"You're overthinking it. Keqing trusts me," Ryou said, giving Yelan a flat look.
Inside, he couldn't help scoffing. You're seriously that confident? Sure, you've got charm, but you're pushing it.
"Don't look at me like that," Yelan said, shaking her head. "I just don't want trouble."
Ryou didn't bother replying. He simply looked away.
After a while, Lumine came out. She looked drained. When she saw Ryou and Yelan, she only offered a quick greeting before turning and leaving with Paimon.
"Hey—Tabibito, your brother…" Yelan started, but Lumine was already too far to hear.
Yelan turned back to Ryou. "You need to deal with this. And one more thing—the warrant says five million Mora. You're paying it."
Ryou paused, stared at her for a moment, then sighed. "Fine."
He couldn't actually pull five million Mora out of thin air right now. He'd burned through a lot lately, and tomorrow he still had to hand out bonuses at the Ministry of Civil Affairs. Mora was tight.
Looks like he'd have to borrow five million from his uncle first, or he'd have no way to explain himself.
He caught up to Lumine and Paimon near Mt. Tianheng.
"You alright?" Ryou asked.
"I…" Lumine glanced at him like she wanted to say something, but the scene from earlier flashed in her mind and she swallowed it back.
She hesitated, then said quietly, "Sorry for making you worry. The Mora… I'll find a way to pay you back. I just don't know what I'm supposed to do now."
Her voice dipped. "I came to Liyue Harbor to find my brother. And now that I've found him… he won't come with me."
Ryou wasn't surprised. Aether had his own mission—of course he wouldn't just leave with her.
"Maybe he has his reasons," Ryou said. "And Teyvat's seven nations are all different. People call you Tabibito for a reason—maybe you should travel. Go see the world."
He kept his tone gentle. "Maybe one day you'll look back and find that your brother's come around, and he'll be ready to go home with you."
He added, "I know he matters to you. Blood is blood. I get that."
Ryou sat down beside her. "But you're you, and he's him. If he's made his choice, you still have to live your life, right?"
He leaned back and nodded toward the city in the distance. "The world's huge. Go out there. Try things. And who knows—maybe find yourself a boyfriend. Or a husband."
"A husband?" Lumine turned to him, the thought from before resurfacing all on its own.
Ryou saw the "confused" look on her face and laughed. "You know, spending your life with someone you love can be really good."
He counted it off on his fingers. "Sure, being alone is freedom. But having someone with you can be even better. Someone to talk to, someone to watch the scenery with, someone to eat with…"
He glanced at Paimon. "Paimon can do some of that, but it's not the same."
"Hmph! Paimon can too!" Paimon said, arms crossed.
Ryou shook his head, smiling. "Different thing. If Tabibito wants a kid one day, can you give her one? Or are you going to start calling Tabibito 'Mother'?"
"Huh? That… might actually work!" Lumine burst out laughing. "Paimon—quick, call me Mother!"
"No way!" Paimon whipped her head aside. "Paimon doesn't want to!"
"See?" Ryou said, amused. "I told you Paimon doesn't cut it."
He looked out toward Liyue Harbor. "Honestly, I never thought I'd get married either. But after I did, it's… pretty nice."
His voice softened. "Keqing's great. Sometimes she gets jealous. Sometimes she picks fights with me. But it feels good. Comfortable."
Lumine stared at his profile, and her heart gave a sudden, uncontrollable jump.
The way he said it—so simple, so sincere—made her chest tighten. It wasn't just the words. It was the warmth behind them.
And she wanted that.
For herself.
Her mood eased, like she'd finally found something solid to hold on to.
"Ryou… thank you," Lumine said. "I have a goal now."
In her mind, she could already picture it: a future where she built a home with Ryou, where they lived like a real family.
As for Keqing…
She'd deal with that later.
She refused to believe she couldn't win over one man—especially not when she had this much confidence in herself.
Keqing, you showed off in front of me before. Just wait.
Ryou felt relieved seeing her pull herself together, but something twisted in his chest anyway.
Someday Lumine would fall for someone else. Just imagining it made him feel miserable.
A part of him selfishly wished she'd stay single forever—because then he wouldn't have to feel this way.
