Baiwen stepped out of Ganyu's office, her mind still stuck on the expression Ganyu had made just now.
So even a senior like her can make such a cute face...
Passing by the courtyard, she spotted Xu Zheng still practicing his flute and decided to stop by for a quick chat.
The purple bamboo flute in Xu Zheng's hand was pretty similar to the ones he'd played in his past life—nothing too complex to pick up.
"Learning to play the flute?" Baiwen asked, tilting her head with interest.
"Yes," Xu Zheng replied.
"You hit a wrong note just now—watch, it should go like this."
Seeing how awkward Xu Zheng still was with the fingering and breath control, Baiwen—who was more than a little experienced with flutes—offered to demonstrate.
She took the flute from him with a gentle smile.
Xu Zheng didn't think much of it at first, but the moment her lips touched the mouthpiece, his soul nearly left his body.
Oh hell no. You really shouldn't be touching that!
You don't know what that flute's been through!
Before he could stop her, Baiwen had already started to play. The soft, melodious notes floated through the air... and Xu Zheng's face twisted into a mix of suffering and confusion.
This feeling… it's way too weird!!!
By the time she finished, he snatched the flute back like it was a matter of life and death.
He felt violated. That flute… that damn flute… had retained that feature.
"Alright, now you try," Baiwen said, watching him closely.
Looking at his flushed cheeks and sweaty forehead, she furrowed her brows. "Are you okay?"
She'd already learned from Ganyu that this kid was her official disciple, which made Baiwen more concerned than usual.
Xu Zheng wiped his face and forced a smile. "I'm fine. Probably just... didn't eat enough."
Baiwen gasped. "That Ganyu-senpai, honestly! No matter how busy she is, she can't forget to feed a child!"
That was just an excuse, Xu Zheng thought. I had half a bottle of coconut milk earlier. I'm full, trust me.
Now that he thought about it... maybe he owed Ganyu an apology.
"You stay here and don't move, I'll go get you something to eat," Baiwen declared, turning on her heel.
"???"
Why does that sound so sketchy...
As Baiwen left, Xu Zheng picked up his flute again and kept practicing.
Meanwhile, Ganyu—unable to relax—quietly opened her door and peeked outside. She spotted Xu Zheng in the distance, the soft notes of a flute drifting into her ears.
He's already getting the hang of it?
She unconsciously compared him to her younger self and realized: Xu Zheng seemed to have far more musical talent than she ever did.
Back then, she'd begged Cloud Retainer to craft her a flute, and it had taken her nearly a week just to play one tune smoothly.
But Xu Zheng? He'd been at it barely a day and was already playing actual songs.
Not long after, Baiwen returned—arms full of snacks.
Before even entering the courtyard, she heard the flute music and froze.
"Wait… Ganyu-senpai plays this well?"
The melody wasn't necessarily the most technical she'd ever heard, but it had heart, rhythm, and an ethereal charm.
Baiwen was moved. Subconsciously, she assumed it had to be Ganyu playing.
But the moment she stepped into the courtyard, she stopped dead in her tracks.
There was no Ganyu—just Xu Zheng, back to her, flute in hand.
As he turned around, his eyes went straight to the pile of snacks in her arms.
Damn, that's a lot of food.
Since arriving in Liyue, Xu Zheng hadn't really tried much of the local cuisine.
Well—coconut milk aside.
"Hmm?"
Baiwen looked around, confused. Wasn't Ganyu just playing music?
She shook her head. Must've been her imagination.
Time to get back to teaching Xu Zheng.
"Baiwen-jie, are all those snacks… for me?" Xu Zheng asked, slipping easily into the role of a wide-eyed, innocent five-year-old.
Baiwen melted on the spot. She reached out and gently patted his head with practiced ease.
Back in her office, Ganyu stretched after a long morning, her graceful curves shifting under her outfit.
Normally, she'd skip lunch to avoid gaining weight, but today was different.
First of all, she had a disciple now—someone else to think about. Secondly, any "excess energy" she gained could be… handled.
Cough. Coconut milk.
Plus, Xu Zheng was still growing. He needed food to get big and strong.
She thought back to the first time she'd met him, a literal baby. Now he looked around five or six.
Less cute than before… she sighed. But also kinda handsome. Honestly, he pulls off the boy look well.
She found herself torn: half of her wanted her disciple to grow up fast; the other half wanted him to stay tiny and adorable forever.
Pushing open her door, she stepped outside—only to hear a lively, upbeat melody floating through the air. Light, happy, like music from the heavens.
Curious, she followed the sound and found Xu Zheng completely immersed in his flute playing.
At first, he'd been struggling. But after watching Baiwen demonstrate, it was like something inside him had awakened. His hands moved naturally, his breath flowed in rhythm. It was as if the art had been encoded in his very DNA.
Xu Zheng even started playing tunes from his past life—like "Lonely Warrior" and other songs he remembered.
He briefly considered playing "Divine Damsel of Devastation"… but figured Yunjin probably hadn't written it yet.
[Daily Task #2 Complete: Make Ganyu Praise Your Music From the Heart]
[Reward: 10 Primogems delivered.]
Huh? That counts?
He turned around and saw Ganyu walking toward him, a gentle smile and awe in her eyes.
"Xu Zheng, did you teach yourself to play like this?"
She looked genuinely stunned. Earlier, he'd barely sounded better than a beginner—but now? He played like a seasoned master. Maybe even better. He was composing his own songs already.
"No way. Baiwen-jie taught me."
Truth be told, even Xu Zheng didn't know why he improved so fast. He just chalked it up to talent and moved on.
"Oh…"
Ganyu's eyes flickered with surprise. Baiwen taught him that much in a single morning?
Her skill must be insane... her teaching even more so!
In her mind, Baiwen was now some kind of musical genius.
But still… He's my disciple, Ganyu sulked inwardly. I didn't even get to teach him the basics, and someone already stole the first lesson.
I was here first!
Her eyes dropped to the snacks sitting beside Xu Zheng.
She immediately guessed who brought them.
Has my disciple… already been bribed?!
Suddenly, the air was thick with jealousy. The subtle kind.
[Affection +10. Reward: 10 Primogems delivered.]
The system chimed in again.
Sweet. Keep the jealousy coming, Xu Zheng grinned internally.