"Let's go."
Ryou finally let Keqing down, then took her hand and led her inside.
The family residence wasn't much bigger than Keqing's home. It was naturally nowhere near the scale of Ningguang's Jade Chamber, and you could tell from that alone—no matter how overwhelming his family's power was, they didn't go overboard. Everything about it fit the standard of a proper noble household.
"You brat, you still remember how to come home?" Ryou's mother glared at him the moment she saw him. "Didn't come back on the first day. If your father hadn't run into you today, you might've forgotten this house even exists."
Then she looked at Keqing. The moment she noticed something off about Keqing's posture, her expression changed. "Keqing, what's wrong with you?"
"I…" Keqing froze, not knowing what to say. It was just too embarrassing.
Her cheeks burning, she forced out, "Mother… I-I'm fine."
"Fine?" Ryou's mother snorted. "I've been through it. You think I don't know what's going on with you? Alright. Eat first. We'll talk after."
She clearly knew what the situation was, but didn't press it. She simply led everyone back to the table.
After everyone had eaten their fill, Ryou wanted to talk with Keqing for a bit—only to see his mother pull Keqing away.
…
Sitting in front of Ryou's mother, Keqing was tense to the point of stiff.
"What, do you think I'm some wicked mother-in-law? I'm not going to eat you." Seeing how flustered Keqing was, she couldn't help saying it.
She raised a hand and dismissed the servants, then looked Keqing over. "Is it serious?"
"A-a little." Keqing lowered her gaze. "I train martial arts. Even so, I'll need a day to recover, so…"
She trailed off, hesitating.
"That stinking boy doesn't know how to take care of you at all." Ryou's mother clicked her tongue. "Keqing, you're newlyweds. The freshness hasn't worn off yet. Bear with it for a few days. You'll get used to it and it'll be fine."
There was obvious envy in her eyes. Keqing's expression made it plain how happy she was. Thinking of Ryou's father, Ryou's mother's gaze dimmed with a trace of disappointment.
"And listen," she continued, softening her tone as much as she could. "Keep an eye on him day to day. Don't give in on everything. If you ever feel wronged, tell Mother. I'll deal with him for you, understood?"
Keqing nodded, but the earlier part made her scalp prickle.
A few days? At this rate, that "freshness" might actually kill her.
She took a slow breath and said cautiously, "Mother… there's something I'm not sure I should ask."
"What is it?" Ryou's mother looked at her.
"I… I want to find Ryou another woman," Keqing said, cheeks bright red as she forced the words out. "So someone can share the pressure with me. He's… very capable. I can't handle him on my own."
Ryou's mother's face sank. She stared at Keqing. "Nonsense. You've only been married two days and you already want to find him another woman?"
"That won't do. In this family, whether it was his father or his grandfather, they only ever married one woman. That's our family rule!"
"Mother, I don't want to share him either. It's just…" Keqing leaned closer and whispered a few sentences into her ear.
The very next second, Keqing saw the look in Ryou's mother's eyes.
Pure envy.
That left Keqing not knowing what to say at all.
Ryou's mother looked at her and said, "You're one of the Liyue Qixing. You have plenty to handle on a normal day. This really is… troublesome."
"By rights, our family doesn't allow this sort of thing. But… I can't say nothing after hearing that. How about this—endure for one more month."
"One month. If he's still like that after a month, I'll agree."
"And if he does take another woman, her character and conduct have to be acceptable. You have to vet her. Don't let him use this as an excuse to mess around outside, understood?"
"I'm not worried about that," Keqing said with a helpless look. "Ryou treats me extremely well. He's never even thought about fooling around outside."
"I brought it up to him on the way here, but he refused."
"Refused?" Ryou's mother brightened. "That's my son. Men of the family should be like that."
"Sure, having more wives sounds great, but what kind of man scatters all his love everywhere? Loving one person is enough."
"Besides," she added, clearly satisfied, "isn't one wife already enough for him to toss around?"
"Mother…" Keqing's face turned miserable. "But if this goes on long-term, I really won't be able to take it."
"Uh… well…" Ryou's mother opened her mouth, then stopped, not knowing what to say.
Because honestly, Keqing's situation would make any other woman jealous—jealous, and then even more jealous.
So why was Keqing complaining like this?
Were you here to vent…
…or were you here to show off to your mother-in-law?
[End of chapter]
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