The next morning, the air itself seemed to crackle with a nervous, expectant energy. Ganyu, forgoing her usual duties at the Yuehai Pavilion, personally escorted Ren. She was not just a big sister today; she was his official escort, her presence lending an air of Qixing legitimacy to his unprecedented summons.
Their journey to the Jade Chamber was an ascent into the heavens. They took a special, magically-powered lift from a platform on Yujing Terrace. Ren watched as the city sprawled out beneath them, the grand, golden-roofed buildings shrinking until they were like the pieces of a beautifully intricate game board. The air grew thinner, cleaner, and the sounds of the bustling harbor faded into a distant, gentle murmur, replaced by the whisper of the wind.
They stepped out onto a platform of polished white stone, clouds drifting lazily beneath their feet. The Jade Chamber was even more magnificent up close. It was not just a building; it was a testament to ambition and power, a floating island of human ingenuity suspended between the earth and the sky.
Ganyu led him through opulent corridors adorned with priceless antiques and intricate silk tapestries. The few secretaries they passed moved with a hushed, almost reverential silence, their eyes respectfully averted. They finally arrived before a pair of immense, ornately carved wooden doors. Ganyu gave Ren's hand a final, reassuring squeeze before one of Ningguang's secretaries opened the doors for them.
Ningguang's office was, in a word, breathtaking. The strategically placed windows with glazed panes showed the expanse of the Liyue and the mountain ranges as well as the sea. The furniture was elegant and understated, crafted from the finest dark wood and accented with gold.
But what truly captured his attention was Ningguang's legendary intelligence board. It was a massive, intricate lattice of wood and paper near the right side wall. It was a chaotic, yet somehow perfectly organized, web of information. There were sticky notes with scrawled messages, detailed shipping manifests, geological survey maps, city planning documents, and slips of paper bearing the names of prominent merchants and foreign diplomats, all interconnected by a complex network of colored strings. Businessmen would have given a fortune just to glimpse a fraction of the secrets it held. It was the physical manifestation of Ningguang's mind, a visual representation of her absolute control over every current of power that flowed through Liyue.
Ningguang herself was standing by a window, her back to them, silhouetted against the morning sky.
"Lady Ningguang," Ganyu announced softly.
Ningguang turned, a calm, welcoming smile on her face. "Ganyu. And Little Ren. Welcome to my humble abode. Please, make yourselves comfortable."
She gestured to a low table surrounded by silk cushions. Ren sat down, his gaze still fixed on the mesmerizing intelligence board. Ganyu sat beside him, her posture a little more formal and tense than it was in their own home.
"Tea?" Ningguang offered, taking a seat opposite them. She poured the fragrant liquid with a steady, graceful hand. "Now," she said, her amber eyes locking onto Ren, her polite, welcoming demeanor shifting into one of sharp, focused business. "You said you had an invention. A proposition. I am listening."
This was it. Ren took a steadying breath, his heart hammering in his chest. He reached into the satchel he had brought and pulled out the new, masterfully drawn blueprint for the heater. He carefully unrolled it on the table. The lines were clean, the annotations precise, the design elegant and clear.
Ganyu watched, her hands clasped tightly in her lap, her pride warring with her nervousness.
"It's a heater, Lady Ningguang," Ren began, his voice clear and steady, his earlier nervousness vanishing as he began to speak about his creation. He pointed to the different sections of the blueprint, his small finger tracing the flow of energy.
He explained it all, just as he had to his Master. He spoke of the replaceable electro crystal, the insulated wiring, the concept of electrical resistance in the heating coil, and the simple genius of the regulator dial. He explained the mechanical fan that circulated the air and the insulated housing that made it safe to the touch. He spoke not with the flourish of a merchant pitching a product, but with the quiet, confident authority of an engineer explaining a law of physics.
Ningguang listened in absolute, unbroken silence. Her sharp, analytical mind, which could dissect complex trade agreements and predict market fluctuations, was completely captivated. She leaned forward, her amber eyes scanning every detail of the blueprint, her fingers steepled before her lips. She understood immediately. The design was revolutionary. The replaceable power source made it sustainable. The regulated output made it practical. The simple, non-adeptal construction made it mass-producible.
"The benefits are… obvious," Ren continued, his gaze lifting from the blueprint to meet hers. "In the mountain villages, in the colder parts of Liyue, even here in the harbor on chilly nights. It provides warmth that is safe, controllable, and accessible. It would improve the quality of life for countless people. It is a tool for their comfort."
He used her own words, subtly reminding her of their conversation the day before. He saw a flicker of acknowledgment in her eyes.
She leaned back, her gaze distant as her mind processed the implications. She was already calculating production costs, potential material suppliers, distribution logistics, the impact on the charcoal and pyro crystal markets. Her mind was a whirlwind of calculations, but her expression was one of calm, profound contemplation.
"The device is ingenious," she said finally, her voice a low murmur of sincere admiration. "And its potential applications are… vast." She then looked at Ren, her gaze sharp as a shard of cor lapis. "And what is your price, Little Ren? Every inventor seeks a return on their genius. A percentage of sales? A lump sum for the patent? Name it."
This was the final test. The question of profit.
Ren looked at the blueprint, then up at the most powerful and wealthiest woman in the nation. He met her sharp, mercantile gaze with an expression of pure, unwavering sincerity.
"My Master, Xianyun, may have her own plans for the device and its production. She is an adeptus, and her ways are her own. You will have to speak with her about those things," he said, respectfully deferring to Xianyun's authority.
He then paused, taking a breath. "But for me… I don't have any plans on earning mora from this. I don't want any."
He looked past her, through the window nearby, at the sprawling city below.
"I just want every house in Liyue to have one," he said softly, his voice full of a simple, profound conviction that filled the opulent office. "So no one has to be cold at night."