Ganyu couldn't imagine herself falling for a human.
She'd lived for thousands of years, and this was the first time she'd ever experienced that kind of feeling.
Normally, she would've stopped and thought it through carefully, but right now, one thought kept pressing down on her: she was unforgivable.
Her relationship with Keqing was incredibly close. Keqing treated her like a sister. How could she let thoughts like this appear at all?
Ganyu forced everything down, clamping her emotions in place again and again. With adeptal energy backing her, even Keqing, a Vision bearer, couldn't detect anything amiss. As for Ryou, there was even less chance he'd notice.
He was just about to speak when—
[Ding! Eyes entering Darkened Mode!]
[Ding! Darkened Mode active: You can see a target's hidden emotions within 100 meters!]
The reward left Ryou completely confused.
He was still trying to figure out what it meant when he noticed something off. Just a moment ago, Ganyu's expression had looked perfectly normal, nothing strange at all, but now that he looked again, he caught her eyes fixed on him.
And that pretty face of hers…
It was turning red.
Even he blanked for a beat.
With that shy flush, Ganyu's charm jumped by several notches, and Ryou's heart started pounding.
"Ryou-san… why are you looking at me like that?"
With Ryou's gaze locked on her, Ganyu's breath hitched. For some reason, panic clenched at her chest, like those eyes could see right through her, like he could strip away her adeptal energy and glimpse her real face.
No.
That couldn't be possible!
Ryou was just a mortal. How could he pierce adeptal energy and see her true face?
And why did his eyes make her heartbeat go wild, no matter how hard she tried to control it?
Damn it. What am I even thinking?
No. I can't stay here.
Keqing frowned slightly at Ganyu's words and looked at Ryou. She had meant for Ganyu to help share some of the pressure, but what was with him staring at her like that?
Did this guy really get tired of the old and chase the new?
The moment that thought formed, Keqing's expression changed, disappointment creeping in.
Ryou caught the shift in Keqing's mood at once. He took a deep breath and pressed everything down.
[Ding! Face entering Darkened Mode!]
[Ding! Darkened Mode active: When you rein in your emotions, your facial expression authenticity increases by 70%!]
That timing couldn't have been better.
Ryou exhaled quietly. He'd just lost his composure for a moment—Ganyu's shy look had made his blood surge—but now he steadily pulled himself back under control.
Just like he'd told his father, he was a man. He already had a wife. He couldn't let thoughts about other women take root.
"Ganyu-san, I'm sorry. I spaced out for a moment because I was thinking about something," Ryou said, his face serious. "Actually, there is something I wanted to ask you for help with. It's just… we aren't that familiar, so I was debating how to bring it up."
With the system boosting the believability on his face, both Ganyu and Keqing accepted it, especially Keqing—her mood visibly settled.
She told herself she'd been overthinking it. Ryou's reputation had always been good, and after marrying her, he'd kept his distance from other women. He was a good man. The problem was her imagination, not him.
Ganyu also let out a quiet sigh of relief. As long as Ryou hadn't noticed anything, it was fine.
She hesitated, then asked, "Keqing and I are very close. If you need my help with something, just say it. If it's something I can do, I won't refuse."
"Well… if that's the case, I'll be direct," Ryou said. "Before the Rite of Descension, I want to meet Rex Lapis. Ganyu-san, do you have any way to let me see him?"
Ganyu paused. "I can try to think of something. I can't promise I can make it happen, though. It's been a long time since I last saw Rex Lapis."
After a brief hesitation, she decided she'd ask Cloud Retainer later—maybe she would know something.
"I'll ask around. If I get an answer, I'll come find you," Ganyu said. "I still have things to handle over at Yujing Terrace, so I won't bother you two any longer."
She didn't stay another second. Her emotions were getting more and more out of control, and after leaving that line behind, she hurried off.
Watching Ganyu leave in such a rush, Keqing couldn't help thinking she really was a good person.
Then she glanced at Ryou. "You were staring at Ganyu-san for a while. Don't tell me you've started liking her?"
The moment Keqing said that, cold sweat broke out on Ryou's forehead.
[End of chapter]
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