Ningguang stared at the mountain of paperwork and rubbed her temples.
Baiwen had just reported that Ganyu was back at Yujing Terrace handling documents again. In theory, that meant today would finally be easier.
But the moment Ningguang thought of Keqing, her temper flared right back up.
So what if she'd asked the Ministry of Civil Affairs to take on some of Yujing Terrace's workload? Did Keqing really have to make it a whole thing and come at her like that?
Honestly, Ningguang was jealous. The Ministry's processing speed was absurd. If Yujing Terrace could run that fast, she'd be smiling in her sleep.
She shook her head, about to get back to work, when Baiwen rushed in again.
One look at her face made Ningguang's heart sink.
"Don't tell me Ganyu left early again?" Ningguang asked immediately.
"Uh… no," Baiwen said, shaking her head.
Ningguang exhaled in relief. "Good. Good. If Ganyu ran off again, I'd be finished."
Then Baiwen's voice dropped. "Ningguang-sama… Ryou arrested Yanfei. She's already been taken to the jail."
Ningguang pressed a hand to her forehead, the headache coming back full force.
They'd only just had a moment of peace—how was there another mess already?
"Xiangling and Hu Tao are waiting outside," Baiwen continued. "They're almost certainly here because of Yanfei."
"Let Xiangling in," Ningguang said tiredly. "I'll hear her out."
A short while later, Xiangling and Hu Tao were brought in.
"Ningguang-sama," Xiangling began, stepping forward.
Ryou had promised Yanfei would be released tomorrow, but Yanfei was terrified her reputation would take a hit if she stayed locked up even that long. Xiangling didn't know what else to do, so she'd come to Ningguang and hoped she could smooth things over.
"I know," Ningguang said, lifting a hand.
She poured them both tea and gestured for them to sit.
"Don't rush. Tell me everything from the start. I don't believe Yanfei would do anything extreme, but I need the details before I step in. Otherwise I can't justify it."
"Okay." Xiangling nodded and sat down, then explained what had happened.
Hu Tao stared at the tea, only half-listening.
She couldn't stop thinking about the fruit juice Ryou had handed out earlier. That taste was unreal.
Still… her relationship with Ryou wasn't exactly friendly. She'd only gotten juice before because Xiangling was there.
If she went alone, he'd definitely mess with her. That guy was obviously a menace.
Maybe she could ask later.
Worst case, she could talk to Keqing.
By the time Hu Tao finished her internal debate, Xiangling was already done.
Hu Tao reflexively took a sip of tea, then immediately set the cup down again.
Yeah. Still not a tea person.
She honestly didn't get why Zhongli loved the stuff so much.
Ningguang tapped a finger on the table, thinking.
"As far as I know, Ryou and Keqing haven't been showing up much lately, but it's not like he's been committing crimes," she said. "And Ryou's character is… solid. He looks after his people, and he's handed out plenty of Mora as bonuses…"
She paused.
"Bonuses?"
Something clicked. Yanfei had discussed legal matters with her before, and one topic had been strict income caps for government departments like the Ministry of Civil Affairs. Ningguang had planned to use it as a public reassurance—show the people that the Millelith and the ministries all followed the same standards, so no one could accuse them of corruption.
But Ryou had been handing out rewards on top of official wages.
That could easily collide with the rules.
And with Yanfei's personality… Ningguang could already guess how this had spiraled.
"I think I understand," Ningguang said, standing up. "Come with me to the Ministry of Civil Affairs."
"Yes!" Xiangling nodded quickly.
They headed straight over and went to Ryou's office.
The moment they stepped inside, everyone froze.
A chair was wedged up against the desk, and behind it, Ryou and Keqing were practically glued together, whispering to each other like the world didn't exist.
Ningguang cleared her throat. "Ahem."
She walked in without slowing. "Could you two at least pretend you know where you are?"
Keqing turned around—and the second she saw Ningguang, Xiangling, and Hu Tao, her face went scorching hot.
She ducked her head and mumbled, "Ryou and I were just talking. Do I need to file a report with you?"
Ryou coughed once and looked at them. "Ningguang, you're here about Yanfei, right?"
He didn't wait for an answer.
"I've decided. One day, then she's out. If you insist I release her right now, I can do that."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"But then I'm personally taking Ministry staff to her place and arresting her again."
Ningguang's expression went dark.
Honestly, if she didn't know he worked for the Ministry, she'd think he was some street thug.
Xiangling looked like she'd been struck by lightning.
