Ze sat obediently in the wooden tub, not daring to move.
Ganyu was holding a cloth, carefully washing his body.
Ze had originally planned to wash himself, but in despair discovered that his short little arms truly could not reach his back.
He could only ask Ganyu to help him.
Important!
Ganyu was fully dressed while helping Ze bathe!
There was absolutely nothing improper about it!
It really was just an elder bathing a small child!
This was simply humiliating!
Ze felt extremely distressed.
His master had to take responsibility!
And Ganyu?
As she washed him, she sighed softly. "Ze's skin is so nice."
Generally speaking, a child's skin is the purest.
Because they have only just come into this world, they have not yet been tainted by the various impurities of it.
As one remains longer and longer in the world, both the mind and the body become mixed with all kinds of things, losing that purity.
Although Ganyu's skin was also like snow, compared to Ze's it was slightly inferior.
But for Ganyu, who had already lived for thousands of years, having only this small difference was already remarkable.
Perhaps it was because of the steam, or perhaps because it was so late, but Ze felt his head grow hazy and unfocused.
At Ganyu's words, he only nodded. Nodded.
"Ze is really brave," Ganyu praised as she lathered him with foam. "When Master was little, I was very afraid of going into the water to bathe. But Ze isn't afraid at all."
Ganyu remembered that when she was little, she had been round and plump, and had very much disliked going into water to bathe.
At that time, Cloud Retainer would expend great effort to toss her into the pool, forcing her to wash clean.
By the end, Cloud Retainer's feathers would be soaked through, leaving her in a very bedraggled state.
Thinking of those embarrassing childhood moments, Ganyu smiled faintly.
If she recalled them herself, rather than having Cloud Retainer recount them in front of others, they were actually rather amusing.
"These past two days, Ze has really been very well-behaved."
Ganyu continued.
"As expected, my decision at the beginning was the right one."
Ganyu lifted her head, her gaze drifting elsewhere, her small face faintly flushed, and went on.
"If Ze had just been sealed away like that, it would have been too pitiful."
Ganyu brought her gaze back and washed Ze's little feet, her expression returning to normal.
"However, Master might not be a very competent master."
"I don't know if I can do well, but Master will work hard."
"If there's anything Ze doesn't like, you must tell Master."
…
For some reason, Ganyu now seemed to have opened a floodgate, constantly murmuring on and on.
Of course, it might also have been her way of easing the nervousness in her heart.
After all, taking care of a child like this was her first time.
In the end, Ze was wiped dry of all moisture by Ganyu.
Seeing that Ze had already closed his eyes and fallen into dreams, Ganyu laughed softly. "Already asleep."
As she spoke, she lifted the sleeping Ze and placed him on the bed.
But just as Ze was drifting deeper into sleep, Ganyu suddenly realized something, as though recalling something very important.
Without lingering, she hurriedly dressed Ze in his sleepwear, placed him properly on the bed, and then slipped off to wash up herself.
And Ze?
For some reason, in his sleep he began smacking his lips, perhaps dreaming of something delicious.
At this moment, Ganyu was somewhat troubled.
Only her plaintive, soft voice could be heard. "How did this happen…"
By the time Ganyu finished dealing with everything, it was already past midnight.
She was completely exhausted.
Looking at Ze beside the bed, Ganyu carefully climbed up next to him and curled up to sleep.
She had to seize the time to rest, otherwise tomorrow she would not be able to properly teach Ze or do her work well.
Fatigue overtook this half-adeptus, and she quickly fell into deep sleep.
However, not long after Ganyu fell asleep, Ze's stomach suddenly growled.
Fortunately, Ganyu was sleeping deeply and was not awakened.
Ze clutched his stomach and opened his eyes with slight discomfort.
"To be woken by hunger in the middle of the night… who could stand this!"
And it was indeed true. This time, Ze had not eaten any late-night snack.
Even though he had eaten his fill during the day, it had already been digested by now.
Just as Ze was still thinking about how to endure the hunger until morning, he suddenly smelled an indescribably delicate fragrance.
[Item preparation complete. Please collect.]
"Huh?! Now of all times?"
Ze's face lit with delight.
What could be happier than having something to fill your stomach when you're starving?
For a glutton like him, nothing!
Next, Ze twitched his nose and followed the scent that stirred his appetite, quickly climbing down from the bed.
"Where?"
"Where?"
"Where?"
Ze felt as though he were about to float from anticipation.
At last, inside a cabinet that emitted a faint chill, he found it.
"Here!"
Ze looked at the object before him in joy.
"A four-star item… no matter how you look at it, it's amazing."
"But speaking of which, if Qiqi knew, she'd probably be very envious."
As for what exactly it had turned into, even Ze himself was not entirely sure.
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