The heart-rending, soul-tearing pain of losing Gu Chen still lingered in her heart.
Having inherited her past-life memories, Raiden Ei could personally experience that agony.
Those memories, born from the depths of her heart, did not completely flood her mind—and precisely because of that, she understood even more clearly that she never wanted to experience such pain again.
So Raiden Ei held Gu Chen tightly, breathing in his scent, feeling an unprecedented sense of peace.
In her past life, that obsessive and twisted "eternity" began with repeated losses. Gu Chen's death was the final spark that detonated everything, turning Raiden Ei into a mad storm of obsession.
In this life, Raiden Ei was much the same—only she had not yet reached the point shown in those memories.
As she held Gu Chen, Raiden Ei had only one thought:
If this moment could last forever, how wonderful that would be.
"That time, I mixed up sugar and salt when making sakura mochi," Gu Chen said with a smile.
"This time there were no mistakes—my only regret is that it isn't sakura mochi."
With a casual flip of his hand, a plate appeared, holding freshly made sweets.
The more familiar he became with her, the easier it was to figure out how to handle Raiden Ei.
All it took was light novels and sweets to make her utterly compliant.
Of course, reaching this point depended on who you were—either a best friend like Yae Miko, or someone like Gu Chen, the one Raiden Ei loved.
"Mm…"
The moment Raiden Ei saw the sweets, her eyes lit up.
Still, she was stronger than Paimon—she restrained herself a little.
"We're all family," Gu Chen said cheerfully.
Raiden Ei froze slightly.
She looked around.
Lumine, her sister, Buer, Guizhong, Paimon, Yae Miko.
Aside from Ganyu, who was still at work, everyone here really was family.
"Brother-in-law~ do I have a share too~?"
Yae Miko asked with a smile.
"Of course," Gu Chen nodded.
"Still brother-in-law is the best~"
Yae Miko's smile grew even brighter.
Gu Chen led everyone to sit down, chatting as they ate, while Raiden Makoto gently guided and comforted Raiden Ei.
Makoto was truly afraid—seeing that obsessive, crazed Raiden Ei had broken her heart.
Fortunately, Raiden Ei was quite normal now.
As always, she was adorably dense.
"I'm so envious of Ei…"
Paimon looked at Raiden Ei nestled in Gu Chen's arms, her face full of envy.
"Then you'd better work hard and fight her for that spot," Yae Miko said.
"?"
Paimon blinked, then shook her head. "No, I mean I'm jealous that Ei can eat sweets freely… even if she gets cavities she can just replace them! That's way too blissful, okay? And I suspect she won't gain weight no matter how much she eats!"
"Your suspicion is correct," Yae Miko nodded.
Raiden Ei's situation was divided into her body and her consciousness.
Her consciousness was still herself, residing within Musou Isshin.
Her body, however, had already been modified by herself into the Raiden Shogun—a puppet.
Only when Raiden Ei personally needed to appear would she take direct control; otherwise, the puppet acted in her stead.
Thinking of this, Paimon suddenly asked, "I have a question… can she go inside?"
Yae Miko froze for a moment, then realized what Paimon meant and teased,
"Didn't expect you, little one, to know so much~"
"Of course!"
Paimon proudly put her hands on her hips.
"I wasn't complimenting you!" Lumine said helplessly, facepalming.
At the same time, she was curious too and couldn't help glancing at Raiden Ei.
Raiden Ei looked completely confused, unable to understand what they were talking about.
Gu Chen stroked his chin thoughtfully, saying nothing.
"Ei, come with me," Raiden Makoto suddenly stood up.
"What is it?"
Raiden Ei asked unwillingly.
She was lying comfortably in her husband's arms—what did her sister want?
"Come with me. I'm checking your body," Raiden Makoto said seriously.
"Huh?"
Raiden Ei was utterly confused.
"Don't forget—your current body is a puppet," Yae Miko reminded her.
"A puppet… a puppet is fine too…"
Raiden Ei blushed deeply and said softly,
"I kept all the necessary functions…"
"Then there's nothing to worry about," Raiden Makoto sighed in relief.
"Looks like I was foresighted. You're not completely foolish."
"It's my own body—how could I modify it recklessly?"
Raiden Ei replied matter-of-factly.
"Makes sense,"
Gu Chen nodded.
Even if there were issues with Raiden Ei's body, it wouldn't matter.
After all, Gu Chen possessed perfect puppet-making techniques—he could just modify it later if needed.
Of course, no problems at all was the best outcome.
Yae Miko's gaze flicked between Raiden Makoto and Raiden Ei, her eyes full of teasing.
"Brother-in-law really is blessed~"
"I think so too,"
Gu Chen nodded in agreement.
Paimon crossed her arms. "You got a bargain!"
Raiden Makoto's face flushed slightly. She pressed her lips together and said nothing.
Being with Buer and Guizhong was already embarrassing enough.
