"Ganyu, are you feeling unwell?"
Hearing the chaotic muddle she was spouting, Ken, for once, didn't overthink it. Instead, he looked at Ganyu seriously.
With such a gentle, bashful qilin, it's hard to even want to tease her.
Years upon years of hard work—surely even an adeptus would feel tired.
"I… I'm fine. It's just that I'm still a little lost about the Geo Archon's passing, and I'm… a bit confused about some of the Qixing's decisions, so my thoughts are messy and I can't speak clearly."
Ganyu spoke in a meek voice; even the little ahoge on her head drooped.
Though it was an excuse, it was also what had troubled her lately.
After her heart-to-heart with Ken earlier, she had indeed thrown herself back into work. But the Qixing suddenly stopped investigating the culprit, which made Ganyu quite uncomfortable.
The Geo Archon who protected Liyue for millennia has passed—shouldn't we seriously seek the truth?
Even the final rites of the Rite of Parting felt perfunctory in the end.
She had asked the Yuheng about it, but the Yuheng wouldn't say more, making Ganyu feel there must be a reason—one being hidden from her.
That feeling of not being trusted is a kind of melancholy for Ganyu, who has given so much for Liyue yet can't truly blend into it.
"So that's the reason…" Ken mused. "Have you not been resting lately?"
Faced with the sudden concern, Ganyu was a bit flustered. "Huh? I… I haven't."
"No wonder." Ken sighed helplessly.
Zhongli had shared a dream that night. Ganyu probably missed it because she was too absorbed in work to sleep, so she didn't receive the dream and thought the Geo Archon truly passed away.
The Qixing, having received the dream, knew the Geo Archon was fine, so of course they stopped pursuing the culprit.
Thus a misunderstanding grew between Ganyu and the Qixing.
On top of that, Ganyu always felt the Qixing distrusted her due to her identity… which led her to overthink.
"Come with me to Blue Star for a look."
Ken decided to help this meek qilin. Perhaps it would be more appropriate for Zhongli to untangle her knot in person.
Besides—
Ken privately felt that if even Zhongli had retired, then Ganyu—who worked herself to the bone for Liyue for 3,700 years—deserved a rest.
Even if she would still work at Yuehai Pavilion, at the very least she shouldn't be pushing herself so hard.
Ganyu should have her own life.
But for people of Liyue who value contracts, only Morax himself could release this contract, and only then would Ganyu truly let go.
"Really? I do miss the scenery on Blue Star."
Her previous trip had left her with a pleasant aftertaste; at least on Blue Star she didn't feel this lonely.
She seemed faintly delighted; even the droopy ahoge perked up.
But glancing at the somewhat blank Shenhe in the shop, Ganyu pursed her lips and still went over to greet her. She knew Shenhe was Cloud Retainer's disciple; in a sense, Ganyu counted as Shenhe's senior.
It's just that she had worked for so many years that she wasn't familiar with Shenhe.
And Shenhe's social skills were even rougher than Ganyu's. After a couple painfully awkward lines of small talk, even Ken's scalp tingled. He hurriedly took Ganyu to Blue Star.
These two… really didn't learn Cloud Retainer's chatting skills at all.
…
"Yaoyao is still playing here?"
Upon arriving at Blue Star and seeing Yaoyao and Paimon, Ganyu was surprised.
She thought Yaoyao had gone back to Liyue Harbor.
"She really likes it here, so she's staying a few more days." Ken didn't disturb them; instead, he took Ganyu along a path in the back garden. "Come on, I'll take you to meet someone."
"Eh? Someone I know?" Ganyu thought carefully. She didn't really know anyone on Blue Star.
In fact, there weren't many people she knew in Liyue Harbor either.
Ken didn't explain. "You'll know when you see him."
Ganyu nodded thoughtfully without asking more, though her clear eyes held a hint of curiosity.
With flowers in full bloom along the way, Ken brought Ganyu to the neighboring villa.
