"We should get going, Host. If you keep chatting, it'll be dark before we leave. Do you want to be messed with one more time before you go?"
[Gulp?!]
Ying immediately recalled the photo shoot she was forced into a few days ago...
Cough, cough... Uh... I'm leaving now, Hu Tao. For some reason, I suddenly have a bad feeling... Σ(|||▽|||)"
"Hm? I thought you weren't afraid of your sister anymore. So you were just pretending? ~ Go, go. This hall master will miss you ~ (^～^)"
"I'm not leaving for long... See you later then~" Ying gave Hu Tao a big hug and then, with Paimon, teleported to the location where Lumine had last sent her...
Teleporting...
"Ha~ Are we there yet... ￣﹏￣"
"We're here, we're here! Are you sleepy, Host?"
"Mm... A little... *Huff*... But I've finally escaped Hu Tao's clutches. I can't believe she tricked me into taking my own photo album... So embarrassingggg! (t^t)"
"Hehe~ I really didn't expect you to have so much fun behind my back, Host ๑乛v乛๑"
"Fun, my foot! I didn't know what was going on back then! No wonder the poses she described later were so seductive... Just thinking about how I, this idiot, agreed to wear embarrassing outfits every night for those days and strike shameful poses makes my head hurt ≥﹏≤"
"What a shame I didn't get to see those photos of you~"
"What a shame, your foot! You're also to blame for this!"
"Huh? What does this have to do with me?"
"Because those clothes were sent to me by you before!"
"Ah, this... I guess I can't argue with that..."
"And for some reason, even though you've left the system, new clothes still keep appearing in the backpack from time to time... Sigh, let's not talk about sad things. Let's go meet Lumine quickly (￣д￣;)"
"Mm-hmm. By the way, Host, do you know where she is now?"
"Well... I don't know the exact location, but I can make a rough estimate."
"Oh? Then tell me~" Paimon immediately took out a bucket of popcorn from Ying's backpack and began to enjoy it while watching Ying.
"E"
"So far... I'm so tired and sleepy... Why is it so far away... If we keep walking like this, it'll be dark soon..."
"Host, why didn't you activate the waypoint at Wangshu Inn back then? We were passing by."
"Uh... I forgot (*￣з￣)"
"Sigh... Honestly, my illusionary wings are so tired."
"I'm tired and sleepy because I've been training until nightfall every day for the past few days, and today I used a teleport with you. What are *you* tired about?" Ying asked curiously.
"I... I got tired from watching you train~" Paimon said with a chuckle.
"Emm... Don't make your laziness sound so natural!"
"Hehe... It's precisely because I'm too lazy to move that I have no stamina~"
"Hmph... It seems I need to take you out for more exercise in the future... How about this, from now on, all the small monsters like Hilichurls and Mitachurls will be yours to fight~"
"Uh... Actually, it's just you wanting to be lazy, isn't it..."
"Ah, this... Ehe~" Ying shyly stuck out her little tongue.
"Ehe, what does that mean, hey!"
"Hehe~ Alright, alright, let's hurry to Wangshu Inn... Huh?" Before Ying could finish speaking, she felt someone activate a waypoint.
"This is... The Wangshu Inn waypoint (✪▽✪)?!"
"Hm? What's wrong, Host? Why are you standing still?" Paimon, seeing Ying suddenly stop, flew in front of her and waved curiously, asking.
"Hmph, hmph~ No need to walk anymore, Paimon. Lumine has already opened the Wangshu Inn waypoint for us (^～^)"
"Eh?! Really?! Yahoo~!" Paimon happily did a somersault in the air.
"Hahaha~ Look how happy you are. Hurry and grab my hand, I'll teleport us over~"
"Mm-hmm!" Paimon quickly landed on Ying.
Teleporting...
"Huff... We're here... Ha~"
"Mm-hmm, Host, can you hold on?" Paimon asked worriedly after noticing Ying's eyes becoming hazy.
"Mm... I think I can hold on for a little longer... Let's go find that little ghost first... Let me earn some merit..." Ying stumbled towards the kitchen with heavy steps.
"Maybe we should go find Lumine upstairs first..." Paimon followed Ying up the stairs with a worried expression, afraid that Ying would fall asleep and roll down if she wasn't careful.
"We... we're here... Ha~ Let me see... Where is the little ghost..."
"Hey! Little ghost~ Come out quickly! Otherwise, I won't take you out to play anymore!" Paimon said as she looked around for any sign of the little ghost.
"Not here... No... I feel like I can't hold on anymore... The training intensity these past few days has made my whole body sore... I should have asked Hu Tao to help me... with a massage..." Ying shook her head vigorously, trying to sober up, but the action was of no help.
"Ying!"
"Ah~ She actually came!" Paimon said in surprise, watching Ying.
Just as Ying felt her eyes about to close, she suddenly heard a familiar voice that made her a little more alert. Then, Lumine, who had run down from upstairs, helped support her.
"Ying, are you okay?!" Lumine asked caringly, looking at the little cutie in her arms.
"I'm fine... I'm just a bit tired... It's been a while, Lumine (^_^)" Ying said with a smile, weakly tapping Lumine's nose.
"Silly, why didn't you come to see me these past few days? I've been waiting for you for so long!"
"Uh... Due to some special circumstances... I was a bit late... Haha... Ha..." (Don't start this conversation with me right away! (t^t))
"Um... Lumine... I'll help you find... the ghost..." Before Ying could finish speaking, her eyes closed, and she drifted off into dreamland...