"S-sorry, I couldn't help it…"
Lumine turned her head away, trying to hide the grin that was already breaking across her face.
Her shoulders trembled from suppressed laughter.
That little interruption didn't bother the two in conversation much.
Su Ran, since he had just called himself Ningguang's "benefactor," naturally needed to give her a reason she'd actually believe.
"Ahead of me, there's another member of the Genius Club — Herta," he said flatly.
"She's a gifted genius too… and I've been sick of her for a long time."
The drama between geniuses immediately piqued Ningguang's curiosity.
Who was this Herta woman, exactly?
"She's got a little sidekick — the daughter of a senior executive from the Interastral Peace Company.
So she's loaded.
And honestly, seeing her get pampered by a rich woman makes me kinda jealous.
That's why…"
"I decided I want one too."
Ningguang blinked.
That's the reason?
Of all the possibilities she had calculated — secret schemes, cosmic politics, personal ambition —
she hadn't expected it to boil down to pure, unfiltered envy.
Su Ran's expression, however, was deadly serious.
He went on, undeterred.
"I mean, compared to that woman's money, you're definitely not as rich as her sugar mom—uh, her sponsor.
But you've got talent, Ningguang.
If I nurture you properly, you could totally become a slightly less wealthy but way more competent version of her."
He spoke as if planning an investment portfolio.
"When I eventually build my space station beyond Teyvat, you'll be the one managing it — Director Ningguang of the Su Ran Orbital Station."
The confidence in his tone left Ningguang speechless.
So that was it?
He was jealous that someone else had a rich patron, so he decided to find his own?
Truly, the mind of a genius was… unpredictable.
"But aren't you supposed to be a genius yourself?" she asked, half amused, half skeptical.
"Shouldn't people be fighting over you instead of the other way around?"
She simply couldn't wrap her head around it.
Why would someone of his level choose her—someone who hadn't even reached the starting line of that vast cosmic race?
Was this really all because she gave him the Jade Chamber?
Surely, it couldn't be that valuable.
"Mhm," Su Ran nodded, "but I don't like the Interastral Peace Company.
Even if they offered me my own assistant, she still wouldn't compare to Asta."
So that was it.
He wasn't envious of the money — he was envious of the quality of the assistant.
Asta: beautiful, kind, smart, rich, and somehow still pure despite growing up in the shadow of that monstrous corporation.
A one-in-a-billion gem.
"Topaz is fine too," Su Ran added thoughtfully, "but she's a debt collector.
A wage worker. Not my type.
I'm looking for a rich woman, not an employee."
"So you set your sights on me?"
Even for Ningguang, this was absurd.
Of all the motives she could have imagined, this was the most ridiculous.
But it was so ridiculous… that she couldn't tell if he was joking or not.
"Exactly," Su Ran said without a hint of shame.
"You're the only one qualified.
The others? Not a chance.
Keqing's too righteous, and Regrator—well, he's a man."
Ningguang raised an eyebrow.
"You'd pass up a man for a woman?"
"Of course. I haven't gone that insane."
"Fine," she said finally, sighing in resignation.
"What exactly do you want me to do?"
"Be my representative in the universe.
Manage my assets.
And later on, help me gather the resources I'll need."
It wasn't an unreasonable deal.
Su Ran wasn't a businessman—he was a scientist, and currently one without salary or funding.
No budget.
No materials.
No logistics.
Ningguang, at least, was trustworthy—and a proven strategist.
After all, she was a woman who once blew up her own floating palace to protect Liyue.
"I accept."
There was no long hesitation—just a brief moment of thought before she agreed.
The world beyond Teyvat was vast and perilous.
Without a powerful patron, survival was uncertain.
Compared to siding with the Fatui or playing politics with gods, Su Ran—this "descender" with real cosmic connections— was by far the better investment.
She could build her foundation under him, then one day, perhaps, carve out her own empire among the stars.
Su Ran saw right through her ambitions— and couldn't care less.
If Ningguang one day succeeded, no one would say it was by her own merit.
They'd simply whisper:
"Oh, Ningguang? You mean Su Ran's representative, right?"
The higher she climbed, the tighter the bond.
And by then, leaving him would mean losing everything.
Teyvat-born mortals had no footing in the cosmos without a benefactor.
Topaz and Sampo were proof enough— without their patron, Jade, they'd be nobodies.
And Ningguang's patron… was Su Ran himself.
"In a few days," Su Ran said, smiling faintly, "I'll take you into space. Let you see it with your own eyes."
He sounded casual, but truth be told, he'd never been off-world either.
He wanted to see the stars just as badly.
"That's something I greatly look forward to," Ningguang said softly.
They hadn't signed a contract, but the partnership was sealed nonetheless.
Su Ran would lend her his fame and connections;
Ningguang would dedicate her brilliance and labor.
He gained himself a future sugar mommy— and she, the chance to become one.
A mutually profitable arrangement, all things considered.
With the business concluded, it was finally time to eat.
Su Ran reached for his chopsticks—then froze.
"Wait… where's the food?"
The table that had once been covered in delicacies was now nothing but scraps and empty plates.
The culprits, of course, were seated right beside him.
Lumine and Paimon rubbed their bellies contentedly.
As expected of Tianquan Ningguang— not only was the meal exquisite, but the portion sizes had been divine.
Easily the best feast they'd ever had in their lives.
"You two can leave now," Su Ran said, glaring daggers at them.
He decided to hold back—he was still in Liyue, after all.
But once they reached Inazuma…
he'd make sure they learned the true meaning of fear.
"Ningguang," he sighed, "bring out another table. I'm still hungry."
Already settling into her new role as "representative," Ningguang simply nodded and called the staff.
Reservations at the Liyue Pavilion were usually made days in advance— but when you were Tianquan Ningguang, all problems could be solved the same way:
with more money.
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