That question truly caught Lin Mo off guard.
"Why did I join the Jade Chamber…?"
He murmured to himself, genuinely puzzled.
There was no way he could tell Ningguang the truth—that he had applied to be a secretary purely to complete a mission.
That, to make it happen, he had even sprinkled colorless, odorless sleeping powder over every stalk of Qingxin near Mount Qingyun, where Ganyu often passed.
So that Ganyu—who had long grown accustomed to enduring exhaustion—would finally collapse asleep at her desk during those late-night overtime hours when drowsiness struck the hardest.
Lin Mo was certain that after seeing this happen a few times, Ningguang would feel sorry for Ganyu.
And the best solution would be to hire more secretaries to share her workload.
That was why Ningguang absolutely could not know that he had ulterior motives in coming to the Jade Chamber.
After all…
A depressed strategist was sensitive and prone to suspicion.
She would overthink everything, or raise a psychological wall against him, locking her heart back inside her own small world.
At that moment, Ningguang was watching him closely, waiting for his answer.
"Sigh… I didn't really have any special purpose," Lin Mo said.
"I'm a traveler who wanders across Teyvat."
"I passed through Liyue, happened to run out of money, and just then I saw the Jade Chamber recruiting. So I applied."
He answered casually, thinking it shouldn't give her anything to pick apart.
"There are so many jobs hiring in Liyue," Ningguang said.
"Why did you choose the secretary position—one that hundreds of outstanding merchants and shopkeepers were competing for?"
This was the question that mattered most to her.
Every other candidate had their own agenda.
But Lin Mo's… she couldn't see it.
She wanted to know the real reason he had drawn her attention back then—what he truly wanted by coming to the Jade Chamber.
Lin Mo nodded and replied,
"In a sense… being the Tianquan's secretary is a position of immense status in Liyue. Second only to one, above countless others."
"As long as I serve you well, Lady Ningguang, no one in Liyue would dare order me around or look down on me."
"Besides, this job is like any other. No manual labor—just using your brain. Naturally, it's the best choice."
"So… not for money or power?" Ningguang asked softly.
"Or because of me?"
"Mm… do you want the honest answer?" Lin Mo asked in return.
Ningguang nodded firmly.
"You should be able to tell—I don't value power. As for wealth…"
"I eat your food and drink your tea every day in the Jade Chamber. I can't even find a chance to spend my salary."
"And as for you…"
As he spoke, Lin Mo's gaze settled on Ningguang's face, where the traces of tears had yet to fade.
She felt her heart tighten.
For some reason, she found herself wanting to hear the words: I came for you.
"Three years of day and night together," Lin Mo said gently.
"At this age, when my heart has just begun to awaken…"
"If I didn't feel something for Liyue's most beautiful woman, then I'd have to be sick in the head."
"I'm not sick. So I'll admit it—I do have feelings for you."
"But I also know how much you're troubled by people pursuing you."
"So I intended to bury those feelings deep in my heart."
"If it weren't for what happened today… I wouldn't have said any of this."
His eyes were sincere, his tone earnest.
Three years, side by side.
On decisions that shaped Liyue's commercial future, he and Ningguang were sometimes rivals, sometimes allies.
Lin Mo cherished this kind of relationship.
He admired her sharp business mind and keen judgment.
As for appearances?
That went without saying.
Whenever he caught a glimpse of her graceful figure drifting through the Jade Chamber in a sheer night robe, his eyes betrayed him every single time.
Now, Ningguang stared deeply into Lin Mo, trying to see straight into his heart.
True affection could never be hidden.
Nor could it be faked.
"Then why didn't you ever think of trying?"
She asked, her voice filled with anticipation.
"Try what?" Lin Mo replied matter-of-factly.
"Being able to stay day and night with someone you like—that's a rare blessing."
"What if you didn't like me back, and my feelings became a burden to you?"
"Then I probably wouldn't be able to stay in the Jade Chamber for long."
…
Seeing Lin Mo speak with such calm conviction, the grievance in Ningguang's heart slowly melted into sweetness.
This was a feeling she had never known before.
For the first time, when faced with a confession, she felt no disgust—only anticipation, wishing he would say more.
Her beautiful eyes trembled as she asked softly,
"Then now… if I said that your feelings wouldn't trouble me at all…"
"Would you want to try—"
"Mmm…"
Ningguang's eyes widened, disbelief written across her face.
Lin Mo's response was completely beyond her expectations.
Was this really the same young man who, just moments ago, had been so cautious out of fear of troubling her?
Her mind went blank.
Wrapped in his warm embrace, feeling the passion at her lips, she slowly closed her eyes, letting Lin Mo answer her with actions instead of words.
After a long while, the two finally parted.
Looking at Lin Mo's smiling face, Ningguang lowered her gaze and said softly,
"That gentle smile of yours… it looks far better than the one you used to wear."
"Don't worry," Lin Mo replied.
"From now on, you'll see this smile every single day."
In that moment, Ningguang understood—
From this day forward, with Lin Mo by her side,
she could finally have a simple kind of happiness:
Someone to confide in when burdened by sorrow,
and someone to share joy with when happiness came.
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T/N:
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