The next morning, Yi Chen woke up brimming with energy, as if his rage at the system from the previous night had never existed.
Things like Golden Rule were far too abstract.
What truly brought him peace of mind was the very real thesis in his hands.
After all, improving Mondstadt's economy was a genuinely meaningful goal!
With great excitement, he grabbed the stack of papers filled with his hard work and headed back up to the Jade Chamber, making a beeline straight for Ningguang.
"Lady Ningguang! Please take a look at this!"
He handed over the thesis, eyes sparkling like an outstanding student awaiting their teacher's evaluation.
Ningguang accepted the surprisingly weighty manuscript with mild curiosity and began to read.
The more she read, the deeper the surprise in her eyes grew.
This was no perfunctory work.
Not only did it thoroughly distill the essence of Liyue's commerce, it also—most impressively—combined Mondstadt's actual conditions to propose numerous practical and even elegant improvements.
The insight was sharp.
The depth of thought exceeded all her expectations.
Ningguang raised her head and looked at Yi Chen's hopeful, praise-seeking expression. A thought crossed her mind.
"So this is why you vanished the moment work ended every day?"
She gently shook the thesis in her hand.
Yi Chen nodded vigorously.
"My head's been full of data and plans these past few days. I was thinking about them while eating, while sleeping! I can barely remember what else even happened recently—haha."
He scratched the back of his head, completely unaware of what that statement revealed.
Ningguang immediately understood—and her earlier faint sense of frustration evaporated.
A single-threaded mind.
Once he focused on something, everything else was filtered out automatically.
Including… flirtation.
This realization instantly put her in an excellent mood. A stronger, slightly possessive curiosity rose within her.
If instead of data and proposals…
that limited mental capacity were filled entirely with her, Ningguang—
What would happen?
Suppressing that thought for now, she lavishly praised the thesis, making Yi Chen almost float with pride.
Then, naturally, she extended another invitation.
"A work of this quality deserves celebration. The weather is lovely today—shall we take another walk through Liyue Harbor? It may even inspire your next paper."
Yi Chen agreed without hesitation.
This time, Ningguang didn't bombard him with business theory.
She led him through street snacks, admired artisans' skills, stopped to listen to storytellers, and even picked up a kite at a toy stall to examine it.
Her smile was radiant, her demeanor lighter—less the imposing Tianquan, more a woman of her age enjoying life.
She occasionally brushed his shoulder while pointing something out.
Shared half of a particularly delicious snack.
Slowed her pace on bridges to admire lantern reflections in the water.
To any onlooker, the two looked no different from a couple on a date—
made all the more eye-catching by Ningguang's overwhelming beauty and presence.
At an antique stall nearby, Zhongli stood with hands behind his back, examining relics.
Sensing something, he turned his head—and saw Yi Chen walking beside Ningguang, laughing comfortably, their atmosphere almost intimate.
Zhongli sighed faintly.
He had long planned to meet this intriguing foreign qilin naturally—
perhaps over history, tea, or guidance on power control.
Yet every time the moment approached, something intervened.
Kaeya dragged him away.
Ganyu invited him elsewhere.
Or now—Ningguang herself was giving "close commercial tutoring."
Perfectly mistimed. Every time.
Watching Ningguang's smile and Yi Chen's utterly innocent "I'm having fun and learning" expression, Zhongli decided once again to wait.
If the time wasn't right—then patience it was.
Yi Chen and Ningguang were strolling through the bustling streets of Chihu Rock when Ningguang handed him a freshly bought, steaming piece of Mora Meat.
Just as he was about to bite—
[Ding—! Main Quest Issued: Confess to Yuheng Star Keqing one hundred times!]
[Quest Reward: Ten-pull summon! Good luck, host~ (～￣▽￣)～]
The system's sweet, demonic whisper exploded in Yi Chen's mind.
"PFF—! Cough cough cough!"
Yi Chen nearly swallowed the Mora Meat whole, choking violently.
Ningguang stopped immediately, patting his back gently.
"What's wrong? Choked?"
Yi Chen looked up, his expression cycling rapidly through shock → resistance → despair → struggle, before settling into grim resolve.
He inhaled deeply, like a man heading to execution.
"I… I just remembered something extremely, critically urgent! I must deal with it immediately! I'm terribly sorry—I can't continue shopping today!"
Ningguang caught the unmistakable abnormality in his expression but didn't press.
"No matter. Urgent matters come first. Go. Just be on time tomorrow."
"Y-Yes! Thank you, Lady Ningguang!"
Yi Chen shoved the unfinished Mora Meat back into her hands and sprinted into a nearby empty alley at full speed.
Once alone, he slammed a hand against the wall and roared internally.
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!
SYSTEM, HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?!
WHAT IS THIS TASK?!"
[Eh~? You don't like it?]
[But the reward is a ten-pull~ Lots of Mora and rare goodies~]
"IS THIS ABOUT REWARDS?! THIS IS A SURVIVAL CRISIS!"
[T-Then… ten times? I'm being generous! Ten should be fine, right? (╥╯^╰╥)]
"WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?! I DON'T EVEN KNOW KEQING!"
[Ah, but that's exactly why it's perfect!]
[First time strangers—failure isn't embarrassing!]
[See? You're too familiar with Ningguang, that's why it's hard~ Want me to change the next quest to confess to Ningguang a hundred times?]
"ABSOLUTELY NOT—!"
Yi Chen imagined that scenario and nearly blacked out.
He collapsed into a squat, clutching his head.
The ten-pull was tempting.
But Keqing's sword was faster.
And rejecting system quests might be worse.
Finally, he stood up, eyes blazing with tragic resolve.
"Fine! Ten times it is! I have regeneration anyway—
Even if Keqing cuts me into eighteen pieces… so be it!"
"Worst case—
I'll stitch myself back together!"
[Yay! Host fired up!]
[First step—go find Lady Yuheng! (*￣3￣)╭]
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