"H-Help you? Keqing, are you kidding?" Ganyu blurted, completely flustered.
Lately she'd been keeping her distance from Ryou. On top of that, things had been hectic, so they'd barely interacted compared to before. And yet Keqing was still this guarded?
Wait.
Was Keqing… testing her?
Keqing watched Ganyu panic, and her eyes softened.
She'd been trying so hard to get Ryou and Ganyu to spend more time together. Why was nothing happening? Ganyu was clearly scared Keqing might misunderstand, but… that was exactly what Keqing wanted.
She wanted Ganyu to overthink it. She wanted her and Ryou to actually do something.
And somehow, they never did.
At this point, Keqing could only lay it out plainly.
She pulled Ganyu close and spoke with unusual seriousness. "Ganyu, we've been like sisters for years. I don't want to hide this from you."
"You know me. I'm not the type to let my husband go chasing other women."
She hesitated, then pushed on. "But his situation is… special."
"I didn't show up at the Ministry of Civil Affairs for almost seven days. You know what that means. You're an adeptus—you can help me far more than anyone else can."
Keqing met her eyes. "So I want you to help me. If you have any feelings for Ryou, this gets a lot easier."
Ganyu froze.
Then she snapped back to herself.
Keqing must still be testing her.
Back then, Keqing probably just wasn't used to it—she disappeared for seven days, then everything returned to normal afterward. And right now things were normal again, weren't they?
So yes. This was a test.
That was close. She almost fell for it.
Ganyu hurried to steady the situation. "Keqing… you're misunderstanding me and Ryou."
"We're close. How could I ever go after your husband?"
"Please, trust me."
Her voice tightened with worry. "We've always gotten along. You're injured, and honestly… I'm scared."
"If you keep talking like this, we won't even be able to stay friends."
Keqing fell quiet.
Ganyu really was gentle. Even now, she was worrying about Keqing first.
And that was exactly why Keqing wanted Ganyu by her side.
Tabibito's gaze always felt wrong—like there was something sharp and calculating behind it. Ganyu wasn't like that. No schemes, no hidden angles. Just straightforward kindness. And they'd already been close for years.
If they could take one more step, everything would be even more secure.
"Alright. Alright," Keqing said, taking a slow breath. "I won't talk about that anymore."
Then she added, more quickly, "But… can you treat me? Please."
Her face was already burning by the time the words left her mouth.
"Oh—okay. Good," Ganyu said, visibly relieved.
She needed to keep things stable with Keqing for now. She'd decided she had to get everything settled before the Lantern Rite. That meant no misunderstandings, no cracks, no falling out. If she handled it carefully, she could keep building trust—until one day she could tell Keqing what she truly felt.
As she treated Keqing, Ganyu said quietly, "Don't say things like that again. You're going to make me overthink it."
She hesitated, then added, "And if I really did end up doing something with Ryou because of what you said… wouldn't that ruin us?"
"That would be perfect," Keqing mumbled into the pillow, her voice barely audible.
"You have no idea how ridiculous he is. Last night I told him we should go home and rest, and he still insisted we stay."
"He said La Signora might escape, and that only the two of us guarding together could guarantee success."
Keqing's ears were hot. "And then… he bullied me right there."
She shifted and winced. "Look—my knee's even swollen."
Ganyu's face went scorching.
How are you saying this so casually? You really tell me everything, don't you?
She frowned and checked Keqing more closely. "You have a Vision, and your body's strong. So why do you still have… marks?"
"Mm." Keqing pressed her face deeper into the pillow. "I'm only telling you because it's you. Don't tell anyone else."
"I always thought I was tough. I've handled fieldwork for years. I've even dealt with Treasure Hoarders."
Her voice dropped to a mutter. "But when it's him… I can't resist at all."
"It's like… normally one cup of water is enough."
"But that day I had three. Another day I had five."
Keqing sounded genuinely miserable. "Too much water feels awful."
She turned her head slightly, eyes pleading. "So… Ganyu, you have to be stronger than me. If you help, I'll feel a lot better."
Ganyu's cheeks burned even harder.
Keqing's "experience" really had escalated fast.
And when Ganyu's mind flashed back to that moment in the pocket world, her throat went dry. Without realising it, she pressed harder.
"Ow—Ganyu! Lighter!" Keqing hissed, twisting her head around.
But the moment she did, she saw Ganyu's face: red to the ears, eyes wet and shining, completely flustered.
Keqing's heart jumped.
So it works.
Ryou, just you wait.
In less than a month, I'm bringing Ganyu home.
