Junze hazily opened his eyes.
He felt that he was lying on a soft bed.
This kind of sensation truly felt like something he had not experienced for a long time.
In the days since his birth, he had always slept inside the eggshell.
The hard shell had at most given him a place to stay, and it had been constantly shrinking. Comfort was completely out of the question.
"Little one, since you're awake, stop lazing about on this adeptus's bed!"
Junze suddenly heard a very unfamiliar voice and was so startled that he quickly sat up.
Leaning against the wall, he saw clearly the owner of that voice just now.
It was a great immortal crane. Of course, Junze also recognized this one, Cloud Retainer.
An adeptus who loved to chat and possessed a latent tsundere personality.
"You're awake!"
Seeing that Junze had woken up, Ganyu revealed a charming smile.
Ganyu asked again, "Do you feel alright?"
"Ah— mm!"
Junze wanted to speak, but his current body still did not seem capable of supporting speech.
Realizing he could not speak, Junze could only lower his head in grievance.
Ganyu also seemed to realize that Junze was not yet able to talk. She gently stroked his head and said, "Sorry, I didn't know you still couldn't speak."
Ganyu's touch felt extremely comfortable to Junze, and he even cooperated by stretching his head toward her.
Feeling that Junze was not repulsed by her, and even close to her, surprise appeared on Ganyu's face.
However, before Junze could enjoy it for long, he heard Cloud Retainer say something very frightening.
"The hatchling of Taotie should indeed be sealed away."
Cloud Retainer spoke from the side.
"!!!"
Hearing Cloud Retainer's words, Junze nearly exploded in fright.
Taotie! Sealed!
Indeed, the system had already said earlier that as Taotie, his relationship with auspicious beasts and the adepti would inevitably be hostile. They might even directly kill him while he was still in infancy.
Something like sealing him was entirely normal.
For a moment, fear appeared in Junze's eyes as he cautiously retreated a little.
An anxious, uneasy expression appeared on his face.
He absolutely did not want to be sealed like this.
Junze looked toward Ganyu and noticed that her expression did not seem very supportive. She was hesitating.
Ganyu looked at Junze, who had stepped back half a pace and now resembled a frightened little animal. A pained expression appeared on her face.
Meanwhile, Cloud Retainer standing to the side said, "Judging by the little one's reaction, it seems he understands what we are saying. Truly worthy of being Taotie's hatchling."
As she spoke, Cloud Retainer leaned in close before Junze.
Looking at Cloud Retainer towering over him, Junze felt like fish on a chopping block, ready to be slaughtered at any moment.
Junze timidly shuffled behind Ganyu.
After all, he felt Ganyu could at least protect him a little.
Ganyu looked helplessly at Cloud Retainer and said, "Master, you frightened him."
Hearing her disciple's complaint, Cloud Retainer relented and said, "Alright, alright, I won't tease him anymore. Besides, how was this adeptus supposed to know such a small child would understand our words?"
"However, unstable factors indeed exist within this child's body. The best method is still sealing."
Proposing sealing already showed that Cloud Retainer was very merciful.
After all, the power within Taotie's body was extremely terrifying. Under normal circumstances, it would be eliminated directly. Cloud Retainer choosing sealing had already left Junze a path to live.
But even so, Ganyu still could not bear it.
She looked at Junze shrinking behind her, pitiful and miserable.
She hesitated for a moment, then spoke. "Master, is there any other way?"
Cloud Retainer looked at Ganyu strangely and asked, "What is it? Why does this adeptus feel you care very much about this child?"
Ganyu met Junze's eyes, then placed a hand on her chest and said, "I don't know why, but I feel this child is fated with me."
Perhaps the moment of eternal first sight just now had not belonged only to Junze. It applied to Ganyu as well.
Somewhere in the unseen, Ganyu felt that she and Junze had already formed a connection.
And hearing Ganyu say this, Junze also looked at her blankly.
"Fated?"
Indeed, if not fated, why had Junze been born for so many days, causing such commotion, yet the one who ultimately found him was still Ganyu?
"Oh? Is that so?"
Hearing Ganyu say this, understanding appeared on Cloud Retainer's face.
This adeptus seemed to know some other things.
Cloud Retainer said, "If that is the case, then do you intend to adopt this child?"
"Eh?! Adopt?!"
Ganyu, who had only wanted to prevent Junze from being sealed, had completely not expected this situation. She looked stunned, her gaze shifting back and forth between Cloud Retainer and Junze.
Yet seeing Cloud Retainer's serious expression, Ganyu panicked.
And when Junze heard the word adopt, his face filled with delight.
This truly was a sudden turn of fortune.
He had already resigned himself to fate, but who could have imagined that not only would he be fine, he could even complete the task while lying down.
Junze looked at Ganyu with eager anticipation.
"Adopt… I, I probably can't do that."
Ganyu looked at Junze in distress. "And I still have work at Liyue Harbor. I simply don't have time to take care of you."
"Y-you… don't, don't look at me like that."
Yet Junze's gaze only grew more fervent.
"I-it really won't work."
Ganyu became extremely timid and easy to bully.
Under Junze's gaze, she found herself unable to resist at all.