Lu Heng lay on the sofa, staring at his phone's chat window.
[Ganyu] changed to [Typing...], then back to [Ganyu], and then again...
It was clear that Ganyu didn't know how to reply to him but couldn't just ignore him either.
Lu Heng pondered.
He was well aware of Ganyu's habit of taking naps without fail.
There were even some amusing stories about it.
For instance, once, while accompanying a certain Tianxuan Star during lunch, a drowsy Ganyu ended up curling up in a roadside haystack after eating. She was unknowingly transported all the way to Dihua Marsh and only woke up when her head hit the ground as the hay was being unloaded.
But now, Ganyu wasn't sleeping during her usual nap time. There was only one possible explanation.
The fact that the Geo Archon was about to retire was no secret among the upper echelons of Liyue.
With Rex Lapis stepping down, the transition of power was inevitable.
It wasn't just Ganyu—even the Qixing's workload had skyrocketed as the "Uncle Content" (a term referring to the increasing involvement of senior officials) increased.
Ganyu was already busy enough. The Yuehai Pavilion served as the central hub for all of Liyue's affairs, big and small. Only after Yuehai Pavilion processed matters would they be forwarded to the Ministry of Civil Affairs for execution.
On top of that, Ganyu also held multiple roles, such as overseeing Liyue's official intelligence network.
Her workload was already heavy, and now? It had practically doubled.
Though she was of half-adeptus heritage, even she couldn't endure this kind of strain.
She already worked late into the night, leaving little time for sleep. Now, even her nap time was being sacrificed. Tsk.
After a brief consideration, Lu Heng sent another message.
[Lu Heng]: Even a half-adeptus body can't withstand prolonged exhaustion. Lack of sleep will lead to dark circles.
Ganyu read the message.
She picked up a mirror and examined her reflection.
Tired.
Her fatigue was unmistakable.
Her mind resisted sleep, but her body was reaching its limit.
If she slept now… what about her work?
Ganyu decided to tough it out.
But now she faced a dilemma.
If she stuck to her old routine, she wouldn't be able to finish her work in time.
If she skipped her naps, her body would give out.
The only solution seemed to be that succulent plant.
Its miraculous effect lay in the fact that even with just one hour of rest, it could fully rejuvenate her!
But like sweets, it came with a side effect—weight gain.
Ganyu hesitated between dark circles and gaining weight.
[Lu Heng]: You wouldn't want me to tell Zhongli that you're not taking care of yourself, would you?
"Eh?!"
Ganyu's eyes widened.
This guy… he was threatening to tattle?!
Zhongli knew she was busy, but he didn't realize just how much.
If the Geo Archon found out, would it delay his retirement plans?
And what if he ordered her to rest?
If she rested, could others really handle everything?
Would that disrupt Liyue Harbor's operations?
With trembling fingers, Ganyu replied.
[Ganyu]: Absolutely not!!!
Seeing the three exclamation marks, Lu Heng felt like he had stumbled upon some kind of leverage.
Why did this feel so satisfying?
[Lu Heng]: Use the good stuff when you need it. As for your concerns, just squeeze in some exercise when you can. Don't avoid eating for fear of choking!
Ganyu fell silent.
The incident where her weight had caused her to choke a monster to death had indeed left her overly cautious.
But upon reflection…
If she reduced her sleep to just one hour a day…
That succulent could make it possible!
Then, she could split the extra time—half for work, half for exercise to maintain her figure… Huh, that might actually work?
The temptation from the Abyss was real.
When it came to persuasion, Lu Heng was no less skilled than Venti.
Without even resorting to cyber divination, he had Ganyu completely convinced.
In her office, Ganyu, bolstered by Lu Heng's psychological guidance, took a deep breath and carefully placed the succulent by her desk.
The moment she brought it out, she could feel her tense mind gradually relaxing.
And with relaxation came overwhelming drowsiness.
