Ningguang smiled when she saw the look on Ganyu's face.
She sat down at an unhurried pace, then raised a hand to have Baiwen and the other staff step outside first.
"Go through these files and see if anything looks off. We'll talk after you've checked them."
"Okay!" Ganyu nodded.
She picked up the first bundle of documents and skimmed them. One glance was enough—she nodded and set it down.
The second. The third.
But by the time she reached the fourth, something started to feel wrong.
The handling methods were fine, and the content was solid too… yet it was obvious these weren't written by the same person. That meant they weren't Ningguang's work.
So why was Ningguang having her review them?
Still, the files were easy enough to process. In under half an hour, Ganyu confirmed there were no issues.
"Everything checks out. Some of the approaches are actually pretty sharp," Ganyu said. "A few of these cases cover a huge scope, so coming up with workable ideas at all is already impressive."
"Mhm." Ningguang took a sip of tea, set the cup down, let her gaze linger on it for a moment, then looked back at Ganyu. "They all came from the Ministry of Civil Affairs. My secretaries said they were finished in just one hour."
She paused. "If it were you, how long would it take?"
"If I handled them?" Ganyu thought for a moment. "Probably at least half a day. There are a lot of files here, and some of them are extremely complex. Just thinking through them takes time, and you also have to weigh the real-world implications."
"The Ministry staff are that capable, then… finishing in one hour," Ganyu murmured. "It's not impossible, I guess."
Her mind immediately went to Zhongli helping with Ministry work, and things made a lot more sense.
"You think Zhongli did it?" Ningguang asked. "I doubt it."
She pushed the teacup forward slightly. "When I came in earlier, I saw the Ministry staff working nonstop—fully focused. I think this is their work."
Then she asked, casually, "What do you think about handing more of my workload to the Ministry of Civil Affairs?"
"That… doesn't seem appropriate." Ganyu shook her head. "The files you handle aren't just complicated—they're critical. They touch almost every industry. The Ministry would struggle."
The Ministry could take care of smaller matters, and even tougher ones sometimes, but true high-level decisions still needed Ningguang coordinating the bigger picture.
"Fair." Ningguang nodded, then returned to what she actually cared about. "But Ganyu…"
She looked straight at her.
"Didn't you promise you'd leave later and help me handle work?"
Ganyu froze, then coughed lightly. "Ningguang-sama… yesterday, Keqing was just too insistent. Her family invited me to dinner. I couldn't exactly refuse."
Ningguang stared at her.
"So you left me to process paperwork all night?"
She sighed. "And now Keqing doesn't even come to the Ministry for work anymore. You can't keep following her around and 'learning.' Try thinking about me for once."
Her eyes narrowed slightly as she watched Ganyu's expression grow awkward.
"You and Keqing have always gotten along… but lately, hasn't it been a little too close?"
"It's… mostly because I wanted Ryou to help me," Ganyu said, flustered. "And he's helped a lot with work, so I— I wouldn't have—"
She cut herself off the moment she noticed Ningguang's gaze sharpening.
"I'm not blaming you." Ningguang gave a tired, helpless smile. "I just need you to help me more. I don't have many people at my side who can."
She reached out and took Ganyu's hand.
"Tonight, you have to stay. I've been busy for days. I want to rest for three whole days too."
"O-Okay… okay." With Ningguang putting it that way, Ganyu could only agree.
…
Around noon.
Ryou lounged in his office, completely at ease. The desk was lined with chilled fruit juice—several bottles' worth.
He'd squeezed it with nothing but his mind, then used his energy to cool it down. The result was incredible: one sip, and it felt like your whole body turned crisp and refreshed.
"So good…" Keqing nestled into his arms, sipping her juice in a great mood. She could feel her body recovering faster too.
Then her mind flashed back to what had happened earlier, and her face went hot all over again.
This guy had nearly taken her right there in the office. If she hadn't forced herself to be stricter, he would've actually done it. In the end, they'd gone into his pocket world instead.
She'd been bullied for a long time… but he'd also taken good care of her after—massaging her, treating her, and even preparing breakfast and juice.
It was exhausting, but… honestly, it wasn't bad.
"You know," Ryou murmured against her ear, "next time, we do it here."
"No!" Keqing shot him a glare, then lowered her voice. "At least… at least let me be ready!"
She'd always been someone who followed through once she decided something, but this was different. It was mortifying. He could at least give her time to brace herself.
Ryou understood exactly what she meant. He chuckled and continued gently massaging her.
The comfort was unreal—like drinking an ice-cold drink on a blazing afternoon.
That was when Ryou remembered the notification from earlier.
[Ding! Keqing has undergone a Second Evolution!]
And the effect was obvious. Her height, her looks—everything had noticeably improved. She was even more captivating than before, to the point it almost felt unfair.
"Don't start messing around again," Keqing whispered, biting her lip as she grabbed his arm and shook her head. "What if someone comes in?"
She looked like she wanted to scold him, but her voice came out soft.