"Mr. Zhongli?"
Seeing the figure standing in the courtyard, Ganyu looked surprised.
She naturally knew this consultant of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. During the Rite of Parting, she had helped him collect Glaze Lilies. They hadn't had much contact beyond that, but they weren't strangers.
What surprised Ganyu was—why had Ken brought her to see Zhongli?
"He is the Geo Archon."
Ken didn't beat around the bush.
"Eh??"
Ganyu stumbled and almost fell on the gravel path. She looked in disbelief at Ken, then at Zhongli in the distance.
Although Zhongli's temperament was steady and his knowledge profound, Ganyu had never associated him with the Geo Archon.
After all, this consultant's biggest daily pleasures were carrying a birdcage and enjoying opera.
Not quite a wastrel or street loafer, but it was still hard to connect him with the awe-inspiring Geo Archon.
Most importantly—
The Rite of Parting was organized by Zhongli himself… Did the Geo Archon hold his own funeral? Ganyu felt a bit scrambled.
"Ganyu, you're here."
Compared to Ganyu's confusion, Zhongli was very calm.
From the moment he saw her, he vaguely guessed Ken's purpose in bringing her.
A familiar pressure, lightly released, was enough to make Ganyu believe the man before her.
"It's really the Geo Archon…"
Ganyu's eyes rippled slightly. In those days, because the Archon led them, they had repelled monsters, subdued sea beasts, and kept Liyue safe.
She would not forget a friendship spanning thousands of years.
But didn't the Archon pass away?
Ganyu struggled to process it, standing there, eyes full of confusion.
Seeing the dazed qilin, Ken patted her shoulder and led her into the courtyard.
"Just call me Zhongli. From now on, whether in Liyue or on Blue Star, I am Zhongli."
Having stepped down as the Geo Archon, Zhongli wanted to walk the mortal world as an ordinary man, to savor its myriad flavors.
He then explained the whole story. He hadn't expected Ganyu to miss his dream message.
"Lord Archon, I…" After so long, Ganyu didn't even know where to begin.
Her respect was pure, without any impurities—just simple admiration and gratitude.
Therefore, upon hearing Zhongli's plan, waves surged in her heart. She hadn't expected the truth of the Archon's "death" to be like this. No wonder the Qixing stopped investigating; they already knew the Archon was safe.
Many doubts untangled at once. Ganyu's mood brightened.
Zhongli said calmly, "Now that I have stepped down, the contract between us is ended. You have given too much for Liyue; it is time to return to your own life."
He recalled how long ago he had signed a contract with this descendant of the qilin out of sympathy.
He hadn't expected it to last 3,700 years.
Over these years, Ganyu had never complained, handling a myriad of Liyue affairs day after day, watching Liyue grow from nothing to today's prosperity.
Her contribution was no less than any of the Qixing.
Precisely because of this, Zhongli felt a trace of guilt.
Work had occupied too much of her time, causing her to lose her original life in the prime of her youth, to spend her days with heavy tasks, and to miss the vibrant life she should have had.
Now that he had retired, Ganyu did not need to maintain the contract. She should seek her own belonging, rather than continue drifting in Liyue's sea of people with no home to return to.
"Return to my own life?" Ganyu murmured.
Zhongli stood with hands clasped behind his back. "Yes. Don't mind the other constraints; follow your heart to experience life and feel everything. Be it the morning breeze or the clouds at dusk, perhaps they are all part of the new life you want to pursue."
Ganyu stood there, a little lost.
For 3,700 years, her life had been almost entirely consumed by work, day after day, year after year.
Now that she was told to seek her own life, she didn't know where to start.
It seemed that apart from memories of the Archon War, all she had were the busy days at Liyue Harbor.
"For example, make Glaze Lilies bloom across Guili Plains again; or experience a life different from Teyvat's on Blue Star… or travel all across Teyvat; or continue at Yuehai Pavilion, but nine-to-five with absolutely no overtime—these are all lives you can choose to pursue."
