"Father, I'm sorry for making you worry," Ryou said.
His father shook his head. Seeing Ryou safe and sound was enough to put his mind at ease.
"Father, have some tea." Ryou poured him a cup, then invited everyone else to sit down as well.
"Today gave all of you quite a scare. As for what happened..." Ryou gave them a rough explanation of everything, then shared a few of his own thoughts.
"I think it's workable," Ningguang said.
Ryou's father looked at him and said, "It's a good idea. The Millelith suffered heavy losses today, and the people of Liyue were hit hard as well. On the surface, we won this battle. But considering the cost, it feels just as much like a defeat."
"Ningguang mentioned medical coverage to me before. This is the right time to push it through properly. They gave so much for Liyue. They deserve that much, at the very least."
"Father's absolutely right," Ryou said.
"I'll start making arrangements tomorrow. Then I'll speak to the people of Liyue at Yujing Terrace and explain everything clearly." He turned to Ningguang.
"That's fine," Ningguang said with a nod.
"Sorry for making everyone worry today. Tomorrow, come to my place for a meal. I'll cook for you myself," Ryou said with a smile.
"Then I'm definitely coming," Tabibito said, practically bouncing with excitement.
"I'll bring your mother along tomorrow as well," his father said. Then he got to his feet, patted Ryou on the shoulder, and headed for the door.
"I should go back and deal with the other matters too," Ningguang said as she stood up as well.
Watching them leave one after another, Ryou gave Ganyu a look before carrying Keqing home.
He could already feel how exhausted she was. By the time they got back, she had drifted off to sleep without even realizing it.
Ryou gently brushed a hand over her pretty face, his eyes full of tenderness.
This woman loved him with all her heart, and all he had done in return was make her suffer through that kind of fear.
There could not be a next time.
"Keqing, get some rest," he whispered. "I promise this won't happen again."
Once he was sure she was asleep, he moved her into the pocket world so she could rest properly.
Then he flew back to Yujing Terrace.
The moment he stepped inside, he saw Ganyu standing by the window, staring blankly at a potted flower.
Ryou walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.
He felt her tense for a moment, then slowly relax, until at last she leaned back into his chest.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly, holding her tighter and pressing a kiss to her hair. "I made you worry too."
Ganyu trembled slightly at the warmth in his voice. Her heart softened at once.
"As long as you're safe, that's enough," she said.
Ryou said nothing after that. He simply held her more tightly, because at a moment like this, words meant very little. Feeling each other's presence was enough.
As night deepened, Ganyu asked softly, "Shouldn't you be heading back?"
"It's fine if I stay a little longer. Keqing's already asleep." He lowered his voice by her ear. "I'm sorry for making both of you worry. Being able to have you in my life already feels like more kindness than I deserve. So trust me, alright? I won't make you afraid like this again."
"Mhm. I trust you." Ganyu turned, looked up at him, and kissed him.
Ryou kissed her back.
It was a soft kiss, warm and gentle, but full of feeling.
And after that kiss, the distance between them seemed to shrink even further.
Bang.
At some point, a strange noise came from outside.
Ryou and Ganyu both looked over, but there was no one there.
"This is all your fault," Ganyu said, turning her face away as she looked toward the door, visibly flustered. "You started messing around and touching me, so now someone saw us..."
"Probably just a staff member passing by," Ryou said, tightening his arms around her. "Don't worry. They won't go around talking."
Then he kissed her on the lips again.
"And whose fault is it for being too tempting? You were the one luring me in first."
"Y-You're talking nonsense. I was not," Ganyu said. The moment she heard the word "luring," her whole face burned bright red.
Ryou chuckled, pulled over a chair, and sat down. With a thought, he shut the door tightly, then kept Ganyu in his arms and soothed her in a low voice.
Still, the person outside had moved incredibly fast. By the time he looked over, they were already gone.
That made him curious.
Who exactly had been peeking just now?
The answer was Yanfei.
Lately, too many things had been on her mind, and her emotions had been a mess. She had come to ask Ganyu for advice.
But the moment she reached Ganyu's office door and was about to step inside, she saw Ganyu with a man.
Ganyu had her head tilted up, kissing him deeply.
And that man's hand was roaming all over her.
The sight was so intimate, so embarrassingly suggestive, that Yanfei's face turned scarlet on the spot.
She panicked and hurried out of Yujing Terrace. In her rush, she accidentally knocked something over and made that noise.
Even after putting a bit of distance between herself and the place, the heat all over her body still wouldn't go away.
But more than anything else, Yanfei was curious.
Who was that man?
It couldn't have been easy to make Ganyu fall for someone.