Then she remembered something else and added, "Also, you jerk—didn't I tell you last time? Put more clothes in there. Stop stocking only weird stuff like nun outfits and cheongsams."
She huffed. "Add normal underwear and things like that."
"Alright, alright." Ryou laughed.
"You're still laughing?" Keqing reached up, grabbed his cheeks, and tugged. "Later, we're going to see the steward. He basically watched me grow up. After that, we eat."
"Okay. We'll do it your way." Ryou stroked her hair, kissed her lips, then stood. "Come on. Let's go home."
"Mhm." Keqing clung to his arm as they walked out. She was still a little stiff, but she was much better than before.
At least he'd held back.
Outside, Ryou noticed the Ministry of Civil Affairs staff were still working.
Then he looked over at Zhongli's desk.
It was piled high—completely buried. There had to be hundreds of files.
"Zhongli," Ryou asked as he walked up, "since when does the Ministry have this much paperwork?"
Zhongli forced a bitter smile. "It's… work from Yujing Terrace. Ningguang asked us to help."
He exhaled. "There are five hundred files. I'm checking them now."
The number was so absurd he looked mildly haunted.
Only now did he truly understand how hard Ningguang's job was… and he regretted everything. If he'd known, he never would've come to the Ministry in the first place. This work never ended.
At this rate, he was convinced another year would literally kill him.
Ryou swept his gaze across everyone.
"Let me make this clear," he said. "None of this counts toward your rewards."
His tone hardened.
"You work for the Ministry. Without my permission, I don't want to see anyone taking on extra work. Understood?"
"Yes, Ryou-sama!"
…
Everyone stood up and answered in unison.
Keqing hugged Ryou's arm and smiled. She could tell they genuinely respected him—fully convinced, from the heart.
His authority here was on another level. Far stronger than what she used to have.
That was her husband.
Ryou glanced at them again and pulled back the two strands of energy he'd been using. For a split second, his vision dimmed—an obvious sign he'd pushed his mental energy too far.
It made sense. He'd already burned a lot of focus "bullying" Keqing earlier, and then he'd used his energy to boost the staff too. He'd definitely overdone it.
He lifted a hand and produced a container packed with ice-cold drinks.
"You've worked hard today. Summer's brutal—go cool off properly."
"Thank you, Ryou-sama!"
"Thank you, Keqing-sama!"
…
Keqing's face heated up again. She took a breath and said firmly, "Work hard for my husband. You won't be short on Mora. Promotions and raises won't be short either."
Everyone nodded.
One by one, they came up to pour themselves a drink. The icy, refreshing taste instantly lifted their spirits.
"Ryou… I want to take some home for my father to try. Is that okay?" Zhongli asked quietly as he walked up.
He hesitated, then added, "And I'd like to bring some for the Director too."
"Sure, sure." Ryou waved it off. Then he glanced out the window. "It's mealtime. Split things up properly, then go eat."
"Yes, Ryou-sama!" Everyone answered immediately.
Outside, a lot of Yujing Terrace staff looked on with open envy. A woman came to pick up documents, and when she saw the iced drinks, she swallowed hard and stepped forward.
"Can I have a cup too? We're colleagues, aren't we?"
"Yeah, no." A Ministry worker snorted. "We handle Ministry work. You're Yujing Terrace. Not the same."
They jerked their chin toward her. "And if you want benefits, go ask Ningguang-sama."
"Exactly," another woman chimed in, not holding back at all. "You shoved a mountain of paperwork onto us, and now you want drinks too? Dream on."
The Yujing Terrace secretary had no choice but to leave with the documents.
She was jealous to the point it hurt.
In her head, she was screaming: I want to transfer to the Ministry too! But you people never give anyone a chance!
Even in Ganyu-sama' office, transfer requests were piled up like a mountain. And right now, only Huixin had made it through—and even that was personally handled by Ryou. People like her? Ordinary staff? They didn't stand a chance.
"We should grab Ganyu," Keqing said, tugging Ryou's arm. She was thinking Ganyu could help with something later.
And as soon as she thought about last night, her irritation flared right back up.
I already went all in for you, and you still choked at the critical moment?
Ganyu was drunk! And you didn't even— you ran off without waking up!
You're a man—no. My husband is a real man. He's just… way too upright.
Can't you be just a little less honest for once?
And if you're going to have a dirty mind, can you aim it at Ganyu instead of always using it on me?
"What's wrong?" Ryou asked, catching the strange look in her eyes. "Why are you staring at me like that?"
He paused, suddenly suspicious. "What happened between you two yesterday? You're that close now, and you even—"
"Absolutely not!" Keqing glared at him. "I like men."
"Ooooh." Ryou dragged the sound out, clearly enjoying himself.
"Stop that." Keqing shoved him and pulled him along. "Come on. Let's go."
Several staff members saw the scene and looked on with pure envy.
They arrived at Ganyu's office.
"Ganyu," Keqing called, "let's go eat."
