Ningguang wasn't injured.
With pre-deployed armed forces and plenty of help, dealing with Beisht was a bit strenuous, sure—but with the Jade Chamber as her backing, Ningguang came away unscathed.
Her confidant must have lied to get Ken to come over.
Naturally, Ningguang wouldn't expose it on the spot. She simply went along with the lie—she didn't expect Ken to suddenly say that.
"Mm… just a minor injury. I'm already fine."
Ningguang rose from the chaise, her slightly taut chest gently trembling with the motion.
Ken couldn't be bothered to call her out. He simply took out a jar of immortal brew from his system space.
The mellow, pristine aroma drifted on the breeze; just the scent alone refreshed Ningguang's spirit.
After a sip, Ningguang suddenly realized that all her work-induced fatigue had vanished without a trace.
She even felt invigorated.
"What is this wine?" Ningguang gazed curiously at the clear liquor, a hundred business ideas already spinning in her mind.
A drink that instantly sweeps away fatigue would surely be a bestseller.
Seeing the gleam in her eyes, Ken knew what she was thinking and mercilessly punctured it: "A gift from the adepti of Jueyun Karst. If you're interested, go ask them yourself—I'm sure they'll give you some."
Ningguang: "…"
Thinking of those troublesome adepti, Ningguang's business calculus evaporated at once.
Especially Cloud Retainer—an absolute queen of barbed tongues.
It had been hard enough to negotiate with the adepti and move into human rule; Ningguang had no wish to disturb them again and invite unnecessary trouble.
"Now can you tell me what you came to see me about?"
Watching Ningguang's regretful expression, Ken took his time, sipping wine and picking at the dishes.
The carefully prepared spread was excellent—both ingredients and flavor.
"I was just wondering—since the Traveler has gone to Inazuma, will you be heading there as well?"
Back when Ken first came to Liyue, his timeline was not far off from the Traveler's; Ningguang had noticed the connection between the two.
Ken lifted his cup. "Even if I go to Inazuma, I'll return to Liyue."
Just like now—he might spend more time in Liyue Harbor, but he'd still swing by Mondstadt to meet up with everyone occasionally.
With the Gate of Vortex, no distance is truly far.
"Mm…" A trace of regret flitted across Ningguang's lovely face. "Then before you leave, help me review the plans for establishing banks across the nations—see if there are any holes."
Though that's what she said, Ningguang's true thoughts were different.
By her original plan, she should have seized the chance while others were away from Liyue to launch a full assault and win Ken over in one push. But she knew matters of the heart must flow naturally.
So Ningguang decided to spend more time with him—proximity breeds feeling.
And Ken understood Teyvat deeply, and also knew many models from Blue Star; on certain matters, his advice was indeed valuable.
As for the various plans against the Northland Bank, Ken already knew them; she had nothing to hide.
Strictly speaking, Ken was also doing business; he was quite willing to discuss and compare notes with Ningguang—mutual benefit.
Only, as they chatted… Ningguang got a little carried away.
Especially when it came to strategies for opening Liyue Bank branches abroad—her mind suddenly cleared.
Even her initial romantic scheming dissolved in the pleasure of commercial discourse.
Unknowingly, dusk had fallen.
They had discussed a great many business topics; while there were plenty of sparks, it undeniably gave Ningguang a lot of inspiration.
Perhaps it was the gentle breeze, or the rare relaxation—somewhere along the way, Ningguang's head leaned onto Ken's shoulder.
Even breathing sounded in his ear.
"Shh…"
Watching the slumbering Ningguang, Ken brushed her cheek with his fingers. A gentle wind gathered, letting her sleep more deeply.
Once her breathing grew steady, Ken bent to carry her to the bed beside them, then rose to leave.
The preview event was about to start; he didn't have time to linger.
"Don't let anyone go in and disturb her."
Stepping out the door, Ken instructed the two secretaries.
If she could doze off even after drinking immortal brew, Ningguang must be terribly sleep-deprived.
It was rare for her to sleep this soundly—some extra rest would be good.
Liyue's major affairs were all settled, anyway.
"Understood. Safe travels, sir."
Baiwen smiled like a blooming flower; she and Baishi exchanged a glance, both wearing a mischievous look.
The two had stayed in the room so long—seemed Lady Ningguang had truly succeeded this time.
After all, Lady Yuheng hadn't come to interrupt.
No need for Lady Ningguang to put on a show just to needle the Yuheng.
So, a man and woman alone together for so long…
"She must have succeeded. Let Lady Ningguang rest well!"
Baishi couldn't hide her grin.
As the saying goes, a woman of a certain age needs a man's tender care.
Judging from Lady Ningguang's current style, she certainly could use a man's tender care.
When the boss's life goes smoothly, the two confidantes felt refreshed as well.
