Chapter 524

Klee and Qiqi ran in from outside. When they saw Hu Tao was also there, Qiqi stopped in her tracks.

"Hu... Walnut... Sister Hu Tao!"

Qiqi and Klee greeted everyone, and Klee quickly ran to Takumi. As for Qiqi, after glancing at Hu Tao, she subconsciously took a step back. She still wasn't too keen on being around Hu Tao.

Seeing Qiqi, Hu Tao was delighted. She stood up from the sofa, ran over, and hugged Qiqi tightly.

"Hehe! Qiqi's back—don't run away! It's cold outside, come in!"

Hu Tao, ignoring Qiqi's half-hearted struggle, carried her back to the sofa and sat down. The rest of the group also entered the house, greeting everyone warmly.

Klee ran straight to Takumi, holding up the ring hanging around her neck.

"Big Brother Takumi! Klee completed the mission! All the teleportation anchors in Mondstadt have been lit up by me!"

Little Klee looked up at Takumi expectantly, hoping to be praised.

Takumi nodded, rubbing Klee's head gently.

"Thank you, Klee! You did a great job. I'll make something delicious for you tonight."

Klee's eyes sparkled.

"Really? Klee wants to eat fish—is that okay?"

"No problem!"

Takumi agreed without hesitation. Preparing fish was no big deal. He put away the ring Klee handed him and asked her to sit on the sofa. The little girl was warm and bundled up well, so Takumi wasn't worried about her catching a cold.

After helping Klee settle in, Takumi turned to Himeko.

"How was your trip? Did you enjoy Mondstadt?"

Himeko gave a thumbs-up.

"Mondstadt is a wonderful place. The freedom of the city truly lives up to its reputation! The wine there is top-notch. I even found a great drinking buddy."

She grinned, though there was something mischievous in her expression. Her drinking buddy turned out to be a rather unconventional nun.

"Himeko Aunt and Sister Rosaria drank for two days straight. Sister Barbara was really mad."

Klee added with a cheeky smile. Hearing this, Himeko felt a bit embarrassed. She had intended to explore Mondstadt, but most of her time had been spent in the tavern.

Takumi chuckled.

"It sounds like you had fun. That's all that matters."

Relieved that Takumi didn't scold her, Himeko relaxed and found a place to sit. She looked at Takumi curiously.

"By the way, why aren't you at work today? Are you that free now?"

She poured herself a cup of tea as she asked.

Takumi shrugged.

"There's not much to do lately. I've been busy helping a few people recently, so I'm taking a break."

Himeko raised an eyebrow.

"Helping a few people? Is that what all that energy was about? I could feel it even in Mondstadt."

She didn't press for details, instead turning to chat with Hu Tao about the insurance company. Himeko was still a consultant for Hu Tao's business, receiving a steady salary and the occasional treat to a drink.

The little ones, however, couldn't sit still for long. After a short while, they all started to run outside to play, leaving only Takumi, Himeko, Hu Tao, and Noelle in the house.

Noelle busied herself tidying up and preparing for dinner. Takumi quickly stopped her.

"Noelle, don't cook tonight. Let's go out to eat. We'll head to Xiangling's hot pot restaurant."

Noelle nodded.

"Okay, Master Takumi."

With dinner plans settled, Noelle shifted her focus to cleaning up the house. She had been away for a while, and her sense of duty compelled her to tidy every corner.

After a bit more conversation, Hu Tao suggested.

"Takumi, let's go! Help me set up the heating runes in my villa. Himeko, you can live there from now on. It's empty most of the time, so you might as well use it."

Hearing this, Himeko agreed without hesitation. The idea of a warm, comfortable place to stay was too good to pass up.

Together, they went to Hu Tao's villa, and Takumi installed the alchemical runes that provided a gentle, consistent warmth. When the setup was complete, Hu Tao looked around with satisfaction.

"Great! This is so much better!"

Himeko, watching the whole process, couldn't help but marvel.

"Alchemy is truly incredible. Scientifically speaking, this doesn't make sense at all!"

Takumi smirked.

"This is a world of magic, not science. Even a scientist with twin ponytails and blue hair would be baffled. It's not about science—it's about magic."

Himeko shrugged.

"Well, if theresa knew about magic, she'd probably be thrilled."

Her expression turned nostalgic. theresa ... if only she could see this world. She might finally become the magical girl she had always dreamed of being.

"All done! Thank you! Now, let's go eat!"

Hu Tao was eager to leave. She checked the time on her phone and called out to the others.

Takumi agreed and sent a video call to Klee. When the call connected, instead of Klee's face, a more mature version appeared on the screen.

Takumi was momentarily stunned. The woman on the screen blinked and then grinned.

"Mom, it's Big Brother Takumi!"

Klee's voice came from off-screen, and Takumi immediately understood. This wasn't Klee—it was Alice! The famous adventurer and Klee's mother.

His mind raced. What was Alice doing here? Did this mean a new adventure was on the horizon?

Takumi took a deep breath. Whatever happened next, it was sure to be interesting.