Inside Yuehai Pavilion atop Yujing Terrace, stacks of unfinished documents covered the desk. Yet rather than chaotic, they were meticulously arranged—layered, ordered, and precise.
A steaming cup of tea was gently set down on the desk. Ganyu nudged it forward slightly and tilted her head.
"Junior Brother Ji Ming, this is Chenyu Tea Dew—a specialty from the Chenyu Vale region. If you like it, feel free to come by for more anytime."
Ji Ming sat stiffly in a luxurious chair carved from smooth agarwood, his heart pounding. He carefully lifted the porcelain cup, stealing glances at Ganyu's expression every now and then.
Who leaked the news?
How does Senior Sister Ganyu even know about this?
He didn't know much about Liyue's administration, but Yuehai Pavilion shouldn't be handling public security matters… right?
Ganyu's expression remained serious. She picked up a notice sheet and spoke in a measured tone.
"Junior Brother Ji Ming—do you know what mistake you made?"
"Senior Sister Ganyu, I—"
"No acting cute."
Ji Ming took a sip of tea and swallowed it in one go. He couldn't taste much of anything. He wasn't fond of refined things like tea—fruit juice suited him far better.
Still, he didn't dare change the subject.
"I… deceived someone."
Seeing his willingness to be honest, Ganyu softened slightly and corrected him gently.
"Not that. That man had vile intentions and even harbored thoughts of harming Yanfei. You should never have engaged with someone like him."
"What if Lady Yanfei's personal belongings really had ended up on the black market?" Ji Ming countered. "If it were me, I could at least guarantee everything there would be fake."
Ganyu fell silent.
Then—she puffed out her cheeks.
"Junior Brother Ji Ming. Sit properly."
Ji Ming immediately shut up, straightened his back, placed both hands on his knees, and adopted the posture of someone sincerely admitting fault.
"I don't know how you lived in the past," Ganyu continued softly, "but now, we share a close bond. I won't bring up your past mistakes again. I only hope that from now on… you'll rely on me."
Saying all of this in one breath left her cheeks faintly flushed.
For so long, Ganyu had been alone in Liyue Harbor—no close friends, no one to confide in. Now that she finally had a junior brother, even if only in name, she naturally wanted to take good care of him.
More importantly—
Ji Ming didn't treat her as something other.
That, more than anything, was what she had always longed for.
Ji Ming raised an eyebrow.
Strictly speaking, they hadn't met all that often. After meeting Ganyu, Shenhe had followed Cloud Retainer back to Jueyun Karst. Ji Ming had continued living alone as usual.
He hadn't visited Ganyu on his own initiative—not because he didn't want to, but because he wasn't mentally prepared.
He hadn't expected that, in her eyes, a nominal senior–junior relationship already counted as "close."
Even with his sworn brothers—bound by blood oaths—Ji Ming wouldn't dare call their bond truly intimate. At best, they were a group of desperate men huddling together for warmth.
So Senior Sister Ganyu is the type who pours her heart out the moment someone draws close…?
His silence stretched too long.
Ganyu began to look uneasy.
Not wanting to make his adorable senior sister anxious, Ji Ming answered immediately.
"Alright. I'll listen to you, Senior Sister Ganyu."
Ganyu visibly relaxed.
"Mm. Whether it's Shenhe or Master, we're all people you can rely on. If you don't mind… we can even be considered family."
Her smile was warm.
Then, as if a thought had suddenly occurred to her, she walked over and sat beside Ji Ming—reaching out to hold his hand.
"How about living at my place from now on?"
Ji Ming: "?!"
Was this… a blessing falling from the sky?!
Ji Ming instantly decided that today would forever be his personal lucky day.
"That won't be necessary—" he said quickly. "Please don't misunderstand, Senior Sister Ganyu. It's not that I don't want to rely on you. It's just… this wouldn't be appropriate. What would others think?"
With sheer willpower, Ji Ming rejected the cohabitation offer—
—but he didn't pull his hand away.
Senior Sister Ganyu's hand is soft… and smells nice.
This is totally acceptable junior-brother privilege, right?
"I don't mind what others think…" Ganyu said softly.
"But you do, Senior Sister Ganyu," Ji Ming replied. "You care about what the people of Liyue think more than anyone else. Don't worry—if anyone dares badmouth you, I'll sack them up and throw them into the Guyun Stone Forest."
Ganyu was a little disappointed by his refusal—but his words soon made her laugh.
She shook her head.
"You can't do things like that. Then… I'll give you some mora. Rent a place in Liyue Harbor, alright?"
This time, he couldn't refuse.
If he did, she'd really be hurt.
Even though he'd already fleeced a huge sum from Wangsheng, Ji Ming still accepted her kindness.
"Alright. I'll rent a place in Liyue Harbor."
"Mm-hm. Junior Brother Ji Ming is very good. I'm happy."
That feeling again.
Strangely familiar.
"Like… a mother."
Ganyu: "E–Eh?!"
The ever-gentle Ganyu instantly panicked. She twirled a strand of hair around her finger, eyes darting away.
"You… you shouldn't joke like that…"
"Sorry, sorry—I spoke without thinking."
Ji Ming apologized rapidly. The last thing he wanted was for her affection toward him to plummet to zero.
Note to self: keep the unhinged thoughts internal.
Just then, the doors of Yuehai Pavilion swung open.
A sharp, efficient woman with purple hair and feline features strode in.
"Ganyu, I need the geological reports from Dihua Marsh—and who is this?"
Ganyu quickly composed herself, reverting to her professional secretary persona. She handed over the documents and replied politely.
"This is my junior brother."
"Lady Keqing, my name is Ji Ming. A pleasure to meet you."
Heavyweight alert.
Back in the day, if Ji Ming hadn't run fast enough, this very woman—who once inspected street stalls to understand civilian life—would've caught him on the spot.
Cold sweat, truly.
Keqing was straightforward. She extended her right hand.
"If you're Ganyu's junior brother, there's no need for formalities."
Another seeker of immortality?
Liyue relied on human governance. If it depended on the Geo Archon descending once a year, how could the city ever move forward?
Still… Ganyu's junior brother looked oddly familiar. Where had she seen him before?
Ji Ming shook her hand briefly, then released it.
"Only in name. I'm still an ordinary Liyue citizen—no Vision."
"That's not necessarily a flaw," Keqing replied calmly. "Even without a Vision, you may have talents of your own. Don't feel discouraged."
Neither of them had a particularly strong impression of the other, so the conversation ended naturally.
Ji Ming, ever tactful, stood up.
"Senior Sister Ganyu, I won't disturb your work any longer."
"Alright. Don't forget to visit Yanfei—she helped this time as well."
Ji Ming instantly understood.
His short sentence meant Yanfei had spoken up for him.
After nodding politely, Ji Ming left Yuehai Pavilion.