Sisters together with the same man…
That was far too shameful.
Raiden Makoto felt she needed some time to accept this.
Dense as she was, Raiden Ei had read plenty of light novels. After thinking for a moment, she understood what Yae Miko was hinting at.
Even this thick-skinned warrior felt extremely embarrassed.
"It's still early," Raiden Makoto glanced at the time and said softly.
"Miko doesn't come to Liyue often. Why don't we take her out for a walk?"
"Alright," Buer nodded with a gentle smile.
Guizhong stuffed the last bite of sweets into her mouth, clapped her hands, and stood up.
"Then let's go~ We can come back later and wait for Ganyu at Yuehai Pavilion when she gets off work."
"Let's go, then," Lumine stretched lazily.
Yae Miko opened her mouth.
She hadn't even said anything yet, and they'd already arranged her schedule.
But after glancing at Gu Chen and Raiden Ei, she smiled playfully.
"Then I'll see you later~"
Raiden Ei lowered her head, her expression hidden.
But her reddened ears made Yae Miko laugh to herself.
Once everyone had gone far away, Gu Chen patted Raiden Ei's snow-white shoulder.
"They've gone out."
"Mmm…"
Raiden Ei made a faint sound.
Gu Chen smiled, not in a hurry.
He knew that after such intense emotional ups and downs today, Raiden Ei needed time to digest everything.
But although Gu Chen wasn't in a rush, Raiden Ei was.
She clenched her hands, took several deep breaths, and said,
"I—I can do it now!"
"Hm?"
Gu Chen was a little surprised.
Raiden Ei nodded firmly again.
Once, an opportunity had been placed right before her, and she hadn't cherished it—leading to a lifetime of regret and suffering.
Now, reborn, even if she felt shy, she would seize the chance and take the initiative.
"Alright."
Understanding what was in her heart, Gu Chen nodded.
He directly scooped Raiden Ei up in his arms and walked toward the master bedroom.
As for what would happen next, Raiden Ei felt both nervous and expectant.
It was something she had longed for even in her dreams.
And today, it would finally come true.
...
"Was Ei's body modified there?"
Paimon asked Yae Miko curiously.
Huh?
Even Yae Miko almost couldn't keep it together.
What kind of absurd question was that?
She shook her head.
"Even if I'm close to her, it's not like I'd study that!"
Paimon clasped her hands to her chest, full of worry.
"I'm really concerned about Boss Gu…"
"With Ah-Chen's abilities, even a copper wall and iron fortress should be possible,"
Buer said with a subtle expression.
"Huh?"
Yae Miko stared. "Brother-in-law is that strong?"
"You'd know if you tried it yourself. It's hard to explain,"
Lumine said with a complicated expression, shaking her head.
"Explain in detail!"
Yae Miko was extremely curious.
"Do you know the stone spear Zhongli used during the Archon War?"
Guizhong suddenly asked.
Yae Miko recalled it—she hadn't seen it in person, but she'd seen the footage, and knew Osial had been pinned to the seabed by Zhongli's spear.
"You mean to say…"
Yae Miko gasped slightly, a blush spreading across her face.
"Oh my, let's not discuss this in front of Paimon,"
Raiden Makoto quickly changed the topic.
"Come on, let's go spend some money!"
"Discussing this in broad daylight really isn't appropriate,"
Buer nodded with a gentle smile.
As if Paimon didn't understand anything?
Who were they treating as a child?
Paimon pouted.
...
Night fell.
After an exhausting afternoon, Chef Gu finally had some free time.
He had thoroughly come to understand just how formidable Raiden Ei was.
In Inazuma, even back when Raiden Makoto was alive, Ei had been the strongest combatant—calling her the Martial God of Inazuma wouldn't be an exaggeration.
After a heart full of regret, reflection, loss, and then reunion, Raiden Ei's fervor was unimaginable.
She was the more proactive one.
"Not coming again?"
Seeing Gu Chen get up, Raiden Ei blinked her big eyes.
Gu Chen said darkly,
"It's time. They'll be back for dinner soon… and we've got all night."
"Oh."
Raiden Ei nodded in realization, then smiled with crescent eyes.
"Then you go ahead."
Gu Chen dressed in his white robes and said,
"There's still plenty of ingredients in the kitchen. We can make lots of sweets later—remember to get up."
"Mhm!"
Only after Gu Chen left did Raiden Ei lie back down.
She felt that today was probably the happiest day of her entire life.
...
Not long after Gu Chen left the master bedroom, Lumine and the others returned almost as if on cue.
"Do you still have the energy to cook?"
Paimon flew over and asked.
"Don't underestimate me,"
Gu Chen smiled faintly.
"Come on—help out."
Paimon happily followed Gu Chen into the kitchen.
If she helped, it meant she could sneakily request whatever dishes she wanted to eat.
Gu Chen's cooking…
Paimon felt that even Xiangling might be slightly inferior. She had no idea how Gu Chen had trained such skills.
