Keqing regretted it.
She'd tried to get Ryou and Ganyu to spend time together at Yujing Terrace, hoping they'd spark something and let their feelings warm up naturally.
But she'd forgotten one key detail—
Ryou was too upright.
He wouldn't betray her.
So whenever he ran into temptation outside, he just held himself back…
Which meant Keqing spent the whole night at home, waiting and hoping something would finally happen, even getting ready to sleep properly—
Only for Ryou to drag her out of bed and bully her mercilessly instead.
Mmph!
Damn it…
At this rate, I can't go to the Ministry of Civil Affairs again tomorrow!
That'll be five days in a row!
Just thinking about last night's madness made Keqing's face burn.
That man definitely got worked up over at Ganyu's place.
He came home and took it all out on her. Even when he held back a little, she still struggled to keep up.
Keqing rubbed her cheeks, wondering when this was ever going to end.
Her husband was just too decent.
If it were any other man, he would've been messing around outside ages ago.
Ganyu was beautiful—Keqing would even admit she didn't quite measure up.
And yet her husband could still resist the temptation and stay loyal to her.
If it were before, Keqing would've been so touched she'd cry.
Now she was "touched" enough to cry too—just for a completely different reason.
"Keqing, what's wrong?" Ryou pulled her closer.
He could tell her mood was off, and after thinking about it, he figured he'd gone a bit too far. He kissed her lightly and lowered his voice.
"Sorry. I—"
"It's fine. Ryou… if you really can't hold back outside, I won't blame you, you…" Keqing didn't even finish before Ryou smacked her.
"Ow!"
That soreness had barely faded, and now it hurt again.
"Don't talk nonsense," Ryou said, clearly unhappy.
"I married you properly and brought you home. You're my wife."
"You know the rules in my family. If I married you, I'm not going to fool around."
"If I did, my dad would break my leg!"
He'd held back against both La Signora and Ganyu. He was proud of his self-control.
And now Keqing was still hinting he might mess around outside?
"Mm—no, that's not what I meant!" Keqing hurried to explain. "I trust you, I just… alright. Fine."
She could see how serious he was and didn't push it further.
If it were before, she would've been moved to tears. Ryou really was the perfect man.
He still was.
But your wife seriously can't take it all by herself.
And her mother-in-law had already agreed to find him someone else too… but Keqing had tried to set him up with Ganyu multiple times now, and nothing ever progressed. It was giving her a headache.
Should I just endure it and go ask Mother how she did it?
"Stop overthinking," Ryou said softly. "Trust my character, alright?"
He stroked her cheek, his fingers brushing her lips before he couldn't resist giving her a quick kiss. He only lingered for a moment, then stopped himself.
Keqing could feel his mood shift, and her face turned hot all over.
She forced herself not to get swept away, kept herself awake with sheer willpower, and glared at him.
"No bullying me in the morning."
"Alright, alright," Ryou said, patting her head. "But you still have to help me a little."
"You… bad man." Keqing understood exactly what he meant.
She could only lie back down obediently.
…
When Ryou arrived at the Ministry of Civil Affairs, he looked refreshed and in high spirits.
Staff hurried around inside, busy as ever. He nodded to a few and went straight to his office.
He used the quiet moment to flip through some records.
[System]
[Your aptitude has risen to Class B!]
Ryou felt a clearer grasp of healing settle into his mind, like several treatment methods had been laid out neatly in front of him.
Looks like I can let Hand take more time off to study. That should help me build up more medical experience.
He shook off the thought and looked down at the documents on his desk—
Only a few booklets.
After a moment, he stepped outside.
Right on cue, Zhongli arrived at the ministry too, but several female staff members trailed behind him, fawning shamelessly.
Zhongli looked like he was suffering.
And when he saw Ryou, that glance almost felt… resentful.
"Morning, Zhongli-san," Ryou greeted him.
"Morning." Zhongli's expression was stiff. Once the women finally dispersed, he looked at Ryou.
"There's something I'd like to discuss. Can we talk in your office?"
"Sure," Ryou said easily.
Back inside, Ryou brewed him a cup of tea.
Honestly, as long as Zhongli wasn't fixated on "retiring," Ryou didn't mind him at all.
Zhongli lifted the cup, blew gently, breathed in the aroma, and only then took a slow sip.
After a while, he set the cup down with a faint sigh.
"Good tea. Better than the ones I buy."
"I don't really understand tea," Ryou admitted. "I just drink it because it clears the mind and calms the nerves."
"And good tea is wasted on someone who can't appreciate it. For you, Zhongli-san, it's exactly right."
He slid a small bundle across the desk. "There are a few liang here. If you like it, take it home."
"Mmph. Then I won't refuse." Zhongli figured he was working for the ministry now—accepting a bit of tea wasn't a big deal. He thanked Ryou and put it away.
"Alright," Ryou said. "What did you want to talk about?"
