"Tian-san—come with me. I'll treat you first."
Baizhu noticed the air had gone a little strange. He glanced at Ryou and Huixin, then calmly looked away and addressed Uncle Tian instead.
"Alright. Sorry to trouble you, Baizhu-sensei."
Uncle Tian followed him inside. Things were already set in stone—no matter what he tried now, it wouldn't change anything.
Once Uncle Tian was gone, Ningguang stepped forward.
"Huixin, I'll have to trouble you to keep an eye on him for now. We need to leave first."
"Understood, Ningguang-sama."
Huixin dipped her head slightly. Her gaze lingered on Ryou for a heartbeat, then she pulled it back.
Ryou didn't say anything. He simply followed Ningguang toward the Jade Chamber.
"Keqing, you alright?" Ryou slid an arm around her waist.
"What could possibly be wrong with me?" Keqing turned to him. "Besides, Huixin and I don't have any bad blood."
Then her eyes narrowed, and she added, matter-of-factly, "But she's not right for you. Even if you married her, she wouldn't last half an hour."
"Cough—cough!"
Ryou choked on air.
Huixin's body was… delicate. If he was being honest, half an hour might already be generous.
Yeah. Keqing was different. She had a Vision, trained with the sword—across the board, she was in a whole other league.
"Am I wrong?" Keqing shot him a flat look.
"Even if you're right," Ryou said, pinching her cheek lightly, "you don't have to say it that bluntly."
He tugged her closer and nodded ahead. "Come on. Let's catch up to Ningguang. If she's asking for me, she probably needs help with something."
"I noticed it last time," Keqing said, her tone turning more serious. "When Ningguang left the Ministry of Civil Affairs, she looked… off. It has to be related."
Her thoughts drifted, and heat crept up her ears.
She'd been so diligent for so long—then this idiot came along and wrecked everything. Two days in a row, she hadn't even gone to work.
Annoyed, she reached over and pinched him hard.
"Hey—!"
Ryou exaggerated the yelp, then caught both her hands in his. "Sneaking an attack, huh? Keep it up and I'll deal with you tonight."
"Ah—!" Keqing went stiff. She blinked up at him, instantly backpedalling. "N-no—Ryou, please, forgive me!"
Ryou gave a low chuckle. "Oh? Now you're scared?"
He pulled her into his arms and lowered his voice. "Tonight, I'm taking you somewhere. You just need to dance for me."
"I'm not going!" Keqing shook her head so fast her hair swayed. Yesterday she'd believed his nonsense too—and she'd paid for it.
"Objection overruled," Ryou said, leaving no room to argue.
"I swear," Ningguang said, arms folded as she stared at the two of them, "can you at least remember where you are? This is the street."
She was supposed to be taking them to the Jade Chamber. Why were they flirting right in front of her?
Keqing's ears went even hotter. She shot Ryou a glare. "This is your fault. Move!"
Ryou only shrugged.
They soon arrived at Ningguang's study in the Jade Chamber.
"I called you here for two things," Ningguang said, her tone sharpening into business. "First—medical affairs. That proposal you wrote last time was excellent. I want to implement it, but there are parts I still don't fully understand."
She met Ryou's eyes. "I'd like you to walk me through the process. Is that alright?"
Ryou rubbed his chin, then realized exactly which plan she meant. He explained it steadily, step by step.
It was complicated—something that would take a great deal of manpower and resources to put into practice.
But Ningguang and Keqing were both sharp. As he spoke, their eyes cleared one after the other.
"This is incredible," Keqing said, the excitement obvious in her voice. "It'll strengthen Liyue Harbor's unity, and it gives the Millelith real security. Even if it costs a huge amount of Mora, it's still worth it."
She glanced at Ryou. "Some things can't be measured in Mora."
"To be honest," Ningguang said, "I've been thinking about it for a long time. I plan to push it through after the Rite of Descension."
This initiative benefited countless people—and it would bring her no small amount of prestige. Two birds with one stone.
Without meaning to, her gaze on Ryou grew a shade hotter.
This man was frighteningly capable—so talented it was almost unfair.
If only she'd made her move back then.
Instead, Keqing got him.
Why did Keqing get to be the one?
"Hey," Keqing said, catching that look. Her eyes narrowed. "Ningguang—what is that supposed to mean?"
[End of chapter]
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