Keqing listened to what Wang-sensei was saying, wanting to stand her ground for once. But her mind was a mess. She opened her mouth, hesitated, then sighed.
In the end, she spoke with a helpless edge. "Wang-sensei, we've worked together for a while now. You know exactly what I'm capable of. No matter how stubborn I am, there are things I can't take credit for. Those notes were actually written by my husband. I watched him draft the whole thing with my own eyes. Forget you— even I can't wrap my head around how talented he is."
"Th-this…" Wang-sensei was so shocked he couldn't even find his words. His face was full of disbelief.
Keqing's ability in construction was outstanding, and he'd always believed that given time, she would surpass him. That was why, the moment he saw those annotations, he rushed over—proud, even. Proud that he had trained someone like her. And he also wanted to discuss a few points with her, maybe get some inspiration from it.
He never imagined it was Ryou's work.
Wang-sensei had heard of Ryou before, mostly because of yesterday's wedding banquet. Of course he knew Ryou had married Keqing, and he'd vaguely heard this marriage was an alliance between prominent families. He'd felt indignant on Keqing's behalf, but in the end he could only sigh—those families held too much power in Liyue. A commoner like him could never stop it.
But looking at Keqing now, he realized he'd overthought a lot.
Ryou was striking, overflowing with talent, and the ideas in those notes were almost unreal.
It completely changed how Wang-sensei saw him. Sure, it was "just" ideas, but Wang-sensei had studied at the Akademiya for two years. He could tell at a glance that beneath those annotations, there was far more—simple on the surface, tangled underneath, backed by a huge system of thought. If he could understand it, it would push his own work to a whole new level.
Hearing Keqing say all that, Ryou could only feel a little resigned. He didn't want attention in the first place.
Seeing how it was, he walked over to Keqing's side and looked around at everyone. "Alright. I can explain a bit," he said. "But I don't have much time. Keqing and I still have something important to handle when we get back, and my father's been urging me to come home, so…"
"Of course. No problem," Wang-sensei replied immediately, his tone turning noticeably more respectful. "I'll keep it brief."
He stepped forward, standing beside Ryou, and asked quietly about the parts that confused him.
Watching Wang-sensei discuss things with Ryou like this put Keqing in a weird mood.
Wang-sensei had spent two years studying in Sumeru. His skill was exceptional. In Keqing's eyes, he was practically her mentor—yet now he was asking Ryou questions like a student.
Didn't that make her Ryou's "grandstudent," by default?
And then there was what Ryou just said about his father calling him home. Keqing didn't buy it for a second. That was an excuse.
He clearly wanted to drag her back and "bully" her.
Seriously… was he that impatient?!
Even so, watching the two of them go back and forth made Keqing quietly envious. Ryou's talent was simply too much. Tonight, she was going to question him properly—because if these ideas could be put into practice, Liyue would improve in countless ways. It would only grow more prosperous.
"Still staring?" Ningguang walked up beside Keqing and glanced at her.
Keqing shot back immediately, "What, I can't look at my husband?"
Her relationship with Ningguang was never exactly smooth. Their principles didn't always align, and they clashed over certain matters often enough that Keqing had no reason to hold back.
So what if she was looking at her husband?
Was that illegal now?
"Tsk, tsk. Keqing," Ningguang said, irritation clear in her voice. "This doesn't look like you. In my memory, you were always serious and meticulous. And now? You're taking your man out shopping, for a full four hours. You left all of us standing around waiting that long. Do you really think that's appropriate?"
Ningguang's words hit like a spark to powder. She scowled, glaring at Keqing as she brought it up.
Keqing's expression cooled—then she understood exactly what was going on. She narrowed her eyes and smiled. "Oh? Listen to that tone. First, I already handled all my official work. Second, I just got married—am I not allowed to spend a little time being affectionate? And besides… did I ask you to wait for me?"
She leaned in just slightly, voice turning even sharper.
"Ningguang, you're just jealous. Who told you my husband is that outstanding? Not like someone else—getting up there in age and still without a man!"
[End of chapter]
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