Chapter 8: Flirting with Jean in front of Barbara & Sister-in-law

Part 1: Flirting with Jean in front of Barbara

"No, your movements are perfect," Jean praised. "I think the basic training can end here. I can teach you some more complex techniques now."

"Knights of Favonius swordplay?" Chen Huaian asked. Knights of Favonius swordplay is one of the martial arts of the Knights of Favonius that will be assessed in the exam, and a skill many Knights of Favonius members possess.

"Yes, Knights of Favonius swordplay originated 500 years ago from Rostam, known as the 'Wolf Pup.' This sword art is known for its lightness, speed, and precision."

"Passed down to the present, Knights of Favonius swordplay is no longer limited to Swords. Techniques for wielding Knights of Favonius Swordplay with greatswords and polearms have developed. For example, Noelle, although she uses a greatsword, still practices Knights of Favonius swordplay from the same lineage as me."

“I see. That’s very enlightening.”

"I'll demonstrate it for you first. Watch closely!" Jean drew her long sword. The moment she gripped the sword, Jean seemed to transform into a different person.

Jean's eyes became sharp, like a predatory lioness.

This was Jean, the Deputy Grand Master and acting grand master of the Knights of Favonius, who was highly regarded by Mondstadt, known as the "Dandelion Knight" and also the "Lionfang Knight."

After Chen Huaian and Noelle retreated to a safe distance, Jean's long sword began to dance, embodying the lightness, speed, and precision of the Favonius swordplay to its fullest. Even without using her Vision, the wind generated by Jean's long Sword still stung their faces.

This was the sensation of "sword winds" hitting the face from tens of meters away; there was no doubt that if one stepped closer, Jean's sword wind would cut through their flesh.

This was the power of the Lionfang Knight, both formidable and beautiful.

As the long sword was sheathed, Chen Huaian, who had been mesmerized, even forgot to applaud. Only when Jean approached and asked for his thoughts did Chen Huaian snap back to reality.

"Beautiful," Chen Huaian said. "This Knights of Favonius swordplay seems tailor-made for Acting Grand Master Jean, elegant and graceful, yet incredibly powerful."

"You flatter me," Jean smiled. "I merely try my best to bring out the advantages of the West Wind Sword Art. As long as you train diligently, you can also reach this level."

"Then I look forward to when that day arrives."

The rest of the afternoon was spent practicing the West Wind Sword Art under Jean's guidance. This was not as easy as the initial sword-wielding practice. After a whole afternoon, he could barely remember the sword moves, and the sword art he performed, let alone sword energy that hadn't even reached the entry level.

However, even so, it impressed Jean, as Chen Huaian's progress was too fast. It was estimated that it wouldn't take long for him to reach the standard of an ordinary Knight, and he might even catch up enough to be able to smoothly pass the Knights of Favonius entrance examination.

Until the sun set, the clouds in the sky were dyed crimson, and the Knights of Favonius who had been on duty during the day were off work. Chen Huaian also put away his sword, ending his training for the day.

"Sit down and rest for a bit, have some water," Jean, not holding a sword and not at work, showed her gentle side, handing the saline solution in her hand to Chen Huaian, then wiping the sweat from his forehead and neck with a wet towel.

Noelle had already left, and now only Chen Huaian and Jean were in the training ground. A little intimacy was fine.

Chen Huaian took a sip of water, then looked at Jean, who was wiping his sweat with a wet towel, and couldn't help but smile, saying, "This feels wonderful."

"What?"

"I mean it's truly wonderful to have met Jean. I'm afraid this might be the luckiest thing that's ever happened to me."

"Life is long, how can you be so sure? Are you an astrologist?" Jean had a faint smile on her face. She placed the towel on her lap, took one of Chen Huaian's hands, unfastened the gauntlet, and then used the towel to wipe the sweat from his hand. She did the same for his other hand.

"Where shall we go on our date tomorrow?"

Jean's movements paused upon hearing this. Her actions of wiping Chen Huaian's sweat slowed.

What happened this morning was still vivid in her memory.

His kiss, his teasing, made Jean, experiencing romance for the first time, feel as if she was falling deeper into it.

Just spending a short time together already made her like this, and tomorrow would be a whole day... "Jean, you promised me this. Are you going back on your word?" Chen Huaian leaned in, lowering his head and kissing Jean's lips, who was lost in thought.

It was a mere touch of their lips.

The sudden separation from her lover caught Jean somewhat off guard. Her parted lips, the slight tip of her tongue, all indicated that Jean had intended to ask for more during the kiss just now.

But her lover had no such intention.

Before Jean could show the shy anger that arose from being teased, Chen Huaian leaned in again, satisfying Jean's desire.

At this, Jean instinctively embraced Chen Huaian, not letting him go until she was satisfied.