…
Outside, Ryou heard people whispering everywhere.
Most were talking about the flash of white light that had swallowed Liyue Harbor last night, then vanished as everything returned to normal.
People were uneasy, and it made sense. The Millelith had already cleared the docks today.
Ryou listened, then shook his head.
Anyone would be afraid.
Even knowing Zhongli and Cloud Retainer were here, Ryou couldn't relax. He'd stopped Zhongli from "retiring" and dragged him into working at the Ministry of Civil Affairs with a smile on his face. But if Zhongli didn't step in, could the adepti alone stop a god's assault?
Even if several adepti joined forces, it still might not be enough.
"Ryou-san?" someone called.
Ryou turned and saw Inazuman clothes. He blinked in surprise, then looked closer. "You're… Kaedehara Kazuha."
He glanced at the girl beside him and smiled. "And this is your girlfriend? She's cute."
"A-ah—no!" The girl went bright red.
Kazuha waved his hands. "No, it's not like that. This is Zhuzi-san. She's from Inazuma."
"We ran into each other at the docks, so we decided to grab breakfast together."
"Got it. Sorry," Ryou said with a quick nod.
"I-I'll go," Zhuzi stammered, lowering her head as she hurried away.
Ryou watched her leave, then waited while his breakfast was prepared. "Kazuha… I'll call you Kazuha, alright?"
"That's fine," Kazuha said, nodding.
Ryou nodded toward where Zhuzi had disappeared. "She seems like a good girl. The kind you don't meet often. You could try taking a step forward."
He said it like an expert. "I'm married. Trust me."
Kazuha coughed awkwardly. "Ryou-san, you can't say that. We only met today."
"That's exactly when it happens," Ryou said, dead serious. "You know what love at first sight is?"
Kazuha shook his head. "I'm a wandering ronin. I don't stay in one place."
"She's a good girl. Following me wouldn't be right."
"Fair enough," Ryou said, dropping it. "Forget I said anything."
Kazuha hesitated, then asked, "I heard you captured the Fatui Harbinger, La Signora?"
Ryou took his breakfast. "Let's talk while we walk."
"Alright." Kazuha fell in beside him.
"It's true," Ryou confirmed.
Kazuha's expression turned complicated. "That's… impressive."
"To be honest, I ran into a Harbinger once," he said quietly. "He was terrifying—far beyond any Vision holder."
He exhaled. "Beidou saved me. If she hadn't, I'd be dead."
"Afterward, I asked Captain Beidou about him," Kazuha continued. "She said that man was powerful enough to stand toe-to-toe with a god."
"That's when I realised what the Harbingers really are. There are eleven of them."
He looked at Ryou with genuine respect. "Catching even one is already incredible."
"You're flattering me," Ryou said, shaking his head. "Capturing La Signora wasn't my achievement alone."
But the moment La Signora crossed his mind, the breakfast in his hands stopped feeling appetising.
That sensation—deep, maddening, impossible to ignore—came back in full detail, and his gaze heated despite himself.
La Signora really was… unfathomable.
You couldn't even tell where the "bottom" was.
Ryou chatted with Kazuha a little longer. Kazuha wasn't quite like the person Ryou had expected—he was almost too respectful, which left Ryou oddly embarrassed.
Ryou shook it off and carried his food toward Yujing Terrace.
He hadn't gone far when someone stepped out in front of him.
"Ryou-san. We meet again."
The voice was cold enough to make your skin crawl.
Ryou's eyes narrowed. "Childe."
Wanted notices were plastered all over Liyue Harbor, and he still dared come back. Completely reckless.
"I've planted several hundred Sigils of Permission under Yujing Terrace," Childe said calmly. "If I set them off, you know what happens."
He grabbed Ryou's arm. "Come with me. I want to talk."
Ryou held his gaze for a beat. "Fine."
They walked away together.
Not long after, along the corridor leading from Feiyun Slope toward Bubu Pharmacy, two people watched from a distance.
"Boss, we should follow them," the girl whispered.
"Shinobu, we just got here," the man muttered. "Why would we go sticking our noses into this?"
"Boss, are you blind?" Shinobu hissed. "That man was obviously being threatened."
"We saw it. We can't pretend we didn't."
She glanced toward Yujing Terrace. "And this is Yujing Terrace. That guy's probably staff."
"Liyue's been rolling out new policies lately. If we help him, it could pay off."
The man sighed. "Alright."
He slung an arm over Shinobu's shoulder and pressed her down slightly as they moved.
[End of chapter]
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