Lin Mo looked at the beautiful woman before him, her eyes trembling.
He knew that Cloud Retainer's words had been spoken without malice.
But he could also clearly feel the bitterness in Ningguang's heart.
All these years, she had devoted herself to making a nation better, making its people wealthier.
Even if her achievements went unrecognized, she could endure that.
But in the end, what she received was a remark that felt like mockery—
Translated bluntly, it was nothing more than:
"So what? You're still not as impressive as my friend Guizhong."
The grievance in Ningguang's heart was something Lin Mo could deeply empathize with.
He didn't say anything at first.
Instead, he sat down beside her and gently patted her shoulder.
"Do you think… I'll always live in Guizhong's shadow?" Ningguang asked softly, her voice filled with helplessness.
Lin Mo lightly covered the hand she had clenched on the table.
Her fingers were balled into a tight fist, her nails pressing deep into her palm, leaving red marks. The sight made Lin Mo feel an ache in his chest.
"Ningguang, those who have passed away are often remembered as the most beautiful regrets," he said gently.
"And so… it's very hard for the living to compete with the dead."
Before he could finish speaking, Ningguang clenched her fist again in frustration.
Only this time—
Her nails dug into Lin Mo's palm.
Feeling the sting, Lin Mo merely smiled.
"Ningguang, the one who walked into Guizhong's shadow… was actually yourself."
Confusion flickered in Ningguang's eyes.
It was others who kept comparing her to Guizhong.
How had it become her own choice to step into that shadow?
"Ningguang," Lin Mo asked calmly, "what do you think the duty of the Tianquan is?"
"To govern Liyue on behalf of the gods who stand above the mortal world, and to lead Liyue toward prosperity," she answered without the slightest hesitation.
That was the original purpose behind the creation of the Liyue Qixing.
And the Tianquan, as the head of the Seven Stars, bore responsibility for the overall situation.
"See? That's the key," Lin Mo said with a smile.
"Yes, the wisdom Guizhong left behind laid an incredibly solid foundation for Liyue."
"But who was Guizhong? She was a fallen god."
"The wisdom she left behind was the result of decades—centuries—of accumulation."
"And you've been the Tianquan for less than ten years."
"No one ever demanded that your achievements surpass those of a god."
"You said it yourself—the Tianquan's duty is to govern Liyue for the gods and lead it toward prosperity."
"The ones you should be measuring yourself against are the previous Tianquan."
"Tell me… do you really think you're worse than them?"
At Lin Mo's reminder, Ningguang couldn't help but recall the past Tianquan.
Under the efforts of each successive Tianquan, Liyue had steadily grown stronger and more prosperous.
Only because she stood on the shoulders of her predecessors had she been able to lead Liyue to unprecedented heights.
If one judged purely by Liyue's progress—
Then the Tianquan Ningguang represented was unquestionably the greatest in Liyue's history.
"Well?" Lin Mo asked with a gentle smile. "Have you figured it out now?"
"So… from the very beginning… I was wrong," Ningguang said, a bitter smile forming on her lips.
Trying to prove that her contributions to Liyue were no less than those of a god—
That had always been an almost impossible task, and never something she truly needed to do.
"So you were just tormenting yourself for nothing," Lin Mo said.
He lightly drew her into his embrace and smiled.
"In my hometown, your situation has a name—it's called mild depression. If it gets worse, people can even end up taking their own lives. Do you understand?"
"Is it… a kind of mental illness?" Ningguang asked curiously.
"Of course. It kills without drawing blood, so it's not something you can afford to ignore," Lin Mo said seriously.
Then he continued, "If I'm not mistaken, you usually don't have anyone you can talk to about what's weighing on your heart."
"So most of the time, you just overthink everything on your own, don't you?"
Hearing this, Ningguang recalled the years gone by.
When she was young and doing business, she had been cheerful and eloquent.
But after becoming the Tianquan—
Aside from the Rite of Descension and official affairs, she rarely left the Jade Chamber.
Other than work-related discussions with Ganyu, most of her time was spent alone—either shut away in her office, or confined to her private quarters.
"Can this illness… be cured?" Ningguang asked quietly.
"It can be treated," Lin Mo replied, looking slightly troubled.
"Is there some difficulty?" Ningguang noticed the hesitation in his expression.
As he gently stroked her fragrant shoulder, Lin Mo spoke earnestly:
"First of all, you need someone you can truly open your heart to."
"You need someone to listen to your frustrations."
"Someone to share the joys of life with."
"And you shouldn't stay cooped up all the time. You should go out more."
"You earn so much money—use some of it to make yourself happy."
"For example… have a meal at Liuli Pavilion or Xinyue Pavilion. Or cultivate a hobby that has nothing to do with making mora."
"Frustrations that can be shared…"
"Joy that can be shared…"
Ningguang couldn't help but feel a sense of longing.
Such simple happiness for ordinary people felt utterly out of reach for her.
As the Tianquan of Liyue, holding immense power, almost everyone who approached her had ulterior motives.
Some wanted insider information about Liyue's future plans.
Others coveted her beauty, power, or status.
Who would genuinely treat her as a friend?
Rather than sharing her heart with people who approached her with hidden agendas, she preferred to keep everything bottled up.
Just then, a thought crossed her mind.
She turned her head and looked at Lin Mo.
A question arose in her heart.
This man had stayed in the Jade Chamber for so many years.
He seemed to want nothing.
So what exactly was he after?
Her beauty?
Ningguang glanced sideways at the hand resting on her shoulder.
It was… a bit improper.
But in three whole years, this was the first time they had ever had any physical contact.
Power or wealth?
At the very least, Lin Mo had never sought authority from her, nor had he used her policies to profit for himself.
The only request he had ever made—
Was for a comfortable reclining chair by the window.
Every day, he lounged there, drinking tea, doing nothing.
That lifestyle, like that of a retired old man, had even made Ningguang suspect that he had become her secretary simply because the Jade Chamber offered the best view of all Liyue.
"Lin Mo," Ningguang finally asked, voicing the doubt in her heart,
"why did you want to come to the Jade Chamber in the first place… and become my secretary?"
Lin Mo's answer—
Would determine her decision.
Whether she would truly open her heart to this man.
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T/N:
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