"Heh… hehehehe…"
Looking at the scene before her, Keqing lowered her head slightly.
Her low, hollow laughter echoed through the empty room like a lament from the depths of the netherworld.
Dim daylight spilled in from behind her, casting her upper face into shadow so that her expression could not be seen clearly.
Yet the heavy killing intent radiating from the usually bright and resolute Yuheng Star was unmistakable to anyone present.
"I was clearly the one who came first…"
Her muttering was quiet, almost inaudible.
"Whether it was meeting Bai Ge first, or taking him in as my subordinate…"
"For the first time, I had someone who could help me. And my longtime friend working together with him—two happy things combined into one. It should have been like a dream come true…"
"So why did it turn out like this?"
Keqing murmured in confusion.
Then—
Shing—
Lion's Roar slowly slid out of its scabbard.
Raising her head, Keqing looked at Bai Ge with a smile that had begun to fracture.
"So, Bai Ge, can you tell me?"
"A whole month. An entire month—and you never once came back to my place!"
"Do you still see me as your superior? Are you still my secretary at all?"
Keqing erupted.
"Uh…"
Faced with her accusation, Bai Ge awkwardly withdrew the hand that was still resting on Ganyu's horn.
However—
"Mmm… keep going… don't stop…"
In her deep sleep, Ganyu murmured drowsily. She reached out, grabbed Bai Ge's hand again, and placed it back on top of her head.
Feeling the gentle stroking resume, the restless little head in Bai Ge's lap nuzzled even closer, clinging to him.
"Ah… this…"
Ganyu's unconscious actions left Bai Ge completely stuck.
Seeing this, Keqing's blazing eyes seemed to shoot out two arrows of pure fury!
If this were a more exaggerated anime scene, Bai Ge would already be riddled with holes.
Even without that, the situation was no better—
Because on the gleaming blade of Lion's Roar, threads of purple lightning had begun to crackle.
It was obvious: if Bai Ge couldn't come up with a reasonable explanation right now, he was absolutely taking this Flying Thunder God slash head-on.
"Uh—no—wait—Keqing, listen to my excuse—no, explanation! Things aren't what you think!"
Bai Ge hurriedly spoke, his explanation sounding rather pale.
But his words only made Keqing's gaze even more dangerous.
"Go on," Keqing said flatly. "I'm listening."
"Uh, well, you see…"
Bai Ge racked his brain, trying to explain the situation.
Then suddenly, he realized—
Wait. Why the hell am I explaining anything?!
He didn't even have that kind of relationship with Keqing. This wasn't catching someone in the act!
If anything, Ganyu had collapsed from exhaustion because of Keqing's business. Shouldn't Keqing be the one explaining herself?
With that realization, Bai Ge's confidence instantly stabilized.
"Ganyu's exhausted. She's a half-adeptus—her body works differently from normal people. When she's too tired, she just falls asleep on the spot. I happened to give her a place to rest her head. What's the problem with that?"
Bai Ge shot back.
With confidence came volume.
And Bai Ge's completely matter-of-fact attitude successfully made Keqing hesitate.
Of course, she didn't show it on her face.
"Evidence?" Keqing asked calmly.
At the mention of evidence, Bai Ge perked right up. That, he actually had.
"Right there. Those messy drafts on the desk in front of you. The finalized version's already been organized and sent out by Huixin."
Bai Ge gestured toward the table with his chin.
Thankfully, the drafts hadn't been put away yet—they were perfect for dealing with Keqing.
Hearing this, Keqing walked over with a mix of suspicion and doubt.
But the work that Bai Ge and Ganyu had produced over the course of a month was overwhelming in its impact.
After just a glance or two, Keqing was hooked.
"This is…"
"This is…!"
At some point, Lion's Roar had already been sheathed again.
Keqing's focused eyes were completely locked onto the drafts spread across the desk.
Rustle, rustle—
The sound of pages flipping rapidly filled the room as Keqing skimmed through the documents.
And the more she read, the more shocked she became.
By the name of the Yuheng Star, Keqing could swear that if these policies were truly implemented—
Then the people of Liyue would become the happiest people in all of Teyvat!
At the same time, she saw the parts addressing institutional reform as well—this would indeed stabilize her subordinates and her organization!
"These… are what you've achieved over this past month?"
Without lifting her head, Keqing asked in astonishment.
"Mhm." Bai Ge replied with a reserved little hum.
"So," Bai Ge said teasingly,
"is this explanation… enough?"