Ningguang knew that nothing she said right now would do any good.
Whether she and Mobius went to see Kaito together, or Mobius went alone, neither option would dispel the suspicion. Even Kaito himself wouldn't be able to clear it up.
Haah… Kaito…
What on earth happened between you and Mobius?
Faced with the situation in front of her, Ningguang found herself thinking that with a helpless resignation she rarely allowed herself.
She had no real interest in other people's romantic entanglements. But right now she couldn't help wanting to know exactly what had passed between Kaito and Mobius — because no matter what she did, she couldn't seem to make Mobius believe her.
"So this is my fault, is it?"
Just as Ningguang's sense of helplessness peaked, Mobius cut in — her tone carrying the faintest edge of irritation as she turned the question back on her.
"Of course not," Ningguang replied without hesitation.
There was only one right answer to that question, and she knew it. Give any other, and Mobius might redirect her displeasure onto her directly — and that would be a problem she did not need.
After a brief pause, she pressed on: "But I rarely see Kaito, you understand. He's been back in Liyue for several days now, and we've only met once — and that was entirely to discuss matters concerning you."
Whatever else, she still had to explain herself. Even if Mobius wasn't going to believe her, letting the misunderstanding stand unchallenged would be far worse.
"Discuss matters concerning me? And what exactly did that man say about me?"
Mobius's interest seemed to sharpen immediately. She made no effort to hide it — she wanted to know what Kaito had said about her.
So she does care what Kaito says about her…
Ningguang had caught that reaction, and it gave her pause.
At the same time, she found herself genuinely curious about one thing: why hadn't Mobius simply gone to Kaito directly?
Could it be because I'm one of the women who's had contact with him?
In that case… Keqing is probably in for the same treatment.
The thought settled in her mind as she answered, "He mentioned a few things — your appearance, what you enjoy researching. He also asked us to keep an eye out for any cases of missing persons, because he felt you might…"
"That man." Mobius cut her off before she could finish. "Every last person who came to me for research came of their own free will."
She let that stand for a moment, then added, "What else?"
"Nothing else," Ningguang said, shaking her head slowly.
By now, her mental image of Mobius had shifted almost beyond recognition.
The figure she had first imagined — formidable, unsettling, unknowable — had given way to something far more ordinary: a girl hopelessly preoccupied with one particular person.
There was still one thing she couldn't work out, though. Why wouldn't Mobius just go and find Kaito herself? If she cared this much, why keep her distance?
Is it because Kaito doesn't feel the same way?
The thought surfaced without warning, and it struck Ningguang as all too plausible.
It was not, however, something she had any intention of saying aloud. Say that to someone like Mobius and you'd have her anger turned on you before the words finished leaving your mouth.
After all, Ningguang had seen this kind of girl before. The type who would insist up and down how much they couldn't stand someone — and the moment you voiced an inconvenient truth about that very person, all of it would land squarely on you. Even if you'd only meant it as a passing observation. Even then, you were in trouble. And Mobius was far from an ordinary girl.
"Oh — he also mentioned that you've lived for tens of thousands of years," Ningguang added, remembering that detail and deciding she had better include it.
Whatever she knew, she ought to say. All of it.
"Is that so." Mobius's response came like a snap. "Is he calling me old?"
"That wasn't his intention," Ningguang said quickly, moving to contain the reaction before it grew. She really hadn't anticipated Mobius taking it like that.
When Kaito had brought it up, it had been to caution them against underestimating her — nothing more. There was no other meaning behind it. So Ningguang was fairly confident she was right.
"Then what did he mean?"
Mobius still looked displeased as she pressed the question.
You should really be asking Kaito that…
The words formed on their own, and Ningguang had to keep them firmly behind her teeth. She knew exactly what would happen if she let them out.
There was an old saying that covered situations like this perfectly: if you can't do anything about someone else, what makes you think I'm any easier a target?
"He only said it to make sure we understood just how remarkable you are," Ningguang continued, keeping her tone smooth. "That we shouldn't take you lightly. Something along those lines."
Honestly, she had never imagined Mobius would be like this. It was nothing like the picture she'd built in her mind beforehand.
Still — if this was who Mobius was, that was actually rather convenient. It meant she posed considerably less of a threat to Liyue than Ningguang had feared.
Not that things were likely to stay so simple, of course.
They were talking about Kaito right now, after all. Were this about anyone else, Mobius might not be nearly so easy to deal with. Ningguang was under no illusions about that.
"So when he described me — did it sound impressive?" Mobius asked.
"Yes. Absolutely," Ningguang agreed at once, giving a quick nod.
Truthfully, even if Kaito hadn't framed it that way, she probably would have given the same answer at this point.
She'd been paying attention from the moment Mobius appeared, and by now she had a fairly clear read on her preferences. Naturally, she was going to respond accordingly.
And even if the truth turned out to be something different later on, she could always claim she had simply misunderstood. One way or another, keeping Mobius in a good mood was the best move available to her right now.
After that, Mobius went quiet. She seemed to be turning something over in her mind.
What is she thinking about?
Kaito, probably.
And… should I suggest she just go and find him?
Actually — no. Better not.
I have a feeling she came here just to confirm whether I had anything going on with Kaito. Once she's satisfied on that front, she'll probably leave.
Ningguang's thoughts drifted to Keqing as she watched Mobius brood in silence.
She didn't know whether Mobius was aware that Keqing was currently at Kaito's place. But she knew this: if Mobius found out, Keqing would almost certainly end up on the receiving end of the exact same interrogation — the same pointed questions about whether anything improper was going on between her and Kaito.
If it came to that, she had to admit she was genuinely worried for Keqing.
Because Keqing wasn't like her. Keqing would, with a very high probability, manage to irritate Mobius — and that would be a problem.
So the moment Mobius walked out that door, Ningguang intended to go straight to Kaito's.
Whether to tell Kaito that Mobius had appeared, or to warn Keqing in time about how to handle Mobius — both mattered. Both were urgent.
____
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🔥 New history: Oshi No Ko: Co-starring with Kana Arima
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