But she would meet someone eventually.
All he could do was hope that day came later. Maybe then it would hurt less.
Ryou smiled at her, but the smile felt strained even to him. He pulled himself together and asked, "I'm glad you're feeling better. But… I'm curious. What happened to your brother, exactly?"
He frowned. "Who dragged him to the Ministry of Civil Affairs? Did they have a Vision, or…?"
Lumine caught the weird weight in his smile and felt a flicker of confusion. What's up with him?
She didn't dwell on it. She just hesitated, unsure how much she should say.
Then she decided to keep it simple. "From what my brother said… he went with some people to pick something up. Someone offered him a bowl of water."
She shrugged. "Next thing he knew, he opened his eyes and he was already in custody."
Ryou's expression went flat.
You're telling me an old man took you out with a bowl of water and hauled you in?
Lumine looked at him carefully. "About that warrant… the five million Mora—"
"I'll handle it," Ryou said. "It'll pass."
He paused, then added, "Come eat at my place tonight."
Lumine's face brightened. "Okay. Sorry to bother you."
Ryou watched her smile, and his emotions turned even messier.
Keqing had been resting in the small world today. Once she'd recovered a bit, Ryou let her out and filled her in.
"Finding him is good," Keqing said, "but five million Mora isn't a small amount."
She frowned. "We're already running low, and your plans will take time. There's no way we can pull that kind of Mora together quickly."
Ryou chuckled. "And when I pay my uncle back, he's definitely going to lecture me again."
Keqing nodded, not saying much more. If her husband could handle it, she didn't need to worry.
Around midday, Keqing went out, while Ryou stayed at the Ministry of Civil Affairs to rest.
[Ding! Hand entering Darkened Mode!]
[Ding! Hand: Darkened Mode active. You can raise an item by one quality tier!]
…
Ryou glanced at the prompt, then lifted a hand and conjured several small porcelain bottles onto his desk—about the size of ordinary little liquor flasks.
He touched one, letting it absorb spiritual energy. He touched it again, raising its quality by a tier.
Then he looked closer.
[Spiritual Energy Juice +1]
[Effect: Infused with spiritual energy. Taste and overall quality +1.]
Ryou picked up a bottle and took a sip.
The change was subtle, but real. It went down smoother.
Most of this juice was pressed in the small world using his mental force. Even then, it still left behind a bit of muddiness—tiny impurities he couldn't fully eliminate. That was why it sometimes carried a faint off-note and a heavy, dull finish.
Now, a lot of that was gone.
No strange aftertaste. No stuffy thickness.
"Not bad," Ryou said, nodding.
He prepared ten bottles, packed them into a box, and left his office.
"Everyone, stop what you're doing. I've got something to say," Ryou called out.
All seventy staff members gathered immediately, packing the area so tightly there was barely room to stand. Their faces were full of anticipation—tomorrow was bonus day.
Ryou also noticed quite a few Yujing Terrace staff lingering outside, craning their necks to look in.
"Was that juice good?" Ryou asked the room.
"Good!"
"Really good!"
A chorus answered him.
"Good." Ryou nodded. "Then listen up. I've got ten small bottles here, and they're even better than before."
He lifted the box slightly. "This time, they're rewards. Whoever handles their work best—and earns Zhongli's approval—takes first place and gets five bottles."
Eyes lit up across the room.
They'd already tasted the juice. Of course they wanted more.
But first place wouldn't be easy.
"Second place gets three. Third gets one," Ryou continued.
He turned to Zhongli. "Zhongli-san, you hand them out."
Ryou's voice rose a little, carrying through the hall. "Today, you get juice. Tomorrow, you get Mora. Do your work well, and I won't be stingy with rewards."
He pointed at the staff for emphasis. "I've got plenty of good stuff. I'll keep bringing it in. This juice, Zhongli's tea—things you can't even buy outside."
He smiled. "You know what the adepti call things like this? Adepti fruit. Adepti tea. You could have a mountain of Mora and still never get your hands on it."
Ryou tapped the box. "But here? Do the job right, and you'll have your chance."
He stepped aside and let Zhongli take over.
