Genshin Impact: My villain system is a little different.

The next day, since everyone had some free time, they all decided to return home first to see what had happened before heading off to work. 

Even Keqing, who usually avoided such gatherings, reluctantly joined in, acting all tsundere as she agreed to come along and see the commotion… 

Under the eager gazes of everyone, Lumine was helped out by Jiang Ning. 

Her legs, exposed beneath her skirt, trembled slightly as she took small, careful steps. 

Her face wasn't glowing with post-"hydration" radiance but was instead pale, her lips also lacking color. 

She looked like she had been drained of all life. 

The women were shocked. None of them had ever ended up like this before! 

What had Jiang Ning done? Was he really so incapable of cherishing beauty? 

They quickly rushed over to help Lumine, trying to get her to sit down. But the moment her bottom touched the chair, she hissed in pain and immediately stood back up. 

The sudden movement aggravated her injuries, causing her to grimace and turn even paler. 

"What's going on?" Ningguang asked urgently. 

"I… I can't sit down. It hurts…" 

Lumine was on the verge of tears. What had she been thinking last night? They say men can lose their minds to lust, but she was a woman! What was her excuse? 

Helpless, they found a small bed for Lumine to lie face down on. 

Xianyun immediately grabbed Jiang Ning's ear and scolded him: 

"You brat, you really don't know your own strength, do you? How could you be so rough?" 

Jiang Ning winced, "That hurts, Master." 

Xianyun glared at him, "You dare complain about pain? Look at what you've done to poor Lumine!" 

Jiang Ning wanted to cry. Was this really his fault? Lumine had brought the injuries on herself by being so reckless. 

And as for the "supplements," after some discussion, they concluded that Paimon must have been the one to slip them into his drink. 

After all, his other partners knew his stamina well. Lumine, being new to this, would have been in serious trouble if she'd taken those supplements. 

To prevent any harm to Lumine, Jiang Ning had gone for a "three-round" approach. 

As a result, Lumine's voice was hoarse—partly from screaming, partly from… other reasons. 

And now, she couldn't even sit down. 

After hearing the full story, Xianyun let go of Jiang Ning and gave Lumine a strange look. 

This girl was clearly a reckless fighter. Hadn't she charged at Osial with a dull blade during the invasion, completely ignoring the gap between herself and a god? If it hadn't been for the adepti's intervention, Lumine would have been reduced to Lumine-flavored water. 

Paimon, meanwhile, was being tearfully scolded by Lumine, leaving the little creature feeling guilty. She flew over with a fruit platter, trying to make amends. 

After this incident, combined with her past experiences, Lumine realized something. 

Paimon could sometimes be a real liability… 

But there was no denying that she could also be incredibly useful. 

So, Lumine's feelings toward Paimon were a mix of frustration and amusement. 

Jiang Ning said, "I'll take care of Lumine. If anyone has work to do, you can go ahead." 

But Xianyun immediately vetoed the idea, "You're too clumsy to take proper care of her. I'll do it. I have nothing to do today anyway." 

Raiden Makoto also chimed in, "I'll help too… Saiguu, you stay home today." 

Kitsune Saiguu pouted, "Fine." 

She had been hoping for something more exciting, but oh well. 

She'd just have to take care of her little sister. 

Everyone went off to work, and Jiang Ning was kicked out. 

Because now, every time Jiang Ning touched Lumine, she would instinctively tremble. 

Her whole body would shake like a leaf. 

A whole night of conditioning had left her with a reflex, and the other women looked at her with pity. 

Poor girl, she probably wouldn't be able to enjoy her nights for a while. 

On the other hand, being cared for by an Archon, a powerful youkai, and an adeptus all at once made Lumine the first person in Teyvat to receive such treatment. 

Truly unprecedented. 

As for Jiang Ning… he hadn't yet reached the level of handling this trio. 

… 

Jiang Ning wandered the streets when he suddenly heard a whimpering voice in his ear: [H-Host…] 

"Huh? What's wrong? Why are you crying?" 

