Chapter 22: Me and Captain Jean are definitely not in that kind of relationship.
"You accompany me..."
Jams looked at the energetic Barbara and asked, "Do you know how to fish?"
"No, but you can teach me, right?" Barbara blinked her eyes.
"Tsk."
Jams furrowed his brow, holding his chin in contemplation.
...
Barbara felt a bit frustrated seeing Jams seemingly hesitant, and couldn't help but feel defeated.
What does this expression mean? Do you find me repulsive?
Is it that your standards are too high, Jams, or am I not enticing enough as Barbara?
"Why is it that Noelle can, but I can't? Jams, you're being unfair!"
Barbara still had a smile on her face, but it seemed forced no matter how you looked at it.
"You misunderstood, that's not what I meant."
Jams shook his head, helplessly saying, "I would love for you to fish with us, but for certain reasons, I'm currently busy with Noelle's guidance, and time is running out."
Normally, he would gladly fish with Barbara.
But Jams had the "Pass the Flame" task at hand, which required him to invite another teammate within three days to expand the fishing team to four members.
Calculating the time, there was only one day left for the task.
Currently, the chances of successfully recruiting Noelle were the highest.
"I really don't understand what you're talking about."
Barbara blinked her eyes, but she didn't feel discouraged. Instead, she smiled and cheered Jams on, "But I believe in you! After all, you're the person who gained Klee's and Captain Jean's trust in a short time. Keep up the good work no matter what!"
Swoosh!
A youthful and radiant aura surged forth, and Jams suddenly felt that the girl in front of him became even more dazzling and inspiring, filling his heart with endless determination.
"Well deserved."
Jams looked at Barbara with an appreciative gaze, his lips curling up, revealing a clean and sunny smile. "By the way, how did you end up with Klee? Did Captain Jean ask you to help babysit because she was too busy?"
"Something like that."
Barbara nodded. "Captain Jean... she still worries about Klee being with you."
"Tsk, Captain Jean is hitting below the belt. Does she even suspect me, a righteous gentleman?"
Jams lifted the little Klee in his arms and said in a displeased tone, "With me, Klee won't be eaten, right?"
"No, Captain Jean is mainly worried about you."
Barbara tiptoed and patted Jams' shoulder, helplessly saying, "Captain Jean said that if you get knocked out again, she wants to make sure you receive timely healing. She doesn't want to lose a friend she just made."
"Just made... a friend?"
Jams raised an eyebrow, speaking in a serious tone, "Nonsense, Captain Jean and I have never used that term!"
"You're dead!"
Barbara, not sure what came over her, blushed as she pressed her hand on Jams' shoulder, suddenly making small fists and playfully punching him a few times.
Sister Jean, she's really too caring. She even worries about this smooth-talking old boy!
"So, you understand this meme?"
Jams winked at Barbara, giving her a meaningful look. "Could it be that we're kindred spirits..."
"Annoying! Who's a kindred spirit with you!"
Barbara glared at Jams, her graceful curves fluctuating, taking a few deep breaths but failing to calm herself.
"Alright, alright, I'm sorry, Archbishop Barbara."
Although Barbara's pouting appearance had its charm, Jams also knew that he shouldn't go too far.
Barbara was Jean's sister, who had even healed his wounds before. It was only right and proper to restrain himself.
"Cough!"
Jams lightly coughed and recalled the protocols of the Knights of Favonius, bowing to Barbara and speaking in a solemn tone, "Please forgive my audacity, madam."
"You... pfft~"
Barbara widened her beautiful eyes at Jams' sudden display of elegance, then couldn't help but burst into laughter, her previous annoyance completely dissipated.
"Your movements are way off, it's obvious that you're improvising. But I accept your apology, so lift your head."
Barbara extended her hand and lightly supported Jams as a sign of respect.
"Not up to standard?"
Klee tilted her head, looking puzzled. Why did she think Jams' etiquette was quite standard? At least it was more standard than hers.
Jams smiled and said, "Although it's not up to standard, it's still my first time. Barbara, you've taken away my first... Ahem, let's not talk about it."
Swoosh!
Seeing Barbara squinting her eyes and summoning blue water splashes in her hand, as if ready to spray him in the face at any moment, Jams suddenly became docile.
"Hehe."
Barbara allowed the Hydro element to dance around her and laughed, asking, "So, are you planning to continue fishing by the lake or go to Mondstadt to find your Noelle?"
"Let's continue fishing."
Jams held his chin, smiled wryly, and shook his head. "I've thought about it, and considering Noelle's personality, she probably wouldn't feel comfortable coming out to see me right now. Instead of forcing her to go out, it's better to let her calm down first."
Noelle may seem gentle, but she's actually prone to overthinking. If Jams is too aggressive, it might have the opposite effect.
Jams understood the principle of not rushing into things.
"It seems like you genuinely care about Noelle, which is nice."
Barbara's violet eyes sparkled even brighter, and with a swoosh, the water elements around her suddenly twisted, forming the shape of an oak tree.
"In that case, would you like to go to Windrise and relax together?"
"Windrise?"
Jams raised an eyebrow.
"Yes."
Barbara stuck out her tongue, somewhat embarrassed, and said, "Tomorrow, I'm in charge of cleaning the wind statues near Windrise. If we can finish the work today, we won't have to make another trip tomorrow."
Jams had a sudden realization and looked at Barbara with a newfound approval. This person is also an expert at slacking off, a true comrade.
"It doesn't matter to me whether we go to Windrise or not, but I have one question."
"Please ask."
"Is there a fishing spot near Windrise?"
"Of course!"
Barbara raised her small fist and said enthusiastically, "There's a small lake near the wind statues in Windrise. It's said that the fish in that lake have been blessed by the Anemo Archon, Barbatos. Catching them brings good luck!"
"Forget about the Archon's blessing, I just hope they're delicious."
Jams and Klee both licked their lips at the thought of fish blessed by the Archon. They must be incredibly tasty!
Besides being interested in the taste of the fish, Jams also wanted to know if he could get any special bonuses for fishing near the wind statues. Exploring the system's functionalities was one of Jams' pleasures.
"Hehe, thank you for willing to accompany me. As a token of gratitude, I'll take care of grilling the fish for you later!" Barbara held Jams and Klee's hands and smiled warmly, like the sun.
"We're all friends, no need to be polite."
Jams carried his fishing gear and Klee on his back, looked towards the direction of Windrise, and shouted, "Barbara, let's go!"
"Cough..."
Barbara's expression froze, her mouth that was about to open tightly shut again, and her amethyst eyes glared at Jams.
Do you know how frustrating it is to have your lines stolen? You fool!
The group arrived at Windrise before noon.
Surrounded by gusts of wind, a giant oak tree stood in the middle of the valley.
The tree's canopy protected the statues underneath from wind and rain, with a clear lake surrounding it and fragrant grass and falling petals all around.
Throughout the centuries, the scenery here seemed unchanged.
Jams and Klee settled beneath the oak tree, setting up their stools and preparing their fishing rods for today's angling.
Barbara, on the other hand, went ahead to complete the cleaning of the statues.
A gentle breeze rustled through the leaves, creating a soothing sound.
Swoosh!
Just then, Jams felt a tug on his fishing rod, and the float on the lake surface started shaking vigorously.
He had a fish on the line!
"You have caught a blessed adult Blackfin Cod. Charisma +18, Physical Fitness +8, Anemo Resistance +6, Divinity +1."
Jams raised an eyebrow.
"Divinity?"
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone