As they walked out of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, Ryou and Keqing immediately noticed plenty of eyes turning their way.
Ryou didn't care. He kept an arm around her and leaned in by her ear. "Watch your step. I'm your bodyguard today. With me here, nobody's going to mess with you."
Keqing rolled her eyes.
As if anyone would dare bully her.
This was Liyue Harbor, for one. And even outside the city, if she ran into monsters or Treasure Hoarders, her Yunlai Swordsmanship alone was enough to clean them up.
Not to mention she had a Vision.
If someone wanted to pick on her, they'd have to be out of their mind.
Still… when Keqing remembered how this idiot had "picked on" her all night yesterday, heat rushed straight to her face. Those scenes were way too embarrassing.
She glanced at Ryou, thinking she should be mostly recovered tonight. She probably wouldn't have to worry about… right?
Yesterday was their wedding night. That was special.
Today should be normal.
And Ryou wasn't as physically strong as she was. Tonight should be easier for her.
That thought settled her down.
Ryou looked at her and smiled.
Keqing really was Keqing. Sure, in the game her combat performance wasn't anything to write home about, but her looks and figure were top-tier. Being able to marry a woman like her was pure luck.
While he was at it, he should find time to go home and see that so-called father of his. If the old man hadn't stepped in, he might not have landed Keqing at all.
But not today.
His kidneys had reinforced him so many times already—400% stamina. Today, he wanted to properly test it out.
He could go home tomorrow.
Thinking of that, Ryou thought of his kidneys again.
Ryou: Kidney, can you Darken again?
[Ding! Kidneys entering Darkened Mode!]
[Ding! Darkened Mode active. Vigor increases by 30%!]
Ryou's eyes lit up.
It was only 30%, but it cleared his head and kept him sharp. That wasn't weak at all.
Ryou: Heart, liver, spleen, lungs—maybe learn something from Kidney, yeah?
Heart: He's sucking up. Everyone can see what he's doing.
Liver: Exactly! Who Darkens all the time for no reason?
Spleen: What decent person Darkens? If you ask me, Boss and Kidneys aren't decent people.
Kidneys: I'm doing this for Boss. If you've got the skill, why don't you Darken and show me? If you were any good, you'd Darken too.
That set the other organs off, but none of them could clap back.
They couldn't keep Darkening like the kidneys did, and the kidneys kept handing Ryou boosts—vigor, stamina, the whole package. Ryou loved it.
They had no way to compete for favor.
When the organs finally quieted down, Ryou sighed.
Come on. Pull your weight. Give me something useful when you Darken.
He reined himself in, kept an arm around Keqing, and started strolling around Liyue.
It was already afternoon, so the streets weren't crowded. Still, a few storefronts had clusters of customers out front.
Ryou looked around, then led Keqing into one shop.
Racks along the walls held all kinds of distinctive outfits. A few pieces caught his eye immediately.
He could already picture what Keqing would look like in them.
He turned to her.
"No."
Keqing had already seen the look in his eyes. She shot him a glare.
As if. He'd already put her through enough last night. If she wore something like that, she'd be asking for trouble.
And she'd already spent a full day in the Ministry of Civil Affairs. Tomorrow she had things she needed to arrange. She couldn't afford to be stuck there all day again.
…
While Ryou and Keqing were out shopping, a middle-aged man hurried into the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
"Isn't that Wang Sensei? Why are you here?" A staff member spotted him and immediately tensed. "Did something go wrong on the construction site?"
The man shook his head and glanced inside.
"It's not that the project's in trouble. It's that the methods in this paperwork are too brilliant. They opened my eyes. I've been alive for decades and I've never seen anything like this."
He took a breath, eyes bright.
"Is Keqing-sama upstairs? I need to see Keqing-sama. There are things I have to ask and get clear answers on."
[End of chapter]
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