Qunyu Pavilion, this is Ningguang's private palace, the intelligence and decision-making organ where Tianquan Star presides.
From below, one could at most feel its grandeur, but it was only when Aether slowly approached that he could truly grasp how magnificent and utterly luxurious this sky palace was.
"Miss Aether, I will see you off here." Ganyu's soft, sweet voice sounded, finally bringing Aether back to his senses.
"Okay, thank you, Ganyu." Aether nodded, then smiled as he thanked Ganyu.
Ascending to Qunyu Pavilion was very difficult; after all, this palace was high in the sky, and even standing at a high point and using a wind current, one couldn't fly up.
Generally speaking, there were many prerequisites to ascend to Qunyu Pavilion and meet Ningguang.
The first essential point was that you needed to have a certain status; otherwise, you wouldn't even be qualified to make an appointment at Yuehai Pavilion.
But even if an appointment was made, one would have to wait a considerably long time; according to the guide at Yuehai Pavilion, the people who had made appointments to see Ningguang had already been scheduled until next year.
Furthermore, the process of ascending was also very troublesome; upon meeting the guide, one also needed to give a secret code.
And upon meeting Ningguang, to gain her favor, one generally needed to prepare generous gifts… In short, if Aether hadn't been invited by Ningguang, proactively seeking an audience with Ningguang would likely be an impossible task.
Anyone actively invited by Ningguang could completely skip those tedious steps; for example, Aether went directly to find Ganyu, needing no appointment, no secret code, and no gifts.
"It's nothing, this is my duty," Ganyu shook her head, her cheeks slightly flushed.
Not only because of Aether's smile, but also for an important reason: she was currently standing on the same Plaustrite platform as Aether.
This platform was relatively narrow; although it wasn't a problem for two people of their size to stand together, the distance between them was inevitably much closer than usual.
As an adeptus with qilin blood, Ganyu had an excellent sense of smell; she could even clearly detect the faint fragrance emanating from Aether.
This scent was even more enticing than Qingxin.
Aether also noticed the blush on Ganyu's cheeks and probably guessed what was going on.
It seemed that as long as the distance was close, even an adeptus couldn't resist.
"Then I'll be going now. See you again, Ganyu."
"Mm, bye, goodbye…" Ganyu nodded, watching Aether walk up the steps of the Qunyu Pavilion.
It wasn't until Aether's back completely disappeared that Ganyu turned back to prepare to leave.
"Sigh, what exactly is wrong with me?" On her way back, a conflicted expression appeared on Ganyu's face.
Because Aether's scent was too alluring, she even subconsciously took a few extra breaths just now.
Fortunately, because her movements were subtle enough and the distance wasn't that close, Aether didn't notice anything unusual.
Otherwise, she was afraid Aether might think she was a pervert, right?
Ganyu had lived for over a thousand years and had never done anything so out of character.
But then again, in these thousands of years, Ganyu had never seen anyone as special as Aether.
Could it be that Cloud Retainer was right?
Ganyu recalled the last time she went to see Cloud Retainer, who had asked her if she had a beloved.
She naturally replied that she did not, and Ganyu even felt that she had no such desires at all.
But Cloud Retainer's meaning was not to be too certain in this regard, saying that perhaps one day a unique existence would appear, making her unable to look away.
Now that she thought about it, Aether seemed…
The more Ganyu thought this way, the hotter her cheeks became. She quickly shook her head and hurried towards Yuehai Pavilion.
She wanted to put all her energy into work and temporarily cast these matters out of her mind.
"It seems you have made your decision." In Ningguang's reception room, she looked at Aether who had arrived at Qunyu Pavilion, and a faint smile involuntarily appeared on her face.
"Mm, I'm willing to accept this commission, but I've never done similar work before, so there might be some things I'm not good at…" Aether scratched his head.
"It's alright. Actually, this job is very simple, and it's no big deal even if you mess it up," Ningguang shook her head, then looked at the maid beside her.
The maid understood and quickly walked to the side, taking out a document.
"This is the contract. Take a look, and if you have no objections, please sign it."
Aether took the contract from the maid's hand and began to read it carefully.
The contract personally drafted by Ningguang was even more professionally written than the one Yanfei had drafted back then, and many things Aether read were completely incomprehensible.
Therefore, Aether focused on the parts he could understand.
For example, his specific job duties.
Scheduling itineraries and organizing effective information were basic clerical tasks. Additionally, he also needed to be responsible for Ningguang's daily life, clothing, food, and shelter, and respond to all of Ningguang's needs…
The more Aether read, the more he felt something was off. This felt less like a secretary and more like a maid.
"I won't make things difficult for you. It's just that those things listed are indeed the tasks my secretaries usually do. I will fully respect your thoughts and judgments. If there's anything you feel you cannot do, I won't force you to complete it," Ningguang seemed to have noticed which line Aether was reading and immediately said.
"Actually, it's nothing, it's just… when it comes to food, I can't make food. Uh, maybe not even drinks," Aether said hesitantly.
Anything he made that went down the throat would turn into a powerful aphrodisiac. While he was intent on winning Ningguang over, he absolutely could not use such methods.
Moreover, his very existence was already a powerful aphrodisiac.
"Oh? It's alright, the chef at Qunyu Pavilion hasn't gone on vacation yet…" Ningguang looked at Aether with some confusion. Although her intelligence didn't accurately mention Aether's cooking skills, as an Adventurer, he shouldn't be unable to make simple food.
Of course, Ningguang didn't care about such trivial matters.
"If you confirm there are no problems, then please sign this contract," Ningguang's maid smoothly brought a pen to Aether.
Aether looked again, then without hesitation, signed his name on the contract.
For this period, he would be living in Qunyu Pavilion, serving as Ningguang's temporary secretary (maid).
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