Genshin Impact: Back From Teyvat - The Archon Follows Me Home!

Lu Chen found Barbara in the garden in front of the villa next door.

The weeds there had grown nearly waist-high from neglect. He had to push them aside before he could see her.

She sat quietly on the swing, staring at the distant harbor without saying a word.

Yae Miko, Hu Tao, and Qiqi didn't go over to bother her. When Lu Chen approached, Miko glanced over with a slightly worried expression.

"She was perfectly fine just yesterday—asking me a million questions about makeup and cute dresses, all lively and cheerful... What happened today?"

Miko wasn't familiar with Barbara, so she didn't know the whole story.

Lu Chen shook his head with a sigh. The disillusionment that comes from a shaken belief isn't something that can be soothed so easily.

Hu Tao, tugging along Qiqi, said guiltily, "I shouldn't have said anything... Why did I tell her that Venti is the Anemo Archon..."

"She would've found out sooner or later. It's not your fault," Lu Chen replied with a soft smile.

"Really?" Hu Tao blinked at him.

"Of course!" Lu Chen waved his hand. "You two go eat. I'll talk to her."

"Oh—" Hu Tao nodded. As she left, she looked back at Barbara still gazing out at the sea.

"I'm leaving her to you. I'm heading back to eat and then nap." Miko said nothing more and walked off toward the villa.

Lu Chen approached Barbara gently. The rustling of the grass underfoot made her look up at once.

"Sorry for making everyone worry..."

She tried to hop off the swing, but Lu Chen stopped her.

Guilt shimmered in her clear blue eyes. Her voice was soft and downcast.

"Everyone was having fun, but I ran off on my own... and Lord Barbatos is still there too..."

"Lord Barbatos wouldn't mind." Lu Chen thought of Venti's usual carefree nature. That guy never held grudges over little things.

As long as the wine flows, the Anemo Archon holds no grudges overnight.

Barbara looked at Lu Chen smiling and shaking his head, then turned her gaze back to the sea.

Her voice drifted with the sea breeze.

"Lord Barbatos is the archon I've admired most since I was little. Everyone says he overthrew a tyrant, broke Mondstadt's chains, and gave us freedom. I grew up hearing those stories..."

"The wind guided me. When I was lost, it gave me courage; when I was struggling, it gave me strength to carry on..."

"Such a great archon..."

Her words trailed off. Maybe she was realizing the real Barbatos wasn't quite what she had imagined.

Lu Chen still remembered that drunkard poet wandering the city every day doing nothing, teaming up with others to steal the Skyward Lyre...

And then breaking it...

He figured Barbara probably never imagined her revered archon was such a carefree slacker.

"As someone who's been around for three thousand years," Lu Chen chuckled, "I can tell you for sure—overthrowing Old Mondstadt and building the new one, all of it really happened. And it was as tragic as the stories say."

"As for what the Church of Favonius has been preaching..."

"If they want to turn a playful, wine-loving guy into some aloof, desireless deity... you can't blame Venti for that~"

Barbara nodded quietly, though it wasn't clear how much of it had really sunk in.

Lu Chen knew he couldn't change her view overnight. It would take time.

So he said, "There's still a long road ahead. Maybe, little by little, you'll see that all the admirable qualities you imagined in a archon—Venti truly has them."

"Really?" Barbara looked at him, eyes wide.

Lu Chen smiled and sat on the swing beside her, recounting stories from Venti's time here.

How he didn't care about money or fame. How he faced slander and criticism with peace of mind.

This wind-like young man lived freely, sitting on a bench in the garden, playing his lyre as the sea breeze whispered by.

People passing by would stop and listen quietly. When he finished, he'd raise his wine with a carefree smile.

That was Venti.

Gradually, the look in Barbara's eyes changed. Maybe it was the stories, or maybe her view of Venti was already starting to shift.

She looked at Lu Chen with gratitude.

"I'm sorry for troubling you. It's not that I care what kind of person Lord Barbatos really is... I guess I just got confused for a bit..."

"It's okay. Everyone has their moments of doubt."

Lu Chen didn't say more. He stood up and looked toward the seaside villa.

"Let's go back. Everyone's waiting."

"Mm—okay!"

...

That week, whenever they weren't in class, Lu Chen took Venti and Diluc out to scout locations in the countryside.

He had thought opening a winery would be simple—but there were all kinds of licenses to apply for. The hardest part, though, was sourcing the ingredients.

To make a crowd-pleasing drink from another world, they needed ingredients from that world.

But no new domains had opened recently, and their ingredient hunt had stalled. The winery and bar plans were also put on hold.

Venti, once bubbling with excitement, was now completely deflated...

At least he got his driver's license. But that only made Lu Chen feel even guiltier when he saw Venti's pitiful eyes.

Still, there was good news—Barbara's mission had made progress. Tony's idol project was finally ready.

On the second Saturday, Lu Chen and Venti drove Barbara to Starlight Entertainment early in the morning.

Barbara wore a floral dress Miko had picked for her. She sat nervously in the back seat, checking her reflection now and then, making sure the light makeup Miko had done still looked good.

"No need to keep checking..." Lu Chen glanced at the rearview mirror. "You're glowing! Today, you're the one who'll shine the brightest!"

He wasn't just saying that—Barbara really was stunning today.

Her golden twin-tails had been styled into fluffy, shoulder-length curls that looked both trendy and playful.

Her delicate makeup and clear blue eyes made her even prettier than most popular stars. She had a fresh, innocent charm untouched by the world.

Lu Chen thought, unless the executives at Starlight were blind, there was no way they'd overlook her.

"Once you pass the interview, Venti will be your senior!" Lu Chen teased the new driver. "Be sure to look after your junior!"

"Don't worry. With me and Tony around, no one's going to mess with her." Venti, still a bit clumsy behind the wheel, parked the car and pulled out a mask to put on.

Noticing Lu Chen's confused look, Venti explained, "You forgot? V.T. never shows his face!"

"Oh, right." Lu Chen almost forgot—no one had ever uncovered V.T.'s true identity.

That was because he rarely came to the company, only communicated with Tony, and even when he showed up, he wore a mask and disguised himself. Anyone who didn't know would think they were filming a spy drama.

Starlight Entertainment's lobby was elegant and full of star power. Lu Chen couldn't help glancing at the posters of celebrities on the art wall.

Starlight proudly displayed its most famous stars, flaunting its deep roster. Lu Chen recognized many faces from TV.

He had been here once before. The largest poster in the center used to feature Gu Cheng, but after his downfall, it had quietly been replaced with another veteran singer.

Interestingly, V.T.'s signed poster—though it didn't show his face—was right next to it, just slightly smaller.

"So you're already that high up here?" Lu Chen asked in surprise.

"What did you expect?" Venti flashed a card at the front desk and casually led them on a short tour.

Since they were early, Venti took Lu Chen and Barbara to wait in a large practice room full of idol trainees.

Seeing all the neatly groomed, smiling boys and girls, Barbara grew even more nervous.

Their unfamiliar faces drew some curiosity from the trainees, but after a quick glance, everyone went back to their own routines.

Lu Chen took a look around. White walls, wooden floor, singing, dancing, rapping—just no basketball.

Everyone was working hard.

"Don't be nervous," Venti told Barbara gently.

"Yeah, don't be nervous..." Honestly, Lu Chen was more anxious than she was. Thanks to Tony, Barbara didn't have to compete in a talent show like the others—but it was still an interview. And interviews could still go wrong...

Barbara shook her head to show she wasn't nervous. Watching the girls singing and dancing, her eyes lit up with admiration.

"So this is what Lady Alice meant... by being an idol..."