"Ryou-sensei, stop staring and look at my paperwork," Ganyu said, cheeks blazing. She'd caught him looking at her legs for far too long, so she slid the file right in front of him.
Ryou realized his gaze had wandered while he was thinking—and unfortunately, it had landed on her leg.
So that's how this looks.
He cleared his throat, took the document, and flipped it open.
It was a straightforward case: resettlement and compensation.
Yesterday's incident around the Ministry had caused serious damage. The report listed eighty-seven dead and more than three hundred injured.
Ganyu's proposal was sensible—settle the affected families properly, compensate the injured based on the damage, and for those who died, provide a house within Liyue Harbor as part of the compensation package.
The plan itself wasn't wrong, but Ryou shook his head anyway.
"The plan itself is fine," he said, "but you can't word it like this. This started because of the Fatui Harbinger, La Signora—we need to spell that out."
He tapped the page with a finger.
"We're not going to shoulder every blame and every bill. If the victims are Liyue citizens, we compensate them—case by case, depending on the situation."
"If they're not from Liyue, then we pursue the Fatui's responsibility. Any related compensation should be handled by the Fatui."
"And if the Fatui refuse?" Ryou's tone sharpened. "Then we'll send people to the Northland Bank and take the Mora as compensation—and we'll spell that out in writing."
He leaned back slightly. "If we don't make this explicit, just paying out Xinyue Kiosk and Liuli Pavilion alone will bleed us dry. Worse, if those two restaurants decide to dump all their anger on Liyue Harbor, we lose far more than we gain."
"La Signora has already fled. The Northland Bank is the perfect scapegoat. A lot of the burden can go right onto their shoulders."
The more Ganyu listened, the clearer everything became. Her eyes lit up.
"Ryou-sensei, that's brilliant!" she said, practically vibrating with excitement. "It doesn't just reduce the damage we take—it also shrinks the fallout across Liyue, explains what happened yesterday, and puts enormous pressure on the Northland Bank."
She hurriedly picked up his cup. "You're amazing. Please—have some tea!"
"Alright, alright," Ryou said with a laugh, accepting it and taking a sip.
He set the cup down and added, "We should treat Liyue citizens preferentially. That kind of support builds cohesion. People feel proud of Liyue when Liyue protects them."
His expression cooled. "As for the Fatui, they're not some harmless guest. Yesterday proved it. Don't go soft on them."
He looked her in the eye. "When you handle work, think two steps ahead than the paper in front of you. Understand?"
"I do," Ganyu said, nodding firmly.
"And—Ryou-sensei, eat something." She pushed the pastries toward him.
Ryou waved it off. "No need. Keep working. Once you've handled a bit more, I'll go over it with you."
He glanced toward the door. "The Ministry side should be mostly under control by now. Once everything's settled, I need to head back."
"Okay," Ganyu said, and returned to her files.
Watching her work up close was… dangerously pleasant.
Ganyu was beautiful, and her figure was striking enough that very few in Liyue Harbor could compare. Even the two horns atop her head didn't feel strange—if anything, they made her look unique in a way that drew the eye. Ryou had the brief, ridiculous urge to reach out and see what they felt like.
He forced his gaze away immediately.
Ganyu's senses were sharp. She caught where his eyes had gone, and her face flushed even deeper.
Thankfully, he looked away quickly. She pressed down her embarrassment and focused, working through the key documents. After half an hour, she'd finished the urgent stack and set the rest aside for later.
"Ryou-sensei, thank you," she said softly. "I really feel like I improved a lot. If you're free later… I'd like to treat you to a meal."
"It's fine," Ryou replied. "If you're in a good place, I'll head down. I still need to keep an eye on the Ministry team."
He lifted the teacup again, took one last sip, then stood and left the office.
Ganyu watched him go, her mind spinning.
For a split second, she thought she'd seen something—something she absolutely wasn't supposed to notice—and her face turned burning hot. She touched her cheek, felt the heat, then grabbed the cup and took a drink without thinking.
Halfway through the sip, it hit her.
Ryou had been drinking from that cup.
And now she was too.
Her hands flew to her face. Her heart hammered so hard she could hear it. She stared out the window, trying to calm down, but her thoughts refused to settle.
…
Downstairs, Ryou started toward the Ministry workspace.
"Brat. Get over here." Someone called out.
"Father!" Ryou turned and hurried to him.
His father studied him, eyes sweeping over his body. Not seeing bandages or obvious injuries didn't fully ease his frown.
"You alright?" he demanded. "Nothing hurt?"
"I'm fine," Ryou said.
"Don't 'I'm fine' me," his father snapped. "If something's wrong, you pay attention. You're my only son. Don't let this turn into a disaster."
Ryou shook his head. "Really. I'm fine."
Then he added, "You should be the one being careful. You already heard about Uncle Tian, right?"
His father's face tightened. "He filled me in. If you hadn't warned him, he'd be dead."
He let out a breath and went on, "We investigated it. In the end, Uncle Tian let his guard down—someone clocked his identity."
"It was a fishing buddy of his. The scumbag masked the poison in fish soup and slipped it to him without anyone noticing."
His father's gaze turned icy. "We got him. He's not seeing the outside of a cell ever again."
He paused, then lowered his voice. "The Ministry situation is a mess. You sure you've got it? If you can't handle it, I'll send a few capable hands over."
"I've got it," Ryou said. He noticed someone approaching and turned slightly. "Father, I should get back to work. The Ministry side still needs me."