Jiang Ning was startled. With a flash, he disappeared from the spot. 

Finding a secluded area outside the city, Jiang Ning asked, puzzled, "What's going on?" 

[It's just… there's a problem with my body…] 

The system stammered. 

"…What?" Jiang Ning felt his blood pressure rising. 

He had given up so many performance points for this, slowing down his own growth, and now the system was saying there was a problem? 

RNM, refund! 

"What's the problem? Maybe we can fix it," Jiang Ning took a deep breath and said. 

[Well, I wanted to make sure my body would be better suited to assist you, so I aimed for a higher quality… but I forgot about the budget…] 

Jiang Ning fell silent. This system was hopeless. 

You don't just upgrade without considering the cost! 

"So, what's the situation now…" 

[The body that was supposed to be normal-sized ended up being a size smaller…] 

The system mumbled. 

Jiang Ning breathed a sigh of relief. So, it was just a size smaller? At least it wasn't a complete waste. 

Besides, small can be cute too… 

Though the thought was a bit strange, Jiang Ning figured he could treat her like a little sister, like Yaoyao. 

Or even like a daughter, right? 

But he'd have to see how things turned out. 

"So, is your body ready now?" 

Jiang Ning asked. 

"If it's ready, bring it out. I'm curious." 

The system said: [Alright then…] 

With that, Jiang Ning felt something within him preparing to emerge. 

A glow surrounded him, then dimmed, before coalescing into a small figure. 

The figure took shape, revealing green hair, a familiar face, a familiar hairstyle, and… a familiar two-headed stature. 

Jiang Ning stared at the little figure in front of him. The connection between them confirmed that this was indeed his system. 

But… typical of the Mihoyo universe, huh? You've gone and created an Ai-chan lookalike? 

"…Ai-chan?" Jiang Ning tentatively asked. 

"Yes, Host…" The system—now Ai-chan—looked up at Jiang Ning nervously. 

She had originally planned to create a full-sized Ai-chan, but… she'd gone over budget. Just a little. 

Jiang Ning was speechless. This wasn't just a little over budget. 

This was going from a tall, elegant lady to a two-headed moe blob smaller than Paimon. 

"Forget it… I'll just treat you like a pet…" Jiang Ning facepalmed. 

She couldn't be a sister or a daughter at this size. And she was even floating weirdly. 

A mini Paimon. 

"With you like this, do I need to give you a name?" 

Jiang Ning asked. 

The Cabbage Sprite nodded, "If it's convenient…" 

Jiang Ning looked at her and said, "You kinda look like that electricity-stealing gremlin…" 

"Yeah, I thought she was cute. And she can be both loli and mature, so I went with her. Plus, her role fits—she's the AI of the Hyperion, and I'm your system." 

Jiang Ning thought to himself, at least you didn't go with Prometheus's Bronya look. That would've been a total loss of cool points. 

As for the electricity-stealing gremlin… she's reliable when she feels like it, and a disaster when she doesn't. 

Very fitting. 

Jiang Ning said, "From now on, you'll be called Ai-chan. You can call me… Captain won't work. There's no Captain in this world." 

"Just call me Boss." 

Jiang Ning thought of a certain two-headed boss monster and added. 

The system—now Ai-chan—nodded vigorously, "Understood, Boss!" 

Jiang Ning said, "Remember, you're a little mascot I created… You should be able to use some of my basic abilities, right?" 

Ai-chan said, "As long as you give me permission." 

Jiang Ning said, "Alright… I'll give you purification permissions. That way, we can come up with a plausible explanation." 

This system was truly embarrassing. The abilities it gave me were mine to begin with, and now it needs my permission to use them… 

Somewhere, a certain slacker was probably despairing. How did a slacker like me end up with such a template system? 

On the way back to Liyue, Jiang Ning didn't teleport but walked slowly with Ai-chan. 

Along the way, they rehearsed their story. 

