"Keqing isn't at the Ministry of Civil Affairs. Nothing happened over there, right?"
Ningguang looked to Baiwen. The Ministry handled most of Liyue's internal affairs—messy, complicated work. Leaving it without someone in charge wasn't exactly ideal.
"Ningguang-sama, nothing happened," Baiwen said. "Everything's running smoothly."
Then she added, "When Ryou left, he gave them a warning. If they can't handle the small stuff, then when he comes back tomorrow, they can pack their things and get out. They've been on edge ever since, so they've been taking every task seriously."
"The Ministry doesn't get that many major incidents on a normal day," Ningguang said. "The smaller matters aren't hard to push through once the groundwork is done. He already wrapped up the core paperwork, so doing this is… reasonable."
She stared at the documents on her desk for a long moment before she spoke again.
"Invite Keqing and Ryou to the Jade Chamber for dinner. That issue from last time still hasn't been finalized, and there are details I want to ask him about in person."
"Yes, Ningguang-sama!" Baiwen answered at once, then hurried off.
Once Baiwen was gone, Ningguang's eyes returned to the paperwork. Envy flickered there, sharp and unmistakable.
"Keqing really is lucky. Ryou's capable—well-read, sharp. You can tell just from these files. He has his own way of seeing things."
Her fingers tapped the page once.
"If I'd known earlier, I wouldn't have let him slip away. Now Keqing gets the bargain."
…
Mt. Aocang.
"Ganyu, you've been staying in Liyue Harbor—why did you suddenly come to see this one?"
Cloud Retainer was clearly pleased to see her, but the surprise showed too. Ganyu was usually buried in work and rarely returned to Mt. Aocang, yet today she'd come back out of nowhere, distracted and unsteady, like her thoughts had gone missing.
"Cloud Retainer… you've seen so much. There's something I want to ask you." Ganyu lowered her gaze. "It's been troubling me. I don't know what to do."
The moment she stepped onto Mt. Aocang, the scene at Ryou's house came back to her in a rush. The more she turned it over, the less sense it made, until she finally gave up and came here.
"Go on," Cloud Retainer said, leaning in. "What's troubling you? If one can help, one will."
That only made her more curious. Ganyu had spent thousands of years in Liyue Harbor, tempered in every way. Very little could truly shake her. If she'd come here for advice, it meant this wasn't something she knew how to face—something personal.
Could it be…?
Warmth spread through Ganyu's chest at that tone. Her cheeks flushed, and she spoke softly.
"Cloud Retainer… today I met someone. When I saw him, my heart started racing, and my breathing sped up. I… I couldn't stop looking at him. I even got a little lost in it. This kind of thing… what does it mean?"
Cloud Retainer froze, then stared at her as if she'd just heard the most unbelievable news in a millennium.
"Ganyu—this is obvious. You like him!"
Her eyes lit up.
"Wonderful, wonderful! So you did take one's words to heart. Good. Very good!"
She leaned forward, voice brimming with certainty.
"If you like him, pursue him. Once you make a move, it's practically settled. One refuses to believe anyone in this world can withstand your charm!"
"B-But…" Ganyu's face went hot all the way to the ears.
If he were single, if his character was good, if everything lined up… then maybe, for that sudden spark in her chest, she could have tried to take a step.
But he wasn't single.
He was someone else's husband—Keqing's husband.
A friend's husband—how could she possibly do that?
"But what?" Cloud Retainer cut in, not letting her dodge. "You've been single for thousands of years. When you finally stumble into a feeling like this, you grab it with both hands, do you understand?"
Her words came faster, more and more excited.
"Feelings like this will make you grow. Listen—win him over, then bring him to Mt. Aocang. One wants to see him."
Cloud Retainer's eyes shone with an almost radiant ambition.
"One will teach him adepti arts and let him live long in this world. Then the two of you can leave behind a few children—this abode won't be so cold and empty anymore."
She lifted her chin, pride practically sparkling.
"And hear one clearly—one is excellent with children!"
Ganyu's face burned even hotter. Before she could stop it, her mind had already painted the scene Cloud Retainer described, vivid and impossible to ignore. For one dangerous second, the idea even tempted her.
Then reality slammed back in.
But Ryou was married!
Ahhh… how was she supposed to tell Cloud Retainer?
Note: Chapters up to 50 are available on my Patreon FOR FREE. I'll keep working on this fanfic as long as it's getting enough support to justify continuing.
[End of chapter]
[[email protected]/BellAshelia]