Carrying takeout on his way home, Lu Chen found himself thinking about the school's job fair, feeling a deep sense of unease. Compared to all the highly qualified applicants, Venti would probably be eliminated in the first round. No matter how good his singing or drumming skills were, he'd likely get buried under a pile of resumes, unable to stand out.
And yet, that guy Venti always wore a carefree smile, never taking anything seriously… He even swore up and down he'd be fine—so convincingly that Lu Chen nearly believed him...
While lost in thought, Raiden Ei nudged him with her arm.
"What's wrong?"
Lu Chen turned to her and saw her wearing a serious expression, her gaze locked in a single direction. Following it, Lu Chen spotted a flashy green supercar parked just beneath their apartment.
There were plenty of wealthy people in the city, and while the car was undeniably expensive, it wasn't exactly rare. Once he completed his challenge, Lu Chen figured he could afford something like it himself.
But Raiden Ei seemed especially wary of this car—tense, even.
"I can feel… someone watching us," she said.
Lu Chen took a closer look. The windows were pitch-black—completely impossible to see inside. Raiden Ei's instincts had always been sharp. If she sensed something was off, then there was definitely a reason.
Still, it was odd. Who would use such a flashy car to spy on someone?
While they were still puzzling over it, the green supercar slowly pulled away and drove off.
With Raiden Ei's speed, catching up to it would've been effortless, but Lu Chen didn't let her go. They had dinner to get to—chasing down sports cars for fun wasn't worth it.
It wasn't arrogance—just realism. In this world, there were barely any humans who could pose a real threat to him.
"Come on, time to eat!"
He pulled the reluctant Raiden Ei along, and the two of them got into the elevator.
...
Back home, Lu Chen immediately felt the thick presence of Anemo energy, followed by the pounding rhythm of jazz drums echoing from the bedroom. The beats were so lively that they made him unconsciously start nodding along. He hadn't expected Venti to pick it up this quickly.
Still, weren't the drums a little too loud?
Lu Chen rushed to close the door, worried Old Man Zhang from downstairs might come knocking.
Even so, the booming rhythm filled every room. After a while, Lu Chen felt like the whole world was moving to the beat—even the apples on the table seemed to be bobbing along.
"He's been practicing since this morning," Raiden Ei said quietly.
"You mean… he's been drumming all day?" Lu Chen was surprised.
And the neighbors hadn't called the police? Nothing happened?
Curious, Lu Chen pushed open the bedroom door. Venti was sitting behind the drum set, alternating between light and heavy strikes, looking surprisingly professional. No wine bottles on the table or bed either—it seemed like he really was focused.
"Dinner time. Knock it off." Lu Chen tossed an apple at him.
The apple flew toward Venti's face, then slowed down, finally hovering in front of his nose.
Venti rolled his eyes, set down the drumsticks, and extended his hand. The apple landed gently in his palm.
Apples were his favorite. He took a huge bite, chewing as he grumbled, "I just found the groove! I was on the verge of mastering jazz drumming! Now it's all ruined because of you."
Lu Chen wasn't in the mood for his nonsense. "Just come out and eat. I ordered takeout."
Muttering complaints, Venti still made his way to the dining table.
Lu Chen hadn't felt like cooking, so he'd grabbed pizza and some sweet pastries on the way home. Both deities needed to eat, and these choices should suit their tastes.
Venti picked up a slice of steaming pizza. The golden mozzarella stretched into strings, releasing a rich aroma of cheese and meat.
He shoved the whole slice into his mouth in one go. His eating habits might've been messy, but he was good-looking enough to make it still look pleasant. Lu Chen thought maybe these two should just start a food vlog together—they'd make a fortune.
While they were eating, Lu Chen brought up the noise issue. If Venti had really been drumming all day, Old Man Zhang would definitely have complained. The silence now felt suspicious.
"You're an idiot!" Venti finally got his chance to mock Lu Chen. "You've got an Anemo Vision and didn't even notice? The whole apartment's surrounded by a wind field."
"Uh…?"
Now that he thought back to when he opened the door, it had felt that way. The realization clicked.
"You used wind to block the sound?"
"Not completely hopeless." Venti swallowed another bite, speaking with his mouth full. "All thanks to my patient guidance as the Anemo Archon."
"What guidance? Teaching me how to slack off?" Lu Chen shot him a look of disdain.
Venti's greatest influence on Mondstadt was probably that laid-back, easygoing atmosphere. From the Knights of Favonius to the street vendors, the whole city gave off a vibe of laziness. People openly slacked off everywhere...
Well, except for Jean.
"What do you know!" Venti suddenly pulled out a bottle of wine. "The free city of Mondstadt is my proudest creation. Where else in Teyvat can you find this kind of carefree vibe…"
Lu Chen glanced at the bottle—he'd switched from vodka to whiskey. This guy really knew how to enjoy life. Lu Chen stood up to grab some ice from the fridge.
Venti did have a point. Mondstadt—the City of Wind and Song—was filled with the scent of windmills, dandelions, and wine. It truly lived up to its name as a free city.
And its character wasn't unrelated to Barbatos, the creator of New Mondstadt.
With that in mind, Lu Chen suddenly felt less anxious about completing his challenge. His mood lightened in a way he couldn't quite explain. Maybe that was Venti's subtle influence.
Watching him—so carefree, like a bird soaring through the sky—it felt like no problem was unsolvable.
...
Just as that thought ended, Lu Chen remembered something else.
"Did you notice someone spying on us from downstairs?"
"Spying? When?"
"Right now." It was Raiden Ei who spoke this time. At some point, she'd gotten up and walked to the kitchen, now peering out the window.
Lu Chen and Venti both joined her. Outside, they saw the green supercar flash by on the street.
So it hadn't left—it had just changed positions to keep watching from another angle.
But seriously, what kind of idiot tries to tail people in a car like that?
"Oh? It's him!" Venti said knowingly.
"You know him?" Lu Chen frowned.
Venti nodded. "That musician. He still hasn't left?"