In the end, Ningguang still softened—just a little.
But who was Keqing?
She was the Yuheng of the Liyue Qixing.
A workaholic.
A relentless striver.
A textbook career woman.
Besides, who didn't have parents?
Her parents might not be able to help much with her career, but when it came to guiding their daughter emotionally, they were more than willing.
And honestly—how often did such an opportunity come around?
So the very next day, Keqing adjusted her mindset and returned to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, easing herself back into work at a steady pace.
Meanwhile, Lin Ze also left his villa in high spirits.
With nothing urgent to do, he headed straight for a teahouse.
Tea.
Storytelling.
Tian Tiezui.
Perfect.
Casually, he opened the diary system.
[I wonder how Ganyu's doing right now.]
[Ah well… one hurdle at a time—wait, hold on…]
[Kirara.jpg]
[Oh? Look what I found—
a cat just wandering around.]
[Isn't Inazuma under the Sakoku Decree?
How did Kirara end up in Liyue?]
[Is Komaniya Express really that powerful?
They've already gone international during the lockdown?]
[How did she cross the thunderstorm?
Hitched a ride on Beidou's ship?]
Just as Lin Ze was preparing to give Ganyu a motivational pep talk through the system, his attention was instantly stolen by two very real, very fluffy tails.
A genuine catgirl.
No question about it.
Lin Ze had been in Teyvat for several days now, and this was the first time he'd seen one.
And unlike Diona—who was a bloodline case—this was a true yokai in human form.
On the other side, Kirara—who was following her map toward the Ministry—suddenly froze.
She stared intently at the diary photo.
At the angle.
After a moment, she pinpointed the direction and turned her head.
…Too many people.
She couldn't lock onto a target.
Probably because of her two tails—she stood out far too much.
In that direction alone, more than one person was staring at her.
Everyone was curious.
Was she a yokai?
An adeptus?
Some special bloodline from Mondstadt?
And Lin Ze had changed outfits again.
So Kirara couldn't identify him by clothing either.
After scratching her head, Kirara decided to stop overthinking things.
Find the Ministry first. Priorities.
She unfolded her map again and studied it seriously.
The map itself was well drawn—very professional.
There was only one problem.
She had absolutely no idea where she was on it.
[Is Kirara experiencing the biggest career setback of her life?]
[Came all the way to Liyue… and can't find the recipient?]
[Interesting. She was looking for me earlier.
Looks like the little kitty does have a diary copy.]
Lin Ze deliberately typed this with malicious amusement.
He was looking forward to Kirara's reaction.
After all, he'd outright called her a little kitty.
Surely she'd react, right?
But—unexpectedly—
Kirara showed no reaction at all.
She saw the diary entry.
She simply… didn't care.
Because everything written there was true.
She had just hit the biggest roadblock of her career.
She was completely lost.
As for being called a little kitty?
That seemed perfectly reasonable to her.
She was a kitty.
A kitty who had cultivated well enough to grow two tails—
but still a kitty.
"Guess I'll just ask someone."
After staring at the map for a long while, Kirara decided to rely on her social skills.
She'd ask for directions.
And maybe—just maybe—she could find Lin Ze along the way.
Thinking that, she walked toward Lin Ze's direction.
After observing carefully, she noticed several people watching her.
So she picked the most handsome one.
"Hi there! I'm a courier from Komaniya Express.
I have a delivery for the Ministry of Civil Affairs, but it's my first time in Liyue and I got lost…"
She smiled brightly.
"Could you tell me how to get there?"
Kirara wasn't sure if this man was Lin Ze.
But she wasn't worried either.
She had a Vision.
She was a yokai.
And more importantly—the Millelith patrols made Liyue feel extremely safe.
Besides, she was heading to the Ministry.
Even if this wasn't Lin Ze, it'd just delay their meeting a bit.
"No problem. The Ministry's pretty far from here—
I'll take you there."
Lin Ze was slightly surprised.
She'd really picked him.
But clearly, she hadn't recognized him at all.
Which made this much more fun.
"Thank you! You're such a nice guy!"
Kirara gave him a full Good Person Card.
"Oh—by the way, what should I call you?"
She was testing him.
Was this person Lin Ze?
Lin Ze had never revealed his appearance in the diary.
So she'd just picked the best-looking candidate.
Still, maybe Lin Ze was actually… average-looking?
"Well, you can just call me 'Nice Guy.'"
Lin Ze smiled faintly.
"Good deeds don't need names.
There's a saying in Liyue—good karma brings good fortune.
I'm just accumulating virtue."
He had no intention of revealing his name.
That would ruin the fun.
He wanted to hide it.
He wanted Kirara to find out later.
He was genuinely curious what her expression would be when she finally realized.
"Alright then—Nice Guy it is!"
Since he didn't want to say, Kirara didn't press.
She happily chatted with him instead.
About fun places in Liyue.
Recent events.
Anything interesting.
Despite being able to take human form, Kirara still wasn't used to shoes.
She even kept her cat-like feet visible.
It was obvious—she still retained a lot of feline habits.
And cats were curious creatures.
Before long, Kirara completely forgot about Lin Ze.
She even forgot that the diary hadn't updated again.
Maybe Lin Ze already left?
Better to deliver the package first—
then enjoy Liyue properly.
After all, Liyue Harbor was far livelier than Inazuma City.
More people.
More energy.
More life.
Inazuma just didn't compare.
And Lin Ze answered every question she asked.
So much so that Kirara finally reached a firm conclusion:
This guy was definitely not Lin Ze.
"Kirara, see that building over there? That's the Ministry of Civil Affairs."
Lin Ze pointed ahead.
"And that side entrance is where deliveries usually go. You can head straight there."
"This delivery requires the Tianquan herself to sign for it."
Kirara nodded.
"I was planning to figure out how to get to the Jade Chamber next."
She smiled brightly.
"Thank you so much, Nice Guy. I've got to get to work now—but if we ever meet again, I'll definitely repay you!"
To read advanced Chapters, head over to p@treon:
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