Genshin Impact's Sweet and Hard Free People

However, despite her intense aversion to alcohol, she hasn't given up yet. Creating incredibly awful drinks and single-handedly destroying Mondstadt's liquor business remains Diona's relentless pursuit, though she hasn't succeeded in doing so far.

Wendy sat across from Diona, smiling at her. He also enjoyed the drinks Diona made, though he always noticed that the ingredients she used were a bit odd.

"Just a fruit drink, Diona, I brought some cash with me today."

Chapter Seventy-One: The Arrival of Wear and Tear

"Ugh, you drunkard!" Diona said angrily when she heard Wendy say that.

If she knew how to make fruit wine, would she always be unsure of what ingredients to use? The key is that she herself doesn't even know what kind of wine she'll end up making. Most customers would accept anything as long as it's drinkable, unlike Wendy who has such high standards.

But Wendy thought, mixing a fruit wine shouldn't be difficult, right? Is that too much to ask? That would be unreasonable.

Wait a minute, why are you putting in Jueyun chili peppers when I asked you to make fruit wine?

Seeing this, Wendy was at a loss for words. If he didn't know Diona's constitution, he was afraid that what he made would be undrinkable.

Wendy has one peculiar trait: he can't help but sneeze whenever a cat gets close, not even thinking about it. Therefore, Wendy's principle for choosing a workplace (a retail location) is: avoid cats. But generally, the cats that pass by seem to like him quite a bit.

So, if he had somewhere to drink today, he wouldn't have chosen Cat's Tail Tavern. Just seeing Diona's cat ears made his nose itch, and he felt like sneezing again.

Just as he was about to rub his nose to suppress his impulse, a hand reached out from behind Wendy and put on his shoulder.

"Ah sneeze!"

Wendy couldn't help but burst out, but after he sneezed, he couldn't help but turn around to see who had put their arm around his shoulder.

Turning around, he met Xin Hui's bright, golden eyes.

Xin Hui immediately noticed the halo in Wendy's green eyes, her familiar bard attire, and the harp she was playing, all of which hinted at the identity of the person before him—Barbatos, the god of wind.

"It's you?" Wendy's pupils contracted, a hint of disbelief flashing across her face. But just then, Diona's cocktail was served, and Wendy smiled and said to Xinhui.

"Wait a minute, my wine is ready."

That seemed to mean, "Let me finish my drink before we talk." Xin Hui was amused by him; he had to admit, this guy was really carefree, nothing seemed more important than drinking.

“Fifteen Mora in total, drunken poet.” Diona crossed her small arms, her attitude toward Wendy also harsh.

Wendy had no choice but to obediently hand over the Mora in her hand. Diona was also surprised after taking the money and couldn't help but tease her.

"Looks like you made a lot of money busking today?"

"Oh, not at all, just barely making ends meet," Wendy said, scratching the back of her head somewhat embarrassed. "A street singer? What's that called? Did you learn it from that little guy named Paimon?"

"It's all because of someone. He was supposed to be a bard, singing beautiful poems, but those who listened to him sing treated him like a beggar."

"Doesn't this show that there are still people willing to listen? At least, I didn't force anyone to pay me."

"..."

The two deepened their friendship through small talk, and Wendy took the opportunity to sip the fruit wine she had made. Although the color was a bit strange, at least the taste was right. It was made with Jueyun pepper and even had a hint of apple cider.

Xin Hui observed the two chatting from the side and roughly understood what Wendy usually did in Mondstadt—playing the harp, letting loose, and occasionally shamelessly asking for a drink elsewhere.

That's something only the most lazy god could do.

"What would you like to drink, sir?" Diona noticed Xinhui standing to the side at that moment.

"No, thank you."

Xin Hui politely declined; he had already drunk quite a bit of dandelion wine that day, so he didn't ask for any more drinks. Watching Diona return to the bar, Xin Hui's gaze then fell on Wendy.

"How long do you want me to wait?" Xinhui said irritably from the side.

He discovered that one cannot be too polite to a deity like Wendy; sometimes, being too polite would be taken for granted.

"No, I didn't mean to leave you hanging. It's just... there's one last sip of wine left." Wendy said with a silly grin, then poured the last bit of liquid from the glass into her mouth.

