"I'll tell him when I get back."
Thinking about the gods attacking Liyue, Keqing couldn't help tensing up. She'd heard plenty about that war—how it shook the world, how countless gods died, and how only seven survived in the end.
Those were the ones now known as The Seven.
And the gods sealed beneath Guyun Stone Forest were said to be monstrously powerful. If several of them revived at once… things would get ugly fast.
"Don't dwell on it," Ryou's father said. "Go back as soon as you can. And… remind him to be careful."
He hesitated, then added, "I've heard he's been to Ganyu's office more than once lately, and he stayed in there for quite a while."
Keqing blinked, surprised. No one had mentioned that to her before.
But she quickly figured it out. Someone at the Ministry of Civil Affairs must have been spreading it around. And honestly… she knew exactly what kind of man Ryou was. She'd gotten Ganyu drunk before, and he still hadn't tried anything. So what could possibly happen from him stopping by her office?
Once she'd sorted it out, Keqing said, "Father, I think you're overthinking it. I know Ryou better than anyone."
She frowned slightly. "If anything, I suspect it's those people on Yujing Terrace who couldn't transfer into the Ministry of Civil Affairs. They're bitter, so they're stirring up rumors to smear him."
"Hm. I've heard something like that too," Ryou's father admitted. "Your ministry is packed with talent now. I even heard the stack of applications to join Ganyu's office is practically waist-high."
His tone turned serious. "Still, be careful. Once that kind of talk spreads, it becomes a mess. If you know it's just gossip, then deal with it quickly. Stamp it out."
"I understand. I'm heading back to the ministry now." Keqing nodded.
After leaving his house, Keqing went straight to Yujing Terrace.
The moment she stepped into the Ministry of Civil Affairs, she spotted Ryou in his office, calmly brewing tea. Keqing walked in and sat down across from him.
"What's wrong, Keqing?" Ryou asked, noticing her expression.
"I just came back from Mother's place, and Father happened to return while I was there," Keqing said. "He mentioned a few things."
"First, he says the Fatui have been getting restless around Guyun Stone Forest. They might make a move soon. He thinks they're trying to pull a decoy—lure part of our forces toward Stone Gate—while their real target is Liyue Harbor. So he told us to stay on guard."
As she spoke, she lifted the teapot and poured herself a cup.
Ryou was genuinely caught off guard.
Based on his own estimate, the Fatui shouldn't be acting for at least another half month. Liyue was far more stable now, and a lot of their arrangements had already been ruined. They'd even lost a good number of Sigils of Permission.
Even if they were desperate, surely they'd need time.
And yet… they were already moving.
Ryou set his cup down. "Same as I always say—between Zhongli and Cloud Retainer and the others, we don't need to panic."
His gaze sharpened slightly. "But inside the city, we still need to be cautious. I have a feeling the Fatui will come back to Liyue Harbor. They're planning something."
"Come back to Liyue Harbor?" Keqing frowned. "Why? They used to have some businesses here, sure, but ever since the Northland Bank got shut down, they don't really have a foothold. We seized some Mora and documents, but there wasn't much else."
What were they coming back for?
"My guess?" Ryou said. "They want to see Zhongli. The Gnosis is connected to him."
"Zhongli…" Keqing murmured. "What do they even want with the Gnoses? Why pay such a heavy price to collect them?"
"Maybe only Zhongli and Venti truly know," Ryou said, taking a sip of tea.
Then his tone turned cold. "But La Signora is too confident. She won't live much longer. If nothing unexpected happens… she'll die in Inazuma."
"Inazuma…" Keqing repeated softly.
"A few years ago, I went to Inazuma with Ganyu," she said, her voice quiet but steady. "I met the Electro Archon. She was overwhelming—just standing there felt like pressure on your chest."
Keqing exhaled. "If we're talking about gods… Zhongli and Venti never gave me that same feeling. But the one in Inazuma did. She felt like a true god."
She looked at Ryou. "If La Signora keeps acting like this, she'll die by the Electro Archon's hand."
Ryou chuckled.
The Electro Archon personally sat in Inazuma. The country's peace over the years was built on her strength. Anyone who dared stir chaos there was basically asking to die.
"What are you laughing at? I'm serious!" Keqing shot him a glare, then her eyes shifted. "Oh, and there's another thing I need to talk to you about."
"What else did Father say?" Ryou asked.
Keqing huffed. "He told me to tell you to keep your distance from Ganyu. He says it'll invite gossip."
