Keqing dragged Ji Ming by the wrist, practically hauling him across the courtyard with the strength of someone very close to losing her temper. She didn't stop until they reached the rear garden, a quiet corner where no one would overhear.
Her violet eyes narrowed.
"Speak. What are you trying to do?"
Ji Ming leaned back with that infuriating slack-shouldered, lazy confidence, letting his gaze wander across the garden pond and rockery as if this were his personal vacation villa.
"With feelings this passionate, what else?" he replied lightly. "As Lady Yuheng's admirer, I came naturally for you."
Keqing's expression twisted.
"Wipe that look off your face. It's disgusting."
"Fair enough."
He flattened his expression—not from guilt, but because he had other business today.
"Relax. I'm not here to ruin the wedding. You handle your family affairs, I'll handle mine. I won't interfere."
Keqing narrowed her eyes, but his tone didn't sound like mischief.
Still, she delivered a final warning:
"If you ruin even one part of my sister's wedding—one!—I will personally lock you in the Tianzi Prison until your hair turns white."
Ji Ming raised his palms.
"Relax. I'm well aware: Better topple ten temples than break one marriage. I won't touch the ceremony."
Then his expression sharpened.
"Now, Lady Yuheng… where is your family's warehouse?"
Keqing blinked.
"…What?"
Ji Ming sighed like a teacher explaining common sense:
"In the old days, whenever a great clan held a wedding, the vagrants would come knocking. Not to cause trouble—they'd just ask for some food and coin. No household wanted bad luck on a wedding day, so they'd give."
"I was going to do that. Simple. Legal. Ceremonial.
But since I came as your acquaintance—I'm being polite."
So—
He wanted compensation.
Keqing stared at him.
"…Have you lost your mind? Or did you downgrade into common thieves?"
Ji Ming gave her a dry look.
"Lady Yuheng. You hate the existence of gangs, right?"
"Of course. The fewer the better. Ideally, none at all."
Ji Ming smiled.
"Then let me help.
I know your Li Clan has three gangs under its table.
Let Old Nine Gates take out the trash—for free."
Keqing's breath caught.
"…You're serious?"
Ji Ming shrugged.
"You talk big about justice. But you couldn't stop your sister's marriage. And you think you can purge your family's criminal arms?"
Keqing opened her mouth—
Then closed it.
He had hit the mark cleanly.
Before either could speak—
CRACK!
Something slammed into the back of Ji Ming's skull.
"Don't bully Keqing-jiejie!!"
Ji Ming turned slowly.
Behind him stood a girl—the bride—veil lifted, holding a wooden stick with both hands.
At her feet, a small white puppy barked furiously.
Ji Ming rubbed his head.
"…Kid, if you want someone to faint, aim behind the ear. Not the skull. You'll just give a headache."
The bride stepped in front of Keqing like a protective mother hen—despite shaking herself.
Keqing just stared.
Because the person who should have been standing protectively in front…
was her.
But she wasn't.
She hadn't been able to be.
Ji Ming looked at Keqing—directly.
"Where is the warehouse?"
Keqing bit her lip.
Then—
"…Fine. I'll take you. But you must promise: once you find the gangs my family keeps… you erase them. Completely."
"Keqing-jiejie—g-gangs??" the bride gasped.
Keqing stroked her hair.
"Go back. If they see you talking to a man today, Kun Clan will use it against you."
The bride's face fell, but she understood.
Ji Ming tsked.
"You're the Yuheng of Liyue. What Kun Clan? If it were me, and my daughter was mistreated, I'd walk into that household with a sword."
Keqing countered immediately:
"And if it were your son mistreating his wife?"
Ji Ming didn't hesitate.
"Then the daughter-in-law divorces him, I break his legs, and throw him out of the family to fend for himself. We don't raise beasts in my house."
The bride blinked—
Then laughed—bright and sweet and ringing:
"Then your son must be the little beast—and you the big beast, right?"
Ji Ming's face darkened instantly.
Keqing's shoulders shook with a barely-contained smile.
"Alright, alright." Ji Ming flicked his hand. "Back to your room, bride. And you—" he pointed at the small white dog—"stop growling. You're two bites tall."
He turned away—
"Wait!"
The bride rushed forward—serious now.
She took Ji Ming's hand between her own.
"Please. Take care of Keqing-jiejie. If she has no one to stand with her… the elders will arrange a marriage for her next."
Ji Ming raised an eyebrow.
"…What are you offering in return?"
The bride hesitated—then bent down and picked up her puppy.
"…Then… please take Baitang.
If I can't take him with me… I'd rather entrust him to someone good."
Ji Ming stared.
"…You're bribing me with a dog."
"I-It's a very good dog!"
The dog: [small indignant yelp]
Ji Ming exhaled.
"…Fine. But I'm changing its name."
The bride froze.
"…Please… don't…"
Ji Ming patted the dog's head.
"Your new name is: Tiger."
Both the bride and the dog:
"..."
Footsteps sounded from the courtyard.
"The groom is approaching — where is the bride?"
Panic flashed through the sisters.
The bride quickly released Ji Ming's hand.
Keqing immediately grabbed it instead—
"This way."
And dragged him deeper into the rear wing of the estate—
Looking for the warehouse.
Looking for the evidence.
Looking to break the rot at the root.
Behind them—
White puppy Tiger had already accepted the situation
and trotted along.