After finishing the drink, he couldn't help but lick his lips, seemingly savoring the wonderful taste of the fruit wine.

After Wendy put down the cup, her eyes, which had reopened, shone brightly and clearly, and her expression returned to seriousness.

"What...are you back for?"

With that soft recitation and his serious gaze, Xin Hui almost succumbed to Wendy's intimidation.

Wendy is a god who does not understand his own situation, so Xinhui could only sit and talk to him slowly, recounting everything from the beginning to the purpose of his trip to Mondstadt.

After listening to Xin Hui's vast and complex story, Wendy felt a headache coming on; anyone who didn't know better would have thought he was telling a novel.

But Wendy was very clear about one thing: Xinhui had already achieved that level, which was truly remarkable.

"I never expected you to choose this outcome in the end." Wendy's words carried a hint of regret, as well as pity and sorrow.

“I just figured it out later. I didn’t have the courage back in Teyvat. It was only after I left Teyvat that I realized it was actually my home,” Xinhui answered him sincerely.

The two reunited like old friends who hadn't seen each other for years, appreciating each other's talents. And indeed, that was the case. After a thousand years apart, the legendary wind god, unusually generous, ordered two more glasses of fruit wine from Diona.

But Wendy hesitated a bit when it came time to pay. Seeing his expression, which seemed to be trying to fool people with a silly grin, Xin Hui already understood.

"I'll pay."

Xin Hui couldn't help but chuckle, after all, this once revered Wind God was now just a penniless bard.

After paying, Wendy held his glass of wine in his hands and sipped it slowly, while Xinhui sat opposite him, drinking and chatting at the same time.

“I’ve only heard a little about the matter of [Eymourne], but I didn’t expect that after you mentioned it, I realized that the eyes of the heavens have been on Teyvat since then,” Wendy said nonchalantly, seemingly no longer caring about these things.

In response to his words, Xin Hui couldn't help but ask, "So, are you going to keep wallowing in this? Keep running away?"

This is indeed a very heavy question. It is painful for a person to make a difficult choice, let alone make a choice that has no hope.

Wendy seemed to have anticipated his question. She closed her eyes slightly and shook her head. "If there were a chance to turn things around, I might explore it, but now... my wear and tear is about to begin..."

Chapter 72 Wendy's Divine Power

Wear and tear, [磨] means wear and tear, [损] means loss and damage, together means loss due to wear and tear, and the word wear and tear refers to the mental aspect.

As time passes or through various experiences, things or people undergo changes in their temperament, cognition, and so on, and these changes generally refer to negative ones.

Even the wear and tear on an ordinary person can cause changes in their heart and a wavering of their will. But once a god undergoes such a change, their power will be diminished, their memories will be eroded, and they may even forget their most essential original intentions.

How can the rules governing the world be changed by the sake of insignificant beings?

"I see. Your [wear and tear] is also approaching." Although Xin Hui knew that wear and tear would eventually come, he couldn't help but sigh, "Even you, as one of the oldest gods, cannot resist the erosion of time?"

Wendy smiled calmly at this, "You know it's something you can't escape, so when it comes, just face it. Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. Old friends are getting together, so we should enjoy ourselves."

After Wendy finished speaking, she gently raised her glass again, and Xinhui, understanding the situation, raised his glass to meet hers. The glasses clinked lightly, making a crisp sound. Xinhui and Wendy both drank their glasses down in one gulp, followed by an indescribable feeling of exhilaration.

"I've only just realized how special Diona's cocktails are, but all in all, they taste good," Wendy said, his face slightly flushed. For a bard like him, there must be no greater joy than this.

Diona, that must refer to the little bartender. Xin Hui glanced at her, then hesitated for a moment before saying, "Is that girl's constitution a curse? Or…?"

Clearly, he also noticed the difference in Diona's physique.

"You noticed too? So that child is indeed a treasure. I really want to kidnap her and make me drinks every day. But I can't touch cats, not even cat ears and tails. Otherwise, hmph~" Wendy said with a mischievous grin. Can you imagine a god saying something so indecent?

But then this deity appeared right in front of Xinhui, leaving Xinhui feeling helpless. "You really value wine more than anything else."