*Thud!*

It was the dull sound of something falling to the ground, startling the two, who had been lost in their kiss.

Chen Huaian looked towards the sound. It was a maiden who looked eighty percent similar to Jean, with golden twin horsetails, wearing a cute Church of Favonius attire.

Her name was Barbara, Mondstadt's idol, and Jean's sister... Ever since Barbara and Jean's relationship had improved, Barbara had taken on the responsibility of ensuring Jean rested and ate well, lest Jean overwork herself and collapse again, as she had last time.

Earlier, Barbara hadn't seen Jean in the shared cafeteria for the members of the Church and Knights of Favonius. She thought Jean had forgotten the time while working again, so she packed a dinner and brought it over.

However, she couldn't find Jean in the office.

When Barbara thought Jean had gone out and was about to leave, she saw Noelle coming out of the library with books helpful for the Knights of Favonius entrance exam.

The two chatted, and after learning from Noelle that Jean might be at the training ground, Barbara came over.

Then Barbara saw her sister embracing and kissing a man, and that man's hand had even reached under Jean's clothes, grabbing her'snowy mounds' and kneading them like a slime in a Hilichurl's hand.

This scene shocked the pure Barbara so much that she couldn't even hold onto the dinner in her hand, spilling it all over the floor... Jean, whose sister had witnessed everything, felt her scalp tingle. Last time, she could explain it away with a trick of perspective, but this time, she was caught red-handed. How could she explain the situation this time?

The crucial thing was that Jean's full 'snowy mounds' were still in Chen Huaian's hand!

Could she try and explain that her heart was feeling uncomfortable, so she asked Chen Huaian to give her CPR?

Who would believe that!

At this moment, Jean felt the tip of her'snowy mounds' being pinched again...

It wasn't just pinched; there was even an electric current being transmitted.

A perfectly calibrated current, just enough to stimulate the nerves without causing any harm to the body.

This strange current spread from the mounds to her entire body, causing Jean to quickly cover her mouth, which almost let out a sound, and clench her legs together.

The evening breeze carried a faint, salty dampness not belonging to Cider Lake.

And her sister Barbara was still watching... Jean's face was blushing so hard it felt like it was bleeding. Ignoring the lingering afterglow, she fiercely twisted Chen Huaian's thigh, which still hadn't let go. Only then did he withdraw his hand from her knight's uniform.

Although he had foreseen that Jean would twist him, Chen Huaian still underestimated Jean's strength. He was careless and didn't dodge.

This made him pay the price for using an inappropriate ability at an inappropriate time.

— The ability to release electric current anywhere on his body, which he acquired from Lisa at noon.

Part 2: Sister-in-law

"Ow, ow, ow," Chen Huaian cried out in pain, clutching his leg. The spot where Jean had twisted him made Chen Huaian feel as if his thigh had been bitten by a lion, burning hot.

"Huh, are you okay?"

Seeing Chen Huaian injured, Barbara, forgetting the awkwardness of interrupting their intimacy, quickly ran over. She knelt in front of Chen Huaian and performed a healing spell on him, while also not forgetting to scold Jean:

"You two are already dating, and going public is only a matter of time. How could you just casually hurt someone?"

Jean had a hard time explaining. What did she mean by 'casually'?

He totally deserved it!

Barbara, in the game, is a reliable healer. With her healing abilities, she is an absolutely indispensable presence for all players in the early stages.

At this moment, the healing spell Barbara released wasn't as exaggerated as in the game, where a fancy spin would restore a teammate's health bar.

Faint glows of musical staffs and notes emanated from Barbara's hands, and the beautiful melody she hummed, made the spot Jean had twisted feel a cool, refreshing sensation.

The burning pain faded, replaced by a cool comfort, and soon it returned to normal.

"Thank you," Chen Huaian subconsciously rubbed Barbara's head as she knelt in front of him. "If it weren't for your healing, I'd probably have trouble walking right now."

After rubbing Barbara's head, Chen Huaian felt he had overstepped. Making such an intimate gesture towards a girl he had just met was somewhat ill-mannered.

He chuckled, withdrew his hand, and said, "You're so cute, and the melody you hummed just now was so beautiful. You must be Miss Barbara of the Church of Favonius, right? I've heard of you, Mondstadt City's idol, the most popular nun of the Church."

"Idol or whatever, they're just teasing me," Barbara said, humbly denying her idol status.

Barbara smiled, leaning on her knees as she stood up. She didn't feel any disgust or other negative emotions about Chen Huaian's actions just now.

After all, this was her brother-in-law, the man who would eventually become family.

At the same time, Barbara was also observing Chen Huaian. After yesterday's office incident, she naturally secretly investigated this man, who seemed to be a Liyue person, whom she had never seen in Mondstadt before.

