Falling for You

Chapter 32 - Tomorrow

Madam Ping's POV:

 "So you're saying that you took down 5 ruin guards with one hit?"

 "Yes."

 "And you only used some anemo energy, nothing else?"

 "Nothing else, really."

 "How fascinating." I looked at Xiao with a surprised expression.

 I did sense that he had gotten stronger, but to think it was to this extent...

 "We should test it out... next week." I changed what I was about to say.

 "Why wait till next week?" They both looked at me questioningly for a second, before shock flashed in their eyes as they both looked in the same direction.

 "They're back?"

 "Already?"

 They were both surprised and so was I. I didn't expect them to come back after merely a day. But, I suppose this can't be prevented, so instead of trying to figure out how they were back so soon, I tried to handle another situation before they could actually reach here.

 "Childe."

 "Yes?"

 "Splash yourself and Xiao with water," I said directly.

 "Excuse me?" Childe was obviously surprised.

 "He should do what?" So was Xiao.

 "He should splash you both with water, and Xiao, you should dry the both of you before they get here. If you do that, you might actually stop looking like someone who just fought some great battles." I explained.

 After hearing my words, they both looked down at themselves, only to discover that they were both covered in all kinds of dirt from the fight before.

 Seeing this, they quickly exchanged glances and within a few seconds, they were both already clean and dry.

 At that exact moment, the two gods arrived as well.

 "We're back!" Barbatos shouted as they came closer.

 "Well, aren't you two rather fast?"

 "I can be very fast when I want to."

 "So next time you say your work takes too long I can just take it as you not wanting to work?" Morax asked.

 "Tsk!" It seems like our dear anemo archon was caught by his words once again.

 "You're here to pick the children up?" I interrupted before it could progress into a fight.

 "Yes."

 "Of course."

 "You're not going to take another day off from parenting? You only get the chance once a week after all." 

 "I'm fine, no need for a day off." Barbatos declined.

 "I'm perfectly fine as well." Morax also stated.

 "If that's your choice, I can't say anything about it. Just don't push it, it won't be good for any of you."

 "Got it."

 And with that, they directly picked the children up and left.

 I watched them as they left, letting out a sigh.

 "Only a week has passed and things are already like this... I wonder what I will be faced with next week."

Xiao's POV

 Though I really wanted to talk a little more with madam Ping, being with Venti was more than welcome.

 Over the past week, I started to notice myself getting rather clingy and needy, though it was probably just some side effect of that weird smoke. Probably...

 Let's just forget that, it's nothing important. But being carried like this did feel rather good.

 Right now, we were flying back to Windrise. Venti hugged me tightly so I wouldn't accidentally fall.

 "So, did you have a nice day, Xiao Xiao?"

 I just nodded. Over the past week, I had already gotten used to this nickname.

 "I have nothing to do tomorrow, do you have anything you want to do?"

 Nothing in particular, but before I could even indicate my answer, Venti had already started speaking again.

 "How about I bring you to the most secret place in Mondstadt? Only two people have ever been there, me included."

 There was such a place in Mondstadt?

 "It's also the one place even the abyss can't hope to enter. Unless their forces include a god with strength equal to the seven archons combined." He muttered the last sentence, but being this close, there is no way I wouldn't have heard it.

 What did he just say? Someone with equal strength to the Seven combined?

 If such a being was needed to enter, someone with at least that much strength would have been needed to lock it in the first place. Just who-?

 At that moment, a name came to mind.

 The God of Time, Istaroth.

 If it was a place locked away by time then it might actually be possible. Time is, after all, a mysterious thing

 And sure enough...

 "That place was Istaroth's laboratory, but I spent my fair share of time there as well."

 I was getting kind of curious.

 "I need to find something among her research papers as well, that tree in my inner world has grown quite big after all, it would be better if I refreshed my knowledge about it before using it."

 That tree was not only something made by the God of Time but also a usable item?

 Now I really want to go.

 "So, do you want to go there tomorrow?" He asked.

 I fiercely nodded my head in response. You can't take it back now that you've offered.

 "Isn't someone excited? Let's go get some sleep first, it's gonna be a long day tomorrow." He rubbed my head as we landed at Windrise.

 For once, I'm really looking forward to the next day.

 I'm finally back! I was very busy with school this week, and my birthday was two days ago as well, but I'm done with most of my work so I'll probably upload more frequently, or so I hope.