"You two go ahead," Ganyu said with a strained smile. "I still have paperwork. If I don't finish, Ningguang-sama will definitely lecture me again."
She sighed. "These past few days, she's already said something to me more than once."
Honestly, lately she'd been hanging around Keqing so much that she'd started slacking off too.
If this kept going, Ningguang was going to be coaxed into sleeping in every day, and the Ministry would collapse.
Ningguang was already full of resentment. Ganyu couldn't keep feeding the fire.
"Hmph. Don't worry about that woman," Keqing said, clearly annoyed. "She dumped a huge pile of work on the Ministry and I haven't even yelled at her yet."
Then she lowered her voice at the end, leaning closer.
"Come eat. And later… help me out."
Ganyu froze. She looked at the two of them on instinct, and her whole face turned red.
Wait… help with what?
Don't tell me you two were messing around in the Yujing Terrace office and—
"Let's go." Keqing felt incredibly awkward under Ganyu's stare. She grabbed her arm and hauled her out.
So the three of them left together.
Ryou took them to a nearby restaurant. Liyue Harbor was still packed lately—people coming and going from everywhere.
He even spotted unfamiliar faces—more specifically, clothes that didn't match Liyue at all. It was obvious they were outsiders.
Ryou turned his head, and something suddenly felt… wrong. He couldn't place it at first.
"What is it?" Keqing asked when she noticed him pause.
"Look over there," Ryou said, staring toward the sea. "Something feels off… but when I look away, it's like my brain doesn't register it. Then I look back and it feels even stranger."
"…Yeah." Ganyu narrowed her eyes. "Something's wrong. Wait—over there is Guyun Stone Forest."
Her expression changed.
"No. It's not just Guyun Stone Forest. It's been flattened."
She pointed. "The surrounding sea is still there. It's only that area."
Ryou finally understood what was throwing him off. He pulled his gaze back.
"This is going to be trouble," he said quietly. "Whatever's under the sea is going to start moving."
"With the Geo Archon and the adepti around, we don't need to panic," Ganyu said, though her eyes quickly snapped to the water again.
A ship was heading out.
She looked startled. "Is that The Alcor? Going out now is way too risky."
"Beidou's probably investigating," Ryou said, glancing over. "After we eat, we should go take a look too. We need to understand the situation so we can prepare."
"Mhm."
"Mhm."
They both nodded.
After lunch, Ryou brought them straight to the docks.
The timing was almost too perfect—just as they arrived, the ship was returning toward the harbor.
But behind it, Ryou sensed a powerful presence, flickering in and out like a shadow in the deep.
He was pretty sure it was Osial.
If that seal was truly breaking, then danger was about to arrive—soon.
The ship docked.
Beidou disembarked with Kaedehara Kazuha and the others. She lifted a hand and motioned for her crew to follow, already planning to head to Wanmin Restaurant to eat.
"Boss!" Kaedehara Kazuha spotted Ryou's group and called out.
Beidou looked over and barked a single name toward the side.
"Sea Drake!"
"Boss, I'm on it!" Sea Drake clapped his hands.
"Take everyone to eat first," Beidou ordered. "I'll talk with Kazuha for a moment, then we'll catch up."
"Got it." Sea Drake glanced at Ryou's group, didn't say anything, and led the crew away.
Beidou walked up with a grin. "Keqing, Ganyu—haven't seen you in days."
Then her tone shifted slightly.
"You came to investigate too?"
She nodded once, seriously. "It's bad. I saw a lot of bodies. That whole area didn't sink, but the water was full of blood."
Her eyes sharpened. "Even the sea monster is gone. Nine times out of ten, it was killed."
"Even elemental creatures are getting swallowed up," Ryou said. "Whatever's out there is dangerous."
"Tell me about it." Beidou snorted, then glanced toward a group of adventurers disembarking in the distance.
"Some idiots still want to go out there. Hah. They're just as eager to die."
She looked down the pier again.
"I'll report the details to Ningguang. If you're interested, go to the Jade Chamber this afternoon."
"Alright," Ryou agreed with a nod.
"Good," Beidou said. "Since you're here, it saves me the trip of tracking you down anyway."
Beidou and Ganyu started walking off together, presumably to go coordinate with Ningguang.
Keqing watched them leave, then turned back toward the sea.
"It's getting more dangerous," she said quietly. "Guyun Stone Forest has been flattened."
Her voice tightened. "I can feel something stirring… like it's waiting for the right moment. I just don't know when it'll strike."
She looked up at Ryou, worry slipping through.
"Ryou… what should we do?"
Ryou stared at the sea for a long moment. Then he pulled her closer.
"Let it play out," he said. "Zhongli's here. Venti's here. Cloud Retainer's here too."
A voice spoke from nearby.
"Are you asking this adeptus to act?"
Ryou turned.
Shenhe stood there, smiling at him—completely ignoring the warning glare Keqing shot her.
"Fancy seeing you again."
[End of chapter]
[200 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
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