Shaking her head, Yanfei started walking home. But before long, her thoughts drifted back to everything that had happened in Liyue Harbor that day.
She had been stunned.
She had seen Ryou standing alone in the sky, facing three gods by himself.
Then she saw him kill all three with a single slap.
That scene had thrown all of Liyue into an uproar.
The entire harbor had gone mad with shock.
Even Yanfei had found it hard to believe.
Then, little by little, something clicked.
That one slap of his made her think of something else that had happened not long ago.
Back then, those strange creatures—[Hand], [Eyes], and [Ears]—had appeared in Liyue Harbor.
The [Hand] had unleashed a giant palm strike too, and it had split apart in an instant, causing chaos throughout the harbor.
But the biggest clue was [Eyes].
It had seen everything.
It had even watched her bathe.
And because of Ryou's attack today, Yanfei suddenly began to suspect that [Hand], [Eyes], and [Ears] had all come from him.
The moment that thought took shape, her face burned even hotter.
The heat wouldn't fade.
If anything, it only grew worse.
...
The next morning, Keqing opened her eyes and tensed up at once.
But the moment she saw the man beside her, she let out a breath of relief.
Ryou noticed and gently stroked her hair.
"What's wrong?"
"I was scared," Keqing said softly.
"Don't be. I promise something like this won't happen again."
Keqing held him tighter.
"When I found out you were gone, it felt like my whole world had collapsed. I can't even imagine what life would be like without you. I... I can't leave you. I can agree to all those strange requests of yours. I'd even let you find other women. I only want one thing from you."
She looked at him with trembling eyes.
"Don't leave me. And don't scare me like that again, okay?"
Ryou's heart warmed at her words.
He knew that if he brought up Ganyu now, Keqing might very well agree.
But he also knew that if he used her fear to make that happen, it would mean taking advantage of her when she was at her weakest.
And Keqing already lacked a sense of security. If he brought another woman into the conversation now, wouldn't that only make it worse?
Ganyu had told him before that from now until the Lantern Rite, she intended to slowly deepen things and reveal them bit by bit.
So Ryou had already decided to let Ganyu handle it gradually.
Some things sounded completely different coming from him than they did coming from Ganyu.
It was like trying to win over a girl—you had a much better shot if you got along with her best friend first.
One good word from the right person could save you half the effort, or even carry you straight to the finish line.
That was exactly the approach Ganyu was taking.
There was still less than half a year before the Lantern Rite. That should be enough time for her to work with.
And after seeing how exhausted Keqing had been yesterday, how red her eyes were from all the panic and grief, Ryou felt like his heart had been torn apart.
As far as Ganyu was concerned, he already believed he had made a mistake.
And this was one mistake he did not want to keep making.
He could not keep hurting this woman.
Keqing loved him far too deeply.
If he hurt her again after that, then he really wouldn't deserve to call himself a man.
"Stop overthinking," Ryou said, holding her firmly. "I promise you, that won't happen again. And don't bring up finding other women anymore. Being able to marry you is already more than enough for me. Listen to me and stop thinking like that, alright?"
Keqing stayed in his arms without saying a word, and little by little, her heart began to settle.
After hesitating for a moment, she said, "I wasn't joking just now. I really meant it. I... kind of can't handle you by myself anymore. Ganyu is my best friend, so if you—ah!"
"W-Why did you hit me?" Keqing looked up at him.
"And you still dare say nonsense like that?" Ryou shot her a glare.
But when he saw the fear, confusion, and lingering unease in her expression, his heart softened immediately.
Keqing, on the other hand, suddenly felt heat rising through her body again.
This bad man really did treat her well.
But he was also far too much.
The same terrifying strength that let him crush three gods with one slap showed itself elsewhere too.
She had spent more than half a month building up her stamina, and by now she could hold out for a while.
But against this great demon king, she still ended up flustered, embarrassed, and completely outmatched.
He was just too much.
Keqing shot him a look, then glanced outside at the brightening sky.
Thinking of how much Ryou had already done for Liyue Harbor yesterday, and how he had spent the whole night easing her fears, her gaze softened.
Then she looked back at him, gave him a small glare, and turned serious.
"Mmm... Keqing, what are you doing? It's already getting late. We still have to go to the Ministry of Civil Affairs. And today we have important matters to announce to the people of Liyue, so you—"
Ryou seemed to realize something and tried to explain.
Usually, he was the one who silenced Keqing by covering her lips before she could say anything more.
This time, though, things were different.
Before he could finish, Keqing leaned in and sealed his mouth with a kiss.
[End of chapter]
[200 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
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