Hu Tao, on the other hand, barely reacted. She'd expected exactly this. Ryou had always been that kind of unreasonable—when he decided something, he just bulldozed through it.
"I've even heard he once showed up at someone's door with the Millelith and started grabbing people on the spot," Hu Tao had been told.
She didn't doubt for a second he'd do it again.
Ningguang sighed. "With you handling it like this, the Ministry's reputation is going to take a hit."
"I know," Ryou said. "But Yanfei questioned me in public and flat-out said I broke the law. In that moment, I decided the Ministry's reputation mattered more than her personal face."
He stopped there and didn't elaborate.
Ningguang considered it.
If she'd tried to settle it quietly, the story could've been twisted into anything. And if the Fatui fanned the flames from the shadows, the damage would be ugly.
Ryou's approach offended people, sure—but it also cut the rumor off at the knees.
Still, Yanfei was going to be a problem.
In the end, Ningguang nodded. "Fine. Release her tomorrow."
"Ningguang-sama…" Xiangling started.
"Xiangling," Hu Tao cut in, grabbing her sleeve and shaking her head.
Xiangling swallowed the rest of what she wanted to say.
Ningguang didn't linger. She turned and left, intending to go check on Ganyu upstairs before returning to the Jade Chamber. If Ganyu's speed held up today, Ningguang might finally breathe.
Xiangling hurried after her.
Hu Tao didn't move.
Ryou looked at her and rolled his eyes. "Xiangling and Ningguang are gone. Why are you still here? Want me to lock you up for a day too?"
"No, no…" Hu Tao rubbed her hands together and edged closer. "Um. Do you sell your juice?"
She cleared her throat. "Just one bottle. Help me out."
"Juice, huh." Ryou glanced at her.
Hu Tao looked like a cute young girl, and she was definitely pretty, but… yeah, she was still small. Not fully grown yet.
And there was something about her vibe that felt oddly… distinctive.
"Y-you… what are you staring at?" Hu Tao turned red under his gaze. "Keqing's still right here!"
Then she noticed where his eyes had drifted, and her mood instantly soured.
What are you looking at?
She didn't spend much time around Keqing, but from what she remembered, Keqing was only slightly ahead of her.
So why did it look like Keqing had gotten bigger by a whole two sizes?
"Director Hu," Keqing coughed lightly.
Hu Tao's stare had gotten way too blatant. It was practically locked on.
Keqing had noticed Ryou glance at Hu Tao earlier too, but when she gave him a quick look, he didn't seem to be thinking anything weird. She'd let it go.
Besides, Hu Tao was chaotic by nature—and with her line of work, Keqing figured Ryou wouldn't have any thoughts worth worrying about.
Ryou waved a hand. "No need to pay. Zhongli's been helping at the Ministry, and after everything that happened before… consider this an apology."
He set a massive bottle of juice on the desk.
Hu Tao's eyes lit up. This thing was bigger than a wine jar. She could drink it for ages.
She hugged it and kissed the bottle. "Thanks! Then we're square for everything."
And with that, she bounced out the door, bottle in her arms.
Ryou watched her go, shook his head, then turned back—only to meet Keqing's strange look.
He pinched her cheek. "Don't overthink it. Keep it up and tonight I'll really show you what 'payback' means."
"Mm!" Keqing leaned closer. "O-okay, I won't think too much. Just… stop pinching me, alright?"
That strange heat in her body was getting stronger. She grabbed his arm, biting her lip as she shook her head.
"Depends on how you behave tonight," Ryou said.
Then he straightened. "Alright. We need to go to Uncle's place. We've got business."
"Mm-hm." Keqing nodded.
Work at the Ministry was light these days, especially with the staff handling everything. Once the day ended, Ryou took Keqing straight to Uncle's estate.
Uncle's home was huge—far bigger than theirs. The servants alone outnumbered the people in Ryou's household. As soon as they arrived, Uncle came out to greet them.
"You finally showed up," Uncle said, pulling them inside. "I've been waiting."
"Uncle, this is just a small gift," Keqing said, handing him a bag.
Uncle glanced at it, frowned, then looked at Ryou. "We're family. Why are you bringing gifts?"
He sighed and accepted it anyway. "I'll take it this time. But don't do it again."
His tone turned stern. "Coming home for dinner with gifts like you're visiting strangers—what's that supposed to mean? Keep it up and I'm telling your father you've forgotten manners."
