"By the way, you two—would you like to come aboard the Southern Cross for a tour?
This is the first aircraft carrier in Teyvat, and possibly the only one!"
Beidou invited them with a smile.
"No, thank you. We still have matters to attend to."
Ningguang declined politely, maintaining her elegant smile.
She was joking with herself internally.
Until the Jade Chamber was upgraded, there was absolutely no way she would step onto that ship.
"Alright then. Kazuha, let's go."
Beidou nodded and didn't press further.
Being able to properly show off in front of Ningguang once was already satisfying enough.
"Yes, Captain."
Kazuha followed behind with a slightly strange expression.
The clash between these two women was truly terrifying.
Not a single insult was spoken, yet the aggression underneath was unmistakable.
Ningguang Makes Her Move
"Keqing, let's go. We're heading to Boss Han's place."
Watching Beidou's departing figure, Ningguang spoke in a low voice.
"Huh? Aren't we going back to work?"
Keqing blinked, clearly failing to keep up with her train of thought.
"The situation has already been handled. What work is left?"
Ningguang shot her a graceful side glance.
"I'm going to the manga shop to find a way to permanently upgrade the Jade Chamber."
"I see."
Now Keqing understood.
So the so-called 'business' had just been an excuse.
Still, she didn't object.
She hadn't read any manga today anyway— going there to relax sounded fine.
Ningguang's Suspicious Smile
As Keqing prepared to leave, she noticed Ningguang staring at her with a gentle, smiling expression.
A chill ran down her spine.
"What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Keqing, there's something I need your help with."
"Sorry. No time."
Keqing rejected immediately.
Whenever Ningguang smiled like that, it never meant anything good.
She was definitely plotting something.
And somehow, it probably involved her.
"I will owe you a favor."
Ningguang spoke softly.
In order to upgrade the Jade Chamber and avoid falling behind Beidou, she was willing to go all out.
"You're offering a personal favor?"
Keqing stared at her in disbelief.
In a nation built on contracts, a favor carried enormous weight.
Especially one from Ningguang, the Tianquan of the Qixing.
That kind of promise was priceless.
Now Keqing was genuinely curious.
What kind of request could push Ningguang to make such an offer?
"Alright. Let's hear it."
The Plan
"I want to upgrade the Jade Chamber, but I don't know how. I need you to help me gather information."
Ningguang spoke seriously.
"That's it? Then why don't you just ask him yourself?"
Keqing's mouth twitched.
Boss Han wasn't some rigid, unapproachable person.
If you asked, he would usually answer.
She had expected something outrageous.
Instead—
this?
"No. I need to increase the odds."
Ningguang shook her head.
Nothing in this world came without cost.
She and Boss Han were merely acquaintances, without any special relationship.
So she intended to add leverage.
A charm offensive.
If she could please him, the chances of success might improve.
"I see…"
Keqing fell into thought.
Ningguang's reasoning actually made sense.
In Liyue, contracts required mutual contribution.
Without offering something, you couldn't expect results.
"So what exactly do you want me to do?"
After a moment, Keqing asked.
She had decided to help.
She had witnessed the Jade Chamber's power before.
If it could be permanently upgraded, that would benefit all of Liyue.
She just didn't know what role she was supposed to play.
The Suggestion
"Boss Han likes petting cats,"
Ningguang said with a smiling expression.
"But I know a method that would interest him even more."
This idea had come to her the previous day at the manga shop.
Specifically from observing a certain cat-eared girl named Diona.
She was confident Boss Han would like it.
"I can still back out… right?"
Keqing's lips twitched.
She had a strong feeling she had just stepped into a trap.
"What do you think?"
Ningguang maintained her gentle smile.
Then she leaned closer and whispered a few words into Keqing's ear.
No one else heard what she said.
But Keqing's face turned redder and redder.
Meanwhile — Outside Liyue
In the countryside outside Liyue, there was a wide, open landscape.
The scenery was beautiful.
A small stream flowed nearby.
There were no monsters in the area.
It was an ideal place for a quiet retreat.
Beside the stream stood a modest wooden cabin.
At the window, a long-haired young woman with delicate features rested her chin on her hand, gazing at the scenery.
It looked like a painting.
"The view here is really beautiful. How did I never notice this place before?"
Xingqiu sighed in admiration.
Yes—the blue-haired beauty was actually the young master of the Feiyun Commerce Guild.
After leaving the manga shop the previous night, he had secretly returned home under cover of darkness to gather clothes.
Then he hurriedly left Liyue Harbor overnight.
After considerable effort, he finally found this secluded location.
Once he built the cabin, he settled down here.
"Now I just need to stay here quietly for three days."
He reassured himself.
This remote area rarely saw visitors.
Even if someone did pass by, he wasn't too worried.
He was now dressed in women's clothing, with long hair and slightly altered features.
Anyone unfamiliar with him would never recognize him.
As long as he could send visitors away before the transformation period ended, everything would be fine.
Regret
"Sigh… next time I read manga, I need to ask more questions first. If I get another reward like this, I won't survive the embarrassment."
Thinking about last night's events, Xingqiu felt miserable.
Yanfei and Xiangling had received perfectly normal rewards.
Only he had ended up with something so bizarre.
His luck was truly terrible.
Yet despite his gloomy mood, paired with his current appearance as a beautiful girl, he looked unexpectedly adorable.
An Unexpected Visitor
"Miss, why do you seem troubled? Perhaps I can be of assistance?"
A voice suddenly sounded nearby.
Xingqiu turned toward the source.
Outside the window stood a blue-haired boy, smiling warmly at her.
"Why is Chongyun here?"
Xingqiu muttered under his breath.
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