She stared at Ryou, trying to catch even the faintest hint of guilt.
Not because she truly suspected him—she just wanted to see if anything had happened at all.
But all she found on his face was pure confusion.
Keqing sighed.
Her husband's character really was beyond reproach.
Ganyu was stunning, and he didn't even have a stray thought.
If he put even half the effort he used on Keqing into courting Ganyu, he'd have won her over ages ago. And then Keqing's life would be so much easier.
Instead, he was like this—and still talking about wanting a child.
If she got pregnant at this rate, he'd drive himself insane.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Ryou asked. "Yes, I've had some contact with Ganyu, but it's mostly work. I've been careful. I don't go to her office on Yujing Terrace unless it's necessary, and even then I don't stay long. Yesterday was the only time I lingered, and only for a bit."
"I believe you," Keqing said, hugging her cup as she took a sip. Then she glanced up at him. "But you really don't have any feelings for Ganyu? Not even a little?"
Ryou blinked. "Ganyu's prettier than I am."
Then, as if testing her right back, he said, "If I told you I wouldn't mind bringing another woman into our life—and that woman could be Ganyu—would you want that?"
"Cough—cough!" Ryou suddenly choked on his own words.
He quickly recovered and leaned closer. "Keqing, I married you. I'm not going to mess around."
His voice softened. "And in my eyes, you're not inferior to Ganyu in the slightest. Haven't you noticed? Your figure's been getting better and better. Even in this outfit, it's… obvious. Your curves are finally showing."
He stood, walked around the desk, and lifted her into his arms.
"Seriously," he murmured, "you haven't noticed how much you've changed?"
"Mm… I have," Keqing admitted, her face heating. "On the way here, I caught a lot of people sneaking looks at me. I'm used to stares, but… this time there were noticeably more."
Ryou smiled.
After what he'd done to her yesterday, her charm had increased by fifteen percent. Total increase: thirty-five percent.
A boost that big was impossible to miss.
"That's because I think you're beautiful," he said simply. "Being able to marry you is already more than enough for me."
His tone turned firm. "As for other women, I'll keep my distance. I couldn't sleep with someone else and then look you in the eyes and lie to you."
Warmth spread through Keqing's chest.
Finding a man like this… she must have been absurdly lucky.
But then she caught herself.
Still, this wasn't going to work. He couldn't pour everything into her alone. She couldn't take it.
No. She still had to help him win Ganyu over.
Yet the more she tried to push them together… the more it felt like the distance between them grew.
"R-Ryou… I wasn't testing you. Just now, I really—mmph!"
Keqing didn't even get the words "my true feelings" out before her voice broke and she panicked.
Her face felt like it was on fire, burning hot.
And this bastard only got worse when they were in the office—as if the risk made him even more excited.
What was wrong with him?
After a while of teasing that never quite went too far, she shivered as his breath brushed her ear.
Then she heard Ryou say, "How about we wait until everyone else gets off work, then leave together?"
"Ah…!"
Keqing understood instantly. She pinched him hard.
"Don't you dare," she hissed. "This is Yujing Terrace. The old Ministry of Civil Affairs was one thing, but here there are guards."
She glared at him. "And Ganyu often stays late to help Ningguang with paperwork. What if she hears something?"
Ryou's eyes lit up like he'd just been handed permission.
He laughed. "Keqing, funny you should say that. I helped Ningguang clear a ton of work earlier."
He leaned in and spoke with absolute certainty. "Unless something unexpected happens, she won't have anything left to dump on Ganyu today. So Ganyu will go home tonight."
He kissed Keqing's earlobe and sealed it like a promise. "No one's going to interrupt us. It's decided."
"But…" Keqing tried to refuse.
Then she met his gaze.
In the end, she could only nod.
...
Yanfei's law office.
A middle-aged woman placed a notice on Yanfei's desk.
"What's this?" Yanfei asked, looking up.
"A new announcement from the Ministry of Civil Affairs," the woman said. "From now on, every legal advisor in Liyue Harbor has to go to Yujing Terrace for an assessment."
She continued, "Only those who pass will be able to obtain their certification. And the certification term has been shortened—from five years to three. They've also added a whole list of new rules and restrictions."
Yanfei skimmed the notice, then slammed her palm on the desk.
"This is obviously targeting me," she snapped. "This has to be Ryou's doing. No—forget this. I'm going to see Ningguang!"
[End of chapter]
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