Zhongli's head started to ache just bringing it up.
"Ryou… did you tell people that whoever marries me can come to you and get a house in Liyue Harbor?"
"Oh, that." Ryou smiled and set his own cup down. "You don't have a wife. I was just helping."
"You can't expect you to sort it out yourself, can you?"
"Ryou, I really don't need that," Zhongli said quickly.
Today had been unbearable. Women clung to him like burrs—especially one "big sister" type.
The others were just eager. That one had practically thrown herself at him.
"No interest at all?" Ryou leaned forward. "Zhongli-san, hear me out."
"You may."
"I've heard you go out without carrying Mora," Ryou said. "But as far as I know, even men whose wives keep a tight grip on spending still carry some Mora, just in case."
"You've worked at Wangsheng for a long time. You've definitely earned plenty."
"And the Director isn't the stingy type."
Ryou watched Zhongli carefully as he continued.
"But I've also looked into it. You buy a lot of useless things—antiques, paintings, calligraphy…"
"So I figured I should help you find a wife."
"If you settle down and build a proper home, you'll be steadier. Someone will help manage your Mora."
"And when you try to buy another 'treasure,' your wife will stop you. You won't spend every day listening to opera and storytellers either."
Ryou took a sip of tea, giving Zhongli time to digest that.
Then he set the cup down and continued.
"You're not even that old. Why are you living like a retiree?"
"Do you know Uncle Tian? He's old enough to be your grandfather, and he still hasn't even thought about retiring."
"He's still working himself to the bone for Liyue Harbor."
"And you—a young man—want to retire? That's just asking to be laughed at."
Ryou said all this because he wanted to nudge Zhongli, little by little.
The Rite of Descension was set to begin the morning after tomorrow. If he couldn't change Zhongli's mind, it was going to be a headache.
Even if he knew his words wouldn't shake Zhongli much, he still had to try.
Zhongli listened, helpless.
Uncle Tian might be elderly, sure… but on paper Zhongli was only a few decades old.
In truth, he'd lived for thousands of years.
Still, looking at Ryou's face, Zhongli could feel how serious he was. Ryou genuinely meant well—he was just far too earnest about it.
Zhongli raised his tea, took another quiet sip, and finally spoke after a long silence.
"Your idea is good, and I'm grateful you're thinking of me."
"But for now, I don't want to consider that. And listening to opera is just a hobby."
Ryou shook his head. "That's not right. You're indulging yourself."
"Think about Rex Lapis. He worked diligently for thousands of years, poured his heart into Liyue Harbor."
"Do you think he would indulge himself the way you do?"
"Even Rex Lapis never thought about retiring. And you're thinking about it?"
"Are you even worthy of that Vision you carry?"
"And if Rex Lapis really retired, that's when things would get dangerous."
"Why do nations stand firm in Teyvat? Because the gods exist."
"If there were no god—or if Rex Lapis stepped down—don't you think the defeated gods sealed away at Guyun Stone Forest would be thrilled?"
"One after another, they'd come pouring into Liyue Harbor."
"And without Rex Lapis, what are we supposed to do? Wait to die?"
Ryou saw Zhongli's expression shift and was about to keep going—
But Zhongli cut in quickly.
"Ryou, that's going too far."
"Even if something happened, the adepti are still here."
"Wrong," Ryou said firmly. "The adepti are still adepti. No matter how many there are, they don't compare to the weight of a single god."
"The Seven Archons rule the seven nations. That influence matters most."
"And besides, the adepti are proud. Would they truly set aside that pride and help ordinary people like us?"
"I doubt it."
Then Ryou's tone softened.
"Alright. I'm just using an example."
"Don't go repeating this around, alright? People would definitely scold me for it."
"Of course," Zhongli said.
As much as Zhongli wanted to disagree, he did end up thinking about it. The adepti rarely interacted with Liyue's people. If something truly happened, even if the adepti helped, there were still things that couldn't be avoided.
Ryou looked at him and spoke gently.
"I think you understand what I mean."
"You're not young anymore. It's time to think about your future."
"Look at me—I'm younger than you, and I've already settled down."
"I used to think I could be carefree because I was young. But now Keqing keeps me in line, and I've matured a lot."
"You're older, so you're the 'experienced one' in life… but in this, I'm the one who's been through it."
"Think it over."
He picked up a stack and slid it over. "Oh, and take these documents. Go handle them."
"Alright." Zhongli didn't say much more.
Ryou's words had left a mark—not about marriage, but about Liyue, the adepti, and the dangers he'd described.
After Zhongli walked a short distance out, he glanced back toward Ryou's office.
Through the doorway, he could see Ryou sitting inside, calmly reading a book.
Zhongli fell silent.
Maybe I'm overthinking it.
Ryou doesn't know who I am. There's no way he's deliberately trying to persuade me.
Maybe he really was just making an example.
[End of chapter]
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