Before she could think further, she knew she couldn't hold on any longer.
She quickly messaged Lu Heng.
[Ganyu]: I'll take care of myself. Going to sleep now. 「Please don't tell Zhongli about this!!」
After sending the message, Ganyu collapsed onto her desk, fast asleep.
Meanwhile, Lu Heng was pleased.
To Ganyu, she and Lu Heng weren't close.
But to Lu Heng, he knew Ganyu all too well. If she worked herself sick, he'd genuinely feel bad for her.
Fortunately, despite being thousands of years old, Ganyu was still easy to persuade.
"Now, who else should I chat with?"
Lu Heng began scrolling through his contacts again.
"Who's got you so happy?"
Lu Heng looked up to see Furina settling into his lap, tilting her head with a playful smile.
At times like this, lying was futile.
No matter how skilled the acting or how flawless the deception, a woman's intuition was unbeatable.
So Lu Heng came clean.
"Do you like her?"
Furina's tone seemed questioning, but her mind was already made up.
"I like all beautiful girls," Lu Heng admitted shamelessly.
"Flirt!"
Before Lu Heng could react, Furina chuckled. "But since you're being honest, I'll reward your progress. Close your eyes~"
A reward?!
Just for not lying, he got a reward?
Now he was wide awake!
Lu Heng sat up straight and closed his eyes.
Just as he expected…
Soft lips met his.
"Keep improving~"
After the brief kiss, Furina showed no signs of shyness. She simply smiled and returned to her novel.
Lu Heng stroked his chin thoughtfully.
Keep improving?
Progress brings rewards?
Wait a minute…
What kind of game was this?!
Indeed, Lu Heng's instincts from before were correct.
Unlike the naive and clueless Furina, Furina (or rather, Focalors) might have the appearance of a young girl, but her demeanor was undeniably that of a mature woman.
Without cyber divination, Focalors could easily outmaneuver him.
Putting it into perspective, if Focalors was the one who orchestrated the prophecy involving the Hydro Dragon and Neuvillette…
Neuvillette, in his youthful innocence, had been completely outplayed by Focalors.
As for Lu Heng… while schemes didn't work on him, Focalors had her own ways of keeping him in check—using her charm as leverage.
But then again, Lu Heng didn't even need cyber divination here.
Because Focalors would never harm him, nor would she play mind games with him.
Still, despite sharing the same face as Furina, the two were polar opposites in personality.
Honestly, the contrast was a whole new experience for Lu Heng.
Suddenly—
A notification popped up.
Lu Heng snapped back to attention.
Cyber divination had alerted him—Lumine had awakened.
Lumine was awake?
Lu Heng was momentarily stunned.
After using cyber divination to determine which twin was the protagonist, he hadn't paid much attention to the matter.
Now, Lumine had awakened, which meant she was about to "fish up" Paimon?
But thinking back to the game's opening cutscene, by the time they reached the beach, Lumine and Paimon already seemed familiar with each other.
Meaning, some time had passed since their first meeting.
Without hesitation, Lu Heng activated cyber divination.
The closer the event, the more accurate the prediction, and the fewer possible outcomes.
Lu Heng quickly saw that the most likely scenario was: After "fishing up" Paimon, Lumine would immediately head for Mondstadt!
"Seems things have changed a bit?"
Cyber divination's answer was simple:
Even the most trivial incident could have far-reaching consequences on fate.
And given that the Card Shop's existence far exceeded Teyvat's own level, its impact was bound to be immense.
It was entirely possible that Lumine and Paimon simply hadn't heard of the Card Shop yet. Otherwise, they might have beelined straight for the Liyue branch!
Would Lumine still "fish up" Paimon?
Cyber divination confirmed: Yes.
However, unlike the original storyline where Paimon was starving and passed out before falling into the water…
This time, she was knocked into the sea by the aftermath of a divine battle!
The timeline had shifted!
This was the most direct evidence of change.
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T/N:
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