She was Ke Qing, someone whose heart was devoted solely to her work.
But from that day forward, one more indispensable task entered her life:
training her swordsmanship with Lin Mo beneath the waterfall southwest of Mt. Tianheng.
In her eyes, her role as the land security officer demanded it.
For construction, she had already proven herself capable of building Liyue into something grand.
For security... she had to admit, she wasn't strong enough—not yet, not to face down the threats that preyed on the innocent.
Though Lady Ningguang would never let idle gossip or armchair suggestions cost her the job,
the whispers on the street held a kernel of truth.
Especially now, in this era of Liyue's growing prosperity.
She needed to grow stronger.
Only then could she truly safeguard the property and peace of Liyue's people.
So, her daily sword practice with Lin Mo had become an official part of her duties.
Day one.
Clang~
Ke Qing's sword, the Song of Broken Branches, leaped from her grasp like a startled bird.
"How... how could this be?"
She stared at the weapon lying in the dirt, her eyes wide with disbelief.
Sure, she'd been mocked for her strength back in Liyue Harbor,
but in truth, her combat prowess ranked among the top ten in all of Liyue, didn't it?
Yet just moments ago, Lin Mo had effortlessly disarmed her with a single, fluid strike.
Could he be... some hidden master?
Doubt crept into her mind.
She'd heard the tales: ancient Liyue hid its share of reclusive experts.
Like that angler by Wangshu Inn, Jiang Xue—or whatever his name was—a true force of nature cloaked in quiet.
"One more time!"
Ke Qing refused to yield.
She couldn't believe this soft-featured, tender-faced man was some worldly sage in disguise.
Clang!
Her sword flew free once more.
Her beautiful eyes widened in shock.
This time, she knew: it wasn't luck.
Lin Mo was a hidden master of the mortal realm!
"You... why are you so strong?" she demanded, breathless.
"Hmm?"
Lin Mo shrugged with a gentle smile. "Want to keep going?"
"Yes!"
...
Time slipped by like a breeze,
carrying them through spring, summer, autumn, and winter, one after another.
Ke Qing did grow stronger.
Treasure Hoarders across Liyue fled at the mere whisper of her name, their spirits broken before a blade could even be drawn.
But...
She never struck sword practice from her schedule.
It was as if she'd forgotten the original reason for it all.
Coming to the waterfall with Lin Mo each day had become the highlight of her routine—the one thing she looked forward to most.
It could be a picnic by the water.
Or a lazy nap in the shade of the trees.
Whatever it was, she savored these stolen moments with him, a brief respite from the grind of her work.
One such afternoon,
beneath the rustling canopy,
Lin Mo lay with his head pillowed on her lap, her black stockings soft against his cheek.
He breathed in the crisp autumn air,
letting the occasional shaft of sunlight pierce the leaves and warm his face.
This, he thought, must be what they meant by "the quiet passage of years."
Softly, he murmured, "A-Qing, I've got that trip to Inazuma tomorrow."
"Mm. Come back soon." She nodded.
Then, a flicker of something—jealousy?—crossed her face.
Her pale fingers pinched his cheek, her voice firm. "And no peeking at that Kamisato family heiress, got it?"
"Alright, alright~"
He chuckled, resigned.
Thirteen years.
Thirteen years of shared mornings and evenings outside of work hours.
They hadn't formalized anything—no confessions, no vows.
But to everyone in Liyue, they were as good as lovers.
What surprised Lin Mo, though, was how the years had left Ke Qing untouched.
She was still as youthful as the day they'd started, her beauty unmarred by time's gentle erosion.
"Oh, right... when exactly will you be back?"
"You know how it is," he said with a grin. "This trip's about sharing Liyue's development insights with the Shogun.
And collaborating with Inazuma's officials on their future strategies.
We've poured thirteen years into all this—can't sum it up in a day or two."
Ke Qing bit her lower lip,
that shy gesture paired with eyes full of quiet longing.
She seemed to hang on those four simple words: I'll be back.
The Lantern Rite was just around the corner.
This year's festival felt different, charged with new energy.
At Lady Ningguang's suggestion,
the people of Liyue would also vote for the "Most Beautiful Person of Liyue."
"You... you'll enter the contest this Lantern Rite, right?"
He glanced at her, teasing. "If you do, dressed to the nines on that stage,
then I promise—I'll do everything to make it back in time."
...
"Deal! I promise!"
She agreed without hesitation.
This was Lin Mo's first business trip in thirteen years.
Ke Qing had grown so accustomed to it all:
waking early to her office, only to find him there, smiling as he said, "Morning, A-Qing."
Three days.
Five days.
Seven days.
A full seven days without seeing him.
Without a single word.
Without their lazy afternoons by the waterfall.
It hit her then, like a thunderclap: how deeply she felt for him.
"Damn it... I should've never let you go.
We could've sent some assistant to fake it!"
Irritation bubbled up, mingled with resolve.
Next time anything like this came up,
no more solo trips.
Either she went along—turning it into a working vacation on the Qixing's dime—
or she'd dispatch some underling in his place.
All she knew was this: she wanted him by her side, every day.
But there would be no next time.
Not for her to test that plan.
The Lantern Rite arrived.
And Lin Mo broke his promise.
