Looking at the two meat pies on the plate, both with bites taken out of them, Keqing's face was full of guilt.
"I..."
"Collei's grilled meat was just too delicious, so I couldn't help myself..."
"One in each hand, eating them together!"
Keqing stammered out an excuse.
To muddle her way through, her eyes lit up and she added, "Actually, I really am fine, it's just..."
"The moment I came in, the meat pies smelled so good, and I didn't want you all to see my awful eating manners, so..."
"I hid up here to eat."
Hearing Keqing put it this way, Ye Xi suddenly understood.
Collei's cooking tonight really had been an extraordinary performance!
Those meat pies—he himself just now hadn't been able to resist eating two extra.
Paimon was even more over the top than Keqing—she stacked three meat pies together and ate them all at once!
Simply absurd!
No wonder Keqing's mouth started watering the moment the flavor came up.
Considering that Keqing was one of the Liyue Qixing, and that even at home she carried a bit of a burden on her shoulders and didn't want others to see her in an unseemly state, it all made sense.
Thinking of this, Ye Xi laughed heartily, rubbed Keqing's little head, and said, "At home there aren't so many rules—if you want to eat, then eat more."
"Mm!"
Keqing hurriedly nodded, feeling a wave of relief inside.
Ye Xi suddenly remembered something: "Eating Sweet Madame together with meat pies is bound to get cloying."
"I remember there are some drinks in my portable space—let me have a look."
As he spoke, he reached out his hand and began rummaging through his portable space.
At this moment, Ningguang's face was full of suspicion.
This really wasn't like the Keqing she knew.
In the past, when Keqing was working, she didn't care about these things at all—as long as she could fill her belly, that was enough.
Seeming to notice the look of doubt on Ningguang's face, Keqing's eyes filled with pleading.
The moment Ningguang saw that look, she understood.
Keqing must have done something sneaky!
And she was even hiding it from Ye Xi!
Thinking of this, Ningguang knitted her brows, her eyes brimming with indignation—[Keqing, don't tell me you've done something to wrong the Master!?]
Keqing's pupils quaked, and she hurriedly shook her head—[I really haven't...]
During this exchange of glances, she instinctively looked toward the covers beside her.
Xiangling was hiding inside them right now!
Ningguang was the Tianquan Star of the Liyue Qixing, and she noticed Keqing's little movement at once.
Following Keqing's gaze, she saw the quilt next to her, buried under a pile of dolls.
Looking closely, she was horrified to discover a bulging figure.
[How dare you, Keqing! You actually have the nerve to hide a man!? Aren't you afraid of the Master finding out!]
Ningguang was dumbfounded.
She never imagined that Keqing would do such a thing!
How could this be tolerated?
In truth, Ningguang was overthinking it.
Ye Xi had long since set restrictions using the portals.
Of all the doors in the entire Serenitea Pot, except for the study door, none of them allowed men to enter; the only man who could pass through was Ye Xi himself.
Even the study door had strict registration conditions.
Only a marked Enjou could come in.
So, subconsciously, Ye Xi was completely unworried that there might be any man in the house besides himself.
From the very beginning, he simply wouldn't think in any other direction.
It was just that none of the girls knew about this.
Seeing Ningguang's face full of anger, Keqing was so frightened she hurriedly shook her head: [You've got it wrong, Ningguang!]
What a joke.
With such a wonderful person as Ye Xi to rely on, how could she possibly fancy anyone else?
She treasured Ye Xi more than anything!
Seeing Ningguang looking so furious, she waited until Ye Xi wasn't paying attention and secretly lifted the quilt beside her, revealing Xiangling's little face.
Xiangling jumped in fright, and seeing Ningguang right before her, she awkwardly waved her little hand.
[Xi-Xiangling!?]
Ningguang was slightly taken aback, then suddenly understood.
As soon as she connected it to Keqing's earlier idea of wanting to set Xiangling up, she understood at once—this was a little operation that Keqing and Xiangling had prepared!
Although she grasped the plan in an instant, Ningguang's face was still full of mischief: [You little rascal, Keqing—fooling around outside would be one thing, but you actually brought a woman from outside back home!]
[???]
Keqing's face was full of question marks, and she rolled her eyes at Ningguang: [By any reckoning, this is about bringing Xiangling to the Master, isn't it? How did it become me messing around!]
Ningguang promptly burst out laughing.
Just at this moment, Ye Xi found the lemonade he'd made earlier.
"Found it—pairing this with the meat pies will be quite nice."
"Thank you, Master!"
Keqing hurriedly covered up the quilt and took the drink from Ye Xi.
Beside her, Ningguang gave Keqing a look: [This time I'll help cover for you two.]
Then she leaned in close to Ye Xi's ear and said, "Master, that salve from just now—I want some too. May I?"
"Hm?"
Ye Xi was slightly startled: "Your skin is so soft and tender, so well cared for—what scars could you possibly have?"
He had explored every inch of her just yesterday; Ningguang's skin was in excellent condition.
Even being in her twenties, compared to the likes of Keqing and Collei, she really wasn't lacking at all!
Ningguang said nothing, only hooked her arm around Ye Xi's, her beautiful eyes brimming with hope.
"You really are impossible."
Ye Xi rose helplessly and gently stroked Ningguang's slender, willowy waist: "Have it your way—let's go to your room."
"As for you, Keqing, eat more. If it's not enough, go ask Dunyarzad for some."