First place, as expected, went to the same young woman from last time—the one who'd loudly claimed she'd process a hundred files. She'd grabbed the spotlight again.
The surprise was seventh place: Huixin.
That meant she'd beaten out most of the office. Clearly, she had real ability.
Ryou looked toward the doorway again. "Alright. Take a break. Rest up. We'll get back to work this afternoon."
He added, "And keep your eyes open lately. Liyue Harbor's been… busy. Understood?"
"Understood!"
"Understood!"
Ryou nodded, then handed Zhongli a packet of Quality +1 tea leaves.
"This tea is better than the last batch," Ryou said. "Keep it up. I'm counting on you."
Zhongli nodded. "Mm."
After Ryou left, Zhongli immediately brewed a cup.
The fragrance swept through the entire office in an instant. Heads snapped around. A few people even drifted closer, drawn by the scent.
"Zhongli-san, that tea smells insane."
"Zhongli-san, we're colleagues—share a cup."
"Yeah! Tomorrow's bonus day. I'll treat you to a meal!"
Zhongli watched them banter and couldn't help smiling. "Alright, alright. We're all coworkers. One cup each."
"Zhongli-san, you're the best!" a middle-aged man said, thumping his chest. "I mean it—tomorrow I'm buying dinner. Everyone better show up."
He winced dramatically. "But don't order me into bankruptcy. My wife's expecting me to bring Mora home."
Laughter rippled through the group.
"Of course!"
"We won't go too hard."
"Yeah—so let's just have three to five more cups first!"
"Agreed!"
The middle-aged man looked like he was suffering. "You're going to kill me. If it's ten thousand Mora per person, I'll have to hand my life over to Chef Mao."
Zhongli took a sip and blinked in surprise.
It really was better than before—cleaner, richer, with a fuller body and a brighter finish.
Outside, the Yujing Terrace staff listened in, drowning in envy.
Why did the Ministry of Civil Affairs get treated this well, while they could only stand outside and watch?
They'd sent in transfer requests over and over—so many they'd lost count.
Not a single reply.
Meanwhile, Ryou headed to Ganyu's office.
Keqing had been dropping by to see Ganyu often lately, but it seemed she couldn't get out much—either she was too busy, or Ningguang was keeping her on a tight leash.
"You're here?" Keqing asked, surprised when she saw Ryou.
He pointed at the window. "It's lunchtime. Let's go eat."
"Fair," Keqing said, then turned to Ganyu. "Ganyu-nee, let's go."
Ganyu hesitated. "I…"
"It's fine," Ryou said with an easy smile. "Just a little paperwork. I'll toss it to my people. They'll handle it."
He chuckled. "They're in a great mood right now, trust me."
Ganyu finally nodded. "Alright."
Then she added, "While you're here, take a look at these three documents."
"What are they?" Keqing asked, taking them.
Her eyes widened as she read.
They were transfer requests—people at Yujing Terrace asking to be reassigned to the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
"Why are there so many?" Keqing asked, baffled. "Sure, our pay and benefits are better, but not so much that everyone would be lining up to transfer."
Ganyu gave a helpless smile. "I can't help it. The requests keep piling up."
She rubbed her forehead. "One person wrote fifty pages of applications. Process-wise, I can file it all, but your people don't want to leave. I can't issue transfers if there's no one willing to move."
She sighed. "Only one transfer has actually gone through so far—Huixin. Everything else just keeps stacking up."
Ryou shrugged. "Not much I can do about that."
"Forget it," Keqing said, standing and hooking her arm around Ganyu's. "Let's eat."
Ryou watched the two of them walking together, close as sisters, and smiled.
If things ever worked out the way he wanted, he'd be living the dream.
Slow and steady. This was a long game.
The moment they stepped outside, they found a crowd of Yujing Terrace staff waiting.
Two young women hurried over.
"Ryou-sama, we want to transfer to the Ministry of Civil Affairs," one of them said, eyes shining with desperation. "Please give us a chance. We'll do anything!"
"I—I can too!" the other girl blurted out.
Keqing's face went dark.
What do you mean, "anything"?
I'm standing right here—your wife—and you're boldly trying to flirt with my husband?
[End of chapter]
[200 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
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