Katheryn spotted Henry the moment he stepped near the Adventurers' Guild and called out to him."Mr. Henry, please come here. Someone is requesting to meet you."
Henry turned making his way towards Katheryn, his attention already shifting toward the familiar presence standing nearby.
Keqing stood with a straight, composed posture, her presence sharp without needing to draw attention. Her long lavender hair fell neatly down her back, styled into twin-tails that framed her shoulders, with a pair of cat ears resting atop her head. Her violet eyes were clear and focused, carrying a quiet intensity that missed very little.
Her features were refined, her expression usually held in calm control. Her fair skin contrasted subtly with the structured purple and gold of her outfit, designed to be both elegant and practical. Brown stockings with faint golden patterns completed the look, adding to the refined, effortlessly alluring air she carried.
"Mr. Henry, I am Keqing, Yuheng of the Liyue Qixing ." the purple-haired girl spoke as she looked up at him, her tone clear and professional, "The Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing, Lady Ningguang has requested your presence in Liyue regarding a potential business opportunity."
"Ningguang wants to meet me? Maybe she heard about the bikes."
"Oh," Henry said, a note of genuine surprise in his tone , "I would be honored."
Keqing gave a small nod. "I will be accompanying you whenever you are ready to depart."
Henry considered that for a moment before responding. "I'll need a few days before We set off for Liyue. There are some things I need to wrap up here first."
"That is acceptable," Keqing replied without hesitation. "Lady Ningguang has instructed me to take care of some official matters in Mondstadt. A week will not be an issue."
Henry reached into his inventory and pulled out the bike.
Keqing's attention shifted the moment it appeared.
Her gaze moved across it in measured detail, not just looking but assessing. The frame, the alignment, the materials—her eyes lingered just long enough on each part to suggest she wasn't just impressed, she was trying to understand it.
Henry noticed the shift in her attention, the way her gaze lingered on the frame.
"Do you want to learn this? It's the vehicle I think Lady Ningguang wants to inquire about," he asked, watching her reaction.
Keqing looked up at him, the shift in her expression subtle but noticeable. "…You would teach me?"
"If you've got the time."
She nodded. "Then I would appreciate it, Mr. Henry."
"Meet me at the Mondstadt gates once you've settled in," Henry said. "It'll be easier ride without any crowds around."
Keqing inclined her head slightly. "Understood. Thank you, Mr. Henry."
With that, she turned and took her leave, her pace steady, her attention already moving on to whatever she had planned next.
Henry watched her go for a second longer before shifting direction himself, heading toward the Mondstadt gates.
The streets of Mondstadt carried their usual rhythm—light movement, familiar voices, nothing out of place.
That was why the figure ahead stood out.
Tall. Broad shoulders. Moving like someone who knew exactly how to handle themselves—and yet, there was something off about it. The man kept glancing over his shoulder.
Not casually. This was sharper, quicker, like he was making sure he wasn't being followed.
Henry slowed slightly, narrowing his focus.
Varka?
The thought settled, but before he could confirm it, his attention broke as he collided with someone stepping into his path.
Henry recovered instantly, his footing adjusting without effort, but the person he had bumped into wasn't as stable. Their balance tipped backward, the motion quick enough to turn into a fall—
He moved without thinking.
His hand shot forward, catching them by the arm and pulling them back upright, the motion controlled enough to stop the fall without jerking them forward. In the process, their faces came close without either intending it, and Henry's gaze traced the slope of her nose, the subtle pink of her lips, and the cool, even tone of her skin, committing each detail silently.
For a brief second, neither of them moved. Then Henry registered who he was holding.
Jean.
The same Jean he had gone out with on different outings—once for dinner at Springvale's restaurant, and other times roaming around as she showed him available locations for his bike shop and then the café.
[You are such a wimp, Henry. Can't even call them dates.]
"Fuck you too, Orianna. Alright… I had already agreed it was a date."
Jean blinked, her focus lingering on Henry's face as he held her.
"Jean," Henry said, releasing her and acting as if nothing had happened, "what brings you out today?"
Her attention snapped fully back at the sound of his voice, the brief lapse gone as quickly as it had appeared.
"Henry! I'm looking for the Grandmaster. Have you seen him?" she asked, her tone steady, though the urgency behind it was clear.
Henry didn't pause for even a moment, tattling without a trace of thought. "Saw him heading into the Cat's Tail."
Jean paused for just a second, processing that, before nodding. "Thank you."
She bid Henry goodbye and turned immediately, already moving toward the tavern with purpose.
Henry watched her go, the corner of his thoughts shifting as the situation clicked into place.
That's going to be interesting.
[Snitching on Varka just like that? What would he say if he knew? I thought the motto was bros before hoes, but clearly you've got your own version.]
Piss off, Orianna.
Turning away from the direction Jean had gone, Henry adjusted his path toward the city gates.
The walk gave him time to think. Liyue, Ningguang, a potential business opportunity—all of it pointed to scale, influence, reach. If she was reaching out to him directly, whatever he had started here had already spread further than he had realized.
This was indeed good news for him.
When the main gates came into view, he removed a bicycle from his space and placed it on the ground, waiting in a corner for Keqing.
---
Drop Stones as Usual.
I came back and saw people were still giving me stones even while I was on break and not posting chapters-thank you and love you❤️ (no homo)
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