C22 Stewed in the Iron Pot Paimon!

"I... I managed to escape from the Treasure Hoarders, but I was so weak that I fainted and someone picked me up... That's why I'm wearing these borrowed clothes..."

Mu Jin left out the part where, after using the Yae Sakura Experience Card, the Treasure Hoarders had dubbed her the Pink Donkey-Eared Woman, and how she had turned the tables and defeated them.

Confronted with Xiangling's probing questions, Mu Jin had no choice but to come clean about everything that had happened over the last couple of days.

Well, they were close sisters who had been through thick and thin together!

"Is that true?"

"Absolutely! You trust me, right?"

Without thinking, Mu Jin grabbed her hand and gently swayed it, acting as sweetly with Xiangling as she always did.

Xiangling, for her part, enjoyed Mu Jin's affectionate display.

Who wouldn't love a clingy cat, after all?

Ying, standing off to the side, couldn't bear to watch. The sight of someone acting so cloyingly with a face that mirrored the heavens was just too bizarre...

"Miss Mu! Are you okay?"

The head maid came rushing over, clearly having heard the noise and hurried to check on the situation.

"Ah, Miss Head Maid, I'm alright."

As the maid scanned her for injuries, Mu Jin realized that the head maid wasn't as aloof as she seemed.

"And who might this be?"

Standing beside her was the newly appointed Honorary Knight and her emergency food supply. It was common knowledge, even among Lawrence's less popular servants, that a golden-haired foreigner had arrived in Mondstadt City and had even fended off the Wind Demon Dragon.

"Oh, I forgot to introduce her! This is the friend I've been searching for! Xiangling! She's an amazing chef with delicious recipes!"

"We originally came to Liyue for food shopping... But after a series of unexpected events, we got separated. I never imagined we'd reunite here." Mu Jin provided a helpful explanation.

And the cherry on top? She had managed to collect a full set of ten crystals!

"Ah, so you're a friend of Miss Mu..."

The head maid blinked, a daring thought crossing her mind.

Encouraging her young mistress to make more friends was definitely a positive step.

"I was wondering if Miss Xiangling and the Honorary Knight have a moment? It's just about mealtime..."

No sooner had Mu Jin spoken than her stomach betrayed her with a few embarrassing rumbles.

She clutched her belly and offered an awkward smile, "What can I say? I skipped breakfast..."

After all, she had inadvertently polished off all the food at Eula's place.

And the lunchbox Mei had lovingly prepared? Mu Jin couldn't bring herself to eat it.

She needed to make another trip to Eula's house anyway; her clothes were still there.

When the head maid extended an invitation to Eula's villa, Xiangling accepted, protective as ever of Mu Jin.

And then there were Ying and Paimon...

Paimon: Missing out on tasty treats? That would be a travesty! Traveler! Count me in!

Ying: *sigh*

Why does our emergency ration have such a ravenous appetite?

Even in her faint state, Ying had a dim awareness of Paimon jostling her.

She even overheard that she owed her several Sweet Flower Wine Chickens (smile).

Next time, she mused, I might just make a Paimon stew in an iron pot.

A subtle smile graced Ying's face, one all too familiar to Paimon...

It was the prelude to mischief.

...Surely the Traveler hadn't caught her earlier words?

Oblivious to Ying's attention, Paimon gleefully approached Xiangling and Mu Jin.

For reasons unknown, Paimon felt an inexplicable bond with Mu Jin, the silvery-white girl who had once knocked out the Traveler with a single blow. She longed to be doted on by her.

So, she plopped right onto Mu Jin's head, almost as if Mu Jin had once reeled her in from the ocean's depths.

The head maid, having rented a carriage for today's grocery haul, didn't get them back to the villa until the afternoon.

By then, Mu Jin was famished, her eyes glazed over, mumbling incoherently.

The head maid wasted no time. Once the trio and their emergency ration were settled, she rolled up her sleeves and made a beeline for the kitchen.

Mu Jin had been itching to try her luck with the cards. Seizing any excuse, she washed her hands and slipped away quietly.

Wuwaa... The nerves...

Mu Jin glanced around, finding herself alone. She took deep breaths, in and out, attempting to quell the nervous flutter in her chest.

I'm not nervous, not one bit... Ugh! Darn it! I misspoke!

I am Mu Jin, and I'm not nervous at all...

After mentally rehearsing the affirmation several more times, she rubbed her hands together.

Then she confidently pressed the button for the standard supply box!