His father patted his shoulder. "Alright. You've grown up a lot since getting married. I'm more at ease now."
Then he pointed at him. "But remember—if you run into trouble in Liyue Harbor, tell me. We're family. Don't hide things. Understood?"
"Of course," Ryou said with a grin. "If something happens, why wouldn't I tell you?"
"Good. Go on," his father said, waving him off.
Ryou headed down and returned to the Ministry workspace.
The place had turned into a battlefield.
In just half an hour, the stack of files Ryou had dumped earlier had been chewed through almost completely. That alone told him the solutions were acceptable—no one could move that fast if everything needed to be redone.
Zhongli handed him a record sheet. "Here. After the base seven, twenty-five people exceeded the quota. Altogether, they processed eighty-nine files."
He hesitated, then added quietly, "This is over eighty thousand Mora a day. Can the Ministry sustain that? I'm worried Ningguang won't want to approve this payout."
Several staff members stiffened, suddenly tense.
Ryou didn't answer the Mora question right away. He flipped through the record once, then looked at Zhongli.
"Are you certain the solutions were all handled properly?"
"I'm certain," Zhongli said without hesitation.
"Good." Ryou folded the record and looked at the staff. "Then you'll get exactly what you earned. Seven days from now, you'll receive every Mora you're owed."
He tapped the paper once. "As for where the Mora comes from, that's my problem. Yours is to keep the work clean."
Ryou turned back toward Zhongli. "And one more thing. If anyone comes to file a case at the Ministry, make sure someone is there to receive it. Don't let matters pile up outside."
"Alright," Zhongli said, forcing a thin smile.
If this continued, he'd be stuck here for hours—and the thought of those enthusiastic female clerks swarming him again made his head throb.
But with Ryou putting it that way, what could he do?
"That's great! Then let's keep going!" someone shouted.
"I'll check outside and see if anyone's come to report something. If it's not something I can handle, I'll bring it back," a female staffer said, already hurrying out.
"I—I'll go too!"
The whole team sprang into motion again.
Ryou watched for a moment, then sat down and began drafting an official announcement.
The explosion had already become public knowledge. People were waiting for a statement, and Ryou didn't trust anyone else to write it properly, so he did it himself.
About ten minutes later, he handed the finished notice to Zhongli.
"Have someone post it," he said. "Liyue needs an explanation."
He stood. "Keep an eye on things here. I'm heading out for a bit."
"Alright," Zhongli said, taking the paper.
As Ryou left, Zhongli's headache got worse.
Ryou had promised that once the paperwork was under control, Zhongli could leave. But with this? How was he supposed to leave?
He sighed, started reading the announcement—and his scalp went numb.
Almost every line hammered the Fatui: their ruthlessness, their schemes, their danger. If this got posted, the Fatui would become the most hated name in the city overnight.
"This is going to cause a storm," Zhongli murmured.
…
Ryou left Yujing Terrace and went straight home.
His mother had already returned. In the courtyard, Keqing sat under a shade cloth, reading in the cool shadow.
Ryou walked up, scooped her up without warning, and held her against him.
"W-wait—Ryou!" Keqing yelped, startled. "Why are you back so fast? Isn't the Ministry in chaos right now?"
"Let the staff handle it," Ryou said casually, pinching her cheek. "If they can't manage this much, what are they even there for?"
Then his eyes narrowed. "Keqing, you remember what you did today, right?"
He smiled like he'd been waiting all day for this. "You really set me on fire."
Keqing blinked, then suddenly asked, "You didn't… do anything to Ganyu, did you?"
"No," Ryou said, shaking his head.
"…You didn't?" Keqing looked oddly disappointed.
She stared at him like she couldn't believe it.
You were that worked up and you still didn't make a move?
Is your self-control too good, or is your moral character too pure?
She almost felt moved to tears.
I handed you a perfect chance and you didn't even think about taking it. Is it because the Ministry was the wrong setting?
Maybe next time… somewhere else?
Wait—Shenhe is probably at Ganyu's place. So what if I invite Ganyu here instead… and do a little switch at the last second?
If she set it up like that, even if Ryou tried to resist, he wouldn't have a chance.
And just in case… I should pick up some medicine later.
Ryou snorted, looking completely pleased with himself. "Of course not. You should know what kind of man you married."
Then his voice dropped a notch. "But if you're really going to doubt me, you're asking to be punished."
He gave her backside a single smack, grinning like a shameless menace.
Keqing bit her lip and looked up at him, aggrieved. "Ryou… that hurt."
Ryou's grin vanished on the spot.
"Alright, alright," he said immediately, softening. "I'll rub it. I didn't mean to hit that hard."
As his hand moved, an idea hit him.
His [Hand] had come back yesterday with two extra levels of "medical skill"—and for some reason, it only worked on women. Maybe he could "treat" Keqing with it.
Keqing's breath caught. "N-no—if you're going to rub it, then rub it. Why are you… groping?"
Her face went hot as she tried to push him away, but she didn't have much force behind it.
Ryou kept a perfectly straight face, as if he were genuinely being professional. "Keqing, I'm treating you."
Then he leaned in, voice low. "But if we do this in the courtyard, the servants might see. Come on—let's go to the pocket realm. More… privacy for your treatment."
Keqing's face turned scarlet.
Treatment?
Liar.
You just want to drag me into your pocket realm and bully me—in broad daylight, too. Shameless.
[End of chapter]
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