"Yanfei!" the middle-aged woman called after her.
But Yanfei stormed off without even looking back. The woman rubbed her forehead, exasperated.
You know it's aimed at you, she thought. What's the point of demanding an explanation from Ningguang?
The Ministry of Civil Affairs didn't even oversee that area. Every order came from the Jade Chamber. Which meant the ministry and Ningguang had already coordinated it. Yanfei going there would change nothing.
…
The more Yanfei thought about it, the angrier she got.
This whole thing started because of Ryou. And Ningguang was clearly helping him bully her. Worse, the last incident had obviously been Ryou's fault—there was no way Ningguang didn't know that. Pulling this now was just too much.
By the time Yanfei reached the Jade Chamber, she was practically boiling over.
She walked in and immediately saw Ningguang sitting in her study, leisurely drinking tea, with fruit set out beside her.
Yanfei froze for a second, completely thrown.
Since when did Ningguang have time to relax like this? In Yanfei's mind, Ningguang was buried in paperwork every day, nonstop. Tea and fruit like this? Yanfei had never seen it.
"Sit," Ningguang said, already guessing why Yanfei was here.
Before Ningguang could speak again, Yanfei blurted out, "Ningguang-san, do you still have work to deal with today?"
Ningguang blinked. "I'm done."
"Done?" Yanfei didn't believe her for a second.
"Don't look at me like that," Ningguang said, then sighed. "Fine. I'll tell you—it's not a secret."
"Today, I had Ryou help me with my work. You have no idea how bad it usually is. My normal workload takes a full day and night, and even then I might not finish everything properly."
She tapped her cup lightly. "Ryou cleared it in under half an hour. Cleanly. No errors."
Yanfei stared. "He's that fast?"
Ningguang's documents weren't trivial. They covered major matters from all across Liyue—things that required real thought, not quick scribbling. If Ningguang herself approved his work, then the method was solid.
Cutting a full day and night down to half an hour was absurd.
"So you traded that," Yanfei said slowly, "and helped him in return."
Ningguang set her cup down and gave a small cough. "I… owed him a bit of face."
Yanfei rolled her eyes. You sound pretty pleased with yourself, she thought.
"Ningguang-san," Yanfei said, forcing herself to stay calm, "those changes in the new notice don't hit me that hard. But for other legal advisors, it's a nightmare."
She hesitated, then her voice softened with frustration. "I have a junior apprentice from Inazuma. She should be arriving in Liyue Harbor in a few days. Under the old rules, she met all the requirements."
"But now? Those existing certifications basically don't count. She might come all this way for nothing. And you know what things are like in Inazuma right now—getting out isn't easy."
Yanfei looked at Ningguang. "So could we—"
"That probably won't work," Ningguang cut in, shaking her head. "I gave Ryou my word. I can't go back on it."
She paused, then added, "Why don't you talk to him yourself?"
"No," Yanfei snapped immediately.
Her face darkened. "Last time, he locked me up in the Ministry of Civil Affairs in front of everyone. I lost all face. I'm not done with him, and I'm not going to him to beg."
"Then there's nothing I can do," Ningguang said, her tone flat. "The notice has already gone out. Every legal advisor has been informed. There's no taking it back now."
She lifted her tea again and took a slow sip.
"…Fine," Yanfei said stiffly.
She didn't push further. She turned and left the Jade Chamber.
Outside, Yanfei looked toward Yujing Terrace.
It was already edging toward evening. And the assessments themselves would be handled over on Yujing Terrace anyway. Yanfei debated whether to see Ganyu and ask her to think of a workaround.
Her junior apprentice had struggled to make it out of Inazuma. If she missed this chance, getting certified again could take ages.
With that in mind, Yanfei headed to Yujing Terrace.
But as she passed by the Ministry of Civil Affairs, she heard something… off.
It made no sense. Most of the staff should have left by now. So why were there strange noises inside?
And it wasn't like a thief would break into the ministry to steal something. Not here. Not with guards around.
Yanfei didn't like Ryou, but she wasn't about to ignore something suspicious. She moved closer, listening harder.
The sounds came in uneven bursts—like tapping that blended into a continuous rhythm. Not loud, but muffled, as if something was covering it. That was what made it so weird.
Yanfei slipped through the ministry entrance and crept toward the inner office door. Then she called out, sharp and clear, "Who's in there?"
Bang.
Something thudded inside.
Yanfei's heart jumped. She grabbed the handle and tried to push in—only to find the door shut tight.
"Who's in there?" she shouted again.
The noise dropped off, but faint sounds still leaked through in fits and starts.
"Yanfei?" someone called from behind her.