"Can we go check on Ei?"
Yae Miko asked.
Seeing her sly smile, Raiden Makoto rolled her eyes.
"Come on. I'll take a look too."
They knocked and entered the room.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk."
Looking at the messy room, Yae Miko could already imagine how fierce the battle had been.
She immediately asked with a grin,
"Ei, how does it feel now?"
Raiden Ei: "..."
Bad fox—truly a bad fox!
Exactly like Kitsune Saiguu!
After teasing Raiden Ei for a bit, Raiden Makoto said,
"Alright, go wait obediently for dinner. I'll take Ei to wash up."
"Mmh~"
Seeing Raiden Ei's bashful face, Yae Miko was utterly delighted.
By the time they were done, it would be time to eat.
As they chatted and ate, Gu Chen noticed his name being mentioned repeatedly in the chat group.
[Extraordinary Group Chat]
[Sangonomiya Kokomi]: So tired today… After Lady Ei and Lady Guuji left, the workload doubled! (Energy depleted)
[Kamisato Ayaka]: Yes… At this rate, is Lady Ei just going to live at Mr. Gu Chen's place and never come back? (Qiqi · collapsed)
[Kamisato Ayato]: It's already dark—still working overtime… (Working)
[Thoma]: Who understands my pain? Even I, a housekeeper, got drafted! (Afraid)
[Shikanoin Heizou]: Even a detective like me got pulled in to give advice. (Paimon · shocked)
[Arataki Itto]: Why didn't they hire me? My deputy Shinobu is there—shouldn't I, the boss, be even more qualified?! (Gorou · grinning)
[Kuki Shinobu]: Boss, taking care of Inazuma's children is already difficult enough. Please put your heart into that. (Facepalm)
[Arataki Itto]: Oh… okay then.
[Kujou Sara]: Is Lady Ei really not coming back? (Heartbroken)
[Sayu]: I don't want to work!! (Angry)
[Furina]: You're using child labor?! (Nahida · pointing)
[Kamisato Ayato]: Lady Furina, you may not know—among the Three Commissions, only the Yashiro Commission is functioning properly right now. We're severely understaffed. (Sigh)
[Nilou]: I think the chance of Miss Ei going back is very low. And how can lovers be separated!
[Collei]: Long-distance relationship?! Please no! (Layla · swatting mosquitoes)
[Venti]: That depends on what the Sect Leader thinks. (Grin)
[Kaeya]: Come to think of it, we haven't seen the Sect Leader all afternoon. What's he been up to? (Grin)
[Azhdaha]: (Grin)
[Nahida]: (Barbara · shy)
[Gu Chen]: I suddenly sensed someone calling for a handsome guy. (Nilou · popping up)
[Kaeya]: Sect Leader, are you okay? (Grin)
[Venti]: Sect Leader, take care of your body! (Grin)
[Gu Chen]: Stop messing around. Inazuma isn't lacking talent—just let the Tenryou and Kanjou Commissions sort things out. There are plenty of families waiting to rise up. With us watching, nothing will go wrong.
[Kamisato Ayato]: True, but we're currently in the middle of power redistribution. Lady Guuji believes the Tenryou and Kanjou Commissions hold too much authority and wants to subdivide their duties—that's the difficult part. (Sigh)
[Gu Chen]: Hang in there. I believe in you! (Keqing · thumbs up)
[Furina]: This feeling of not having to handle affairs is wonderful. (Envious)
[Neuvillette]: May I ask, Lady Furina, what affairs have you handled? (Confused)
[Furina]: ...
[Nahida]: I've only just officially taken up my divine duties, and I already want to retire. (Deep in thought)
[Nilou]: Go for it, Little Lord Kusanali!! (Sucrose · cheering)
[Kaeya]: By the way, isn't Liyue's Lantern Rite coming up soon?
[Keqing]: Yes.
[Kaeya]: Everyone—since it's Lantern Rite, shouldn't we hold an offline meetup for the group? (Hu Tao · mischievous grin)
[Zhongli]: By common rationality, it is a good proposal. (Agrees)
[Tartaglia]: Lantern Rite counts as a holiday, right? Shouldn't prisoners get a break too? @Ningguang @Keqing (Klee · pleading)
[Ningguang]: Considering your efforts at reform, I'll give you a few days off.
[Tartaglia]: Brothers!! During Lantern Rite, let's gather properly—I'll cover the Mora! (Klee · yay)
[Kaeya]: I hereby declare Tartaglia my good brother! (Grin)
[Venti]: By the will of Celestia, today Tartaglia and I become sworn brothers of different surnames! (Burning incense)
[Jean]: Hard to comment. (Facepalm)
After dinner and some casual chatting, it was already late.
Gu Chen and Raiden Ei returned to their room.
Having tasted sweetness, Raiden Ei looked at Gu Chen, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
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