Ai-chan was a creation of Jiang Ning's, designed to handle Abyssal corruption and remnants of fallen gods when he wasn't around. 

She had no combat abilities but could create an area where Abyssal corruption couldn't take hold. 

And so on. 

When asked if Ai-chan could grow, she explained that it was possible, but it would require more materials over time. 

That would be another expense. 

But Jiang Ning said, "Give it to her. She can have it all." 

The performance points this embarrassing system gave him were barely enough to enhance his abilities. Honestly, he'd get stronger faster by feasting at Wuwang Hill. 

Might as well give everything to Ai-chan. 

After all… at this size, she could only be a pet. 

He had thought about following the example of certain cat-eared seniors from other worlds. 

If the system couldn't step up, he'd have to do it himself. 

And turn the system into his wife. 

Make the most of what he had. 

Look, you're helping your host relax and stay in a good mood. You're a very useful system, aren't you? Jiang Ning thought as he looked at the little cabbage sprite. 

After all, a full-sized Ai-chan would be quite appealing. 

For some reason, Ai-chan shivered and looked around suspiciously. Why did she feel like someone was plotting against her? 

It must be her imagination. 

As they approached the house, Jiang Ning said to Ai-chan: 

"Alright, let's introduce you to everyone. Remember, don't slip up." 

Ai-chan nodded like a bobblehead. 

"I'm back!" 

Jiang Ning entered the house. 

As expected, Ai-chan's arrival surprised everyone, but after Jiang Ning's explanation, they welcomed her warmly. 

They'd just treat her like another Paimon. 

Paimon, however, was sulking. 

She felt like her mascot status had been stolen! 

When it was time to eat, Ai-chan dug in with gusto. 

She had always watched her host eat with curiosity, unable to taste anything herself. 

Now, she finally had the chance to try it. 

It was delicious. 

The boss's wife was an excellent cook. 

But she didn't dare ask to try Jiang Ning's cooking. 

Her host would definitely bonk her on the head for that. 

Paimon, seeing how much Ai-chan was eating, started to panic. 

No way! She wouldn't lose her title as the ultimate foodie! 

But little did she know, Ai-chan's stomach was a bottomless pit. 

Everything she ate was converted into energy for herself or fed back to Jiang Ning. 

Still, she ate until she was satisfied. 

Poor Paimon, on the other hand, was left with a belly so swollen she looked like she was ten months pregnant. She lay there, unable to move, her eyes spinning as she passed out. 

Lumine rushed to take care of Paimon, feeling both exasperated and embarrassed. 

What were you thinking, Paimon? Why did you have to compete with her like that? 

Now you've made me look bad too… 

Ai-chan pointed at Paimon and asked, "Boss, what's she doing?" 

Jiang Ning rolled his eyes, having a rough idea of what Paimon had been thinking. 

If Paimon were awake, he'd comfort her. 

But since she was in a food coma, Jiang Ning said to Ai-chan, "Don't follow Paimon's example. She's…" 

He didn't know how to describe her, but Lumine chimed in seriously, "She's a glutton." 

"…Just go with that," Jiang Ning said, his lips twitching. 

Ai-chan nodded, "Oh, I see." 

Ningguang asked softly, "Should we prepare a room for her?" 

Jiang Ning said, "Go ahead… She'll follow me during the day, but Ai-chan is smart. She'll find things to do on her own." 

At this point, Jiang Ning had given up on expecting much from Ai-chan. 

As long as she didn't cause trouble, he'd let her cling to him. 

And who knows? Maybe she'd grow up someday… 

Sigh, guess I'll just treat her as a child bride for now. ( ;-; fbi )

Ningguang nodded slightly, "Understood." 

Xianyun looked at Ai-chan with curiosity, "What exactly is this little one made of… Never mind, we'll take her to see Rex Lapis later." 

After all, she was a creation of Jiang Ning's, designed to counter the Abyss. 

Rex Lapis needed to be informed. 

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