Yanfei spun. "Ah—Ganyu. You scared me." She pressed a hand to her chest, exhaling hard.
"I was about to go home," Ganyu said, narrowing her eyes. "Then I saw you sneaking into the Ministry of Civil Affairs like a burglar."
Her tone turned dry. "If it were anyone else, I'd have people detained already."
Ganyu glanced at the door. "At this hour, Ryou and Keqing should've gone home ages ago."
"That's what I thought too," Yanfei said quickly. She pointed at the door. "But I heard something. Listen."
"The sound comes and goes, like someone knocking or hitting something. What if someone's hiding in there? If the ministry's empty, it'd be the perfect time to steal confidential files."
"Mm… I doubt it," Ganyu said, frowning.
She swept the room with a pulse of adepti energy—then paused.
Nothing.
Ganyu turned back to Yanfei. "I checked. There's no one inside. Unless you're just—"
"I'm not!" Yanfei cut her off, bristling.
She hesitated, then clenched her jaw. "I'm opening it. I heard something. I can't just walk away."
"…Alright," Ganyu said, seeing how adamant she was.
She raised a hand and shoved the door open by force.
A strange smell hit them in the face—sharp, lingering for a moment before fading.
Inside, everything looked wrong.
The desk sat slightly crooked, like it had been tilted or shifted. There were damp marks near the side. Even the floor showed scuffs, as if something heavy had been pushed.
It was unsettlingly messy in a way that didn't match an empty room.
"No one…?" Yanfei murmured, baffled. "Did I hear it wrong?"
"Let's go," Ganyu said, eyeing her. "You probably worked yourself up."
She took Yanfei by the arm and guided her out.
After they'd been gone for a while, the door quietly closed again.
Then two figures appeared inside.
Keqing sucked in air in shaky breaths, then pinched Ryou hard, furious and flustered. "This is all your fault! I told you no!"
"And if you hadn't reacted fast just now—if they'd found us—I wouldn't have been able to show my face ever again!"
"Keqing, I'll be more careful next time," Ryou said, kissing her once and holding her close as he walked them out at an unhurried pace.
"You're horrible," Keqing hissed, still red to the ears. "And just now… I told you to be gentler!"
She looked up at him, exhausted. "Carry me. I don't have any strength left."
"Alright, alright." Ryou laughed, crouching down so she could climb onto his back.
It had been nearly an hour since the ministry officially got off work. Even with a Vision, Keqing was struggling—not from stamina, but from sheer nerves.
What just happened would've scared anyone. Even Ryou's heart had lurched when Yanfei walked straight into the office. He hadn't expected that at all.
Good thing he had his pocket world. Otherwise, they would've been finished.
[Ding! Heart entering Darkened Mode!]
[Ding! Heart in Darkened Mode active. Rage +50%!]
[Ding! Heart in Darkened Mode—rampaging. Your blood gains healing properties!]
[Ding! Heart in Darkened Mode—unhinged. Your pocket world expands to twice its size!]
Ryou jolted at the notifications. So it really did scare the Heart too, he thought.
[Ryou]:Heart, you feel awful. Like you're being squeezed.
[Heart]:Master, I genuinely thought I was going to die just now.
[Lungs]:Heart, that reward just shoved Kidney out of the spotlight. Kidney's been useless lately.
[Eyes]:Yeah, seriously.
[Ears]:Kidney's been quiet for ages. What's going on?
[Lungs]:Kidney, say something!
[Nose]:Kidney, speak!
[Ryou]:Enough. Kidney's still better than all of you. Heart—tell me what this "healing blood" actually does.
[Heart]:Master, even a small amount will heal. Taken repeatedly, it can even pull someone back from the brink of death.
[Ryou]:???
[Kidney]:???
[Eyes]:???
Ryou went blank.
His blood could… bring someone back from the brink?
[Heart]:Stop acting shocked. We're one family—can a Heart not handle a little pressure?
[Heart]:And "back from the brink" is only the start. If you go deeper into Darkened Mode in the future, you'll be able to bring the dead back to life.
[All Organs]:!!!
[Ryou]:!!!!!
What?
Bring the dead back to life?
That was insane. Completely broken.
Ryou was still reeling when Keqing pinched his waist again.
He flinched. "What is it?"
"Look over there," Keqing whispered, her face blazing.
"What—"
Ryou turned his head.
Not far away on Yujing Terrace, Yanfei and Ganyu were staring at them with disbelief.
Ganyu was the worst—her face was bright red, like she'd just realized exactly what had been happening.
Ryou's scalp went cold.
It's been a while already… why are you two still here?!
[End of chapter]
[200 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
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