Seeing the lost qilin, Ken gave a gentle nudge.
Ganyu's reaction was perfectly normal.
If anyone had been dominated by work for 3,700 years, a rare break wouldn't make them relax—it would make them feel adrift.
"If possible, I truly want Guili Plains to bloom as it did in the past, flowers stretching for a hundred miles."
Ganyu sighed. But the world had changed; even if they bloomed again, it wouldn't be the same scenery.
After a moment, Ganyu asked, "But… nine-to-five with absolutely no overtime? What's that?"
Compared to completely stopping work, Ganyu still couldn't let go of Yuehai Pavilion.
Lately she'd been off her game simply because she was overthinking and felt distrusted by the Qixing.
"It means starting at nine in the morning, with a two-hour midday break, off at five in the evening, and no overtime on weekends."
Ken spoke lazily.
Ganyu considered it. "Mm… I think this suits me better. Letting go of Yuehai's work all at once is hard for me. I'm very tempted by your suggestion, sir—I'll talk with Lady Ningguang."
Without the contract's fetters, even if she worked now, it would be for herself.
A sense of unprecedented lightness welled up in Ganyu's heart.
Though she never felt the contract with the Archon was a shackle, it's undeniable that fulfilling a contract and working freely are different concepts.
She really wanted to try the model Ken proposed. That way she could continue working at Yuehai while having free time to pursue her own life.
"Good. In your free time, you can come to Blue Star to play, or relax in Liyue—up to you. Lumine is at the villa; let her show you around Blue Star."
"Mm. Thank you, Mr. Ken, and thank you, My Ar—… Mr. Zhongli." Ganyu smiled.
Though abruptly changing work patterns would leave her a bit at a loss…
As Ken and Zhongli said, it was time for her to have her own life.
It might feel unfamiliar, but it was a brand new challenge.
…
After bringing Ganyu back to the villa, Ken handed her off to Lumine.
There was much basic knowledge about Blue Star; better to have Lumine guide her.
Then Ken fetched some fresh, tender Glaze Lilies and Qingxin and delivered them to Lumine's room. These system-produced items were nourishing for adepti, making them more radiant.
As for adeptus essence… that wasn't something Ken considered.
He simply felt that since these were good for adepti and he had no one else to give them to, he might as well give them to Ganyu.
But seeing the crisp, tender delicacies, Ganyu's pretty face flushed.
"Ganyu, what's wrong?"
Seeing Ganyu blush all at once, Lumine asked suspiciously.
Ken had just brought two plates of plants, yet Ganyu made that face—Lumine couldn't help but be on guard.
Could it be that Ganyu…
"No, it's just that I can't help my appetite, and if I eat too much I'm afraid of getting fat, so…"
Ganyu dashed Lumine's wild guesses with a gentle explanation.
But that was only part of it.
The bigger reason was that Ken's Glaze Lilies and Qingxin were very beneficial to her; every time she used them her body, energy, and spirit improved a lot.
But they also caused a… difficult-to-speak-of essence…
That was why she was shy.
To avoid Lumine's questions, Ganyu hurried on, "Lumine, teach me how to use a phone. I want to learn about Blue Star, so I can visit when I'm off."
"Okay." Lumine didn't press further.
…
In the second-floor hall.
Ken opened the system and looked at the thirty-five pulls he had saved up, hesitating for a moment.
Uh…
What if it's Ganyu's coconut milk again?
If he pulled that again, he'd feel a bit embarrassed—always drinking her coconut milk… it didn't feel right.
"Forget it, I'll save a few more days and stack multipliers to pull later… System, open the Door of Invitation."
Ken decided to host another invitation.
Even though he'd stayed in Liyue Harbor for a while and gotten familiar with everyone, there were still many who hadn't visited Blue Star.
Let's see who the fates bring this time.
…