As the saying goes, every beginning is difficult.
After successfully—and safely—completing his first confession to Keqing, Yi Chen immediately felt refreshed from head to toe, as if a heavy burden had finally been lifted off his shoulders.
That long-lost, familiar feeling of being "Mondstadt's Number One Devoted Man" seemed to return—just a little.
No longer weighed down by anxiety, his steps became light, even leisurely, as he wandered back to the Jade Chamber.
The moment he stepped inside, however, he felt an unusually focused gaze lock onto him.
He looked up.
Ningguang wasn't buried in documents or intelligence reports as usual. Instead, she sat calmly in her seat, one hand propping up her chin, the other finger tapping lightly against the tabletop. Those sharp eyes—capable of seeing straight through people—were fixed directly on him.
Yi Chen's heart skipped.
For no clear reason, guilt crept in—but he still steeled himself and walked over.
"Lady Ningguang, the documents have been delivered to Lady Keqing."
Ningguang didn't respond immediately. She continued to study him with that unreadable expression before finally speaking, her tone neutral.
"I heard… that you didn't go to Yuehai Pavilion only to deliver documents."
Yi Chen blinked.
He hadn't expected the news to travel that fast.
Since there was no reason to hide it, he nodded openly.
"Yeah. I also confessed to Miss Keqing while I was there."
He said it so casually—so naturally—as if he were talking about grabbing a snack on the way.
Ningguang's expression froze.
Even though she had already heard the report from her informant, hearing Yi Chen admit it himself in such a 'nice weather today' tone was a completely different kind of impact.
An extremely strange—utterly unfamiliar—feeling seized her heart.
Are you kidding me?!
Yes, she wanted him to switch out of Mondstadt mode.
Yes, she wanted his single-threaded brain to start processing romance and emotions.
But what she had envisioned was him directing all that devotion and confession energy toward her!
So how did it turn into him immediately strutting over to Keqing instead?!
A powerful sensation—one that could only be described as being utterly cuckolded—surged through her.
Even Ningguang, the ever-composed Tianquan Star, found it hard to maintain her usual calm.
She could even feel her temple twitching.
Taking several deep breaths, she barely managed to suppress that nameless irritation.
"…Oh?" she said coolly.
"And the result?"
"I got rejected."
Yi Chen answered crisply, without the slightest hint of disappointment.
"Lady Keqing said I was joking."
Ningguang: "..."
Hearing that he failed eased her irritation slightly—but what followed was a deeper sense of speechlessness, and a powerful urge to correct something.
She examined Yi Chen from head to toe, as if reassessing a once-promising collectible that had suddenly gone off the rails.
So simple hints and flirting are completely useless on this one-track brain.
If she wanted him to "switch channels," she'd have to be far more direct—leaving absolutely no room for misunderstanding.
She lifted her teacup to mask her emotions and cleared her throat softly.
"So you failed."
"But there's no need to be discouraged. Failure is the mother of success—especially in matters of the heart."
She set the teacup down and leaned forward slightly.
"Yi Chen, you should understand that relationships are fundamentally the same as business investments.
"They require accurate judgment, risk-return evaluation, and selecting the most valuable, most promising target."
"So why don't you calm down, set aside impulse, and use the same analytical ability you applied when writing that thesis—and think carefully."
"In Liyue Harbor, who truly understands your value?"
"Who possesses the greatest capital and resources?"
"And who can offer you the most stable, long-term, and cost-effective return?"
"Who… is your best investment?"
Her gaze burned with intensity, practically engraving the words 'Say it's me' onto his forehead.
She unconsciously lifted her chin, radiating the irresistible confidence and charm unique to the Tianquan Star—waiting for this single-cell organism to finally awaken and deliver the correct answer.
Yi Chen did, indeed, fall into deep thought.
He furrowed his brows, crossed his arms, and looked like he was seriously applying his thesis-writing analytical brain to the problem.
Lady Ningguang is absolutely right! he thought.
Successfully confessing to Keqing meant ten pulls!
Ten pulls!
Who knew—maybe he'd draw a skill that would instantly lead to financial freedom!
For Mora!
For Mondstadt's economy!
How could he give up so easily?!
At that realization, clarity struck him like lightning. His fighting spirit reignited!
Lady Ningguang's guidance was perfectly timed!
He snapped his head up, eyes shining with conviction and gratitude, nodded firmly—and then performed an action that nearly made Ningguang crush her teacup—
He flashed her the brightest, sincerest thumbs-up imaginable.
"I get it! Lady Ningguang, you're absolutely right!"
"Please rest assured! I'll reflect on my mistakes, become even more persistent, more sincere, and work harder to confess to Lady Keqing!"
"I will definitely secure this 'high-quality investment'!"
"Thank you for guiding me! You're truly my guiding light!"
He even added an energetic, sparkling smile—as if he could already see the ten-pull banner beckoning him.
Ningguang: "!!!"
Guiding light?!
A guiding light to smash headfirst into a wall?!
Her vision darkened as blood rushed to her head, and she nearly lost control of her expression.
She slowly, deeply inhaled—then exhaled—pressing her fingers firmly against the vein pulsing at her temple.
Normal hints and guidance won't work on this rock-brained creature.
It was time for direct intervention.
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