After leaving the Jade Chamber, Ryou swung by Yujing Terrace to give a quick update, then took Keqing and Ganyu home.
"Ryou-sama!"
Xu came rushing over, practically out of breath.
"What is it?" Ryou frowned.
"Ryou-sama, the young master asked me to tell you the Mondstadt guests have arrived!" Xu reported.
"Oh? Already?" Ryou looked surprised.
He waved Xu off, then turned to Keqing. "Albedo's here. I need to go greet him."
"I'll come with you," Keqing said.
Ryou nodded. "Alright."
"Ganyu, come too," Keqing added, grabbing her hand. "You might be able to help. Some things still need approval from Yujing Terrace—if you're with us, it'll go a lot smoother."
"Sure," Ganyu agreed.
Ryou led them to Wanmin Restaurant.
The moment he stepped inside, he noticed a few unfamiliar faces. One of them was Albedo, and beside him was a little girl with a small backpack, happily munching on something.
When she spotted Ryou and Keqing, she lifted her head and tugged Albedo's sleeve. "Albedo, someone's here."
Albedo turned. He hadn't met Ryou before, but during the Stormterror incident, Keqing had come to Mondstadt with supplies, and he'd seen her once—just enough to recognize her.
Ryou walked up with a smile. "Albedo. Nice to meet you."
"Likewise," Albedo said with a small nod. "Why don't we find somewhere to talk?"
"Of course," Ryou said.
They headed back to Ryou's place together.
The second Keqing noticed Lumine, her eye twitched.
Venti was whatever.
But Lumine was a woman—and she'd been eyeing Keqing's husband like a hawk. Bringing her home could only mean trouble.
As soon as Ryou and Albedo went inside, Keqing latched onto Lumine and physically kept her from getting anywhere near him.
Lumine understood exactly what that meant. She shot Keqing a glare, fuming.
I'm just curious what they're talking about. Why are you staring at me like I'm here to steal something?
Keep it up and I'll steal your man just to spite you.
"Keqing-san," Lumine said, irritation dripping from every word, "why are you watching me like that? What, do you think I'm going to rob your house?"
"Tabibito," Keqing said coolly, narrowing her eyes, "I just wanted to ask how your investigation into the Fatui is going."
"You…" Lumine didn't believe her for a second.
But she still had to sit down and talk, because Keqing really had asked her to look into the Fatui. If she couldn't even say what she'd found, that would be embarrassing.
Seeing Keqing and Lumine settle in to talk, Ganyu picked up the teapot and poured Venti a cup.
"If only that were wine," Venti said with a grin.
"You're still obsessed with drinking," Ganyu said, rolling her eyes. "But I can't help you here. This is Ryou's home."
Then she remembered what Ryou could do with his "Hand," and leaned in a little. "If you want wine, ask Ryou. That hand of his is ridiculous—yesterday's drinks were all made by him."
"So that's why," Venti said, tilting his head at her. "How do you know that? Don't tell me you two—"
"W-What? No!" Ganyu's face heated up instantly. "Don't talk nonsense. I just happened to find out, that's all."
"Hm. Maybe I'm reading too much into it," Venti said, draining the tea in one go. "He is a married man. You probably wouldn't get involved with him."
He set the cup down, eyes bright with interest. "Either way, I'll have to ask him for a favor. Zhongli told me that wine was unbelievably rich and smooth—pure indulgence. He even said one cup nearly got him drunk."
Ganyu rubbed her chin, puzzled. "That doesn't make sense. The adepti have shared drinks with Rex Lapis before and nothing happened. How could a normal bottle of wine get someone drunk that fast?"
"I know what a drunk person looks like," Venti said, remembering Zhongli's state last night. "He was absolutely drunk."
"I really want to try it," Venti said, rubbing his hands together. "Maybe I can buy a bottle from him later."
"I can help with that," Keqing said, walking over.
"Huh—wait, you heard all of that?" Venti scratched the back of his head.
Venti sighed. "So much for keeping the 'bard' act going."
"What are you talking about?" Klee asked, tugging at her hat.
"It's nothing," Keqing said, patting Klee's head. "You didn't hear anything."
She turned back to Venti. "I can get you the wine, but you have to promise me something first."
"What is it?" Venti asked.
"I want you to help Liyue," Keqing said. "For one month. If nothing happens within that month, the favor expires."
She met his eyes, voice calm but firm. "You're not close with my husband. Even if he's willing to give you some out of respect, it'll be limited. But if I ask, you'll get nothing at all."
Venti looked at her for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. I agree."
"You're agreeing just like that?" Lumine stared at him, genuinely shocked. "You're not even going to ask what it is?"
For a bottle of wine, he was offering a promise—when he was literally the Anemo Archon.
