"Ahem… so how do you want me to thank you?" Ryou cleared his throat.
Something about the way Ningguang was looking at him felt wrong—like she was sizing him up as if she could swallow him whole. It made his skin crawl.
"Hm… helping me with paperwork shouldn't be too hard, right?" Ningguang said lightly. "I'm buried in work lately. Even with Ganyu helping, it's still a struggle. I haven't had a proper night's sleep in days."
She tapped the two stacks of documents beside her—two neat little "mountains"—then turned back to him. After studying him for a moment, she laughed.
"Why do you look disappointed?" she teased. "Don't tell me you were hoping I meant something else… I'm not saying it's impossible."
Then her smile turned sharp. "But aren't you afraid you'll fall asleep one night and wake up to a knife?"
"Don't talk nonsense. Keqing isn't that kind of person," Ryou snapped, shooting her a glare.
Even so, the image flashed through his head and sent a chill down his spine. If Keqing ever found out what happened between him and Ganyu, she might actually stab him. Luckily, he'd warned Ganyu yesterday—otherwise getting caught would've been a disaster.
Honestly, Ryou regretted it. If he'd held the line, he wouldn't be living on edge like this. Keqing was beautiful, kind, and more than enough in every way.
This was on him. He just couldn't resist the temptation.
Ryou shook his head and walked over. Ningguang stood up with a smile and slid aside.
"Then I'll be counting on you," she said.
The moment Ryou sat in her seat, he picked up a file, scanned it once, and started writing. Fast.
Before Ningguang could even process what she was seeing, he'd already finished one.
Then another.
She grabbed the completed paperwork and flipped through it. The ideas weren't dazzlingly elegant, but they were fresh—and surprisingly practical. His approach was completely different from what she would've done, yet it worked.
Ningguang set it down. Instead of sitting, she stayed standing beside him, watching as he cleared file after file and stacked them neatly to the side.
It was ridiculous.
She didn't even need to check closely. She could tell there were no issues. His solutions were clean, efficient, and sharp—and the speed of his thinking was outright frightening. It wasn't something she could match.
Ningguang watched him in silence, irritation simmering beneath her calm face. She should've made her move earlier.
Instead, Keqing had gotten there first.
And Keqing had even managed to get under her skin more than once. The more Ningguang thought about it, the more annoyed she became. If Ryou were her husband, she wouldn't need to grind herself into the ground like this every day.
Then her mind drifted to Keqing "resting at home" lately, and to how close Ganyu had suddenly become with her.
Ningguang could guess why.
Ganyu had probably helped treat Keqing's injuries—which meant Ryou's "needs" were still going nowhere. Keqing alone, even with a Vision, would have a hard time keeping up.
That meant Ningguang still had a chance.
Just not right now. She'd wait for the right opening.
Half an hour passed without anyone noticing.
Ryou finally set down his brush. He pushed the last file onto the finished stack. "All done."
"You're absurdly fast," Ningguang said, looking at him with genuine disbelief.
If she handled that workload herself, she'd need a full day and night—and even then, she might not finish. Ryou cleared it in thirty minutes.
The gap was humiliating.
Ningguang studied him. "Thank you. So… what do you want me to do?"
"Simple," Ryou said. "Change the lawyer certification exam to once every three years."
"And the evaluation needs a clear cutoff score. If you don't meet the line, you fail."
He didn't hesitate. "Also, I want the difficulty raised by thirty percent."
"Once every three years is fine," Ningguang said after a moment. "But a thirty percent jump is too much. You'll shrink the number of lawyers overnight, and that's not good for Liyue."
"Liyue Harbor is thriving," Ryou said. "There are plenty of legal advisors already. If people want to make money here, they should earn it with real skill."
"In my view, this is fine. Quality over quantity."
He looked at her. "It's the same as the Ministry of Civil Affairs. We have a lot of staff, but I can guarantee you they're competent. You've seen the efficiency reports, haven't you?"
As he spoke, he lifted his head—and had to admit it.
Ningguang really was dangerous.
Resting her chin in one hand like that, she carried herself with a mature, effortless allure that hit like a punch. Even if Keqing somehow "leveled up" twice, she still wouldn't catch up.
Ningguang thought it over. "Hm. You're not entirely wrong. I'll give you an answer later."
Then she noticed where his eyes had wandered. Her lips curved. She leaned closer across the desk, voice dropping into something softer.
"Do you like what you see?" she whispered. "Honestly… I could let you touch."
"Ahem!" Ryou coughed, stood up fast, and took a step back. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"I've helped you with the paperwork. I'm heading back. And those suggestions—if you're going to do it, then make it happen."
