"What did you say?" Keqing glared at Li Yan.
"I look like this now, and you're still thinking about doing something like that?"
"Isn't that going way too far?!"
Li Yan gave an awkward laugh and didn't reply, but he still stepped forward and carefully lifted Keqing up.
Fortunately, she didn't struggle, allowing herself to be held.
Looking at the small Keqing in his arms, Li Yan felt a strange and complicated emotion.
This was the woman he admired, the person he intended to spend his entire life with.
By all rights, tonight should have been their wedding night.
Yet now, he couldn't do anything at all.
Although stray thoughts did surface in his mind, he immediately rejected them.
No matter what, laying a hand on someone who looked like a child would cross an absolute line.
Even though Keqing was legally his wife, just thinking about it made his chest feel uncomfortably warm—and uneasy.
Li Yan quickly steadied himself.
Keqing noticed his hesitation and stiffened slightly.
"W-Why are you looking at me like that? You… you're not actually thinking of doing something, are you?"
Her body tensed as she spoke.
No matter what, she was in the form of a child now.
She couldn't deny that being held like this felt strange—awkward, even unsettling.
Yet at the same time, she was aware that Li Yan had married her openly and properly. She was his wife.
After a long silence, Keqing finally spoke in a low voice, "If you… really insisted, I could endure it…"
The moment those words left her mouth, Li Yan's heart jolted.
From a purely logical standpoint, nothing would stop him.
She was his wife.
But when he looked at her current appearance—and the guarded expression in her eyes—his reason immediately won out.
All those thoughts vanished.
He exhaled slowly and shook his head.
"That's enough," he said quietly. "If I did something now, what kind of person would that make me?"
Some ideas may have been influenced by alcohol, but he knew his own bottom line.
Keqing was someone serious and principled. If he crossed that line, losing her trust would only be a matter of time.
He had spent so much effort to marry her—there was no way he would destroy everything over this.
Hurting someone who looked like a child was something he absolutely could not do.
Still, the frustration lingered.
Tonight was supposed to be his wedding night, yet nothing could happen.
It felt as though he had married his wife—only for reality to turn her into a child overnight.
The sensation was deeply unsettling.
After a long pause, Li Yan finally said,
"Keqing, if I did anything to you in this state, I wouldn't be any different from a beast."
"More importantly… what exactly happened? Why did you suddenly turn like this?"
He couldn't understand it.
She had been perfectly normal earlier that day.
Why did this only happen now—on their wedding night?
Keqing let out a quiet sigh of relief.
If Li Yan truly wanted to do something, she wouldn't have stopped him—she believed it was her duty.
But if he had done so, she knew she would have been deeply disappointed.
It would have meant he was no different from men who only desired her body.
In that case, once her obligation was fulfilled, she would have left without hesitation.
Such a man wouldn't be worth spending a lifetime with.
She could clearly sense how much restraint Li Yan was exercising.
Especially when he held her earlier—some reactions couldn't be fully hidden.
But he had stopped himself.
After thinking for a long time, Keqing shook her head.
"I don't know either. One moment I was fine, and the next… I became like this."
"Perhaps… I should find a chance to ask Rex Lapis. Maybe he knows what's going on."
Li Yan thought of Zhongli and nodded.
"Tomorrow, I'll ask around as well. We'll find a solution."
"This can't go on forever."
After a pause, his voice softened.
"If… you can't recover, I'll wait until you grow up again."
"Just don't complain that I've grown old by then."
Keqing looked at him seriously.
"That won't happen. You're my husband—nothing will change that."
"And this won't last forever. I believe the Lord of Geo will find a way."
Then she added, frowning slightly,
"Go wash up. You reek of alcohol."
"And don't drink like that again."
Li Yan smiled. "Alright. I won't."
When he returned, Keqing was sitting on the bed, flipping through a book, clearly trying to find some clue.
The disappointment on her face made it obvious she hadn't found anything useful.
Li Yan gently took the book from her hands and placed it on the bedside table.
"It's late. Even if we investigate, it'll have to wait until tomorrow."
"Get some rest."
"…Mm." Keqing nodded seriously.
The lamp was extinguished.
Li Yan lay down beside her, staring at the ceiling.
Tonight was supposed to be unforgettable.
Yet now, all he could do was wait.
His thoughts wandered uncontrollably, just like when he first arrived in Teyvat—excited at first, then lost when he realized he had no special advantages.
Back then, it had taken days to steady himself.
Now, the feeling was the same.
Too many thoughts, and no immediate answers.
As he lay there quietly, he sensed a small movement beside him.
Keqing had shifted closer, seeking reassurance.
Li Yan gently adjusted the blanket, making sure she was comfortable.
Whatever happened next—
At the very least, this night ended in trust, not regret.