"Father's right," Xingqiu said, turning to Ryou. "Cousin, if you trust me, I'll handle it in Mondstadt for you."
"I originally planned to keep it in Liyue Harbor," Ryou said after a moment's thought. "Looks like that won't work anymore." He nodded. "Alright. Go."
Xingqiu's father chuckled. "Xingqiu's sharp when it comes to business. If he's the one handling it, I can relax. The funny part is he usually can't be bothered with family matters, but for your sake he's actually taking it seriously."
Then his expression hardened slightly. "Since you've accepted the job, do it properly. And… you're not taking all the profit, right? We'll settle it fairly."
"Father, I understand!" Xingqiu patted his chest.
"No." Ryou shook his head and looked at him. "Uncle, it's not me being distant. If you're helping me, I can't take everything and give you nothing."
He continued evenly, as if he'd already decided. "I've thought about it on the way here. I'll set aside twenty percent as a token of thanks. You're promoting it for me and handling the work on all sides—if I didn't give you anything, it wouldn't sit right with me."
"Ten percent is plenty," Xingqiu's father said, clearly pleased. "That alone is enough to make the Feiyun Commerce Guild very happy."
He waved a hand. "That's enough talk. Let's eat."
"Mm."
They went to the main hall together. After the meal, Ryou ironed out a few more details with Xingqiu. He lingered for a short while, and by the time he left his uncle's home, dusk had already settled in.
On the way back, Ryou wrapped an arm around Keqing and asked softly, "I heard you muttering to yourself earlier. What were you thinking about?"
"I wanted to remember the dishes," Keqing admitted, then hesitated. "Am I… a terrible wife? I don't even know what you like to eat." She tightened her hold on him.
"Don't be ridiculous," Ryou said, glancing around before steering her toward a bench and sitting down. "You've always known."
"Huh?" Keqing tilted her head.
Ryou grinned. "Because what I like most is you."
"Ah—why would you say something like that?" Keqing shot him a look, but she leaned into his chest anyway.
Warmth spread through her. She turned her face toward Liyue Harbor.
Lights filled the night—countless lamps scattered beneath the starry sky, glowing from rooftops and windows until they blended into a single sea of warmth. It was breathtaking.
Watching that view while resting in her husband's arms… it felt perfect.
"Ryou…" Keqing murmured.
"Yeah?" Ryou brushed his fingers over her hair.
"It's nothing," she said, shaking her head. "Let's go home."
Ryou didn't press. Sometimes Keqing needed a little space, and he was happy to give it to her. Besides, she'd been buried in work at the Ministry of Civil Affairs for ages—now that she finally had room to breathe, she could go shopping with Ganyu, grab a meal, have tea… normal, easy things.
Better than living like Ningguang, stuck in the Jade Chamber handling paperwork day and night.
When they reached home, Ryou spotted the steward pacing nearby.
"Steward, what's wrong?" Keqing asked.
"Keqing-sama, Ryou-sama," the steward said quickly, hurrying over. "A guest has arrived. She's been waiting for some time."
"Who is it?" Ryou asked.
"It's Yelan-san," the steward replied.
Keqing glanced at Ryou. "What does Yelan want, showing up this late?"
Ryou sighed dramatically. "Come on. Let's go see our guest. My wife's had a hard day."
In the main hall, Yelan was standing alone, lost in thought. The moment she saw them, she stepped forward.
"Yelan, did something happen?" Keqing asked.
"Do you remember Tabibito's brother?" Yelan said. "Last time you issued a warrant. Not long ago, someone finally caught him and delivered him to Yujing Terrace."
Ryou froze.
What?
They actually caught Aether?
Keqing blinked. "Isn't that a good thing? Then you can have Tabibito come see him."
"I don't know where Tabibito is," Yelan said, rubbing her temple. "And after we caught him, we were hit by repeated attacks from Abyss monsters. To avoid any accidents, we moved him to a secure location—but there are still monsters prowling nearby."
Just thinking back on it made her look annoyed. "I don't even understand why they're throwing themselves at us like this. They're attacking like they don't care if they die."
She looked between them. "I came because you've had contact with Tabibito before. I was hoping you could help us find her."
Ryou frowned. "That doesn't make sense. You handle intelligence for Ningguang. If anyone can find someone, it should be you. Why come to us?"
"Because I can't find her," Yelan said bluntly. "None of my people have seen her. All I know is that she left your house and never came back. That's why I came. And…" She paused. "I also wanted to see whether you and Keqing have been busy lately."
Ryou's eyes narrowed slightly. "You asked Albedo for help?"
Yelan nodded. "I want him to make a potion—something that can erase a person's scent or presence. If we can't hide him properly, we won't be able to keep him safe for long." She gave a wry smile. "It's getting worse by the day."
