Zhongli thought back to what had just happened—and to the seriousness in Ryou's eyes. It still didn't add up.
By rights, his standing in Liyue Harbor wasn't low. Most people gave him a bit of courtesy—Keqing did, and so did Ningguang, the current head of the Liyue Qixing. Yet Ryou acted like none of that mattered.
When they left the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Ryou had been all focus and stubborn insistence. Zhongli watched him then, and the sincerity didn't look forced.
But at the Ministry of Civil Affairs, Ryou made it plain: he meant to use this whole matter to pin Zhongli down and push him into taking a post there.
Stranger still, Zhongli couldn't read anything new off him. That same earnest look stayed put, unshaken, like it came straight from the heart.
On anyone else, Zhongli would've caught the tell. He'd lived for thousands of years—little shifts didn't slip past him. But on Ryou, there was nothing. No wobble, no crack, no sudden turn.
Zhongli didn't mind being used or even deceived. What bothered him was how hard Ryou was to figure out, as if everything he did truly came from the same place inside him.
That was the unsettling part. If it all looked genuine, then you had no way of knowing what Ryou was actually thinking.
That curiosity was why Zhongli agreed in the end. Someone like this had shown up in Liyue Harbor—he needed to watch him more closely.
…
In the Jade Chamber's study.
Ningguang sat across from the elderly man and found herself quietly taken aback. It was Uncle Tian—one of the current Liyue Qixing—and he had come to speak about choosing a successor.
"Uncle Tian, there's no need to rush," Ningguang said. "You may be older, but you're still holding up. You can work a few more years. And selecting a Qixing candidate takes time—ability is one thing, but character has to be weighed as well. That isn't quick."
Uncle Tian only shook his head. He lifted his teacup, took a slow sip, and didn't speak for a long moment.
"I'm old," he said at last. "Lately, I can feel my body giving out more and more. You know… a while back, I was actually pleased. My old friend told me to pass my seat to his son. I started to seriously consider it."
He set the cup down carefully. "That kid Ryou is capable, and he married Keqing. He's started a family—so it's time he built his own career too. I thought I could take the chance to retire."
"Ryou?" Ningguang paused. She'd assumed he would inherit his father's seat. She hadn't expected Uncle Tian to bring up his own.
"Yes," Uncle Tian said. "If he took over for me, it would take a weight off my shoulders. But…"
His breath caught. One hand went to his chest, and a harsh cough tore out of him—then another, deeper and harder to stop.
"Uncle Tian!" Ningguang was already on her feet.
He raised a hand to stop her, coughing through his words. "It's fine… old problems. You've probably guessed it already. I'm getting worse. If this keeps up, I'm afraid I won't make it to that day."
Ningguang's steps slowed. Not long ago he'd been sturdy; now even speaking looked like work.
Uncle Tian steadied his breathing and continued, "Ryou's character and ability are both excellent. Everyone knows what kind of man his father is. Handing a Qixing seat to Ryou wouldn't be an issue at all."
He let out a quiet sigh. "But today, his father told me—Ryou doesn't want to take the position."
Uncle Tian sounded more tired than surprised. In Liyue Harbor, people fought tooth and nail for that title. Yet Ryou had turned down his father, and now he was turning down Uncle Tian as well.
Ningguang didn't answer right away.
She'd climbed from merchant to Qixing step by step, grinding for years before she truly secured her footing in Liyue Harbor.
Ryou, on the other hand, was born at the top.
His father was already a member of the Liyue Qixing—he could have passed the seat straight to him, but Ryou refused.
Now Uncle Tian, also Qixing, wanted to pass his seat to him. And Ryou still refused.
Ningguang's throat tightened for a beat. The gap between people could be that wide.
"Wait," she said, catching the thread. "From what you're saying… you weren't planning to pass your seat to Ryou?"
Uncle Tian lifted his tea and took a small sip. "No. He already recommended someone to me."
"Who?" Ningguang asked.
"Zhongli," Uncle Tian said.
For a moment, Ningguang didn't react. Ryou recommended Zhongli? For a Qixing seat? Was Zhongli supposed to work at Yujing Terrace—or at the Ministry of Civil Affairs?
At that moment, Baiwen hurried in and leaned close to whisper in her ear.
Ningguang's head snapped up. "What?"
Her voice broke out before she could hold it back. "Zhongli was arrested by Ryou and taken into the Ministry of Civil Affairs?"
A heartbeat ago, Uncle Tian had been talking about handing the position to Zhongli. And now Zhongli had been hauled in.
[End of chapter]
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