"There's no need," Venti said lightly. "When I came to Liyue, I stopped by Wangshu Inn for a bit. Xiao told me everything."
He lifted his cup again. "Besides, Liyue can handle this on its own. Keqing's asking me as a safety net, just in case."
He glanced at Keqing and finished the tea in one gulp.
"Exactly," Keqing said with a nod.
She wasn't truly worried. Zhongli was in Liyue, and so was Cloud Retainer. The other adepti were probably watching from the shadows too. It looked dangerous on the surface, but it wasn't something Liyue couldn't manage.
"And anyway," Venti added with a grin, "even if I could get one bottle from Ryou, it would still only be one bottle. If I say yes, Keqing-san will definitely get me more than that, right?"
"You're unbelievable," Lumine muttered, rolling her eyes.
While everyone chatted outside, Ryou and Albedo finished their conversation inside.
"Ryou-san," Albedo said, "you're from Liyue, right?"
"Of course," Ryou said, smiling. "And you're here looking for someone, aren't you?"
"Oh?" Albedo blinked. "How did you know?"
"You came to see Zhenyu-sensei," Ryou said casually.
Albedo looked stunned. "How do you know I'm here to visit Zhenyu-sensei? Are you some kind of astrologer?"
"An astrologer?" The word made Ryou think of Mona. She was a real astrologer—and a scary good one. By rights, she should show up in Liyue sooner or later. Who knew, maybe she'd appear early.
Ryou shook his head. "No. I'm his cousin. He mentioned you before."
His expression softened a little. "It's just… he was hurt in an explosion not long ago. If you want to see him, I can take you later."
"Then I'd appreciate it," Albedo said with a nod.
"I've had some contact with Zhenyu-sensei," Albedo added. "This time I brought Klee with me, so I planned to visit him properly."
"Not a problem," Ryou said. "I'll arrange it."
Once everything was settled, they walked back out.
"You're done?" Keqing asked as soon as she saw them.
"Yeah," Ryou said. "Albedo will be staying in Liyue for a while. Keqing—have the steward prepare a room."
"Like I'd wait for you to say it," Keqing shot back. "If it weren't still early, I'd already have them doing it."
Ryou laughed. "Alright."
He turned to Lumine and Venti. "In a bit, I'm taking Albedo to see Xingqiu. You can stay here for now—and you're eating with us tonight."
"I'll stay and host them," Keqing said after a moment's thought. "You go with Albedo."
The truth was, she didn't trust Lumine for a second. That girl clearly had ideas about her husband.
If it were Ganyu, Keqing would've been so happy she wouldn't know what to say.
But Lumine? Absolutely not.
Lumine felt Keqing's gaze and didn't even know how to respond anymore.
I looked a couple times, that's all. Why are you treating me like a thief?
Keep it up and I'll stop being nice.
"I suddenly remembered something," Lumine said, coughing lightly and shooting Keqing a sideways look. "The Feiyun Commerce Guild travels everywhere. They must know a lot. Maybe they can help me find my brother, and it wouldn't hurt to build a connection."
"Hm?" Keqing caught that look immediately, like she'd just confirmed everything she suspected.
She stepped in close and grabbed Lumine's arm. "Tabibito, why make it so complicated? The Ministry of Civil Affairs handles all sorts of matters around Liyue Harbor. We hear plenty of rumors."
Keqing stared her down. "I can have a wanted notice posted. Then the Millelith can help bring him in."
Lumine's eyes went wide. She shot back, voice sharp. "You shouldn't be posting a bounty—what's this 'wanted notice' nonsense? Are you trying to get my brother killed?"
"That's not what I mean," Keqing said, shaking her head. "Do you know the fastest way to find someone? A wanted notice."
She didn't even blink. "I'll put up one million Mora. Anyone who finds your brother gets paid. I guarantee someone will drag him straight to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, tied up like a festival roast."
Lumine stared at her, at a total loss.
Was it logical?
Yeah. It was.
Did it still feel malicious?
Also yeah.
What if someone hurt her brother?
She took a sip of tea, then forced out a stiff line. "One million Mora isn't a small amount. Liyue really does things with style."
"Of course," Keqing said, nodding.
"Wow. Thanks so much," Lumine said flatly, her face dark.
"Tabibito, no need to be so polite," Keqing said, smiling like a saint. "As long as you don't get any funny ideas, we'll be great friends."
She tightened her grip on Lumine's arm. "Didn't you say you wanted to help me? Come on. Kitchen. Today I'm cooking for you myself."
"I—" Lumine didn't want to go.
"Move," Keqing said, and hauled her toward the kitchen.
[End of chapter]
[200 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
[Check out my Patreon to read 20+ chapters ahead]
[[email protected]/BellAshelia]
[Thanks for your support!]