Amber's bright, expressive eyes looked expectantly at Gong Qu.
It was as if she were waiting for him to say, "That was just Eula joking around," or something like that.
But Gong Qu didn't want to use such a clumsy lie.
As Ying had said,
Since these girls' feelings were all directed at him, he had no choice but to stand at the eye of the storm himself.
"Eula was right. Akari and Ying are both my wings. I'm just that kind of man, fickle and full of sin."
But in the very next second, Gong Qu realized he had underestimated the "freedom" of the people of Mondstadt.
"Well, you know… In Mondstadt, the East Wind's guardian, Dvalin, has three pairs of six wings."
What does that even mean?
Amber, sweet little angel, are you hinting at something? You are, aren't you?
Gong Qu stayed silent, and Amber didn't say anything either. She just kept stealing glances at him.
"Oh, right, where are you headed now?"
That's when Amber remembered the task Captain Jean had given her. She gasped, "Oh no! I almost forgot, I'm supposed to be looking for Klee!"
"Klee?"
"Yep! Klee's been under house arrest since she blew up some fish in Starfell Lake a few days ago. I was supposed to take her out for a bit of fresh air today. But Captain Jean and the others are busy clearing out monsters in Whispering Woods, so she asked me to watch over Klee."
Gong Qu noticed that Amber was heading out of the Knights' headquarters rather than in.
"Don't tell me your 'little sun' from the Knights ran away again?"
"Um… yeah, that's exactly it!"
"Good timing then, I'm not busy. I'll come along to chase after Klee."
That was a lie.
After all, who wouldn't be curious to meet Klee, the rare little girl in a game filled with 'wives'?
"Oh, thank you so much! I've got an elemental tracker that Lisa made. It should help us find Klee's escape route."
Amber pulled out something that looked like a pocket watch.
She pressed a button.
A bright red thread of elemental energy immediately shot off toward the south district.
"Oh no, don't tell me she overheard Eula and Captain Jean talking last night and ran off to the Whispering Woods too!"
"Given her usual impulsiveness, it's definitely possible."
"Ugh, I'm getting chills… Uh, Traveler! I wasn't talking about you! Let's hurry up and catch her!"
Hit by a wave of nonsense from Liyue next door, Amber didn't want Gong Qu to feel awkward, she just sprinted ahead without another word.
Gong Qu followed behind her with a relaxed smile, thinking: what a wonderful girl.
...
Clip-clop!
"Wha, what the heck was that!"
"Swan, why are you always getting spooked over nothing?"
"Lawrence, I swear I saw something red flash by just now, like a ghost or something!"
"Maybe you didn't sleep well again, drank too much last night?"
"I didn't drink! Something definitely just zipped past! So fast I couldn't even see a shadow."
"Tch, I don't believe you. Unless it passes right in front of me"
Whoosh!
Whoosh whoosh!
Two figures, one red, one black, bolted straight through the gap between the two Mondstadt guards.
A moment later, a biting wind swept through.
Lawrence and Swan exchanged glances, both seeing the fear in each other's eyes.
"See? I wasn't making it up! There really is something creepy out there today!"
"This… maybe we should report it to the Knights, let Captain Jean deal with it?"
"I agree! Six-fingered Jose wasn't lying, there really is a red demon in Mondstadt!"
"Six-fingered Jose? Isn't he that bard at Angel's Share? Don't tell me you went drinking there last night too!"
...
"Klee, stop running! Come back to Mondstadt with me! I won't tell Captain Jean that you snuck out!"
Amber's long legs were a blur as she leapt over trees, stones, and lampposts, quickly closing the distance on the tiny red figure ahead.
Her nimble moves proved that Mondstadt's Outrider wasn't just a title for show.
But her shouts didn't make Klee stop, instead, they only spurred the little girl's rebellious spirit, making her run even faster.
Still, children have their limits.
Even with her Vision, Klee's stamina quickly ran out as she sprinted at full speed.
In the end, she lost focus and missed a step, tumbling forward headfirst.
"Klee!"
Panic surged in Amber's heart. She didn't care about her own safety, fire flared under her feet as she prepared to dash even faster, muscle tearing speed.
"Don't worry! I've got this."
Suddenly, a big hand pressed down on her shoulder.
Amber's restless Pyro energy calmed instantly. Her vision blurred, and Gong Qu, who had been behind her just moments ago, was already in front of Klee, catching the little girl with his soft belly before she could crash into the ground.
Thud!
A dull impact rang out.
Gong Qu skidded a short distance across the sand, completely unprotected.
But the little girl in his arms was safe and sound.
"Klee, are you alright?"
Klee blinked up at Amber, still dazed. "Klee… Klee's okay. S-sorry, Amber-neechan."
"That's good to hear. But, Klee, who you should be apologizing to isn't me."
It was only then that Klee realized there was someone under her.
She turned her little head.
When she saw Gong Qu's face, her shy, deer like eyes instantly lit up.
"Ah! It's Traveler big brother! You finally came back to see Klee!"
She threw herself onto Gong Qu, who was just about to sit up.
Her little legs kicked happily, showing how excited she was.
Gong Qu gently patted Klee's back.
"It's been a while, little Klee. Did you miss me?"
"I did! Mama said big brother went far away and wouldn't come back for a long time, so I drew pictures of all my adventures while I waited for you!"
"That's amazing. You're such a good girl, Klee."
Gong Qu playfully tapped her nose, charmed by how serious she was.
He found himself wondering, if he and Keqing or Ying had kids someday, would they be as cute as Klee?
He shook the thought away, chuckling. It was a dangerous thought. He muttered an apology to Miss Alice, then Amber stepped up and said, "Alright, Klee, you can't just cling to big brother forever. Let's head back to Mondstadt before Captain Jean gets worried."
"N-no! Klee has to help Captain Jean!"
Klee immediately started shaking her head like a little rattle-drum.
"Klee, be good," Amber said firmly, folding her arms like an older sister.
Klee buried her face in Gong Qu's chest, mumbling, "Klee saw lots of fluffy things yesterday, they're making traps for Captain Jean! Mama said fluffy things are bad, so Klee has to help fight the bad guys!"
"Fluffy things?"
Amber looked puzzled by the child's code words.
"I think I know what she means," Gong Qu said.
Lanlanlu~
A group of Hydro Abyss Mages, covered in blue fur and chanting ominous spells, were heading straight for the three of them.
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