"It seems you've been through quite a lot in Inazuma lately."
Beidou was Ningguang's close friend, so after a few words of concern, she sent her off to rest.
Now it was time to hear the full story from Yelan about what had happened in Inazuma.
Even a professional like Yelan hadn't been able to return on her own— that alone said plenty about how dire the situation there had been.
"Yeah, and I've got your boss to thank for that. That guy is a real bastard!"
Since she couldn't do anything to Su Ran himself, Yelan vented her anger at Ningguang instead.
In the end, she'd been tricked by her superior's superior?
"What happened to you sounds infuriating, but calm down. At least he didn't have malicious intent toward you, right?"
The fact that Yelan had returned safely already meant Su Ran had shown considerable mercy.
If her luck had been even slightly worse, Ningguang didn't dare imagine the consequences of offending someone like that.
"Malicious intent? He was full of it toward me!"
The moment she recalled being taken advantage of in prison, Yelan's blood boiled again.
Playing dumb while striking hard— to that extent, the man was terrifyingly skilled.
He looked completely harmless on the surface, like an ordinary person.
Who would've guessed he was that strong?
Strong enough to overpower even the Geo Archon?
Yelan began recounting her entire ordeal in Inazuma—
Being trapped in a dream and unable to escape.
Working for Yae Miko.
A kidnapping that somehow ended up involving the White Heron Princess.
Being personally confronted by the Raiden Shogun.
Sneaking into prison with some pretty boy, only to accidentally capture the true mastermind.
Getting thrown into prison herself afterward.
And finally, being dragged around like a cow by the nose, doing nothing but running errands.
Thankfully, the Geo Archon had been there.
Otherwise, who knew how long it would've taken her to get back to Liyue?
Listening to her story, Ningguang couldn't help but marvel.
"So a person can be both this unlucky and this lucky at the same time?"
Yelan had stepped on every possible landmine in Inazuma.
She'd offended countless big names—and yet still returned safely?
That level of luck was almost absurd.
"Next time there's a mission, I hope that Fatui Executor isn't involved. I can't handle that kind of responsibility."
Just thinking about being assigned anything related to that man made her shudder.
She didn't want to be stranded somewhere forever.
"Don't worry. There won't be a next time. Or rather… you could always acknowledge him as your superior."
Now that she had Rex Lapis' promise, Ningguang no longer needed to hold back her ambitions.
"I have zero interest in attaching myself to someone like that."
Yelan rejected the suggestion instantly.
She was just a shadow operative in the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
Handling discreet problems was fine.
But working directly for those kinds of figures?
That would put her right under the spotlight.
Yelan didn't want that kind of fame.
"Climbing higher often comes with more benefits than you think."
Ningguang genuinely wanted to cultivate her own people.
Yelan was one of the few she truly trusted.
They'd known each other even before Ningguang became one of the Seven Stars.
Yelan's current position had even been Ningguang's recommendation.
"Forget it. I'm not interested."
Yelan wanted no part in Ningguang's grand promises.
She was afraid she might actually be tempted.
Sometimes, knowing less was safer.
The more you knew, the harder it was to stay free.
"Not even if it involved things beyond the sky?"
Ningguang smiled knowingly.
Some temptations were irresistible to anyone.
Especially showing someone who'd never left this world what lay beyond it.
Curiosity would be endless.
Just like Ningguang herself.
If not for welcoming Beidou, Yelan, and even Rex Lapis,she wouldn't have wanted to leave the space station at all.
From the Jade Chamber, she ruled Liyue Harbor.
But from the space station—she felt like she could oversee all of Teyvat.
"…What do you mean by 'beyond the sky'?"
Yelan admitted her curiosity had been hooked.
Ordinary events within the Seven Nations no longer surprised her.
She'd seen too much.
No matter how absurd something was, she could accept it.
But matters beyond the heavens?
That was different.
Those were things she might never encounter in her lifetime—and now Ningguang was dangling them right in front of her.
She had succeeded.
"See that machine?"
Yelan followed Ningguang's gaze to the teleportation pod.
"With that, you can travel beyond this world and see all of Teyvat from above. Aren't you even a little curious?"
"This body feels… a bit different from the Shogun's."
On the space station, Raiden Makoto carefully moved her new body.
Her consciousness had been extracted—without a vessel, she'd be nothing more than a wandering soul.
Su Ran had been generous.
He gave her a genuine body of flesh and blood—not a mechanical puppet like the Shogun.
As for why this wasn't done in Inazuma—it was probably to avoid Ei clinging to him and asking endless questions.
A surprise later would be enough.
"Then why is it exactly the same size as the Shogun's body?"
Makoto was puzzled.
Even twins didn't share identical proportions.
This body felt too similar to Ei's.
It made moving feel strange.
"Because I already had the Shogun's body data. I didn't feel like measuring yours again."
Su Ran was operating two cultivation pods nearby.
Inside them were two additional bodies.
Makoto walked over and looked inside.
"Kitsune Saiguu's looks about right, but you made Chiyo a bit… big. She wasn't that large."
Makoto started commenting critically on Chiyo's body.
She even suggested shrinking it a bit for accuracy.
After all, realism mattered.
But imagining a once modest oni girl suddenly surpassing her—
Makoto felt a sour twinge in her chest.
That tone immediately made Su Ran suspicious.
"Don't tell me you're jealous that I gave her a better figure than yours?"
Makoto denied it outright.
"Of course not. I just don't want Chiyo to struggle adapting to a body she's not used to."
Su Ran still didn't believe her.
So he tested her.
"Then how about I make yours a bit bigger too?"
"…That works."
Makoto accepted instantly.
She didn't mind improving herself—she just couldn't stand Chiyo being better than her.
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