The staff member hesitated when he heard that.
That middle-aged man was a construction lead—sharp, capable, and stubborn to the bone. Even Keqing held him in high regard. Once he latched onto an issue, he wouldn't let it go until he got an answer, and that was exactly what made him troublesome.
Normally, Keqing didn't leave the Ministry of Civil Affairs, so nobody worried about anything happening.
But today, of all days, Ryou had dragged her out.
The staff member forced himself to speak. "Wang Sensei, Keqing-sama has already left the Ministry of Civil Affairs. We… we don't know what she went to do."
"What?" The middle-aged man's eyes widened. "She left the Ministry of Civil Affairs?"
Then he plopped down in a chair. "Fine. I'll sit right here and wait until Keqing-sama comes back."
The staff member's headache instantly got worse. He grabbed a tall woman beside him and lowered his voice. "Go find Keqing-sama, now. If we don't bring her back, Wang Sensei definitely won't leave. Even Keqing-sama—no, even Ningguang-sama—values him a lot. If he ends up uncomfortable or upset, we're the ones getting punished."
"Ah… o-okay! I'll go right away!" The tall woman hurried out.
Just then, the Millelith walked in with a man.
He wore a straw hat. The moment he looked inside, he noticed the staff member staring back, and he strode over. "Is Keqing-sama at the Ministry of Civil Affairs? I have something important to report to her."
"Ah… report to Keqing-sama?" The staff member's scalp went numb. "Why is everyone showing up today…?" He swallowed and said anyway, "Keqing-sama isn't here right now. Um… who are you?"
"I'm one of the captains of the Chasm miners," the straw-hat man said, expression serious. "I have an urgent matter to report, and I need to see Keqing-sama in person. If I can't meet her today, I'm not leaving. This is extremely important—please, help me out."
The staff member could only keep a strained smile on his face.
Keqing-sama… please come back already.
…
Right now, Ryou was with Keqing in a clothing shop, picking out outfits.
Ryou eyed several sets with good cuts and solid craftsmanship. Under his stubborn insistence, Keqing looked them over and finally gave a small nod.
She didn't argue much. For her, having enough clothes was all that mattered. Besides, she often had to trek over mountains and through rough terrain for work. Dresses might look pretty, but they weren't practical—she needed clean, capable outfits.
So when she saw a few dresses, she didn't say anything.
But then she caught Ryou, sneaking a qipao and an opera costume into the pile.
Keqing couldn't hold it in anymore.
Was he buying her clothes to wear, or was he buying them so she'd change into them for him at night?
And if she put those on, with all those buffs stacking up… wouldn't she be finished?
"Those are not happening. And… why are you buying an opera costume?" Keqing shot Ryou a sharp glare, yanked the two outfits out of the stack without hesitation, and tossed them into an empty spot beside them. Then she told the shop owner, "I don't want these."
"Keqing," Ryou said, "you're so pretty. You should at least try them."
Watching her pull them out, Ryou felt a real sense of loss. In his eyes, it was a tragedy that Keqing wouldn't wear them.
In the end, he could only give in. "Fine, then just these few. Boss, sorry—please wrap them up."
As he spoke, he gave the shop owner a meaningful look.
The owner was a woman, and she'd seen enough to understand immediately. She stood up and quietly started tidying the clothes, then said with a smile, "Keqing-sama, a qipao would definitely look amazing on you. This one isn't exactly a qipao, but it has an exotic charm. Your husband has a great eye. How about—"
Keqing glanced at her, voice flat. "If you dare slip those outfits into the bag, tomorrow I'll personally bring the Millelith to seal your shop."
The owner's smile froze.
She let out an awkward laugh, quickly separated the clothes into two neat piles, then flicked Ryou a look that said, I can't help you.
Your wife is one of the Liyue Qixing. I really can't afford to offend her.
[End of chapter]
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