"Albedo should be at the estate," Ryou said. "I'll have him come over in a bit. As for Tabibito, I asked her to keep an eye on the Fatui. She should be around Guyun Stone Forest right now."
He studied Yelan's face. "Are you sure you didn't already know that?"
"I have no reason to lie to you," Yelan said, meeting his gaze without flinching.
She glanced toward the door. "If I know where she is, things get a lot easier. I'll make arrangements immediately. And as for the alchemist—please speak with him. Have him cooperate with my people when they come to collect the potion."
With that, Yelan turned and left.
Ryou watched her go, brows knitting together, but he didn't say anything.
Keqing lowered her voice. "What are you worried about?"
"Something feels off," Ryou said. "I just can't put my finger on what. We'll know more tomorrow." He looked away.
"Mm." Keqing nodded and didn't press.
Now that she had a husband, some things didn't have to rest on her shoulders anymore. She could simply trust him and follow his lead.
Having someone to rely on… it really was a wonderful feeling.
But the moment they got back, Ryou caught sight of a familiar silhouette—same build, same clothing. For a split second, he thought it was Ganyu.
"Gan—" He turned, then stopped dead. "Huh? Keqing, why are you wearing Ganyu's clothes?"
Keqing smiled and tugged him closer by the sleeve. "Ryou… don't you think this is exciting?"
She leaned in, voice turning teasing. "Tonight I'm wearing this for you. Go on—bully me. How about it?"
Ryou's eyebrows lifted. "You really do get me."
He swept her up in his arms without hesitation. "Keqing, you're making it impossible not to like you more."
Keqing wrapped her arms around his neck, eyes bright. "Come on. I've got some 'official business' I need to discuss with you properly."
She paused, then added with a grin, "Oh—and later, you're calling me sensei. Understood?"
"Sensei…" Ryou echoed.
…
Guyun Stone Forest, near the mountain line.
Lumine stood outside a tent, staring toward the rocky formations in the distance. "Paimon, do you see anything strange?"
"Nope," Paimon said, shaking her head.
"The Fatui only showed up once," Lumine muttered. "After that, nothing. It's like they vanished. How long are we supposed to sit here?"
Paimon floated closer. "Maybe we should go back to Liyue Harbor?"
"No," Lumine said immediately. "I promised Ryou. I'm not quitting halfway."
She grabbed her juice and took several long drinks before the tightness in her chest eased.
Then yesterday flashed through her mind, and heat crept up her face again.
Two layers of clothing didn't really hide much to begin with—and of course, at the critical moment, Keqing had to show up.
Annoying.
Keqing had been guarding against her like she was some kind of thief. Still… seeing Keqing flustered and furious had been satisfying in its own way.
Serves you right.
And Ryou… he'd been decent. His eyes had been hot for a moment, sure, but he'd pulled himself back almost immediately.
Good character.
The problem was, "good character" didn't make things easy for her.
Sometimes a man being too upright wasn't exactly a blessing.
She remembered running into a guy outside the city once—someone named Chaoxi. The man looked oddly androgynous. Later, she heard rumors about him: apparently two women had teamed up and ruined his life. He wasn't a good person, but his heart was split in too many directions.
If Ryou had even a little of that mindset, she'd have more of a chance.
And with his ability, he could probably keep everyone calm and satisfied.
But then Lumine caught a sound.
"Paimon," she whispered, hand tightening. "Someone's coming."
A group of people hurried into view.
"Tabibito, don't panic," one of them said quickly. "Yelan-san sent us. We've found your brother—this traces back to the Fatui sleeper cell we were investigating three and a half months ago."
"You found my brother?" Lumine stared at them for a long moment. "Prove who you are."
The middle-aged man hesitated. "We're intelligence. Under normal circumstances we don't carry much official identification. And you're strong—we're not your opponents anyway. If you come with us, you'll see the truth."
His tone sharpened. "Your brother's in a bad situation. Abyss monsters are trying to kill him. You should come with us now."
"Are you threatening me?" Lumine's eyes narrowed. She drew her blade and struck.
"Tabibito! We don't mean any harm!" someone yelled.
"Stop!" another shouted.
Lumine didn't give them room to breathe. A few clean moves later, she had them on the ground. She bound them tightly, then rifled through their belongings.
"No identification," she said coldly. "And you're broke. Who are you, really?" She hauled one of them up by the front of his clothes.
"Tabibito—cough—we didn't lie!" the middle-aged man wheezed. "We're a secret unit. We work for Ningguang-sama, gathering intelligence. Why won't you believe us?"
