Gu Chen walked slowly toward Windrise.
Windrise was a vast stretch of open meadow. The land was flat and expansive, with only a single great tree growing beside a stream, and the Statue of The Seven standing nearby.
That great tree carried a legendary air.
It was said that a thousand years ago, Mondstadt's hero Vennessa ascended to Celestia here and became a god.
History was difficult to verify—but the towering tree had indeed stood here all this time, and the winds around it were forever gentle.
When Gu Chen arrived, he was surprised to find Barbara there as well.
Her still-youthful face carried traces of sadness and confusion. She sat alone on one of the massive tree roots, letting the wind brush past her.
Hearing footsteps, Barbara turned her head and saw Gu Chen. Startled, she hurriedly stood and bowed.
"Vice Cap—ah, G-Grand Master!"
She had almost used the wrong title. Barbara lowered her head shyly.
"No need to be nervous."
Gu Chen's voice was gentle.
"It's not working hours. You can just call me Gu Chen. No need to be so restrained."
There was no reprimand—only warmth.
Barbara quietly let out a breath of relief.
"Are you here to enjoy the wind too, Mr. Gu Chen?" she asked, gathering her courage.
"…Yes."
Gu Chen nodded, then smiled faintly.
"You might not believe it, but when Varka first found me, it was here."
"G?"
It was the first time Barbara had heard that.
Everyone knew Gu Chen had been picked up by Varka—but no one knew where.
"I don't know how I came into this world. The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was Varka passing by. I cried to catch his attention. And the rest… everyone already knows."
His tone carried a trace of nostalgia, as though recalling that distant day.
"So… when Grand Master Varka left, you were actually very reluctant to part with him, weren't you?" Barbara asked softly.
"Mm."
Gu Chen nodded openly.
"But it's alright. We'll meet again someday. I just don't know when he'll return."
After a pause, he asked, "What about you? Why are you here?"
Barbara's gaze dimmed.
"Father stepped down from his position as bishop last night and left with Grand Master Varka. I'm the only one left at the Church now. I… don't even know what I'm supposed to do today."
"I see… You weren't there to see them off this morning?" Gu Chen asked.
"We already said our goodbyes last night. I came here early to pray for Father… I hope his adventures with Grand Master Varka go smoothly."
The wind blew softly.
The twelve-year-old girl pressed her lips together. Her young face was filled with reluctance—and unease about facing the future alone.
Simon had been her pillar of support.
Though she occasionally saw her mother and sister, those feelings felt distant—almost unfamiliar.
Now that her father had left, she felt lost.
After understanding, Gu Chen asked gently:
"What do you think of Jean?"
"G?"
Caught off guard, Barbara answered quickly:
"Everyone respects my sister. She does her job very well. Of course I respect her too!"
"No."
Gu Chen shook his head.
"You're still young. You might not have seen the deeper side."
"Jean wants to be close to you. But you seem afraid of her, so she's never had the chance. After you left in a hurry yesterday, she was upset for quite a while."
"R-Really?" Barbara looked genuinely surprised.
"Yes."
Gu Chen nodded.
"You may have been separated at a young age, but you share the same blood. Your parents' broken relationship shouldn't define yours. She has always seen you as her little sister. It's just that years of Knight training and heavy responsibilities leave her little free time. And when she does visit…"
He didn't finish.
Barbara understood.
She inhaled deeply.
"I understand now."
Wiping away her tears, she managed a small smile.
After a moment of quiet, she looked at Gu Chen, who stood with his hands behind his back gazing into the distance.
"They all say you're very serious. That you're decisive and strict… But I think you're actually very kind."
"Mm?"
Gu Chen raised a brow and chuckled.
"When I'm dealing with work I don't want to do, of course my face looks unpleasant. And being decisive? That's just because I want to finish early and get off work sooner."
"Is that really the reason?" Barbara's eyes widened.
Like many young people, she had admired him from afar.
Her impression of him had been built entirely on hearsay.
But today… that image seemed different.
"What? Do I look like a cold workaholic?" he teased.
"N-Not exactly!"
Barbara waved her hands quickly, far more relaxed now.
"It's just… you're completely different from what I imagined!"
"People are complicated. Multi-faceted," Gu Chen said with a faint laugh. "The version you hear about might not be the real one. Before today, I also thought Barbara was a stereotypical prayer-focused deaconess."
"And?"
She blinked expectantly.
He paused for two seconds.
"…Turns out you're a little crybaby."
"I am not!" Barbara protested, cheeks reddening. "I-I just… happened to be earlier! I'm not usually like that!"
"Mm-hm."
He shrugged lightly.
"That's why it takes time to understand someone."
Barbara let out a long breath.
After a moment, she asked shyly:
"Mr. Gu Chen… can we be friends? I promise it won't interfere with your work!"
"Friends?"
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"As long as you don't mind me occasionally pushing work onto you when I slack off."
"Eh?!"
She pouted for a second—then grinned mischievously.
"Friends help each other, right? Just don't give me the hard tasks. Give those to my very capable sister!"
"Deal."
By the time they returned to the city, they had missed the Knights' lunch.
Gu Chen took Barbara to The Good Hunter, one of Mondstadt's most popular restaurants—affordable and delicious.
After ordering, he glanced at the drink menu.
"What would you like to drink?"
"…Is there anything spicy?" Barbara asked after thinking.
"Spicy?"
He blinked.
"That's weird, right? But I think spicy drinks taste pretty good!"
He considered it.
"There's nothing listed… but we could try adding chili."
"Yes!"
Soon, two specially modified drinks arrived.
Barbara took a small sip. Her gray-purple eyes lit up with delight.
Gu Chen eyed the floating chili pieces skeptically.
After taking a sip—
"Hiss… That's strange… but surprisingly good."
"You think so too?!" Barbara looked thrilled.
"Of course."
On the way back, Barbara walked a little closer than before.
"Mr. Gu Chen… Alice once talked to me about becoming an idol. She said a great idol can heal people's hearts. What do you think?"
"A great idol can heal people's hearts…"
He nodded slowly.
"That makes sense."
Barbara's eyes sparkled.
"If you want to do it, then do it. As Grand Master—or as your friend—I support you."
"Then it's decided!"
She beamed.
"In that case," he smiled, "I'll be your first fan."
"Eh? The Grand Master as my number-one fan?"
She imagined it and couldn't help giggling.
"That sounds… amazing!"
"I'll be looking forward to your performance, Miss Superstar."
Barbara took a deep breath, eyes shining with determination.
"I'll go home and prepare seriously! I'll make sure my first performance is perfect. I definitely won't disappoint my number-one fan!"
She was already excited.
She might not be his number-one fan.
But he was hers.
And somehow… that made her unbelievably happy.
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