He wasn't acting seriously, and Xin Hui was worried that something might happen if he continued like this. However, she also knew that he had his own considerations; perhaps Wendy was hiding some scheme from him!

“By the way, that sword you’re carrying…” Wendy glanced at Xin Hui’s ice-blue longsword, feeling a little strange, because it seemed to have Morax’s divine power on it.

Seeing his interest, Xin Hui handed him the sword and patiently explained its history, including how Morax had used divine power to nurture it.

"Since that's the case, I'll also use some of my divine power to nurture it. It seems to be a very spiritual weapon." As Wendy gently stroked the [Divine Blessing], its surface shimmered with a fluorescent glow, giving off a feeling of joy and longing.

"Is everything alright?" Xin Hui asked with some doubt and worry, because Wendy looked pitifully weak now, and her divine power was very weak, just like when he himself had not regained his power.

Wendy naturally understood Xinhui's doubts, but he did not deny it, seemingly because he did not want to argue.

Wendy gestured for Xinhui to wait a moment, and then a greenish-blue power surged from his body—wind elemental power. This wind elemental power cleverly formed a barrier.

In other words, he first used elemental power to create a barrier, surrounding the two of them. Inside the barrier, Wendy slightly raised his right hand, and a seven-colored ball of light condensed in his hand. Observing the energy contained within, it was Barbatos's divine power surging like a tide.

Most people would probably feel suffocated by such immense divine power. It was only thanks to Xinhui that he was able to unleash the power of the Frostfire Nail and the Core Crystal that he remained unaffected.

Wendy slowly merged the ball of light into [Divine Blessing]. This time, the latter's aura could be felt to be visibly increasing.

Once the barrier dissipated, Wendy returned to his usual weak appearance, a stark contrast to the powerful figure he had been inside the barrier.

So that's how it is. He was also hiding himself to avoid the gaze of the heavens.

"This is truly a sword with potential." Wendy stroked the blade of [Divine Radiance], praising it highly. "Alright, let's end our meeting with old friends here for now; the tavern needs to close."

As Wendy spoke, she picked up her harp and prepared to leave Cattail Tavern.

"If you have the chance, you can come to the square to listen to my bard's poems." This was Wendy's farewell, a way of asking for his support in his business.

After retrieving the [Divine Blessing], Xin Hui prepared to leave the [Cat Tail Tavern]. However, before leaving, he ordered two more glasses of fruit wine, the kind that were taken away, so that Ke Qing and the others could also try this unique drink.

Walking along the streets of Mondstadt at night, the occasional soft meow of a cat could be heard beside the quiet road. Xin Hui couldn't appreciate couples sitting on benches talking about love in such a peaceful setting, so she quickened her pace, looking for a place to stay.

Fortunately, Xinhui had memorized the contents of the map beforehand, so he didn't get lost in Mondstadt.

He arrived at an apartment building, stood there for a while, and tried hard to recall the contents of the map before confirming that this was the place where Commander Qin had assigned everyone to live, while the Thousand Rock Army had other arrangements.

He wanted to knock before entering, but found that the door was not closed. He guessed that Ke Qing and the others had left the door open because it was too late and he hadn't returned yet.

I slowly pushed open the door and stepped into the apartment. The room was still quite dark; the lights were off, and only moonlight streamed in through the window, giving it a somewhat airy feel.

Xinhui looked around carefully and realized that the first floor was actually the living room, with all kinds of facilities, such as sofas, tables, and even a bathroom.

Based on this, the bedroom should be on the second floor, right?

With no other option, Xinhui tiptoed up the stairs. It was already so late, and Keqing and the others were probably asleep. He could only try his best not to make any noise so as not to disturb them.

As expected, Ke Qing, Hu Tao, and Gan Yu were indeed asleep, but Gan Yu was most likely drunk, which was why the room was dark. What surprised Xin Hui the most was that there was only one bedroom on the second floor, and although the bedroom was large, it only contained two large beds.

It seems to have been a last-minute arrangement, and even the ensemble leader forgot about it.

Seeing this, Xinhui couldn't help but smile bitterly to himself. Now, he didn't even have a place to sleep...

Chapter Seventy-Three: Let's Sleep Together