"Understood, Master~"
Keqing rose with her arms crossed over her chest, her eyes full of happiness.
After Ningguang had completely led Ye Xi away, Xiangling popped out all at once and patted her chest: "Phew~ that scared me to death! I was nearly discovered!"
"Lady Ningguang... she actually kept our secret for us!"
This was something she hadn't expected!
Putting on her clothes, Keqing said with a smile, "Of course—did you think Ningguang doesn't crave the food you cook?"
"If you joined, everyone could eat delicious food every single day!"
Xiangling chuckled: "I never imagined everyone would look forward to my cooking this much."
"But, Keqing, I never expected you'd be so well-endowed!"
As she said this, she launched a surprise attack.
Keqing was startled.
"Eh!?"
"Stop it~!"
The room instantly filled with giggling and laughter.
"All right, all right, hurry up and eat, then go soak in the hot spring."
"I'm going to wash you up all squeaky-clean and send you into the Master's covers!"
Hearing Keqing's words, Xiangling's face flushed crimson.
Washing up all squeaky-clean and such—that was far too embarrassing!
To be honest, she felt a little scared—after all, she was still a pure, innocent maiden who had never known a man!
Keqing put on the air of someone experienced, planting her hands on her hips: "Don't worry, that fellow Ye Xi is very tender with people—you'll find out soon enough!"
"Mm..."
Xiangling nodded and went on eating.
....
Before long, Keqing tiptoed downstairs, secretly leading Xiangling along.
At this time, the girls were all in the living room.
Earlier, during dinner, Ye Xi had used the [Abyss Core] to create a television set.
He'd always felt something was missing from the house before—turned out it was exactly this.
Teyvat obviously had no signal.
So, relying on his memory, he made some anime discs and used the television to play them.
Several of the girls were gathered around the television, watching with great fascination.
Beidou, meanwhile, was drinking fine wine from Sumeru and chatting with Dehya and the others.
Those who were drinking drank, and those who were watching anime watched.
Collei and Amber were cooling off in the courtyard, discussing something in soft, gentle voices.
Amber knew that now that Lisa had come, she and Eula would soon be returning to Mondstadt.
So she was bidding farewell to Collei.
Keqing led the way and, while no one was paying attention, slipped Xiangling into the changing room.
"Xiangling, hurry and freshen up—I'll be there in a bit!"
"Mm, okay!"
Xiangling chuckled, hugged the bath towel Keqing had prepared for her, and ducked into the changing room.
She was so looking forward to the hot spring!
Keqing let out a sigh of relief.
At this point, the plan was just about complete.
Once Xiangling had finished washing up, she would take her to Ye Xi's room.
By then, she'd just have to wait for Ye Xi to return to his room, and everything would take its natural course!
Just as she was thinking this, Ningguang came down together with Ye Xi.
What was a little different from before was that Ningguang's face was flushed crimson.
She looked far more charming and alluring than that usually stern Lady Tianquan.
"Keqing, have you eaten your fill?"
Seeing Keqing in the corridor, Ye Xi smiled and said, "Did you get a second helping?"
Keqing hurriedly nodded: "Dinner was especially delicious!"
"Oh right, Master, Beidou and Dehya and the others are drinking—do you want to go have a cup?"
Ye Xi sighed: "I need to go take a bath first; as for drinking, I'll join in a little later."
Hearing this, Ningguang beside him couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Hearing that laugh, Ye Xi looked exasperated: "What are you laughing at? Isn't this all your doing?"
"How was I supposed to know it'd turn out that way? Besides, Master Ye Xi, don't you bear some responsibility too?"
Ningguang gave a soft snort, looking thoroughly gloating.
This woman! She causes trouble and still acts like she's in the right!
Ye Xi helplessly went into his own changing room.
Keqing watched from the side, utterly bewildered, not making any sense of it.
"So? Has Xiangling gone to freshen up?"
Ningguang and Keqing chatted while changing clothes in the changing room.
Upon learning that Xiangling was in the hot spring, Ningguang relaxed.
"Let's go, let's go take a look at Xiangling."
"That girl seems to be quite afraid of me, even though we'll be one family from now on."
"I really don't want her to be so guarded around me."
Ningguang didn't want to hear Xiangling call her [Lady Ningguang] every single time.
She planned to lay her cards on the table directly and tell Xiangling that it was she who had been quietly funding the Wanmin Restaurant all along.
Then, through soaking in the bath together, they could deepen their bond.
Once they grew close, there'd be no need to draw lines between them.
Hearing this, Keqing nodded: "All right, then let's go."
After changing their clothes, the two girls were left with only thin bath towels on their bodies.
They went to the hot spring together. Like the Ye Family Compound back then, it too was divided into men's and women's sections.
Ningguang and Keqing trod across the bluestone slabs and came to the edge of the hot spring.
Mist drifted everywhere, making it utterly impossible to see one's surroundings clearly.
Keqing lowered her voice: "Xiangling? We're here...."
"Xiangling...?"
After softly calling out twice, Keqing was horrified to discover that there was no one in the hot spring at all!
"Where is she?"
Ningguang's face was full of astonishment.
Keqing was also very puzzled—she had clearly told Xiangling she just had to follow the corridor straight to get here!
Suddenly, Keqing's eyes went wide: "Oh no! Could Xiangling have gone over to Ye Xi's side!"
"Eh!?"
Ningguang was startled at once.
If Xiangling was next door, then just now they'd seen with their own eyes that Ye Xi had already gone in!
...
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