Dressed in her finest gown, standing onstage with the rest of the Ministry of Civil Affairs,
Ke Qing scanned the sea of faces.
No sign of him.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" the host boomed from center stage.
"The Liyue 'Most Beautiful Person' contest begins now!
Our nominees include those who've made outstanding contributions this year:
the full staff of the Jade Chamber,
the Millelith forces,
and everyone from the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
The rules are simple:
On your anonymous ballots, write the name of the one you find most beautiful.
The highest vote tally claims the crown!
And the winner? A full month's paid vacation!"
"Ningguang! Ningguang!"
"Ganyu! Hu Tao!"
The crowd's roars clashed like waves in a storm,
each faction shouting down the rest.
Every voice strained to lift their favorite higher.
In the din, Ke Qing caught faint echoes of her own name.
Her heart leaped; she whipped her head toward the sound—
only to see it was just one of her aides.
Disappointment dimmed her eyes once more.
"Alright, settle down, everyone! Order, please!"
The host waved for quiet, then pressed on. "Before the votes, we have a campaigning segment.
We've received letters of support for our nominees—not just endorsements, but heartfelt affirmations from the people for their service."
He held up the first envelope. "We'll start with Lady Ningguang's letter of support!
'Under Lady Ningguang's wise guidance, Liyue has enjoyed another year of peace and plenty.
As a humble citizen, I believe only under her stewardship could we savor such abundance...'"
...
The reading for Ningguang wrapped up.
Then came Hu Tao's.
Ke Qing heard none of it.
Her mind was elsewhere, churning.
Lin Mo... why haven't you sent word?
If you couldn't make it, why not at least write?
"Why... you big liar..."
She bit her lip harder, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes.
But then—
"Next up: the letter of support for Lady Ke Qing."
Ke Qing's head snapped up in surprise.
Before she could process it,
the host began reading aloud, his voice steady and clear:
"'Slender figure like a fairy, red lips white teeth with a fragrant body.'"
That opening line hooked the entire audience.
Ke Qing, resplendent in her festival attire,
with red-rimmed eyes and a fragile, heart-tugging vulnerability—
she ensnared every young man's gaze in an instant.
The host continued:
"'Born to nobility, raised in silk and satin.
She holds high office as the youngest of the Seven Stars.
While most chase blindly after the gods' decrees,
Ke Qing—heiress to a storied house—honors human wisdom above all.
She often ponders: for this land of Liyue...
who truly matters most?
The gods enthroned on high?
The immortals secluded in the peaks?
Or we mortals, fleeting as cherry blossoms?'
'Ke Qing believes: if something feels right, speak it boldly and act on it without fear.
Even if it means standing against a god's unspoken wrath.
As Yuheng of the Seven Stars, overseeing land and construction,
Ke Qing has walked every inch of Liyue's soil.
She ventures into forsaken wilds,
honing her knowledge of the archives, steeling her resolve.
She never shies from owning her mistakes.
To her, facing the divine means no blind faith, no servile nod—always independent thought.
If there's a question, voice it without flinching.
If answers elude, keep chasing them down.
That's the true spirit of humanity.
After all, even gods can err.
Liyue's myriad splendors are like a grand sandcastle on the shore—
once beholden to the tides, rising and falling at a god's whim, a year between glimpses.
Fragile as a dream in the sky, toppled with ease.
Ke Qing knew: Liyue must change.
Its future belongs not to distant deities glimpsed once a year,
but to the hands of its people.'
'And she made it happen.
From the day Ke Qing took up the mantle of Yuheng and land security officer,
she rallied Liyue's citizens into the heart of its building.
Toiling day and night without cease,
she transformed Liyue—from a sheltered harbor under divine watch
into the gleaming commercial empire that draws wanderers from afar: Liyue Harbor today.
It proves the old saying true:
Liyue can be shaped by its people.
The age of gods has faded; the era of humanity dawns.
Its pioneer? Yuheng of the Seven Stars.
She is the most beautiful person in my eyes.'"
The host finished, folding the letter with reverence.
Silence fell over Liyue Harbor.
A hush so deep, a pin drop would echo like thunder amid the tens of thousands gathered.
Memories stirred.
They recalled the Liyue Harbor of old—prosperous, yes,
but more a vast seaside village,
or a god-tended garden, blooming under watchful eyes.
Yet in these dozen years,
Liyue's people had tasted the fruits of their own labor: true abundance, hard-won.
The gods?
A distant thought, faded like morning mist.
Even the Rite of Descension felt perfunctory now, its crowds thinner each year.
Once, Liyue's growth owed everything to divine protection.
But these short years of explosive bloom?
No god's hand in it.
All Liyue—all of it—the work of its people.
And at every build site, every cornerstone laid,
there stood Yuheng Ke Qing: the guiding force behind it all.
"Ke Qing!"
The cry erupted from the throng, a single spark.
"Ke Qing! Ke Qing!"
It ignited the masses.
Roars swelled into a deafening chorus,
shaking the very stage beneath her feet.
Ke Qing gazed out at the sea of faces chanting her name,
tears tracing silent paths down her cheeks.
Years of tireless effort.
At last, on this night,
it was seen.
It was affirmed.
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T/N:
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