Paimon glanced at the tied-up group uneasily. "Tabibito… what if they're—"
"They're not," Lumine cut in. "Or rather—if my guess is right, they're Fatui in disguise. The reason the Fatui stopped showing up is because they realized we were here."
She tossed them aside and shoved them deeper into the tent, gagging them so they couldn't shout.
"We'll keep them here for now," she said. "Tomorrow we go back to Liyue Harbor and hand them to the Ministry of Civil Affairs."
Lumine looked toward Guyun Stone Forest again, expression flat. "No one's coming back tonight."
The men could only stare at each other in panic, mouths stuffed, unable to explain a thing.
Late into the night, more figures approached. At first they looked like reinforcements—colleagues, even.
Then Lumine flattened them too.
In moments, more than ten people were bound and piled together.
The middle-aged man looked like he wanted to cry. If he'd known this would happen, he would've brought some kind of proof—anything.
By dawn he finally drifted off, only to be yanked upright by a sudden burst of strength.
Lumine's voice rang out beside him. "All of you, get up. Line up behind me. If anyone tries anything, I'll throw you straight into Guyun Stone Forest to feed an ancient god."
No one dared argue.
They trudged along, terrified, all the way to the Ministry of Civil Affairs—and the moment they arrived, Lumine marched the whole group straight into Ryou's office.
Ryou stared at the crowd, completely confused. He'd told her to watch the Fatui. Why was she dragging half a dozen captives behind her?
He caught the frantic eye signals the men were throwing his way, then noticed their plain clothing. Ryou cleared his throat. "Leave them with me."
"Oh. Okay." Lumine nodded.
Ryou yanked the gags out.
"Ryou-sama, you have to help us!" the middle-aged man blurted. "We only came to deliver a message to Tabibito, and she arrested all of us! I tried to explain, but she tied us up anyway, and then—"
Lumine blinked. "Wait. You're not Fatui?"
"I told you!" the man groaned. "We work for Ningguang-sama! You wouldn't listen!"
Lumine's eyes widened a fraction, then she grabbed him by the collar again. "Then what you said yesterday—about finding my brother—was that real?"
"Y-yes!" he stammered. "Yelan-sama gave me a location. I don't know if he's still there now, but… you should go check!"
He turned toward Ryou, knocking his head in frantic thanks. "Thank you, Ryou-sama—thank you!"
Ryou gave him a look. "Go clean yourselves up and get some rest. I'll go with Tabibito to see Yelan and explain what happened."
"Yes! Thank you!" The man looked near tears with gratitude.
Ryou patted his shoulder. "You've worked hard."
"It's nothing," the man said hoarsely. "It's our job. Please don't worry."
Ryou nodded, then led Lumine to the location Yelan had mentioned. The moment they arrived, he saw the signs—scorched ground, broken stone, clear traces of fighting. Millelith soldiers were posted around the area as well.
"Ryou-sama!" one of the Millelith called, recognizing him.
"Is Yelan inside?" Ryou asked.
"Yes," the soldier replied.
Ryou glanced at Lumine. "Come with me."
Inside, Lumine saw her brother standing there. His face looked pale, and his expression was strained.
"Brother," she said, stepping forward.
"Aether…?" Lumine's voice caught.
"Lumine," Aether said, emotions flickering across his face. "Why are you here?"
Yelan's brows drew together as she stared at Lumine. "I sent three teams. None of them came back."
Her voice turned sharp. "You need to explain that to me."
Yesterday had been chaos—Abyss monsters had poured in, and the situation had been genuinely dangerous. She'd been counting on reinforcements to help stabilize things. Instead, three groups disappeared without a trace.
"I…" Lumine forced a dry laugh, suddenly very aware she didn't have a good excuse.
Ryou glanced between the siblings, then tugged Yelan aside. "Let them talk. I'll explain what happened yesterday."
"Fine," Yelan said, then her eyes flicked to Ryou's arm where his hand had briefly been. Ryou immediately let go and coughed awkwardly.
Outside, Ryou explained everything from start to finish.
Yelan's face darkened as she listened. When he finished, she stared toward the room in silence, looking thoroughly unimpressed.
Then she turned her gaze back to Ryou.
"What are you looking at me for?" Ryou said quickly. "This has nothing to do with me."
"I wasn't accusing you," Yelan said, watching him for a moment. "But Ryou—now that you're married, you should keep a bit more distance from me."
Her tone stayed calm, but firm. "If Keqing sees us and misunderstands, that's trouble. I can tell she loves you deeply, and she's extremely wary when other women are involved. I don't want to be misunderstood—especially when we actually get along."
Ryou froze.
He'd only pulled her aside. Was that really such a big deal?
[End of chapter]
[200 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
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