He dipped his shoulders slightly and walked out, keeping his distance.
Behind him, Ningguang laughed.
That laugh made his ears burn.
This woman was outrageous. She actually tried to tempt him.
But after what happened with Ganyu, he couldn't afford another stupid mistake. Not again. Absolutely not.
…
At Ryou's mother's house.
"Feeling any better lately?" Ryou's mother asked, looking Keqing up and down. She took a sip of tea and smiled. "This is really good tea. That boy has a thoughtful side, I'll give him that."
"I brought back extra this time," Keqing said with a smile. "When you're free, you can drink it whenever you like. He said it's good for your health and helps you live longer."
Ryou's mother's smile turned suggestive. "Speaking of living longer… I hope you two hurry up and give me a grandchild."
Then her gaze sharpened. "You seem a lot more relaxed lately. Are you back to normal?"
Keqing shook her head.
"No?" Ryou's mother frowned. "Then why do you look so much more at ease than before?"
She hesitated, then her eyes shifted. "Don't tell me it's because of Ganyu…"
Something clicked in her mind. Keqing had mentioned before that she wanted to pull Ganyu into this mess—had she actually succeeded?
Keqing set her tea down, irritation flashing across her face. "Don't even get me started."
"I gave him so many chances. One time, Ganyu and I both got drunk. It was perfect."
"And what did he do? He left me and Ganyu together… and walked out."
"That good of an opportunity, and he still didn't take it."
Ryou's mother's expression twisted into something strange.
So her son was… too upright?
How could he not seize that kind of moment? Ganyu was stunning—was he really not tempted at all?
Ryou's mother looked at Keqing. "Maybe… stop forcing it."
"I'm guessing it's not happening. He's got that rare, gentle temperament. You've been trying forever and there's still nothing to show for it, so maybe you should just—"
"Mother," Keqing said helplessly, "I don't want to be doing this either."
"But I can't keep going like this. Recently, he's been talking about having a child."
"And I do want to have one. I've even cut down on my Ministry workload."
Her voice dropped. "But if I actually get pregnant, what's he supposed to do?"
"He takes care of me. I can't just watch him suffer."
Ryou's mother fell silent for a moment. "That is a problem…"
Then she seemed to remember something. "Your father-in-law came back today and said there's a case at Stone Gate. It might involve a Vision."
She leaned closer. "Why not send them to investigate? You'll get a break, and they'll spend more time together."
"After enough contact, feelings happen naturally."
Keqing's curiosity sparked. "What happened?"
"I heard there was an ownerless Vision that suddenly appeared," Ryou's mother said. "After that, strange phenomena started showing up around the area."
She glanced toward the door. Ryou's father had just come back.
"Perfect timing," she said. "Come here."
Ryou's father stepped in—and paused when he saw Keqing. "Oh, Keqing's here."
Then he looked at her thoughtfully. "You and Yanfei get along fairly well, don't you?"
Keqing's eyes narrowed. "Yanfei… she went to the Ministry today?"
"Yeah," Ryou's father said. "Same general situation. It was tied to Northland Bank. He dealt with it."
He sighed. "But Yanfei can't keep targeting him like this. She has connections all over Liyue Harbor, so it's hard for me to intervene."
"Best case is… they talk it out privately and clear the air."
"I understand," Keqing said with a nod.
"Let them handle it," Ryou's mother said, then turned back to her husband. "By the way, you mentioned Stone Gate earlier. What's the situation now?"
"It involves a Vision," Ryou's father said. "I've already sent people to investigate."
His tone hardened. "But it's not as simple as it looks. Ningguang suspects it's a diversion."
He glanced at Keqing. "Since you're here, it's fine to say it."
"Yelan confirmed that a number of Fatui went to Guyun Stone Forest last night. After that, a presence leaked out from there."
He looked grim. The scale of it was too big—this could affect all of Liyue Harbor.
"Are the gods going to attack Liyue Harbor?" Keqing asked quietly.
"Something like that," Ryou's father said.
Ryou's mother went pale. "Then…"
"Don't spiral," Ryou's father said, wrapping an arm around her to steady her. "Liyue has Rex Lapis. The adepti are here, too."
"It'll be troublesome, but it won't be hopelessly dangerous."
He held her a little tighter. "We just need to watch out for the Fatui slipping into Liyue Harbor during the chaos."
Then he looked at Keqing. "When you go back, tell that boy to stay sharp. Liyue hasn't been peaceful lately."
[End of chapter]
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