With these two characteristics, the investigation was very easy. A simple inquiry to the Knights of Favonius guarding the city gate made everything clear.

From the knights, she learned that he was a poor man who had been ambushed by treasure hoarders in the wilderness, had his belongings stolen, and had lost his memory. It was the Outrider Knight Amber who brought him to Mondstadt.

It seemed he had also awakened a Vision. When he left in the morning, he was an ordinary person, but when he returned with Acting Grand Master Jean near noon, his entire aura had changed significantly.

He had indeed awakened a Vision.

Barbara saw a teal Vision with the Anemo God's symbol on Chen Huaian's waist, just like her sister's.

As for his appearance, he was tall and handsome. Although Barbara wasn't someone who focused on looks, a good appearance was a bonus for anyone, male or female.

Moreover, when he sat with her sister, they looked quite compatible. The important thing was that he liked her sister, and her sister liked him too.

Her sister finally had a chance to get married!

This humanoid monster, powerful enough to tear apart Stormterror with her bare hands, whose name made the residents of Mondstadt City tremble!

Barbara breathed a sigh of relief. She guessed that only someone who had lost their memory and remembered nothing would dare to have such thoughts about her sister, right?

In any case, as a Sister-in-law, Barbara felt it was her responsibility to keep him tied down for her sister, to prevent him from being scared away by her sister's terrifying nature.

At all costs!

Barbara clenched her small fists, secretly vowing.

"So, Sister, aren't you going to introduce him to me?" Barbara looked at Jean, who was pursing her lips silently. "Like his name, how you met, and how you got together."

Chen Huaian noticed Jean's embarrassment and proactively explained, "My name is Chen Huaian. Have you heard of me? The unlucky fellow who lost his memory after being ambushed by treasure hoarders."

"Mm-hmm, I never thought such a thing would happen in Mondstadt. This is a serious dereliction of duty by the Knights and the Church!"

"It can't be considered a dereliction of duty, can it? Mondstadt City covers such a large area, it's impossible to take care of every inch of its land. It's normal for some accidents and incidents to occur."

"But since it has already happened, even if you don't care anymore, it can't be treated as if it didn't happen. You must be given some compensation."

Barbara rested her chin on her hand, thought for a moment, and continued, "So, have you found a place to live? Do you want to move in with my sister? After all, you two are already dating, aren't you?"

"Barbara!" Jean quickly interrupted her sister, "You don't need to worry about these things. He already has a place to live, and I've already given him appropriate compensation."

Barbara persisted, continuing her assist: "But isn't it a Mondstadt tradition to live together for a while before marriage to better adjust to married life?"

At this, Chen Huaian silently gave Barbara a thumbs-up. One could only say: she truly lives up to her reputation as a sister-in-law who is “half a step away from being a sister-in-law,” right?

This assist, he loved it very much.

"You two," Jean heard her sister teasing her and her lover's approving thumbs-up. Unable to retort, Jean lost the composure she usually maintained, even when facing Stormterror.

She let out a cold huff, no longer paying attention to her sister and lover, who had conspired together the moment they met, and quickly left the training ground.

Chen Huaian naturally had to follow. Barbara even gave him a push, urging him to walk a couple of steps faster.

He walked alongside Jean, reaching out to grab her hand, but she dodged him. He had no choice but to settle for the next best thing (or rather, a step further) and put his arm around Jean's waist, saying, "It was just a joke. You don't have to be so serious about it, do you?"

"I’m not taking it personally. I just don't like joking about such things," Jean slowed her pace, lowering her head. "Don't you feel embarrassed?"

"No," Chen Huaian denied. "If I felt embarrassed at this level, I probably wouldn't even have the courage to express my feelings to you, would I?"

"Why?"

"Don't you ever think about it, Jean? You are so beautiful, so strong, the 'Dandelion Knight' who has received Mondstadt's highest honor, being both the Deputy Grand Master and the Dragon Slayer."

"And I am just an ordinary person who has nothing, not even my past memories. The difference between us is so vast that, logically speaking, I should be too ashamed to even look up at such an excellent woman, right?"

"Call me presumptuous, or reaching too high, but even if the gap between us is like a chasm, I still confessed, and fortunately, I received Jean's affirmation."

"Compared to that, facing a few teasing words from my sister-in-law, there's no need to feel embarrassed, is there? Just be open and honest about it."

Jean was silent. She also didn't know why she was like this. Perhaps she wasn't used to revealing her emotions in front of others?

For Jean, only responsibility had always accompanied her. Even with numerous honors bestowed upon her, when it came to romantic matters, she was still a maiden, unable to withstand teasing, a shy mimosa.

As they approached the main road, Chen Huaian consciously released Jean. After saying goodbye and preparing to leave, Jean grabbed the hem of his clothes.

"Tomorrow morning at eight, we'll meet at Windrise."

"Okay."