Outside the room, Akio stood silently for a moment. But upon seeing the three women following him out, a faint smile spread across his face.
"How is it? Have all the rooms been arranged?" Akio asked with a smile as he looked at the trio.
"Yes, yes! I absolutely love this place!" Keqing nodded happily.
"Good, then. This is also our home. Whenever you want to come here, feel free to do so," Akio said with a nod. "I'll sense when you enter this place, and I'll come to keep you company."
"Okay~" Ningguang stepped forward, linking her arm with Akio's. "Let's head back for now, my dear. I have something I'd like to discuss with you in private."
"Oh?" Akio looked at Ningguang with curiosity but nodded in agreement.
With a gentle wave of his hand, the four of them returned directly to their base in Liyue.
"Hey, Ningguang, what are you up to?" Keqing asked, hands on her hips. "Trying to hog hubby all to yourself, aren't you?"
"Of course not. I just have a few things to talk about with him in private," Ningguang replied with a smile. "Don't worry, I'll definitely bring him back. He's our husband after all, and he belongs to us tonight. There's no need to rush."
Ningguang gave Ganyu a meaningful glance as she finished speaking, then left the room arm in arm with Akio.
"..." It was clear that ever since learning about the Geo Archon, Ganyu had been somewhat distracted.
"Huh? Ganyu, what's wrong?" Noticing her absent-mindedness, Keqing asked with concern.
"It's chilly out here. Let's head back inside," Keqing continued, pulling Ganyu by the arm into the house.
As they walked along a cool, breezy path under the night sky, Akio looked at Ningguang curiously. "Sweetheart, what's on your mind?"
"Darling, are you upset?" Ningguang suddenly wrapped her arms around Akio and offered him a sweet kiss.
After a moment, their lips parted, and Akio gazed at Ningguang. "Sweetheart, what could I possibly be upset about?" he asked softly.
"Hmph, you stubborn, naughty man," Ningguang teased, snuggling into Akio's embrace with a playful pout.
"..." Akio fell silent for a moment, saying nothing.
"Is it because of Ganyu?" Ningguang ventured.
"I'm guessing it's her reaction to the talk of the Archon that's bothering you, isn't it?" she added.
"Yeah..." Akio nodded glumly.
"You're such a child sometimes, my dear," Ningguang said as she hugged him, admiring his handsome features. "Ganyu has a pure heart. She wouldn't do anything out of line."
"I know that," Akio quickly nodded. "Honestly, I understand everything. It's just a tiny bit of discomfort nagging at me."
"Ganyu has worked tirelessly for Liyue for thousands of years. I also know that to her, Morax is both a mentor and a father figure. Her feelings for him are purely those of respect and admiration," Akio said quietly.
"And Morax himself has never shown any romantic inclinations towards anyone," Akio added. "I've never doubted Ganyu's heart for a second."
"So, what you're saying is, this is just a small hurdle in your mind, right?" Ningguang asked, gently caressing his face. "You're probably just feeling a tiny bit jealous because of how high the Archon stands in Ganyu's regard."
"Ah, well..." Akio gave a sheepish smile. Indeed, Morax was an incredibly significant figure to Ganyu.
"Looks like I hit the nail on the head," Ningguang chuckled. "You're so adorable, my love."
"Am I being too selfish?" Akio asked with a self-deprecating smile.
"Selfish? I think you're just utterly adorable," Ningguang giggled.
"Though the Archon is a god without a fixed gender, and historical records mention him walking the mortal realm in a female form at times," Ningguang explained, "nowadays, he lives as a man experiencing mortal life."
"If you felt nothing at all and were completely fine with us harboring deep feelings for another man, I'd actually think you didn't care about us at all," Ningguang said seriously.
"Ningguang..." Akio stared at her, stunned. She was just so thoughtful, so considerate.
"You may be an invincible god in this world, yet you possess such rich, human emotions," Ningguang continued. "Selfishness is one of the deepest traits of humanity. Even you can't escape it."
"By all rights and emotions, Ganyu is your beloved now and will surely be your lifelong partner. If you didn't have even a trace of selfishness, we'd be heartbroken," Ningguang said, wrapping her arms around Akio's waist and resting her face against his chest, listening to his strong heartbeat.
Though Akio had long since become a god, and had lived centuries in Liyue in the past, his heart retained the same will as ever. His resolve wouldn't fade with time, and naturally, he carried the flaws and quirks of humanity as well.
"Ningguang..." Akio held her tightly, murmuring, "I understand..."
"I've never doubted any of you," he added. "This is probably just a man's instinct getting the better of me."
"Bound by hair as husband and wife, love without a shadow of doubt..." Under the moonlight, Akio and Ningguang clung to each other, the delicate glow casting a beautiful light over them.
Not long after, they walked back into the courtyard hand in hand. A bright smile appeared on Akio's face—he was truly happy.
"You're back!" Ganyu hurried over, joyfully embracing Akio.
Seeing Ganyu's gentle, adorable demeanor, Akio felt a surge of warmth in his heart. How could he ever doubt someone as precious as this little qilin?
"Ganyu, come with me for a moment. Let's chat," Ningguang said.
"Eh?" Ganyu looked at Ningguang, a bit puzzled.
"Ningguang..." Akio started to speak, but Ningguang silenced him with a finger to his lips.
"My dearest husband, don't say a word. I need to talk to Ganyu. You go find Keqing for now. Don't worry, I know what I'm doing," Ningguang said, pushing Akio into the house and closing the door behind her.
"Huh? Darling, you're back! What did you and Ningguang talk about just now?" Keqing pounced on him, practically hanging off Akio.
Akio didn't hide anything and told Keqing everything.
"Hahaha..." Hearing the faint trace of grievance in Akio's tone, Keqing nearly doubled over with laughter.
"My darling husband, you're just too cute~" Keqing said through her laughter. "Come here, let me give you a kiss~"
A/N: Enjoying the story? Read 60+ chapters ahead on Patreon! Your support helps: Patreon.com/nneol