conspicuous tuft of white hair.
"Ah, well..."
Hiding like that is no different from not hiding at all.
Seeing Venti's exasperated sigh, Gotelinde shook her head. "Please tell her to go home and get some sleep. She can't miss tomorrow's prayers. If I have to catch her myself, I won't be as lenient as Grace and Barbara."
She paused, her tone softening slightly.
"Also, this child is impulsive. Keep a close eye on her safety and don't let her wander into any more dangerous places."
When Venti saw that neither pleading nor wheedling was working, the smile vanished from his face.
He took half a step forward, lowered his voice, and spoke with deliberate gravity.
"It seems I have no choice. Actually... there's another identity I haven't told you about."
Gotelinde paused, her gaze calm and filled with a silent challenge: Let's see what you can possibly make up now.
Venti cleared his throat, straightened his back, and deliberately infused his tone with a hint of "majesty."
"My devout follower, listen well—I am Mondstadt's Anemo Archon, Barbatos himself."
"Are you moved to see the Archon you serve? Feel free to cry. I permit you to be a little emotional, you know."
As he spoke, he spread his arms wide, his teal braids swaying, striking a pose as if to receive worship.
Hiding in the corner, Lumine and Paimon exchanged glances, their eyes wide with surprise.
But Gotelinde's reaction was completely unexpected.
She remained silent for two seconds, then sighed softly.
"If the 'bard' who spends his days climbing the great tree at Windrise with Lydia and scheming to get an underage girl cider at Angel's Share is truly the Anemo Archon we serve... then Mondstadt's future may indeed need some serious reconsideration."
The "majesty" on Venti's face instantly crumbled. "Eh? Shouldn't most people be at least a little surprised to hear that?"
"If there's nothing else, I'll be leaving now," Gotelinde said flatly, her gaze sweeping over Lydia, who was peeking out from the corner.
With that, she gave Venti a slight nod—a polite farewell—and turned to leave.
Venti stood there, stunned for a long moment.
"What's going on... Does the title of Anemo Archon really carry no weight at all?"
Hiding in the corner, Lydia couldn't hold it in any longer and burst into muffled laughter.
"You weren't very convincing when you said it, Venti," Paimon couldn't help but roast him.
Lumine nodded in agreement.
Venti glanced at them but didn't argue.
After all, Gotelinde had spoken the truth.
In all his years in Mondstadt, he really hadn't done much of what an "Archon should do."
He sighed and turned to Lumine. "Looks like I'm not getting anywhere. How about you give it a try, Mondstadt's rising star?"
Lumine glanced at Lydia beside her, feeling a strange sense of déjà vu.
It was just like that time in the Whispering Woods when Lydia had asked her to try holding the Crimson Crystal—a feeling of "sharing the misfortune."
But she nodded anyway.
Might as well give it a shot. Maybe it'll actually work.
After all, she had managed to lift the Crimson Crystal before. Perhaps there would be another pleasant surprise this time.
She took a deep breath and approached Gotelinde.
The attempt ended in failure once again. Gotelinde rejected Lumine on the grounds that she lacked the "required paperwork from the Knights."
Venti spread his hands. "Since Plan A failed, we'll have to resort to Plan B."
"What's Plan B?" Paimon eagerly leaned in, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
Lydia hurried over as well. "Is it some kind of telekinesis?"
Venti's lips curled into a sly smile. "If we can't outsmart them," he said slowly, "then we'll take it by cunning."
Lydia's eyes lit up. "So we're still stealing it?" she blurted out.
"Who said anything about stealing!" Venti immediately retorted, correcting her with a straight face. "How can a bard's actions be called 'stealing'?"
Lydia tilted her head and added with deadpan seriousness, "Right. It's called 'pilfering'!"
Venti was struck speechless, his mouth hanging open as he struggled to find a comeback.
Lumine and Paimon couldn't help but burst out laughing.
They never thought the usually glib Venti could be silenced by a single word from Lydia.
Venti cleared his throat twice, hastily changing the subject. "Anyway, it's not stealing! We're just 'borrowing' it—temporarily, for a little while. We'll return it as soon as we're done!"
As he spoke, he reached out and playfully ruffled Lydia's hair. "No more misusing words, or I won't bring you along next time."
Lydia quickly stepped back, pouting. "Fine, fine, I'll listen to you."
"So, how exactly are we going to 'take it by cunning'?" she asked. "We can't seriously sneak into the basement in the middle of the night, can we?"
Venti feigned surprise. "Eh? Lydia, you already figured out the next part of the plan? You're smarter than you look."
Lumine, Paimon, and Lydia: "..."