Keyn looked at Ganyu standing before him and felt that her presence carried a temperament different from what he was used to seeing in her.
Is this… like that competitive spirit I used to feel as a child?
Suddenly, Ganyu raised her head, her expression serious.
"…I want to have a new dress made too. Can you please stay with me… and talk with me while I wear it?"
Keyn found himself staring into Ganyu's eyes—gemlike, purple-brown, glimmering softly under the lantern light.
For a moment, he didn't know how to respond.
His silence made Ganyu suddenly realize how forward her words sounded. Flustered, she hurriedly explained,
"Ah—sorry, I didn't mean… it's just—during the Lantern Rite, it's been so long since I could walk the streets like everyone else.
Year after year of constant work… I've almost forgotten what it feels like to enjoy the festival together with others.
So I… I want you to walk with me. To see what Liyue has become."
Keyn nodded, his tone steady.
"You've shouldered most of Liyue's affairs alone. You've given so much for the city's prosperity.
So now, of course, you deserve to enjoy its beauty and peace. If I have the time, I'll walk with you."
At his words, Ganyu's eyes brightened immediately, filled with light and warmth—so dazzling that he nearly lost himself in them.
She instinctively grasped his hand.
"Really? You'll really do that? You promise you won't stand me up again?"
Keyn gave a reassuring smile.
"Well… next time if Lady Keqing asks me to go on another patrol, I'll make it clear to her."
Ganyu's lips curved in delight.
"Mm! Then it's settled. Next year, during the Lantern Rite, you must accompany me to Liyue Harbor."
Keyn blinked.
"Huh? Next year? But this year's Lantern Rite isn't even over yet. Isn't it too far ahead to set a promise a whole year away?"
Ganyu shook her head softly.
"Not far. A year is like the blink of an eye… for someone like me."
Keyn frowned in thought.
"But… can't you just ask me when you're free, on some other day? What if I have to travel for business one day and can't join you?"
Ganyu nodded lightly.
"Of course, not only then. Whenever I'm free, I hope you'll accompany me. Whether in Liyue Harbor, Jueyun Karst, or Mt. Aocang… just be with me."
Keyn agreed without hesitation.
"Of course."
To him, walking the streets of Liyue with such a beautiful companion was no hardship at all. He had already spent long stretches of time in Inazuma playing with Yae Miko; surely, he could make time for Ganyu too.
Ganyu tilted her head slightly, as if remembering something.
"This weekend, then—come with me to the Wanwen Bookhouse. I know you've heard I enjoy reading novels. You should see what I like for yourself."
Keyn froze.
"Huh? You've already reserved my weekend?"
A faintly smug smile appeared on Ganyu's lips.
"Hmph. You stood me up two days ago, didn't you? So I've rescheduled for this weekend. And as compensation… your weekends belong to me from now on."
Keyn scratched his head helplessly.
"Uh… alright, alright."
Pleased, Ganyu began chatting with him about small, trivial matters. Now that he had agreed to accompany her, her mood was light and buoyant, her appetite unexpectedly larger than usual.
Yet, bit by bit, she still slid her food into Keyn's bowl—just for an excuse to keep talking with him longer.
The weight of stress she had long carried from endless work seemed to ease little by little as she spoke with him.
Keyn, however, noticed something strange.
"Why is it… no matter how much we eat, we can't seem to finish this Prosperous Peace tonight?"
Normally, Ganyu loved this dish. As a half-adeptus, she could eat more than mortals, so he had prepared an enormous portion. But even so, she kept feeding him small servings again and again.
Every time he was about to feel drowsy, she passed him another little bite—never enough to fill him, just enough to keep him awake.
By the time the night deepened into the third and fourth hour, Keyn was still sitting there, kept awake by her gentle persistence.
It was only then he remembered: tomorrow, he had promised Keqing he'd help her continue the work from their patrol.
So he suggested softly,
"Ganyu, let's stop for tonight. It's already too late. I promised Keqing I'd join her again tomorrow."
Reluctantly, Ganyu nodded.
"…Alright. But it's too late for you to go back alone. It wouldn't be proper to walk the streets at this hour. Stay here tonight."
The corner of Keyn's mouth twitched. Proper? Liyue is one of the safest cities in Teyvat…
Still, he didn't resist too much. He was willing to spend the night in her company, even if he had little choice.
Just as he hesitated about where to sleep, Ganyu gave him a gentle push and pressed him down onto her bed.
"It's already late. Please, rest here for tonight."
Keyn didn't argue further. He picked up her quilt, lay down, and closed his eyes.
Seeing him finally settle without refusal, Ganyu smiled faintly.
"Good night, Keyn. I hope… I can still see you when I wake tomorrow morning."
That one gentle "good night," spoken so earnestly, nearly unraveled him.
He swallowed. "…Good night."
He tried to hand her quilt back, but Ganyu shook her head. She let him keep it—after all, if she wanted him to stay, then letting him hold a piece of her was the most natural thing.
Keyn felt emboldened for a moment. He wanted to touch her horns—but Ganyu gently pushed his hand away, her voice uncharacteristically firm.
"…Don't."
Embarrassed, Keyn forced a laugh.
"Haha… I was just curious why you reacted so strongly."
But she refused to explain further, simply closing her eyes with a serene smile.
Keyn didn't dare to test his luck again. He remembered how once, by accident, he had pinched her cheek while she was dozing. If he pushed her patience further tonight, he doubted he'd live to tell the tale.
It was already more than enough that she had let him share her bed—and even the same pillow. He could smell the faint, refreshing fragrance that lingered around her hair and skin.
The scent was calming, soothing… washing away any stray ill-intent he had earlier.
Finally, sleep claimed him.
Before he drifted off, he brushed her cheek lightly with his hand—content at last.
That night, Ganyu dreamed sweetly for the first time in a long while.
In her dream, she finished work early every day.
Afterward, she would run into Keyn, freshly done with Keqing's business.
The two of them would dine together, stroll freely along Liyue's lantern-lit streets, and discuss the city's future prosperity.
Day by day, they would watch Liyue flourish. And side by side, they would protect it together.
She smiled unconsciously in her sleep.
And beside her, Keyn too wore a faint smile—dreaming of his own journeys across Teyvat, full of encounters, adventures, and companions.
But tonight, in this dream, it was Ganyu who remained by his side.