…
Villa.
Back on Blue Star, Ken changed and headed next door to get Zhongli, then set off for the company to run the preview livestream.
Azhdaha, now in human form, came along too—curious to see what a livestream was.
"Boss, we thought you weren't coming."
Seeing Ken appear, the staff all sighed in relief.
The preview's entire flow had been planned by Ken—without him, the effect would surely suffer.
And of course—
Mainly, if Ken didn't come, the god-tier cosplayers wouldn't either.
"Got held up by something." Ken introduced, "This is…"
"Mr. Zhongli—we all know!"
No introduction needed; at first sight, the employees were thrilled. "Hello, Mr. Zhongli! Your cosplay is exactly like in the game—this presence is unbelievable."
Men and women alike crowded around Zhongli, eyes sparkling.
Especially the female employees.
Since the boss was out of reach, flirting with a handsome cosplayer should be fine, right?
After quite a while of chirping, someone finally noticed Azhdaha beside them. "Boss, and this is?"
"A friend of mine. Are you all done with your work? Looks like we'll have to increase your workload later." Ken said with a straight face.
"…"
The chattering crowd scattered like startled birds.
Sure, checking out a handsome guy was fun… but not if the price was overtime.
Azhdaha glanced at Zhongli with a half-smile. "Didn't expect Morax to be so popular on Blue Star. Consider finding a close companion to spend your twilight years with?"
Zhongli scoffed, uninterested.
Azhdaha sighed. "After all these years, you're still austere and ascetic—no interest in women."
Ken was thoughtful too.
In his past life, many loved to pair Guizhong with Zhongli.
But in truth, whether Zhongli or Guizhong, they were purely friends.
That's why Azhdaha teased him—Zhongli had kept away from women for millennia and never sought a female companion.
"Let's go—we're already one minute late."
Ken checked the time.
The stream was set for 7:00; it was 7:01 now. The viewers were probably already urging them on.
…
Just as Ken said.
Because the first preview event had gone so well, many new players had come to watch this one.
Plenty had been waiting in the room ten minutes early.
But when seven o'clock came and went with no movement, they grew anxious.
As the start time slipped past, the live chat exploded.
Over a million players started pounding their keyboards.
But as much as they complained, no one left.
Even if not everyone was here for the show, everyone knew… every preview meant free Primogems. Not a lot, sure, but free is free—what's not to love?
At last, amidst the clamor, the stream stirred.
When Ken appeared, the chat became even more explosive.
As the stream went live, viewer count kept rocketing upward.
For players, preview events are the easiest way to talk to the devs; though they curse and meme, they take it seriously.
"This update's main content—besides the banner changes—is a brand-new area: Dragonspine."
"Let me show you the Dragonspine map."
Ignoring the chat's barrage of questions, Ken logged into the internal test server.
Dragonspine appeared on the big screen.
Perpetually snowbound, with northern winds howling and sleet lashing—when Ken guided the character into the mountain, a Sheer Cold meter appeared under the status bar.
"When Sheer Cold maxes out, your character will lose HP."
"But there are plenty of sources of heat to dispel it—you'll have to discover them yourselves."
"Also, there are lots of puzzle mechanics; a few teleport waypoints require a bit of brainpower to unlock. But don't worry—Dragonspine is beautiful, and it's not as hellish as you think."
Ken said casually.
As for how hellish it really was—back in his previous life, he did think it was a bit much.
Especially that one Dragonspine quest—made him want to die.
In the end, guides saved him.
But that didn't matter now. He wanted Blue Star's players to feel some of that hellish charm too.
After a brief intro, Ken showed Dragonspine from all angles; at first, everyone was excited, but the longer they watched, the more uneasy they felt.
["Why does this new map feel so cursed? Is it just me?"]
["Damn… this Sheer Cold mechanic is brutal!"]
["Can I skip these map quests? I already don't want to do them."]
["I feel like the puzzles will be even more annoying because you have to watch Sheer Cold and HP.]
["This map is giving me a headache… unlocking waypoints is going to be a pain."]
"…"
Compared to his previous world's players, Blue Star's players reacted more strongly.
Back then, folks had played lots of great games, including complex puzzle titles—so Genshin's puzzles felt acceptable.
But games here had declined too much.
A sudden, complex map like this made them instantly feel it was hell.
"Just treat it like a puzzle game—don't panic. As we all know, Genshin is a puzzle game."
Seeing the uproar, Ken teased with a smile.
In his past life, many joked that Genshin prevents Alzheimer's.
Though Genshin's puzzle design is excellent, calling it a puzzle game was mostly banter.
Hearing that, players felt even more aggrieved.
A puzzle game?
Whose intelligence are you insulting? You call this a puzzle game, huh?