Over a week ago.
Keqing, on her way from Mondstadt to Liyue, passed through Stone Gate.
Within minutes, a Qianyan Army squad appeared before her.
"You… are you really Lady Keqing?"
The captain looked doubtful. The woman before him, with her side-ponytail hairstyle, was truly the decisive Yuheng Star? She looked more like a gentle young wife.
"I am Keqing, Yuheng Star," she admitted without hesitation. "What, are you Ningguang's man?"
"Uh… I am loyal to Liyue. And since the Qixing governs Liyue, it isn't wrong to say I serve Lady Ningguang."
"That's a watertight answer. Exactly her style."
The squad leader wiped sweat from his forehead.
"Alright. What do you want with me? I have urgent matters."
"It's like this, Lady Keqing. This is a handwritten letter from Lady Ningguang. All border captains were given a copy, to deliver to you the moment we found you."
Keqing accepted the expensive-looking letter and broke the seal.
[For Yuheng's Eyes Only]
[It has been over a month since our last farewell. New flowers bloom atop the Jade Chamber. Yet I, Tianquan, have few to admire them with. Thinking of this, my heart longs for Yuheng even more.]
The letter opened with flowery greetings. Clearly, she must have revised the draft more than once.
The rest described recent changes in Liyue, and how the General Affairs Department handled Keqing's duties. Only near the end did Ningguang casually ask about Keqing's whereabouts and whether she needed help—then urged her to come to the Jade Chamber as soon as she arrived.
"I've received the letter. I'll go to the Jade Chamber myself. Anything else?"
"Lady Ningguang also instructed us to escort you to Liyue Harbor."
"No need. I'll go alone."
Keqing's refusal was firm, but the captain hesitated. Both were his superiors.
Keqing frowned. "If Ningguang blames you, I'll take responsibility. Besides, if I go at full speed, can you keep up?"
"...This…"
Between Tianquan and Yuheng, the nearby one carried more weight. After sending word of Yuheng's return, the captain let her pass.
Just as Keqing was about to leave the inn, a voice spoke behind her.
"You… carry his aura."
"I already said I'd talk to Ningguang… Huh? Conqueror of Demons?"
She looked up. A green-haired young man stood on the streetlamp.
"His aura… Conqueror of Demons, you mean…?"
"The Traveler. The male one. Has he returned?"
Why specify 'male'?
Wait. Has Jack gotten close to him too?
Am I not only competing with women for him, but with men as well?
"Um, Jack has indeed returned. Do you need me to pass something on to him?"
She dared not look Xiao in the eye, afraid he'd sense her disrespectful thoughts.
Xiao pinched his chin, considering.
"Jack… Yes, that seems right. No message. Knowing he's safe is enough."
And with that, the Conqueror of Demons vanished like a gust of wind.
He really left?
Keqing glanced around. Only the faint trace of adeptal aura remained.
The rest of her journey went smoothly. She traveled from Stone Gate to Wangshu Inn, rested one night, then continued to Liyue Harbor the next morning.
On the afternoon of the third day—
She returned to the city where her memories had lived for over twenty years.
From the mountain, Keqing looked down at the bustling harbor. For a moment, it felt as if centuries had passed between her and this place.
"Familiar… yet so distant. Is it because I'm no longer the same person?"
A soft sigh escaped her lips.
That evening, she pushed open the gate of her courtyard on Yujing Terrace. The rooms were tidy, the dust swept away—someone had been caring for it in her absence.
In the kitchen, she made herself a small bowl of noodles. Once, this had been her comfort after long nights of overtime. But now, the taste only left emptiness behind.
"You barged into my world just months ago, and already shattered it beyond repair. I've lost to you completely."
For the first time, Keqing—always so resolute—allowed herself to yield. And she knew it would be the last time.
After dinner, she lay down in her boudoir. She did not go to Ningguang that night. Tomorrow would come soon enough.
...
The next day, she stepped into the General Affairs Department. Everyone worked quietly, immersed in their duties. No one noticed the Yuheng Star.
Normally, she would have praised such diligence. Now, unease stirred inside her. It grew heavier when she saw the Yuehai Pavilion in chaos.
"Huixin, where's Ganyu?"
Huixin raised her head from a mountain of documents, startled. Her eyes widened at the purple-haired woman before her.
"Lady Keqing? You're back at last! Ever since you left, Lady Ganyu took leave too. We've been running nonstop for over a hundred hours!"
"...Where did she go?"
"She said she was visiting relatives. Must be the Adepti."
"Cloud Retainer?"
"Yes, yes! That's the name. Lady Keqing, you won't be leaving us again anytime soon, will you?"
Huixin seemed to believe it was just another business trip. Clearly, Ningguang's arrangement—to cover up the disappearance of a Qixing.
But even she must have known such things couldn't stay hidden.
Keqing's answer was swift, decisive.
"I only came back to say farewell. From today, I resign as Yuheng Star. Tell Ningguang for me. I have urgent business in Jueyun Karst."
Without hesitation, she turned and walked away.
Huixin remained behind, stunned, muttering to herself.
"Rex Lapis… I really must be hallucinating from lack of sleep. A nightmare about the Yuheng Star resigning? Maybe I should request leave too..."