"Got it," Ryou said with a smile.
Not long after they sat down, Xingqiu came out as well.
Uncle continued, "His older brother went to sea today—headed for Port Ormos in Sumeru. Otherwise I would've introduced you. That kid's really grateful to you."
"Oh? Cousin went to Port Ormos?" Ryou was surprised.
Xingqiu's older brother was quite a bit older than him, and they'd had some dealings before. He had a real head for business—these days, he handled most of the Feiyun Commerce Guild's operations, and the guild's success had a lot to do with him.
As for him and Xingqiu… they seemed to clash, though Ryou didn't know the details. He vaguely suspected it had something to do with books. From what he'd heard, the older brother didn't like Xingqiu writing novels.
"Yeah," Uncle said with a nod. "There's a shipment that needs arranging. He'll be back after a while."
He smiled. "We can chat for now. Dinner will be ready soon. I had the kitchen make a lot of dishes—your favorites."
"Thanks, Uncle," Ryou said.
Keqing listened quietly, suddenly curious what Ryou actually liked to eat.
She decided she'd pay attention at dinner, then ask the steward to remember it.
The thought made her feel a little guilty.
Ryou knew her habits. He knew what she liked, what she didn't.
But she didn't even know his favorite foods.
She really was slacking as a wife.
Still… she did know one thing.
Ryou loved bullying her. That bastard.
But earlier at the Ministry, she'd asked Ganyu for an outfit. She planned to surprise Ryou tonight—ease him into it, little by little, until he got used to the idea.
Then, when the timing was right, she'd find an opening and drag Ganyu into it too.
"Cousin," Xingqiu said, cutting in, "aren't there no new Mora exchange houses opening in this area next month? Tell us about it. Maybe I can help too."
"Hm?" Uncle nodded. "Xingqiu mentioned it to me. What do you need from us?"
"Uncle, the Feiyun Commerce Guild has done well these past years, but it's starting to lose momentum," Ryou said. "I can't have you worrying over me."
"Don't be ridiculous," Uncle snapped, clearly displeased.
"The guild's slowed a bit, sure—but when it comes to family, we support you fully."
His voice softened slightly, but the conviction stayed. "Even if the guild collapsed tomorrow, we've got enough property in Liyue Harbor to live comfortably for the rest of our lives."
"…Alright," Ryou said.
It hit him harder than he expected.
He believed it too—if the Feiyun Commerce Guild was broke, they'd still back him.
"Okay. This is about making money," Ryou said. "Here's the idea…"
He explained the concept of a lottery.
He'd thought about it for a while, and the reason he'd invited Albedo was to have him help produce anti-counterfeit materials. But manufacturing and distribution would need the Feiyun Commerce Guild's network.
He'd considered asking Ningguang, but the moment he imagined her selling a million tickets and only paying out a single million-Mora prize, he felt like she deserved to be hung from a lamppost. Pure capitalist evil.
Besides, the Feiyun Commerce Guild was basically family. If he could help them grow, he should.
And like he'd said, the guild had started to lose steam. This could be a boost.
Keqing had heard him mention the lottery before, so she stayed quiet and watched Xingqiu and Uncle's reactions.
But to her surprise, neither of them looked excited.
They looked… worried.
From Keqing's perspective, this was easy money.
So why did they look like something was wrong?
"Cousin, your idea is solid," Xingqiu said. "It's even a really good one. But… it won't work here."
"How?" Ryou frowned, looking at him.
In Ryou's mind, a lottery should explode instantly. People loved the idea of turning a little into a lot.
He needed a huge pile of Mora fast, and this seemed perfect.
So why were they reacting like it was dead on arrival?
Xingqiu sighed. "You're right—some people will like it. But it won't spread the way you want."
He leaned forward. "Liyue Harbor is prosperous, but people here are cautious. We've had plenty of 'new' things come and go over the years. Most of them don't become trends. They flash for a moment, then disappear."
He shook his head. "I believe you can make a few million Mora. But that won't solve your real problem."
Uncle nodded slowly. "Xingqiu's right. In Liyue, you'll make a small profit."
Then his eyes sharpened. "But Mondstadt is different."
"Mondstadt values freedom. They're far more tolerant of novelty, and they chase excitement. Just look at their drinking culture."
He tapped the table. "If this idea earns a few million Mora in Liyue, then in Mondstadt…"
Uncle's voice turned certain.
"It could bring in tens of millions. Maybe even hundreds of millions."
[End of chapter]
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